Will the kemonomimi encounter Alien Ranch Story?

[PS]

The historical prototype is the General of Datong in the mid-Ming Dynasty. At that time, the Ming Dynasty was already struggling to collect taxes. People used various excuses to seek protection and refuse to pay, and used various badges and warrants to smuggle goods to the grasslands.

Then General Shi happily found a way to both support his army and maintain good relations with the local people.

You are exempt from taxes; the laws of the Ming Dynasty grant gentry and scholars the right to not pay taxes—but this right is limited to the territory of the Ming Dynasty.

Once you cross the border, he'll pretend to be a bandit and rob your caravan. If you don't want to be robbed, you have to pay money, which is equivalent to collecting taxes.

Ironically, the money collected was used not only to support the army but also to replenish the treasury of Datong Prefecture. As a result, the local prefectural officials did not have to consider the gentry's feelings, nor did they need to collect grain or taxes, and they spoke with extreme arrogance.

Moreover, it paid all the national taxes due, becoming the only profitable customs office since the mid-Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, reality is far more fantastical than fiction—using robbery as a means of substituting taxes; believe me, even historical fiction writers rarely come up with such a terrible idea.

Chapter Sixty-Two: Aftermath and Trivial Matters

Chapter 62

Along with the warships, a detailed list was also brought back. The Doctor studied it for half the night, but couldn't make heads or tails of it. In the end, Kal'tsit helped him figure it out: "This list includes nobles who run warehouses and workshops in the Great Yan. They call it the gentry organization."

"I see, so that means..."

"These people are only responsible for manufacturing goods and exploiting workers, and they don't pay taxes. General Shi's idea is that people in the world are not worried about scarcity but about inequality. Only those who travel to trade pay money, while these landlords and gentry don't. Sooner or later they will stop traveling to trade or hand over the trade routes to private chambers of commerce and instead exploit the merchants. So, his idea is for us to throw the mud at these people."

"What are the benefits?" The doctor wasn't surprised; in fact, he found the guy quite interesting. He was using this method to cut off the bad habit of tax evasion in the country and to force the gentry to pay taxes as a whole.

“If we frame someone, we’ll get a 3% discount on our ship purchase payment, with no upper limit…”

"It seems these people have really disgusted this general." Clearly, the more people they frame, the more money this commander-in-chief will have to pay out of his own pocket.

But he didn't care. The money would come from the ship anyway, and he only made a small profit from the war in foreign countries.

Taking advantage of the situation caused by these barbarians, the large estate owners and gentry who thought they were not afraid of his threats because they did not engage in trade, but instead acquired land and ran shops and lodges street by street, were now being given a chance to get to the upper level.

As for the impeachments and resistance from these people, he didn't care. With military power in his hands, he didn't need to look after anyone's face. If all else failed, he was not incapable of the traditional skill of the Great Yan generals: to allow his troops to plunder.

The professor reviewed the accounts and list again, and could only make out two words: "making money." How to make money? Anything possible. Whose money? Whoever has money!

"My lord, do we really have to..." The admiral made a cutting gesture as he reported, "...can those Sarkaz barbarians be trusted?"

"I don't need them to be reliable. Besides, we're still here."

"Then should we let the brothers..."

“That won’t do. How much oil can you squeeze out of those poor bones? Wouldn’t I be begging on my knees? No way, no way.”

"But those are, after all, scholars from families that have passed down the tradition of poetry and propriety... They are in the imperial court..."

The admiral was somewhat worried. This was different from investigating smuggling, where high-ranking officials suffered in silence. This was actually letting the enemy enter the country, and if things were really taken seriously, he would have to bear the responsibility.

"It's alright, it's alright, I've already made arrangements..." the commander said cheerfully. "When have I ever let my brothers down?"

Indeed, no. Since arriving in Yuegang, tax revenue has increased, and local officials have been welcoming us with smiles.

With military funds secured, the wives of the brothers in the camp no longer needed to go out and earn money for needlework.

The fleet is also undergoing maintenance and repairs, and is frequently engaged in training and combat operations. The soldiers look much more energetic, and the fleet's soldiers have a certain status and prestige on the streets because they are generous and do not disturb the public.

In particular, it gives him face in front of his comrades in the garrison, watching them stingily eat pig feed while he gets a treat every few days.

Happiness is always relative. Those local garrison commanders have been frantically trying to curry favor with the commander-in-chief, hoping to squeeze a little bit of money out of him.

“The guards at the garrison are brothers too. If those Sarkaz barbarians are cooperative, take those guards with you so they can at least earn some money to make a living. Otherwise, it's shameful for soldiers to have their wives and daughters prostitute themselves just to survive!”

The commander spat, "I feel uncomfortable sharing a post with these scumbags. But that's on the condition that they're on the right track."

"This privately built warship..."

"Did I build them privately? No, go ask around in the military. Everyone there says those two ships were built fifteen years ago during the reign of the late emperor. Who the hell would dare say they were just built? Those idiots..."

The commander thought for a moment and said, "Give him a difficult task: go to Black Mountain to suppress bandits. There are quite a few bandits and outlaws there."

