Southern Ming: A boy soldier at the beginning, supporting the world

Chapter 215: Great Peace in Zhaoping
Zhaoping City was bustling with people and a peaceful scene. The food stalls were filled with aromas, and the silk shops were filled with colorful silks and satins, dazzling the eyes. The street vendors were shouting one after another.

Only the Red Army soldiers that occasionally passed by, armed with weapons and in a hurry, hinted that the situation was not peaceful.

When the commander arrived, the garrison did not clear the streets, but only sent officials to maintain order and clear the passages. The personal soldiers led the way and the rear guard did not disturb the people. The people were already accustomed to this, and each went about his own business without interfering with each other.

"Lord, Mr. Yang, according to the rules of the Red Army, officials above the rank of general only have to ensure access and do not clean the streets. Please forgive me if I have been disrespectful." Danchu said, feeling very relieved to see Zhaoping in great order.

Du Yinxi was amazed all the way, and now he came to his senses and said, "The people of Zhaoping live and work in peace and contentment, and business is prosperous. Although it is a small city, it is quite impressive. The commander-in-chief is able to command the army on horseback and comfort the people on foot. This shows his great talent."

The prosperity of commerce was directly caused by the policy of paying taxes to tenants. In a small peasant economy, people had very limited means of investment. The most stable and reliable investment was to buy farmland and then rent it to tenants for cultivation. The harvest was guaranteed regardless of drought or flood, and 50% to 70% of the harvest could be collected every season.

The Red Army implemented a system of renting and paying grain, and the land tax was heavy, making it unprofitable to invest in land. In contrast, the industrial and commercial tax was lower, only one-tenth, and was more attractive to investors.

Danchu smiled and said, "I am unique. I rented land and paid taxes in the flood area, encouraged industry and commerce, and caused a lot of criticism from the court and the public. But as long as the people live and work in peace and contentment, these clouds are just like clouds to me. You may stay in Zhaoping for a few more days. When you return to the court in the future, please help me say a good word."

"Haha," Du Yinxi said with a wry smile, "I am also a maverick and have been criticized many times. Last time I went to the Emperor's Palace to meet him, the court officials attacked me and I almost had no place to stand."

Yang Weizhi seemed to understand something and laughed out loud. Then his eyes turned red and he looked like a madman, but he said nothing.

The state affairs were so corrupt, and the court was still in dispute. The emperor had no opinion, and loyal ministers had no place to stand. He was the Right Censor-in-Chief of the Ming Dynasty and the Governor of Yunnan, but he could only join the Dashi Army and pray for Sun Kewang to send troops to fight against the Qing Dynasty. Isn't it sad?

Danchu had already extended an olive branch to Yang Weizhi, and now he said to Du Yinxi: "Your Excellency has great vision and is loyal but often slandered. If you cannot gain a foothold in the court, you may condescend to join our Red Army. Although I am a rookie, I am determined to fight against the Qing Dynasty, and I need talents like you."

Du Yinxi had just arrived and had not yet figured out the details of the Red Army, but he said generously: "If I ever feel lost and helpless in the future, I will definitely come and rely on Marshal Jue."

Passing by the county government office, I saw a high platform in front of the government office with a big drum on it. Dozens of people were waiting in line under the platform. There was a pavilion under the platform for people to rest. There were also three or four officials who were taking notes.

Seeing Danchu and his men, the people knelt down to complain. Du Yinxi and Yang Weizhi were curious and stopped their horses.

Danchu introduced: "This is the Dengwen Drum, which is equivalent to the Jian Drum. Whenever the people beat the Dengwen Drum, the officials must meet with them, ask about their grievances, and redress their grievances."

The Ming Dynasty, like all previous dynasties, set up remonstrance drums in front of government offices at all levels. However, in actual governance, officials were few in number and had many things to do. They could not even handle normal lawsuits, let alone receive petitions from the people.

In some places, officials only accept complaints and hear cases on the first and fifteenth day of each month. In the eyes of many officials, people who beat the drum of remonstrance, regardless of whether they have grievances or not, are making trouble for no reason and must be beaten with a stick first. If the drum of remonstrance is beaten beyond the level of the superior, the superior official will be angry with the subordinate official, and will first beat the official with a stick, and then take him to the lower government office without asking any questions. The subordinate official will be scolded by the superior and feel upset, so he will be beaten with a stick again. The people have no place to complain, and the drum of remonstrance has become a complete decoration.

Du Yinxi and Yang Weizhi have both been working in the local area for many years and are very familiar with the problems. I have heard for a long time that Cen Danchu is good at comforting the people and bringing peace to the flood-stricken areas, so it is time to find out.

