Daming: Brother, there is no future for monks, let's rebel

Early in the morning, in front of the Changping County Government Office, Zhu Han, Zhu Biao and his party dressed in ordinary cloth clothes quietly came to the gate of the county government office.

The morning light shone on the ancient memorial archway, casting mottled shadows. The officer at the gate of the yamen was lazily leaning against the door frame. When he saw the crowd approaching, he immediately straightened up with a somewhat alert look in his eyes.

Zhu Biao stepped forward and said in a loud voice: "Please inform him that we are cloth merchants from the capital, and we have come to visit the county lord to discuss important matters."

The officer rolled his eyes, seeing that they were dressed in ordinary clothes, and said perfunctorily: "The county magistrate is very busy with official duties today, and I'm afraid he can't spare time to meet you. If you are here to do errands, please go to the side to register first."

Zhu Han smiled slightly, took out a silver ingot from his bosom, weighed it gently in his hand, handed it over, and said lightly: "Please be flexible, brother. The matter is urgent and cannot be delayed."

The officer's eyes lit up, and he took the silver. A smile immediately appeared on his face, and he whispered, "In that case, I will go and inform you. Please wait a moment."

A moment later, hurried footsteps were heard from the government office. A middle-aged man in a green official robe came in quickly with an eager smile on his face. "You have come from the capital. What can I do for you?"

Zhu Han's eyes moved slightly as he looked at the man. He saw that although he was dressed in an official robe, he could not hide the impetuous look on his face. He could not help but sneer in his heart, but said gently: "Your Excellency, you don't have to be polite. We are merchants from the capital. We heard that Changping is rich in products, so we came here to discuss cooperation."

The county magistrate laughed and hurriedly bowed: "It is an honor for Changping to have a distinguished merchant from the capital come here from afar. Please come in."

Zhu Biao and Zhu Han looked at each other, followed slowly, and walked into the lobby. The lobby was simply furnished. After Zhu Biao sat down, he went straight to the point: "Sir, I heard that the land tax in Changping is generous. I wonder if there will be a surplus this year?"

Upon hearing this, the county magistrate's expression changed slightly, and then he smiled and said, "Thanks to the court's kindness, although Changping has heavy taxes every year, the people are honest and kind, and are willing to work hard in farming, so naturally the harvest is good."

Zhu Han stroked his beard slowly and said calmly, "So, the people are living a stable and worry-free life?"

The county magistrate paused for a moment, his eyes flickered for a moment, and he laughed dryly, "Of course, of course."

Seeing this, Zhu Biao looked sharp and said slowly, "But when we visited the villages, we heard that many people said that the taxes were heavy, and in recent years there have been many cases of unfair land measurement. Your Excellency, do you have any opinion on this?"

As soon as these words came out, the county magistrate's face changed slightly, and he quickly smiled and said, "Your Highness, I'm afraid you just heard some rumors. All matters concerning Tiantian are handled according to the law. If there is any injustice, the people would have already complained. How could they wait until today?"

Zhu Han smiled faintly, his eyes sharp as a sword: "Your Excellency is right, but since we are here, we might as well take a look at the account books ourselves to relieve our doubts."

The county magistrate had a thin layer of sweat on his forehead and forced a smile, saying, "You have come from afar, why bother with this? Why don't you drink some tea and rest for a while?"

Zhu Biao's eyes narrowed, and his tone became more serious: "Sir, this is a major tax issue for the county. If something goes wrong, I'm afraid it will be difficult to explain." He paused and said slowly, "Or is it that your Excellency has something in his mind that he doesn't want us to see?"

The county magistrate turned pale instantly and waved his hands repeatedly: "Your Highness, you misunderstood, you misunderstood! Please wait a moment, I will bring the account book right away!"

After a moment, several yamen runners came forward cautiously, holding a thick stack of account books.

Zhu Biao flipped through the book for a while, frowning, and sighed, "Sure enough, the amount of land has been increasing year by year, but the people's output has not increased. Sir, how can this data be explained?"

The county magistrate wiped the sweat from his forehead and stammered, "Your Highness, this... these may be... the statistics of the Ministry of Revenue are wrong..."

Zhu Han sneered, his eyes sharp: "The Ministry of Revenue's fault? Sir, I'm afraid you know it best in your heart."

Just as the county magistrate was at a loss, a burst of hurried footsteps came from outside the hall, and a clerk stumbled in and knelt on the ground: "Sir, this is bad! The villagers have gathered at the gate of the yamen after learning that Your Highness has come in person. Please, Your Highness, make the decision for the people!"

The county magistrate's face turned pale. Zhu Han slowly stood up and walked to the door. He saw dozens of people gathered outside the government office. Their eyes were filled with anxiety and expectation. When they saw Zhu Han and Zhu Biao, they all knelt on the ground and shouted, "Your Highness, please rule for the people!"

