Chapter 98: 096 Establishing Trust, Establishing Authority (for Alliance Leader

The household registers for the entire town were laid out before Zhao Han.

The data was compiled in meticulous detail; aside from a few independent farmers and small landlords, none of the other tenant farmers dared conceal their information.

Yes, Huang Family Town still had independent farmers and small landlords!

They were all clansmen who had branched off from the Three Huangs and the Li family within the last few decades. They hated the Three Huangs and the Lis too, and if disaster struck, their fields and property could easily be seized by the big landlords.

The town had 517 households, totaling 3,645 persons, of whom 2,029 were males and 1,616 were females.

In the above figures, children under twelve were not counted, because in ancient times they were extremely prone to die young. Zhao Han gave the order to create a separate supplementary register specifically for children under twelve.

At the same time, the household slaves left behind by the great clans were also temporarily excluded from the count; Zhao Han had other plans for them.

If the entire population were included, it should exceed 4,000 people.

From the above data, one can see that the male-to-female ratio was absurdly skewed. Huang Family Town certainly had a tradition of killing female infants, and a large number of bachelors existed.

Moreover, the proportion of elderly people was very low. The average age of the town was 31.26 years (with children under twelve not counted).

The poor level of medical care and sanitation was not the main reason.

It was purely that the grain they grew was not enough to eat. Whenever a harvest failed, the elderly would take the initiative to commit suicide. Especially the old women!

"Young master, the land has been divided." Chen Maosheng came in, holding the fish-scale register.

In Zhao Han's hands, including the mountain land, he controlled roughly 18,000 mu of land.

Jiang Dashan, Li Zheng, and others who had taken the initiative to render meritorious service each received 20 mu of land per household.

Huang Laoshi and others who had submitted pledges of loyalty each received 19 mu of land per household.

Those who rose up in the first wave each received 18 mu of land per household.

Those who rose up in the second wave each received 16 mu of land per household.

Those who rose up in the third wave each received 15 mu of land per household.

The compliant civilians who merely watched the drama from start to finish each received 5 mu of land per household.

Of course, the above were only rough rules. If someone was allocated inferior-grade land, Zhao Han would give them more at his discretion, striving to make fairness the premise.

In total, over 8,000 mu of land were distributed. Zhao Han himself still had about 10,000 mu left.

"No trouble broke out?" Zhao Han asked.

Chen Maosheng said, "There were several rows, and even some fistfights. Tieniu brought men and stopped them all."

Mr. Zhao Ziyue, the biggest landlord in Huang Family Town, put away the household registers and land registers and said with a smile, "Summon all the farming households. The morning after tomorrow, come to the main gate of the Huang family ancestral home for a meeting. Right, tell them that regardless of adult or child, anyone who comes gets free grain!"

By this time, the spring plowing had already ended. When Zhao Han divided the land, he tried as much as possible to give each tenant the land they had been tenant-farming, to avoid unnecessary disputes over interests.

As the sky began to brighten, counting the children, roughly four thousand people gradually arrived outside the Huang family ancestral home.

The main gate opened.

Zhao Han strode out. Behind him were Pang Chunlai, Zhang Tieniu, Chen Maosheng, Jiang Dashan, Huang Yao, Huang Shun, Li Zheng, Jiang Liang, Liu Zhu, Xiaohong, Xiaocui, and others.

Sweeping his gaze over the crowd, Zhao Han said in a clear voice, "I know, you've all come to collect grain, and you have no idea what this 'meeting' thing is."

"Hahahaha."

Some of the farming households laughed, but even more had faces full of anticipation.

"I won't keep you waiting long," Zhao Han said to Chen Maosheng. "Begin distributing the grain. Every adult (over twelve) gets five dou of rice; children get half. Distribute according to the registered household books..."

"Master Zhao!" someone suddenly shouted.

Zhao Han asked, "What is it?"

That person stammered, "I... I want to register in the household books."

"Register his household immediately," Zhao Han did not punish this person, and said in an amiable tone, "Anyone who hasn't yet created a household register may come and register. Receive grain according to your household registration: adults get five dou of rice, children get half."