Danchu then took the two of them into the county government office to see how the magistrate would clear the people's grievances.

Yu Houji, who was standing by, said, "According to our military system, each place receives a request for people to appeal for grievances every five days. The chief officer and the assistant officers take turns to receive the request. Today it is the magistrate's turn to receive the request, so there are many people. The magistrate of Zhaoping is named Li Gong, who was promoted from the household secretary of Yong'an Prefecture."

The household clerk was a clerk, and the county magistrate was an official. There was a huge gap between the officials and the clerks. The Red Army dared to appoint the household clerk as the county seal official, which was unconventional.

As soon as he entered the county government office, Li Gong received the letter and hurried out to greet him, and met Dan Chu at the ceremonial gate.

"It's okay, you can proceed with the trial as normal. I'll accompany the Lord and Mr. Yang to observe from the side." Dan Chu said in a tone that left no room for questioning.

Back in the hall, Li Gong didn't dare to sit in the main seat anymore. He asked the yamen runners to bring the table and chairs forward and sat down. Danchu and others sat on the side, calm and composed, with dignity without anger. "Next one up." Li Gong cleared his throat and said.

A middle-aged man who looked like a homeless person, with a mean and ugly appearance, sat down calmly as soon as he entered the lobby.

Judging from his nonchalant appearance, he is probably a city dweller, most likely a lawyer who likes to sue and cause trouble, and argue over people's money.

"What is your complaint?"

"In reply to the Master's words..."

"Call me the county magistrate, not the master."

"Yes, in reply to the magistrate, I was unaware of the ban on foot binding. I bound my daughter's feet last month and was ordered by Doctor Zhang. I am suing Doctor Zhang for his lack of medical ethics and for exposing someone's privacy."

Li Gong frowned, he was used to this kind of lawyer. He read the petition again, slammed the gavel, and said: "The government has issued the ban on foot binding since last year, and has repeatedly issued the ban. You are from Chengguan Township, and your home is near the South Gate, how could you not know about the ban?"

The man immediately changed color, looked sad, and said, "Sir, I really don't know."

"Breaking the law without knowing it is no different from breaking it knowing it. According to the rules, the punishment is a fine of five ounces of silver or a hundred strokes of the cane. Which do you choose?"

Du Yinxi and Yang Weizhi frowned. Isn't the Red Army's law too harsh? Banning foot binding is certainly a good thing, but violators will be fined five taels of silver and beaten with a stick 100 times. This punishment is too severe.

But the man's expression changed drastically, and he said, "Sir, isn't it a fine of one ounce of silver or twenty strokes of the cane? How can you change the law without authorization?"

Danchu smiled knowingly, and heard Li Gong say, "Didn't you say you didn't know about the ban on foot binding? How come you remember the punishment so clearly?"

The man was extremely upset and realized that he had fallen into the magistrate's trap. He had no choice but to give him twenty strokes of the cane.

The next one was a farmer, who was timid and knelt down as soon as he entered the hall. In ancient times, most farmers were afraid of officials. Some of them could only go to the city a few times in their lives. They were so scared that they couldn't speak when they saw officials.

The farmer was also afraid of officials. He didn't dare to sit down even if a chair was offered to him. He trembled for a long time and said, "Little, little, I want to sue Mr. Wang in our village. He relied on the large number of people in his clan to be elected as the village chief and bullied the village. When I went up the mountain to chop firewood, he also collected firewood taxes privately..."

The Red Army attached great importance to grassroots governance, so Li Gong did not dare to neglect it. He read the petition carefully, asked the farmer about a few details, and finally said, "Uncle, I will keep this matter in mind and arrange for the county and township to handle it together. We will investigate it thoroughly and deal with it within a month."

The farmer thanked him profusely and left. Du Yinxi secretly sighed: The Red Army cares so much about even the little things in the village. It is really as they advertised, wholeheartedly seeking benefits for the people.

Another businessman came to complain to the government: "I want to start a carriage business to provide carriages for travelers. I heard that the government wants to set up a company system, so I went to the workshop, and they said that this matter is under the jurisdiction of the Household Department. I went to the Household Department, and they said that this matter requires carriages and horses, which is under the jurisdiction of the Military Department. When I went to the Military Department, they also shirked their responsibilities. I have almost prepared the carriages and horses, but I can't start a company. I am so anxious that I have no choice but to ask for advice from you."

"Anything is allowed unless prohibited by law. You don't need to apply to the county government for this matter. If you want to be at ease, go to the workshop and do it. I will tell the clerk to get it done for you within three days."

Danchu realized that the original six-room system could no longer meet the needs of local government affairs and it was necessary to make some reforms and improvements.

(End of this chapter)