White-robed Minister

Chapter 150, Chapter 0148: [All the officials in Lufu County support Xu Laohu]

While directing the investigation of farmland, Xu Lai also took the time to try Wang Daochen's case of concealing farmland.

The household registration certificate only shows that the family owns more than 400 mu of farmland.

As a result, more than 1200 mu of hidden farmland were discovered!

Including Yintian, the family's land holdings totaled approximately 1700 mu. Although they were first-class large landowners, they were not particularly large landowners.

The reason his family can be so arrogant is because there are more than a dozen Wang families of varying sizes within Yucheng County alone, who occupy tens of thousands of acres of land in total!

In the neighboring counties of Songcheng and Dangshan, there are also some landlords surnamed Wang.

Most of the Wang families in these three counties originated from the Wang clan of Suiyang.

The Wang family of Suiyang originated in the late Tang Dynasty and rose to prominence rapidly during the reigns of Emperor Zhenzong and Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty. In recent decades, relying on the many Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) produced by the Wang family, the land holdings of each household have continued to expand.

This is a newly emerging gentry family.

Its foundation is not deep, but its development momentum is extremely strong.

If left unchecked, their land holdings could double in at most twenty years.

"Households released, family property confiscated?" Zhuang Gongyue looked shocked.

The case file with the sentencing recommendation was delivered to the signing hall by Bu Chao and his officers, and then delivered to Zhuang Gongyue by Zhang Kongmu.

Zhang Kongmu said, "Xu Qianpan's close follower, Bu Chao, is outside the magistrate's office right now. He has a private letter that he wants to personally deliver to Magistrate Zhuang."

"Bring him in," said Zhuang Gongyue.

Bu Chao followed Zhang Kongmu to the Tongpan Hall to meet Zhuang Gongyue. After paying his respects, he respectfully handed over the letter.

Zhuang Gongyue carefully read the letter, which contained only a few sentences: In Yucheng County, three first-class households and six second-class households have voluntarily declared their hidden land to the government.

Zhuang Gongyue asked, "Didn't Judge Xu ask you to deliver any message?"

Bu Chao said, "Please make a judgment quickly."

"Go back and tell Judge Xu that I know," Zhuang Gongyue said ambiguously.

After Bu Chao left, Zhuang Gongyue frowned deeply.

He was speculating about Xu Lai's intentions and was getting close to the truth: Did Xu Lai plan to conduct a thorough investigation of all the farmland in the prefecture?

The situation in Yucheng County is now clear: the large landowners' voluntary declaration of hidden land ownership indicates that Xu Lai is about to achieve a complete victory.

Of the seven counties in Yingtian Prefecture, Yucheng County is the toughest nut to crack. If Xu Lai can take it, he can then easily clear land in the other six counties.

If we can thoroughly investigate all the hidden farmland in the prefecture, what a great achievement that would be!

Zhuang Gongyue was tempted, because as a sub-prefect, he could also share in the political achievements.

Without much deliberation, Zhuang Gongyue picked up his brush and signed his approval of the sentencing recommendation for Wang Daochen's hidden land case. After affixing his official seal, he personally went to find Gong Dingchen.

After reviewing the case details, Gong Dingchen then read Xu Lai's private message.

Zhuang Gongyue said, "Xu, the judge, sent a message through his attendant: Please make a judgment quickly."

If Zhuang Gongyue could figure it out, how could Gong Dingchen not understand it?

Gong Dingchen quickly signed and stamped the document, then personally went to the Provincial Judicial Commissioner's Office. Only the Provincial Judicial Commissioner was qualified to sentence those convicted of exile. All other officials could only offer sentencing recommendations.

"Please make a quick judgment," Gong Dingchen said to Shen Qi.

Shen Qi smiled and signed and stamped the document on the spot.

If all seven counties of Yingtian Prefecture can thoroughly investigate hidden land, not only will Shen Qi be able to share in the political achievements, but even Wang Yirou will have outstanding political achievements.

Because the discovery of the hidden fields was accompanied by a large amount of back taxes as punishment, and this year's tax revenue will also increase, these sudden increases in tax revenue are the achievements of Transport Commissioner Wang Yirou.

Unless Wang Yirou has lost her mind, she will definitely support Xu Laiqingtian. Even if she can't bring herself to openly support him, she will provide covert support and deliberately leave traces in relevant official documents.

Of course, the premise that prompted Wang Yirou to do that was that Xu Lai achieved a decisive victory in Qingtian, Yucheng County.

If you can ensure that all leaders benefit, then even leaders who have a grudge against you will become your strongest supporters!

Xu Lai's superiors benefited, but what about his subordinates?

Whether the officials can gain any credit is another matter, but they will definitely receive real money, and they will receive more every year thereafter.

Because once the hidden land is uncovered, the number of registered fields will increase, leading to a surge in regular and miscellaneous taxes, and consequently, a larger annual surplus. If the surplus increases, the amount of illicit income that officials from the prefectural to the county level can receive will also increase.

Once Xu Lai takes down that tough nut in Yucheng County, everyone from the Transport Commissioner's Office and the Judicial Commissioner's Office to the various government offices in Yingtian Prefecture and the officials in each county will be looking forward to Xu Lai investigating all the farmland in the prefecture!

