Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

Chapter 225: Brave to death 3
  In the evening, Xue Pan heard about Jia Cong's "heroic deeds" in Liaodong, and he admired him greatly. He clapped his hands and praised: "Mom, I told you that Brother Cong is not a mortal, but that evil-minded manager still wants to fool him? Isn't he looking for death? What?

Good kill, good kill! Tomorrow, I will also kill all the bastard shopkeepers at home to see if they still dare to steal my money. "

Aunt Xue scolded: "What does it have to do with you? I drank two mouthfuls of horse urine and thought I was a general. Brother Cong is so unscrupulous, something will happen sooner or later. If you want to imitate him, why not find a rope to strangle him first?" I."

Xue Pan hurriedly laughed and said: "Mom, calm down, I'm just talking in plain language." Then he looked at Baochai, gave a thumbs up, and said with a smile: "My sister still has a sharp eye and knows people. My brother admires me."

"Brother is here again." Baochai was so embarrassed that she hid behind Aunt Xue, blushing and hanging her head silently.

"You beast, what maggots are you chewing again!"

Aunt Xue was so angry that she pinched Xue Pan's ears and cursed: "It's just the friendship between close relatives and sisters. Why do you know people but not others? Are you afraid that your sister's reputation is so good that she will ruin her life?!"

Ouch, ouch! Xue Pan hurriedly begged for mercy: "Mom, I was wrong. I just joked a few words at home, but never dared to say a word outside. Sister, please persuade Mom."

Baochai rolled her eyes at him, and then persuaded him: "Mom, my brother has always said what he said but didn't mean what he said, so let's spare him this time."

"Why don't you get down and dig up your body?" Aunt Xue scolded.

"Yes, yes, yes." Xue Pan rubbed his ears and thought in his mind: I heard Zhang Dehui, the shopkeeper in Beijing, said that Liaodong is rich in Laoshan ginseng, leather goods, Dongzhu, cattle, sheep and horses. He had long wanted to open up trade routes, but he had no way out.

Now that Brother Cong is enjoying himself there, why don't I go and have some fun and sell some on the way back? Apart from the customs fees, I can also make several times the profit.

Besides, I have grown up so old that I am neither well-educated nor skilled in martial arts. Although I do business, I have never had a plan or an abacus, and I don’t know the local customs or the far and near roads.

It's better to save some money and find some stewards to visit. Whether you make money or not, it is good to just go sightseeing.

With his mind made up, Xue Pan opened his mouth to express his plan.

Aunt Xue was happy to hear this, but she was afraid that he would cause trouble outside and it would be a waste of money, so she refused to order him to go.

He just said: "At least if you guard me, I can rest assured. Besides, I don't have to do this business, and I don't have to wait for the money to be used. It's better for you to stay at home and keep yourself safe than tens of millions of silver."

Xue Pan agreed and said: "Tiantian said that I don't know anything about the world. I don't know this and I don't learn that. Now I have cut off all the unimportant things. Now I want to be an adult and learn how to do business. I'm fine, what do you want me to do?

I'm not a girl. If you keep me at home, when will it be the end? Besides, Zhang Dehui is a young and virtuous man. We are family friends with him. How can there be anything wrong if I go with him?

I was in a bad place for a while, and he naturally told me to persuade me. He knew the value of things and their market prices, so naturally I asked him lustfully, "How smooth it was, but he didn't ask me to go."

I didn't tell my family in two days and went away privately. Next year I would make a fortune and go home, and then they would know about me. "After that, he went to bed feeling angry.

Aunt Xue was a little embarrassed when she heard what he said, so she discussed it with Baochai.

Baochai smiled and said: "Brother is really going to experience something serious, and it's good for him. It's just that when he is at home, he talks nicely, but when he is outside, his old illness relapses, and it becomes more and more difficult to restrain him.

But there is not much to worry about. If he really changes his mind, it will be a blessing in his life. If she doesn't change, she can't do anything else.

Half of it is done with human effort, and half of it is done by fate. If you are such an adult, just because you are afraid that he will not know the way of the world, will not be able to go out, and will not be able to do anything, if he is locked up at home this year, he will still be like this next year.

