Zhao Hanzhang took the essay to find Hu Jin, having him stop the book he was currently carving and carve out this essay first.
Hu Jin took it and read it. He could now recognize many characters—nearly half of the characters in this essay he recognized.
Unlike children just beginning their education, he had always been engaged in carving work and had encountered many characters.
Although he didn’t recognize any of them completely, only knowing how to carve positive characters after copying them, and no one had taught him how to pronounce these characters or what they meant, practice makes perfect with everything, and carving was no exception.
He could remember many, many positive characters, and naturally could also remember many of the characters that were copied to create those positive characters. Zhao Hanzhang had good students teach him and the apprentices to read and write.
He could learn even faster than the apprentices studying in the school, and his calligraphy was extremely good.
Hu Jin looked at the manuscript in his hand in a daze, asking hesitantly, “This seems to be an essay scolding people.”
Zhao Hanzhang nodded. “Yet it scolds with extreme skill. Such excellent writing—if we don’t share it with people throughout the realm, it would truly be regrettable. Carve it out and print many copies.”
After thinking it over, Zhao Hanzhang said, “Print a thousand copies first. Remember to return the original manuscript to me. For the others that are carved and printed, design covers for all of them and treat them as small booklets to sell.”
Hu Jin asked, “What price should be set?”
“Price it cheaply—three coins per booklet. Wang Yan is worth this price.” Hu Jin felt this line was harsh enough too, although he didn’t know who Wang Yan was. But at present, what book cost only three coins per booklet?
Although this was just a few sheets of correspondence, there were quite a few characters on it. In Hu Jin’s view, it was also quite valuable. Anything with characters was valuable.
After giving her instructions, Zhao Hanzhang happily left.
As expected, when Zhao Cheng learned that Zhao Hanzhang had taken his letter out to carve and print, planning to publicize it widely, he didn’t have much reaction.
If he could scold Wang Yan awake, that would be the best thing possible. If he couldn’t, but could let ambitious people with ideals throughout the realm see it and think one more thought, then this enmity he formed wouldn’t be in vain.
The matter of forming enmity was set aside. The urgent matter at hand was the taxation issue.
Zhao Ming still called Zhao Hanzhang over and said, “I dealt with one wave of tax officials for you, but whether more will come later is uncertain. Especially now, all counties within Runan Commandery except Xiping and Shangcai are in difficulty.”
“The Commandery Vice-Governor doesn’t hide that the increased taxes for other counties are because your Xiping and Shangcai haven’t paid enough. I imagine quite a few county magistrates now harbor resentment toward you, and even the common people under their governance deeply resent you. Be careful when you go out in the future.”
Zhao Hanzhang’s brows furrowed tightly. “If you ask me, with no Governor in Runan Commandery, the Commandery Vice-Governor should shoulder the Governor’s responsibilities. Right now, the common people in all counties are having hard times. Increasing taxes layer by layer like this is simply taking people’s lives. Since Inspector He has no intention of participating in this dispute, why force the common people like this?”
Zhao Ming said, “This isn’t something you and I can discuss or decide.”
Zhao Hanzhang pursed her lips. She had no intention of letting the common people of other counties suffer for her sake. Frowning, she began to rack her brains for a solution. But before she could think of one, Quyang descended into chaos!
In the dead of night, Zhao Hanzhang was sleeping soundly when suddenly the courtyard gate was pounded. She opened her eyes at once. Hearing the urgent knocking, she threw back the covers and got out of bed, reached out to take down the sword hanging on the wall, gripped it, and went out.
Servants had been awakened and were hurrying to open the door. Ting He, looking confused and disheveled, ran over. “My lady, what’s happening?”
“Nothing.” After looking around, Zhao Hanzhang said, “Have someone climb over the wall to check on Fu Dalang.”
Ting He said “Oh” and led people to climb over the wall and jump into the neighboring courtyard. Fu Tinghan, who had been standing in the corridor with his clothes on listening to the sounds, quietly watched them scale the wall.
The maids carrying swords and staffs were made somewhat uncomfortable by Fu Tinghan’s gaze. They couldn’t help looking toward their leader, Ting He.
