Chapter 64: A Mighty Woman Like a Female Eagle

The false dynasty is doomed to fall.

Everyone knows this.

Everyone Du Shanü meets strongly resists the false dynasty, wishing to repeat the former glory of the Great Yin.

However, this is no easy feat.

From above, it's merely an order—

Even now, beneath the heavens, it still blazes fiercely!

The distant wailing is hoarse and desperate, sweeping down the long street; though not piercing, it shakes the heart and spleen.

Du Shanü felt heavy-hearted, pondered a few breaths, then abruptly asked:

"Where is the treasury here?"

Chen Weifang clasped her hands, pointed toward a direction; not far off, the constables who had driven away the bandits and returned were fighting the fire, yet many civilians had already volunteered to help put it out.

Yet basin after basin, bucket after bucket of water poured down, still the fire showed no sign of easing.

Manpower is limited, the situation is limited, even the Way of Heaven is limited.

There's no way to stop the great trend; we can only let everything burn out, everything cease.....

Such is fire.

Such is the world.

Du Shanü's face was grim; indeed, everyone present looked grim——

The worst-hit place is the treasury; I fear that after this fire burns, not only will the grain be gone, but even the county office will be gone.

By now the autumn harvest is nearly finished; over the past ten days or so, the people have been steadily bringing in their grain tax.

Now the treasury is ablaze.......

After pondering a few breaths, Du Shanü asked again:

"If the treasury is burned, what shall we use to pay the superiors?"

Could it be that we have to re‑levy?

Du Shanü didn't actually voice the last question, but everyone present understood why she wanted to ask.

Moreover, everyone present also understood that the answer was something everyone already knew.

No grain, of course we can only re‑collect!

At first, Chinu killed the county magistrate; Chen Weifang wanted to postpone the tax for a year, but it didn't succeed.

The superiors seemed afraid they wouldn't collect the tax; within half a month they sent another new county magistrate.

After the new county magistrate died, they sent a clerk!

In the end, three officials actually died; seeing that the situation couldn't be pacified, the Zhoufu finally relented, allowing the tax to be levied at twenty catties.....

It can be said that, looking at all events after the new tax law was promulgated, the superiors' resolve to collect this tax was firm from the start.

Now, how could we possibly pause tax collection because of a fire?

Chen Weifang sat cross-legged on the cool steps, her brows and eyes faint, murmuring:

"If things have come to this, even if we sought aid from the Zhoufu, they'd surely say, 'Your county's tax has always been lower than others'; even if we levy another twenty, it's nothing,' right?"

Yes, one dan and twenty catties—there's still a difference.

Even if we squeeze another twenty catties from these people, that's only forty catties total—still far less than what neighboring counties that levy one dan of grain tax extract from their people.

But is this right?

This isn't a question of more or less; it's that we simply shouldn't treat the people this way!

Moreover, not to mention those bandits who, after entering the city, set fires everywhere and looted—not only did they seize the treasury, they also looted the homes!

Now the city isn't just the treasury that's damaged; the people have suffered losses too!

Today pay twenty, tomorrow pay twenty.

Wait until tomorrow when the twenty is paid—then won't people from other counties disguise themselves as bandits to come rob us?!

Du Shanü dared not agree; she lifted her gaze to the vault of heaven, the originally bright star‑and‑moon night already torn apart by firelight and smoke.

Dark clouds roiled, the Milky Way dimmed.

However, the luster in Du Shanü's eyes gradually became bright and resolute, sharp intent shooting straight toward the heavens:

"How many people are there in our county? How many men and women? How much grain must we pay?"

This question came out of the blue, but Chen Weifang still answered instinctively:

"Our county has registered households; the people listed in the registers total 8,612. However, if we include vagrants, it's probably close to ten thousand."

"Setting vagrants aside, women make up sixty percent, men forty; according to my original calculation, we ought to pay....... 689 dan of grain."

Those without a regular register, who are not enrolled in the state‑county household registration, are called vagrants.

That means people without a fixed residence and without household registration.

The category of such people is very mixed: there are mountain recluses, outside migrants, those abandoned since childhood, also those who have lost their household documents, etc. —all sorts of people who either refuse or are unable to obtain registration.

The bad news is that these people lack household registration, and most also have no relatives; keeping them within the borders easily leads to incidents.

Vagrants have an even lower status than ordinary commoners; they almost cannot enter the city, stay in inns, or purchase goods where a household registration must be shown.

The good news is that, because they lack household registration and are not considered locals, when faced with a tax‑collection situation they can simply slip into a mountain hollow, and the officials won't be able to find them......

In other words, they don't have to pay.

When those six men originally came to my household, if they hadn't been entered into Du Shanü's register, they would in fact be considered vagrants and need not be taxed.

However, Du Shanü at that time kept them all......

That naturally meant there was no escape.

"Six hundred eighty‑nine dan......"

Du Shanü murmured aloud; after repeating it a few times, her originally knotted brows gradually relaxed, and she spoke lightly:

Quite a few.

However, it's not entirely without a solution; leave this matter to me.

【Click-click—bang!!!】

This sound echoed together with the cracking of a collapsed beam in the firelight of the county office.

Chen Weifang, who had been secretly touching her own buttocks, suddenly changed expression, sprang to her feet, but almost bumped into Chinu after stepping on the edge of her own robe.

Chinu poked their old friend's shoulder precisely with a single finger, leaning back.

Chen Weifang saw the disdain on her friend's face, but had no time to argue, merely speaking in a low voice to Du Shanü:

Miss, do you know what you're saying?

That's 689 stone, not 689 catty!

If piled up altogether, they'd be as high as a small hill!

Although they earned some money from petty trade, how could they possibly gather so much grain?

Otherwise, there's nothing we can do.

Du Shanü remained calm, the corners of her lips still curled in a smile, but between her brows and eyes lay a gloom that was unclear and indistinct:

Given the state of the city now, if we levy another tax, do you dare guarantee your safety?

Water can carry a boat, yet it can also capsize it.

Now the city suffers severe disaster; if another tax is levied, the people cannot be sure what thoughts they'll harbor toward the government.

Moreover, even if we manage to collect it, how can we guarantee that no one will come to rob it next time?

If it were stolen again, would we then let these people go rob others' grain?

That simply won't work.

Chen Weifang stood frozen in place, staring fixedly at the girl before her.

Under the night sky, having just escaped the sea of fire, the girl's face was somewhat disheveled......

However, he could see at a glance that her eyes were like brilliant sparkling stars.

No hesitation, wavering, or entanglement.

Only frankness, and a......

If not me, then who?

The girl before him seemed always firmly convinced that she herself could save the people, save the world.

Although somewhat strange, in that instant Chen Weifang suddenly realized something——

This girl indeed makes one unable to resist...... wanting to swear to follow her unto death.

?? We Shasha just have this kind of quality that makes people want to follow!