Chapter 5

One hundred sixty-eight catties. Fifty-six catties. That is more than a three-fold difference.

Master Li and Ji Zhen had yet to recover from the shock, and now Ji Chu was added to the mix. For Ji Chu, the concept of agricultural tax was something he had never experienced in his previous life. By the time he was a small child, the government in his original world had already abolished agricultural taxes, also known as land taxes. Hearing that he had to collect three times the grain now left him feeling uneasy.

In an agricultural society with low productivity, paying so much extra grain meant poverty, hunger, and disease. Any slight misfortune would lead to complete destitution. Taking a family of five as an example: in a bountiful year, one mu of land would yield two hundred eighty catties of grain. After paying fifty-six catties in taxes, they would have two thousand two hundred forty catties left, which averages out to one catty and two taels per person per day. For a farming household, by living frugally, they might save some to improve their lives and build a buffer against risks.

However, if one mu of land required one hundred sixty-eight catties in tax, then ten mu would only leave one thousand one hundred twenty catties. That averages out to a mere six taels of grain per person per day. If a family had many able-bodied laborers, they would not even be able to eat their fill. And this was during a good year—what about during a disaster? After all, one cannot expect favorable weather forever; natural and man-made disasters are inevitable.

Why was this happening?

Master Li said in a low voice, "It seems the figures in the local land registry are greater than the actual cultivated land. But the imperial court has always collected taxes according to the figures in the registry."

No land was reclaimed, yet it was reported as such locally. There was only one purpose for this: land reclamation served as a political achievement for local officials. This tax collection practice had been going on for ten years, meaning at least three successive county magistrates had done the same thing. As time passed, the situation had not eased; instead, it had become increasingly severe.

Ji Chu thought of his predecessor, Magistrate Zhang. He had no particular connections, yet he managed to be promoted to a judge in Quxia Prefecture after his three-year term. Could it be that he did the same thing? There was no evidence yet, so he could not jump to conclusions.

When Ji Chu voiced his suspicions, Master Li grew alert and cautioned, "This cannot be spoken of." At least three magistrates had done this. The official who first initiated this must have held a position of significant power. If this were leaked, it would not only cost Magistrate Ji his life, but his family would not be spared either. This was likely why the subsequent magistrates kept their mouths shut and even profited from it. They climbed the ladder of success, but what about the local people? Paying triple the grain, living such impoverished lives—what would become of them?

Ji Chu stood up and pushed open the window. It was the night of the eleventh lunar month in the Northwest; frost had already arrived, and the distant howling of wolves could be heard from the outskirts. The bone-chilling wind made Ji Chu cough. His own health had not yet fully recovered, and this exposure made him cough incessantly. If he, who was well-fed and living in a warm room, could be struck by illness from the cold wind, what about the local people who were even weaker?

Master Li quickly closed the window and advised, "Magistrate Ji, do not worry too much."

Ji Chu smiled weakly. The body he now inhabited belonged to a family that primarily farmed. From his own memories, he could analyze the grim future for the local people once they ran out of grain. From the memories of the original owner of this body, he understood even more clearly the hardships of farming. The newly harvested grain had become a stepping stone for others to rise.

That night, Ji Chu had a distant dream. In that time, he had not yet started school and lived with his grandparents in a drafty house. It was cold in winter, and the three of them huddled together for warmth. But soon, someone knocked on their door, brought many supplies, repaired their house, and even helped them move into a more spacious and warmer home. Since that day, cold and hunger had vanished from his memory. Later, he studied, got into a good school, joined a top company, and became a high-level corporate slave—those memories had become distant. Yet, the shocking reality he now faced stirred up those childhood memories.

Early the next morning, Ji Chu rose. Seeing his wife’s worried expression, he comforted her, "It is fine. After resting for a while, my health will improve."

Upon arriving at the main hall of the yamen, Ji Chu cast a complex look at Master Zhao. This was a man who acted as a lackey for the corrupt. Master Zhao, in turn, stared fixedly at him. Ever since the new magistrate spoke of the positions of county assistant and registrar, those working under him had developed divided loyalties. It was a lie to say no one wanted to climb higher. The new magistrate had both ability and ambition; following him was surely better than following a mere advisor. Moreover, the new magistrate had few people around him and many vacancies, which were all opportunities.

