Chapter 866

Wang Er's crying spread from in front of the execution platform, and many people in the front row also turned red-eyed.

The debt contracts in that wooden box crackled as they burned, the firelight reflecting on the hem of Chen Yan's purple robe.

Zhang Wenqian stood beside him, watching the paper ash rolling in the box, and said in a low voice: "Pillar of State, if they are all burned, subsequent verification will be troublesome."

Chen Yan said: "Burn those that have already been recorded."

"For those not recorded, verify first, then burn."

Zhang Wenqian breathed a sigh of relief.

"This subordinate was just afraid that you would burn them happily in one fire, and the accountants would cry to death later."

Chen Yan glanced at him.

"This Duke kills happily, but I won't be reckless in calculating accounts."

Zhang Wenqian smiled bitterly.

"This subordinate spoke too much."

The commoners below the platform heard Zhang Wenqian's words and felt even more at ease.

Someone shouted.

"The Pillar of State is not burning recklessly."

"The government has already recorded the accounts."

"What is being burned are the debts on our bodies."

Gao Jiong opened the second box.

Half of it was indentures.

He pulled one out and looked at it.

"Xu Yuniang from Willow Lane in Yinzhou City, father owed the Lin clan twelve taels of silver, mortgaged as a maid, indefinite term."

The young woman in the crowd cried and rushed out.

"Pillar of State, that is my younger sister."

"She is only sixteen."

"The Lin family said to pay back the debt with a person, and wanted to send her to the south."

Chen Yan said: "Where is Xu Yuniang?"

Gao Jiong looked at the hidden agent nearby.

The hidden agent immediately flipped through the booklet.

"Twenty-three maids were found in the Lin family's backyard, including Xu Yuniang."

"People have already been settled in the east shed."

The woman covered her mouth and knelt on the ground, unable to speak.

Chen Yan handed the indenture to her.

"Burn it yourself."

The woman took it with both hands, walked to the fire basin, and her hands shook so much that she failed to send the contract paper in several times.

A soldier beside her gave her a hand.

The contract paper entered the fire.

The woman watched the name be swallowed by the fire, and the crying squeezed out from her chest.

"Yuniang, you are free."

More than a dozen people squeezed forward again.

"Pillar of State, my family has contracts too."

"The Wu family took my daughter to mortgage the debt."

"The Yang family grabbed my family's water field, saying it had the old official seal."

Zhang Wenqian immediately raised his hand.

"Line up."

"Register at the east shed."

"All those whose contracts are in the box will be verified on the spot."

"For those whose contracts have not yet been found, leave your name and village, and tomorrow a political commissar from the One Heart Society will enter the village to verify."

Gao Jiong added a sentence.

"Anyone who falsely claims will be punished for false accusation."

A man hurriedly said: "Don't dare."

"We only want our own."

Chen Yan stood by the fire basin, his voice spreading in all directions.

"Today, this Duke announces three orders."

The square immediately fell silent.

Chen Yan extended one finger.

"Yinzhou commoners, tax exemption for three years."

The crowd didn't react at first.

A moment later, someone shouted.

"Three years?"

"The Pillar of State said no taxes for three years?"

Zhang Wenqian took a step forward.

"It is three years."

"Land tax, household tax, miscellaneous levies, all exempted."

"If any official dares to reach out under a different name, they will be beheaded directly."

An old farmer supporting his son had lips that wouldn't stop trembling.

"Three years of tax exemption."

"Then those few mu of thin land my family has can finally save grain."

The woman beside him cried: "The child can be full."

Chen Yan extended a second finger.

"Land illegally occupied by the Chamber of Commerce will all be recovered."

"Redistributed according to household population."

"Those without land first, military household survivors first, and families of the political commissars killed at Heifeng Pass first."

The noise of the crowd rose again.

"Distribute land."

"Really distribute land?"

"Not taken back by the government?"

Zhang Wenqian said: "Not taken back by the government."

"The government only registers."

"The land deeds are issued to your hands."

"But there is one rule, no private sales within three years."

"Whoever dares to take advantage of the disaster to buy commoners' new land cheaply, kill."

Gao Jiong said: "Whoever dares to lend usury to force people to sell land, also kill."

Someone in the commoners patted their chest and shouted.

"Good."

"It should be like this."

"If we have land, we can't let them grab it back again."

Chen Yan extended a third finger.

"Salt and iron will abolish the Chamber of Commerce monopoly."

"Yinzhou will set up a government-run Salt and Iron Bureau."

"Refined salt fifteen wen per jin, pig iron twenty wen per jin."