Zhu Biao took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "Don't be afraid, fellow villagers. Today, my uncle and I are here in person to investigate this matter and give you justice!"

Zhu Han scanned the crowd and asked slowly, "Who is leading the way?"

An old man with a weathered face stood up tremblingly, his voice choking with sobs, "Your Highness, the people are suffering. Taxes have been increasing over the years. We have worked hard to grow crops, but after paying the taxes, we don't even have enough food to eat at home. Many people have fled to other places!"

Zhu Han's eyes were calm and his tone was firm: "From today on, all those who have grievances will come to court one by one and make their statements. The court will give you justice!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the people kowtowed to express their gratitude. Zhu Biao looked back at the county magistrate who had already collapsed on the ground, and said in a cold voice: "Pass on my order to immediately seal the account and wait for the court to send someone to investigate thoroughly. If there is any favoritism or fraud, it will not be forgiven easily!"

The county magistrate had already collapsed to the ground, kowtowed repeatedly, and begged for mercy, while the people showed long-lost smiles and shouted: "Your Highness is wise!"

Zhu Han slowly sat back in his chair, his eyes falling on the county magistrate kneeling in front of the hall, his expression calm but unquestionable: "Sir, the account books have been checked, do you have anything else to say?"

The county magistrate's forehead was covered with sweat, and he spoke tremblingly: "Your Highness... Your humble servant... Your humble servant really did not check it carefully. It must be that I missed something. Please forgive me, Your Highness."

Zhu Biao sneered, his eyes sharp, "Your Excellency, what you said is really an excuse. If we hadn't come here in person, how could the people's suffering be redressed? Since you say that my subordinates have failed in their duties, then I would like to ask, how do you, as a county magistrate, govern?"

The county magistrate's face turned pale, and he kowtowed heavily: "Your Highness, I know my crime... I beg Your Highness to give me some leniency. I will punish you severely and correct my mistakes."

Zhu Han waved his hand and interrupted him: "Correct the mistakes? Sir, this is not a simple negligence, but a serious matter concerning the livelihood of the people. If the court is so lenient to local officials, what can the people expect? Tell me, why has the tax in Changping increased over the years, but the people's livelihood has become increasingly deteriorating? What is the reason?"

The county magistrate was in great confusion and stammered, "Your Highness...this matter...your humble servant..."

Zhu Biao frowned and said sternly, "Don't shirk responsibility anymore! As a local official, if you keep shirking responsibility, you will be irresponsible to the people. Come here, order the account books to be sealed immediately and all the land to be re-measured. I will personally preside over this and see how much trickery there is!"

The bailiffs immediately withdrew, while the county magistrate prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly, his eyes filled with fear and despair.

Zhu Han's eyes were calm, and he said slowly: "My lord, if you can confess, I can punish you leniently. Otherwise -" He paused, his voice was low, "Otherwise, I will report it to my brother and investigate it thoroughly. By then, I'm afraid it will not be as simple as just losing your job."

Upon hearing this, the county magistrate was shocked. He looked up at Zhu Han with fear in his eyes and kowtowed hurriedly: "Your Highness, I... I am willing to cooperate with you to the fullest extent. Please understand!"

Seeing this, Zhu Han nodded slightly, turned to look at Zhu Biao, and said softly: "Biao'er, the key to this matter is to thoroughly investigate the root cause of the land measurement. If we don't find out thoroughly, the people's difficulties cannot be truly solved."

Zhu Biao nodded, his brows revealing determination: "Uncle Huang is right, this matter cannot be delayed, we will set out immediately to visit the people in person and understand the truth."

The two men changed into casual clothes, drove lightly and walked into the countryside of Changping. In the fields, an elderly farmer was bending over to till the land, with sweat dripping down his cheeks. When he saw them approaching, he stood up quickly, his face full of surprise.

Zhu Biao smiled gently and said slowly, "Uncle, how are the farm work these days? Is the harvest going well?"

The old farmer was stunned for a moment, then sighed: "Sir, you asked... This year's harvest is not bad, but the taxes are getting heavier every year. No matter how much food there is in the fields, it can't buy enough food for my family."

Zhu Han's eyes darkened slightly when he heard this, and he continued to ask, "But what's the difference between the government's land measurement in recent years?"

The old farmer lowered his head and rubbed his muddy hands, his eyes showing some helplessness: "Sir, the officials said that we hid our land and did not report it. They measured several acres more of our original land and even recalculated the tax on the rented land. How dare we say anything? We can only endure it."

After hearing this, Zhu Biao's face became more solemn, and he said in a gentle voice: "If we re-measure and find out clearly now, can we give you justice?"

The old farmer raised his head, his eyes full of hope, his lips trembling slightly: "If this is really possible, it would be the manifestation of the Bodhisattva! We are poor people, just want to have a meal to eat. If the government is willing to be fair and just, we will be grateful."

