Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 225 Killing corrupt officials is like killing chickens and dogs
The garrison commander's negligence in his duties led to a garrison of soldiers blocking the camp gate to petition, casting a shadow over Yan Yi's good mood of the past few days.

While the promulgation of government decrees is important, even the most perfect decrees will inevitably become mere formalities if they cannot be effectively implemented.

Zhou Xin was in charge of many affairs in Danyang. He was diligent in his duties and cared for the people. He was also very familiar with the counties in Danyang, making him the perfect candidate to handle the government affairs. Yan Yi trusted him completely.

However, today's events served as a reminder to Yan Yi that simply appointing a suitable governor is not enough to manage government affairs; a sound system of oversight is needed to ensure the effective implementation of government orders.

This supervisory responsibility originally fell to the county inspectors, but judging from the current situation, the inspectors of Moling County are not very competent.

The inspector of Moling County was named Fei You, and he had served under Zhou Xin. After Wu Jing captured Danyang, Fei You resigned and returned to his hometown, only to be recalled by Zhou Xin not long ago.

In Yan Yi's view, there are two immediately implementable methods to strengthen the supervision of various affairs at the prefecture and county levels.

The first solution is to increase the number of inspectors in each region to strengthen oversight. For example, Moling County currently only has one inspector, Fei You, who oversees a large area and inevitably struggles to cope. Increasing the number of inspectors to two to four would undoubtedly improve the effectiveness of oversight.

Another approach was to further expand the scale of the Inspectorate, deploying spies throughout its jurisdiction to gather information covertly and conduct in-depth investigations into the implementation of local policies. Simultaneously, close attention would be paid to the words and actions of local officials, meticulously observing all matters: Was tax collection fair? Were criminal trials reasonable? Were there any deviations in the execution of policies?

Yan Yi returned to the pavilion and paced back and forth in the courtyard. After thinking for a long time, he decided to implement both methods together.

Only by combining overt supervision by inspectors with covert investigations by secret agents can a comprehensive monitoring network covering all townships and villages be woven, allowing them to access the most comprehensive and accurate information at any time, thus ensuring efficient governance of the county.

However, the implementation of these two countermeasures will take some time. Right now, it is a critical moment to stabilize the counties and implement the equal-field system, so he needs to personally supervise it.

Yan Yi stopped in his tracks, tightened the fox fur cloak on his shoulders, and smiled at Xu Sheng, who was standing to the side, saying, "Wenxiang, do you remember the events at Gexi Pavilion?"

Xu Sheng smiled and said, "It's all so vivid in my mind. If it weren't for Young Master's inspection of Geqi, how could I have been so fortunate as to meet him?"

A tender glint of reminiscence flickered in Yan Yi's eyes as he sighed softly, "Back in Wucheng and Yuncheng, although I didn't travel to every village and hamlet, I was quite familiar with their conditions. Now, I haven't walked through the villages for a long time, and I only know about their situations from what I've heard from those around me. With the weather so cold right now, I wonder how the people here are doing, and whether the widowed and orphaned have been properly cared for. Since we're here today, Wenxiang, why don't you accompany me for a walk around?"

Xu Sheng clasped his hands in response and said, "I will immediately send out scouts to guard against petty thieves."

"Do not disturb the villagers." Yan Yi nodded slightly and gave a reminder.

Xu Sheng took his safety very seriously. When he set off from Moling in the morning, he originally only planned to take a hundred or so personal guards with him, but Xu Sheng insisted that the Longxiang Battalion accompany him.

As the saying goes, only a skilled archer knows the strength of a bow. Ever since Sun Ce perished in Mingling Valley, the generals have become increasingly cautious and meticulous in protecting Yan Yi.

Xu Sheng strode out of the pavilion, calling out repeatedly.

Before long, the sound of horses' hooves echoed along the official roads surrounding the pavilion, as three hundred riders galloped towards each part of Eagle Beak Pavilion, providing tight security for the entire pavilion.

