Era Name Change to Wuding and Imposed Levies

"Master! You wanted to see me?"

Fang Yue arrived at Fang Hu's home and entered the room in a rush.

Fang Hu was brewing tea. The fragrance drifted through the room—it was pan-fried tea.

However, Fang Hu had been born broad and burly, with dark skin. Yet his tea-brewing movements were always so refined that he gave Fang Yue the feeling of Zhang Fei holding an embroidery needle.

"You're here. Sit down and have a cup of tea first."

Fang Hu gave Fang Yue a slight sigh as he watched him enter. Thinking of the contents of that letter, he could not help but marvel.

He had originally thought Fang Yue would have to wait until three years later, when his Skin Tempering was complete and he began Bone Forging, before he had a chance to take the Martial Imperial Exam.

But unexpectedly, an opportunity had come this very year.

The letter today had been written by his master. It said that the current Son of Heaven of the Great Wei Dynasty had changed the era name to Wuding this year and had also reformed the Martial Imperial Exam.

Below the Imperial Martial Candidate rank, an examination for Martial Scholars had been added, corresponding precisely to the second martial stage, the Skin Tempering realm.

This way, Fang Yue had caught the opportunity at just the right time.

Although Fang Yue had practiced martial arts for only a year, his foundation was solid and his progress was not slow. Coupled with his natural divine strength, he was far stronger than ordinary martial artists of the same realm.

Thus, he would have a chance even against martial artists who had completed Skin Tempering.

Of course, even if he failed, it would not mean much. He could treat it as entering the arena early to broaden his horizons.

Though someone who had only just entered the Bone Forging Pass would most likely be unable to achieve particularly good results in the Martial Imperial Exam, seeing the wider world would still be worthwhile.

Once Fang Yue had drunk his tea, Fang Hu continued, "I called you here because I have good news to tell you. The current Son of Heaven of the Great Wei Dynasty has changed the era name to Wuding, and the Martial Imperial Exam has added a Martial Scholar examination, corresponding exactly to the Skin Tempering realm."

"Each county's Martial Imperial Exam may admit thirty Martial Scholars. Martial Scholars may enjoy the Three Hundred Mu Tax Exemption and receive Ten Corvée Exemptions."

Fang Hu took a sip of tea, his gaze fixed upon the cup as though savoring the tea's fragrance.

The clear tea made by pan-frying had a sweet aftertaste and had become his main tea. He had long since found his former tea undrinkable.

At this, Fang Yue drew a deep breath.

Tax exemption. Corvée exemption.

There were only those two benefits, but to ordinary farmers, they were simply far too important.

Given his family's circumstances, if they could be exempted from taxes and corvée labor, they could save at least twenty or thirty taels of silver each year.

His father, mother, elder brother, and elder sister would no longer have to work as hard as they did now.

Perhaps, after several years, their family could even become landlords like Master Liu's family in the village.

"This opportunity is rare. What does Yue'er think?" Fang Hu asked.

"I want to give it a try." Fang Yue nodded, thought for a moment, and answered.

"Mm, it would be good for you to try. This Martial Imperial Exam will be held in October, leaving more than three months from now. Yue'er, seize this chance and work hard." Fang Hu said.

Fang Yue nodded to show that he understood.

Fang Hu gave him a few more instructions, and Fang Yue then took his leave.

After learning of the new Martial Imperial Exam, Fang Yue cultivated even more diligently in the days that followed.

Aside from hunting in the mountains, he spent nearly all his remaining time practicing martial arts and cultivating.

His Skin Tempering progress steadily improved as well. If not for the shortage of Secret Medicine for Skin Tempering, with only one jar ensured each month, his speed could have risen another notch.

Even so, by the beginning of the Eighth Month, the skin across his entire body had become like cowhide, completing its first tempering.

That day,

Fang Yue returned from hunting. He had just reached the village entrance when he saw a large crowd gathered at the grain-drying ground.

"Fellow elders, fellow villagers, this autumn's taxes will increase by twenty percent. Please remember it well!" A yamen runner dressed in black official garb struck a gong and shouted loudly from the center of the grain-drying ground.

"What? An increase of twenty percent?"

"Didn't the taxes rise just the year before last? Why are they going up again?"

"Exactly! They've gone up twenty percent all at once. Are they leaving us any way to live?"

The moment the yamen runner finished speaking, the Daliushu Village villagers around the grain-drying ground erupted into noise.

Taxes and corvée labor were already heavy. Which one of them was not living with their belts pulled tight?

Even so, many villagers were barely scraping by. If the taxes truly increased again, many of them feared they would be unable to survive at all.

"Heh, think the taxes are too high? Fine. Anyone who does not wish to pay taxes may do so. The northern Barbarians are invading, and the Son of Heaven is forming the Wuding Army. If anyone in your household is willing to enlist, your taxes will be exempted for three years."

"Whoever wants to go can come over now to sign and press their fingerprint."

The leading yamen runner snorted coldly, his eyes fixed fiercely on the clamorous villagers around him.

He was powerfully built and had clearly practiced martial arts. His muscles were taut and strong, and with a steel blade in hand, he naturally carried an imposing air.

The moment he spoke, the surrounding clamor immediately fell silent.

The villagers looked at one another. For a time, no one dared to speak.

"A bunch of unruly commoners. You should know that if not for the county magistrate pleading for you at the prefectural government and allowing taxes to offset military service, half of you would probably have been sent off to become soldiers!"

Good iron was not made into nails; good men did not become soldiers. In these times, going to war truly meant nine deaths and one life.

Besides, what did three years of tax exemption matter? Once a household lost its able-bodied laborer, would it not still be ruined three years later for being unable to pay its taxes?

"Hmph, why has everyone gone quiet now?"

"Since no one is willing to become a soldier, then pay your taxes honestly. The county magistrate is benevolent and has specially granted you all three months' grace."

"When the time comes, anyone unable to pay will have no choice but to take a trip to the northwest." The leading yamen runner barked coldly, then summoned his subordinates and left.

He had many tasks to attend to, with several nearby villages still needing notification. Naturally, he would not linger here.

"Alas, whether you stick out your head or pull it back, the blade still falls. What are we supposed to do?"

"Exactly. These are hard times. They truly won't leave us any way to live!"

At the grain-drying ground, the villagers all wore deeply worried expressions.

Some who had already been living wretchedly were even filled with despair.

Seeing this scene, Fang Yue could not help but sigh inwardly.

The wealthy and powerful great households did not need to pay taxes at all. Instead, every tax burden was pressed onto these impoverished farmers.

Take Master Liu of Daliushu Village, for example. Because a Juren had once come from his family, he had become the largest landlord across several villages.

He had hundreds, even thousands, of mu of land under his name and more than a hundred people in his household, yet his family paid no taxes at all and performed no miscellaneous labor.

The suffering common folk bore the heavy burden of taxes and corvée labor. No wonder so many officials had driven the people into rebellion throughout the history of his previous life.

Though Fang Yue sympathized in his heart,

he was not an immortal. He also knew that with his little arms and legs, he could not resist the laws of the Great Wei Dynasty, nor could he help anyone else.

All he could do was give his utmost effort to ensure that his family in this life lived better. That was all.

"So, in this Martial Scholar Imperial Examination, I must achieve results."

Fang Yue silently made up his mind, then headed home.