Be a small county magistrate in ancient times

Chapter 657 Unfinished Matters
The superior gave the order, and the subordinates had no choice but to comply.

Meng Changqing, who had just had two good nights' sleep, had to get up early, dress neatly, and head to Liangzhou Prefecture.

Of course, she was considered lucky; the people from the county government who were preparing the horses got up even earlier than her.

Liangzhou Prefecture is still the same Liangzhou Prefecture, but the people in charge have changed again and again.

Meng Changqing couldn't help but wonder, when will it be my turn to do it?

When the time comes, I will give an order to the county officials below to get up early and rush here.

"Lord Meng." Before Meng Changqing could dismount, the yamen runners waiting at the door stepped forward to take the reins of the horse. "The Prefect is in the main hall, and Lord Cao and the others have also arrived."

"Okay." Meng Changqing dismounted from her horse, and brought the tea set that she hadn't been able to send out last time.

Unfortunately, it couldn't be delivered this time either.

There was no opportunity to be alone with the prefect, and the other county officials did not mention the matter of giving gifts.

In addition, Zheng Jie had an upright and unapproachable demeanor.

That tea set, it should be returned the same way it came from.

It was the same place where we met last time, and Hua Rujin was the last to arrive.

Zheng Jie, seated at the head of the table, remained silent until Hua Rujin arrived, at which point he began to speak, “Thank you for your hard work, gentlemen. Is the spring planting in the various counties progressing smoothly?”

Each county naturally said everything went smoothly.

Zheng Jie then inquired about the specific situations in several counties.

The answers were all similar, except for Meng Changqing, who said: The cultivated area is 20% larger than last year, and as long as the weather cooperates, the harvest will not be less than last year.

“That puts my mind at ease,” Zheng Jie said. “Some time ago, I went to check on the spring planting situation around Liangzhou City and found that many farmers were planting corn and potatoes. When I was in the capital, I saw that their yield was quite high, but they are not proper grains. When collecting grain, they cannot be used to offset the autumn harvest, nor can they be used to plant on fertile land. You gentlemen should keep this in mind.”

"Yes."

"I have been in office for a month now, and it is time to deal with the problems left by the previous prefect."

When Zheng Jie said this, Meng Changqing guessed that he was most likely going to talk about taxation. Sure enough, Zheng Jie continued, "The former prefect had requested an increase in grain tax and poll tax. This matter eventually reached His Majesty's ears, and the court dispatched three officials to investigate the tax situation in various parts of Liangzhou."

An investigation revealed that Zeng Jing colluded with local gentry to seize fertile land.

Whether the grain tax and poll tax should be increased remains a question that the imperial court has yet to answer definitively.

Before I left the capital, His Majesty showed me the findings of the three officials' investigations and asked me to make the decision, only instructing me to make sure I had seen firsthand the lives of the local people before making a decision.

Meng Changqing waited for him to announce the result.

Thinking about what would happen if he said he wanted to raise taxes, I had to figure out a way to get rid of him too.

Cao Hongxing, Luo Mao, and Hua Rujin probably all shared the same idea.

"This government respectfully obeys the imperial edict and, after considering all factors, has decided to temporarily keep the tax rate in Liangzhou unchanged."

Upon hearing this, Meng Changqing was relieved and immediately exclaimed, "Your Excellency is wise!"

Of course, other county magistrates also shouted the same thing, and among a group of sycophants, Meng Changqing was not so conspicuous.

Clearly, Zheng Jie didn't like this approach.

As soon as everyone flattered him, his face immediately turned sour.

Raising his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, Zheng Jie continued, "I reviewed the previous records and found that there is still one unresolved matter related to Magistrate Meng."

Meng Changqing was suddenly called out. He looked up and met Zheng Jie's gaze, then stood up and said, "May I ask what it is, sir?"

"This is a matter that the former prefect entrusted to you, and there has been no response until now. As is customary, I must inquire about it. I asked you to find someone to teach the Jiemai people to speak Mandarin. How is that going? Has anyone learned it?"

Instead of answering, Meng Changqing asked, "What do you think? Should this matter be handled?"

Zheng Jie understood; he hadn't done it at all.

It's good that he didn't do it, so as to avoid causing trouble. "When dealing with foreign tribes, there must be clear instructions from the imperial court. Although Prefect Liu is the Prefect of Liangzhou, according to the laws of Daliang, he does not have the right to issue such an order."

Since Magistrate Meng didn't do it, let's pretend it never happened.