Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 167 Ballad
Cao Qiu vaguely guessed that Yan Yi was going to promote him, and his heartbeat quickened. He turned around and said respectfully, "Young Master, I'm already familiar with it."

Yan Yi nodded slightly and said with a smile: "After the Qiantang War is over, you will take up the position of Mayor of Yuncheng."

Cao Qiu was ecstatic and full of gratitude to Yan Yi, and he respectfully accepted the order.

At this time, his official position was still Yuncheng Hucao Yuan, and he also served as a military officer. This promotion to Yuncheng Mayor was a qualitative change, directly realizing the leap from clerk to official.

Although Yuncheng was a desolate place, it was developing rapidly. It was also the place where Yan Yi started his career, which held extraordinary significance. He must have been the envy of countless people for being able to serve as the mayor of Yuncheng.

Yan Yi glanced at him, then looked away thoughtfully and continued to handle his official business.

He appointed Cao Qiu as the mayor of Yuncheng, not only because Cao Qiu had followed him the earliest, but also because of Cao Qiu's humble background.

Now, the political affairs of the two most important cities under his jurisdiction are handed over to Quan Rou, who comes from a noble family, and Cao Qiu, who comes from a humble family. The meaning is self-evident.

Half an hour later, the carriage arrived at one of his destinations: Qingshi Pavilion in Yicheng Township, Qiantang.

Qingshiting is located ten miles west of Qiantang River. It has seven villages under its jurisdiction and a population of more than 900 households. It is famous for its abundant production of bluestone.

When Yan Yi was fighting with Yu Fan before, many of the civilians he captured to serve as decoys were from Qingshiting.

Yan Yi wanted to win the hearts of the people of Qiantang, and Qingshi Pavilion was undoubtedly an appropriate "demonstration point".

He stepped out of the carriage and, under the gaze of the people around him, greeted the Yicheng Township officials, the three elders of the township, the head of the pavilion, the elders of the village, the chiefs of the major clans and others who came to greet him with a pleasant face. He also happily participated in a sacrificial ceremony held in Qingshi Pavilion Yueqingli.

The place of worship is an ancestral hall in Yueqingli, and the content of the worship is to pray to the local gods to bless the people with peace and good harvest.

Yan Yi personally offered the sacrifices, and after the sacrificial ceremony, he distributed the sacrifices to the people around him, winning the favor of many people.

Through close contact, the people's fear of him gradually decreased and their respect for him gradually increased.

Many people were surprised by Yan Yi's approachability. Previous rulers of Qiantang would not participate in ghost ceremonies, much less venture into the neighborhoods and interact closely with the inhabitants. Often, they would simply stop briefly on the official road in the neighborhoods, earning a reputation for loving the people like their own children, before hurriedly returning to the city.

Yan Yi's next words made the people in Yueqing cheer and excited to the extreme.

"A few days ago, I engaged the Kuaiji army in battle. Thanks to your assistance, I was able to defeat the enemy. I am deeply troubled by the disturbances I caused. I have come here today to apologize and fulfill my promise."

Yan Yi finished speaking and nodded slightly to Cao Qiu. As the people looked on in astonishment, sixty soldiers carried thirty wooden boxes to the open space in front of the ancestral hall, set them down, and opened the lids.

In an instant, boxes of copper coins sparkled in the sunlight, dazzling the eyes of everyone present.

Yan Yi pointed to a wooden box and said loudly, "Those who fought alongside me that day may come forward and receive their wages immediately. Two thousand plants each."

The people around had never seen so much money before and were stunned for a moment. When they heard that the money was to be distributed to them, everyone was shocked.

They never imagined that the young general who spoke so sweetly that day was actually the Lord of Qiantang. They never thought that he would actually fulfill his promise that day, and so quickly.

The people were so excited that tears welled up in their eyes. They had seen officials arrogantly come to the village to collect taxes, and they had also seen the Qian family aggressively come to collect debts, but this was the first time they saw someone handing them money. The head of Yueqing Village was a man in his thirties named Le Zheng. Seeing the villager closest to Yan Yi standing there in a daze, he hurriedly shouted, "Le Quan, come forward!"

Le Quan woke up as if from a dream, and under the gaze of everyone, he walked up to Yan Yi nervously.

Yan Yi took two bundles of copper coins from the box, placed them in his hands, and said with a smile, "Thank you!"

Le Quan was so excited that his whole body was shaking. He suddenly knelt on the ground, bowed solemnly to him, and then walked back to the crowd.

Seeing this, Yan Yi couldn't help but sigh. This money was what the people here deserved, but they regarded it as a gift. This showed how deeply these people had been oppressed at the bottom of society for so long. They regarded even the slightest kindness from those in power as a great favor.

As more and more people came forward to receive their money, the atmosphere became increasingly lively.

After Yan Yi distributed wages to more than ten civilians, he stepped aside and handed the matter over to Cao Qiu and others.

After the people had received their wages, he walked slowly forward, looked around, and loudly announced that Qiantang would implement the new tax order like Yuncheng.

As soon as he finished speaking, the whole audience erupted in deafening cheers. The people knelt on the ground and thanked him excitedly.

In just half an hour, Yan Yi had won the hearts of the people of Yueqing!

After trials in Yuncheng, the new tax decree made some adjustments. For example, the age range for tax collection was expanded from 20 to 48 years old to 15 to 48 years old. The property tax threshold was raised from 50,000 coins to 60,000 coins. This was a mixed bag of increases and decreases.

For the people of Qiantang, such a tax order was a dream come true. This alone would improve the living conditions of countless people.

The new tax order was like a net woven from the words benevolence and virtue, which brought a steady stream of people and public hearts into Yan Yi's hands.

It was conceivable that before long, Qiantang would bear his mark, just as Yuncheng had, and become his Qiantang, not the land of the Han court.

I don't know when it started, but the people around started humming songs. At first, there were only a few people humming softly, and then more and more people joined in. The sound became more and more uniform and loud, and gradually spread to the whole Yueqing.

"The waters of Qingshi Creek are clear and long, and Yan Lang's kindness is even longer than the water. He reduced taxes and labor service, and implemented benevolent policies, and the people of Qingshi Township are filled with endless joy."

The Qiantang officials and clan leaders present were completely stunned. Before setting out today, they had never imagined they would witness such a stunning scene. They had never imagined that Yan Yi, in just his first visit to Qingshi Pavilion, would earn such adoration from the local people!

Looking at the excited expressions on the faces of the people around them and listening to the songs resounding through the sky, they were shocked and couldn't help but tremble.

From now on, I'm afraid Qiantang will really have to change his surname to Yan.

Yan Yi looked normal. He had seen this kind of scene many times and was already used to it. However, his ears were unusually red.

Few people in Yueqing could read, so it was impossible for them to compose such a ballad. However, he had someone compose it in advance, teach it to a few people, and then have them infiltrate the villagers and spread it.

Although the method is simple, the effect is excellent.

It's just that this method shouldn't be used too often, or even the thickest skin won't be able to withstand it.
(End of this chapter)