Xuande

Chapter 329 Is this nine years old? !
These days, it is not easy for old farmers to live. All their wisdom and abilities must be used for survival, and other things other than survival are secondary.

such as age.

And it is really inconvenient to remember the age.

In particular, the chronology of the dynasty’s year name is also frequently changed with the change of emperors and self-will. It is really not easy to expect an illiterate peasant family who lacks the ability to record to know the exact age of its members.

But it doesn't matter, Zhou Qian accompanied him with an old doctor who can see the age of teeth, which can be regarded as the wisdom developed by people of this era.

"Mr. Zhang, let's take a look at the age of your teeth first... Well, first, you will be exempted from corvee for two years. Within two years, your family will not have to serve corvee, you know? When I report your situation, the county government will There will be records, and I will not come to ask you to do corvee, if someone comes to ask you, just show them this piece of bamboo, understand?"

Zhou Qian handed a piece of bamboo slips exempt from corvee labor issued by the state government to the black and thin man who was honest and dared not say a word. The man took the bamboo slips, looked left and right, with a happy expression on his face.

"Really? You won't have to serve in the military for two years?"

"of course it's true."

Zhou Qian smiled and said: "This is the new policy of Mr. Liu, the state capital. If you have two children in your family, you can be exempted from corvee for two years. If you have three children, you can be exempted from corvee for five years! It means that within five years, your family will be exempt from corvee. There is no need to send people to serve.”

The farmer couple looked at each other with expressions of amazement. Obviously, they never thought that these two losers in the family could actually bring benefits.

Old doctor Zhang opened the mouth of the older boy and asked Zhou Qian to look inside.

"You should know that taking down a prefect is just a trivial matter for me, not to mention that you are a small county magistrate, even if I kill you, no one will hold me accountable, and I don't even know that you are me. killed."

Zhou Qian pointed at the child, and said angrily: "Am I blind or are you blind? Can length be deceiving, but can teeth be deceiving? Open your eyes and tell nonsense, Fu County Magistrate, you are very sick! It seems I can't cure your blindness, it's up to Liu Shijun to treat your blindness!"

Zhou Qian was stunned.

Liu Bei smiled.

Old doctor Zhang also finished reading the tooth age at this time, and told Zhou Qian the approximate age of the two children.

"This is nine years old?!"

The old doctor Zhang on the side also showed doubts.

Maybe this is a big credit!If this wave can tear down a group of corrupt bastards, it must be a great meritorious service, and it will be of great benefit to the future!
So Zhou Qian called Fuze, the magistrate of Gaoping County, Anding County, who was traveling with him, and told him about the matter.

"I... know a little bit, but! But Shijun, this is not about me alone or one county, but the whole... the whole county, the whole state! The whole man! It's all like this! Most of the common people don't know their age , the age is determined by the government, this... this is not something I do alone!"

"There's nothing wrong with it. The permanent teeth start to erupt around the age of six, and they grow all the way at fourteen. You see, this young child has no permanent teeth yet. It's not even six years old, at most five years old."

"I... I... You didn't say that you wanted to know these things! I thought you knew, but I just didn't say it. I really didn't intend to deceive you! There are many people who know about this matter, many! "

Zhou Qian believed that Gaoping County had a huge problem with the collection of oral and counted Fu from the people, so he told the news to Xiahou Dun, governor of Anding County.

We must investigate to the end, and we will never tolerate it!

After hearing Zhou Qian's words, the peasant couple showed doubts on their faces.

But the more he was like this, the more frightened Fuze became.

If conditions permit, is it possible to consider having a few more children?

Liu Bei looked at him calmly.

"The older one is only six years old, and the younger one is three years old, right? Well, before it's time to pay the tax, write it down and register."

There must be a major problem here!

Thinking of this, Zhou Qian's heart began to beat faster.

"So you know, but don't tell me?"

Fuze looked at the little guy, and swallowed.

So Fuze told all the things he knew, including how the county magistrates over the years manipulated the payment of oral and counted taxes and profited from them, and what he knew about other counties in the county. .

"Tell me everything you know, don't miss anything, everything, I want to know everything, otherwise, your family can prepare for your funeral."

"Perhaps, the farmer has nothing to eat, is often hungry, and it's normal to be thin and short. It's not surprising that he is nine years old like this?"

Therefore, when it comes to age-based oral and counting taxation, the local government has too much freedom and authority. Officials with a conscience can talk about it, and people who have no conscience and just want to make money are also very talented.

that……

Fuze froze and almost fell to the ground.

After returning to Ji County, Zhou Qian told Liu Bei the specific news, and by the way, his own speculation, that is, the government in the entire Liangzhou area has major problems related to the collection of oral tax.

Fuze started sweating on his forehead right then.

Looking at the calm Liu Bei, Fuze knew that he could not disobey his orders.

Zhou Qian put a little bean with a face full of snot in front of Fuze.

Liu Bei was expressionless and his tone was calm.

If you think about it carefully, many peasant households can't completely determine the age of their children, or even their own age. The government has absolute control and decision-making power in these matters.

"This...week, I..."

After Xiahoudun got the news, he immediately sent someone to capture Fuze, and asked Zhou Qian to rush back to Ji County with Fuze.

Zhou Qian thought they didn't understand, so he explained to them again.

"Magistrate Fu, do you know about this situation?"

Zhou Qian made a note in his file, then looked at the farm couple, and said slowly: "In another year, people from the state capital will come to register you, and at that time, you big children will be registered. I have paid the oral tax, you don’t have to worry about the oral tax, understand?”

Anyway, the government gives benefits, the more you give birth, the more you get, right?
The dark and thin man and the equally dark and thin woman began to think about having children.

Fuze stopped talking, but trembled all over, terrified to the extreme.

Zhou Qian didn't know this professional knowledge, but seeing that the child didn't have all teeth at all, he almost knew that there was something tricky here.

But before he could open his mouth, the man told him cautiously that they had already started paying the tax, the eldest son had paid for two years, and the youngest daughter had also paid for one year.

"Know, or don't know, tell the truth, or I will be very angry."

"What? You have already started paying the Fu? How is that possible? The imperial court stipulates that you start paying the Fu at the age of seven, and you are not even seven years old! Or is the situation wrong? Mr. Zhang, are you sure about their age? "

Fuze's tears welled up uncontrollably until tears flowed down his face.

Zhou Qian looked at Fuze with subtle eyes.

"I... envoy, I... I..."

Fuze looked devastated.

"Five years?"

Liu Bei sat at the head, and after listening to Zhou Qian's report, he was silent for a while, and turned his gaze to Fuze who was kneeling and shivering beside him.

"Major Fu, I didn't mean to trouble you on purpose, but... this child started paying the mouth tax two years ago? He didn't even grow his permanent teeth, but he started paying the mouth tax two years ago? Is this child nine years old this year?"

He didn't dare to hide anything, he said everything he had to say, and he told all the rumors he heard.

Liu Bei asked Zhou Qian to record all these things, and then sent Fuze to prison.

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PS: I am in a bad mood today, so I added a new chapter.

(End of this chapter)