“But Black Mountain isn’t…” The new admiral fell silent. After thinking it over carefully, he realized that this “brilliant” person should indeed be sent to Black Mountain to suppress bandits, so as to avoid saying things he shouldn’t in front of his superiors.

"Then the matter of smuggling warships can't be kept secret forever, Commander!" If this capable man is imprisoned for a crime, it's hard to say whether their successor will have the same courage.

"I am loyal to the emperor and the country, and my patriotism is as clear as day. I haven't even earned any military merit or title yet, so how could I possibly leave such a handle on myself? Don't worry, it's safe."

Half a month later, "The commander-in-chief is wise and mighty!" Smuggling warships is a serious crime that even the Emperor of Da Yan would find difficult to ignore, especially since it was reported by someone.

The answer is: It was Commander Shi who reported it, tearfully accusing someone of smuggling warships, causing heavy losses to the border troops, and threatening the security of the Great Yan border. He said that if nothing was done, something terrible would happen sooner or later.

Well, if nobody really cares, then something truly unbearable for the gentry will happen. Great Yan is also a sugar-producing country, and the location of the Leizhou sugar warehouse has already been scouted by Kazdel and his people. You don't want to pay sugar tax, right? We'll set it on fire, and you'll never have to pay it again.

If they care, they've already submitted the list of those who framed others, and they'll follow the trail. What, can Black Guard find any evidence?

Of course they could, but haven't these people ever smuggled warships and weapons? What a joke, do you think those armed ships in the hands of those merchant caravans grew out of the ground?

Of course, his subordinate was right; secrets can't stay hidden forever, and the emperor would eventually find out that he was the one who did it.

However, the emperor did not punish him, which was a political wisdom. He had already handed over his fatal weakness, and the emperor should give him enough trust and protection.

Fortunately, the current Emperor of Great Yan is much better than his useless brother. This kind of wisdom is tacitly understood by both sides, and the emperor can use this as leverage to strip him of his military power at any time. However, it is precisely because of this that his military power remains as stable as Mount Tai.

"Let's go, take some men, let's collect the money..."

"It's a raid..."

"What's the difference between confiscating property and collecting money?" the commander asked, looking puzzled.

"You can only confiscate property up to this extent, but you can keep collecting money indefinitely."

"That's right. After this one raid, everyone who wants to make a living off this waterway will have to pay me. Otherwise, I'll have plenty of opportunities to frame them every day." Colluding with the enemy, harboring bandits, embezzling military equipment, and privately manufacturing military equipment—aren't these all capital offenses punishable by confiscation of property and extermination of the entire family?

"But His Majesty only ordered a crackdown and the arrest of the ringleaders to the capital. He didn't say anything about confiscating their property and exterminating their families. General, this isn't something we did outside the Great Wall. This is inside the Great Wall, and it's no ordinary matter!"

Who is the angel?

"Fan's husband..."

"Oh, an old acquaintance. Send someone to tell him, this number..." The commander held up three fingers, then painfully raised the other two, "This number!"

"Understood, Commander, I'll go right away!"

A few hours later, the door to a mansion in Moon Harbor was kicked open, and someone shouted arrogantly, "Where are your family members? Come out and await your fate!"

"Where did you come from, you soldiers? This is no place for you to act so recklessly..."

"Bang!" The officer tossed aside the empty hand cannon in his hand. "Listen carefully! This rebel family not only refused to surrender, but also gathered a crowd to resist. Centered around the fortified village, they resisted. Our army had to use artillery to clear the way and fought a bloody battle to capture them. The resulting civilian casualties and damage to houses were truly due to force majeure!"

"Fellow villagers, did you hear that? Anyone whose home was damaged, go to the prefectural government office to collect compensation..."

With a "whoosh," the laborers and craftsmen summoned by the steward vanished without a trace, like mercury spilling onto the ground, impossible to stop.

"Fire! The prisoners are putting up fierce resistance, and our troops are fighting them off amidst bullets!" Whether the enemy is putting up resistance or whether they have a fortified position is not important.

Because the eunuch Fan, who came to announce the news, was "unable to bear such bloodshed and frightened by gunfire," he had to stay in the prefectural government office. Under the care of beautiful maids, he drank tea and watched operas. The prefect also wisely gave this senior eunuch from the palace enough money to calm his nerves.

"This commander is truly a loyal and patriotic man. It's a pity that there are too many scoundrels and corrupt officials in this world; it's impossible to guard against them all." While speaking these righteous words, he stuffed the cash notes into his sleeve.

"We never imagined that these treacherous bastards would dare to embezzle military equipment and even incite a crowd to resist the law. Is there any justice left in this world?"

Eunuch Fan shouted angrily in a shrill voice, but there was no trace of anger on his face. He quickly stuffed the small gold nugget, which looked like a pastry, into his pocket, along with the land deeds and receipts that were not easy for the governor to convert into cash.

This favored eunuch in the palace must have plenty of ways to make those debtors cough up all their money. After all, everyone knows that eunuchs are "utterly immoral," so it's normal for a bunch of eunuchs to do all sorts of shady things.

