Warring States Survival Guide

Chapter 172 He is very likely to have bad intentions!
Because of Aman, Izumi Heiji enjoyed special treatment. He did not have to be crammed into a small boat like the new immigrants in Mino and transported to the seaside like a can. Instead, he could ride in a ox cart and slowly move forward while recuperating from his injuries. Along the way, he listened to Aman telling the history of Yuanye's rise and learned about Shinwanzu, a new place that had just appeared in Owari Province.

But even so, after he set foot on the land of Xinwanjin, his first impression of this place was still novelty, as if he had come to a foreign country overseas.

In his impression, the clothing of the Wanjin Army was different from that of everyone he had ever seen. It was neither like the traditional Japanese small-sleeved straight-hanging large hakama, nor like the gorgeous robes of the Ming Dynasty, nor even like the weird southern barbarian clothing. It lacked too many complicated and useless decorations. The clothing of the Wanjin Army was very simple yet well-made as a whole. The buttons on the cuffs and the pockets on the tops and trousers were unique, either inexplicable or very practical.

The clothing in Xinwanjin is weird, which may be explained as the unique quirks of "those who love strange things", resulting in the fact that what the superiors like, the subordinates will be even more so. However, the weird clothing all over the streets, the short hair of all men, and the simple, straight-angled and weird buildings in Xinwanjin, at first glance, it really looks like you have run into a foreign country.

At least, as a veteran who has traveled all over the world for many years, Izumi Heiji doubts that he is no longer among the sixty-six countries in the world.

But Aman didn't care whether he was new or not. She enthusiastically took him to visit various workshops and see the lives of the common people in Wanjin to prove that she was not lying. It was true that Yuanye was a weirdo, but he was really good at making money and the construction of the new Wanjin was really good. By the way, she kept telling her old man what she heard from Yuanye every day.

For example, she pointed to a large undeveloped wilderness in the north (the land belonging to the Miya family), and said that Yuanye planned to promote agricultural projects there in the future. It was tentatively planned that new immigrants would be exempted from annual tribute for the first three years, and after three years, the annual tribute policy of "three officials and seven civilians" would be implemented. In addition, they would be exempted from military rations, horse loans and other exorbitant taxes for life. Other materials such as feathers, wood, and bamboo would not be required to be paid. Farmers only needed to focus on farming.

Quan Pingci hadn't recovered from the prosperous "handicraft" production in Xinwanjin when he heard Aman bring up a new topic. He couldn't help but look at the wilderness and said thoughtfully: "Three officials and seven people? No miscellaneous materials, taxes, and labor services are levied except for the annual tribute? If that's true, this is truly the most virtuous policy in the world..."

Ah Man had objected at first, thinking that there was no need to be so polite to the common people, and that not arresting their daughters and abusing them day and night was already a courtesy to them. But now that she was looking after her old man and needed to show off, she naturally would not bring it up again, and said with some complacency, "Three Dukes and Seven Commoners is only temporary. I heard him say that he plans to slowly reduce it to One Duke and Nine Commoners."

In fact, Yuanye had originally planned to impose a tax rate of one dan on one official and nine mins, that is, one dan on one bushel. But later he felt that this was too big a step and that it would easily lead to problems, so he planned to start with a tax rate of three dan and seven mins, and then slowly reduce it to one dan and nine mins, and then start agricultural subsidies or tax rebates depending on the situation. This is a long-term policy that may take more than a decade or even decades, and it will also be adjusted at any time based on actual conditions.

"One official and nine civilians?" Izumi Heiji was speechless for a moment. Even if it was So Village, it was impossible for it to only accept so few, otherwise the village would not be able to organize basic defense. After all, even the militiamen need to eat. If they were always asked to bring their own food, most people would not be willing to come.

"Yes, he plans to collect this much in the future." Ah Man recalled what Yuan Ye had said before and began to parrot him. "He said that without industry, there will be no strength; without commerce, there will be no wealth; without agriculture, there will be no stability. Agriculture also needs special attention. Reducing agricultural taxes can encourage... uh, encourage agricultural practitioners to actively reclaim wasteland, and enable them to have the ability to reclaim wasteland and expand production. It can also allow them to have the energy and energy to plant certain cash crops, promote the further development of industry and commerce, and be very beneficial to Xinwanjin's long-term income."

Although Izumi Heiji was an experienced veteran, he did not understand what A-man said. In fact, A-man herself did not understand much either. She just unilaterally trusted that Yuanye had his own plans and would not lose money. Yuanye had a complete development plan, a thick book. She had seen it with her own eyes, but she did not have the patience to read it carefully.

She began to suggest that Izumi Heiji secretly move all the people from Koga's hometown here to build his So Village. After all, Yuanye could not cheat anyone, and she tempted him: "Aqing and I have accumulated a lot of military merits. It's useless for us to keep them. When your village is built, we will transfer all the military merits to you. Maybe the village will be completed in one step and become one public and nine civilians."

Quan Pingci did not comment, saying that relocating the village was a big deal and must be done with caution.