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao looked at each other and had already made up their minds, so they nodded and said, "Don't worry, uncle, the court will definitely give you justice."

Zhu Biao immediately ordered his followers: "Immediately gather the people from the nearby villages. We will measure the land ourselves and tell the people the truth."

In the fields outside Changping, groups of people gathered together and talked about things.

In the distant farmlands, golden ears of wheat sway in the wind, and the breeze blows across the fields with the fragrance of the earth.

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao stood on the ridge of the field, surrounded by a group of accompanying officials and guards. Several clerks from the county government stood by trembling with fear, holding account books.

Zhu Biao raised his hand slightly, signaling everyone to be quiet, then turned to look at an elderly farmer standing in the front row and asked gently, "Old man, I heard that the land tax has increased in recent years, and the people are living in hardship. Is this true?"

The old farmer's face was full of wrinkles, and he was holding a shiny hoe in his hand. When he saw that it was the prince who asked him, a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes, but then he hesitated. He rubbed his rough hands, hesitated for a moment, and then whispered: "Your Highness, we farmers dare not speak rashly... But the measurement of the land is indeed wrong every year..."

Zhu Han stepped forward and said in a steady tone, "You don't have to be afraid. Today we are measuring the land ourselves, just to give the people justice. Tell me, how is this land measurement going?"

The old farmer looked up at Zhu Han, and as if he had mustered up his courage, he hurriedly said, "Your Highness, my family originally had five acres of land, but the government measured it last year and said it was seven acres, forcing us to pay the additional taxes. But my family's land has been five acres since our ancestors, so how could there be two more acres out of thin air?"

Zhu Biao's face darkened after hearing this. He turned to look at the trembling county magistrate and said coldly, "Magistrate Li, I want to ask you, how much land the people have in your account book?"

Magistrate Li's forehead was covered with cold sweat, and he stammered, "Reply...Reply to His Royal Highness, the account book shows that it is indeed seven acres...I...I am also acting according to the instructions of my superiors, and I have absolutely no selfish motives."

Zhu Han smiled slightly, his eyes fell sharply on the county magistrate, and his voice was low and powerful: "I measured it myself. If it is a false report, how will you explain it, Lord Li?"

Magistrate Li turned pale and knelt down to apologize: "Your Highness, I am willing to cooperate with the re-measurement."

Zhu Biao said no more, but said to his followers in a deep voice: "Pass the order down, measure the land immediately!"

A group of officials hurriedly took their measuring tools and walked to the fields, measuring every inch according to the ridges. The farmers stood by the fields, looking at the officials nervously, fearing that they would do something else.

An attendant in a green robe quickly walked up to Zhu Han and reported in a low voice: "Your Highness, the measurement has produced preliminary results."

Zhu Han's eyes narrowed and he nodded: "Read it!"

The attendant flipped open the record in his hand and said in a deep voice: "The result of the measurement just now shows that the land is actually five acres, which is consistent with what the farmer said."

As soon as these words came out, the onlookers were in an uproar and started talking about it. Several elderly people even shed tears with excitement: "We are not lying! This land is really not much, the government has wronged us!"

Zhu Biao's eyes were cold as he slowly walked up to Magistrate Li, speaking with authority in his tone: "Magistrate Li, what else do you have to say? How could you be so perfunctory in this matter of measuring the land? Deceiving your superiors and hiding the truth from your subordinates, and not reporting it, is dereliction of duty!"

Magistrate Li knelt down with a plop and kowtowed repeatedly: "Your Highness, please calm down. I... I am willing to tell the truth. It was all... it was the land surveyor sent by the higher authorities who arbitrarily changed the account books. I dare not disobey..."

After hearing this, Zhu Han snorted coldly and swept his eyes over the county magistrate like a hawk: "It seems that the problem is not just with you. Biao'er, this matter must be reported to the emperor. I'm afraid that similar situations exist not only in Changping, but also in the surrounding areas of the capital."

Zhu Biao agreed with this and said in a deep voice: "Uncle, we should immediately send someone to conduct a thorough investigation. All the false information should be corrected and the extra taxes on the people should be reduced."

Zhu Han nodded slightly and looked at his attendant beside him: "Send a message to the Ministry of Revenue immediately and order them to send a specialist to re-inspect the land in the capital. All tax issues must be thoroughly investigated!"

The attendants took the order and left. Upon hearing the words, the people knelt down one after another, kowtowed repeatedly, and shouted loudly: "Thank you, Your Highness, the Crown Prince, thank you, Prince Han!"

Zhu Han walked up to the people and personally helped up an old man who was kneeling on the ground. He said in a gentle tone: "Fellow villagers, the court will not treat the people harshly. You can work with peace of mind. The land tax will be dealt with fairly." (End of this chapter)