Ting He was also a bit flustered and hurriedly explained, “My lady sent us over.”
Fu Tinghan nodded at them but still stood in the corridor, pricking up his ears to listen. Soon he heard the sound of the courtyard gate opening. Someone from next door rushed in, and after a moment, someone came from next door to request Fu Tinghan. “Young Master, the lady requests you come over to discuss matters.”
Only then did Fu Tinghan go over.
Ting He began muttering, “The young master wasn’t even worried about our lady being in danger, just kept waiting there…”
Fu’an, who was walking with her, heard this and glanced at her before saying, “This is the Xiping County Office. Not far away is your lady’s military camp. How could danger reach the county office’s rear courtyard?”
“But our lady still called us over to protect Fu Dalang.”
Fu’an looked her up and down disdainfully. “Just with you lot?”
Ting He got angry at this and raised the staff in her hand with a swish, her eyes glinting coldly as she stared at him and asked, “Say that again. What’s wrong with us? Do we need to have a match to compare?”
Fight if you want—who’s afraid of whom?
Fu’an immediately looked to Fu Tinghan. “Young Master…”
Fu Tinghan thought for a moment and said, “It’s late today. If you want to compete, choose a time tomorrow. Go to the training grounds—don’t break things at home.”
Fu’an agreed with Ting He, “Then tomorrow at noon at the training grounds.”
Ting He said, “Let’s compete!”
The one who came knocking was Ji Yuan, along with a minor official from Quyang County. Surprising or not?
The minor official was holding a cup of hot water, drinking while crying, begging Zhao Hanzhang to send troops. “Those rioters came suddenly, and with people inside the city cooperating with them, they moved extremely fast. They first broke into the Governor’s office and killed the Commandery Vice-Governor, then attacked the county office. The county magistrate is barely holding on now, but with so many rioters, the bailiffs probably can’t hold out much longer either. Please, County Magistrate Zhao, send troops to suppress the rebellion.”
Zhao Hanzhang asked, “Where did these rioters come from?”
“I really don’t know where they came from!”
Zhao Hanzhang frowned. “Whether they came from another county or are local citizens rioting—you should at least know that, right?”
Seeing the minor official just wiping tears without speaking, Zhao Hanzhang said, “Right now, County Magistrate Sun is trapped in the county office. If we’re going to fight, we’ll be fighting from outside. Once we provoke the rioters in the city, I’m afraid they’ll harm County Magistrate Sun and his family. If we could know where they came from, we’d have more ways to respond.”
Only then did the minor official say, “Most are citizens of this county, with a small portion being refugees who have drifted over from other counties. But the leaders among them are refugees mixed in with the displaced people—most likely they incited the citizens to riot using the summer tax issue.”
Zhao Hanzhang asked, “Who is that person? Do you recognize him?”
“I don’t recognize him. He came mixed in with the refugees. I heard he’s called Chen Wan.”
Zhao Hanzhang didn’t recognize him either, so after pondering for a moment, she said, “I’ll immediately muster troops. Please tell me how many rioters there are. Oh, and how did your county magistrate collect the summer taxes?”
What other way could there be?
The Commandery Vice-Governor was right there in Quyang County. Under his strong pressure, County Magistrate Sun could only forcibly collect them. So during this period, the liveliest place in Quyang County was the human market. Men dragged their daughters and sons from home to sell at the market. After selling them, if they still couldn’t scrape together enough for the summer tax, they’d sell their wives too. If it still wasn’t enough…
Then the whole family would pack up their things and flee overnight.
Some couldn’t even flee. The village headmen sent people to guard the roads. Some people, afraid of implicating their relatives, hanged themselves, jumped into rivers, or ate arsenic. There were some of each.
This was also why, when Chen Wan raised his arm and called out, many common people who couldn’t survive responded. In the heat of the moment, they surrounded the county town, then rushed into Quyang County. First, they jumped into the Governor’s office and killed the Commandery Vice-Governor, broke open the storehouses and divided up the grain, and only then went to surround the county office.
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