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Chapter 356 He Wants to Destroy the Tax System
Turn the screen, go around the back hall, and enter the courtyard.

After a long and winding journey, Magistrate Jia Bai of Qili County carried a wooden box out of the mansion at the back.

Before he could even walk back to the tea room in the front yard, the wooden box was taken by Manager Tang, who was waiting in front of the tea pavilion.

"Now, can Manager Tang rest easy?"

"Master Jia, you flatter me. Actually, I have known you for a long time before coming here and I know that you are not a man of your word. However, since the master has made such a request, even if it is just a formality, we who are doing the work can only do it officially."

After listening, Jia Bai nodded, picked up his brush, and methodically filled the inkstone with ink.

Then, he casually signed the contract that 80% of the farmland's output belonged to Jizhai, while the remaining 20% ​​stayed in the county.

As for Manager Tang, he sat down in the armchair opposite him, opened the wooden box, and took out the register stamped with the seals of the seven major immortal sects.

The Xia Dynasty's laws and regulations state that all land under heaven belongs to the king.

The so-called king refers to the brilliant and talented founding emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty.

Although the Great Xia Dynasty declined afterward, it had to supply countless grains to immortals to cultivate immortality every year, turning them into mere tools, which was no longer worthy of the imperial grandeur. However, these lands still belonged to the Great Xia Dynasty.

According to human history books, the Great Xia Dynasty invited a reclusive immortal sect to appear in the world to help unify the nine provinces by adopting a system of servitude for all people.

What the Great Xia wanted was territory, while the cultivators wanted sustenance. This was the orthodox history of the human race, which had long been compiled into the history books and had been passed down from generation to generation.

In other words, this is why the cultivation world can reach a consensus that ordinary people should support immortals, and it is also why cultivators can maintain a clear Dao heart even though they are exploiting sentient beings.

This promise was once universally acknowledged.

The so-called fish-scale book originated from this.

Legend has it that when the Great Xia Dynasty pacified the Nine Provinces, the Immortal Sect ceased its seclusion and began to widely recruit disciples.

Therefore, both sides jointly issued fish-scale registers to local governments to determine the amount of taxes to be collected.

It is called Fish Scale Album because the fields and ponds are arranged in sequence and have four boundaries, which are very similar in shape to fish scales.

What Manager Tang needed for this trip was the contract signed by Master Jia, as well as this thick stack of registers.

A few breaths later, Master Jia finished signing the document, habitually holding the paper in the air to let the airflow pass by and allow the ink to dry at a speed visible to the naked eye. He then used a mixture of cinnabar and oil to press his fingerprint onto the paper before handing it over to Manager Tang.

"Master Jia is indeed straightforward." Manager Tang closed the wooden box and clasped his hands in a respectful gesture.

After hearing this, Jia Bai stroked his long beard and said, "The land matter is the land matter, but please ask Manager Tang to pass on the message that the taxes paid by the people who signed the work contracts next year must be delivered on time and in full. Those are offerings to the gods, so we cannot be careless. Otherwise, no one can protect us."

There is a significant information gap between the cultivation world and the mortal world, especially for a minor county magistrate who governs the common people.

Just like when the zombie horde surged and the sky was shattered for months on end, people made all sorts of guesses, but they still don't know why.

The county magistrate was also unaware of the so-called status and strength in the cultivation world, and spoke in a tone that was half-reminder and half-threat.

“What Master Jia said is absolutely right. I will certainly pass it on to my master.”

"Then I'm relieved." Jia Bai looked relaxed.

All the people of Qili County were signed into Fengzhou and earned their share of taxes through work, which they then handed over to the Immortal Lord. As in previous years, he no longer had to worry about losing his head for not collecting enough taxes.

He even acquired 20% of the land's assets through leasing, which was an immense fortune, so how could he not be delighted?

Shopkeeper Tang packed the items into the wooden box and, seeing the man's overjoyed expression, couldn't help but say, "Only heaven and earth know about this matter. It would be best if you, sir, did not reveal what happened today."

