Chapter Eighty-two: Control

  Qingzhou has had several new things happen recently.

  The first is that the governor of Qingzhou has been replaced, and it's said that the new one is a number one scholar and a favorite minister of the emperor.

  Secondly, it is also related to this imperial favorite. After the autumn harvest, the new governor of Qingzhou Prefecture enclosed all the abandoned land around the prefecture and bought it with his own money. He also leveled some of it, recruited people to reclaim the land, and spread the word that if any farming household was willing to rent it for a long time, they would be exempt from taxes in the first year, and starting from the second year, they would only pay one-tenth of the grain tax per year. Moreover, the seeds, farm tools, and even the irrigation canals were all provided by the government, which hired laborers to repair them.

  At first, no one believed it.

  However, the land enclosed by the government is wasteland, and doing the work will also earn money. Tilling the wasteland is an easy task, even 7 or 8-year-old children in the village can do farm work. I heard that the wages are settled daily, so it's no harm to try, even if you get cheated, at most you'll just have done a day's work for nothing, this little bit of hardship, really doesn't matter.

  At first, everyone was still hesitant and ordinary people were not willing to deal with the government. As the saying goes, "The eight characters of the yamen are open, but if you have a reason and no money, don't come in." Once you enter the government gate, it's possible that you'll be stripped of your skin, and that's still a good outcome - if things go wrong, you might lose your life.

  Recently, Qingzhou's harvest has been poor, and floods and droughts have caused trouble for many days. The price set by the governor is also high, but among the common people, there are always some who are bold enough to try their luck.

  They went in pairs to try it out, and the result was that they only worked for three hours a day, with three meals provided, eating their fill every meal, and even having a meat dish at noon, and the wages were not short of a single cent.

  That treatment, let alone giving wages, is just one cent for a day's three meals, and people are willing to come and work.

  Less than half a month later, those who had their own land were not too crazy, and the long and short workers who replaced others to work, all concentrated on this side to do the work.

  It was only when the land was being reclaimed that some wealthy households complained a couple of times, saying that it's now difficult to hire long-term laborers. Who would have thought that those newly opened up wastelands would yield an extremely good harvest, an absolute bumper crop? The ordinary people didn't know the specific numbers, but the old farmers were very experienced and could tell at a glance whether it was a good harvest or not.

  Now that they have seen the results, they also see that the government has kept its promise, with very low rent collection and excellent tools provided. The supporting facilities are also well done, and people are flocking to rent land.

  Third, it is also related to the newly appointed governor. The government has set up a children's welfare agency and an old people's home in Qingzhou. A group of young doctors were also found from somewhere to go door-to-door to provide free medical consultations for poor families throughout Qingzhou Prefecture.

  The medical skills of those young doctors are not very clear to everyone, but they can cure minor illnesses and are diligent and responsible, with a kind face, which is very popular among the common people.

  Fourth, on the most prosperous street of Qingzhou Prefecture, a new Treasure Pavilion appeared, and it is said that although it was not hung under the name of the prefecture governor, it was also his industry. In the capital city, he made a fortune every day, and when he moved to Qingzhou, the things he sold were different from those in the capital city. They were all daily necessities and snacks, with rice, flour, grain, oil, sugar, and salt available, of good quality and not expensive. Like other merchants in Qingzhou Prefecture, they used wholesale prices to stock goods, making a profit that only Yang Yunqiu, this prefecture governor, knew about. At least in Qingzhou, he could barely achieve a balance between income and expenditure.

  There were many other small changes, and the government hired a number of vagrants and refugees to flatten land, open mines, build factories, dig wells and repair canals. Especially in the mining area, Yang Yunqiu bought a barren mountain and opened up a small crystal mine, which required a lot of manpower. The crystals extracted from the mine were not very valuable in the Yin Dynasty, but the spiritual crystals hidden inside were the best things for Yang Yunqiu.

