novelSusiti Chapter 3: The So-Called Light Taxes and Fewer Fees
Chapter 3: The So-Called Light Taxes and Fewer Fees
Li Xuan's father was an official in the Imperial Academy, earning dozens or even hundreds of strings of cash in extra income each year. However, with the passing of himself and his wife, and the expenditure on two funerals, the family's finances became increasingly strained.
In addition, Li Xuan studied very hard, constantly consuming writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones. He also spared no effort in borrowing books from the family's Thousand Books Pavilion and copying scriptures.
Unfortunately, these school supplies were extremely expensive in those days, and it wasn't easy for any family to afford to send one student to school. Later, Li Ji came to stay with them, and Li Xuan also covered Li Ji's tuition fees. So by the time Li Xuan graduated, the family's assets were quite limited, and they had sold everything they could in the past few years.
Now, all Li Xuan has left is the tiled house in front of him, two hundred acres of land outside the village, three boats, two horses, two cows, and more than two hundred volumes of books copied by three generations of his family, including his grandfather, his father, and himself.
A tall, burly man emerged from Li Chang's house. His name was Li Yuantu. He wasn't originally surnamed Li; he had changed it after following Li Xuan's father. Li Xuan didn't know why he changed his surname; his father hadn't told him.
After his father's death, Li Yuantu did not abandon Li Xuan. Instead, despite his ailing body, he protected Li Xuan from all hardships, handling everything from spring planting and autumn harvest to the summer and autumn taxes with remarkable competence.
In a chaotic world, Li Xuan never understood why someone as capable as Li Yuantu stayed in this small village. He only knew that his father had told him not to ask or think about it, but simply to follow Li Yuantu and practice martial arts.
As he grew older, Li Xuan gradually came to understand Li Yuantu's identity from the markings on the horse lance, long-handled sword, and hard bow treasured in Li Yuantu's home—the Black Cloud Longsword Capital.
That was once the core elite force of Yang Wu, a rare force in the Huainan region capable of both infantry and cavalry warfare, a victorious army that repeatedly defeated the Bianliang iron cavalry from the north with fewer troops in direct combat, comparable to the ancient Trapped Camp, and an idol force for countless men in the Huai River region.
Of the generals and commanders from the Liang, Jin, and Han kingdoms who successively occupied Bianliang, those who had participated in the southern campaigns, nine out of ten had suffered losses at the hands of the Black Cloud Longsword.
Given this past, it's no wonder Li Yuantu was cautiously hiding in the village. After all, the Yu Kingdom, which now occupies Guangling, was established by replacing the Yang Wu regime. Naturally, they were extremely hostile to the Black Cloud Longsword, the core force of the previous dynasty.
Li Yuantu coughed. His health had always been poor. He had suffered internal and external injuries on the battlefield years ago, and now that he was getting old, all of these injuries were coming back to haunt him.
Li Xuan and Li Ji showed great respect to Li Yuantu, bowing respectfully and saying, "Greetings, Master."
Li Chang called out in a simple and honest voice, "Father, I've brought the family head and Brother Ji back."
Li Yuantu said, "It's good that you're back. The fish that Brother Chang caught today are very fresh, and fish soup is simmering in an earthenware pot. You're in for a treat."
Autumn is the season when fish are plump and at their best. Li Ji cheered and rushed into his room to put down his schoolbag. Li Xuan also happily went back to his room to settle in.
In the kitchen, the aroma of fish was incredibly enticing, and small dried fish were being dry-fried in a flat-bottomed earthenware pan. The cat, kept to keep mice away, was jumping around anxiously, its urgent meows constantly reminding its owner not to forget about it.
Li Xuan picked up a few dried fish from the pot, shredded them, sprinkled them on a bowl of millet porridge, stirred it, and served it to the kitten. The clever kitten carefully picked out the dried fish from the porridge, and after finishing, it meowed a few times in disappointment. Seeing that no one paid attention, it could only listlessly stare at the millet porridge that still tasted of dried fish. Life was hard, and the kitten didn't have the habit of being a picky eater.