Even Fang Zhong and more than a hundred other soldiers were assigned by Xu Sheng to patrol various villages.

"Young Master is inspecting the pavilion. Should I inform Xiang Qiangfu to come and attend to you?"

Tao Ji, the head of Yingzui Pavilion, followed closely behind Yan Yi as they walked out of the pavilion.

According to the county temple's notification, Yan Yi was supposed to lead all the civil and military officials to inspect the villages three days later. His sudden arrival caught him completely off guard, leaving him somewhat at a loss.

"No need."

Yan Yi took the riding whip from his guard, mounted his horse, and rode along the official road toward Sangzi Village, the closest village to the pavilion.

Along the way, the fields are crisscrossed with paths, and many fields have already been plowed, showing that the immigrants who moved here are very hardworking and are already preparing for next year's spring planting.

Along both sides of the official road, immigrants who had heard the news arrived, disregarding the frost and freezing ground, and with grateful expressions, they prostrated themselves in worship.

Yan Yi's reputation for benevolence has spread throughout the Jianghuai region, and his various benevolent policies are progressing steadily. Although these immigrants have only recently moved here, they have already developed a strong sense of belonging to him.

Yan Yi switched from cycling to walking, carefully inquiring about the immigrants' livelihoods, and providing relief to the elderly, weak, and orphaned when he encountered them. Before even reaching Sangzi Village, the area was already packed with people, who flocked to him.

After some conversation, he gained some understanding of the situation at Yingzuiting.

Having endured the ravages of war and repeated exploitation by Wu Jing and Yuan Shu, most of the wealthy families and clans in Yingzui Pavilion, or those with relatives or friends elsewhere, had already fled. What remained were only the elderly and infirm who longed for their homeland and were unable to make a living. The newly arrived immigrants were also mostly destitute, with nothing of value, and only about 30% were able to make ends meet.

Of the remaining 70% of the poor, those with more able-bodied men in their families could earn some money to support themselves through manual labor, barely managing to eat two meals a day. Those whose families lacked able-bodied men ate only one meal a day or one meal every two days, their lives reduced to mere survival.

Yan Yi felt a pang of sadness upon hearing this. He had done everything in his power to help these poor people. However, there were simply too many newly arrived poor people, and even though he had gathered money, food, and supplies from all over the place, he could only barely keep them from starving or freezing to death.

For now, we can only wait until next spring to plant spring crops so that the people under our rule can gradually get rid of the predicament of lacking food and clothing.

In the crowd, a young man in his early twenties, dressed in a thin linen coat, was shivering in the cold wind, his face turning blue and his lips turning purple. He kept rubbing his hands together and breathing on them, trying to dispel the chill.

Yan Yi called him over, took a cotton robe from Xu Sheng, draped it over his shoulders, and asked, "It's cold, why are you only wearing a single layer of clothing?"

Under his instructions, the Yuncheng Textile Bureau worked day and night to produce winter clothes, which were continuously sent to Danyang at very low prices. Unexpectedly, some people still lacked clothes to keep warm.

The thick cotton robe quickly drove away the cold from his body. The young man exhaled two puffs of white breath and said gratefully, "Young Master, I still have an elderly mother and two younger siblings at home. I'll give them the cotton robe first. I'm strong and healthy, this little bit of cold is nothing to me."

Yan Yi frowned slightly and instructed Tao Ji: "Organize each village to prepare hot soup, which should be available all year round, so that those who lack warm clothing will be kept indoors as much as possible. Once the new cotton-padded clothes arrive, deliver them to them as soon as possible."

Tao Ji respectfully accepted the order, and the surrounding people were all moved to tears of gratitude.

"How dare you! You dare to ram the young lord's carriage!"

A commotion arose from not far away.

A gaunt villager darted out from the edge of the field and suddenly rushed toward the official road near Yan Yi, only to be stopped by two cavalrymen who drew their swords and pinned to the ground.

