Chapter 620: Zhao Feng

Unlike the merchants' ease, Wang Youshan's letter was deeply worried about this surtax — any person of insight could see the hidden peril.

Back when Zhang Juzheng implemented the Single Whip Law, he had all the empire's farmland surveyed, claiming it was for the people's convenience, converting land taxes and corvée labor into silver payments. This removed steps where tampering could occur, and the silver the national treasury received increased dramatically.

But this Single Whip Law failed to account for the scarcity of currency among the common folk — both silver and copper coins were exceedingly rare. Converting harvests into silver meant the gentry could ruthlessly exploit them. The saying "coin dear, grain cheap" originated from this, and vast numbers of commoners went bankrupt and sold their land.

After Zhang Juzheng died, all his policies were overturned, and the Single Whip Law was no exception. Yet the burdens on the common people did not lighten one bit — the silver converted from land taxes and corvée was still collected, while grain and labor service were once again apportioned onto the people. This effectively doubled their burden, adding frost to snow for the peasant households.

Wang Youshan's worry lay precisely here. As a rule, tax quotas are easy to raise and terribly hard to lower. The Liaodong surtax was imposed with everyone, high and low, believing it would be repealed once the Jianzhou Jurchen border threat was eliminated. But knowing the Ming dynasty's habits, how could it ever be that easy?

This time, Wang Youshan's letter did not arrive much earlier than the official news. After Zhao Jin returned to Xuzhou, the clerks and runners of Xuzhou's one prefecture and four counties also got word.

No one paid any attention to the talk of dismissing runners or halving wages — they never had wages to begin with and made their living by their own skills. What every yamen truly cared about was the Liaodong surtax.

The Ministry of Revenue in the capital said to increase this year's harvest levy by forty percent. Then each level down would pile on more, until by the end, an increase of eighty percent or even double would be considered having a conscience. With so much extra collected, everyone's cut would grow much fatter.

The moment the news came down, tax collectors across the realm were likely rubbing their hands in anticipation. But other places were other places — on Xuzhou turf, everyone knew the rules. If Lord Jin hadn't spoken, no one dared make a move. To do so was to court death. Forget being hooded in the night — in broad daylight, your whole family might not live.

The revenue clerks from Xuzhou's one prefecture and four counties all came bearing gifts. Since Zhao Jin's daughter was celebrating her hundredth day, they had to pay a visit, offer gifts, and share a drink, using the occasion to sound him out. It wasn't just Xuzhou people making moves — those from Guide Prefecture and Pi Prefecture were already on the road. If Zhao Jin nodded his approval, everyone would ready themselves to act next year. Who knew how many years the surtax would last? In those years, they'd earn enough to set up their families for generations.

"No. The court says to levy it — I say no." Zhao Jin gave his answer, crisp and clean.

The prefectural and county revenue clerks were not really surprised. This surtax would devastate the region. Zhao Jin was Xuzhou-born and naturally unwilling to see his homeland ravaged like this. Everyone had expected as much. This visit was mainly to offer congratulations. If Zhao Jin agreed, it would be a fortune falling from the sky. If not, so be it — could they really force the issue anyway?

"We're not like those officials. They aren't local — they get posted here, squeeze what they can, and leave. Of course they don't care about the local people. But we can't afford not to care. We depend on the folks below to make our living. This surtax looks lucrative, but it's a house-wrecking measure. It makes people sell their children, sell their land, destroy their homes, while all the money goes to the big households. After that, how do you get anything done? If you need men or money, you'd have to fight the powerful families for it every time? That's how it is for me — isn't it the same for you?" Zhao Jin still gave an explanation.

This reasoning, which Zhao Jin could articulate, was of course well understood by those veteran revenue clerks. With things spelled out so plainly, they knew there was no longer any possibility.

"Lord Jin, we are all of one heart with you, of course. But we're just lowly underlings doing the work. If the higher-ups press down, it'll be trouble. Our families depend on these posts for a living. When the time comes, we'll need Lord Jin to shield us!" Knowing the thing couldn't be done, these clerks immediately thought of their exit strategy.

"You've all given Zhao face, and Zhao won't make things difficult for you. Where the Zhao Battalion is stationed, there will be no surtax. If anyone wants to levy it, tell them to come find me. If they don't know what's good for them, I'll go find them." Zhao Jin gave his guarantee, crisp and clean.

Now, in places like Xuzhou, Pi Prefecture, Su Prefecture, and Guide Prefecture, the Xuzhou Militia was garrisoned everywhere. To any of these locations, the Zhao Battalion could arrive within five days. If it was just cavalry moving, within two days. The Zhao Battalion's strength held absolute superiority over both official runners and government troops.

When the authorities went into the countryside to collect grain, the common peasants, having toiled a full year for their harvest, would hardly hand it over willingly. Those landlords and rich farmers without official degrees, who had men and tools at their disposal, were even less willing. The authorities could collect these taxes only by relying on the blades, axes, chains, and shackles of the constables and runners, and on the powerful bosses who monopolized tax collection.

Yet all of these were nothing before Zhao Jin. Whatever local bullies and village toughs existed were mere ants before the Zhao Battalion. If anyone mentioned the Xuzhou Assistant Regional Commander — people weren't blind. Assistant Regional Commander Zhou now treated Zhao Zhentang as an equal. Not to mention that both Zhao Zhentang and Dong Jike now held the rank of Guard Commander. Even the government troops were split between two factions. If he said no payment, then no payment it was. Silver mattered, but lives mattered more.

