Chaos begins when one joins a martial arts school

Chapter 85 Exemption from Taxes, Extortions, Miscellaneous Taxes, and Corvée Labor
The old man with the goatee led his soldiers to the courtyard gate. His gaze swept over the scene inside and outside the courtyard, finally landing on Liu Cuiling. A gentle smile appeared on his face as he cupped his hands and asked, "May I ask this lady, is this the residence of Lord Yang Jing?"

Liu Cuiling was so frightened by this scene that her heart pounded. She was usually very talkative and gossipy in the village.

Facing such an extraordinary old man, he found himself speechless, his mouth agape but unable to utter a single word. His face flushed red, his hands gripped his clothes tightly, and even his eyes darted away.

“My lord,” Yang Shouzhou quickly regained his composure, stepped forward, and stood firmly in front of his daughter-in-law. Although he was wearing a coarse cloth jacket covered in patches, his back was straight. He returned the greeting to the old man with the goatee, and his voice, though aged, was steady. “This is the home of Yang Jing. I am his grandfather, Yang Shouzhou.”

He then turned to the side and pointed to Qin Shi and Liu Cuiling beside him, introducing them as, "This is his grandmother Qin Shi, and this is his mother Liu Shi."

Qin quickly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and then bowed slightly.

Liu Cuiling composed herself and curtsied in the same manner, but still couldn't speak.

The old man with the goatee looked at Yang Shouzhou with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

He had thought that the farmers in the countryside would be timid and fearful when they saw the officials, but he did not expect that the white-haired old man would be so calm, neither humble nor arrogant, and his words were clear and logical, revealing a calm demeanor.

"I see, thank you for your courtesy, Mr. Yang."

The old man with the goatee returned the greeting with a cupped hand, nodding inwardly.

This family is truly remarkable for raising someone like Yang Jing.

Having served the county magistrate for many years and seen countless people, he immediately recognized that this seemingly ordinary old rural man was the backbone of the three.

The courtyard gate fell silent for a moment as the villagers held their breath and watched the scene unfold, the rustling of leaves in the wind clearly audible.

Everyone was truly impressed with Old Master Yang. They had previously thought he was just a steady and reliable person, but they never expected him to be so capable here. He could even talk to that important man with the goatee without stammering.

If it were any other villager, they would at most behave like Liu Cuiling.

The old man with the goatee smiled and said, "I am Cheng Wen, a clerk in the county government's office. I have been sent by the county magistrate to deliver good news to Lord Yang Jing. Lord Yang ranked fourth in the military examination and passed successfully. He is now officially on the list of successful candidates and the imperial court has already entered his name into the register. The official document will be issued soon. I wonder if Lord Yang Jing is here?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Shouzhou felt a surge of excitement welling up from the bottom of his heart. He suppressed his joy and quickly returned the greeting: "Thank you for coming all this way, Lord Cheng. However, my grandson Yang Jing is not at home today. He is probably at the martial arts school in the county town and was unable to greet you in person. I hope you will forgive me. If you don't mind, please come to my home for a simple meal. I will send someone to the county to look for Jing'er. He should arrive after you have lunch."

After saying that, he turned to Qin Shi and Liu Cuiling and said, "Old woman, Cuiling, quickly go to Zhao the butcher in the village and get ten catties of meat. We must treat Lord Cheng and his party well at noon."

Cheng Wen quickly waved his hand: "Old Master Yang, you are too kind. Since Lord Yang is not here, we will leave after sitting for a while. There is no need to spend so much money. There is no need to buy meat. In addition, we still have to report back to the county magistrate, so we cannot delay."

Seeing that he declined, Yang Shouzhou did not press him, but instead said to Liu Cuiling, "Then go and boil some hot water and brew a pot of good tea."

After Liu Cuiling went to the kitchen, he leaned close to Qin's ear and whispered, "Go to the house and get the ten taels of silver. When the messenger comes to announce the good news, we should give him a little something to show our respect."

Although Qin was reluctant to spend the money, she knew that this matter could not be taken lightly, so she quickly nodded and turned to go into the inner room.

"Lord Cheng, please come in. Have a cup of tea to quench your thirst." Yang Shouzhou stepped aside to let him in.

Cheng Wen smiled and replied, "I'm sorry to bother you. But I have some things to take care of before we have tea."

After saying that, he waved to the soldiers behind him.

The armored soldiers immediately sprang into action, walking to the horses tied outside the courtyard and unloading three heavy wooden crates from their backs.

Two soldiers carried two of the boxes into the courtyard and carefully placed them on the stone table. The boxes made a dull thud when they hit the ground, indicating that they contained heavy items.

Another soldier opened the third box at the gate of the courtyard. Inside, neatly stacked strips of red silk satin were arranged, their bright red color dazzling in the sunlight.

Immediately afterwards, several soldiers took out silk ribbons and quickly hung one horizontally on the lintel of the courtyard gate, and another diagonally on each of the two walls. The red ribbons hung down and swayed slightly in the wind, instantly decorating the simple farmhouse with a festive atmosphere.

