Chapter 843: Land Distribution (10,000-word supplement)

Zhao Family Town.

A scout and external affairs Disciple of the Profound Brightness Taoism continued to disguise himself as a middle-aged merchant, driving an ox cart.

The ox cart window opened a tiny slit, revealing a vigilant eye; it was the young Daoist from before.

Not far away.

A battalion of the Liang Wang Army was surrounding the Zhao Family manor, beginning a massacre.

"The Liang Wang has ordered! The Zhao Family has resisted the land inspection and holds no regard for the law of the King; they shall be executed with Thunder to serve as a warning to others!"

Hei Er roared: "Kill!"

Indeed, even the landlord class and the disciples of the Confucian school are not truly of one mind, let alone a monolithic block.

"Especially the distribution of land to households; it is a stroke of genius that can win the hearts of the people and Shock the petty and wicked... Since ancient times, those who win the hearts of the people win the world!"

Hei Er waved a hand, and a row of Archers stepped forward; arrows fell like rain.

Coming from a commoner background, he knew all too well the suffering of these tenant farmers.

He knew that this was not merely Feng Shui and Qi Gazing.

"Most of these debts were established by the previous dynasty; the new dynasty brings a new atmosphere, so they are all to be burned!"

A bolder farmer called out: "Military Farming? Does this mean you are going to take away the land?"

"No!"

Zhou Ping coughed: "If you engage in Military Farming for five consecutive years without any errors and pay your taxes, then after five years, this cultivated land will be given to you for free!"

Then, he looked at the crowd gathered below.

"Hmph! Kill!"

But faced with the King's law and the slaughter by the government... even the boldest farmers seemed to turn into quails, shrinking in their homes, not daring to move.

At this moment, the scholar continued: "But... why entrust it to the army for Military Farming? Although it utilizes the force of the military to protect the commoners and prevent harassment by local officials, the disadvantages outweigh the benefits. In the long run... the assets of the military will surge, and arrogant soldiers and fierce generals are already hard to control... Only by using money and grain to slightly restrain them can we manage; once this precedent is set, what will happen if the military's power grows too large in the future?"

Inside the ox cart.

They usually struggle on the line of life and death, and having no land of their own, they must borrow money and sell their children whenever something happens.

Even if the Liang Wang kills wantonly, there are still men of insight willing to join and take a gamble!

Looking again now, he felt a shock in his heart and secretly thought: "This man has a full forehead and an aura of spiritual intelligence... there is a hint of green fortune rising above his head; I fear he is a man of ministerial caliber! If this person joins the Liang Wang, the Liang Wang will surely greatly increase his Qi Number; I must think of a way to ruin this!"

If attacked by bandits, the Zhao Family could raise their arms and rally a thousand men; this was no joke.

Zhou Ping lit a torch and threw it directly onto a chest: "Everything from before is wiped clean; you are now tenants of the 'Six Jia Divine Army'!"

"No... my family is willing to be punished! We are willing to accept punishment, even if you take all the land away..."

Zhou Ping unfolded a decree and read aloud: "You were originally tenants of this Zhao Family and still owe a great deal of debt!"

The old farmer below pondered; although the landlord's rent was about the same as this, the other miscellaneous fees, extortions, and demands added up to definitely more than fifty percent!

"Fifty percent?"

Inside the manor, the white-haired Head of the Family of the Zhao Family stood out, shouting with a face full of unwillingness and regret.

He never imagined that the 'heavy punishment' on the notice would actually be this severe!

He had originally thought that hiding the acreage would at most result in the land being confiscated.

"Young Master, this Liang Wang Army is so fierce, killing entire families at every turn, with such strict laws! Should we still defect to them?"

Zhou Ping looked at the piles of heads, among which seemed to be the Zhao Family steward who had spoken to him earlier, and he couldn't help but feel a cold shiver.

"Sigh... I can only send a letter to the Liang Wang first. If the Liang Wang is unwilling, then... then I shall go to assist the Wu Wang! The Wu Wang has already occupied the Five Prefectures and has the greatest momentum in the south... although it is better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of an ox... there is no other way."