"Prices will be carved on stone tablets and set up in four squares."

"Whoever hoards salt, whoever raises prices, whoever privately transports it out of the pass, will be treated as colluding with the enemy."

Gu Yuci took over the conversation.

"The Xia Prefecture Iron Cavalry will guard the trade route."

"Starting today, official salt and official iron will enter Yinzhou in batches every five days, and supply will not be allowed to be cut off."

A youth in the front row asked: "Pillar of State, what if the officials are greedy themselves?"

This question was reckless.

His father immediately covered his mouth, his face turning pale with fear.

"The child is talking nonsense."

Chen Yan looked at the youth.

"Good question."

The youth was seen by him, and his face turned red.

Chen Yan said: "If officials are greedy, kill the officials."

"If One Heart Society political commissars protect the greedy, remove the branch, and re-investigate."

"Account books will be in three copies."

"One copy for the government, one copy for the One Heart Society, and one copy for representatives elected by the commoners of each ward."

Zhang Wenqian took this sentence steadily.

"On the first day of every month, the accounts for salt, iron, and land distribution will be posted in the square."

"Whoever doesn't understand can let the literate ward head read it."

"If the accounts are wrong, you can report it."

"If the report is true, reward."

"If the report is false and causes trouble, punish."

The discussion below the platform grew louder and louder.

An old man raised his head and shouted.

"Pillar of State, can commoners also look at government accounts?"

Chen Yan said: "Yes."

The old man asked again: "What if we are illiterate?"

Gao Jiong said: "One Heart Society political commissars will teach."

"Night schools will be set up in each ward."

"Those willing to learn characters, come."

As this sentence fell, many young people's eyes lit up.

Someone said in a low voice: "Learn characters?"

"Can we also learn?"

Someone beside him said: "The Pillar of State said yes, then yes."

Behind the execution platform, several hundred accountants had already spread out long desks.

Writing brushes, ink pads, bamboo plaques, old land registers, and new land deeds were piled into several long lines.

Zhang Wenqian raised his voice: "Wang Er from the south of the city, come forward."

Wang Er was stunned.

"Me?"

Zhang Wenqian said: "Your contract has already been verified."

"The Lin family occupied three mu of Wang family ancestral land, today it is returned."

Wang Er climbed up and walked to the long desk, wiping his hands on his lapel several times, still not daring to take the brush.

The accountant handed the new land deed to him.

"Press your thumbprint."

When Wang Er pressed his thumbprint, his whole body was still shaking.

"Is this land really mine now?"

The accountant said: "It has the new seal of the Inspectorate, and also the supervision seal of the One Heart Society."

"Take it back, hide it well."

Wang Er pressed the land deed to his bosom, and after walking off the platform, he knelt directly on the ground.

"Father."

"Our family's land has returned."

This scene made the commoners below the platform unable to stand anymore.

The registration line stretched from the east side of the execution platform to the street corner.

Zhang Wenqian was so busy he couldn't even find time to drink water.

"Next household."

"Li Laoqi from the west of Yinzhou City, three debt contracts."

"Verify."

"Next household."

"Xu family from Willow Lane, one indenture, already burned, pick up the person at the east shed."

Gao Jiong patrolled both sides of the line with people from the Mingjing Si.

A man in a short coat tried to squeeze forward in the chaos, but was grabbed by the back of his collar by a hidden agent.

"Line up."

The man smiled apologetically.

"Military Lord, my family is in a hurry."

The hidden agent flipped through the booklet.

"Your name is Zhao Ma?"

The man's face changed.

The hidden agent said: "You were also the one inciting commoners to rush the official salt carts by the proclamation wall last night."

Zhao Ma's legs went soft.

"I took the Qian family's silver."

"I just shouted a few times."

Gao Jiong walked over.

"Shouting a few times almost caused the commoners to riot."

"Take him away."

Zhao Ma cried out.

"Pillar of State, spare my life."

Chen Yan heard this and turned his head to look.

"Send him to repair Heifeng Pass."

"If he can survive and finish three years, he can come back and be a person again."

Zhao Ma was stunned.

Gao Jiong said: "Still not thanking for the grace?"

Zhao Ma hurriedly kowtowed.

"Thank you, Pillar of State."

Chen Yan said: "Don't thank me too early."

"The stones at the border are not softer than the Chamber of Commerce's silver."

Zhao Ma was dragged away, and several ruffians hiding in the crowd quietly shrank their necks.

The Mingjing Si hidden agents soon pointed the people out one by one.

"This one, received thirty taels from the Qian clan."