This is a custom of the government to announce good news, called "wearing red and colorful decorations" to show celebration.

The villagers gathered outside, marveling at the grand spectacle, their eyes filled with wonder and envy.

The bright red color at the entrance of the courtyard caught his eye, and Yang Shouzhou's cloudy old eyes instantly welled up with tears.

He stared at that splash of red, his lips moving, unable to utter a word for a long time.

To support Jing'er's martial arts training, he gritted his teeth and sold the family's most fertile field, even taking the oxen to exchange for money. Many villagers laughed at him, saying that farmers should honestly till the land and that martial arts were not something farmers could do.

But he was stubborn and always felt that his grandson was a natural martial arts student and shouldn't be buried in this poor mountain valley. He also felt that the Yang family couldn't keep toiling in the soil for generations.

Now, red silk is hung on the lintel, and officials come to deliver good news. All of this proves that he made the right bet on that gamble that no one believed in!
After a moment of surging excitement, Yang Shouzhou took a deep breath, wiped his face hard with his sleeve, and forcefully suppressed the sob in his throat.

He straightened his slightly hunched back and walked towards Cheng Wen and his entourage into the courtyard, smiling as he said, "Lord Cheng, please come in and have a seat."

As soon as I sat down on the stone bench, Liu Cuiling brought over a rough porcelain teacup. The tea leaves inside were unfurling and steaming.

Her hands were still trembling slightly as she gently placed the teacup in front of Cheng Wen, whispered "Please have some tea, sir," and then stepped aside with reddened eyes.

Just then, at the old locust tree at the entrance of the village.

As Yang Jinggang walked to the village entrance, he saw a large crowd gathered around his courtyard gate, and the striking red ribbon at the gate was visible from afar.

"The messenger bringing good news arrived so quickly?"

He raised an eyebrow and quickened his pace.

I thought I was fast enough to get home before the officials, but I was still too late.

"Yang Jing is back!" A sharp-eyed villager spotted him and immediately shouted.

The shout drew the attention of the villagers outside the courtyard, who also alerted the people inside who were drinking tea.

Yang Jing strode through the crowd to the door, his short jacket still dusty from his journey.

He first looked at his grandfather, grandmother, and mother in the courtyard, nodded, and looked at them with a reassuring expression. Then his gaze turned to Cheng Wen and swept over the group of soldiers.

Those soldiers who had been solemn just moments before straightened their backs the moment they met Yang Jing's gaze, their faces showing a hint of seriousness and even an undisguised respect.

The tall, imposing soldier at the head of the group was the first to cup his hands in greeting and said in a deep voice, "Greetings, Lord Yang!"

The others followed suit, bowing with their hands clasped in unison.

Although they were the county magistrate's personal guards and did not usually show much respect to Cheng Wen, a civil official, they admired true martial arts masters from the bottom of their hearts.

A few days ago at the drill ground, most of them had watched Yang Jing's competition, which filled these soldiers, who had practiced martial arts for many years, with admiration. In Yuhe County, experts at the Transformation Realm were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. Yang Jing, who could defeat a master at the peak of the Dark Realm, was already a figure who could walk sideways. Moreover, Yang Jing now held a semi-official position, so even the county magistrate could not ignore him. Naturally, he was more worthy of their respect than a mere civil official.

Cheng Wen stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said with a smile, "Lord Yang, I am Cheng Wen, a clerk in the county government's administrative office. I am here on the orders of the county magistrate."

Yang Jing returned the greeting with a cupped hand, his tone calm: "Thank you for making this trip, Lord Cheng. Thank you all for your hard work."

Upon seeing this, Yang Shouzhou quickly greeted, "Lord Cheng, and everyone else, please sit down and have some tea. It's freshly brewed and still warm."

However, the soldiers remained motionless, standing upright in the courtyard with their eyes fixed straight ahead, showing no intention of sitting down.

Yang Shouzhou was taken aback, a look of confusion on his face.

Just now, Cheng Wen and the others agreed to sit for a while, so why aren't they sitting down now?
Seeing this, Cheng Wen smiled and explained, "Old Master Yang, you may not know this. It was fine for us to bother you for a moment when Lord Yang was not here. But now that Lord Yang has returned, there is a difference in rank. How can we sit with him again? We should stand and talk."

The villagers outside the courtyard saw it clearly and were all secretly amazed.

The soldiers who had been respectful to Cheng Wen were not so restrained, but they didn’t even dare to sit down in front of Yang Jing. Such discipline was enough to show how different Yang Jing’s status was now.

Several villagers who had previously mocked Yang Shouzhou for selling his fields and cattle to support Yang Jing's martial arts training now shrank back, not daring to say another word.

In the courtyard, Cheng Wen turned to Yang Jing and continued, "Now that Lord Yang has returned, there are some things we can discuss face to face. After we finish, we will return to the county office to report to the magistrate. There's no need to trouble you with tea any further."

Yang Jing nodded: "Please speak, Lord Cheng."

