Old Qian lost the chess game and was naturally unhappy. He had a servant fetch him a pot of wine with a plate of pig ears. The registrar was an old friend and wouldn’t take offense. One pot of wine, one plate of pig ears—the two prepared to restart the battle and reignite the flames of war.
Every time rent was collected, the court would have censors patrol the countryside. Their task was very clear—to check if any incidents of bullying farmers had occurred. Investigating treachery and examining wrongdoing was their main work. Holding in their hands the great power of summary disposition, they ran roughshod through the countryside, making all landlords and wealthy families cry out in misery. For no other reason than this: if tenant farmers had disputes with the master’s family at this time, the censors would unprincipled favor the farmers, earning themselves the title of “upright great magistrate.”
Among the three counties subordinate to Chang’an, Chang’an County was in the city, Wannian County was also in the city, and Lantian County had been newly incorporated—surely it was filled with all kinds of darkness and inequality. Young censors brought their attendants, bypassing Chang’an and Wannian counties, directly charging toward Lantian County, which had never been illuminated by sunlight.
No one was at the county yamen. The county magistrate had gone to the countryside, the registrar had gone to the countryside, and the county commandant had taken yamen runners to investigate why three oxen had died in succession at Niu Family Village—all had official duties. The censors still held a positive attitude toward the diligence of Lantian County officials. Without needing greetings, they went themselves to where landlords and wealthy families were most numerous—there should be opportunities for them to make their names.
Needless to say, Yushan was the first choice. The Yun family was a household of local tyrants. Their lawless deeds running roughshod over Chang’an were too numerous to record. The Cheng family and Niu family were also not good or kind households. Who knew how many good common people would be forced to leave their homes, abandon their wives, sell their sons and daughters on this day of rent collection? Just thinking about it made one’s heart ache. How could they be absent at such a time?
The censors sent out were all young talents selected from various prefectures. In Great Tang’s vigorous and open-minded official atmosphere, they had developed the grand bearing to dare speak and dare act. Over many years, Li Er’s seemingly muddled policy had brought countless halos to the Li family. Powerful and noble families, even if fined during this rent collection period, had nowhere to argue—they could only accept their bad luck. However, such incidents were extremely rare. Common people, holding the thought that “the people do not contend with officials,” would not easily make trouble for the master’s family. Once they did, it meant they truly had no way to survive.
Fat horses and light clothing traveled along the paths. Youth in high spirits was a fine time. Willows swaying gently brushed against them as if trying to make these young officials linger a moment longer to appreciate their graceful bearing. Unfortunately, with common people in dire straits and powerful families pressing urgently, even the finest scenery held no appeal—they only hoped those landlords and wealthy families weren’t too black-hearted.
The Cheng family collected rent with great joy. The tenant farmers supported each other walking home, faces flushed as they boasted about how much more their family had harvested this year. The Cheng family’s way of showing gratitude was fine wine. Old Cheng and Young Cheng weren’t there—Cheng Chuji had been called back from the academy by his mother to preside over the important rent collection matter. The tenant farmers casually dumped grain into the warehouse. The steward and accountant smiled as they kept accounts—however much the tenant farmers said, that’s what it was. They even saved using the large scale.
After paying rent, they gnawed flatbread and drank meat soup under the shed, incidentally drinking a large bowl of strong liquor—not drinking wasn’t an option. Cheng Chuji was already drunk and confused, his clothing open exposing his chest hair. Who knew where a sixteen-year-old child got so much body hair?
There was no injustice here. Those lying in the shed weren’t knocked unconscious but had passed out drunk from inability to handle liquor. Their wives and children guarded beside them, incidentally eating a few more pieces of flatbread.
The Cheng family’s tenant farmers were all veterans who had followed Old Cheng for many years. They didn’t care about collecting a few more dou of grain. The Cheng family never relied on field production to live. The tenant farmers’ loyalty was most important. The master’s family determined the tenant farmers’ character. People from Cheng family estate had always been hot-tempered yet magnanimous. At Cheng family estate, being polite earned kind treatment, but being slightly arrogant would definitely invite a beating. For instance, right now there were four or five blind bastards galloping wildly through the estate on horses—didn’t they see elderly, children, and women still walking in the middle of the road?
All being veterans, who didn’t know some methods for dealing with cavalry? Immediately carrying poles were thrust between horse legs. Several horses immediately crashed thunderously to the ground. Those with good alcohol tolerance who remained clear-headed, seeing official robes, knew trouble was brewing. To avoid causing trouble for the master’s family, they quietly picked up the carrying poles, supported their drunk companions, and staggered home. When asked tomorrow, everyone was drunk—who knew what happened?
Falling from a horse was actually very dangerous—those who broke their necks weren’t just one or two. Fortunately, the horse speed wasn’t too fast, and the tenant farmers took no further action. On the battlefield, generally at this time horizontal blades should enter the scene. The young officials trembled with rage, angrily looking at the drunk tenant farmers all over the street. Having anger with nowhere to vent—even if there truly was injustice in this place, it was deserved punishment, not worthy of sympathy.
Not being welcome, they naturally turned to leave. The horse legs were somewhat lame, so they had to lead them. The Cheng Yaojin household never had good people. They came to back up the tenant farmers—if they made trouble for the tenant farmers, they would become a laughingstock. Better to suffer grievances themselves than ruin His Majesty’s grand plan.