The moment these words were spoken, twenty-one village households suddenly ran over — all independent farmers and small landlords.

They had relatively close relations with the great households that had been exterminated — not emotional relations, but blood relations, having been branched off into separate families no more than fifty years ago.

Once the registration was complete, Zhao Han began distributing the grain.

The promised five dou per person was exactly five dou, and no short-measure dou was used.

Although Huang Zundao did not have much silver, he had hoarded a great deal of grain. This stuff was the true hard currency of the countryside!

The other great households were the same. Second Master Huang's family even had only a little over 300 taels of silver, but had hoarded several thousand shi of grain — some of it already moldy and blackened, yet they were still unwilling to bring it out and share it with the poor.

What Zhao Han distributed this time was entirely old grain. If it were stored any longer, it would simply rot away.

One farming household after another, when their name was called, went forward to collect grain. Though it was all old grain, it was enough to make them happy, their faces brimming with joy.

The farming households who had not yet received grain all craned their necks in anticipation, afraid that Master Zhao might change his mind halfway through.

Grain was distributed continuously until nearly noon, and at last, everyone had received their share.

"Bodhisattva bless Master Zhao!"

Suddenly, a farming household knelt, shouting with a tearful voice.

Like a virus spreading, infecting one after another, in the blink of an eye, all four thousand-plus people had knelt.

Zhao Han could not be bothered to stop them from kneeling. He had already figured it out: shouting ten thousand slogans is not as good as doing one concrete deed.

Distributing grain was a concrete deed, with just three objectives:

First, to dispose of the old grain that was about to rot.

Second, to verify the household population, making the unregistered peasants come forward on their own in order to get grain.

Third, to establish trust. Master Zhao's word was his bond: he said he would distribute grain, and he did; he said five dou, and it was five dou, and he did not use a short-measure dou.

Only once trust was established would anyone truly obey the content of the meeting to follow.

"Is there anyone who still hasn't received grain?" Zhao Han asked.

No one spoke.

"Very well," Zhao Han smiled. "I announce the second matter. Huang Family Town shall henceforth be renamed Wuxing Town. I will serve as town chief, and Chen Maosheng will serve as deputy town chief. Wuxing Town shall have jurisdiction over four villages, each village to have one village chief."

"Third: for any land tax increases the government imposed after the Tianqi reign, none of you will have to pay them on the land you've been given. You'll only pay at the rates set during the Wanli reign!"

"Fourth: no Liaodong levy!"

"Fifth: no meltage fees!"

"Sixth: no miscellaneous surcharges!"

"Seventh: no corvée labor!"

"Eighth: the ten thousand mu of land I'm keeping, I'll rent out to you as tenant land, divided equally per head. The rent is reduced by fifteen percent — that means if you used to pay one dan of rent, from now on you'll pay only eight and a half dou!"

The assembly erupted in an instant. The peasants were indifferent to changing the town's name, but every one of the remaining items struck straight to the heart.

Instinctively, they dared not believe it — yet when they thought of Zhao Han's grain distributions, they couldn't help but believe it all anyway.

Jiang Dashan, Huang Yao, Huang Shun, and Li Zheng — all four were men of experience and sharp minds. Now they were both thrilled and terrified.

Master Zhao means to rebel!

But they had already killed the wealthy households and boarded the pirate ship — climbing back off now would be very hard.

And having divided up the land, they had no wish to return to the old life. They could only stake their lives following Master Zhao.

Zhao Han gestured for silence, then said with a smile: "Ninth: the Huang clan ancestral hall will be converted into the Wuxing Town private school, with Master Pang serving as headmaster. Every child in the town under the age of twelve, whether boy or girl, must attend class for half a day. No school fees — and I'll provide a midday meal at my own expense! Those over twelve who wish to study may also sit in on classes. No fees, but no meal provided!"

The peasants paid it no mind. What use was book-learning? They had no money to sit for the xiucai exams anyway. Besides, a child of a few years old could help the family with chores — sending them off to study would just be a waste, wouldn't it?