Cheng Wenqing cleared his throat, his tone becoming more serious: "Lord Yang, you have passed the military examination and are now qualified to participate in the prefectural examination. If you wish, you can go to the prefectural city to participate in the prefectural examination when you feel you are strong enough. If you pass the prefectural examination, you will receive a fixed amount of silver and pills from the government every month, and you will even have the opportunity to obtain many martial arts manuals. In addition, there are many other benefits, which you will gradually learn about in the future."

Upon hearing this, Yang Jing's heart stirred slightly.

He had heard Liu Maolin say before that passing the military training exam only granted him half an official title, not a real "official" title. However, once he passed the prefectural exam, he would become a martial arts official recognized by the imperial court, and his monthly training resources would be guaranteed.

This was undoubtedly a huge temptation for him.

No matter when, the most scarce resource for martial arts practitioners is resources. If one can reliably obtain pills, the speed of cultivation will definitely reach a new level.

"These two boxes contain a suit of armor and a waist knife bestowed by the imperial court. Please keep them safe, Lord Yang."

Cheng Wen pointed to the two boxes on the stone table, paused for a moment, and then said, "According to the laws of the Great Qi Kingdom, now that Lord Yang has an official position, he can be exempted from taxes and levies on 500 mu of land. As for the various corvée labors imposed by the government, they will never be assigned to your family again."

Upon hearing this, Yang Shouzhou, Qin Shi, and Liu Cuiling were all stunned, and then their faces broke out with uncontrollable excitement.

For farming families who have been cultivating the land for generations, taxes, exorbitant levies, and corvée labor are like three mountains that weigh down countless families every year.

Yang Jing's family now has only a few acres of land left after paying taxes each year, and they are even more worried about corvée labor, which keeps them up at night.

Now these two mountains have vanished into thin air. Qin's handkerchief was crumpled from being clutched so tightly, and Liu Cuiling's eyes reddened again as she wept with joy.

Grandpa Yang Shouzhou took a deep breath and looked at his grandson. At that moment, he suddenly wanted to go to the ancestral graves to burn paper money for his ancestors and tell them that the family would no longer have to pay those exorbitant taxes and levies, nor would they be forcibly conscripted for corvée labor.
The villagers outside the courtyard gate were in an uproar, their discussions buzzing loudly.

"Good heavens! Five hundred acres of land exempt from taxes! And no corvée labor!"

"This—this is exactly like the story of passing the imperial examination in a play. No way, I have to make my Er Gouzi learn martial arts too."

"Pah, your Er Gouzi has to take three deep breaths to walk two steps, and you want to practice martial arts? Just live a normal life."

"If... if we register our land under Yang Jing's name, can we get tax exemption?" a quick-thinking village woman whispered to her husband beside her.

The eyes of the people nearby immediately lit up.

The husband quickly nudged her with his elbow, signaling her to keep quiet, but in his mind he immediately started making plans.

Cheng Wen seemed oblivious to the discussions outside and politely said to Yang Jing, "The Household Department will send someone to handle these tax exemption and corvée exemption procedures in a few days. At that time, Lord Yang only needs to follow the regulations."

Yang Jing cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Lord Cheng, and thank you all for your hard work."

Cheng Wen smiled and said, "It's our duty. Now that the matter is settled, we should take our leave and return to report to the county magistrate."

Upon seeing this, Yang Shouzhou quickly took out a cloth bag from his bosom and stuffed it into Yang Jing's hand.

The cloth bag was heavy; it contained ten taels of silver that Madam Qin had just retrieved from the house.

He gestured to Yang Jing with his eyes, indicating that this was for bribing the officials and could not be skimped on, and that Yang Jing should personally handle these matters.

People like Cheng Wen are too far removed from ordinary people like them; they simply can't get in touch with them. Only if their grandson, Yang Jing, personally takes care of things can they be considered to have a relationship with them in the future.

Yang Jing understood the custom of announcing good news. He took out ten taels of silver from his pocket, making a total of twenty taels, and quietly handed it to Cheng Wen, saying solemnly, "Lord Cheng and all the brothers have had a long journey. Please accept this small token of our appreciation. Go back and buy some wine and meat to get some rest."

Cheng Wen glanced at the silver, then at Yang Jing, knowing that with Yang Jing's current status, he certainly wouldn't lack this little bit of money, but the sentiment behind it was very thoughtful.

He smiled and accepted it, weighed it in his hand, and cupped his hands, saying, "Then this old man thanks Lord Yang on behalf of my brothers. We'll definitely have a good drink when we get back."

After saying that, he turned and called to the soldiers, "Let's go."

The soldiers bowed to Yang Jing in thanks, and then followed Cheng Wen outside.

When Cheng Wen reached the courtyard gate, he stopped and looked at Yang Jing's family who had come to see him off. He bowed again and said, "Lord Yang, Master, Madam, please wait, farewell."

"Take care, Lord Cheng." Yang Jing returned the greeting and saw him off.

The group left the courtyard, mounted their horses, and the sound of hooves gradually faded into the distance.

The red ribbons at the entrance of the courtyard were still fluttering in the wind, making the entire Yang family courtyard a bit brighter.

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(End of this chapter)