"This one, hit people when selling salt on the black market."

"This one, Lin family account book outside line."

Chen Yan did not kill them all.

Those who should be killed were killed.

Those who should be exiled were exiled.

Those who should be put to labor were put to labor.

The commoners watched these people who usually ran rampant in the streets being tied in strings and taken away, and the fear on their faces dissipated bit by bit.

In the afternoon, porridge sheds opened in four squares.

The millet found in the Qian family's grain warehouse was transported directly.

Large pots were set up, and white steam rose.

Soldiers distributed porridge while distributing salt.

A child holding a porridge bowl asked his mother in a low voice.

"Mother, there is salt in the porridge."

The woman touched his head.

"There will be in the future."

The first stone tablet of the Salt and Iron Bureau was also set up.

The surface of the tablet had not yet been polished fine, but the characters were carved deep.

Refined salt fifteen wen.

Pig iron twenty wen.

Violators will be punished according to the law.

A blacksmith stood in front of the tablet for a long time.

A peer beside him asked: "Old Xu, what are you looking at?"

The blacksmith said: "I'm thinking, I'll open the shop tomorrow."

"Official iron twenty wen per jin, I can afford it."

"I can repair the broken plows in the west of the city."

The peer nodded.

"I'll open too."

"Before, the Wu family blocked iron, and we had to smile and apologize even when doing work for them."

"Not anymore."

The trade route was also restored on the same day.

The convoy from Xia Prefecture entered the city from the west gate.

In front were iron cavalry escorting, and behind were salt carts, iron carts, cloth carts, and medicinal material carts.

The commoners stood by the roadside, watching the wheels roll over the blue stone slabs.

Someone shouted: "Official salt is here."

The escorting commandant replied: "Not just this batch."

"There will be another in five days."

An old woman asked: "Military Lord, is the price still fifteen wen?"

The commandant patted the cart board.

"It's carved on the tablet."

"Whoever dares to change it, ask the Pillar of State's blade first."

Outside the Yinzhou Inspectorate, Zhou Deyu was pushed into a prison cart.

His face was pale, and he still wanted to cover his face.

After the commoners recognized him, rotten vegetable leaves and mud clods flew over.

"Dog official."

"You opened the door for the killers."

"You took Qian Wansan's silver."

Zhou Deyu shrank in the prison cart and shouted hoarsely.

"I am wronged."

Gao Jiong stood beside the prison cart, holding a stack of documents in his hand.

"Inspectorate official seal, Western Regions guard identity, six batches entered the city."

"Chief Clerk Zhou, did this seal fly onto the paper by itself?"

Zhou Deyu stopped speaking.

Gao Jiong approached the prison cart.

"The person surnamed Cui, you had better remember tonight."

"The Poison Scorpion wasn't as stubborn as you."

Zhou Deyu raised his head to look at him, sweat beads on his forehead rolling down his temples into his collar.

"If I say it, can I live?"

Gao Jiong said: "If you don't say it, you definitely won't live."

Zhou Deyu closed his eyes.

"I want to see the Pillar of State."

Gao Jiong laughed.

"You are not qualified to negotiate conditions yet."

"Spit out the name first."

In the evening, Zhao Tiezhu left the city with four wooden head boxes.

Twenty Beiwei Death Guards protected him on both sides.

Chen Yan personally sent him to the city gate.

Zhao Tiezhu sat on the horse carriage, the medical dressing on his chest already changed.

"Pillar of State, this subordinate will return after paying respects to my brothers."

Chen Yan said: "After you return, the Yinzhou One Heart Society will be handed over to you."

Zhao Tiezhu was stunned.

"The Pillar of State agreed?"

Chen Yan said: "Since you want to stay, then stay."

"But this Duke has one sentence."

Zhao Tiezhu lowered his head.

"Please instruct me, Pillar of State."

Chen Yan said: "The One Heart Society is not a blade for you to take private revenge."

"You must protect the commoners, and you must also follow the rules."

"Whoever bullies people in the name of the One Heart Society, you chop off their hands yourself."

Zhao Tiezhu's eye sockets turned red.

"This subordinate records it."

"The brothers at Heifeng Pass will also watch for this subordinate."

Chen Yan nodded.

"Go."

The carriage left the city.

The setting sun stretched the carriage shadow on the official road.

Hongye stood behind Chen Yan.

"Pillar of State, you killed many people today, and also released many people."

Chen Yan said: "Those who should die, die."

"Those who can be used, are used."

"Those who can be changed, are given a chance."

Hongye said: "Zhao Tiezhu will guard Yinzhou."