The only ones who suffered were the big landowners; the officials, from top to bottom, were all well-fed.

As a result, the case of Wang Daochen's hidden land was decided very quickly.

If the normal procedure were followed, this case would require the county magistrate to conduct a preliminary review, the judicial officer to conduct a second review, the judicial officer to determine the sentence, the judge to review and approve the judgment, the prefect to approve the judgment, the prefect to approve the judgment, and the chief judge to approve the judgment.

The entire process takes at least three to five months.

And now?

It was done in just a few days.

Because after the verdict in this case, Wang Daochen was exiled and his property confiscated, which will become a powerful deterrent to landlords in Yucheng County.

Yucheng County Prison.

"Wang Tonglu, Judge Xu and Magistrate Wang have shown mercy and you have been released early. You no longer need to be paraded in shackles." The jailer took out a key and opened the door.

Wang Tonglu nearly died a couple of days ago due to an infection in his back wound, and he still can't go streetwalking anymore.

Although he had narrowly escaped death, he was extremely weak at the moment and said weakly, "Thank you for your mercy, Judge Xu, and Magistrate Wang."

The jailer said, "Magistrate Wang is giving you a choice: whether to be exiled with your father or stay in this area. If you brothers are willing to be placed under the jurisdiction of another region, discuss it and then come to the county office to apply."

-

Wang Tonglu, who was struggling to his feet while leaning against the wall, asked in alarm upon hearing this, "What do you mean by that?"

The jailer chuckled, "Your father has been exiled and his property confiscated. According to the law, your father's wives and concubines must accompany him. As for the rest of your family, you can choose to go with him or stay in the local area. You can also apply for relocation and be given another place to live. If you choose a remote prefecture or county, you might even be able to acquire land through land reclamation. After all, you are not clients, so you can own land in your names."

"beside!"

Wang Tonglu, who had not yet regained his footing, fainted on the spot due to shock and fear.

The jailer muttered, "He fainted already? I didn't say anything to scare him."

Guishan Township, Guantang Village.

The earliest wheat fields are already ready for harvest.

The entire tenant farmer family was mobilized; not only were the adults working hard, but even the children were picking up ears of wheat.

Hearing hurried footsteps, they turned around curiously and saw a group of officials approaching quickly. Busy harvesting wheat, they had no time to watch the spectacle.

After harvesting a load of wheat, the stalks with ears of wheat are bundled together and carried back by the men of the family to dry in the sun until they are mostly dry.

Then threshing.

The straw left after threshing was also an important resource. Not only could it be used as firewood, but the government would also collect it every year because straw was needed for building dikes and for distributing firewood subsidies to officials.

The men of the family were carrying wheat home when they passed by Wang Daochen's house and heard a chorus of wailing from afar.

A large number of villagers gathered there to watch the spectacle.

The men hurriedly carried their loads of wheat, quickening their pace, and asked their neighbors, "What trouble has the Wang family gotten into this time?"

The villagers replied, "These officials said that Master Wang is to be exiled, and his old wife and concubines will have to go with him. All his property will be confiscated, and the rest of his family will have to figure out how to survive."

"Such a heavy sentence?"

"The things he did were not even punishable by death."

"Heh heh, Master Wang is getting on in years; he'll probably die on the road to exile. It's no different from being beheaded."

"What about his household registration? My whole family is registered under his household registration."

"The government said that Magistrate Xu has made proper arrangements and will definitely not send any more notices to his household."

'

,

Wang Tongde from a neighboring village, the first landlord in the county to declare his land ownership concealed, was terrified upon hearing the news of his property being confiscated and him being exiled.

Wang Tongde felt a wave of fear wash over him, but at the same time, he was extremely relieved. He muttered to himself, "Luckily, I yielded quickly, otherwise I would definitely have been exiled too. Judge Xu's methods are truly ruthless!"

In various townships and villages of Yucheng County, officials and constables went to post notices one after another, announcing the verdict against Wang Daochen's family.

The landlords throughout the county were terrified.

"Oh no! Oh no! The county magistrate has sent people to our township, saying he's going to investigate all the farmland in the township!"

Zhao Zhu, the cousin of the current prime minister Zhao Gai, also known as "Duke Yun," was terrified when he heard the news reported by his servant.

His sons came one after another to plead.

"Father, hurry up and go to the county government to report the hidden land. If you don't back down now, it will be too late."

"Yes, the earlier you file, the less you will lose. If you delay any longer, you will have to pay all the taxes and levies you owe."

"They really dared to do that! Wang Daochen was over sixty years old when he was sentenced to exile, and all his family's property was confiscated by the government!"

"Dad, say something!"

Industry,"

Because one of his cousins ​​was the prime minister of the court, Zhao Zhu was regarded as the leader of the gentry in Yucheng County.

Among the major landowners in Yucheng County, the amount of land his family owned was only considered average.

But he was constantly praised by everyone, which had given him the illusion that he had a responsibility to unite the wealthy against the government. Anyone else could yield to the government, but he, Zhao Zhu, was absolutely not allowed to.

