"The taxes His Majesty wants collected are posted all over the capital. Clearly, it is only three li of silver extra per mu of land, so why are you charging an additional two fen of silver?"
"His Majesty said taxes are only levied on those who own land. The land clearly belongs to Liu Wealthy Man's family, so why are they not taxed while the tenant farmers are?"
"Liu Wealthy Man's family only has one xiucai, so they can only be exempted from one person's corvée labor. Why are all their taxes exempted?"
In the Great Yan Dynasty's silver measurements, one tael equaled ten qian, one hundred fen, or one thousand li.
Somewhere in the Central Plains, a youth spoke righteously to the tax collectors.
Smack! A flurry of lashes answered him. "How dare you twist His Majesty's intent? What we say is the law!" the tax collector snarled.
The youth was whipped until he rolled all over the ground.
If not for the crowd around them, and the many people glaring viciously at the tax collectors, it would have been perfectly normal for them to whip him to death.
"Listen up! What His Majesty stipulated is the Imperial Grain Tax. What we collect is an Additional Levy. Roads need repairing and dikes need building every year. Which of those does not require silver? If we gentlemen do not collect Additional Levies, how are we supposed to eat and drink?"
"Why is Liu Landlord's family not being taxed? Because Liu Landlord donated money to the county. Did you donate anything?"
The tax collector spewed nonsense. Country folk knew little anyway, so he could say whatever he pleased and fool them however he liked.
The youth was helped to his feet, gritting his teeth and refusing to cry.
He could not