My enemies became my companions

Chapter 634 Unable to Survive (Part 2)

“This man,” the King of Annam said in a flat tone, as if stating a trivial matter, “colluded with rebels, concealed people, exploited tenants, lined his own pockets, bribed the royal court, spoke rebellious words, and incited rebellion. His crimes are irrefutable and he is utterly wicked. He has now been executed.”

With each charge she uttered, the faces of the remaining members of the Dao family on the ground grew paler, and their bodies went limp. When the words "unforgivable" and "now executed" were uttered, some had already collapsed completely to the ground, like rotten mud.

"The registrar of the Prince's Palace shall immediately take over all the account books, warehouses, and land deeds of this estate. The Iron Scale Army shall assist in the purge of any remaining members and the identification of the estate's residents."

"All members of the Dao family, including their direct descendants, managers, and trusted henchmen, shall be arrested and interrogated severely. Tenants within the estate shall be re-registered according to the new decree of the Prince's Palace."

"Anyone who dares to hide, collude, or resist will be treated as a traitor and killed without exception."

"Yes, sir!" The Ironscale Army soldiers responded in unison, their voices shaking the rooftops and filled with murderous intent.

The registrar bowed and accepted the order: "Your humble servant obeys!"

At the command, the Ironscale Army soldiers, like tigers released from their cages, pounced on the terrified stewards and servants of the Dao family, dragging them away roughly like eagles snatching chicks and binding them mercilessly. Screams and pleas for mercy rang out again, but were quickly drowned out by the soldiers' shouts and the clanging of chains.

Before long,

Everywhere you look, there is only pale whiteness and blood everywhere.

The fortified village was in complete disarray. With Dao Chengsi dead, the entire village lost its leader. Even the loyal servants who shouted to protect their master were instantly suppressed.

The remaining people dared not resist. Faced with the gleaming iron armor, they could only submit. The King of Annam then ordered his men to summon the gentry and headmen of each village.

A sea of ​​heads gathered inside the fortified village. At first, everyone was filled with anxiety, and no one knew whether this sudden turn of events was a blessing or a curse. Many people brought rakes and hoes, hoping to give themselves a false sense of security.

The King of Annam immediately distributed the gold and silver treasures presented by Dao Chengsi, selected several chieftains and gentry, and made it clear that the displaced people would be returned to the county for resettlement. After a moment of silence, a burst of jubilation erupted.

The reason is quite simple.

The local chieftains went to great lengths to recruit and forcibly conscript refugees because there was too much land and too few people. However, for the local people who had lived there for generations, no matter how much land they had, there was no reason to arbitrarily divide it up to outsiders.

Moreover, once these refugees arrived, they couldn't possibly conjure up food immediately. The chieftain had to levy an extra batch of food for relief, which naturally caused a lot of dissatisfaction. However, since the local chieftains were powerful, they had to keep their grievances to themselves and dare not speak out.

We can't exactly rebel, can we?
After much anticipation, a just and upright official finally arrived.

Although the Prince's mansion had other plans, they couldn't care less about such things.

When Qin Qingluo returned, Chen Yi kicked Dao Chengsi's head away and then asked, "What should be done with the Dao family?"

"It's better to slaughter the fattened pigs for the New Year," Qin Qingluo said calmly. "Then we'll choose another chieftain to be the Tusi (chieftain)."

The term "headman" refers to an elder or village chief in a village. These positions are usually held by highly capable or respected individuals, and they are often local Yi people.

Because the area in southern Xinjiang is not only inhabited by Han Chinese, but also by countless Yi people, there are many conflicts between the Han and Yi people due to differences in customs and the distribution of land and water resources. Therefore, the presence of the local chieftain is always indispensable, as it is necessary to coordinate between them, uphold justice, and even communicate with the wild Yi people in the mountains.

This is why, although there have been attempts to replace native chieftains with centrally appointed officials in various dynasties, most of these attempts failed to be implemented and ended in failure.

"Do you know why I let you kill him?" Qin Qingluo asked abruptly.

Chen Yi had a rough idea of ​​what was going on, but he pretended to be ignorant and said, "He offended the king's authority, so this is the perfect opportunity for me to take action. How can I establish my authority and command respect if I don't kill him?"

"Wildness, you should be the leader." Qin Qinglu sneered, then slowly said, "Among the seventy-two chieftains, the Dao family is only at the bottom. Their ancestors were once wealthy, but they are all bark and no bite in this area. It's good to kill the chicken to scare the monkey."

Chen Yi raised an eyebrow and smiled, "The Dao family is just a chicken, that's not so hard to understand."

"But if we kill too many chickens every year, will the monkeys still be afraid?"

Chen Yi was slightly taken aback. "You mean..."