Limping to the Niu family, it was the same here. Many tenant farmers were missing arms or legs—just thinking about it, one knew they were Old Niu’s old subordinates. Who would mistreat their own old subordinates? Looking at those tenant farmers patting the steward’s shoulder calling him “brother,” one knew nothing they hoped for would happen here.
Fortunately, there was still one biggest local tyrant who hadn’t been investigated. Washing their faces by the small river, simply mending the torn official robes, chewing some dry rations with river water, reviving their spirits, comforting their attendants, they led the horses onto the road to the Yun family. The common people were simple—seeing several injured officials, they cleared their ox carts and invited them to sit up. This was the first time since arriving at Yushan that they felt human care.
“Old man, are you also from the Yun family estate? Just now I saw you fully loaded with grain coming from Chang’an—why is this? Summer harvest just finished and there’s already not enough grain to eat at home?”
“My family is different from other families. The master’s family only wants copper coins. This old man sold the grain at home, then bought some grain back, keeping some copper coins to pay rent to the master’s family.”
“How much money and grain do you need to pay?”
“Speaking of it, official won’t believe—this old man’s family needs to pay the master’s family six strings and three hundred wen.” The old tenant farmer answered with a smile.
The young censor’s chest was about to burst. What kind of black-hearted master’s family would demand so much money and grain from tenant farmers? An ox was only worth eight strings of cash. A pitiful farmer’s whole family wasn’t worth that much. Demanding an ox every year—was this something people did? The Eastern Sea had a bottom, but human greed was boundless. Every year the Yun family invested large amounts of money into Yushan Academy. What “reincarnated Tao Zhu”—his money was all scraped from poor common people. A person seeking fame and reputation deserved to be executed by all.
The foremost of Chang’an’s three evils was his true face. Pitiful that His Majesty was deceived by treacherous officials, constantly saying he was a model among officials. Who would have thought he was the fierce tiger devouring common people?
Seeing the tattered clothing on the old man, his heart was bleak. Although he himself entered the Censorate from the Imperial Academy, currently only holding eighth rank position, counting for nothing before Yun Ye’s third rank official position, today even if all his teeth fell out, he would bite off a piece of bloody flesh from this thief harming the people.
“This old man is paying little this year. My family’s second son is campaigning beyond the frontier with Duke Cheng’s state, so the Marquis exempted my family’s second son’s share—a full two strings less. The Yun family are all good people, never mistreating tenant farmers. Wang the Confused’s family didn’t have this good fortune this year. He insisted his youngest had just finished the month and didn’t count as a person. Hahaha, he was kicked twice by Steward Old Qian. In the end, he still had to pay up that portion of money.”
The young censor looked sorrowfully at the jubilant old man. The illiterate old man didn’t know—when militia troops went to war, they fundamentally didn’t need to pay money and grain. That commoner bullied by the Yun family’s evil servant also didn’t know—children grew to adulthood, received their share land and permanent holdings, only then formally began paying taxes. Good heavens, even the imperial family didn’t dare collect taxes from babies still in their first month. By what right did the Yun family dare? Who gave them such audacity?
The old man sang unintelligible ditties with his mouth open. The dark feet in hemp sandals showed he didn’t know how much hardship he’d endured. Singing mountain songs was perhaps his last bit of pleasure.
The Yun family estate was very prosperous. The marketplace had people coming and going. The tall tile-roofed houses on both sides of the road all displayed its affluence. A horse ate recklessly at small vendors’ stalls—one bite here, one bite there. Not only did no one dare stop it, but they smiled ingratiatingly while scratching the horse’s neck. He even saw some small vendors putting money in that horse’s money pouch. Even a horse was so domineering—what more of people?
Raising his eyes to look at the tall, continuous dwellings on both sides of the road, then lowering his head to look at the clean, tidy bluestone pavement beneath his feet, he almost dared not step on it. He only felt that above were the wronged souls of common people. The snow-white walls slowly turned blood red in his eyes. The false smiles and fabricated prosperity on the streets pressed down on him like a huge mountain. He breathed with difficulty, reaching into his bosom, tightly clutching that order permitting him summary disposition. Only thus could he muster a bit of courage.
From the Yun family’s main gate emerged a burly giant of a man, his clothing open, face full of brutal features. Walking with a swagger, passersby all dodged aside. He casually grabbed a crisp melon from a stall, broke it in half, and stuck it in his mouth to eat. Melon juice flowed down the corners of his mouth—rough in appearance. The merchant called him “Lord Bao” ingratiatingly, even bringing out the best fruit for the big man to eat more. After finishing without paying, he said “no flavor,” grabbed the next stall’s crisp melon and continued gnawing. The small vendor dared be angry but dared not speak.
Secretly reporting matters was originally the censor’s duty, let alone now witnessing with his own eyes. The censor at this moment instead calmed down. Such evil conduct had existed on this sinful land of Yushan for at least six full years. A place harboring filth and evil still dared call itself a place of outstanding natural beauty and remarkable people?
Li Gang didn’t deserve to be called a literary master of his generation. Xin of Yushan, having such a grandson-in-law, was wrongly called a great scholar. Master Yuanzhang, self-proclaimed morally noble and pure, was actually just a joke. Today, even at the cost of life, justice must be sought for the common people of Yun family estate, returning a blue sky to this land.