Why can't you disclose that?

"It's just to avoid some unnecessary trouble."

Manager Tang said, "Actually, it doesn't matter to us. But if others find out that the master took public land for profit, it will be difficult for us to put the money directly into the master's pocket next year."

Jia Bai's face darkened: "Not bad, not bad, Manager Tang's reminder was timely."

The land belongs to Daxia. Even if it is not cultivated but leased out, the income from it should still be incorporated into the treasury.

If this matter were to be exposed from the shadows, Jia Bai might not get a single penny.

Seeing that he already understood the pros and cons, Manager Tang stood up with the wooden box in his arms and said, "In that case, I will not bother you any longer. Farewell."

"Take care, Manager Tang!" Jia Bai also got up and saw him off.

"Sir, there's no need to be so polite. Please stay."

"No, I'm going to check on my grain."

Jia Bai, who had been calm and composed, replied and then quickly ran to Manager Tang to bring over the three grain carts, and instructed the servants in the mansion to unload the grain.

Shopkeeper Tang's eyes narrowed, then he waved to his staff, and the group of more than ten people drove the remaining carriages away.

"The shopkeeper's."

"What's the matter?"

"This Jia Bai is known throughout the surrounding area for his quick wit and lack of common sense. Will he tell everyone what happened today?" As they headed towards the next county town, one of the shop assistants couldn't help but ask.

Sitting on the carriage shaft, Manager Tang shook his head upon hearing this: "It's true that these local officials are all stupid, but the good thing is that they are all quite greedy. They naturally know that if this matter gets out, they will definitely not gain any benefit and will not cause trouble for themselves."

Despite the language barrier, the Wulu Merchant Company's caravan continued to venture deeper into Qingzhou.

Meanwhile, the carriages that had been dispatched turned back in the direction they had come from and sped into Fengzhou territory.

The wind is rolling, the wind is rolling——

The wagons, laden with grain, continued to penetrate deep into the six prefectures, moving in and out of the countryside and county offices.

Their movements were secretive, and since the common people of Qingyun lived in remote and impoverished areas, no one noticed these caravans.

The shopkeepers accompanying the carriage, lured by the promise of profit, exchanged one copy of the fish-scale register after another, and quietly delivered it to Fengzhou.

And those county officials who signed the contracts and received the fish-scale registers did not reveal a single word to outsiders because of their vested interests.

As long as the information continues to be kept secret, obtaining all the fish-scale books containing the signed contracts doesn't seem to be too difficult.

"Young Master Kuang."

"speak."

The clerk of Fengzhou Prefecture bowed slightly to Kuang Cheng: "The fifth granary is empty, and the merchants have sent word that they are short of grain again."

Upon hearing this, Kuang Cheng held his breath slightly, then gripped his sleeve and said, "Open the sixth granary."

“Young master, those immortals are always greedy. If this continues, there will probably be no end to it. Five of the nine granaries are empty. Even our Fengzhou will have a hard time. Many people will have to tighten their belts.”

"Go ahead and open it. Ji Zhai won't let anyone go hungry."

"Yes!"

Seeing Kuang Cheng's firm resolve, the advisor immediately clasped his hands in agreement, and then a large group of people left the fifth granary and headed to the sixth granary.

As the heavy gate was opened, the stored grain was loaded onto horse-drawn carts and sent to all directions.

He knew that the fish-scale registers from various states had already been returned, which meant that his brother Ji's idea had worked.

At this critical juncture, Fengzhou's food supply cannot be cut off.

They need to control the attention of those powerful families and immortal sects, keep things moving forward, and feed them until they are willing to part with some food to help the common people survive.

Fengzhou, which has to give up almost all of its grain production, will be in a difficult situation, as the accumulation of the past few years will be completely depleted, but the road ahead will definitely be smooth.

Wei Rui had already arrived at the Sixth Grain Depot from Ji Village.