But looking at these Liang Wang soldiers, they were simply out to kill everyone!

Otherwise, one would not feel at ease holding this land!

Half a day later, the Zhao Family had been leveled; all the men were beheaded, and the women were to be sent away as slaves.

"What?"

A group of soldiers rushed into the Zhao Family manor, hacking and killing.

"I am not valuing literature over martial arts; I am truly doing this for the long-term peace and stability of the country... for military assets to encroach upon civilian assets is truly not a blessing for the world!"

He gazed for a long time, then suddenly sighed: "The Liang Wang acts with method! Whenever a dynasty is founded... one must first clear out the remnants of the previous dynasty to make room and secure interests; this is inherently beyond reproach and is even an act that benefits the King Qi!"

"The Liang Wang has ordered: the Zhao Family has resisted the law of the King, so they are all to be executed... the manor is to be confiscated, and the farmland is to be turned into Military Farming!"

How dare the Liang Wang?

How dare the Prime Minister?

Are they not afraid of the criticism of the scholars of the world?

The young Daoist heard this and felt a stir in his heart, looking over.

Originally, he had felt a bit of sympathy for the plight of others, but now he wished that the descendants of the Zhao Family would all die!

If this lord keeps his word and truly exempts them from Corvee Labor, then life would be even better than when they were under the protection of the landlord gentry!

"Ahem... the most important point!"

Then, when Zhou Ping announced it and the people cheered, his expression changed: "This public grievance is indeed the least trustworthy... the commoners are ignorant and are bought off by a mere pittance of interest."

As soon as these words were spoken, there was some commotion below.

Chests of silver, grain, and silk were confiscated from the Zhao Family.

At this moment, as the debt bonds were burned, expressions of relief appeared on the faces of everyone below, regardless of age or gender.

Suddenly, the Head of the Family of the Zhao Family and the surrounding guards and servants became like hedgehogs!

Although the Zhao Family was the local tyrant of Zhao Family Town, nine out of ten local farmers were their tenants, and even if they were not, they had a thousand threads of connection.

The disparity in power was too great, so even if there was some public grievance, it was immediately suppressed; if the Liang Wang truly kept his word after five years, the remnants of the Zhao Family would never be able to stir up any trouble again!

Not far from the roadside, a page boy led a donkey, upon which sat a young scholar, watching the scene in Zhao Family Town.

The commoners below stirred, followed by cheers: "Long live the Prince of Liang, ten thousand years to the Prince of Liang!"

This was also Personal Attachment, only the subject had changed from the single landlord of the Zhao Family to the army itself.

On the small town square.

Pfft! Pfft!

The young Daoist had originally been practicing Qi Gazing, and seeing wisps of grey-black color rising into the sky, he could not help but feel smug: "With such harsh laws and severe punishments, the people's resentment is truly boiling over!"

Especially after seeing Zhou Ping have boxes of debt documents brought out, many old farmers' faces filled with worry... the government wasn't here to collect debts, were they?

From a realistic perspective, although offending the Zhao Family might cause those connected to them to hold a grudge and lead to Backlash, it had bought the hearts of the common people ten or a hundred times over!

Zhou Ping shook his head: "Whichever plot of land you farmed before, you will continue to farm in the future... it is just that your master has changed from the Zhao Family to the 'Six Jia Divine Army'!"

"Furthermore, from now on, five tenths of the field's produce shall be turned over to the public, and all other taxes are exempted, nor shall there be any Corvee Labor! Whoever dares to pester you, the soldiers' blades and spears will naturally speak to them!"

Occasionally, a few soldiers would roll their eyes and secretly hide some loot, only to be called out by the supervising Six Jia Divine Soldiers and sent to take the whip themselves.

The scholar sighed and had the page boy lead the donkey away.

Hearing this, the young Daoist was overjoyed: "How many benevolent people and heroes are there in this world? Prince of Liang and Xulingzi, you will surely meet a wretched death!"

(End of chapter)