The man lay prostrate on the ground, struggling to raise his head, and cried out hoarsely, "I am Xu Ji, and I dare not offend you, young lord. I have come to accuse the corrupt officials in the village. I have heard that you kill corrupt officials as easily as killing chickens and dogs. Please, young lord, do justice for me!"

"Let him come over." Upon hearing the words "corrupt official," Yan Yi's eyebrows shot up sharply like blades as he looked at Tao Ji: "Do you recognize this person?" Tao Ji was terrified. He carefully examined the petition from the villager and replied, "He looks like a refugee who recently moved to Sangzi Village."

Yan Yi turned his gaze to Xu Ji and asked, "Whom do you wish to sue?"

Xu Ji prostrated himself on the ground, bowing his head and saying, "This humble one wishes to inform the newly appointed village head, Wang Han."

What is the matter you wish to report?

"Young Master is kind and generous, and has given me ten acres of temporary land and ten acres of permanent land. I am deeply grateful and thought I would be able to live a good life. Who knew that Wang Han, the village head, would accept bribes and give my ten acres of permanent land to others, leaving me with only twenty acres of temporary land."

"Temporary land" refers to land temporarily granted by the government, which is reclaimed upon the death of the recipient. "Permanent land," on the other hand, is the private property of the recipient, which can be passed down to descendants and bought and sold without restriction. The two are very different, and the land taxes paid also differ. Temporary land incurs higher taxes, while permanent land incurs lower taxes.

Yan Yi was accompanied only by Tao Ji, a local official, so he went to ask him, "Is this true?"

Tao Ji suddenly shivered, feeling his knees go weak. He dared not hide anything and stammered, "Such a thing is indeed true, but I don't know if it is related to Wang Han."

Yan Yi's face suddenly darkened, his eyes turning cold and sharp. He ordered in a deep voice, "Summon Wang Han immediately and have him bring the land deeds from the village to see me! Wen Xiang, set up hearing platforms in each village. Anyone who has been wronged in the distribution of land should submit a written complaint, which will be examined by the Revenue Department."

The twenty cavalrymen turned their horses around in unison and galloped towards the village office. The crisp sound of their hooves sent a shiver down Tao Ji's spine. Although the matter had nothing to do with him, the mere fact that he had "failed to report what he knew" was enough to make him pay dearly.

With Xu Ji taking the lead, several other villagers mustered up the courage to stand up and file complaints.

"I have not yet received my twenty mu of land. Recently, a local official came to me and claimed that if I do not sell the land to a wealthy family in the village, he will keep withholding it from me."

"I, a lowly person, have dared to report Xu Kang of Heyang Village for secretly instigating villagers to falsely register their land under the name of the village head, Han Mou, in order to evade taxes. For each contract signed, Xu Kang demands two thousand coins, which the villagers call 'contract transfer fee'."

Yan Yi listened to the appeals, his face turning ashen with rage, his fingers clenched tightly. He had scrimped and saved, raised money from all sides, reduced military spending, and even halted the expansion into Southeast Asia, all to ensure the peaceful passage of this harsh winter through the regions under his jurisdiction. Unexpectedly, those audacious rats dared to sabotage him, trying to steal money from his grasp.

Han Mou, who was involved, knelt before him, trembling like a leaf, his forehead banging against the ground: "I was confused, I know I was wrong. Xu Kang only said it was an old custom in the village, I really didn't know I had violated the law. I will return the land immediately and beg for your life, young lord."

Han Mou was from Wucheng and had been following Yan Yi since the Battle of Yuncheng. With his military achievements and seniority, he should have been more than a sergeant, but because he hoarded captured goods and refused to change his ways despite repeated warnings, he was eventually put on the list of soldiers to be demobilized.

Yan Yi looked at him, his eyes filled with a complex mix of disappointment and frustration, a mixture of thunderous anger and deep pain.

