“Not to that extent?”
Jin Feng glanced at Qing Muluan: “You wait and see, once the notice comes out, refugees will definitely rise everywhere!”
“I believe that, every year during tax collection, a large number of refugees appear.”
Qing Muluan said: “Refugees get caught, at worst they are sold or conscripted into the army, if they perform well in the army, there is still a chance to gain merit and rewards, but rebellion means exterminating nine clans!
Besides, this is not the first time taxes have been increased, in previous years no one dared to rebel either.”
Position determines thinking, although Qing Muluan was not a dandy and had a passion to serve the country, she was also a genuine descendant of nobility, her thoughts shared much in common with other Da Kang nobles.
For example, after capturing County Lieutenant Zhao, Jin Feng thought of sending him to the authorities to be dealt with according to the law, which was not only trouble-free but also clean from start to finish, no one could find fault.
But Qing Muluan felt that County Lieutenant Zhao’s words had provoked Jin Feng’s dignity as a noble, so she chose to execute him on the spot, then use her brother’s influence to settle the matter.
In fact, Qing Muluan did not intend to use this incident to flaunt her family’s power, but this was the education she had received since childhood.
Perhaps in the eyes of old nobles, the authority and so-called dignity of nobles were the most important, and the common people were merely tools like cattle and horses.
They thought that since the people valued clans, putting the shackle of exterminating nine clans on them would allow arbitrary control.
Whip the cattle and horses a few more times, and they would only run faster and do more work.
Da Kang had been at peace for too long, probably the emperor and those court officials had forgotten that when cattle and horses were whipped until it hurt, they would also butt people and kick them.
Moreover, ordinary people were flesh and blood with thoughts, not cattle and horses.
A whip or two, the people might endure, but if they were forced to death without giving them a way to live, the people would rebel.
“Muluan, let me tell you a story.”
Jin Feng knew that Qing Muluan’s thoughts were deeply rooted, preaching big principles was useless, so he changed his strategy.
He picked up the teacup to moisten his throat and began: “There was a travelling merchant who bought a camel, very strong and hardworking, the first time the merchant went out, he loaded it with two packs of goods, the camel handled it easily.
The second time out, the merchant added to four packs, the camel still walked steadily, so the third time, the merchant added another two packs.
When the goods reached eight packs, the camel was already very tired but still persisted without collapsing.
The merchant also saw that the camel was very tired, but thinking that eight packs were carried, adding half a pack more would definitely be fine, so he added half a pack to the camel.
And the camel was very determined, gritting its teeth to drag the eight and a half packs, walking with difficulty.
But just as it stepped out of the warehouse door, a straw fell onto the goods.
The camel, already at its limit, finally could not hold on, collapsed with a boom, and could never get up again.”
Qing Muluan obviously understood Jin Feng’s meaning and showed a thoughtful expression: “Sir, you mean this tax increase will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back?”
“I think it’s very possible, because this tax increase is different from previous years.”
Jin Feng said: “Now many people have learned from retired veterans that the Iron Forest Army won a victory at the border this year, annihilating the Dangxiang southern expedition army, the people were hoping for a tax reduction, but instead of reducing taxes, the court increased them, the psychological gap is very large and will make the people completely disappointed with the court.
At the beginning, everyone might still fear exterminating nine clans and implicating relatives, choosing to become refugees, but when the nine clans cannot survive, what will the people still fear?”
“Then what to do?”
Qing Muluan was sweating coldly from what Jin Feng said.
If the people rebel, it means a dynasty has decayed to the extreme.
With strong enemies surrounding the borders, if the people inside rebel again, it is almost equivalent to sounding the death knell for Da Kang’s destruction.
“Very simple, just let the court retract the order.”
Jin Feng answered lightly.
“Impossible, a policy announced to the world by the court, how can it be retracted? Where would that put His Majesty and the ministers’ faces?”
Qing Muluan blurted out without thinking.
This also proved that Jin Feng was right, even knowing that the tax increase policy might force the people to rebel, the first thing Qing Muluan thought of was the faces of the emperor and ministers, not the life or death of the people.
“Then I have no solution.”
Jin Feng helplessly spread his hands.
Facts proved that Jin Feng’s prediction was correct.
The day after the notice was published, the people’s resistance was unusually intense.
Since ancient times, the people have upheld the creed that the commoners do not fight officials, usually when seeing government people, they were extremely humble, afraid of displeasing the official lords anywhere.
But on this day, throughout Da Kang, who knows how many officials reading the notice were spat on by the people, and in some places even bloody incidents occurred.
Only in Jin Chuan, because there were no longer bandits collecting annual grain, although the people were disappointed, they were not overly agitated.
However, the people were also discussing this matter.
“How could this happen? Didn’t the marquis and our sir lead the Iron Forest Army to win a victory in Weizhou City? Why doesn’t the court reduce taxes but increase them instead?”
“How would I know, could it be that Mr. Jin told lies?”
“Old Zhou, stop farting here, my brother’s buddy retired from the Iron Forest Army this year, he personally participated in the Qingshui Valley battle and was blinded in one eye by a Dangxiang arrow, if you slander Mr. Jin again, slander the Iron Forest Army, I’ll cut ties with you!”
“Without Mr. Jin exterminating the Tiger Head Mountain bandits, where would our good days come from, Old Zhou, you dare say bad things about Mr. Jin, if the people of West River Bay hear it, they will beat you to death!”
“Everyone, I was wrong, I was wrong, I shouldn’t doubt sir, forgive me!”
The man called Old Zhou quickly bowed and begged for mercy.
After all, they were from the same village, the other men no longer held on and continued discussing.
“I heard from passing merchant caravans that these days the mountains are full of people, all afraid of not being able to pay taxes, preparing to flee into the mountains to become refugees!”
“True or false, yesterday I went hunting with Old Yuan, walked in the mountains for almost a day, how come I didn’t see anyone in the mountains?”
“We in Jin Chuan have no bandits collecting annual grain, and we can go to West River Bay to work, even with a ten percent tax increase, days are much better than previous years, who would go to the mountains to be refugees?”
“Exactly, exactly, this is all thanks to Mr. Jin, if not for Mr. Jin, we would probably have to go into the mountains too!”
“Taxes were already heavy, adding another ten percent, how can we live.”
“When I go back later, I must kowtow to Mr. Jin’s tablet again!”
…
The people of Jin Chuan were already grateful to Jin Feng, now seeing the misery in other counties, their gratitude to Jin Feng increased further.
Jin Feng’s influence in Jin Chuan also expanded accordingly, and the influence brought by the tax increase was constantly expanding throughout Da Kang.
On the fifteenth day after the notice was made public, Qing Muluan rushed hurriedly into Jin Feng’s home.
“Sir, you were right, something really happened!”