The battle didn't take long before the "vicious and heinous" criminals "hanged their entire families," and their property was looted by "unknown civilians." Of course, it took several hours before three shifts of yamen runners lazily appeared to disperse the ordinary people who were still looting the scattered goods on the ground and even destroying houses.

"The governor is wise. Prefect Zhang said earlier that we are expected to pay the tax ahead of schedule this year, and he will speak well of you in court."

"Hmph, if he doesn't even have this much ability, then I'll have to find a way to replace him as prefect. Tell me, what's so difficult about being a prefect here? I could tie a dog up in the courtroom and it would be more useful than him."

It was indeed not difficult. Every year when it was time to pay taxes, they would come to the governor's office to ask for money. If they encountered troublemakers resisting taxes, they would come and give their names. Soon these "people" would disappear. In order not to pay two taxes, those merchants and gentry had to smile at him and give him gifts every year.

Even a dog could do a better job than him. At least a dog wouldn't force those gentry to pay two taxes in order to avoid paying taxes, and they wouldn't have to give extra bribes, right?

It was also difficult for the gentry to exploit the common people, because farming was less profitable than trading. Choosing the less profitable option over the more profitable one was not something the gentry and powerful families would do. No matter how much they squeezed the tenant farmers, they could not make up for the loss.

Moreover, the fleet is powerful, so no one dares to annex their land – because Boss Shi really dares to let you hold the land deeds but not collect a single penny of rent, not to mention sending someone to collect rent, as your rent-collecting team will mysteriously disappear as soon as you leave.

Therefore, if land rent is increased, tenant farmers will go to farm the military farms. Who the hell would farm the land themselves among the sailors of the fleet? But what about the military farms allocated by the imperial court?

They rent the land to these people to grow, charging them a little money, or they simply grow it for their own relatives as pocket money.

"By the way, have we informed the shipyard yet? They may be outsiders, but they've given us face and substance by joining us. We can't be stingy; a stingy business won't last long."

"The shipyard has already reduced the payment for the goods. However, the higher-ups may not be too happy for them to continue building ships." It's an unspoken understanding, but they can't just sit idly by and watch national assets flow out of the country.

"Then let's do it quietly. We should also take those garrison guards out for a spin and say they did it." Trying to get the benefits without taking the blame? There's no such thing as a free lunch.

In Kazdel, new ships are being commissioned. However, there is a shortage of manpower, and the fleet is still undergoing intensive training. Meanwhile, the massive summer harvest is entering its final stage.

"Start the harvest!" The cheerful mayor of Satie City cut the colorful ribbon, and a row of harvesters roared into the field. The golden wheat quickly turned into mountains of grains. In addition to staple food, the harvest of cash crops was even more gratifying.

The diurnal temperature range and accumulated temperature in Kazdel resulted in a bumper harvest of coffee, guarana, and watermelons. The main fruits were pomelos and pineapples, and Old Xia somehow managed to harvest a small piece of coconut as well.

"Huff—" The silver-haired Sarkaz girl straightened up, wiping away sweat. A cart beside her was piled high with vibrant green watermelons. This juicy, sweet fruit was a luxury even in Kazdel, let alone Lungmen and Victoria. [Watermelons are a luxury fruit worldwide, except in China…]

"Mudstone, what are you doing in the watermelon patch?"

“Picking melons!” the Sarkaz girl answered simply. “Everyone, if you’re too busy, I’ll help.” Except for the little tiger who was in the last two months, almost everyone was on the front lines in the fields or factories. It would be a huge waste if the grain couldn’t be harvested or if it wasn’t processed in time.

Even some of the frontline troops on rotation were sent to work in the fields, euphemistically called "bitter-sweet education." Agriculture is a highly weather-dependent industry, and even though the Covenant can greatly reduce the impact, it's not entirely without its effects. Therefore, rushing to harvest before the climate change is inevitable.

Of course, no one cares about this impact on Covenant Agriculture. The lost yield can be compensated by planting methods that ignore the four seasons and large-scale planting. There is no need to put the cart before the horse.

But here... anyone who has ever experienced hunger will not allow food to rot in the fields, even if it is a negligible amount in terms of the total amount, especially the refugees who have migrated here.

"Want some melon? It's super sweet," Mudrock said, handing a green melon to young Theresa. That's right, W even copied her name.

"Okay, thank you." The little guy shared half with Amiya, who was watching from the side, and then the two of them sat on the edge of the field and started eating watermelon.

"W, do you have a mission?" "No, I'm on vacation." W was indeed on vacation. She didn't have a proper job, and she couldn't stand being managed like that, so she was someone who was outside the system.

Where is Froststar?

"They're arresting someone..."

"Open the door, check the warehouse!" The warehouse door was yanked open by the cold-faced Yeti. The icy-faced girl ignored the smiling manager. "Randomly inspect 100 bags. If even one bag is problematic, everyone involved will be held accountable!"

The manager's face immediately turned green, and he started to move, only to bump into an iron wall. "Where are you going, bro?" The Yeti kindly straightened his clothes and then pulled him aside.

"Report: Four bags of new grain have been found to contain traces of old grain mixed in."

"Take him away!" The white rabbit turned its head. "Next place!"