Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 259 Stunned by the beating
"Haha, Brother Wu, it's a pleasure to meet you. I've long admired your name."

It is truly a joy to see you today.

Tao Wuzhong's face was beaming with smiles.

Chen Ning, Ding Yu, and the others who came with them greeted them with smiles, showing exceptional friendliness.

That was truly like a gentle spring breeze.

"I have long admired you all and have long admired you both."

Wu Yin said with a smile, "It makes you feel like a gentle breeze is blowing on your face, and your body and mind are relaxed."

There was none of the fierceness he had shown when he stood on the boat, sword in hand.

On the contrary, it gives people the feeling of a compassionate monk.

All of them were seasoned officials, so they set aside their pride and went through the motions, which naturally created a harmonious atmosphere.

It makes people feel exceptionally comfortable.

Seeing Wu Yin's reaction, the group exchanged glances, all seeing understanding and relief in each other's eyes.

It seems that Wu Yin is not a difficult person to talk to.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. As the saying goes, even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake, let alone Wu Yin, who isn't exactly a powerful dragon.

Without the support of these people, it would be difficult to conduct this land survey in Jiangxi.

To be precise, it's simply impossible!
In this situation, even if he was sent by the emperor to do these things...

When facing these people, one must be extremely polite and dare not show the slightest disrespect.

You need to be polite and courteous; that's how you get things done.

I knew this person wouldn't go too far.

Even if the emperor wants to do something, he still has to follow the rules!
"Let's go into the city; we've already prepared some wine."

Let's go over there and eat and talk; this isn't a good place to talk."

After exchanging pleasantries, Tao Wuzhong greeted them with a smile.

Wu Yin readily agreed, and so the group departed from there...

"It is an honor for us that Governor Wu has come here to survey the fields and carry out his work."

We are not particularly talented; we just happen to be working in Jiangxi.

I arrived a little earlier than Brother Wu.

When Governor Wu is surveying the fields, don't hesitate to ask for anything.

We will do our utmost to cooperate.

"It is imperative to thoroughly survey and register all the farmland in Jiangxi."

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Tao Wuzhong raised his cup to Wu Yin and spoke again, very politely.

Wu Yin said, "Since I've come here to survey the fields, I'm bound to bother my colleagues."

Without your cooperation, it would have been really difficult to accurately survey the fields here and get the job done.

Even if Lord Tao doesn't speak, I must speak up.

Since Lord Tao has spoken first, it will be easier for me to speak as well.

With Lord Tao and everyone else here, this land survey will be much easier to handle.

Then I have nothing to worry about.

"Your Excellencies are all deeply understanding and righteous. Your presence is a blessing for the nation, a blessing for the people, and a blessing for me as well."

Wu Yinci had kind eyes and a gentle demeanor.

Upon hearing Wu Yin's words, the others laughed and said that it was only right.

"We are all officials of the court, receiving salaries from the court and sharing the burdens of His Majesty. Naturally, we cannot be ambiguous about this matter."

It would be the greatest honor to share His Majesty's burdens.

Even if it takes all our strength, we must do things well.

Otherwise, I would be doing a disservice to the official robes I wear.

The people spoke very eloquently.

"I wonder how Governor Wu plans to conduct the land survey?"

Tao Wuzhong asked with a smile, as if he were talking about something trivial.

In fact, when he asked this question, everyone present, including him, pricked up their ears, afraid of making any mistakes.

Wu Yin still smiled kindly, without a trace of malice.

He said, "Of course, we should clean it however we need to."

We need to sort out all the fields in Jiangxi.

Which fields are hidden, and which fields are illegal?

Which fields are legal, and how many households are hidden there—all of this needs to be thoroughly investigated and clarified.

Since it's a land survey, how can we proceed without clarifying these details?

Populations are easy to hide, but fields are not so easy to conceal.

People can hide, but fields cannot; the fields are right there.

"By surveying the land acre by acre, we can surely clarify things, right?"

These words caused the atmosphere to freeze instantly, and the previous harmonious mood vanished in an instant.

It's like when a fire is burning brightly, someone suddenly pours cold water on it.

"That's natural. Land surveying is going to be done seriously. We should do it properly and make sure everything is clear."

Tao Wuzhong said with a smile, his smile undiminished.

“There are many problems in Jiangxi, and it is necessary to conduct a land survey.”