Abruptly, Zhao Han declared: "From age seven to twelve, whether boy or girl — anyone who fails to attend class, I'll raise their land tax and increase their rent!"

These words left everyone dumbfounded. Who ever heard of forcing peasants to work, but forcing children to study?

Yet if you didn't send your child to study, your land tax and rent would go up.

Zhao Han continued: "Tenth: every one of you who is a tenant farmer, even if you haven't worked directly for me, has received at least five mu of land. Since you've been given land, you must contribute your strength. Every household will provide one able-bodied adult. I'm going to organize a militia corps! Anyone who dares not show up — I'll take the land back!"

The peasant households all fell silent, a deathly stillness.

"Bring them out!"

Zhao Han's sudden shout cracked through the air.

From the Huang family ancestral residence, seven people were led out one after another.

Zhao Han pointed at Huang Sanshui and said: "You all know who this man is, and you know what he's done. I won't hold a public trial. Tieniu — carry out the sentence!"

Zhang Tieniu swung his axe and split Huang Sanshui's head open on the spot, the cloth gag still stuffed in his mouth.

Zhao Han then pointed at two others and said: "These two led the charge in killing the landlord Huang Zunming. Huang Zunming may be Huang Zundao's own brother, but they divided the household long ago. He was only a small landlord, and the bad things he did were few. I have repeatedly made it clear — no killing without my order. Yet some still dared defy it. Tieniu — carry out the sentence!"

Zhang Tieniu swung his axe again and cut these two men down as well.

Their families, who had also come today to collect grain, instantly broke into wails and cries that shook the heavens.

The other peasant households trembled with fear, no longer daring to take Master Zhao for some soft-hearted benefactor they could push around.

Zhao Han then pointed at the remaining four: "I selected men who could write and calculate to help with the land survey. These four played tricks and slacked off — measuring other people's fields on the large side and their own on the small side, trying to slip through and grab an extra mu or two. Everyone, tell me — are they guilty or not!"

"Guilty!"

"They deserve death!"

This kind of thing stirred public fury, and countless peasants shouted for blood.

Zhao Han said: "What they did is vile, but the crime does not warrant death. I sentence each of them to surrender one mu of land, to serve as school land for the private school. And let the four of them take turns — cleaning the schoolhouse for a full year!"

"Good!"

The peasants began to cheer.

Distributing grain was to establish trust.

Killing men was to establish authority.

Zhao Han seized the moment and shouted: "Now — every household send one able-bodied adult. Come forward and register for the militia corps. Set your minds at ease: this won't take time from the busy farming season, and it won't delay your planting! Don't try to fool me — no one over forty-five. Anyone who dares cheat can wait to have their land taken back!"

The peasants looked left and right at each other. Torn by indecision, they had no choice but to send out the able-bodied from their homes.

Because Zhao Han now had authority and credibility!

More importantly, Zhao Han held the land in his hands — and that was the true killing weapon.

In an instant, Zhao Han had over five hundred irregular troops.

Over five hundred irregular troops who had been given land, who could only follow Zhao Han's lead, and more than half of whom had already seen blood.

Beating a landlord to death — that counted as seeing blood too.

Zhao Han's approach somewhat resembled the fubing system of the Sui and Tang periods: land was state-owned and distributed to the common people. In busy seasons they farmed; in idle seasons they trained; in wartime they fought.

The Tang dynasty fubing system collapsed because, although the land was state-owned, once distributed it could not be reclaimed — people still held it even after they died. Moreover, powerful clans secretly swallowed up state land while using their privileges to evade taxes.

Over time, the population gradually grew and the land gradually shrank. The common people at the bottom were nominally entitled to land, but the state had no land left to give — yet still demanded they pay taxes and fight wars.

State ownership of land, distributed to all the people, is no magic cure-all. The key lies in the execution in between.

Once the execution collapses, even the best policy collapses right along with it.

(Whoa, Egg Spirit Emperor just tipped an Alliance Master — long live the Emperor, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years.)

(End of Chapter)