  I don't know why, but on the surface of Qingzhou, there didn't seem to be any earth-shattering changes, yet the atmosphere had undergone a huge transformation. Many poor people who used to go hungry one day and full the next, and couldn't even afford a decent meal in a day, were still dressed in tattered clothes, but their complexion gradually improved, their faces rosy and radiant, their spirits lifted. The number of beggars on the streets decreased, except for those with disabilities, and the truly lazy ones could always find various jobs to do.

  After staying in Qingzhou for more than half a year, Yang Yunqiu traveled to all counties and towns. At least one-third of the counties and towns were united under him, forming an agricultural cooperative that provided good seeds, tools, agricultural technology, and fertilizers that could increase grain yields. He also suggested connecting everyone's land into blocks, which would make farming easier and increase land use efficiency. At first, every household was unwilling, but later some people hesitated to try, and found it quite worthwhile. The ancient common people were actually the most hardworking and creative, as long as they could get a little benefit, no matter how hard they worked, they would not give up.

  Yang Yunqiu is very low-key outside, but inside he is not low-key at all, doing things in a grand and orderly manner. This is in stark contrast to his cautiousness in Beijing and Quanzhou. In Beijing, he was under the feet of the royal family and had little room for maneuver. In Quanzhou, he was just a commoner, and with the Sun family holding him back, he couldn't do anything either.

  Now that he has arrived in Qingzhou and become the prefect of Qingzhou, it can be said that as long as he holds this position, he will have absolute authority in Qingzhou, and everything will be very convenient for him. Of course, the local powerful families in Qingzhou will inevitably feel resistant and their interests will be harmed, so they will naturally want to resist. Even if Yang Yunqiu did not really want to undermine the power of these families or deliberately oppose them, he would still have to do things that would affect the interests of some of these people.

  In Qingzhou, there are two big aristocratic families with over a hundred family members and great influence. Several of them have become officials in the imperial court. Over the past century or so, many more have become advanced scholars or jinshi (a high-ranking scholar title).

  One is the Song family of Qingzhou, and the other is the Wang family of Qingzhou.

  The two families have intermarried for generations and are closely related.

  Actually, Yang Yunqiu first invited all the gentry and local officials of Qingzhou to have a meal together, which is also the intended meaning of the title. Nowadays, the power of the officialdom is mostly concentrated in the county, and below that, it relies on the influential families and clans to handle things by themselves. When the local officials do not get along well with these people, they cannot work properly.

  Yang Yunqiu was new to the place and didn't put on airs, at least not giving a strong impression at first, nor being particularly greedy. A group of powerful local figures all breathed a sigh of relief, as long as they weren't dealing with that kind of greedy official who would fleece them like a passing goose.

  Unexpectedly, the county magistrate was indeed not a corrupt official, but this method... really makes one feel headache.

  When Yang Yunqiu's career was booming, the heads of the Song and Wang families met. The two family heads sat opposite each other drinking tea, exchanging bitter smiles.

  "Brother Song, you said earlier that we shouldn't bother with him. If it weren't for our help, he wouldn't even know how many acres and people are in Qingzhou Prefecture. Look at the situation now, if he continues like this, my family's tenants will all be gone by next year."

  The head of the Wang family sighed with a bitter smile and complained.

  The old man in Song's family did not speak.

  At first, the government just reclaimed the land, and had little impact on other large landlords. But when Yang Yunqiu used a series of cunning tactics that made people's eyes blur, it really touched many people's nerves.

  After a long silence, the old man of the Song family narrowed his eyes: "I've met that little brat several times, but he wouldn't give me a straight answer. He even asked me to join his agricultural cooperative and something about joint land operation... What a joke! My Song family has accumulated such a large estate over the years, and he thinks he can fool me with some small trick? It's not that easy!"

