The Ming Dynasty took an unconventional approach

"It's okay for people like sedan bearers, but the hardest laborers are those who work in express delivery shops, look after water conservancy projects, and build roads and bridges every winter." Wang Feiyin said, "At the beginning of this spring, he said that the weather would be different this year, so he issued labor orders, ordering all villages to send people to build water conservancy projects and official roads."

Pan Yun: "What he said is not wrong."

Wang Feiyin said helplessly: "That's right, because before he issued the labor order, he invited me and several Taoist priests from the old Zi Temple and Fuqing Temple to check the weather, just like the previous county magistrates. The weather is different this year, and we calculated it.

We also planned the mountain paths and ditches that needed to be paid attention to, and even calculated the manpower for him..."

They often do this kind of thing. When Akihito was around, they were often used like clerks. Anyway, this kind of thing is not difficult for them.

Normally they observe the stars and calculate the weather. Yushan County is where they live and they go out from time to time, so they know where there are problems.

Arithmetic is even simpler, and you can figure these things out by mental arithmetic.

Anyway, they can give Akihito some plans and data whenever necessary every year.

How did Wang Cong become acquainted with Emperor Mingren and become friends with him?
Isn’t it because Wang Feiyin was lazy in the early years that Wang Cong was pushed out every time something like this happened?
Mingren was as sensible as the previous county magistrates. Regardless of whether he used the Taoists' plans and data or not, he at least listened carefully and simply adjusted them according to his own needs and conditions.

Therefore, the Taoist temples in Yushan County and several county magistrates have always cooperated happily.

They didn't expect that the new Magistrate Cai would be so disorderly.

"He took our plans and data and threw them aside, and directly issued labor orders, forcing every family to send one man to serve, including widows and orphans."

Pan Yun opened his mouth wide: "Isn't this illegal?"

"It is illegal," Wang Feiyin said helplessly, "but who can do anything about it? If a family does not want to serve in the army, they can pay for exemption."

Pan Yun raised an eyebrow: "Those rich families have already left?"

If it were her, wouldn't she have tickled him to death?
Wang Feiyin: "The amount of money he set for immunization is only one-third of that set by County Magistrate Ming."

Pan Yun's smile froze, and he and Miao Zhen and the other three said in unison: "Is he sick?"

Pan Yun was so angry that he stood up and turned around in circles: "Mingren set a high exemption fee in order to rob the rich to help the poor, why did he only take one third? To rob the poor to help the rich?"

Wang Feiyin: "In previous years, the county magistrate would divide the exemption money into three parts: one part was put into the government treasury, one part was used to hire soldiers to replace the soldiers, and one part was used to improve the lives of the soldiers.

But Magistrate Cai took the money but did not hire anyone to do the labor. In other words, originally ten people were supposed to do the work, but five of them paid the exemption fee. He took the money but did not hire any more people, so the work that was supposed to be done by ten people was assigned to the remaining five people. Therefore, the labor service this year was extremely heavy.

"Wang Xiaojing's family has bad luck this year. They were chosen to be double-males. His uncle Wang Erliang was chosen to be a laborer at the express delivery shop. Their family has to send another person to serve in the spring labor service." Wang Feiyin said, "Wang Xiaojing is still young, so his father Wang Dachun has to serve in the spring labor service."

Pan Yun had a bad feeling, Miao He's eyes turned red, and asked, "Then what?"

"Erliang... was late in delivering the letter and was beaten with a stick. The next day, he was delivering the letter with an injury and he lost his balance and rolled down the mountain path. When he was carried back, he was already in bad shape."

Pan Jun pursed her lips and said, "Didn't Senior Brother save the person?"

Wang Feiyin pursed his lips in displeasure and said in a deep voice: "I can heal injuries, but I can't save his life. His legs are crippled. For him, Xiaojing's family spent all their savings. Xiaojing..."

Wang Feiyin paused, thinking of the child he had watched grow up, his eyes could not help but redden: "Xiao Jing went to mine with others to make money, but he didn't expect the mine to find all kinds of reasons to deduct their wages, and finally withheld their wages."

Wang Feiyin gritted his teeth and said, "This year, the imperial court reopened the Jiangxi silver mines. The imperial court set a certain amount of silver that the silver mines must hand in every year. But I don't know if the silver mines can't produce that much silver, or if it's hidden by someone. Anyway, they don't have any."

Pan Yun took over the conversation and said, "Since the silver mines can't pay so much money, the Jiangxi Provincial Administration Office has to find a way for them to raise enough silver to pay it over. So, the Provincial Administration Office will pass the task to the prefecture, and the prefecture will pass it to the county, and the county will then share it with the people, right?"

"Yes," Wang Feiyin nodded and said, "So, this year, not only did the labor service in Yushan County increase suddenly, but the tax silver also increased suddenly. Rich farmers like Wang Xiaojing's family were ruined because of the sudden increase in labor service and tax silver, not to mention families whose financial conditions are even worse than his family.

Starting from May, some families began to sell their fields, and some, reluctant to sell their fields, sold their daughters first.

Pan Jun clenched his fists.

Miao Zhen was also very angry and asked, "Master Uncle, is there nothing we can do?"

“Yes,” Wang Feiyin said, “After the incident, I wrote a letter to Lord Ming, a letter to the second brother, and a letter to the Tianshi Mansion.

Lord Ming has feelings for Yushan County, and he certainly doesn't want the place he once governed to be messed up. Even if Cai Sheng has someone behind him, he can't do whatever he wants, and I also have someone in the court."