"The kings of Annam have always inspected various parts of the southern border, and each generation has made an example of the enemy. The death of the Dao family has had a limited warning effect on the remaining seventy-one chieftains, especially the powerful chieftain clans. At most, they will only make them spit out a little of what they have swallowed. In this way, they can be considered to have obtained a new imperial edict." Qin Qinglu continued, "The death of the Dao family can actually lull those powerful chieftain clans into a false sense of security. Besides, we were indeed attacked on our way to the Dao family. Killing the chicken today is just a prelude to killing the monkey tomorrow."

She was afraid he wouldn't understand, so she deliberately spoke more clearly.

Chen Yi lowered his eyes slightly, revealing a look of sudden realization.

"I never expected the situation in southern Xinjiang to be so complicated... and that it would require such ruthlessness."

"You still have a lot to learn."

Qin Qingluo said coldly.

...............

Before leaving, Chen Yi passed by the old farmer's door again, pushed it open, and the old farmer was still full of fear. He did not expect Chen Yi to act so decisively and ruthlessly. Even so, after regaining his senses, he knelt down again, crying and sobbing.

This time, Chen Yi helped him up, responded to a few flattering words, and then asked, "Uncle, you're having such a hard time here, why don't you go to the county?"

The old farmer, who had just been shedding tears, froze, trembling.

He turned his head and stared at Chen Yi with a look of horror on his face.

Seeing that Chen Yi's question was not malicious, the old farmer slowly recovered and said somewhat stiffly and fearfully, "The county...the county has done a lot of work, the land...the land can't be cultivated."

Chen Yi remained calm and then asked, "Isn't the county taxed at one-fifteenth of the grain? There are no corvée labors during the busy farming season, and laborers are hired during the slack season. The Prince's Palace has clear regulations on this."

The old farmer opened his lips, but couldn't speak. After a long while, he asked blankly, "Which...which county?"

"The nearest one is Wenshi County."

"No, no, no, no..." The old farmer shook his head frantically, and after a while, he slurred, "...The county pays less, but we have to do so much more work. We have to carry sedan chairs for the officials, repair roads, reclaim wasteland, mine coal... We have to do everything. When we leave, it can be for days or months. We don't even have food, and the land is taken over and left to fallow. The seedlings are all killed..."

Chen Yi remained silent for a moment.

He was unsure whether the Annam Prince's investigation into hidden households was a blessing or a curse for these people. Even though he was loyal to the Prince's Palace, he knew it would bring more harm than good.

The old farmer continued, "Decades ago... there was a teacher in the county who wanted to go to Longwei City to beat the drum, but he was stopped halfway and beaten to death in front of everyone. No one could survive in the county, so they fled here... No matter how much grain and cloth we need here, we still have an acre of land to cultivate. As long as we have an acre of land to cultivate, we are not afraid of not surviving."

Hearing this, Chen Yi had nothing more to say. He silently put down a string of copper coins, told the old farmer to hide them well, and then got up and left.

As the trees swayed over the armored soldiers, the Ironscale Army embarked on their return journey. The King of Annam glanced back, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Chen Yi spur his horse to catch up with the group.

Why the delay?

Before Chen Yi could speak, Qin Qingluo calmly stated:
"Those who delay without any unforeseen circumstances shall be executed according to the law."

"Your Highness is willing to kill me?"

"I am asking you what has happened."

Chen Yi lowered his eyes slightly, sensing a rare hint of concern in the words.

After a moment's thought, he slowly said, "I asked a hidden resident and offered him permission to return to the county to register, but he refused."

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on her jade-like armor. Qin Qingluo showed little surprise.
"The Prince's Palace has issued a new decree that those who return to their hometowns will be exempt from taxes for three years and will be allocated land to cultivate."

“Indeed, the new decree of the Prince’s Palace is so good. Isn’t it better to be a tenant slave of the Dao family in this fortified village? But they have chosen to become hidden households.” Chen Yi paused and continued, “Your Highness is wise. The new decree of the Prince’s Palace is indeed a benevolent policy. However… the hidden households say that what the county government does is completely different from what the Prince’s Palace has issued. They are worlds apart.”

"Elaborate."

"Firstly, the taxes and corvée labor are inconsistent with the actual situation," Chen Yi began, trying to keep his tone even. "The Prince's Palace clearly stipulated that one-fifteenth of the taxes should be levied, and there should be no corvée labor during the busy farming season. However, when they arrived in Wenshi County, the corvée laborers went to the countryside and created various pretexts, making the one-fifteenth tax a mere formality. Moreover, during the off-season, they were called 'helpers,' but in reality, they were forcibly conscripted. Carrying sedan chairs, repairing roads, reclaiming wasteland, mining coal... often for several months at a time, with them bringing their own food. The fields were left unattended, abandoned, and the seedlings withered and died, thus dashing their hopes for the year. By the time they returned exhausted, the fields had either been seized by others or had already been abandoned. The taxes had not decreased, but the corvée labor had increased, leaving them with no livelihood. How could they dare to return to the county?"

Qin Qinglu did not interrupt.