She was carrying a lacquered box containing food for her lover.

As she put down the lacquer box and took out the food, the young lady of the Wei family kept staring at the people busy in front of the granary, feeling somewhat puzzled.

They all knew that Fengzhou was being ruthlessly exploited.

But she didn't know why her lover always opened the granary and distributed grain so readily and without hesitation.

"Master, where did all this grain come from?"

In the county government office of Songhe County, Yongzhou, the wife of Grandfather Pi Xian was staring in disbelief at the three large carts of grain.

The sight of two black pigs tied to the third carriage made her feel even more disoriented.

The zombie horde caused a complete crop failure in Qingyun Tianxia. It wasn't just the common people who suffered; even the officials were finding life difficult.

That's right, the Great Xia will still pay them a monthly salary, but the problem is that under the current situation, even if the monthly salary is doubled, it will not be enough for them to buy food.

For some time now, the Pi family has been tightening their belts, trying to get through the winter by relying on the taxes they collected last year, but it's not an easy time.

But who would have thought that when Mrs. Pi got up this morning, she would see so much food in the yard, and she was naturally surprised.

Seeing this, Pi Xian frowned: "Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask. Tell someone to unload a cartload and send it to the kitchen. Grind it into flour, and it will be enough to last for several months."

"What about the remaining two large carts?"

“Naturally, we should send it to Prefect Min and ask him to write a letter to the Zhenbei Army, telling them to take good care of Kuan’er.”

As Pi Xian spoke, he instructed his servants to bring the tarpaulin used for collecting taxes and to cover the two large carriages completely.

After the Great Xia changed its reign title to Taiyuan, it began to implement a policy of expanding its army. Although military life was extremely difficult, it was an opportunity for many lower-level official families.

Because the Zhenbei Army can cultivate immortality, and even after accumulating enough military merits, their relatives can be admitted to immortal sects.

So, three years ago in the spring, the far-sighted Pi Xian sent his son to join the army.

This was actually the same idea as that of Fang Zhongzheng, the magistrate of Yuyang County in Fengzhou, and very similar to that of the Kuang family, who all hoped that someone in their family could enter the world of cultivation.

Unfortunately, they thought that after sending their son there, he could guard the city walls, make a living for a few years, and then use the tax money to bribe officials and get ahead. However, they never expected that the demon and barbarian races would join forces to invade the Nine Provinces.

The constant stream of news of soldiers dying in battle from You and Yun prefectures has kept Pi Xian awake at night.

Therefore, he kept trying to find a way to get his son removed from the front line and transferred to logistics, which naturally required giving gifts.

With a rustling sound, the carriage was covered up.

Upon seeing this, the county clerk couldn't help but whisper, "Sir, this is not a good idea."

"What's wrong with it?"

"The people from Wulu Trading Company instructed us not to reveal this to anyone. If Prefect Min knew that the tax on immortals was borne by Fengzhou and that you could still receive 20% of the rent every year, then this benefit would not be in our hands. We might as well wait until the harvest is better."

Pi Xian immediately interrupted the advisor: "The world is short of food these days. Adding flowers to brocade is not as sincere as providing charcoal in the snow. Besides, the war on the front lines is fierce. How many lives does my son have to wait?"

"This..." The advisor was speechless.

"You stay at home and take good care of everyone in the manor. I will return soon."

"Yes."

Pi Xian boarded the carriage, and then, with the coachman's whip, hurriedly left Songhexian County, heading towards Youma County in Yongzhou, which was under his jurisdiction.

When Pi Xian arrived in Yau Ma County, a large number of refugees were wandering around the city.

They drove their carriage around taking detours, which took several hours before they finally arrived at Prefect Min's residence.

However, as soon as he entered, he was stopped by the gatekeeper: "What brings Magistrate Pi here?"

"This humble official wishes to pay his respects to the Prefect. Please inform the Steward." "My master is currently receiving distinguished guests from the Immortal Sect and has no time to see anyone else. Magistrate Pi, please return home."

