Rich family
Shen Tang's eyes lit up.
In the eyes of several officials, it was like a beast that had been hungry for a long time and finally saw its prey. Their eyes suddenly brightened several times. Shen Tang smiled and asked them to introduce more. They were not sure what the new county magistrate meant.
Are you planning to take down the local tyrants to make a living
It's not impossible.
In the remote and poor village of Heyin, even if a dragon comes, you have to stay away from it. Even if you are a county governor, if you want to live a good life, you have to please these local snakes. These officials have been ridiculed by many families, and their former colleagues could not stand this kind of grievance. They were either lured into collusion with them, or resigned, or pretended to be deaf and dumb and pretended that they didn't know, otherwise -
Those days were really hard.
The reason they were able to hold on was because they were in such a miserable situation. They hadn't received their monthly salary for thirteen months, and their families were so poor that they could barely afford to eat. They were really nothing to bully, and they posed no threat, and they were not even worth buying off. It was easier to make them do something wrong than to kill an ant.
Although I don't know why such a young county magistrate was appointed, he understands the ways of the world and knows how to deal with things, so maybe he can live longer. In a flash, several officials had similar thoughts, and Gu Chi couldn't hold back his smile.
Their Shen Lang came with a butcher knife.
Social ways
Is there going to be trouble
It would be fine if those local tyrants were sensible, but if they were not, the butcher knife in their hands would mercilessly fall on their necks. Of course, Gu Chi believed that given Shen Tang's state of being poor and crazy, even if those "rich people" were willing to be sensible, their fate might not be good.
Who made Shen Tang poor
Because she is poor, she cannot bear to see evil people being richer than her.
Shen Tang stood on the high city wall, quietly listening to several officials carefully describing the situation of each family. His face was as cold as frost, but his heart was as surging as fire. He wished he could raise his sword and rob the rich to help her. Shen Tang nodded from time to time, and responded with a few words from time to time.
The official said: "... That's about it."
Shen Tang smiled and said, "Wang Chao, go find a good day and bring some generous gifts to visit us so that we can get to know him better."
Several officials felt uncomfortable after hearing this.
It was a good thing that the new county magistrate was "sensible" and had lived a long life, but he flattered people so bluntly when he first arrived. Such a lack of integrity was indeed secretly despised. However, their complexion was already bad, and it was not easy to see if their faces were a little darker.
Several officials had their own thoughts.
Gu Chi suppressed his smile and bowed in agreement.
"Let's go back. It's windy in the city." Shen Tang gathered his clothes tightly and plotted how to kill Zhang. The landlords had money and food, so he would first take some money from them to give to his people for the New Year. "Have the foreigners who have come to He Yin in recent years been registered?"
Although he felt disgusted in his heart, he still had to pretend to be okay, saying, "There were some in the past few years, but not in the past two years."
Shen Tang was curious: "Why is it like this?"
The official said helplessly: "Please use pen and ink sparingly to keep it brief."
Yes, the reason is so absurd.
Although bamboo slips were relatively simple to make, there were bamboo forests nearby, so it was easy to obtain materials, the cost was compressed as much as possible, and the pens and ink were not outrageously expensive, but Fu Gu, the seat of He Yin, could not even pay the monthly salaries of the officials, and the treasury was left with only dust.
The few pieces of writing paper and ink that were available had to be kept for recording official documents and government affairs, leaving no room for anything else.
Shen Tang: “…”
It really makes those who hear it sad and those who see it cry.
Fu Gu can be considered poor yet elegant and refined.
However, it can also be seen from the side that these officials have good intentions and do their job to the best of their ability. They are not very good people, but they are definitely not bad people either.
Shen Tang didn't intend to let them "transfer the disease".
There are few people now, so we’ll capture as many able-bodied men as we can.
“… It’s not easy to find someone like that…” Seeing that the official didn’t respond, Shen Tang could only find a ladder on his own.
Gu Chi played on one side.
"My lord, do you miss Miss San?"
The so-called "Third Lady" was just a make-up on his part.
Didn’t Shen Tang have an “elder who was within the fifth degree of mourning and went to seek refuge with He Yin’s relatives?” The focus was on this person rather than the seniority order.
She said, “A little bit.”
Gu Chi continued, deliberately raising his voice to ensure that the officials could hear their conversation: "My lord, don't worry too much. We have already come to He Yin. This place is not so big. It shouldn't be difficult to find someone..."
Shen Tang sighed and said, "I hope so."
One of the officials was quite tactful.
"Mr. Shen is looking for someone?"
Shen Tang nodded: "Yes, I have an elder sister who is within the fifth degree of mourning. If she hadn't been kind and helped me in my early years, I'm afraid I wouldn't have lived to this age, let alone achieved what I have today. After that, my sister left with my parents. I heard that she came to He Yin. A drop of water should be repaid with a spring. Thinking that I have a little wealth now, I want to reunite with my elder sister and repay her kindness in the past."