Aman didn't care. She had done her filial duty anyway, and continued to drag him around to prove that Shinwanjin was indeed a good place, and that following Yuanye was definitely a hundred times better than following Saito Dosan.

When she passed a secluded place, she pointed there and introduced it, "That's a public school, where they teach literacy and crafts. In the future, the children there can go directly to the workshop to work. But it's just the beginning now, so we're not hiring many people, and we only hire those under ten years old."

"School?" Ah Man was talking about a lot of new words, and Quan Pingci didn't understand a lot of them. He walked over and took a look before he figured out what a public school was. He was a little surprised and said, "There are at least a hundred students, which is not a small number. How much does a student have to pay per year?"

As far as he could see, Xinwanjin was indeed quite wealthy. Although people's clothes were strange, they were all decent and their houses were also very nice. However, he had never expected that so many people had enough money to send their children to school.

"No money, but a meal is provided!" Ah Man knew that this was a policy that Yuanye had just started to implement. He believed that this was to store wealth for the future and reduce trouble. "There are not enough people either. He plans to ensure that 90% of children can go to school for three years within three to five years and receive a unified education. There must also be a small number of people who can go to school for six years and be proficient in reading, writing and calculating to fill in... I forgot what position he was filling, but there must be such a group of people anyway."

Quan Heiji looked at this public school which looked a bit shabby at the moment - very shabby compared to the grand workshop - and even the teachers were teenage maids. He was silent for a while, and after a while he whispered: "This is also a benevolent policy..." "Of course it is the best benevolent policy in the world!" Aman looked at his old man, and a sense of superiority arose spontaneously. He raised his eyebrows and asked knowingly, "There is no money in Mino, right? The Saito family can't spend this much money, right?"

Quan Pingci didn't say anything. Mino didn't have one. How could a child from an ordinary family go to school? There wasn't enough food to eat every day. If he had time to go to school, he might as well go and get some food.

Aman still didn't care about his reaction and pulled him to continue strolling and sightseeing. Even when walking on the cement road, he would stamp his feet twice and ask Izumi Heiji if there was such a flat and neat road in Mino.

Quan Pingci had broadened his horizons today, so he let Aman walk around. But after a while, he suddenly felt something was wrong. After thinking for a moment, he asked curiously, "Shinwanjin... there are no temples and shrines? Didn't they have time to build them yet?"

Not only are there no temples or shrines, there isn't even a single shrine or Buddha statue on the roadside. This is very unusual.

"We don't have those things here." Aman was waving to a vendor selling grilled dried fish to come over, intending to ask his old man to taste the "Wanjin specialty". Recently, this snack sprinkled with dogwood and refined salt is very popular and the price is very cheap. He said casually, "According to the "New Wanjin Interim Public Security Punishment Regulations", those who privately set up shrines and temples must serve hard labor for more than one year and less than five years; those who occupy public land to build shrines and Buddha statues must be fined 500 to 5 strings of money, or detained for three months."

"How could this happen?" Izumi Heiji was really surprised and felt very confused.

Ah Man bought some grilled dried fish and handed him a bunch of them, saying nonchalantly, "What's so strange about this? Xinwanjin doesn't keep idle people. Shrines and temples are useless and like to cause trouble. There is no place for them in Xinwanjin."

"No one objects?" Izumi Heiji glanced at the common people coming and going, and he didn't believe that there was not a single believer among them.

A-man is in charge of the military police now, and the police department of Shinwanjin has not yet been established, or it has not been subdivided from the military police. Hearing what Izumi Heiji said, her eyebrows immediately lowered, and a murderous look appeared on her funny face. She even put her hand on the handle of the knife at her waist and whispered: "Who dares?! Anyone who dares to oppose something that is expressly prohibited will have to try the sharpness of my knife!"

“Just shrines and temples…”

"No means no!" Aman agreed with Yuanye in this regard. In Xinwanjin, if you don't work, you won't get food. They don't want to support a master.

Izumi Heiji was speechless for a moment, but he did not continue arguing with Aman. He just looked at this strange town, thinking about something in his mind.

This place is very different from the sixty-six countries in the world. It does feel like an alien land. Even if it is not strong yet, it seems to have gradually become separated from the sixty-six countries.

Moreover, this division seemed to be deliberately carried out by the local lord. He deliberately refused to recruit retainers, intentionally changed the local clothing, intentionally changed the local eating habits, intentionally prohibited the spread of local religions, intentionally unified education, and intentionally changed various traditions...

If this continues, this place may become a new country in the future, or even a new ethnic group may emerge.

Izumi Heiji looked at the new and strange Shinwanjin. Even if it was just a quick glimpse and a cursory glance, he seemed to be contaminated by the weirdness. This strange thought popped up in his mind involuntarily. In an instant, he gripped the hilt of the katana at his waist, and the hair on his back stood up, shuddering with fear.

The lord here, that Nohara Saburo Ieyasu, is very likely to have evil intentions, and his plans are far-reaching and big!
(End of this chapter)