It was another ten-day rest day. The common people of Zhuo County in Youzhou instinctively headed toward the county office announcement wall and city gates. Those in the countryside went to the market.
Previously, markets were held on the first and fifteenth. Since Youzhou had schools, and the schools shouldered the task of transmitting court policies, Youzhou’s markets gradually changed to once every ten days, each time on the first day of the students’ rest period.
This wasn’t required by the government office, but something the common people did spontaneously.
Previously, they didn’t feel these court policies were very relevant to them, but whenever the court provided relief, corvée service, tax exemptions, and such series of policies, students would be sent to read them at the market, more detailed than what they learned from village heads and elders. So they couldn’t help but go to the market to listen.
Since they were already at the market, how could they not conveniently exchange for some urgently needed items to take home?
So each market was very lively. Even though farming was busy recently, they would still spare half a day to rush to the market.
This time, four students came on duty—two were sixteen or seventeen years old, both scholars who had studied for several years. They brought two boys of eleven or twelve who had just entered school half a year ago. They knew few characters and were there to maintain order and help out.
The two oldest had already studied for several years. After studying for another year and finishing new books like “New Mathematics,” they could become school teachers. Of course, if they didn’t want to be teachers, they could take the government office clerk examination, or participate in the imperial recruitment examination.
However, with their current learning, they definitely couldn’t participate in the imperial recruitment examination. As for government office clerks, it wasn’t as good as being school teachers.
Teachers’ monthly salaries were much higher than government office clerks.
“…State-operated salt has unified prices nationwide. This month’s state-operated salt price is eight hundred coins per shi, seven coins per catty. Salt can only be purchased from government salt shops and designated general stores. The court strictly orders that state-operated salt must not be hoarded. Any salt sold outside at prices lower than six coins or higher than nine coins will be treated as hoarded private salt…”
Buzzing discussion surrounded them—people couldn’t suppress their happiness. “Half a catty of salt is enough for my family to eat for half a year.”
“That’s not enough, is it? How much can half a catty of salt be?”
“If we’re careful, it’s still possible.”
The students perked up their ears and listened for a while, then flipped the court gazette and continued loudly: “The Great General decrees that Youzhou suffered frequent natural and man-made disasters last year. The people suffered hardship. Therefore, this year Youzhou is exempted from corvée service and poll tax. Field rent is reduced by half. For the rest—fishing, hunting, animal husbandry, textile work, medicine and divination, trade—excluding costs, calculating profits, tax one in ten. There must be no error.”
Involving taxes, the common people listening to the policies immediately became anxious, rushing to ask: “What does that mean, what does that mean?”
The student said loudly: “The Great General has exempted Youzhou from corvée service and poll tax. This year’s field rent is reduced by half. For handicraft workers, such as medical workers, animal husbandry, textile work, and traders, excluding costs, income is divided into ten parts, of which one part must be paid as tribute.”
Many people had only dealt with fields before and didn’t understand previous policies, so they couldn’t help asking: “Is that more or less?”
“Less.”
Hearing this, everyone became happy and asked again: “During farming slack season, if we help others tend fields or help build houses and earn money, must we pay tax?”
Previously they had to. When the Great Jin lacked money, they could find any pretext. If you carried packages for others and earned ten coins a day, you had to give three coins to the court.
As long as people left the village to look for work, regardless of whether they could find it, they had to pay an official road damage fee. Even if they walked on small paths, it didn’t matter. One year, Wang Jun even had people set up checkpoints on roads where everyone passing had to pay one coin as a defecation fee. The reason was that they had left the village and relieved themselves outside, polluting nature, so they had to pay this money.
Even if someone held it in and claimed they hadn’t defecated, it was useless.
The student was also from Youzhou and had similarly been charged these various messy fees. He pointed at the court gazette and said: “The Great General said that besides court-regulated taxes, all other miscellaneous taxes are completely canceled. Commanderies and counties have no authority for private levies. If they want to levy taxes, they must report to the governor’s office. Without court decree, newly added taxes in one area per year cannot exceed three types, and each type cannot exceed three sheng of grain per person.”
Upon hearing this, the common people couldn’t help but cheer.
The entire market was filled with cheering voices. When those who came to the market returned to their villages, this news spread throughout the countryside.
A woman sitting by the fire straining to twist thread heard this. Because of eye strain, when she raised her head, tears flowed down her cheeks. “That’s wonderful, so wonderful. Then this year’s silk cloth and cotton can all be kept to make clothes for you all.”
The man came forward and put aside the thread in her hands, saying: “Since the court has exempted corvée service, there’s no rush to make this. Wait until daytime when the light is good to make it. Your eyes need rest.”
“I’m not tired. This year I’ll make a few more sets of clothes for the children. Last year they were really frozen.”
Youzhou, Yanzhou, and Yongzhou, which had been thoroughly ravaged by killing, and Yongzhou, which had continuous grain shortages, received the same treatment. While Bingzhou, Jizhou, Qingzhou, Guangzhou and such places had corvée service reduced by half, were exempted from poll tax, and had field rent reduced by half.
The court’s policies reached each province. Besides some officials worrying about local finances, everyone else celebrated greatly with the people. The entire nation rejoiced.
Amidst this joy, Luoyang and areas to the south welcomed the summer harvest.
Schools gave summer harvest vacation. Students returned home, wielding sickles and rushing into the fields with their families to harvest wheat.
Xuzhou and Yangzhou were separated by a body of water. Both were harvesting wheat in the fields. The celebration from this side transmitted to that side, and those people couldn’t help but strike up conversation.
Thus, people on this side of the river also learned that the other side had been exempted from poll tax and many other taxes, immediately feeling envious.
The news spread bit by bit into Jiangdong and Jiangnan. Common people in both regions were extremely envious.
Over the past year, they hadn’t experienced warfare like the northern regions, but ordinary common people’s lives weren’t easy either, especially around Poyang Lake. Because refugees from Shu flowed in, Wang Dun had fought several times with the northward faction.
Adding the large numbers of aristocratic families and commoners migrating from the north, not only were their lives difficult, but the common people whose living space was squeezed also had hard lives.
The local common people of Jiangdong and Jiangnan envied the tax reductions and exemptions in the Central Plains this year. Those who had fled south and were striving to integrate into the local area but hadn’t yet settled down—the minor aristocratic families—also had wavering hearts, looking north and thinking of returning.
Only the great aristocratic families—no matter where they went, their lives would never be very difficult.
As for Zhao Hanzhang’s measures in the Central Plains, they naturally heard about them as well. So they went to find Wang Dao. “Maohong, why not suggest to the Prince that he also reduce and exempt taxes to stabilize people’s hearts?”
Wang Dao said: “This method is good. Everyone can submit memorials together.”
Several people exchanged glances and all agreed, making an appointment to submit memorials together suggesting this.
After leaving the Wang residence, several people didn’t disperse separately but changed to another place to continue drinking and gathering. “Since February, the Prince has not seen Maohong. I don’t know what happened between them. Previously, for small matters like tax reduction and exemption, Maohong would just say a word to the Prince and it would be done. Now he actually wants us to submit memorials ourselves.”