A pot of boiled chives, a pot of boiled spinach, and a bowl of dipping sauce made of salt and vinegar. A plate of dried fish and a jar of fish soup were Li Xuan, Li Ji, Li Yuantu, and Li Chang's dinner.
Li Xuan and Li Ji sat at one table, while Li Yuantu and Li Chang sat at another. Li Yuantu seemed to have the hierarchy ingrained in his bones. He not only refused Li Xuan's "preferential treatment" but also lectured Li Xuan, saying that the class law should not be neglected and that it was essential to differentiate between superiors and inferiors in order to manage people effectively.
Although all four of them had a large bowl of millet rice, Li Xuan and Li Ji each had a piece of steamed cured meat, glistening with oil, on top of their bowls, its aroma tempting and mouthwatering. Li Chang was quite envious, but he knew he couldn't push his luck, so he focused solely on his rice.
Li Xuan divided his cured meat in two, keeping one portion for himself and giving the other to Li Chang. Following custom, Li Chang said, "Thank you for the reward, Master." He then gave another piece to Li Yuantu, who then contentedly placed the divided cured meat in his bowl to savor the flavor.
This is the rule: only Li Xuan can have a share of the meat. Li Ji had wanted a share before, but Li Yuantu firmly refused, because Li Ji was a guest, not the host. Li Yuantu and Li Chang could only eat the meat allocated to Li Xuan's father and Li Xuan.
Aside from the hierarchical system, other rules weren't that important. For example, Li Xuan asked while eating, "Uncle, the busy farming season is approaching. When do we plan to hold the sacrifices and when do we start harvesting?"
Traditionally, farmers hold sacrificial rites for the god of the land and grain before the harvest, praying for a successful harvest and a bountiful crop. More particular families, like Li Xuan's, would also host a feast during the ceremony for their farmhands and migrant workers. This feast was sometimes called the "start-of-work meal."
Li Yuantu had already planned it all out. This year was a good year, and the autumn harvest was the most important of the year. He had specially gone to a nearby Taoist temple to ask for a date to begin the harvest: "Master, the priest at Shaoshui Temple gave us the date as October 11th. I have already harvested one sheep, ten geese, and two pigs. Our sacrificial ceremony will definitely be a grand and successful one, and no one will dare to criticize us."
Li Xuan nodded and praised, "Uncle is always very thoughtful. This year, thanks to God's blessing, the hundred mu of fragrant rice will be harvested on schedule, and the hundred mu of millet will also be harvested well. As the old saying goes, 'He who travels a hundred li is only halfway there at ninety.' We've worked hard for several months, and now it all depends on whether we get home in the last few days."
Thinking of this year's good harvest, Li Yuantu also became happy and said, "Yes, we successfully harvested one hundred mu of wheat and one hundred mu of beans in May. Besides handing over the beans to the government, we also kept some to press for oil. Soon the fragrant rice will be stored to supply the government's taxes, and we can exchange it for millet. We won't go hungry this year or next."
The newly established court of Yu State has made some simplifications to the tax system. Although the 30% agricultural tax burden is not light, it is negotiable.
For example, the fragrant rice grown by Li Xuan was highly favored by the government because of its excellent quality. Therefore, Li Xuan only needed to pay 20,000 catties of fragrant rice as tax, and the agricultural tax for his 200 mu of land was waived.
Normally, a farmer has to pay taxes and perform corvée labor. However, the State of Yu also has incentive policies for this. For example, if Li Xuan grows beans and pays 9,000 catties of dried beans, Li Xuan and the farmers under his name can be exempted from corvée labor for a year.
This system sounds ideal, but it also carries considerable risks. For example, if the harvest is poor and the yields of fragrant rice and beans are insufficient, Li Xuan would have to pay compensation out of his own pocket or pay a fine, unless the imperial court issues a waiver.
There have been years when Li Xuan paid compensation out of his own pocket, but there have never been years when the imperial court issued a decree of leniency. With alternating years of plenty and famine, Li Xuan's wallet has developed an unstoppable hole, becoming drier year by year.