Gloom and Doom

Gloom and doom.

Ever since the yamen runners announced a twenty percent increase in taxes this year, all of Daliushu Village had been shrouded in gloom and doom.

If they paid the taxes, they might starve to death.

But if they refused to pay, they would have to serve in the army. Fighting the Barbarians in the northwest meant nine chances of death for every one of survival—practically walking into the grave.

However, there was naturally a solution to such a situation.

Land Donation.

How had the great aristocratic clans risen? By acquiring the privilege of exemption from taxes and military service. Villagers donated their land to them, and generation after generation of accumulation allowed them to grow.

Among the self-cultivating farmers of Daliushu Village who had originally been barely scraping by, many turned their attention to Master Liu's family.

For a time, more than a dozen households offered land donations to Master Liu.

But once they donated their land, they would become dependents of the Liu Family from then on and no longer retain the status of free people.

Paths such as the Imperial Examination and Martial Imperial Exam would be forever closed to them. For generation after generation, they would have to depend on their master's household to survive.

Yet these were only a few lucky ones.

The Liu Family had been landowners for decades already, and they possessed plenty of land to begin with. After taking over those dozen or so households, their land had reached the upper limit for tax exemption.

If they accepted any more land donations, they would have to pay taxes.

Many villagers in Daliushu Village regretted it beyond words when they saw this. After hesitating for only a moment, they had missed this fine opportunity.

Still, the Fang Family was managing reasonably well.

Thanks to Fang Yue, they had stored up quite a bit of grain over the past year. They could still bear the additional twenty percent tax.

Another month passed.

The yamen runners had said last time that payment could be delayed for three months, as long as the full amount was handed in within that time.

But naturally, they could not truly wait until three months had passed before collecting taxes, since tax collection itself took time.

If they only began collecting after three months, someone would surely delay. With one thing leading to another, it might take another month or two to finish.

Then the County Magistrate would inevitably punish them.

That day,

Fang Yue had just finished training and was washing up in the courtyard.

"His father, come help catch this rabbit. Mother will make braised rabbit for you at noon." Chen Shi came out of the kitchen and called to Father Fang, who was feeding the cattle.

Without even raising his head, Father Fang said to Fang Yue, "Zhi'er, go catch the rabbit and bring it to your mother."

"Alright, Father." Fang Yue set down the basin in his hands and turned to catch the rabbit.

But at that moment, Chen Shi's furious roar rang out.

"You blockhead! I told you to catch the rabbit, yet here you are ordering my Zhi'er around instead! If it weren't for Zhi'er, would you even get to eat rabbit? What are you standing around for? Go catch the rabbit already!"

Father Fang froze, only then remembering that his status at home was now the "lowest," especially that he could not "order" Zhi'er around in front of his own wife.

How had he forgotten that?

"I'm going, I'm going."

Father Fang inwardly berated himself. With a wry smile, he repeatedly begged Chen Shi for mercy.

"Mother, I'll do it. I'm faster at catching rabbits than Father."

Before Father Fang could make a move, Fang Yue had already caught the rabbit. He bled and skinned it with practiced ease, quickly preparing it and bringing it to Chen Shi.

Soon, it was noon.

A lavish lunch of four dishes and one soup, with both meat and vegetables, was ready.

The family of five each had two flatbreads and a bowl of thick soup.

In the past, Chen Shi would never have dared dream of such a life. But now, Zhi'er went hunting twice every month, bringing back plenty of game and meat each time.

Thus, the Fang Family could eat meat every few days.

On top of that, they traded meat with the villagers for grain, so the family no longer lacked food.

They had also paid this year's government taxes in full a few days ago.

"Ah—"

Just as the Fang Family was enjoying lunch, a miserable scream suddenly came from outside.

Fang Yue hurriedly stood and walked out of the courtyard, looking toward the source of the sound.

"So it's Liu San's house. Those are yamen runners from the County Yamen. It seems to be because of this year's taxes."

A crowd had already gathered outside Liu San's home.

"Uncle Fuquan, Aunt Caihua, what happened at Liu San's house?" Fang Yue asked as he came to the edge of the crowd.

"He can't pay his taxes. The yamen runners are taking him away to serve as a soldier." Uncle Fuquan, bent at the waist and hunched in the back, sighed.

At that moment, three yamen runners emerged from Liu San's courtyard. Behind them, Liu San followed with his head hanging low, bound in chains.

Liu San's clothes were torn to shreds, and his body was covered in bloody marks. Clearly, he had suffered a beating before being shackled.

"Listen well, fellow villagers! This Liu San maliciously resisted taxation and defied the law. Today, we have arrested him and will escort him back to the County Yamen, where he will be sent to the northwest at a later date."

"Take a good look at him. From now on, anyone among you who dares defy the law will end up as his example!"

The leading yamen runner's eyes gleamed with ferocity as he swept his gaze over the crowd. Not one of the surrounding villagers dared meet his eyes, and they all unconsciously lowered their heads.

Within the crowd, Fang Yue peered through a gap into Liu San's home.

The tables and chairs inside were scattered about, as though someone had turned the place upside down. It was a complete mess.

At once,

he had a few suspicions: perhaps the yamen runners had seen that they could not collect the taxes, or perhaps they had privately added more taxes. So they had simply conducted a "search" through Liu San's home, taking the chance to plunder his possessions.

Then they had taught Liu San, who tried to stop them, a harsh lesson and arrested him. They could kill a chicken to frighten the monkeys, ensuring that the other villagers of Daliushu Village would no longer harbor any illusions, while also making future tax collection easier.

Soon, the yamen runners continued on to the next household to collect taxes.

Sure enough, with Liu San as an example, the tax collection that followed went much more smoothly.

Watching Liu San being dragged away, the neighbors could not help feeling the rabbit's death in the fox's sorrow.

But at most, they could sympathize inwardly.

Anything more?

There was none, nor did they dare.

Even Fang Yue merely watched, with no intention of stepping in to help.

After all, the yamen runners of the Yamen all possessed martial skills. Conservatively speaking, the leading yamen runner was a martial cultivator who had reached major completion in Skin Tempering. As for the other two, although they had not tempered their skin, they had developed Unified Strength. Their raw power might not match Er Gou's, but it likely was not far off.

More importantly, these yamen runners represented the Great Wei Dynasty. Touching them would bring the government down upon him.

Fang Yue only wanted his family to live a better life. Naturally, he could not stand against the government.

"This world is becoming harder and harder to survive in. I must pass the Martial Imperial Exam this time!"

Fang Yue sighed, and this conviction grew ever firmer in his heart.

Only by obtaining Official Status could one survive better in this world. In the future, he could move his family to the County Town, where their lives would naturally improve.

"Zhi'er, what happened outside just now?"

When he returned home, Chen Shi hurriedly asked.

Fang Yue immediately told her what had happened at Liu San's house. When she heard that Liu San had been beaten half to death and would still be dragged off for military service, Chen Shi could not help patting her chest, fear lingering in her heart. Thank goodness her family had Zhi'er—otherwise, she did not know what they would have done this year!