He himself could not understand it. Why did Magistrate Ji have to target him? Was it just because of the cold shoulder he had given him upon his arrival? The look in his eyes today felt increasingly off, as if he had committed some heinous crime. Master Zhao pushed down the chill in his heart, thinking of his next plan. The new magistrate could do whatever he wanted, but he was trying to seize his account books and his financial control. As the saying goes, cutting off a person's livelihood is like killing their parents. It was no wonder he would act this way.

Ji Chu knew of Master Zhao's hatred without even looking up. Magistrate Zhang had told him that Master Zhao, who managed the money and grain, was the most avaricious, while Master Fan, who managed the penal affairs, was the most power-hungry. The former’s current hatred and the latter’s current respect were both within his grasp.

Ji Chu looked up and offered the man a slight smile. It was a warm smile, yet it carried an inexplicable coldness.

"Sir, the roster for the winter relief has been prepared. Please take a look." With the registrar position dangled before them, the staff in the money and grain office worked extremely quickly. In particular, Ma Tai, who had been promoted to a clerk, was practically running the affairs of the money and grain department.

Thinking of the cold wind at night, Ji Chu said, "Ensure this is implemented as soon as possible. Ask the wealthy donors when they will produce the silver."

At these words, many people secretly glanced at Master Zhao. They feared it would be difficult, as these people had good relations with Master Zhao and likely would not pay up easily. Ji Chu naturally anticipated this and asked, "Where is the budget proposal for the yamen's expenses for next year?"

He was already demanding the winter relief money, and now he was reaching into the entire budget for the coming year. Master Zhao, a man who loved money as much as his life, could barely keep his face composed. Yet Ji Chu specifically called out, "Master Zhao, please submit the documents as soon as possible."

"Sir, I will handle it as soon as possible."

To everyone's surprise, Master Zhao actually backed down. But why?

Master Zhao spoke, "I have been in Anqiu County for many years and never dared to hope for the position of registrar. Yesterday, when you spoke, it was truly an epiphany. If I prove reliable in my work, I ask for your recommendation, sir."

So that was it! Master Zhao also wanted a promotion! The others realized this suddenly, and Ji Chu mirrored this, appearing to lower his guard against Master Zhao.

Thinking of his own plan, Master Zhao sneered inwardly. Still trying to put on the airs of a superior and the dignity of a magistrate? Keep dreaming. Soon, everyone would know that this so-called superior was nothing special. A scholar who had just passed the imperial examinations and come to hold office, even if he were familiar with administrative affairs, would not have the courage to do much.

That day, the Anqiu County yamen was unusually peaceful, yet there was something eerie about it. Half of the wealthy donors sent over their money, and while doing so, they specifically sought out Master Zhao. The purpose of sending the money went without saying, and who they were sending it for was even more obvious. The scales of the yamen were constantly tilting.

At night, Ji Chu took the unfinished official business back to his private study in the inner residence. Master Li followed; they both needed to familiarize themselves with local affairs as quickly as possible. The magistrate’s inner residence was located at the back of the yamen. As they worked, his nephew and Master Li’s son, Li Wen, helped Mistress Ji and Mistress Li with the cooking. Having arrived only recently, they did much of the work themselves and were not yet familiar with the inner residence. There was even a back garden they had not yet had the chance to explore due to the cold.

In the study, Master Li asked, "Has Master Zhao truly yielded? I felt something was off about him today."

Ji Chu smiled. "He loves money so much, and we are hacking away at his wealth with every move. How could he not hate us?" The man had controlled Anqiu County for so long that he viewed the region as his own pocket. One had to wonder what he would do if someone reached into it. Ji Chu looked out the window. He was curious about what Master Zhao’s next move would be, but regardless of what it was, he did not care. The priority was getting the winter relief to the people. At the very least, they had to survive this winter. Cold and hungry winters were when anything could happen.

After dinner, Ji Chu and Master Li worked for a while longer before returning to their rooms to rest. Mistress Tao had not yet retired, wanting to help Ji Chu wash up, but he politely declined. How could he let his wife serve him? Ji Chu said, "There is really no need to wait for me. Please rest early. There is so much to do at home, and you have been working hard; you must be exhausted."