  It's not uncommon for officials and the children of wealthy families to occupy good land, but no one dares to 'bully' them. In the eyes of the Song and Wang families, Yang Yunqiu's actions of reducing rent, giving benefits to the tenants, and providing free medical treatment are not kind-hearted, but rather a breach of rules. If he does this alone, won't it force everyone else to do the same?

  The rent is low, what does a big family of over a hundred people eat, drink and take to strengthen their physique?

  Summer Harvest Festival

  Any merchant who has passed through Qingzhou can see that Qingzhou has welcomed a bumper harvest that has not been seen for many years. Along the way, the common people are all beaming with joy, and the grain warehouses at home are filled to the brim for the first time.

  Yang Yunqiu sat in the pavilion, Li Da and Zhou Dali stood beside her, and the 3D topographic map of Qingzhou Maitreya Mountain unfolded by WaWa was placed on the stone table, Zhou Dali and Li Da looked at it carefully.

  On this side, it can be seen that a group of bandits on Maitreya Mountain are making a move, wiping their weapons and preparing to set out, with about two-thirds of the people gathered together, not like the small skirmishes before.

  Liu Xing was visibly nervous, having lost a lot of weight and his face had turned sallow. Ever since he returned to Qingzhou, he had been worried about the bandits on Maitreya Mountain every day. Apart from sending some silver money back home and asking the county magistrate to help bring his wife and children to settle in Qingzhou City, he hadn't done anything else. He simply didn't dare to go back and visit.

  He stayed with Fang Lao Da for three years, knowing the rules there. Once you join, you are not allowed to betray and leave. If you go against it, you will be hunted down to the ends of the earth and won't let you off. These days he has been in and out with guards, and if he can't go out, he won't leave the government office half a step. Even so, he still encountered three times when he almost avoided danger.

  If Yang Yunqiu doesn't take action soon, Liu Xing will go crazy. He's so anxious that he wants to rush out and smash everything, not caring about the consequences, just wanting to see his wife and children first.

  Fortunately, Fang Lao Da is going to take action.

  Li Da and Zhou Dali didn't take this group of people seriously, thinking they were just a disorganized and undisciplined bunch of bandits.

  "Don't worry, young master. It might be a bit troublesome to eliminate them in the mountains, but if we lure them out now, I guarantee not one of them will escape."

  Yang Yunqiu nodded.

  It's true that House Old Master led his men to probe and attack the large farm under Yang Yunqiu's name, if they could take away the grain it would be best, if not, they would set fire and burn it down. When they came, they really didn't take it seriously, House Old Master even brought his two concubines, riding on horseback as if on a picnic.

  In the past, they would act in such a way that sometimes they didn't even need to take action, and their opponents would be so scared that they would rather spend money to buy peace. Of course, Lao Da was a man of his word, and this time he had received a large sum of money from the Wang and Song families, so it was only natural that he would let this big estate go up in flames.

  What if he offended the government? Fang Lao Da was not an ordinary bandit, he openly raised a flag to kill officials and rebel, the court had sent various troops to suppress him three years ago, but those masters were blocked by the complex terrain of Maitreya Mountain, they couldn't even enter the gate of their stronghold, what's there to suppress?

  The real elite soldiers are the private troops of various generals and aristocratic families, who would not easily engage in a fierce battle with a small group of rebels, lest they suffer losses.

  The group of people led by Fang Lao Da arrived at the mansion under the cover of night, without even seeing a single guard on duty. A look of disdain immediately appeared on his face, thinking that this new Magistrate must also be an arrogant fool, really believing that no one in Qingzhou Prefecture dared to cross him?

  He raised his hand and shouted loudly: "Brothers, let's charge in! We'll eat meat and drink wine, the golden wheat is all ours!"

  A group of rebels cheered loudly, and then a loud crash was heard. Boss Fang's face was splattered with blood, and the head of one of his brothers in front of him was shattered.