"Secondly, the corrupt officials run rampant, preying on the local people," Chen Yi continued. "The Prince's land distribution policy was originally a good one. However, the local officials manipulated it. The fertile land was seized by their cronies and powerful figures; only the barren hillsides were allocated to returning migrants. Even worse, some used 'inspection' and 'measurement' as pretexts to extort bribes and blackmail. If anyone was slightly dissatisfied, they would be whipped and cangueed at best, and fabricated charges at worst, leading to the destruction of their families. The people regarded the county government as a tiger's mouth, preferring to be exploited by the local chieftains for a chance to survive rather than dare to set foot in the county government."

The sound of horses' hooves rustling on fallen leaves echoed through the woods as the Ironscale Army marched silently behind them.

Chen Yi took a deep breath, his voice growing even deeper: "Thirdly... the corrupt administration has no way to appeal." He paused, then looked directly at Qin Qingluo. "It is mentioned that decades ago, in Wenshi County, there was a schoolteacher who witnessed injustice and wanted to go to Longwei City to file a complaint. As a result... before he even left the county, he was intercepted by the constables and beaten to death in public! After that, no one dared to speak out, no one dared to file a complaint. The people could not survive, so they fled to the land of the chieftain. Even though the Dao family exploited them heavily, at least... they still had an acre of meager land to cultivate."

Once everything has been said, its meaning is clear to everyone.

To Chen Yi's surprise, the tall woman only showed slight emotion throughout the entire ordeal.

The woods were completely silent.

Qin Qinglu sat upright on his horse, his figure as straight as a pine tree, the sunlight outlining the cold, hard contours of his armor.

"My lord..."

"I know," Qin Qingluo said calmly. "Even if taxes are heavy, people can still live; if corvée labor is heavy, people have nowhere to escape."

Chen Yi hesitated for a moment, his expression complex and unreadable.
“You told me earlier that ‘someone was instigating this,’ so it seems that Your Highness knows why someone would instigate this and why those hidden households would listen to such instigation.”

His voice was calm and composed. He was not naive, nor did he believe that the court's intentions were good but that the people below had carried them out badly. Rather than saying that the court was deceived, it was more accurate to say that the court was always aware that its people below would do bad things.

“If Wenshi County is like this, then seven or eight out of ten counties in the southern border region are much the same.” Chen Yi paused, then slowly said, “Even if the clerks are rampant and the administration is corrupt, they still have to measure the fields, register the households, and collect taxes.”

Qin Qingluo leaned forward slightly, the armor plates reflecting cold, hard lines in the light. Facing Chen Yi's seemingly harsh words, she finally responded slowly:
“The county government is like roots, and most of these roots are rotten. How could I not know its problems? How could I not be disgusted by its corruption?”

However, if the chieftains turn against us, the barbarians plunder, and the displaced people become disorderly, what will I use to suppress them? What will I use to deter the court's lackeys? And what will I use…”

Her voice paused almost imperceptibly for a moment, her gaze seemingly piercing through the towering mountains to the turbulent northern horizon, before she spoke again:

"...To prepare for this impending...change in the world?"

Chen Yi fell silent again.

He was well aware of what Qin Qingluo was saying. In fact, all the Annam kings had managed the southern border in this way. After three hundred years of hard work, the southern border was now a place with very light taxes and corvée labor compared to the Central Plains. Otherwise, there would not have been a large number of refugees migrating to this place.

The wind rustled through the branches and leaves, carrying a faint sob. The King of Annam hesitated for a moment, then slowly said:

“I know you have the heart of a woman.”

"Once I have eliminated all the chieftains, their wealth, land, and population will increase, which will ease the burden for a while."

Chen Yi was slightly surprised, raised an eyebrow, and said, "...Is Your Highness comforting me?"

This time, the King of Annam did not deny it, but instead asked, "So what if it is?"

Chen Yi's throat bobbed, he lowered his eyes, and his voice was low and steady: "This subordinate understands."

Qin Qingluo remained silent, gently spurring her horse, which strode forward with steady steps. The Ironscale Army followed silently, the sound of armor rubbing against each other echoing through the forest, cold and orderly.

........................

........................

Back at the Prince's residence, Chen Yi's mind was somewhat complicated. He removed his armor along the way and went straight to his own courtyard.

However, Zhu E had already seen him returning from afar, so she chose a looser outfit and went to greet him.

"I'm not good at doing things with her."

Upon seeing Zhu E, Chen Yi seemed relieved of some burden and said this.

"Is the gentleman under pressure?"

“Indeed,” Chen Yi smiled, then said with a hint of helplessness, “She said I was too soft-hearted and made a lot of fun of me.”

Upon hearing this, the perceptive Zhu E immediately guessed most of what was going on. After a slight sigh, she seemed to have thought of something, and her eyes lit up.

“Your Highness rarely speaks so bluntly. She is always respectful and courteous to scholars. My lord, please think of it from a positive perspective,” she paused, and said, “Could it be that Your Highness is saying… that you want to take my lord as a concubine?”

(End of this chapter)