As they spoke, they gradually drifted off to sleep. It was not until the early hours of the morning that Ji Chu snapped his eyes open, thinking he heard a sound. It was not just him; his wife, Mistress Tao, had also awakened. Ji Chu pressed her down and whispered, "I will go and check."

When the candle was lit, they saw a trail of blood flowing under the door and into the room. Blood?! How could there be blood? Ji Chu pushed the door open, and something leaning against it fell into the room. It was an adolescent black bear, its breathing extremely weak, blood still flowing continuously.

This was bad. A cub this small likely had not yet left its mother. Ji Chu quickly said to his wife, "Le Wei, get up quickly. We must leave at once."

Black bears are particularly protective of their cubs and hold deep grudges. Anyone who harms their young will surely be hunted down. If this black bear cub died on his property, the adult bears would remember it for a lifetime and would seize any opportunity to kill in revenge. Mistress Tao quickly followed him out, then noticed her husband had stopped. Ji Chu checked the cub’s breathing again and found some medicinal powder to apply to its wounds.

The disputes between men had actually involved animals. It was clear now: this was definitely Master Zhao’s doing. He wanted the black bears to hold a grudge against him so that he would never be able to leave the yamen, let alone travel elsewhere in Anqiu County. In that case, would he still be a magistrate? If the bears succeeded, it would be exactly as Master Zhao wished. So this was his version of loving money—using such ruthless means.

Seeing his wife return to help him bandage the cub’s wounds, he did not say anything; they worked quickly. In the darkness, the little bear’s eyes flickered, as if trying to remember the two of them.

Suddenly, they heard the wailing of a pack of wolves in the wilderness. Ji Chu paused. The mother bear had discovered her cub was missing and was searching for it. The first target of her rage would be the wolves on the plain. With the strength of a black bear, dealing with a pack of wolves might be difficult, but judging by the sounds, the bear was clearly winning. In other words, it was not just one bear; it was a pair.

"Your parents are looking for you," Ji Chu could not help but mutter. "If they find you here, we are finished."

With that, they finished bandaging the wounds. The two bears on the plain seemed to smell the scent and were rushing toward the county yamen. What would happen if two enraged bears arrived? Ji Chu and Mistress Tao immediately woke everyone in the yamen. Stop sleeping! Get up! The guards on duty were terrified. Everyone hid, moving as far away from the yamen as possible. They would wait until the bears retrieved their cub. They also had to ensure the cub did not die.

The entire yamen was thrown into a panic, with everyone scrambling and screaming. Two adult black bears—this was bad enough during the day, but at night, with insufficient manpower, it was like waiting for death. If it hadn't been for the magistrate’s vigilance, everyone in the yamen might have ended up in the bears' bellies!

Black bears move with incredible speed. Not long after the yamen staff had fled, the bears crashed through the back garden and into the magistrate’s residence. Following the scent, they found the cub and let out an angry roar that seemed capable of tearing through a person’s heart and lungs.

After waiting for a long time, hearing no further sounds from the bears, someone finally asked, "Sir, shall we return?"

"Not yet," Ji Chu said. "Wait until daybreak."

Daybreak? Why? The group, shivering from the cold, eventually took shelter in a nearby house. The local residents had also been woken by the bears' roars and were terrified. One resident remarked, "Black bears are vengeful and smart. They might not have left; they could be hiding in the shadows, just waiting for you to return." After all, having harmed their child, the bears would certainly seek revenge. The group trembled, waiting until dawn before they dared to step out.

Once daylight came, half the county knew that a black bear had broken into the yamen the previous night and that if not for the magistrate’s alertness, there might have been countless casualties. But why had they gone there? Was it out of hunger? When they heard that an injured bear cub had somehow ended up in the yamen, everyone understood. It was terrifying. One slight mistake, and the magistrate would have lost his life!

When Master Zhao heard the news, a look of disbelief flashed across his eyes. His perfect plan had failed to kill Ji Chu?! How was that possible! He had expected to hear good news, but all he heard was praise! People were saying he was calm in the face of danger, witty, and clever. In short, it was all praise.

But he would no longer have the chance to hear it, for the penal advisor known as Master Fan Er had already arrived at his home.

"Master Zhao, Zhao Jinchuan, you are under arrest! You are charged with attempting to murder an official; you are to be detained immediately!"