Pi Xian swallowed hard, then took out some loose silver from his pocket: "This humble official has come to deliver some grain and meat to you, sir. Please inform the steward."

Upon hearing this, the gatekeeper of the prefectural governor's mansion looked up and stared at the stack of carriages.

Upon seeing this, Pi Xian immediately ordered his men to tear off the tarpaulin so that the gatekeeper could see it clearly.

When the gatekeeper saw the two black pigs and several baskets of melons and fruits, he was surprised but also confirmed the purpose of Magistrate Pi's visit. So he accepted the silver and turned to enter the courtyard.

The gatekeeper of the prefect's residence was not lying; Prefect Min was indeed meeting with distinguished guests in the front hall at that moment.

Some of these distinguished guests were elders from local aristocratic families, while others were disciples sent by the Mountain and Sea Pavilion.

They came to transport grain for the Wulu Trading Company, and stayed in the prefect's mansion, chatting about how the proud and arrogant country bumpkin now regretted his actions while drinking tea and enjoying the aroma.

The process was interrupted by the arrival of the gatekeeper, causing the immortals to frown slightly.

"You scoundrel, who let you in?" Magistrate Min was furious.

“Master…Master, Magistrate Pi Xian of Songhe County has arrived. He said he wants to present you with some grain. I saw that he did bring some things over to report this.”

"Where would a mere county magistrate get grain?" an old man with a hooked nose asked from the high hall.

He was an instructor at the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, with the cultivation level of the Fusion Dao Realm. His name was He Sui. He was dispatched to personally oversee the collection of grain in Youma County. He was also the one who led the people to drive away the refugees in the city who kept receiving grain from the Wulu Trading Company.

He was well aware of the current situation, so he wondered how a mere county magistrate could possibly have grain to send to people when even powerful families had to go to great lengths to obtain it.

Upon hearing this, Prefect Min bowed and said, "In response to Immortal He's question, two-thirds of the arable land in my Youma County is located around Songhe County. The grain in his hands must be the grain he had stored up when taxes were collected in the past."

"Oh?"

"No, it wasn't stored grain," the gatekeeper said, kneeling down. "I also saw black pigs and vegetables!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the gatekeeper saw that all the immortals in the hall stared at each other with puzzled expressions.

The relief grain was meant to help ordinary people survive, so it consisted mainly of millet. As for meat, wine, and vegetables, they could only find them in restaurants.

Thinking of this, everyone's eyes gradually deepened.

Because they were certain that the one capable of such a large-scale operation at this time must be the one from Fengzhou whose combat power was comparable to Wujiang.

The problem is that this is Yongzhou, which is thousands of miles away from Fengzhou, and is further separated by Zhongzhou and Liangzhou.

It is quite thought-provoking how a county magistrate in such a remote and isolated place could obtain these things.

“With food shortages nowadays, meat and vegetables are even harder to find. I’m rushing to deliver them and they still have to wait. There’s no such logic to that.”

“I am an official, after all. That lowly gatekeeper is so rude. He’s just a dog relying on his master’s power.”

Under the high sun, Pi Xian, who was blocked outside the gate, leaned against the carriage and muttered to himself. He had just finished speaking when he suddenly noticed a group of servants coming out of the prefect's mansion.

He assumed that Prefect Min had come to greet him personally, so he quickly got up, cupped his hands in greeting, and headed up the steps.

But after taking only a few steps, he found that his arms were being held.

"What are you doing? What are you doing?" Realizing something was wrong, Magistrate Pi struggled for a moment.

The head steward gave him a cold look: "You'll know when Magistrate Pi comes along."

"I just came to deliver groceries, I didn't do anything!"

The servants of the prefect's mansion acted according to orders, ignoring his explanations. They ordered their men to bring in the carriage outside the gate, and then led Magistrate Pi into my front hall, where they forced him to kneel down.

Upon seeing this, He Sui, the instructor of Shan Hai Pavilion, slightly raised his eyes: "You are Pi Xian, the magistrate of Songhe County?"