"Let me think about it some more," Zhao Zhu said, still unable to make up his mind.

He cares about his image.

His pride is more important than his life.

The sons exchanged glances, took their leave one after another, and then gathered together to discuss the matter.

If the father is stubborn and inflexible, the son must understand the situation.

The sons didn't discuss it for long before deciding to secretly side with the government without their father's knowledge. They worked together to steal the family's rent register, compiled a list of hidden land, and quietly sped towards the county government office.

"Magistrate Wang, my father is old and has difficulty walking, so he asked me to apply for the registration of hidden land."

"As expected of a member of Prime Minister Zhao's clan, you are indeed law-abiding and reasonable. However, your family is the sixth to apply from Yuzheng Township—"

"What? So many companies from this township have already applied?"

"Four families arrived this morning. Sigh, your family is half a day late, there's really nothing I can do about it."

"I humbly request that Your Excellency grant me some leniency."

"Prime Minister Zhao is loyal to the country and cannot be harsh on his family. So, I will make an exception today—you can have 30% of the taxes your family needs to pay for evaded taxes reduced."

"Only a 30% reduction?"

"One hundred acres of your family's farmland will be confiscated and put into public possession."

"P-P-P-Can you please make an exception?"

"We can't make any more concessions, otherwise how can the county face the landlords who reported earlier? Here's what we'll do: I can commend and reward you, and also give your family a plaque that reads 'Upholding the law and obeying public duty.'"

"There's absolutely no need for that, there's absolutely no need for that."

"A reward is a must!"

Magistrate Wang Chunzhong had prepared many plaques in advance, just waiting to distribute them all as rewards.

The next morning, officials carried a plaque and arrived at the Zhao family's house with gongs and drums, publicizing Zhao Zhu's righteous act of cooperating with the government in clearing the fields.

The sons were so frightened that they hid in their room and dared not show themselves.

Zhao Zhu, supported by his servants, went out and sternly rebuked the officials: "What are you doing making such a fuss in my house?"

The clerk in charge of leading the group said, "Master Zhao, your family voluntarily declared that you had hidden land, and Magistrate Wang greatly appreciated this, so he bestowed upon you a plaque inscribed with 'Upholding the Law and Faith in Public Service'."

Zhao Zhu angrily retorted, "When did I submit the application?!"

He suddenly realized what he was saying, turned around and roared at the house, "You unfilial sons! You unfilial sons!"

The news that Zhao Zhu, the leader of the gentry in Yucheng County, had also defected to the government quickly spread throughout the county.

The big landowners instantly lost their spirits, and even the die-hards had to face reality.

But these guys were too ashamed to come forward themselves, so they pretended to know nothing and had their sons secretly report it to the county government. After their sons returned home, they would publicly berate them for making the decision on their own.

With each wealthy household actively cooperating, the survey of farmland progressed rapidly.

Furthermore, Wang Chunzhong moderately improved the summer tax preferential policy. As long as the summer tax is paid in May, more rewards can be obtained than in previous years, and 10% of the tax payable on hidden land can be offset.

After this decree was issued, large landowners eagerly paid their taxes, rushing to submit their summer taxes for the year. They knew that if they missed this opportunity, they would suffer even greater losses when they had to pay the outstanding taxes.

Xu Lai, no longer needing to personally oversee the situation in the countryside, returned to the county government office and congratulated Wang Chunzhong: "Haha, congratulations, Uncle Wen. I heard that the county government's granary is already lining up, so the summer taxes for Yucheng County this year will probably be collected very soon."

Wang Chunzhong bowed and said, "It's all thanks to the authority of the judge."

Xu Lai said, "Let's call the village clerks here to handle the aftermath; they know the real situation in each village best. I plan to select some clients and reward them with land from the confiscated hidden fields so they can become self-sufficient farmers. Farmers who have made meritorious contributions in reporting hidden fields will also be rewarded with some land."

"These farmers who received land as a reward from the government were naturally at odds with the big landowners. They would naturally band together."

"Therefore, they cannot be too weak, and there must be enough male members in their households. They also cannot live too scattered. Especially for families where the tenants become the main tenants, it is best to reward them with their own long-term rented land to avoid any disputes in the future. We are not sure about these things, and we need the help of a few village clerks."

Wang Chunzhong exclaimed sincerely, "Judge Xu's considerations are thorough; I admire him greatly."

Xu Lai then said, "Speak to the clerks in the county government and ask them to help those who receive rewards in the future. Most of the clerks will be willing."

"Hahaha!" Wang Chunzhong laughed loudly upon hearing this.

As the county magistrate, he was well aware that his subordinates, the clerks, had already put themselves on the opposite side of the county's major landowners.

Perhaps in a few years, the clerks will be won over and divided, and will become entangled with the big landowners again. But there will never be a situation where one side dominates the other again.

Before the Zhebian case, even the county government in Yucheng County was secretly controlled by landlords, purely because the powerful clans in the county were too dominant. This was abnormal in ancient times.

Under normal circumstances, the clerks and officials in the county government should be on par with the large landowners in the countryside.

After this battle, the officials of Yucheng County can finally stand up.

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