Wang Feiyin sighed and said, "I believe that if I am given some more time, by this winter at the latest, Cai Sheng will not be able to continue his position if he does not change his ways. However, who can predict what will happen? God disposes, not man proposes."

"First, there were heavy rains and strong winds, and mudslides occurred in several places. Then, there was a rebellion in Ninghua, Fujian. Someone secretly contacted the miners in the Jiangxi Silver Mine. They acted together and killed the mine officials. Wang Xiaojing and several people from the village who worked in the mine were among them. They also led people to attack the county town..."

The four of them couldn't help but exclaimed, "They even made it into the county town? Did they kill Cai Sheng?"

Wang Feiyin said unhappily: "If they killed Cai Sheng, would I be here?" The four were disappointed.

Wang Feiyin said: "On the night they attacked the city, Cai Sheng was not at the county government office, but at his mistress's. The rebels rushed into the county government office and burned, killed and looted, but the real owner didn't see it. Cai Sheng escaped from the city and brought the garrison back to fight. The rebels left the city and hid in the mountains. Now no one can do anything to anyone. Cai Sheng checked the household registration of the miners and directly implicated their families and neighbors. Fenshui Village..."

"Eighty percent of the people in Fenshui Village have the surname Wang. I, your eldest brother, am also a relative of yours and am also implicated. If I were not a monk, I would not be implicated according to the law. Otherwise, you would have to see me in prison."

Pan Yun frowned: "You can't run?"

"You can run away, but you can run away from the Taoist priest, but you can't run away from the Taoist temple," Wang Feiyin sighed, shaking his head.

Pan Yun stared at his face, then stood up after a moment: "Brother, I want to meet the folks in Fenshui Village."

Wang Feiyin asked: "Do you have money?"

"Have."

Wang Feiyin: "Then do you have anything to eat?"

"Also."

Wang Feiyin nodded: "Very good, take them out and go to the big kitchen to make some more steamed buns and pancakes. I will take you to see them later."

There were quite a lot of people implicated, and the jail could not hold so many of them, so the county government locked them up in the land temple. They built a few wooden fences to separate the rooms, and locked more than 20 people in one room.

There were more than twenty people locked up together in a smelly room. Pan Jun couldn't help frowning as soon as he entered.

The yamen runner who led them whispered, "Just chat slowly, there's no rush. Just don't make any loud noises."

Pan Yun and his companions had a smooth journey without any obstruction, not even any inspection. They could not help but stare at the yamen runners with curiosity.

Wang Feiyin said without even turning his head: "Don't look at them. These runners are all newly recruited. The original runners are either dead or injured, or they are working in the county government. They won't come to such a small place."

The yamen runner smiled at Pan Yun and the others in a friendly manner, and explained in a low voice: "We have all received the favor of Master Wang, and the protection of the mountain god has helped our family escape a disaster. Since these people are protected by Master Wang, they should all be good people."

Pan Yun had a complicated expression: "I heard that when the rebels entered the city, they robbed many people and injured many ordinary people. Don't you hate them?"

"I hate them. My second uncle was a constable in the government office. He was conscientious and never bullied anyone. He was killed when the rebels entered the city. I was the constable who took over his job. I hated them at first, but then I thought about it. These people were innocent. They didn't know their families were rebelling. And the miners who rebelled... I heard they just couldn't survive anymore."

The yamen runner looked confused and in pain: "I hate them, but it seems that I shouldn't hate them. In the end, I don't know who to blame. I have been guarding here for ten days, and I feel sorry for them, so I will help them if I can."

The yamen runner opened the door and let them in.

The people in the fence looked up blankly. When they saw Wang Feiyin, their eyes were slightly red. When they saw Pan Yun, tears burst out. A girl of about thirteen or fourteen rushed towards Pan Yun and threw herself into her arms: "Sister Yun, please protect me!"

The people in the fence knelt down before her and cried, "Temple Priest, you are finally back—"

"Please bless the mountain god——"

"Uncle Junior Master, please wake up the mountain god——"

The entire land temple was shaking, and people in other fences also leaned their heads out to look over. When they heard that the priest from the Sanqingshan Mountain God Temple had arrived, they all knelt down and prayed.

Pan Jun was shocked and couldn't help but look at Wang Feiyin.

Wang Feiyin: "Oh, did I forget to tell you that before the mudslide, there was a loud thunder and two huge rocks rolled down from the mountain. Someone was awakened and opened the window to vaguely see a crane-winged immortal standing in the air to welcome the thunder. Then huge rocks kept rolling down, alarming the villagers within a radius of 20 miles.

The villagers got up at night, feeling palpitations and sadness, so they left home in the rain.

Not long after they left, a mudslide rolled down and was blocked by huge rocks. When the mudslide rolled to several villages downstream, the villagers took their belongings and moved to a safe place.

Since then, there has been a legend in the county that it was the Sanqing Mountain God who was blessing them."

Pan Yun opened his mouth wide: "I, I thought they would blame the mountain god..."

After all, so many things have happened in Yushan County one after another.

Wang Feiyin raised his hand and touched her head, saying gently: "This is a natural disaster and a man-made disaster at the same time. How can you blame the mountain god? He is already doing his best to protect the people."

The villagers heard their conversation and nodded: "Yes, yes, we can live until now, all thanks to the protection of the mountain god." (End of this chapter)