"Your...your humble servant is Pi Xian."

Where does your food come from?

Upon hearing this, Pi Xian couldn't help but swallow.

Although he didn't know what had happened, he knew this wasn't the proper attitude for a recipient of a gift, so he stammered, "Replying to the Immortal, it was saved from taxes in previous years."

"Nonsense, the fruits and vegetables in your car may look wilted, but they're obviously freshly picked. Are you some kind of private cultivator who can use magical artifacts to keep them fresh?"

Magistrate Pi's mind went blank for a moment: "No, no, no, I did not practice private cultivation. I have been honest and law-abiding since I was a child. How could I dare to commit such a capital offense!"

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Min shouted sternly, "Hurry up and confess! Do you think you can fool the eyes of the immortals?"

"me……"

"Pi Xian, are you really not afraid of death?"

Pi Xian wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: "Replying to the Immortal, it was given by the Wulu Trading Company."

He Sui narrowed his eyes upon hearing this: "Why would they give you these?"

“They came to me with the labor contracts of the people of Songhe County, saying that now all the labor force in the county has to go to Fengzhou to work, and the land in the county is abandoned. They want to lease the land in my county, saying that every year, in addition to the taxes paid to the immortals, 20% will be left for the county as tax revenue.”

At three quarters past noon, as the sun began to set, He Sui, along with his disciples, piloted a flying boat, carrying a confession in his hand, and sped away from Youma County, hurrying back to the Daoist temple of Shanhai Pavilion.

After entering the mountain gate, He Sui rode all the way up the mountain and found his master, Elder Huo Ku.

Before long, Pi Xian's mouth was delivered to Vice Headmaster Hawking and his disciple Huo Xingzhong through Huo Ku's hands.

After reading it word by word, Huo Xingzhong's eyes narrowed: "He truly is fearless."

"He's utterly courting death." A fierce glint flashed in Hawking's eyes. "The grain collection is to be postponed for now. Immediately send a message to the other five immortal sects and see what they've accomplished."

"Yes."

"besides!"

Huo Ku looked up upon hearing the voice: "Vice Sect Leader, please give your orders."

Hawking said in a deep voice, "I would like to trouble Elder Ku to make the trip himself and meet with this magistrate of Songhe County again!"

"Understood." Huo Ku bowed in agreement, then turned and left the sect, flying on his sword towards Youma County.

After being questioned, Pi Xian was locked in the woodshed of the prefect's mansion. He didn't eat or drink anything all day and was feeling completely numb.

Such good food, you just don't want it, and then you lock me up like that? Is there no law anymore?

Just as he was cursing under his breath, his stomach growling with hunger, the wooden door of the woodshed was kicked open, and Prefect Min humbly led Huo Ku, who had come from the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, into it.

Pi Xian was naturally not qualified to know such a person, but even through the oppressive aura that made him tremble all over, he could guess that this was an immortal of a higher status than the immortal who had asked him questions that day.

"You're Pi Xian?!"

"In reply to the immortal, I am Pi Xian."

Huo Ku stared at him intently: "You rented out the farmland in Songhe County to Ji You?!"

"It was...it was my doing," Pi Xian replied tremblingly, not daring to hide it.

"Where is the Fish Scale Register jointly issued by the Mountain and Sea Pavilion and the Great Xia Dynasty?"

"Replying to the Immortal, the Fish Scale Book was taken away by them, who said it would be exchanged as scheduled in ten years."

"You really have a lot of nerve!"

"Immortal, have mercy! I just think there's some truth to what they're saying. All the able-bodied men in our county are going to work in Fengzhou. The farmland we leave behind will soon be abandoned. It's better to give it to them."

Pi Xian kowtowed as he said, "When the time comes, the taxes paid by the immortals will be taken from my lowly people, and 20% of the cultivated land will still be left. What's wrong with all parties paying tribute?"