Once they learned Zhao Jin's stance, the several clerks who had come bearing gifts all had smiles on their faces. Yet two younger ones, lacking sufficient composure, already showed disappointment. As for Revenue Clerk Liu from the prefectural office, he was old and wily. Not only did his expression never change, but after hearing this, he paused in thought and spoke up: "Lord Jin's great kindness to the people of Xuzhou — such an immense favor must not be hidden or covered up. Everyone must know. If not for Lord Jin, think of the suffering they'd endure. Lord Jin's benevolence!"

Having served in the revenue office so long, Clerk Liu was thoroughly versed in taxation. He could well imagine, beyond his own cut, the devastation the Liaodong surtax would wreak on the common people when apportioned locally. Zhao Jin was shouldering this matter and willing to offend the authorities — he surely wanted something in return.

The Zhao Battalion's foundation was in Xuzhou. Most of its household troops were Xuzhou men, largely of commoner origin. To preserve this situation, they too were unwilling to let the surtax's ravages reach them.

In Xuzhou, Zhao Jin already held firm control over both the territory and the people's hearts. But when it came to goodwill, one could never have too much.

Blocking the Liaodong surtax was an immense favor. But since Zhao Jin had given everyone advance instructions, no one dared take any action. As a result, only the various officials knew of this. The common people, cut off from news, would never find out — and naturally would feel no gratitude.

So Clerk Liu wanted to spread the word. First, frighten the common folk below, then reveal Zhao Jin's actions. Raise their hearts, then let them settle. That way, the people would surely be overwhelmed with gratitude and their loyalty to Zhao Jin would deepen.

Hearing Clerk Liu's words, a sincere smile appeared on Zhao Jin's face. He nodded and said, "Uncle Liu has thought this through well. Your nephew is not an ungrateful man and won't treat everyone poorly. Please rest assured, all of you."

Even the form of address had changed, showing Zhao Jin was quite pleased with this approach. The other clerks smiled outwardly, but inwardly they were full of regret. How had Old Liu seized the initiative on something so simple? Their training in officialdom was still lacking!

The grandeur of Zhao Feng's hundredth-day celebration rivaled a prefect or magistrate's grand decade birthday. No one thought it inappropriate. Given Lord Jin's current status, this was only right and proper. Even Magistrate Tong Huaizu had to hold his nose and send a gift — word from the yamen was that the magistrate's wife had spent a long time persuading him.

Ruhui personally oversaw the gift-receiving. Each tier of guest had its own limit. For the wealthy merchants of Qingjiangpu and Yangzhou, any gift exceeding fifty taels in value had the excess returned. For Xuzhou locals, the maximum accepted was thirty taels. For humble households that had strained every resource to prepare something, they were paid the full value.

With this banquet, Zhao Jin wanted, first, to celebrate with his own family, and second, to maintain connections on all sides — he had no intention of using it to make a fortune.

Many who had prepared lavish gifts were somewhat uneasy this time. Only when they saw everyone else in the same situation did they relax. The Zhao family's warmth also dispelled all their worries.

The banquet had fine wine, but the dishes were considerably inferior to those of Qingjiangpu and Yangzhou. It did, however, have one specialty: grassland-style whole roast lamb. This was precisely the season when lamb was fattest. Iron racks were set up in the open ground for roasting, and they spared no expense on spices, so the aroma wafted everywhere. After tasting it, the guests all praised it profusely.

Infants just a few months old, when brought into large gatherings, usually react in one of two ways: either wailing loudly or sleeping soundly. Zhao Feng fell into neither category. She stared with big, curious eyes at the banquet guests.

"This child is so sturdy — at a hundred days, she's like other families' one-year-olds."

"Tsk tsk, that vitality — you can tell she's different just by looking."

"Lord Jin's daughter — different stock. Dragon — ahem — tiger's daughter!"

The murmured comments below never stopped, covering everything. Zhao Jin's companions, by contrast, were merely curious, fixing their eyes on this niece of theirs.

"When we have kids, they'll definitely be younger than Little Feng. They'll probably get roughed up by her every day once they're married," Ji Xiang said with a chuckle, and everyone burst into laughter.

Who Zhao Jin's eldest daughter should marry — it was far too early to discuss. Yet from Zhao Jin's companions to people in Xuzhou and elsewhere, everyone had a pretty good idea. In all likelihood, she would marry one of the companions' sons. This was also a necessary means of drawing closer ties and consolidating the situation.

Although He Cuihua had been somewhat unhappy upon learning it was a daughter, at this moment, she was the most anxious of all, terrified that her granddaughter might bump into something. She kept a tight watch on the nursemaid and never stopped giving instructions.

On this occasion, Xu Zhenzhen also made an appearance. Others she could ignore, but Zhao Jin's companions had to be seen. The moment Xu Zhenzhen came out, Zhao Jin's companions all turned solemn. Even Chen Sheng, who never called him Big Brother, offered a formal greeting and addressed her as "Elder Sister-in-Law."

Xu Zhenzhen held Zhao Feng for Zhao Jin's companions to see — this was what "family-friendship" truly meant.

As she brought the child over, He Cuihua was very worried, saying that Zhao Jin and his companions carried too much blood-qi and killing aura, and might frighten the baby.

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