Chapter 218 Fighting Landlords

Chen the Eunuch was in charge of military power, and he controlled it very tightly. Even law enforcement agencies such as yamen runners, joint defense teams, and semi-civilian armed forces were under Chen the Eunuch's control. Even the manufacture of arms was under Chen the Eunuch's control.

The big families, the powerful and the wealthy have no power to resist at all. No matter what conspiracies and tricks they have, they are destined to be rootless duckweed and cannot cause any waves.

The Spring Festival of 1801 was destined to be a turbulent one for the entire Sichuan Province.

When the people learned that the leader who gave them equal land distribution and low taxes was boycotted by the legislative representatives of each county, they were very emotional.

Everyone knows that the government needs money to maintain itself, and where does the money come from? The biggest source is naturally taxes, but who should the taxes be collected from is a big problem.

During the Ming Dynasty, the emperors always liked to make the common people suffer. The situation got a little better during the Qing Dynasty. After all, Emperor Yongzheng implemented the system of allocating land tax to each household, which reduced the burden on many lower-class people. However, there were too many corrupt officials, and the people's lives were still very hard.

Now it's finally all right. After the Hua Xia tribe distributed land equally, they abolished all exorbitant taxes and even corvee labor, and only collected 10% of the land as grain tax. It was simple, clear and no one could deceive them anymore.

This amount of tax is definitely not enough to cover government expenses, but the government must exist. Without soldiers and horses, how can they protect everything they have from being violated?

But where does the money come from?

The leader came up with a way to collect property tax, setting an exemption amount of three square meters per person, which basically exempted all ordinary people from property tax. After all, whether it was a farmer's home or a poor person in the city, a house was only about one square meter in size.

Three rooms are enough for one person to live in, which means that this property tax is actually specifically aimed at the rich.

In the eyes of ordinary people, since you can live in a big house, shouldn't you pay some taxes to the government?
If you don't have money, you can live in a smaller house.

Why boycott, why oppose the leader?

After the incident in the Great Hall spread, the conflict between the two classes broke out completely.

From the towns and villages in the rural areas to the neighborhoods in the cities, from workshops to mines and docks, ordinary people from all walks of life gathered together.

They picked up hoes, shoulder poles, pickaxes and other various tools, smashed down the doors of the wealthy families, dragged out the landlords, mine owners, and workshop owners from their homes, and demanded an explanation.

Many people even accused the rich of various crimes they had committed in the past, hoping that the current government could handle the matter for them.

Can the current government make decisions for them?
Of course it is possible.

Chen the Judge gave instructions immediately. Since the current laws of the Chinese Ministry are not perfect, the joint defense team and the yamen runners will be responsible for investigating the case first. Those who are true and have evidence to prove their guilt will be temporarily detained, and sentencing will be made after the laws are perfected.

As for those who have no evidence to prove their guilt, they should be released, and their personal and property safety must be guaranteed.

During the Chinese New Year, except for the necessary personnel who stayed behind, Chen Gu gave each department a seven-day holiday, and the offices resumed on the sixth day of the first lunar month.

But starting from the first day of the new year, the heads of various yamen kept asking to see Chen Gu. Chen Gu refused to see them all on the pretext that Wu Qing'er was about to give birth. He told them to celebrate the New Year well and to discuss anything after the yamen reopened.

The Han family, two generations of the ten major clans in Jiangjin County gathered together, and Bai Wencheng, Bian Shichun and others also came back from Chengdu to celebrate the New Year.

Everyone looked heavy-hearted and no one spoke, because everyone was waiting for Han Yuanxiao. But Han Yuanxiao slipped away early in the morning.

"I walk the wild paths without a companion, and stay in the monk's room for a fixed time. I am familiar with coming and going in Tushan, and only the horse's hooves know it."

On the south bank of the Yangtze River in Chongqing's main city, Han Yuanxiao was riding his horse leisurely on the road to Zhenwu Mountain.

"Master, why are we going to Tushan Temple during New Year's Day?" asked the servant next to him.

"Because some people are blind and can't see things clearly, but they still think they are smart. Now they are in trouble and want your young master to help them out. There is no way, they can only come out and hide away!" Han Yuanxiao said with a weird smile.

Han Yuanxiao actually didn't have many opportunities to come into contact with Chen Gu, but from the very first moment they met, Han Yuanxiao was extremely respectful to Chen Gu, or rather, extremely wary of him.

Han Yuanxiao didn't understand. How stupid must the big families in Jiangjin County be to think of going against a man who dared to kill a provincial governor like Addis with a hundred bandits?

You can't think that just because Chen the Executioner was born an executioner and started his career in your Jiangjin County, and that the big families in your Jiangjin County are his collaborators, you can control Chen the Executioner, right?
The Huaixi Group also helped Zhu Yuanzhang to conquer the entire empire, but Zhu Yuanzhang showed no mercy when it came to killing the old men of the Huaixi Group.

Moreover, given the current situation, you, the big families in Jiangjin County, can’t even get closer to Chen Gui, so why are you running to my Han family?

Could it be that my Han family has more reputation than your Jiangjin County family?

Han Yuanxiao has no control over what other members of the Han family choose, but he, Han Yuanxiao, will definitely try to stay away from them if he can.

The official in the Organization Department, as long as he, Han Yuanxiao, can continue to control this position, he would be willing to give all the houses to Chen Ke, or even the entire Han family to Chen Ke, not to mention that little bit of crappy property tax.

After entering Tushan Temple, the abbot actually came to greet Han Yuanxiao in person at the gate.

Han Yuanxiao looked at the host with a sad face and couldn't help laughing so hard that he bent over, then rolled off the horse. If the servant hadn't quickly caught him, Han Yuanxiao would have fallen flat on his face.

"Hahahaha!" Han Yuanxiao was still laughing after getting off the horse. He pointed at the host and said, "You old monk, you actually have to go out to greet me one day. Did the sun rise from the west, or did the Buddha appear?"

"Amitabha, I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Mr. Han. This is indeed Tushan Temple's thousand-year-old foundation. I dare not be careless!" said the abbot with a wry smile.

Han Yuanxiao raised his eyebrows and walked towards the main hall while saying, "The thousand-year-old foundation of Tushan Temple will definitely be fine. As for whether you monks of Tushan Temple are okay, that's hard to say!"

The host's face became even more bitter. The buildings and Buddhist halls in Tushan Temple were definitely fine. After all, Chen Gu was a frugal person. All the temples and Taoist temples in the Buddhist treasures were converted into workshops and military camps.

It can be said that everything is put to good use!

But all those monks are dead!

This is what the abbot of Tushan Temple was most worried about. Originally, Chen Gu did not deal with them. It was only when he dealt with the White Lotus Sect that they were frightened by the people's blind obedience to Chen Gu.

So the abbot of Tushan Temple also went to the legislative assembly a few days ago as a representative, but as a result, Tushan Temple seemed to have gotten into trouble.

(End of this chapter)