The official's expression lightened up a little after hearing this.
I think this new county magistrate is not without his merits.
If one knows how to repay kindness, then his character will not be too bad.
The official asked again: "When did that lady come from?"
Shen Tang wasn't sure.
"It could be two years ago, or it could be three years ago? There were wars going on everywhere before, and news was difficult to get, so I'm not very clear." Shen Tang showed a guilty look on his face, and the information he provided was very vague, but the officials did not continue to lower their favorability towards him because of this.
The war has been going on for three months, and a letter from home is worth ten thousand pieces of gold.
Even in times of peace and prosperity, it is difficult to communicate, let alone in times of war when everyone is in danger and their future is uncertain.
Just staying alive is extremely difficult.
"Don't worry, Mr. Shen. You will know after checking the transfer book."
Shen Tang nodded and said "hmm".
In order to see more of the situation in Fugu City, Shen Tang deliberately asked the officials to take him around half a circle - the visual impact of what he saw from the city wall was different from what he saw up close.
Looking at the 50% to 60% of dilapidated buildings in the city, I can’t help but imagine how ordinary people rely on these houses to shelter from the wind and rain, and to avoid the cold and heat.
I wonder how many people will freeze to death in this first snow.
Shen Tang deliberately avoided thinking about this question.
In order to make the play more realistic, Shen Tang asked Kang Shi and Qi Shan to help him check the household register - nominally to find the whereabouts of "Ajie", but in fact to catch the tricks of several "rich families" - with their arrogant style in Heyin, it is impossible not to have a criminal record, and it is estimated that there are quite a few...
In the past, these people might have destroyed the evidence by burning it all in a fire, leaving no evidence to prove the crime.
But Ha Yoon was in their control for too long.
There were no fewer than five so-called "county governors" who were suppressed and killed by them. What could a twelve-year-old boy like Shen Tang achieve? They had the final say in the area of Heyin, and the king's orders were useless. They were arrogant and domineering, so they were naturally not afraid.
Kang Shi was choked by the accumulated dust and started coughing.
He picked up a volume at random, glanced at it in the light from the window, and said, "Do I need to come here specifically to look for this? I can grab a handful."
Qi Shan: "Don't worry about that for now, put them all away."
Take out a roll and throw it into the wooden frame.
Kang Shi looked at the blurred handwriting on it. The book had been stored for some time, and mold had grown on the edges and corners. This showed how long it had been piled in this room. How long had the victims been unable to seek justice? Every volume was stained with the blood and tears of the common people.
Chu Yao, Gong Shuwu and Zhao Feng were responsible for settling the people they brought with them, selecting the best from among them, and filling the empty government office. Since they had settled down in Heyin, they had to arrange everything they needed. After a while, the government office would be quite "lively".
Also, there is one more thing.
Shen Tang asked Gu Chi to calculate the monthly salary of each official, and then pay them for three months out of his own pocket.
The rest will be made up after the fat sheep of Zhang is swallowed. In order to avoid the possibility that there are spies of Zhang among these people, Shen Tang just cried poor and said that he was currently short of money and the expenses of the staff under his account were huge, so he could not make up the monthly salary for the time being.
Let them be patient and wait for another month or two.
She will take the monthly salary for these three months home to have a good New Year, and then find a way to make up for everyone when the spring farming season comes.
The officials were surprised.
I never thought Shen Tang would do this.
Although they tried to make indirect attempts to ask for the unpaid monthly salary and then explain their illness as an excuse, they knew in their hearts that the possibility was not great.
The person who owed them monthly salary was not Shen Tang. She was just a new official and had no obligation to compensate them privately.
She is willing to pay out of her own pocket, which shows her open-mindedness.
If they are unwilling to pay, the officials will have nothing to say.
They were all prepared to shamelessly find an opportunity to bring up the matter, but they didn't expect Shen Tang to offer a helping hand just half a day after he arrived.
Since the other party is so kind, they cannot be shameless and leave right after receiving the monthly salary. They have to work for at least half a month or a month, otherwise they will feel guilty.
As it got dark, everyone dispersed.
Shen Tang asked Gu Chi: "Do they have any problems?"
"He's still got a decent mind, and no ears or eyes."
Shen Tang deliberately brought Gu Chi with him and asked the officials to lead the way around. In addition to understanding the situation in Fugu City, he also wanted to test their background. If there were people like Zhang who were planted in, they should be swept out as soon as possible to avoid more trouble.
"Then use it for now."
After all, we are all workers and life is not easy.
Shen Tang gathered the available manpower and was able to put together a "makeshift team" to come up with a plan to deal with Fu Gu as soon as possible in the next few days. Especially as the weather was getting colder, many common people were afraid that they would not be able to survive.
“Repairing the house… costs money!”
"Relief for the common people... requires money!"
“Reclaiming wasteland and farming… costs money!”
"Recruiting refugees... for money!"
Money money money money money money money…
Shen Tang wished he could turn stones into gold!
