Reborn as Murong Fu: This time I am the protagonist

Chapter 564 The Rich and Powerful Enjoy Wine and Meat
"Oh, and remember, this applies not only to those living in the city, but also to those in the suburbs and countryside. Send out all the day-shift officials from the yamen. Today is specifically for this task."

Murong Fu reminded him.

Upon hearing this, Zong Ze said with concern, "My lord, are you planning to solicit donations from the wealthy merchants and magnates in the city? I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. I've already tried to solicit donations once before, but there were very few followers, and the results were far from satisfactory. If you're hoping that these magnates, who are hoping to make a fortune in this year of disaster, will generously donate, I'm afraid it's like trying to catch fish by climbing a tree."

Murong Fu clasped his hands together and laughed, "Who said I was going to pluck feathers from these tightwads? I've been here for a few days now, and these people haven't shown me any appreciation. Do they not respect me as their superior?"

Zong Ze was stunned. He felt his worldview had been shocked once again: it was the first time he had ever seen someone talk about soliciting bribes so openly and shamelessly, as if it were something perfectly natural. Okay, even if this is how things are in officialdom, sir, couldn't you be a little more subtle and tactful?

Zong Ze said, "My lord, I'm afraid it's too late today. How about tomorrow?"

"Can disaster relief be delayed? If it's a day or two late, and the food supplies run out, and the victims starve to death, who will be responsible? Stop talking nonsense and get going!"

Zong Ze agreed and walked away.

After Zong Ze had walked away, Gongye Qian caught up and asked, "Young master, there is something I don't understand. Please enlighten me."

Murong Fu said, "You want to ask why, in a year of great disaster, with such a good opportunity to start an uprising, you are instead helping the Song court to appease the people and provide disaster relief, right?"

Gongye Qian said, "Exactly!"

Murong Fu said, "Then keep this question in mind, think it over some more, observe it more, and wait a little longer!"

Gongye Qian was taken aback.

That evening, the largest restaurant in Qingzhou City, "Deyuelou," was packed to capacity, with almost every prominent household in the entire Qingzhou Prefecture coming to attend.

When the Imperial Envoy invites guests to a banquet, those invited cannot arrive empty-handed. At the reception desk at the entrance, the servants responsible for copying the gift lists are exhausted, and the dazzling array of gifts has already piled up into a small mountain.

After several rounds of drinks, a young gentleman in a purple official robe walked out slowly with measured steps, bowed to the group around him, and the guests who had been toasting and chatting suddenly fell silent and stood up to return the bow.

After a few polite words, Murong Fu got straight to the point: "The disaster is severe, and the people are neither clothed nor fed. His Majesty is deeply concerned and has specially ordered me to Qingzhou Prefecture to handle the disaster relief efforts. At present, the official granaries are short of funds and grain, and it will take some time to borrow grain from the grain transport department. I have long heard that Qingzhou Prefecture has many kind-hearted people and has always been known as a land of benevolence and righteousness. Today, I have prepared a banquet and hope that everyone can generously contribute to alleviate the country's difficulties and relieve the people's suffering. Thank you again."

The group of wealthy businessmen looked at each other. Although the surprise attack had caught everyone off guard, these old foxes who had risen to the top had seen it all. With just a few glances, they reached a consensus.

A middle-aged man wearing a square cap beckoned, ordering a servant to bring a tray. On the tray lay a thin silver note: "Sir, your concern for the nation's affairs and your sincere heart are truly touching. Although I am poor and lack the means, since you have so sincerely invited me, I offer this silver note of two hundred taels to help the court with disaster relief."

Murong Fu glanced at him. The newcomer was a local gentry man named Yue. According to Long Er, a bandit leader who had been robbing and plundering for many years and knew exactly who had treasures and who had money and grain, Yue's family probably had at least a million strings of cash in floating wealth alone.

However, the household classification was set at the fourth level of principal households. The Song Dynasty divided wealthy urban and rural households into five classes, levying taxes and allocating corvée labor according to these classes. This was supposedly a benevolent policy of taxing based on the amount of property one possessed, but even the best strategy becomes meaningless if it is misimplemented.

Although household classification was supposed to be based on the amount of property one possessed, in the end, wasn't it still the local officials who had the final say? Often, wealthy households would spend money to bribe their way into the government offices, and after a series of maneuvers, the wealthy households would end up as low-class households, while the poorer households would be classified as high-class and bear the bulk of the tax burden. In the end, they would often have to sell their assets at a loss to pay taxes, and if all else failed, they would flee and become vagrants.

Otherwise, how could the Beggars' Sect have become so powerful in recent years? It's all because they were forced into this position by the imperial court.

Take this wealthy man, Mr. Yue, for example. He owns no less than ten thousand acres of fertile land, yet he's classified as a fourth-class household, paying taxes like those small households with large families owning only a dozen or so acres. Over the years, the amount of taxes he's evaded or evaded is probably no less than one hundred thousand taels. As for the oppression of small households and the exploitation of tenant farmers, it's an astronomical figure. It's truly a pity that he's putting on a show by producing two hundred taels.

Murong Fu remained unfazed: "Very well, Master Yue is charitable and sets a good example. What do the rest of you think?"

Seeing that someone had taken the lead, the crowd that came to the gathering donated either one hundred taels or fifty taels, but no one donated more than the two hundred taels donated by Master Yue.

Murong Fu's gaze gradually turned cold. He had anticipated this scene, but he never expected that these self-proclaimed scholars could be so shameless and greedy.

Murong Fu had the gifts piled up, forming a small mountain in the center, a dazzling display of gold, jade, silk, and satin. Murong Fu laughed, "These are gifts from you gentlemen!"

He then piled the few scattered silver notes into a stack and said with a smile, "These are gifts from you gentlemen to the hundreds of thousands of disaster victims outside the city!"

The room was completely silent; you could hear a pin drop.

Murong Fu smiled and said, "Very well, thank you all for your generosity. I thank you on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of disaster victims. I have other important matters to attend to, so I will not keep you company any longer. Please make yourselves at home."

After Murong Fu finished speaking, he left without paying attention to the bewildered looks exchanged among the crowd.

Late that night, at a manor outside the city.

In the evening, the wealthy merchants who had been invited gathered at the manor, led by Master Yue, who had donated a staggering two hundred taels of silver.

Master Yue raised a cup of wine and said, “Gentlemen, this time we must withstand the pressure and stand together. The court will not allow this Lord Murong, who appeared out of nowhere, to continue to act recklessly and arrogantly. Although Prefect Huang has been temporarily stripped of his official hat, Qingzhou Prefecture is still our territory.”

Immediately, someone chimed in, "That's right! We are charitable and have long prepared grain to lend to disaster victims. We've been doing this for years. But this Murong guy, who seems to have appeared out of nowhere, is actually opening his granaries for relief? Giving all that pure grain to the disaster victims? And he's even privately lending money, issuing green seed money, and restoring his so-called new laws? This is going against the imperial court and shaking the foundations of the state. We absolutely cannot succumb to this man's tyranny!"

Master Yue smiled smugly and said, "I have already sent a letter to Lord Huang in the capital, explaining the situation here. I believe that in a few days, the censors will impeach this scoundrel. We can just sit back and wait for good news."

As they spoke, a group of elegantly dressed courtesans flitted about like butterflies, offering wine and food, thoroughly enjoying themselves. The crowd showered them with flattery, praising Master Yue's extraordinary connections and influence.