Since what he said was justified, my mother looked at the missing thirty to fifty thousand silver and handed it to him to wipe it. Anyway, there are guys helping him, but he may not be embarrassed to coax him.

Secondly, when he went out, there was no one around to cheer him up, and no one to rely on. When he was outside, no one was afraid of anyone. He had food to eat, but he was hungry when he had nothing. He had no one to rely on. When he saw this, he was afraid of being beaten. There is no telling if it will save trouble at home. "

After hearing this, Aunt Xue thought for a long time and said, "You are right. It's worth spending two dollars to teach him to be good." The discussion was settled and there was nothing to say for the rest of the night.

The next day, Xue Pan packed his luggage, took four or five shopkeepers, a dozen waiters, and two guides who were familiar with the road, and went to Liaodong with Jia Lian.
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  Jia Cong's forceful push for the new law in Liaohaiwei naturally aroused strong resistance from the rich and wealthy gentry, and actually gathered hundreds of tenants and family members to guard the Yamen to "present their feelings" and plead for the order to be withdrawn.

Rong Liu had already expected this, so he went out and said loudly: "The new law implemented by the state is to collect taxes from the landlords and gentry. What does it have to do with you, the poor tenant farmers?"

"Sir, we have worked hard to cultivate an acre of land and have to pay nearly half of the rent to the owner. Now that we have to implement the new law, we have to pay another 20%. Can we still survive?" All the tenants asked one after another.

Rong Liu shouted: "How unreasonable? The garrison office has already issued a notice strictly prohibiting raising the rent of tenants. Who dares to add land tax to you?"

I would like to say it again, the new guard, Lord Jia, loves the people like his sons and has a clear mind. He has already established laws that the land rent for tenants shall not exceed 40%, and the land tax shall be paid by the landlord, not the tenants.

If any family dares to disobey the new law, just report it to the Yamen and you will be rewarded! Let's all go back. "

Only then did everyone dispel their doubts.

Rong Liu went back to report to Jia Cong.

Jia Cong was practicing in the garden. He was naked except for a pair of cow-nose shorts. Four soldiers carried large wooden mallets and beat him on his arms, thighs, chest and back.

"One, two, three, four!" the soldiers shouted and fought hard.

Jia Cong strode into a horse stance, breathing and exhaling at a peculiar frequency, changing his movements from time to time, and changing the affected area. The body is steaming with heat, the skin is red, the fascia and muscles are congested and tangled, like small snakes crawling all over the body.

Now the cloth wrapped around the gavel has been reduced by more than half compared to the original. Although there is a buffer, it is absolutely unbearable for ordinary people.

Seeing Rong Liu come in, Yan Shuangying hurriedly stopped him and signaled him not to disturb him. Rong Liu nodded and stood aside quietly.

After Jia Cong finished today's homework, he slowly transferred his energy and blood and finished his work. I was very happy, and after practicing hard for more than a year, I finally laid a solid foundation for the family's hard qigong iron cloth shirt, and reached the state of "being entangled by a python".

In addition, Liaodong's high-quality bear bile, tiger bones, tiger tendons, and tiger meat are abundant, and combined with the best wild drugs, it is only a matter of time before he can become a "golden Arhat" or "iron-clad body".

Everything is difficult at the beginning. If you take the first step steadily, the rest will fall into place naturally.

"Congratulations on your great progress in kung fu." Yan Shuangying hurriedly stepped forward to wipe his sweat.

"Stop flattering, we're still far from it." Jia Cong scolded with a smile, opened his hand and let his soldiers serve him, took the tea cup that was handed to him, took a sip, and saw Rong Liu waiting aside.

"Master Rong, is there something wrong?"

"Your Excellency, several hundred tenants have just come to the Yamen to express their feelings, but the lower officials have already dismissed them.

Today, we are pushing hard for the new law. Judging from the reports from the villages below, there is considerable resistance. The wealthy households are trying their best to instigate the tenants to cause trouble and resist the law on the grounds that the imperial court has imposed heavy taxes. "

Jia Cong sneered and said: "It's as expected. I asked you to draw up the provisions to support the people's livelihood. Have you finished it?"