  The scene suddenly fell silent, and then there was a burst of crackling sounds. A group of arrogant bandits who had come with their heads held high mysteriously fell to the ground. Fang Lao Da's pupils stood on end, and he felt his ears buzzing with pain. He quickly turned his horse around and galloped towards the back, not just him, but also the group of bandits who were fleeing in a state of panic.

  It's too late now.

  Yang Yunqiu had long opened his mouth waiting for them to enter the trap, how could he let them go?

  The battle didn't last long, at most half an hour. A group of rebels didn't even see the enemy clearly, and they were either dead or injured, not one escaped. Unfortunately, Zhou Dali was also slightly injured - he sprained his foot when he jumped up too excitedly. Others had hidden injuries that they hadn't noticed before, some scratched their arms while grabbing people, and some were pinched by prisoners. Anyway, although the outcome of the battle was glorious, Yang Yunqiu still wasn't completely satisfied, leaving behind only one sentence - "Still owes training."

  Before dawn, Zhou Dali led his men to raid the old nest of Fang Lao Da. Not to mention that Liu Xing knew the details, even if they didn't, they had already thoroughly surveyed the terrain of Maitreya Mountain in advance and would not make the same mistakes as the government troops did during their previous suppression.

  With one war, the rebels who had been entrenched for more than three years completely disappeared.

  Of course, there were still other scattered heroes and warriors, and it was impossible to eliminate them all at once. Yang Yunqiu didn't plan to wipe them out too cleanly either.

  A lot of gold, silver and jewels were found on Maitreya Mountain, and Liu Xing also noticed a private secret room of Fang Lao's, which was filled with his three-year accumulation of good things, now all at a low price for Yang Yunqiu.

  The Song and Wang families also received the news of Fang's downfall at the first time. Both families were shocked, and then they received an invitation from the county magistrate to attend a banquet at one of his private residences.

  The letter's implicit hints made the heads of both families sigh deeply, fearing that this might be a trap, but if they didn't go... that wouldn't work either.

  "Prepare a thick gift, the thicker the better."

  On the day of the banquet, the two people nervously entered the private residence of the county magistrate. They didn't have the mood to look around, and as members of aristocratic families, they looked down on Sun Zhaoming, a son from the Sun family who had no cultural background whatsoever. However, upon entering the residence, they were greeted by refreshing cool air that swept away the sweltering heat.

  The people below are in good order, and the maidservants, regardless of their appearance, have a natural demeanor, and their words and deeds make one feel like they are in spring breeze. Their clothes and adornments instantly made the family's own maidservant look like a rustic village woman.

  That young governor was even more extraordinary and transcendent.

  Two people vaguely signed a string of unequal treaties, with the government's tentacles deeply entrenched in their own territory, and afterwards they were covered in cold sweat, but somehow didn't feel stifled.

  The banquet ended, the host of the Wang family rode in a sedan chair back home, wiped his forehead and sighed: "...... When did I also learn to look down on others at will, self-conceited, self-conceited."

  After returning, both the Wang and Song families learned of the detailed circumstances of Fang Lao Da's downfall. The masters of the two families actually felt fortunate - at least the prefect didn't use such ruthless tactics on themselves.

  In the following months, four families with deep roots in Qingzhou were investigated by Yang Yunqiu and found guilty of various crimes in Yurou Village. The four big families were all confiscated, men were exiled and women followed, actions were decisive, and even announced their crimes to the public, scaring other families who had some minor wrongdoing into trembling with fear.

  However, this prefect's gentle approach was also quite formidable.

  Many people's land was taken away, and the rent was also reduced by a lot, but as compensation, the production workshops and shops they were given not only made up for their losses, but also earned them a lot of money. On the other hand, those who followed the rules and did not cooperate with the government ended up losing out in the end.

  Up to now, the whole Qingzhou Prefecture, from Qingzhou City to the counties under its jurisdiction, has been firmly controlled by Yang Yunqiu. Even if there are still some hidden dangers, they can be dealt with gradually.

  The changes in Qingzhou can be said to be a thousand miles in one day.