There are indeed quite a few hidden fields here.

However, there weren't as many as rumored.

As far as I know, the rumored 20% is at most.

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the people present did not change, but their attention clearly shifted.

The object landed on Wu Yin, waiting for him to speak and to see his reaction.

Wu Yin's expression remained unchanged, still kind and benevolent.

"Whether it's 20% or as much as rumored, I can't say for sure. Let's not say how much it is beforehand."

By surveying and measuring each plot of land, acre by acre, all the fields could be clearly identified.

When the time comes, and we see the final result, it will be as many as the rumors suggest, or as Lord Tao said, only 20% of the rumors suggest. These questions will be answered clearly.

Without proper measurement, no one can understand it.

Lord Tao, what do you think?

Upon hearing Wu Yin's words, the hearts of everyone present sank.

Tao Wuzhong's smile faded slightly.

“Governor Wu, the rumors I’ve heard are different.”

It is said that the hidden fields here are indeed not as many as rumored, but they are not as few as Lord Tao said.

What I heard was about 30%.

Chen Ning smiled and tried to smooth things over.

This is because after seeing that Wu Yin's investment was less than 20%, they began to gradually increase the stake.

Wu Yinci had a kind face and slowly took a sip of tea.

He shook his head with a smile: "Lord Chen, as I said before, I don't know exactly what percentage it is. Whether it's less or more than the rumors suggest, I can't tell."

It's hard to explain, hard to articulate.

I'm new here and not very clear about all aspects, so I only believe in one thing.

That means clearing the accounts acre by acre.

Let the students of the Imperial Academy, who are highly learned individuals who have emerged from the highest institution of learning in our Great Ming Dynasty, conduct the survey and calculations. The results will then be clear and straightforward.

Wu Yin's words made the already cold atmosphere even colder.

The smiles on Chen and Ning's faces froze for a moment, then returned to normal.

"Are you determined to make trouble for Jiangxi?!"

Ding Yuwu was born into a military family, and among the people present, his family owned the most farmland.

If the land survey really goes on, his family will be the one who suffers the most.

Seeing so many of them, praising this bald monk so kindly and politely, yet he still wouldn't listen to reason, how could they possibly hold back?
He suppressed his smile and stared intently at Wu Yin.

Its imposing presence is exceptionally captivating!
Tao Wuzhong saw this but did not stop it.

Wu Yin's stubborn and unyielding attitude also fueled his anger. At this point, it would be good to have someone put him in a low position.

Lest this bald monk become arrogant and domineering, and actually think he's something special.

With some damn job called Du Tian around, everyone has to obey him and go along with him; no one dares to really do anything to him.

Wu Yin's smile remained unchanged, still as warm and friendly as ever.

"I have no intention of making things difficult for anyone, let alone going against Jiangxi."

The purpose of my visit is simply to survey the land, to act in accordance with the laws of the court, and to follow orders. That is all.

The land survey was a national policy set by His Majesty. How did it become an act of opposing Jiangxi in your hands?

Where did this come from?

Is the land survey itself wrong, or is it that when the land is surveyed next, it will include you and your family, and you're reluctant to let it go?

As soon as he finished speaking, the smile on his face vanished.

His kind and gentle appearance was gone; his eyes were now filled with a sharp edge.

In an instant, he transformed into a wrathful Vajra.

Looking at Ding Yu, it seemed as if he could see right through her.

"Haha, it's good to survey the land, and it's necessary to do so."

That's beyond doubt.

Commander Ding was also worried that drastic measures would cause some unnecessary trouble, which is why he said that.

Come on, let's eat, let's not talk about business, let's not talk about business.

Tao Wuzhong greeted him with a smile.

"I have official business to attend to, so I won't stay here any longer."

Before I leave, let me say one more thing: the land survey is a major national undertaking, a matter of fundamental importance.

His Majesty is personally overseeing it.

In this matter, not a single acre can be wrong!
You should also know in your hearts how things should be done.

You are all subjects of the Ming Dynasty, and it is your duty to contribute at this time.

"By working together to complete the land survey, we can help the Ming Dynasty become even more prosperous sooner."

Wu Yin ignored Tao Wuzhong's invitation to continue playing music and dancing.

He stood up, looked at the group, and said these words.

After saying this, without looking at the reactions of those present, he cupped his hands in greeting, and left without lingering any longer.

