Chapter 303: Glorious Retirement |
Provincial Bridge.
“So you were all lying to us! You promised us Imperial Avenue, but how did it turn into a groceries market!”
“You owe us compensation for our stalls.”
“What patrol officers? You’re clearly just a bunch of swindlers.”
When the citizens heard that Imperial Avenue had been changed to a groceries market, they immediately flew into a rage. This was like trading a thoroughbred horse for a donkey – such a downgrade could only be described as utterly inhumane.
A scam!
This was truly a massive scam!
Combined with all the rumors circulating outside, the residents of Provincial Bridge suddenly felt they had been deceived.
“Everyone, please calm down! Calm down!”
But if there’s nothing special about them and they don’t taste good, even if I let you onto Imperial Street, you wouldn’t be able to make any sales anyway.”
“We don’t care about that. You initially promised us Imperial Avenue, so you must give us Imperial Avenue.”
“That’s right! It was you who said His Majesty cared for us and therefore opened Imperial Avenue for our business. How has it now become a groceries market?”
No matter how Zhang Fei explained, the residents remained dissatisfied. They were truly incensed, continuously pressing Zhang Fei step by step.
Standing not far away were several people – Gu Ji, Shen Huaixiao, Cao Han, and others.
This time they had arrived at the scene and weren’t caught off guard by Zhang Fei again.
The reason was that Zhang Fei hadn’t secretly deployed the Divine Guard Army this time. There were plenty of their people in the police station, so they quickly received the news.
The scene before them was exactly as they had predicted – this replacement was simply impossible. They never expected Zhang Fei to come up with a groceries market, treating people like complete fools.
Destruction was always easier than construction.
Anyone could tear down stalls, anyone could collect taxes, but how to resettle these common people and how to ensure they had money to pay taxes – that was the real challenge.
This was the most difficult part of the entire operation.
“I told you that boy was a fraud. Imperial Avenue is only so big – even if they used the entire space, it wouldn’t be enough.”
“Now let’s see how that boy gets out of this.”
“Later, find more people to join the disturbance. It would be best to give that brat a good beating. I’m willing to pay whatever it costs. Make it big – this time I’ll make sure that boy doesn’t have a good end.”
Gu Ji spoke through gritted teeth.
Just as they were gloating, they suddenly saw the crowd surge toward Zhang Fei.
They heard Zhang Fei cry out in alarm: “Ouch! What are you doing? Don’t push!”
“A fight has broken out!” Li Zhan exclaimed excitedly.
Gu Ji waved his fists excitedly: “Beat him! Beat him hard! Beat that brat to death!”
However, the crowd that surged forward didn’t throw punches. Instead, they raised their right hands high: “Me! Let me! I’m more diligent!”
“I was here first! Pick me! Pick me!”
“My wife has good skills!”
What was going on?
You’re supposed to beat him! Go ahead and beat him!
What’s all this shouting about?
Gu Ji and the others looked completely confused. What exactly were they doing?
The next scene left them even more dumbfounded.
The common people who had just been furiously indignant suddenly formed a long queue beside a nearby table.
Meanwhile, Zhang Fei sat to the side drinking tea to moisten his throat.
This…
The same scene was also unfolding in the residential area east of Guanyin Temple.
“Is it really true? We can earn two strings of cash per month?”
A middle-aged man asked excitedly.
The patrol officer in charge of registration replied: “We’ll be signing contracts when the time comes – how could we deceive you? Twenty-four strings per year, work six days and rest one, and you can also sell the manure you collect for money. We’ve calculated that with a little effort, you can earn at least twenty-six or twenty-seven strings per year.”
As he spoke, he patted something beside him: “Look, this is the contract template.”
The middle-aged man glanced over: “I can’t read.”
Suddenly noticing an elderly gentleman also looking at the template, he couldn’t help but ask: “Sir, can you read it?”
The old gentleman smiled and nodded: “It says exactly what he just told you.”
The patrol officer was extremely busy and paid no attention to these matters, shouting again to the crowd: “I’m in charge of street cleaning here. Those who want to make police uniforms should take their sewing materials and go next door. The pay here isn’t very high and the work is quite tiring, so if you have other jobs, don’t come here just for fun – leave it for those citizens who temporarily have no livelihood.”
The old gentleman asked the patrol officer again: “Although this money isn’t much, hiring so many people must still cost quite a bit!”
The patrol officer replied dismissively: “We’re only responsible for carrying out orders. Everything else isn’t our concern. Form proper lines! Don’t push – this work isn’t first-come-first-served. We’ll decide based on your individual circumstances.”
Seeing this, the old gentleman stopped bothering them further. With his hands clasped behind his back, he slowly walked toward a large willow tree by the street, muttering under his breath as if calculating something.
Standing under the willow tree was an elderly man – it was Lu Gongzhu, and the old gentleman was naturally Sima Guang.
Seeing Sima Guang approach, Lu Gongzhu asked: “How did it go?”