Xu Sheng knew Han Mou and couldn't help but plead for him: "Young lord, there aren't many of the old brothers from the Battle of Yuncheng left... Han Mou is stupid and foolish; he must have been instigated by Xu Kang this time."

Yan Yi suddenly raised his foot and kicked Han Mou in the shoulder, shouting angrily, "Remove him from his position as squad leader, revoke the tax exemption, and get lost!"

Han Mou felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He wiped the cold sweat from his brow and scrambled away. He had only taken a few steps when he heard a voice behind him: "Search for Xu Kang and execute him immediately!"

Han Mou trembled all over, his feet seemed to have wings, and he walked faster and faster.

The north wind was like a knife, blowing stronger and stronger, sweeping across the remaining straw in the fields and making a sharp whistling sound.

Seeing that the crowd was growing larger and larger, Yan Yi ordered the people to return to their villages, while he led his men to patrol the villages one by one.

Now that he enjoys widespread support, he no longer needs to deliberately win over the people. The reason he put aside many affairs and personally went to inspect the neighborhood is precisely to make an example of him.

After visiting the three village gatherings, the sun was already high in the sky. At the invitation of a villager in Anping Village, Yan Yi stepped into a simple house.

The owner of the house was named Tao Si, a kind-looking man who was squatting in front of a rusty iron basin, using a flint and steel to light the firewood in the basin.

Tao Si's wife held a little girl with a high ponytail, shyly huddled in the shadows by the stove, occasionally peeking at Yan Yi through her falling hair.

Tao Si's old father bent down shakily, his withered fingers groping under the bed for a long time before finally pulling out a chipped rice jar. The jar made a hollow echo when tilted; even after emptying it, it could only fill one earthenware bowl.

Tao's wife put the little girl down and quickly began washing and cooking rice.

A moment later, several bowls of steaming rice were served to Yan Yi, Xu Sheng, and several guards.

Tao Si's daughter bit her finger, her big, clear eyes staring intently at the pottery bowl, her mouth watering.

"These are just some simple country grains, I hope you won't find them too unappetizing, young master." Tao Si rubbed his rough hands nervously, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, his voice growing softer and softer, his gaze involuntarily drifting towards his daughter before quickly looking away.

Yan Yi knew these simple, honest people's thoughts very well. He knew that if he didn't eat, this family would probably kneel down in front of him immediately.

He picked up the rough wooden chopsticks and slowly finished eating the rice in his bowl.

Smiles immediately spread across the faces of Tao Si, his father, and his wife, but Tao Si's daughter burst into tears.

Xu Sheng handed her the earthenware bowl filled with rice. The little girl stopped crying abruptly, opened her big, watery eyes, and looked timidly at her parents. Only when Tao Si nodded did she stop crying and start smiling, hugging the earthenware bowl tightly with her little hands.

A sound of horses' hooves approached from afar, then stopped abruptly outside the door, followed by the sound of strong footsteps.

The cavalryman who was ordered to summon Wang Han solemnly entered, stood in front of Yan Yi, bowed and clasped his hands, and said: "Reporting to Young Master, Wang Han has committed suicide out of fear of punishment. Before his death, he asked Young Master to forgive his family."

Yan Yi reached out and touched Tao Si's daughter's dry, yellow hair, stood up, bowed to Tao's father, walked out of the room, and said coldly, "Confiscate Wang Han's property, and punish the other criminals in the same way!"

Tao Si and the other two knelt on the ground to respectfully see him off, and only stood up when his figure gradually disappeared among the layers of guards.

"Father, this is what that person just put in my hand."

Tao Si's daughter tiptoed and timidly tugged at Tao Si's sleeve, a warm jade pendant lying quietly in her outstretched palm.

Tao Si took the jade pendant in a daze, then suddenly rushed out of the house, knelt down in the direction Yan Yi had left, and kowtowed three times heavily.

In the distance, the resolute team had already left the inner gate, turning into a dark shadow on the horizon in the cold wind.

(End of this chapter)