Upon hearing Pi Xian's reply, Prefect Min couldn't help but glance at Huo Ku.

Actually, after learning what Pi Xian had done, he also felt that it was a good choice.

He was tempted to agree to the offer that he would receive the full share of taxes and an additional 20% of the profits from his own territory. Therefore, he was puzzled as to why the immortal from the mountain was so angry.

Just then, he suddenly heard a chilling laugh.

"Have you ever considered that he would never allow the commoners under your jurisdiction to work in Fengzhou, but instead would make them continue working in the leased Songhe County?"

Huo Ku stared at him intently: "Next year, he will take 80% of the grain production of the entire Yongzhou, and the remaining 20% ​​will be distributed. He can't even support a thousand-year-old family. How do you plan to pay the full amount of taxes? Or are we all going to starve to death?"

Upon hearing this, Pi Xian's eyes widened instantly, while Prefect Min held his breath, his mind reeling.

Ji You returned to Ji Village three days ago and is currently in his study, looking at a batch of fish-scale books he just received.

To be honest, it's not without reason that the barbarian and demon races have wanted to return to Kyushu for over a thousand years, because the land of Kyushu is indeed fertile.

If it weren't for the fact that the people of Kyushu needed to make offerings to the immortals every year, supporting themselves wouldn't be a problem at all.

However, this model has been entrenched for too long, making it difficult for those within it to break free. In particular, since the rise of the human race, everyone has assumed that a large portion of the products of the Nine Provinces should belong to the Immortal Sect, because it was they who ended the war and unified the human race.

What Ji You wants to do is to make this tacit acceptance a universally acknowledged wrongdoing.

Neither grains nor local products should belong to the Immortal Sect.

But after production is finished, these products always need to be assigned a home.

These products cannot directly belong to the people, because the people simply do not have the capacity to bear the fruits of these productions.

They cannot belong to the Great Xia either, because the Great Xia has only been mediating between cultivators and commoners for the past few hundred years.

Therefore, it can only belong to those who can withstand pressure, so that the world will not repeat the same mistakes.

Ji You knew from the beginning that the relief food would not reach the refugees, because he knew how despicable the aristocratic families were, and he also knew where his own weaknesses lay.

What he wanted was never to make a fortune by selling grain; what he wanted were the land deeds of Kyushu and the work deeds of the people of Kyushu.

Only when both of these are in one's own hands will the grain produce have absolutely no connection with the people, the Great Xia, or the Immortal Sect, and there will be no historical correctness whatsoever.

Those cultivators felt that taxes were rightfully theirs, so they had no greed and were able to exploit the people while maintaining a clear Dao mind.

He wants to shatter this "should be" mentality and let ugliness be ugliness.

When Ji You obtained a batch of fish-scale registers from Yongzhou, including Songhe County, other immortal sects also received the news from the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, causing a stir throughout the mountain.

The land and people originally belonged to the Great Xia, and the Great Xia needed to fulfill a promise made a thousand years ago to the cultivators.

But now that Ji You has taken away both the land and the people through contracts, all the resources will no longer belong to the Great Xia for the next ten years.

Only then did they realize that from the very beginning, Ji You intended to destroy the "rightful" and "millennial" tax system of the entire Qingyun world by changing the ownership of production.

The grain that was thrown out for nothing was nothing more than bait scattered by him with a wave of his hand.

And it was actually them who pushed hard to get all the world's laborers to sign labor contracts.

For thousands of years, they had always thought that battles were all about swords and shadows, life and death, but this was the first time they had ever seen such a silent killing game.

The key to this kind of scheme is that the person behind it really has the ability to control everything. Otherwise, all contracts and records are useless. Back when the Immortal Sect needed the Pill Sect, they didn't even care about the Azure Cloud Immortal Rules.

The problem is that Ji You may not be without worries.

Because they all knew that the attitude of the Heavenly Academy and the Spirit Sword Mountain towards him had always been inexplicable.

(Ask for monthly ticket)

(End of this chapter)