This scene made the several high-ranking officials from Jiangxi present grit their teeth in anger.

Even Tao Wuzhong, the Provincial Governor of Jiangxi, almost couldn't resist throwing the teacup he was holding at Wu Yin!
Ding Yu pressed the sword sheath against the hilt of her waist, and the veins on the back of her hand bulged.

boom!
After Wu Yin left, Tao Wuzhong slammed his teacup down on the table.

Tea was splashed out.

His face was grim and he was extremely angry.

This Wu Yin is truly arrogant and domineering!
They didn't give him the slightest bit of face.

These people have made such a grand show to welcome him; they've really given him a lot of face.

But this bald monk reacted in such a way!

They were all prominent figures in the area, and wherever they went, they were always fawned over.

It has been a very long time since I have experienced such a loss of face.

"That bald-headed dog is so arrogant!"

"A bald thief is putting on airs here!"

Ding Yu couldn't help but curse, "I think he doesn't want his bald head anymore!"

"What should we do next?"

Chen Ning looked at Tao Wuzhong and asked.

Tao Wuzhong gave a forced smile: "What else can we do? The other party is so arrogant, they can't even get 30%, they want to take everything."

Let's proceed as previously discussed.

We can't just stand by and watch him and his men ruin Jiangxi and make life miserable for the people.

This is not what we, as local officials, should do.

He spoke with an air of righteous indignation.

But he was already extremely angry with Wu Yin.

Originally, when they learned that Wu Yin was going to the banquet and meeting with them, they thought they could reach an agreement.

But who would have thought that Wu Yin would pull such a stunt after meeting them?

To say such things in front of them.

If they're planning to devour everyone on their side, skin and bones, then they should be prepared to have their teeth broken too.

Historically, imperial power did not extend to the county level, but Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to conduct a land survey and implemented this system.

He's in a difficult position!

"You say the imperial court is just messing around, why make things so complicated?"
It's just collecting taxes, isn't it?

You can simply hand over the tax amount to your subordinates to collect.

It won't reduce your taxes.

Why insist on conducting a land survey? Isn't this just creating trouble for no reason?

Chen Ning shook his head, extremely dissatisfied with the court's policy.

They felt that the imperial court was deliberately making things difficult for them.

"The wind is strong in Jiangxi, and the waves are turbulent in Poyang Lake."

This bald monk was someone I'd never seen before. But as he spends more time here and sees the local customs, he'll naturally understand what it means to "when in Rome, do as the Romans do!"

Chen Ning said this with a forced smile.

A sinister glint flashed across his face, tinged with malice.

"The people who were surveying the fields headed straight for Longhu Mountain."

After leaving, that old bald monk Wu Yin also headed towards Longhu Mountain.

It seems they're going to start by targeting Longhu Mountain.

Not long after, someone came to report the latest news.

Upon hearing this news, Tao Wuzhong smiled, but the smile seemed to have a deeper meaning.

He's a man of 'courage' and someone who wants to get things done.

When they came to Jiangxi to conduct land surveys, their first move was to target Longhu Mountain.

Do they really think Longhu Mountain is easy to mess with?

Longhu Mountain has too deep a foothold here; this is about to cause a huge mess!
This is for the best. Only in this way can people like Zhu Yuanzhang, who are ignorant of the world and its limits, truly see the strength of Jiangxi.

Look at their naive ideas, how unreliable they are!

After hitting a wall and finding things impossible to continue, one will gradually relax the conditions and abandon the unrealistic fantasy of surveying all the fields.

Fortunately, with Longhu Mountain ahead, they don't need to rush into battle yet.

Let's take a good look first before we talk.

Of course, if someone secretly takes the opportunity to do something and add fuel to the fire.

That's beyond his control.

It's perfectly normal for someone to do that.

Why did the emperor show no respect and try to squeeze every last drop of profit out of Jiangxi?

……

"Senior brother! Senior brother! Something terrible has happened!"

The younger Taoist priests rushed over and called out from a distance.

The older Taoist priest showed displeasure on his face.

My junior brother is really no good. No matter how many times I tell him, he still can't develop the right mindset.

You shouldn't make such a fuss over nothing!
"what happened?"

He spoke up to inquire, making no attempt to hide his dissatisfaction.

"Senior brother, the imperial court has come to survey our Qingyun Temple's land!"

(End of this chapter)