Chapter 206: Popular Support
Dong Dalang quickly took over the storeroom, and Wang Erhe couldn’t avoid work either, becoming Dong Dalang’s deputy.
Dong Dalang was impartial and kept Wang Erhe by his side, teaching him how to keep accounts.
Wang Erhe was certainly no fool; among the soldiers in the Pei Family Army, he ranked high in cleverness. Since Dong Dalang was willing to teach, he settled down to learn.
The Pei Family Army grew stronger day by day, and there would be more and more territory in the future, always short of usable people. Wang Erhe was not tall and naturally thin and weak, so he couldn’t make a name for himself leading troops in battle, but becoming a logistics manager was a good path.
Pei Qinghe saw it all and praised Gu Lian: “Wang Erhe is indeed a clever person.”
Gu Lian raised her eyebrow and smiled, the knife scar on her face seeming to dance along: “Is the General planning to change careers and become a matchmaker?”
In private, Pei Qinghe was quite amiable and didn’t put on airs. Hearing this, she smiled and said: “That depends on your intention. If you’re unwilling, or if you have another suitable candidate, just tell me directly.”
The women who came from the mountain bandit stockades now mostly had sons-in-law and had borne children.
As the leader of the Pei Family Army, Pei Qinghe considered the army’s stability and cohesion. A barracks full of bachelors was not a long-term solution.
Why were the military discipline of the Fanyang Army, Liaoxi Army, and Guangning Army poor, making them hard to control once let out?
Why was the Pei Family Army’s military discipline strict, never bullying women and children?
Strict military discipline was one aspect, but more importantly, the Pei Family Army had female soldiers, and Pei Family Village had many women. The soldiers all had hopes of marriage. Those who already had wives and children were even more honest and dutiful.
For the women who wanted to marry, having a husband and children meant having their own family. Women had high status in the Pei Family Army, and most marriages were taking sons-in-law. Marriage was not a difficult matter.
There were also women unwilling to marry, making up about thirty percent overall. Pei Qinghe never forced them.
Gu Lian knew Pei Qinghe’s temper and was silent for a moment before saying: “To be honest with the General, when we came out of the Black Bear Stockade that day, I swore a venomous oath in my heart that I would never have a man in this lifetime.”
“The General gave me a place to stand, taught me to practice martial arts, and let me read and write. My brain has become sharper and clearer day by day. I can rely on my own capability to stand out in the Pei Family Army.”
“The General is an eagle in the sky, with lofty ambitions. Following the General, perhaps one day I can truly lead troops independently and become a general.”
“Wang Erhe followed me to Beiping Commandery, and I’m not unmoved. However, I still have no plans to take a son-in-law right now. Let me wait and see a bit longer! Perhaps in three or two years, I’ll change my mind.”
Pei Qinghe looked deeply at Gu Lian: “Have you made this clear to Wang Erhe?”
Gu Lian hummed in acknowledgment: “I made it clear before coming to Beiping Commandery. He still insisted on following, so I let him.”
Winning over Gu Lian’s heart, firm as a rock, was no easy task. Wang Erhe could slowly pursue and wait!
……
In the blink of an eye, Pei Qinghe had been in Beiping Commandery for over a month.
It was just the season of autumn harvest.
Pei Qinghe rode through the endless good farmland outside Beiping Commandery. Pei Yun was busy recruiting soldiers, Gu Lian was training troops in the barracks, and Pei Yan accompanied her.
Over these years, people around Pei Qinghe had come and gone, but only Pei Yan had been by her side from beginning to end.
“The farmland in Beiping Commandery is not farmed well.” Pei Yan followed Pei Qinghe all day and was often smacked on the back of the head in teaching, so her brain was much sharper than before: “It’s not as good as the wasteland we reclaimed in Pei Family Village.”
The wheat was sparse, weeds grew thick, and the wheat ears were shriveled.
Pei Qinghe frowned and said softly: “The Beiping Army left three years ago, and several bands of bandits have emerged here. The common people have had no peaceful days and can’t farm with peace of mind.”
“Even if grain is grown, much of it has to be handed over for taxes.”
The Jing Dynasty’s land tax was set based on the amount of farmland, at one fifth, meaning twenty percent handed over. When it reached the various commanderies and counties, how much tax was collected depended on the officials’ greed. There were all sorts of taxes like poll tax and seedling tax.
In these two years, with the Imperial Court fallen and the world in chaos, the various armies outwardly served their lords but actually carved out territories and dominated sides. Everyone wanted to build up troops for self-preservation, everyone robbed the magnates and pressured the government offices, ultimately passing the burden layer by layer onto the common people. Yan Prefecture’s counties paid thirty percent tax, already the lowest in the Northern Lands.
Beiping Commandery paid fifty percent land tax last year. The government office also occasionally levied extra taxes.
Pei Yan huffed indignantly: “I always thought Prefect Tang of Tang Prefecture in Yan Prefecture was a big fat parasite, greedily insatiable. This Prefect Shen is even worse, no good thing.”
Pei Qinghe sighed lightly: “Yes! It’s like this everywhere, rotten to the core. To let the common people live peaceful days, there’s only one way.”
Overthrow the corrupt old regime and establish a brand-new dynasty.
Pei Qinghe didn’t voice the last sentence.
Pei Yan used to speak without restraint and had been taught lessons by Pei Qinghe many times, so now she was much more restrained. At least she knew to shake her head, look left and right to confirm no outsiders were around, before saying: “That King Qiao is no good thing; after taking the Capital City, he hasn’t done a single good deed. And that Tao Wudi, who even boiled human flesh for military rations on the road. Bah! Such people don’t deserve to sit on the Dragon Throne.”
“Cousin Sister Qinghe is the heaven-sent God of War, bound to aspire to conquer the land one day.”
Pei Qinghe glanced over: “Don’t talk nonsense!”
Pei Yan chuckled.
“General!” Prefect Shen heard the news and hurried over, sweat on his forehead, full of obsequious smiles: “Why has the General personally come to the fields? There’s lots of dust here, and it’s all filthy common people, nothing worth seeing. The General should go to the government office and wait to collect the land tax.”
Pei Qinghe glanced at Prefect Shen and said indifferently: “Farming is a top priority. In Pei Family Village, during autumn harvest, everyone goes to the fields to work. This General is no exception.”
Prefect Shen hit a hard wall, his head nearly swelling from the bump.
Then, General Pei continued: “This General has heard that Beiping Commandery collected fifty percent land tax last year. I wonder where the collected land tax was used?”
Prefect Shen’s heart tightened, and he cautiously replied: “In response to the General, last year’s taxes collected in Beiping Commandery were half handed over to Bohai Commandery, and the other half kept in the government office. The Imperial Court has nothing, and the officials and yamen runners in the government office need their salaries.”
Pei Qinghe tugged at the corner of her mouth, but there was no smile in her eyes: “Spare me these official platitudes in the future.”
Prefect Shen ate another rebuff and awkwardly agreed.
Pei Qinghe continued: “I won’t pursue past matters. From this year on, Beiping Commandery may not levy extra taxes for any reason; land tax will be collected only once a year. No poll allocation; verify the actual farmland and collect thirty percent tax per acre.”
“Draft a proclamation and post it. Find some clever yamen runners to read the proclamation to the common people, so all common people know about collecting thirty percent land tax.”
