Chapter 97: Investigation
Editor: Atlas Studios
However, the next day, under Jiang Ze’s instruction, rumors that one wouldn’t be able to claim back their mortgaged land deed started spreading. Since the interest was so high, they definitely wouldn’t be able to repay it by next autumn. When the time came, the squires would definitely seize their land. In that case, they might as well just sell it now.
Hence, in less than two days, when someone brought their title deed to the government office, it wasn’t to mortgage it but to sell it.
If the squires didn’t buy it, they would find someone else.
These squires were not the only ones in the prefectural capital. There were also some rich farmers, small landowners, small businessmen, or medium-grade squires who wanted to buy land…
This was different from what Minister Liu and the others had imagined. The grains needed to buy land were different from the grains needed to lend out grains. The former was twice as much as the latter. However, looking at the refugees leaving one after another, Minister Liu gritted his teeth and said, “Buy it. Otherwise, these bumpkins will go to Xingyuan Prefecture to sell their land. You have to know that there are also many families there who want to buy land at a low price.”
Minister He thought about it before gritting his teeth in agreement.
Qi Xiuyuan’s smile widened.
Mu Yangling didn’t know what would happen, but she felt uneasy when she saw everyone selling and buying land.
She ran to look for Qi Haoran to ask for information. Qi Haoran had been happily beating people up these few days. When he heard this, he waved his hand indifferently and said, “What can happen? My brother is busy catching traitors these few days. How can he have the time to care about local government affairs? You don’t have to worry. If Wu Shancai really goes overboard, I’ll write a letter to the capital and impeach him. Let’s see if he can remain so smug.”
Fan Zijin, who had been feeling nervous, suddenly relaxed. He stood at the side and nodded with a smile. “Haoran and I have many friends in Lin’an Prefecture. Their fathers are all officials in the imperial court who can help. Miss Mu, don’t worry.”
Mu Yangling looked at Fan Zijin suspiciously. “Is that so?”
Then why was he so nervous just now?
Fan Zijin nodded with a smile. “That’s right.”
Seeing that she couldn’t get anything out of him, Mu Yangling could only leave in disappointment.
Unable to understand why she was in low spirits, Qi Haoran hurriedly chased after her and asked, “What’s wrong with you? You can always buy back your land when you earn money later. On the other hand, Zijin said that the Imperial Court encourages the reclamation of land. The reclaimed land will belong to the individual who reclaimed it, and there are even tax cuts for the first two years.”
“That’s easy for you to say. How can a farmer earn money other than farming? In the past, when they had land, they couldn’t earn more than a few taels of silver a year. Now that they don’t have land, they’d have difficulty even feeding themselves.”
Mu Yangling sighed and said, “Do you think it’s so good to be a tenant of the landlord’s family? You have to pay them 60% of the harvest. When it’s peak farming season, the landlord will even force them to work for him. When it’s not so busy, they can’t be idle either. They’re only slightly better off than the landlord’s long-term workers. Forget about earning money, they should be thanking the heavens if they weren’t dying of exhaustion.”
Qi Haoran was dumbfounded. “The tenant farmers are suffering so much?”
Mu Yangling rolled her eyes. “What else do you think? Though tenant farmers don’t have to pay farm taxes, they can’t avoid the poll tax and land tax. They only get 40% of the grains a year. After deducting these for taxes, how much do you think there will be left for their family to eat? In the past, our Nearhill Village used to eat thick porridge for half a year, black and white steamed buns for two months, and all kinds of miscellaneous grains for the remaining four months. However, as a tenant farmer, we’d have to eat chaff for at least half a year. That’s something used to feed pigs.”
Qi Haoran looked embarrassed. “I-I don’t know. It’s easy for me to earn money. Why don’t I lend you some?” Qi Haoran touched his deflated wallet.
Mu Yangling glanced at his wallet and said, “Come on, that bit of money of yours isn’t even enough for us to fill the gaps between our teeth. Actually, I came to look for you to find out what would happen, and also for some reassurance. These two days, I have been uneasy for fear that I have led the villagers to a dead end.”
After a moment of silence, Qi Haoran said, “Wait for me. I’ll go ask my brother.”
“Don’t.” Mu Yangling pulled him back. “You also said that the general is busy. Don’t cause trouble for him. Never mind if you don’t know.” Recalling that Fan Zijin’s expression had been strange just now, her eyes darted around and she whispered into his ear, “Don’t ask the general. Ask Fan Zijin.”
“Zijin? If he knew, I would have known long ago.” The two of them would always tell each other everything.
“Maybe he just found out and hasn’t told you yet.” Mu Yangling said, “Go and ask him. You must tell me when you find out.”
Qi Haoran agreed.
Poor Fan Zijin thought that Qi Haoran didn’t know anything and wouldn’t leak any secrets, so he didn’t follow the two of them and got screwed over by his brother just like that.
Qi Haoran ran to look for Fan Zijin. As soon as they met, he asked, “I heard from Mu Yangling that Big Brother hinted to her to get the people from Nearhill Village to sell all their land. Do you know why?”
Fan Zijin had never been wary of Qi Haoran. When he heard this, he nodded and said, “I know. Cousin got some news from the capital. Selling the land is more worth it than mortgaging the title deed.”
Qi Haoran hurried over. “What news?”
Seeing that there were only the two of them in the room, Fan Zijin did not hide it from him and said in a low voice, “If I tell you, you have to be careful not leak it out.”
Qi Haoran hurriedly nodded.
Fan Zijin whispered in his ear.
Qi Haoran’s eyes lit up. “Are you serious?”
Fan Zijin nodded with a smile.
“That’s great.” Qi Haoran jumped up and said, “When the time comes, I’ll get Big Brother to let me be in charge of the 4th and 5th Divisions.”
“You’re dreaming too much. Even the number one general under Cousin, Hua Hui, isn’t leading two divisions. If Cousin really hands the 4th and 5th Divisions to you, that would be terrible.”
Qi Haoran pursed his lips. Fan Zijin sighed and said, “I think Cousin is most likely going to hand over the 5th Division to you. The last time he asked you to go to the 4th Division, the soldiers of the West Camp didn’t say anything, but they all felt that Cousin is biased towards you. This time, you’ve made a great contribution and successfully trained the miscellaneous soldiers of the 4th Division to be somewhat decent. Now, everyone is more or less convinced. However, you’re only 12 years old after all, so Cousin can’t give you a title. Without an official position, it’s not appropriate for you to manage the 4th Division anymore.”
Qi Haoran was so anxious that his eyes turned red. How could he still remember what Mu Yangling had asked him to do? He immediately shouted, “If you want to take advantage of my results, you should first see what I’m capable of. I want to see who dares to take over the 4th Division.”
The soldiers of the 4th Division were initially so cowardly. They were old, disabled, weak, and some were so timid that they cried out when they saw a chicken being killed. How much effort had he spent to make the 4th Division become somewhat decent? To think they were taken from him just like that?
For the sake of the 4th Division, he had skipped class every other day and as a result, got beaten up by his eldest brother every other day. He practically ate and slept in the camp. Was it easy for him?
Fan Zijin’s heart ached for his companion, but there was nothing he could do to help. Who asked them to be so young?
There had never been anyone in the court who became an official at the age of 12, let alone a general.
Fan Zijin patted his brother’s shoulder and said, “Let’s wait another two years. In two years, we’ll be 14 years old. When the time comes, we can ask Cousin to apply for a title for us.”