Sima Guang waved his hand: “I can’t calculate it all clearly in such a short time, but they want to build so many markets, make new police uniforms, and completely change the cleaning services to hired workers. Adding all this together, I’m afraid they’ll spend everything and have very little left over.”
Lu Gongzhu laughed: “Previously we thought Zhang San had some brilliant strategy to appease these citizens, but in the end, it’s still just money!”
Sima Guang smiled and sighed: “Everyone comes and goes for profit and benefit. The common people aren’t fools either – without putting up real silver, who would believe them?”
They naturally realized this substitution problem and were curious what clever plan Zhang Fei would devise for this difficult situation. They never expected it would still just be using money to appease people.
Lu Gongzhu suddenly frowned: “Actually, what Zhang San is doing is extremely similar to Wang Anshi’s corvee labor concepts. Both plan to collect taxes from the wealthy and then hire the poor to work. Now that Zhang San has achieved such success, perhaps Wang Anshi could succeed too.”
He still stood in the middle, because both Sima Guang and Wang Anshi were his good friends, and he still hoped the two wouldn’t be so antagonistic toward each other.
“It’s different!”
Sima Guang waved his hand: “The two are fundamentally not the same thing. If Wang Anshi could be like Zhang San, then I wouldn’t oppose him.”
Lu Gongzhu asked: “How so?”
Sima Guang said: “Zhang San’s purpose is to clarify the law, while Wang Anshi’s ultimate purpose is to collect money. The two cannot be conflated.”
Lu Gongzhu said awkwardly: “If Wang Anshi wanted to collect money, he wouldn’t be willing to spend money hiring corvee workers.”
Sima Guang said: “Although Wang Anshi’s new law provisions haven’t been promulgated yet, I know something about them. He does want to spend money hiring workers, but he’s not only collecting money from the wealthy to hire the poor – ordinary citizens also have to pay money for corvee exemption.
As Accounting Chancellor, you should be better at calculating this than I am. Zhang Fei’s street encroachment fee is calculated based on land size. The land occupied by one powerful person could equal that of hundreds of ordinary households. He can collect much more money from the powerful, while Wang Anshi’s corvee exemption tax is calculated by household. But how much money can all the wealthy people in the realm pay when added together?
This money ultimately still comes from the common people. The ones really paying are people like these patrol officers – they have some spare money at home, but only just that.”
Lu Gongzhu shook his head: “Speaking this way is unfair to Wang Anshi. Wang Anshi is ultimately trying to improve finances, while Zhang San has no such responsibility.”
Sima Guang immediately replied: “How is it unfair? Hasn’t Zhang San’s current reforms also improved finances? Each of these expenditures is money well spent, and this money should have been spent by the government anyway.”
Lu Gongzhu said: “But the government’s expenditures for the General Police Bureau haven’t decreased.”
Sima Guang said: “But the General Police Bureau’s work efficiency far exceeds that of the Patrol Inspection Office. Doing the job better without increasing financial expenditures also counts as improving finances!”
Lu Gongzhu chuckled: “It seems you’re very satisfied with these reforms.”
Sima Guang nodded and smiled: “Indeed, I’m very satisfied. This is far better than I had imagined. If His Majesty employs Zhang San’s reforms, I will definitely support them. They’re much better than Wang Anshi’s.”
This was going too far and was too insulting to Wang Anshi.
Lu Gongzhu shook his head: “Don’t say that yet. If Wang Anshi does well later, don’t let your face turn red.”
Sima Guang sneered: “My face will definitely turn red, but not from shame—it’ll be from arguing with him until we’re both red in the face. I’ll put my words here today: his claim that ‘the people bear no additional taxes while state revenues increase’ is complete nonsense, deceiving the world with false names. The government takes on everything, relying on authority to make money. When that happens, who can compete with the government? Isn’t this competing with the people for profit?
Both methods take money from the powerful, but Zhang San relies on the law. Every penny he collects is taken according to law. He hasn’t said that the General Police Bureau should go set up stalls on Imperial Avenue and earn all that money themselves.”
Lu Gongzhu chuckled: “You’re already red in the face now.”
Sima Guang said: “That’s because you provoked it. Things were fine—why did you have to bring up Wang Anshi?”
His mood had been quite good today, having gotten a great bargain for nothing.
“Alright, alright!” Lu Gongzhu knew Sima Guang’s character was extremely stubborn—once he made up his mind, it was very difficult to change it. He was actually just like Wang Anshi in that regard. “I’ll take the blame. I’ll treat you to lunch today. Let’s find a tavern and rest a bit.”
Sima Guang said: “Let’s go look around elsewhere first.”
But the situation was basically the same everywhere—first there was arguing, then active participation.
Although turning Imperial Avenue into a groceries market was indeed somewhat excessive.
But then the General Police Bureau threw out so many livelihoods to appease these common people. After all, the demolished shacks only occupied a small portion of the residential areas.
