Chapter 880: They Won

Two soldiers each carried a tray to the table; on the trays were several crystal cups, already filled with wine.

Mei Er and Kui Yi each lifted a cup and toasted Xiao Ningyuan.

Mei Er's face beamed: "Boss Xiao, you must stay for dinner today; we have to celebrate properly!"

Xiao Ningyuan also lifted a cup, gently clinked it with theirs, and took a sip.

He looked up at Tuan Tuan nestled in his arms and smiled: "I appreciate Mr. Mei Er's kindness."

"It's just that my sister can't get used to your country's food."

He paused: "She has been thinking since last night about hunting a rabbit today and roasting it herself."

Tuan Tuan's little head bobbed like a chick pecking at rice, and she said: "Right! Your meat isn't cooked yet! How can we eat it!"

Mei Er was stunned for a moment, then looked up and laughed loudly: "Alright, alright! Then I won't force you to stay!"

He turned to Cai Tong: "Cai Tong, stay with Boss Xiao and the others."

"Yes."

The group left the Governor's Office, mounted their horses, and rode out of Relanzhecheng.

After descending the slope, Xiao Ningxun looked back to make sure no one was following, then spurred his horse and approached Mr. Cai: "Mr. Cai, we're heading to the hunting grounds; please ask Chief Lin to come over."

Cai Tong was startled: "Now?"

"Yes, right now." Xiao Ningxun nodded, "Chief Lin should have already persuaded the other chiefs; those who can come will come. Just tell them we have important news."

"Alright!" Cai Tong turned his horse and galloped off in another direction.

About an hour and a bit later, Cai Tong and Lin Jiang, followed by six men, arrived at the hunting grounds of the Madu community.

They dismounted and followed Lin Jiang to Xiao Ze.

Xiao Ze hurried to his feet.

Lin Jiang clasped his fists and said, "Your Highness, these are the chiefs of each division; all who could come are here. Three other chiefs had family matters and couldn't make it."

Xiao Ze nodded, clasped his fists, and said, "Thank you all for your effort."

Except for Lin Jiang, the other six were seeing the Seventh Prince for the first time.

They returned the salute, their gazes toward Xiao Ze mixed with anticipation and, more so, unease.

"Uncle Lin!" Tuan Tuan saw Lin Jiang and ran from the other side of the clearing, waving her little hands, "Where's Ada?"

Lin Jiang shook his head: "There's a market today; their mother took them to sell sugarcane juice."

"Oh." Tuan Tuan pouted.

Luo Zhenjiang scooped her up: "Come, your brothers have business to discuss; I'll take you to play in the woods!"

Tuan Tuan clutched his neck and pointed back: "I want to go there!"

"Alright!"

Xiao Er and Lu Qi, seeing this, sprang after them.

"What are you two doing here?"

"The woods are too deep; we're uneasy leaving you alone with the lady."

"Hmph! One person alone isn't enough to guard her?"

Xiao Ze watched the figures recede, smiled, and took a stack of silver notes from his pocket, counted them, and split them into two piles.

He handed one pile to Lin Jiang: "Chief Lin, this is yours." Then he gave the remainder to Ma Li An: "Elder Ma, here you go."

Both were startled and reached out to take them.

Lin Jiang lowered his head, counted, his eyes bulging: "Three—three million taels!"

The chiefs all inhaled sharply, exchanging uneasy glances.

Three million taels! They had never seen so much silver!

An elderly chief, his beard and hair all white, stepped forward trembling, his voice shaking: "Your Highness, is this silver… for us?"

"Exactly." Xiao Ze said seriously, "These silver pieces are what we reclaimed from the Red‑haired Barbarians."

He scanned the crowd, speaking earnestly: "Although this is far from enough to compensate for the hardships you've endured over the past thirty‑eight years, it can at least make up a little."

"How you use this silver is up to you; the Imperial Court will not interfere."

The chiefs erupted in joyous shouts.

Cai Tong was dumbfounded: six million taels of solid silver, just received, and already given out to the people?

Ma Li An turned the papers over and over for a long time, unable to tell what they were.

Cai Tong snapped out of his daze and hurriedly explained it to him.

Ma Li An's eyes lit up instantly, and she let out a strange, hoarse cry that startled everyone.

Cai Tong quickly asked, "Elder Ma, what's wrong?"

Ma Li An stared at him blankly: "Am I… dreaming?"

Cai Tong could only laugh helplessly: "The silver is in your hands; how could this be a dream?"

Xiao Ze's voice was steady: "These silver notes total six million taels, split equally between the Han citizens and the natives."

"You are all subjects of my blazing nation, the island's people; the Imperial Court will treat everyone equally, with no hierarchy."

"After the Imperial Court retakes Taiyuan, it will waive taxes for five years, allowing the people to recuperate."

The chiefs cheered again.

"Seventh Prince, how wise!"

"Now that's a good Imperial Court!"

"When will the Imperial Court's navy arrive? Drive those Red‑haired demons off our Taiyuan Island!"

Cai Tong's eyes lit up as he translated their words for Ma Li An.

Ma Li An's eyes reddened.

Lin Jiang covered his face, tears streaming down between his fingers.

The Jia chiefs glanced at each other, then with a thud knelt down.

Ma Li'an also knelt down without hesitation.

Xiao Ze quickly reached out to help them up: "Get up, everyone get up, there's no need for this."

Everyone rose to their feet.

Xiao Ningxun said solemnly: "I invited you all here today because there is an urgent matter I need to tell you."

Lin Jiang asked: "What matter?"

Xiao Ningyuan said: "Just now Mei Er personally said that tomorrow the tax officials will come to every village and every jia to inform you that taxes will be increased."

"How much of an increase?" Lin Shan's eyes widened.

Xiao Ningyuan looked at him and slowly uttered two words: "Seventy percent."

"Seventy percent?" the Jia chiefs immediately erupted in an uproar.

A Jia chief in his thirties angrily said: "Taking seventy percent of a full share? What would we have left?"

"Not only that," Xiao Ningchen shook his head, "they also want you to pay next year's tax in advance."

The white‑haired old Jia chief trembled with rage and choked out: "This is not letting us live!"

Ma Li'an didn't understand, seeing everyone's expressions were off, he anxiously slapped Cai Tong on the shoulder.

Cai Tong quickly told him.

Ma Li'an's face turned dark, and with a swish he drew his knife from his waist.