Chapter 1176: First Volume, Chapter 1176: Horse Raising and Tax Revenue

First Volume, Chapter 1176: Horse Raising and Tax Revenue

These farmers already earn so much—yet they still get a fifty-percent discount on purchasing war horses?!

Jing Ci couldn't help swallowing hard, staring blankly: "Could this also be a law drafted by Qin Feng?"

Lin Quqi shrugged: "Almost every law in Beixi County was personally drafted by the Qin King himself."

The Beidi Ministry of Works Langzhong beside him could no longer hold back and quickly pressed further.

"Helping the common people is certainly good, but the Qin King gives all tax revenue straight to the people—then how will the county handle expenses when money is needed?"

"To speak frankly, the people are happy now, but when war comes and military expenditure is required, will they still be so agreeable when asked to pay?"

Qin Feng had naturally already considered all these questions.

Lin Quqi explained calmly: "The Qin King implements a policy of hiding wealth among the people."

"The richer the people, the richer the county yamen."

"Take the Outer City as an example: each year, these five hundred farm owners collectively pay the county yamen two thousand five hundred taels of silver."

"And although the five thousand laborers they hire pay no taxes, they must spend money in the Inner City."

"Every time they buy something in the Inner City, it's effectively an indirect tax."

"An average Beixi commoner spends two taels of silver per year, at least five hundred wen of which counts as indirect taxation."

"Five thousand people amount to two thousand five hundred taels of silver."

"Just the Outer City alone generates the equivalent of five thousand taels of silver in annual revenue."

Who in the Beidi Study Group didn't know the phrase "hiding wealth among the people"?

But actually implementing it proved immensely difficult—no one could turn such an advanced concept into reality as Qin Feng had.

"Then… how do you explain the low prices for livestock?"

Hearing this, Lin Quqi didn't answer directly but asked instead: "How does Beidi handle its warhorses?"

The accompanying Ministry of War Vice Minister of Rites quickly replied: "If a warhorse dies on the battlefield, it is immediately butchered, its hide recovered; any usable parts are taken, the rest buried on-site."

"In our great Di, there is no such thing as retired warhorses."

"A fine warhorse, from the day it enters service, has only two fates: either die on the battlefield, or be transferred to logistics as a draft horse until it dies of old age."

The Ministry of War Vice Minister of Rites did not continue, but Lin Quqi understood: Beidi also had a law strictly forbidding the consumption of military horses.

After all, warhorses and cavalry had trained together for years, forging deep bonds—even in death, they could not be eaten.

This amounted to an indirect increase in the cost of raising warhorses.

Lin Quqi felt no psychological burden and laid bare Beixi County's horse system entirely.

After all, laws are public by nature—they can't be hidden—and even if others wanted to copy them, they couldn't, unless they made the same massive upfront investments as Qin Feng.

"In Beixi County, livestock is divided into five categories: warhorses, draft horses, mules, donkeys, and oxen."

"Donkeys, oxen, and mules need no explanation—they exist purely to benefit the common people."

"Warhorses serve only five years—their peak years—and once that term ends, they are immediately retired."

"These retired warhorses are transferred to Second Line units for training reserve troops and new recruits."

"The mounts of frontline combat units are always the fittest available."

"Only after being retired a second time from Second Line units are they sold to the people."

"Because they are old horses, their price is low—usually only ten taels of silver."

"Once sold, the horse becomes the private property of the buyer; how they use it—even if they eat it—is entirely their right, and the county yamen will not interfere."

The Beidi Study Group exchanged glances—if they hadn't heard it with their own ears, they would never have believed that Beixi County's warhorses had a peak service life of only five years.

The Ministry of War Vice Minister of Rites wore a complex expression—he finally understood why Beixi Light Cavalry's combat effectiveness was so high.

The sheer difference in "horsepower" was something no ordinary army could overcome.

Beixi Light Cavalry's warhorses remained at peak condition—even Beidi Cavalry fell behind.

Beidi had always prided itself on its warhorses, yet compared to Beixi County, it now looked like an outsider.

The warhorses raised in Beixi County were meticulously categorized from the moment they matured, each stage assigned distinct roles and value.

At that moment, Lin Quqi's voice sounded again.

"Draft horses are never sold to the people—they remain under the full control of logistics units."

"These draft horses bear transport duties from the moment they mature, laboring tirelessly until old age; once retired, they are kept separately."

"They are buried only after dying of old age."

"Thus, since draft horses can only come from retired military horses, and the people never have access to them, they come to value military horses even more."

"So far, despite selling so many military horses, we've never heard of anyone buying one to slaughter for meat."

"Moreover, Qin Feng has established detailed eligibility rules for buyers: only farmers qualify to purchase military horses."

"Merchants and young masters are categorically barred—they may spend more to buy horses from elsewhere."

"This ensures foreign horses flow into Beixi County, further expanding its horse market."

Lin Quqi's explanation completely overturned the Beidi people's understanding.

Even the intricacies of horse management were this complex—what on earth was Qin Feng thinking?

Jing Ci was equally astonished and excited; she silently sighed—this trip to Beixi County had been worth it!

Relying solely on hearsay would never reveal Beixi County's true operational model.

Lin Quqi led the Beidi Study Group onward, explaining as they walked.

Soon, they passed through the Outer City and entered the Second Wengcheng.

The Second Wengcheng was dominated by trees—every inch of the wengcheng was submerged in dense foliage, like an ocean.

In summer, when all the trees were lush and leafy, the sight would be breathtaking.

"County Magistrate Lin, why do you plant so many trees inside the wengcheng?"

Facing Jing Ci's question, Lin Quqi smiled and replied: "It's certainly the Qin King's will."

"These trees are all valuable timber; should war arise, they can be converted into war resources."

"You don't need me to elaborate on how valuable wood is in war, do you?"

Jing Ci nodded repeatedly, but her doubts grew deeper: "Do these trees fall under the County Yamen's jurisdiction?"

Lin Quqi smiled lightly: "They belong to the common people."

Of course!

Jing Ci sighed softly and asked, "It takes years, even decades for trees to mature—how do the common people profit?"