Not every household had built shacks encroaching on the street.
And now these livelihoods allowed even more common people to participate. For example, with police uniforms, all materials were provided by the General Police Bureau—the people only needed to provide the manual labor.
One string of cash for the manual labor per uniform, provided your needlework was up to standard.
The key was that the General Police Bureau was responsible for all the facilities at that groceries market—stone benches and tables would all be built. They just needed to go do business.
When the rich and powerful saw this situation, they were completely convinced and quickly had their household servants go pay the taxes.
Given the General Police Bureau’s attitude, if they didn’t pay, they really would come to demolish.
If demolished, they would suffer a complete loss.
Because property prices were high!
Take Spring Breeze Ten Li—it was currently stipulated that half had to be demolished. If calculated at market price, they would lose at least fifteen hundred strings.
But if they didn’t demolish and just paid taxes instead, it would be just over thirty strings per year. How many years could they pay with that?
Maybe they won’t enforce the law like this every year?
But then again, many of the powerful had to pay over a hundred strings, and they had to pay every year. Although they were very wealthy, they had always only gained and never lost, so they still felt very unhappy.
The government is asking me for money.
How can this be?
It’s too excessive.
“Commissioner Cao.”
“Commander of the Cavalry, Censor Li.”
Cao Ping turned around and saw Wang Chao and Li Zhan walking over, and slightly cupped his hands in greeting.
Li Zhan said bluntly: “Commissioner Cao, what you’re doing doesn’t follow the rules. You’re taking our money to seek your own political achievements. If we censors all did this, I think you wouldn’t have an easy time either.”
The implication was that everyone’s hands were dirty—if you broke through this facade, it would only result in mutual destruction.
Wang Chao also said: “I don’t understand why you’re doing this either. Your family also has to pay money. We’re all eating from the same pot. If you smash the pot to sell the iron, who will want to associate with the Cao family in the future?”
Cao Ping snorted: “You can’t blame me for this. If you want to blame someone, blame yourselves. You brought this all on yourselves.”
Li Zhan asked puzzled: “Why should we blame ourselves?”
Cao Ping said: “If you hadn’t sent Zhang San to serve at the Military Patrol Office, would all these things have happened?”
Wang Chao argued: “He’s just a corvee runner. If you hadn’t been supporting him from behind, could he have stirred up so much trouble?”
“I supported him?”
Cao Ping laughed. “I only became this Police Commissioner because of him. The ones who truly support him are Wang Anshi, Sima Guang, and even His Majesty supports him. Can’t you all see this? What can I do about it? Right now I still have a belly full of grievances with nowhere to vent them, and you come to blame me. This is truly unreasonable.”
Wang Chao and Li Zhan exchanged glances.
The two had nothing to say.
Kaifeng Prefectural Office.
“Vice-Prefect Li, stop playing with me. I’ve calculated it – we have to serve at least until the twelfth month. Right now autumn hasn’t even passed yet, so how could I possibly go home? I don’t believe it. If I leave, I’ll probably be considered a deserter.”
Zhang Fei shook his head gloomily.
Who’s playing with whom! Li Kai hurriedly said: “What you’ve accomplished in these two months could equal what others do in twenty years.”
Zhang Fei chuckled: “I suppose I’ve been rather diligent.”
“Diligent! Diligent!”
Li Kai nodded repeatedly: “In my entire life, I’ve never seen a runner as diligent as you. What exactly are you after?”
Zhang Fei said: “I’m not after anything. I just don’t want to disappoint everyone’s expectations. Initially when I wanted to hire someone to serve in my place, you wouldn’t let me, saying the government needed my special talents. So I did my utmost – isn’t this what you all expected?”
Li Kai immediately felt like life wasn’t worth living.
I was just speaking words – who told you to take it seriously?
Zhang Fei’s eyes shifted: “Vice-Prefect Li, look, I’ve worked so hard. When I finish our service, could the Kaifeng Prefectural Office make me a plaque saying ‘Most Diligent Corvee Runner’ to set an example for future generations?”
Li Kai thought to himself: If every runner worked like you, I wouldn’t be able to do this job! He hurriedly said: “Not when you finish – you finish today.”
With that, he handed him an official document: “This is an official document from the Kaifeng Prefectural Office. As a pen-in-cap, you should be able to read it. Starting today, you’re no longer a runner.”
Zhang Fei didn’t take it: “Don’t! I haven’t even gotten to wear my new police uniform yet.”
“Wear what? Go back to your law firm.” Li Kai directly threw the document at him.
For every day you stay longer, we lose another day of sleep.
Heaven knows what other tricks you have up your sleeve.
Zhang Fei picked up the document: “Vice-Prefect Li, this isn’t very honorable of you. Initially when I didn’t want to come, you insisted I come. Just when I’m getting the hang of things and working with enthusiasm, you’re sending me home. This is too much bullying.”
“Get lost!”