Chen Yan looked at the official road in the distance.

"He has hatred."

"People with hatred work harder."

"As long as the rules tie him, he is a good blade."

When they returned to the old Chamber of Commerce mansion, Zhang Wenqian was already tired and sitting on the steps drinking cold water.

Seeing Chen Yan enter, he hurriedly stood up.

"Pillar of State, the preliminary registration is out."

"More than two thousand seven hundred debt contracts in the city have been verified."

"Five hundred and sixteen indentures."

"More than thirteen thousand mu of land deeds, thirty percent have already been returned."

Chen Yan said: "What about the counties?"

Zhang Wenqian sighed: "There are more in the counties."

"This subordinate has already sent people down, it will take at least half a month."

Chen Yan said: "No rush."

"Don't be chaotic."

"If one mu of land deed is wrong, there will be a lawsuit later."

Zhang Wenqian said: "This subordinate understands."

Gu Yuci entered from outside.

"Pillar of State, the small and medium merchants have come."

"People are lined up for two streets outside the mansion."

Chen Yan raised his eyebrows.

"Here to plead for mercy?"

Gu Yuci laughed: "Here to hand over accounts."

"There are cloth sellers, medicine sellers, and carriage and horse line operators."

"One by one holding account books, saying they are willing to accept government unified procurement and allocation."

Gao Jiong walked over from the corridor.

"Scared out of their wits."

"After seeing the end of the four major Chambers of Commerce, no one dares to gamble again."

Chen Yan said: "Let them in."

"In batches."

"Law-abiding ones continue to operate."

"Malicious hoarders will be punished."

"Those involved in smuggling will be killed."

Zhang Wenqian said: "If everything is taken over by the government, the trade route will be stiff."

Chen Yan nodded.

"This Duke does not intend to turn all businesses into government shops."

"Salt and iron, grain warehouses, military equipment, must be in the hands of the government."

"Cloth, medicinal materials, carriages and horses, inns, can be done by them."

"But the accounts must be clear."

"Taxes must be paid."

"Border supplies must not be privately transported."

Gao Jiong said: "This subordinate will let the Mingjing Si watch."

Chen Yan said: "Watching is watching."

"But also give them a way to live."

"Merchants are not afraid of the government being strong, they are afraid of the rules changing every day."

Zhang Wenqian's eyes lit up.

"Is the Pillar of State going to establish commercial law?"

Chen Yan said: "First establish trial regulations for Yinzhou."

"What can be done, what cannot be done, write it clearly."

"Follow the rules, the government will protect you."

"Touch the red line, this Duke will chop you."

Gu Yuci grinned.

"They love to hear this."

"The first half comforts people's hearts, the second half costs lives."

Chen Yan said: "Go stand in the front yard."

"Let them know the second half is not to scare people."

Gu Yuci cupped his fists.

"This subordinate will go right away."

When night fell, Yinzhou City did not return to silence.

Porridge sheds were still burning fire.

Lights and candles in the registration shed were connected into one piece.

The line in front of the salt and iron stall was neat.

The sign of the new One Heart Society branch was nailed to the door of the old Chamber of Commerce branch.

The dark red chest badge hung on the wooden frame in front of the door.

Several young people gathered there to sign up.

"Are you literate?"

"No."

"Then learn first."

"Can you calculate accounts?"

"A little."

"Has anyone in your family been harmed by the Chamber of Commerce?"

"Yes."

"Hatred is okay, but you can't act recklessly."

"The political commissar said, handle things according to the rules."

At the other end of the city, the maids rescued from the Lin family registered one after another.

When Xu Yuniang saw her sister, the two sisters hugged each other and cried.

The female political commissar in charge of registration handed the new household registration wooden plaque to her.

"Take it."

"Go to the east shed tomorrow to collect resettlement grain."

Xu Yuniang looked at the wooden plaque and asked in a low voice: "Can I go home in the future?"

The female political commissar said: "Yes."

"If there is no land at home, wait for land distribution."

Xu Yuniang held the wooden plaque to her chest.

"I want to learn characters."

The female political commissar smiled.

"Come when the night school opens."

In the back hall of the old Chamber of Commerce mansion, Chen Yan was looking at the data sent from various places.

Gao Jiong placed a confession on the desk.

"Pillar of State, Zhou Deyu has opened his mouth."

Chen Yan raised his head.

"Who is the one surnamed Cui?"

Gao Jiong said: "Cui Jingheng."

"Chang'an Ministry of Justice official, ostensibly managing river canals and money and grain, actually passing messages to the north for several noble families."