"There are so many rich people in the world, why can't there be one more of me..." She covered her forehead with a headache, looking at the plan that she had no idea how to start. Her left eye was full of "deficit" and her right eye was full of "money". "Fuck! As expected, they still want to rip off the rich!"
“It’s really too difficult…”
Shen Tang seemed to have her spine pulled out, and she lay limply on the old, peeling paint table. Gu Chi, who was helping to look after the accounts, glanced at her coldly and said ruthlessly, "My Lord, please be quiet, this wooden table is not very sturdy."
The table was still wobbly.
It made a creaking sound with effort.
Shen Tang was about to say that she was not that heavy, but the next second, her upper body suddenly lost weight, and she and the piles of books on the table fell to the ground with a bang. A few books hit her head, and Shen Tang lay there in a daze, with a look of despair on her face.
“Fuck!”
(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
She has never suffered such injustice in her life!
The table was not broken earlier or later, but it fell down when she leaned on it so lightly. Are you going against her? Shen Tang's expression was ferocious, and the wild beast in his heart was ready to break out of the cage.
I wish I could kick these annoying things away!
Gu Chi laughed out loud in a very disrespectful manner.
Shen Tang climbed up.
Gritting his teeth, he said, "You're still laughing?"
Gu Chi teased: "It's not auspicious to cry."
Shen Tang: “…”
The moral integrity of the literati is indeed a mystery.
"... I think we should have a meeting tomorrow to discuss where to start... By the way, how much food do we have left?"
Shen Tang was actually thinking about doing something called work-for-relief, which could not only provide disaster relief, revitalize the economy, but also improve construction. This method was not new. However, after taking a look at the master book handed over by Lin Feng, she knew that it would be difficult to implement.
Seeing her sighing, Gu Chi said, "Although we are in financial difficulty, we still have enough money and food, so it won't be a problem to make it until the spring."
Shen Tang was not comforted at all.
She put down the main book and waved at Lin Feng.
"Have you read Yan Zi Chun Qiu?"
Not long after Lin Feng acquired the Way of the Scholar, Chu Yao discussed with him about giving Lin Feng a name - because this world has the setting of Wenxin and Wudan, and as one of the symbols of their identity, the Wenxin monogram and Wudan tiger talisman would be engraved with the owner's name to show their identity, which is equivalent to an "identity card". People generally believe that choosing a name early will help to condense Wenxin and Wudan.
The characters are usually chosen long in advance.
No need to wait for the crowning ceremony.
But Lin Feng is a girl, and according to reason she should wait until she reaches the age of 15 to be married by her parents or future husband. But now she is also a scholar with a literary mind, and she should follow the customs of scholars with a literary mind.
Shen Tang and Chu Yao thought about it for two days and decided on the word "Lingde".
He is well-known and respected, and possesses both virtue and morality.
Except that she doesn't sound like a girl.
However, Lin Feng knew the meaning of his courtesy name and was very satisfied with it. He told everyone he met that he now had a proper name.
Lin Feng nodded: "I just read a few articles a few days ago."
Shen Tang rubbed the part that was hurt by Jian Shu, changed to a comfortable but not so dignified sitting position, and said: "Then you probably haven't read the inner chapters. When Qi was famine, Yan Zi used the road and bed battle to help the victims, which was a good idea."
Lin Feng was still confused.
Gu Chi understood Shen Tang's plan: "During the famine of King Jing, Yan Zi wanted to distribute chestnuts to the people, but the king refused. When the king wanted to build a sleeping tower, Yan Zi ordered the officials to increase the rent, and did not move for three years. After three years, the tower was completed and the people were excited. Do you want to follow Yan Zi's example?"
In simple terms, during the reign of King Jing, there was a famine, and Yan Zi wanted to provide disaster relief, but King Jing did not allow it. It happened that the main palace was being built at this time, so Yan Zi asked officials to recruit hungry people to build it, raised their wages, and did not rush the construction period to let them build it slowly.
Three years later, the palace was completed.
The hungry also received relief.
This is also "work-for-relief".
Yan Zi achieved his goal of providing relief to the hungry people, who survived their difficult times, and Duke Jing also gained a palace and a good reputation.
Shen Tang smiled bitterly: "I do want to do this, but I don't have the food to do it. Anyway, it's a headache..."
If it is simply to provide relief to the victims, it doesn't matter if they give less food, as long as people don't starve to death. It's fine if they just lie down motionless all day to reduce energy consumption and get through the most difficult time.
But work-for-relief is different. If you want people to work, they have to be well fed. Only when they are well fed will they have the strength to do heavy work. The cost of work-for-relief is several times that of simple disaster relief!
Yan Zi also ordered the officials to attach great importance to the rent.
Give increased wages to the conscripted hungry people.
If you have money, give money; if you don’t have money, give food.
The grain that was refused by Duke Jing was handed over to the hungry people in the form of wages in a reasonable and legal manner.
The question is—
How much money and food does Shen Tang have
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