"It's done. We have initially decided on four policies to benefit the people. First, the landowners must collect no more than 40% of the land rent from tenants. Anyone who violates this rule will have their homes confiscated.

The second is that for children raised by the common people, regardless of gender, before the age of 16, each child will be given 1 to 3 bushels of rice per month according to their age.

The third is to resolutely implement the policy that those with land pay more taxes, those with less land pay less taxes, and those without land pay no taxes. Officials at all levels above the li chief, Baozheng and above who dared to levy taxes indiscriminately were beheaded.

The fourth is those who are widowed and lonely, with no one to rely on for the elderly and no support for the young. They all entered the Yangji Hall, where the government provided centralized support and arranged work. "

Jia Cong nodded and said: "Very good. If we continue to implement these four points, everyone will know them, so that farmers will not be fooled."

"Yes."

"You don't have to be polite when dealing with big players. Find two big players who can jump high. The bigger the better. Copy them first for me. The leader will be killed.

The crime is to instigate people, incite riots, and resist the new law. Let all the big families come to watch the execution and see what it means to have the people's hearts as strong as iron and the official law to be as strong as a furnace! "Jia Cong sneered.

"Yes, I will do it now, sir."

"After copying these two houses, we will have money." Jia Cong said with a smile.

"Your Excellency, you are wise. All previous guards have tried this method, but they have all failed. This method cannot be accomplished without great perseverance, great courage, and bold vision." Rong Liu hurriedly complimented.

Jia Cong laughed and said: "These days, if you dare to think, you must dare to do it. Remember this sentence, the brave will be starved to death, and the timid will be starved to death!"

I only care about treating the people well. As for the local tyrants and evil gentry, I will kill them as soon as I can. No one can do anything to me. With the banner of the new law on our heads, I am not afraid even if the lawsuit goes to the Jinluan Palace. "

"Your Excellency has great foresight, I will bow to you!" Rong Liu said sincerely.

The next day, Rong Liu and Yu Hong led people to confiscate the two squires who were the largest in Liaohaiwei and the ones who resisted the most fiercely, and lost all their property. A few days later, in front of hundreds of wealthy families, the official execution was held in the city.

Although the wealthy gentry of various families were timid, they did not give up. They tried their best to mobilize connections and seek connections in Fengtian and Liaodong, but all failed.

Only then did they realize that Jia Cong had an unusual background, so they had no choice but to accept his fate and cooperate with officials at all levels to clear out the land and register it.

This cleanup also cleared out nearly one million acres of land outside the government's yellow list. Taxes and fees were paid one by one and land deeds were issued. Based on the handling fee of one tael of silver per acre of land, the garrison yamen directly received millions of silver.

Now there are 260 million acres of fertile farmland in Quanwei. According to the new tax law, 200% of each mu of land is levied, which can levy million shi of grain every year.

Today, the price of grain in Liaodong fluctuates around 1 tael per stone, which is 200 million taels of silver. Taxes have been greatly increased, but the burden on the people has been greatly reduced.

Jia Cong looked at the figures in the newspaper, laughed loudly, and said to everyone: "Everyone said that Liaodong is bitterly cold, but I think it is very rich. I have made so much money in less than a month since I came here. Now I ask you again, I will Can you provide full military pay?"

Everyone praised: "From now on, I will no longer have to worry about money and food, and I can also greatly increase the amount of taxes paid. This is all your fault!"

Jia Cong waved his hand and said: "I am just outlining the outline. Without the dedication of all the officials and soldiers, it would be difficult to achieve such results. Chief Secretary, I heard that there is an item of raising honest money in the new law?"

"Your Majesty, this is true."

Jia Cong nodded and said: "I said, I won't let my brothers suffer. From now on, we will also build up the Yanglian Silver. The Yanglian Silver in the imperial court only cares about officials and does not care about minor officials. I am not the same."

My word is that anyone who receives a salary from the government office will enjoy the integrity-supporting silver according to their rank. In addition, since I have received the money, I have to work seriously. Anyone who is sitting on a plain meal or waiting for death will be deposed by me and will never be used. "

Everyone hurriedly said: "I will obey your lord's order! We will fulfill our duties and dare not let down your lord's high expectations."

(End of this chapter)