Zhang Wenqian's brush paused in mid-air.

"Cui Jingheng."

"This person is not a high official, but the Cui clan behind him is not easy to touch."

Chen Yan picked up the confession.

"Cui clan branch."

"A branch can reach Yinzhou, then turn to Rouran and Jinyang, and there is still the main family behind it."

Gao Jiong said: "Zhou Deyu said, Cui Jingheng came to Yinzhou three months ago."

"He took away a secret letter to Jinyang."

Gu Yuci said in a deep voice: "The Qi Kingdom also stuck a foot in?"

Chen Yan said: "Not strange."

"The more chaotic the Northwest is, the happier the Qi Kingdom is."

Zhang Wenqian said in a low voice: "Pillar of State, if this line is reported to Chang'an, there will be people in the court to block it."

Chen Yan said: "So don't report everything first."

Gao Jiong asked: "Does the Pillar of State want to keep evidence?"

Chen Yan said: "Divide the evidence into three copies."

"One copy to Yuwen Hu."

"One copy to the Mingjing Si."

"And one more copy, give it to Yuwen Ze."

Zhang Wenqian said: "The Prince Heir is in Lingzhou, safe."

Chen Yan looked outside the window.

"Safe?"

"Yinzhou moved such a large piece of meat, the Chang'an side won't sit and wait to be cut."

"Yuwen Ze is this Duke's younger brother, and also the soft spot they can touch."

Hongye entered from the doorway.

"Pillar of State, a convoy is entering the city from the direction of Lingzhou."

Chen Yan raised his eyes.

"Who?"

The personal guard reported from outside the door.

"Lingzhou Prince Heir arrived at the east gate of Yinzhou."

"Accompanying are Dou Luling, Zhang Poqi, Huan Jing, and three hundred personal cavalry of Governor Helian."

Zhang Wenqian was stunned for a moment.

"The Prince Heir came personally?"

Chen Yan put down the confession and stood up to walk out.

"He can't sit still."

At the east gate of Yinzhou, Yuwen Ze's carriage had just entered the city.

He did not wait for notification, lifted the curtain and got off the carriage, road dust on his green outer robe.

Dou Luling followed behind, his face tired.

Zhang Poqi pressed his blade to guard beside the carriage.

Huan Jing held a document box in his arms.

Helian Shi stood at the end of the team on horseback, his gaze sweeping over the iron cavalry on the city wall.

Yuwen Ze saw Chen Yan and stepped forward quickly.

"A Xiong."

Chen Yan looked at his face full of dust.

"What are you here for?"

Yuwen Ze smiled, his smile carrying urgency.

"Such a big thing happened in Yinzhou, how could this younger brother just wait for news in Lingzhou."

"A Xiong's word of 'slice' made this younger brother's heart jump."

Chen Yan said: "Afraid I killed too heavily?"

Yuwen Ze shook his head.

"Afraid A Xiong didn't kill enough."

Chen Yan glanced at him.

Yuwen Ze approached, his voice lower.

"Chamber of Commerce colluding with the enemy, commoners harmed, political commissars killed."

"If such people are not sliced, the national law becomes a decoration."

"Father often said, A Xiong's blade is ruthless, but the blade edge never deviates."

Chen Yan laughed.

"Hahahaha!"

Yuwen Ze said: "Father also said, if A Xiong moves Yinzhou, someone in Chang'an will definitely not be able to sit still."

"So this younger brother came."

Chen Yan said: "What did you bring?"

Huan Jing stepped forward and opened the document box.

Yuwen Ze took out a fire-sealed secret order.

"The Lingzhou army has blocked the east road."

"Any vehicles or people related to the Yinzhou case, without the dual seals of the Lingzhou Inspectorate and the Xia Prefecture Governor's Office, are not allowed to cross the border."

Dou Luling added: "Thirty accountants from the Lingzhou account office were also brought, which can help Deputy Governor Zhang clear the land deeds."

Zhang Wenqian heard this and felt energized.

"Chief Clerk Dou, you came just in time."

"I am having a headache from lacking accountants here."

Dou Luling cupped his hands.

"Deputy Governor Zhang, just give the order."

Helian Shi dismounted and cupped his hands to Chen Yan.

"Pillar of State, three thousand Lingzhou cavalry are on standby at the border."

"If the Rouran or Turkic hear that the Yinzhou secret tunnel has been cut and want to take advantage of the chaos to probe, this subordinate can send troops at any time."

Chen Yan nodded.

"Good."

Yuwen Ze looked at the lights in the city.

"A Xiong, Yinzhou has changed."