Chapter 85: Edict
After the final discussion, Shang Wuyang would receive a one and a half percent profit share, while the selection of the workshop site, construction, and purchase of materials would all be handled by the border army.
All finished products from the workshop would be sold at the lowest wholesale price to the merchant caravans of Shangyang City.
With the matters settled, Xie Chong immediately took people to handle the workshop affairs.
And he quickly posted a notice in Shahe City.
“What does this say?”
The notice was posted at the main gate of the city wall. As more and more people gathered to watch, Shen Shu patiently explained.
“Shahe City is in dire need of development. Effective immediately, the current land produce tax for commoners will be reduced by twenty percent, with only a twenty percent tax levied henceforth. General Xie encourages everyone to reclaim wasteland. For three years, any wasteland reclaimed will be tax-exempt. You can cultivate as much as you can.”
“However, it must be noted that wasteland reclamation is not permitted in the mountain forests. Additionally, this year our border army will be purchasing soybeans at market price in large quantities. You can plant more soybeans and sell them directly to us upon harvest.”
All three pieces of news were like good news, causing an uproar in Shahe City.
Tianqi’s tax rate was fifty percent, but the border region was harsh. Xie Chong had long ago written a memorial to Shangjing requesting a tax rate of only forty percent.
Now that Shahe City was in dire need of development, Xie Chong decided to be bolder and only collect twenty percent tax from the commoners.
When commerce develops in the border region, the tax would be compensated for through other means.
As a strategic location, the taxes in this region were actually used to support the army, and Xie Chong had complete control over the tax collection.
Therefore, he could afford to reduce it by twenty percent, but this matter still needed to be reported to Shangjing with a memorial detailing the situation.
Otherwise, if ill-intentioned people found out, a charge of rebellion and slander could be enough for him to bear.
During this period, Shahe City was quite lively. Commoners spread the word to each other, and some elders who rarely left their homes, leaning on their canes and supported by younger people, shakily made their way to Shahe City to inquire if the news was true.
After confirming, many people were so overjoyed that they wept.
“Good, we trust General Xie. We’ll plant more soybeans when we go back!”
“General Xie is a good general, a benevolent official.”
General Xie protected the entire border region and safeguarded their homes, so they naturally trusted General Xie.
Consequently, commoners in various county towns along the border rolled up their sleeves and got to work. Every day, they tirelessly dug soil to reclaim land and plant soybeans, their faces lit up with smiles of hope.
In a slave society, the desires of the common people at the bottom are actually very simple: to eat their fill, stay warm, and pass on their lineage; these are their lifelong wishes.
With even a glimmer of hope, they could survive tenaciously.
Xie Chong became completely busy, not returning home for several days.
At this time, only Daddy Shang was at home.
Qin Wanwan had not been running around lately; she had been planting fruits at home.
Variant strawberry seeds: mutated giant strawberries from the wasteland world, each strawberry the size of an apple.
Drawbacks: poor taste, seeds carry a certain viral radiation. Radiation has been eliminated, seeds have genetic defects.
Improvement method as usual.
Qin Wanwan had already exchanged a packet of strawberry seeds and kept them by her side for over half a month.
Now it was finally time to plant them.
Qin Wanwan, along with Daddy Shang, enthusiastically prepared a ridge and began to cultivate strawberry seedlings.
“The fertilizer you wanted, I’ve sent people to get it. It should arrive in a couple of days.”
Xie Chong’s fertilizer fermentation had just begun and would take at least another month.
“Daddy is the best~”
Shang Wuyang snorted, “I’ve heard you say that to that fellow Xie Chong before.”
“The best,” everyone you speak to is the best.
Qin Wanwan was not flustered when exposed: “Keke said it. You’re both daddies, and Wanwan should treat you equally and be fair.”
The little cub was learning to be impartial.
If she couldn’t even balance the two daddies, it would be even harder for her in the future.
Shang Wuyang: …You’re quite honest.
“Keke, the merit points have increased a lot again.”
Keke landed on Little Red Horse’s head, “It’s merit points you’ve gained from your Daddy Xie.”
The policies General Xie was now implementing were good deeds, which naturally earned merit points, and a large wave of them at that.
After all, these policies benefited the commoners of the entire border region, and their benefit was long-lasting.
However, policies could not be issued in Qin Wanwan’s name, so she could only gain some merit points from Xie Chong.
This also caused Qin Wanwan’s merit points to increase significantly.
From Xie Chong alone, she directly received five thousand merit points.
*Ding dong…*
The mall began to have different movements.
Qin Wanwan opened it to check.
Congratulations to Little Qilin for accumulating a total of ten thousand merit points. The mall is currently upgrading and requires one hour. Please wait patiently.
That will still take a long time.
Qin Wanwan paid it no mind. She set the mall aside and rode Little Red out to play.
Children can’t sit still at home!
Especially children with their own mounts.
Qin Wanwan’s small body could ride the Great Lion or Little Red.
Yesterday she took Big Goldy out for a spin, so today it was Little Red’s turn.
After feeding Little Red pasture grass, the beautiful Red Steed squatted down by itself.
But Qin Wanwan’s short legs still couldn’t climb up.
In the end, Wolf Fang had to carry her up.
The Red Steed’s back was equipped with a saddle, different from an adult’s saddle. This one was custom-made specifically for Qin Wanwan’s short legs.
The stirrups were just within reach for her short legs to step on.
The saddle was very soft, covered in snow-white animal hide, so she wouldn’t feel any bumps while sitting.
After Qin Wanwan sat on it, she straddled the saddle with her two short legs, like doing a split.
“Pfft…”
Shang Wuyang couldn’t help but laugh every time he saw it.
“Can’t you choose a smaller horse?”
Qin Wanwan pouted, “I wanted to, but Little Red would get angry.”
Little Red was a steed with a temper and strong possessiveness.
Qin Wanwan had previously taken it to the military camp, and it had gotten into fights with those horses just because she touched them.
One horse ganged up on over a dozen horses.
It finally returned heroically, albeit injured.
It also didn’t allow Qin Wanwan to ride other horses.
She could have other little animals, but with such a beautiful horse like itself, going to find other horses was out of the question!
Qin Wanwan didn’t really care.
Although her posture was a bit comical, Little Red ran very steadily, ensuring Qin Wanwan wouldn’t feel too much bumpy motion or fall off its back.
“Go play, and come back early.”
Shang Wuyang was lazy and didn’t feel like running around with them.
Only Wolf Fang and a few guards followed to ensure her safety.
Keke landed on Little Red’s head. The Red Horse was followed by the Great Lion, and then three snow-white wolves.
The three snow wolves had also grown a bit, their legs were longer, and they ran faster, though they lagged behind a bit.
The Little Fox and the Gosling were held by Wolf Fang and another guard.
A group of animals all came out to roam.
The grassland was currently lush with green grass.
They ran to the grassland and saw herds of cattle, sheep, and horses.
And vigilant dogs.
Those were property of the border army’s military camp.
Among them, horses were the most numerous.
