Daming: Brother, there is no future for monks, let's rebel

Chapter 1478 Coenko

"Who's this old man? He's dressed like us, but he's got quite the nerve."

"Who knows? He doesn't look like an ordinary person."

"Tax exemption? He says he can just exempt you like that? Is he a county magistrate or a prefectural magistrate?"

Zhu Qiwu quickly leaned close to Zhu Yuanzhang's ear and whispered, "Fourth Brother, there are too many people. Let's go."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and turned to walk out of the alley.

As soon as I stepped out of the alley, I bumped into someone.

He was a man in his thirties, burly and strong, with arms thicker than Zhu Qiwu's thighs. He carried an iron hammer on his shoulder, and his face was patchy with black and red marks, as if he had just come from the furnace.

The man was bumped, and the iron hammer on his shoulder almost fell off. He steadied himself, glared at Zhu Yuanzhang, and said, "Can't you watch where you're going?"

Xu Da immediately stepped in front of Zhu Yuanzhang, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

Zhu Qiwu quickly grabbed Xu Da, then smiled at the man: "Brother, I'm sorry, my fourth brother's eyesight isn't very good."

The man sized Zhu Qiwu up and down, then snorted, "Your fourth brother? You two brothers dressed like that, are you here in Yingtian Prefecture to beg for food?"

“I’m not begging, I just came to take a look,” Zhu Qiwu said.

"Look? Look at what?"

"Let's see how ordinary people are doing."

The man paused for a moment, then burst into laughter: "How are ordinary people doing? What can a mere kid like you know? Whether ordinary people are doing well or not isn't determined by what they see, but by what they risk their lives for!"

Zhu Qiwu's ears were ringing from the shout, but he wasn't angry. Instead, he found the man interesting. He used his talent appraisal skill to take a look—Name: Sun Tiezhu. Occupation: Blacksmith. Martial Arts: Intermediate. Temperament: Fierce. Loyalty: Superior. Talent: Superior.

He is a capable person.

"What should I call you, elder brother?" Zhu Qiwu asked.

"Sun Tiezhu, the blacksmith from the south of the city." The man slung his hammer over his shoulder. "If you're not busy, don't block the way. I have to go back and work on making hoes. Lots of people are buying hoes this year; I can't handle it all by myself."

"A lot of people are buying hoes?" Zhu Qiwu caught this information. "Why are so many people buying hoes?"

Sun Tiezhu glanced at him as if he were a fool: "You don't even know this? There's been a severe drought this year; many families' hoes are rusted and need new ones. Besides, we can't afford to pay taxes, and we're almost at the point of losing our land. If we don't buy hoes, how will we farm in the future?"

Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent, but Zhu Qiwu noticed that his fists clenched again.

Sun Tiezhu ignored them and strode away, hammer in hand. After a few steps, he turned back and called out, "Hey, young man, if you really want to see how the common people are doing, go take a look at Liujia Village in the south of the city. Life there is ten times harder than in the city!"

After saying that, he disappeared around the street corner.

Zhu Yuanzhang stared in the direction Sun Tiezhu had disappeared, remained silent for a long while, and then said, "Go to Liujia Village."

Zhu Qiwu was taken aback: "Fourth Brother, are we going now?"

"Let's go now."

Xu Da frowned: "Fourth Brother, Liujia Village is south of the city, more than ten miles from here. And the roads there are bad, all dirt roads. With your health..."

"What's wrong with my health?" Zhu Yuanzhang glared at him. "Back when I was begging for food, I could walk dozens of miles twice a day. Now, after sitting in an office for a few days, I can't even walk anymore?"

Xu Da dared not speak again.

The four men exited the south gate of Yingtian Prefecture and headed south along a dirt road. The road was indeed difficult to walk on, full of potholes, and Zhu Yuanzhang's straw sandals were quickly covered in mud.

After walking for about an hour, a cluster of low, sparse houses appeared in the distance, a stark contrast to the tall buildings and grand houses of Yingtian Prefecture, as if they belonged to a completely different world.

This is Liujia Village.

Before even entering the village, Zhu Qiwu smelled a stench. It wasn't the aroma of food, but a putrid smell mixed with the stench of earth, making his stomach churn.

Several elderly people sat at the village entrance, some basking in the sun, others lost in thought. When they saw Zhu Yuanzhang and his entourage, they didn't even lift their eyelids, as if they were numb to it all.

Zhu Yuanzhang walked up to an old man, squatted down, and asked, "Brother, how was this year's harvest?"

The old man slowly turned his head, glanced at Zhu Yuanzhang, and then said something that made Zhu Yuanzhang's heart sink.

"Harvest? What harvest? Not even weeds grow in the fields, what harvest can we expect?"

"So what will you eat?"

The old man pointed to a broken earthenware pot next to him, which was filled with a dark, unidentifiable substance.

"Eat this. Tree bark, grass roots, clay—eat whatever you can. Last month, Old Li next door died from eating clay. His stomach was bloated like a drum, he couldn't poop, and he died of constipation."

Zhu Yuanzhang's face turned pale instantly.

He stood up and walked into the village. Zhu Qiwu followed behind, his ears always on, and heard even more heartbreaking sounds.

"...Wife, cook the last bit of rice and give it to the baby. We'll just have water..."

"...Dad, I'm not hungry, you eat..."

"...When will this ever end...?"

Zhu Qiwu's eyes welled up with tears. He was a time traveler, and he had read the phrase "the people are living in misery" countless times in books, but only when he stood on this land and heard these voices did those four words truly take on weight.

Zhu Yuanzhang walked to an old locust tree in the middle of the village and stopped.

A young man, probably in his early twenties, sat under the tree, wearing a long, patched-up robe. In front of him was a tattered table with several books on it, their edges curled. He was reading intently, seemingly oblivious to everything around him.

Zhu Yuanzhang walked over and sat down opposite him.

The young man looked up, saw Zhu Yuanzhang, and nodded politely: "Uncle, are you also here to escape the sun?"

"No, I just came to take a look," Zhu Yuanzhang said. "What book are you reading?"

The young man turned the book over and showed the cover to Zhu Yuanzhang. It was a copy of "Commentary on the Waterways Classic".

"Idle reading," the young man chuckled. "I failed the imperial examinations three times, though I've read quite a few books. But what's the use of reading? If you can't even fill your stomach, no amount of reading will put food on the table."

"May I have your name?"

“He Wenchang, a local.” The young man closed his book. “Uncle, you’re from the city, aren’t you? How’s it going in the city these days? I heard the King of Wu is holding some kind of special imperial examination, is that true?”

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up: "You've heard?"

"The news has spread throughout Yingtian Prefecture," He Wenchang said. "But no one here believes it. They say the King of Wu came from humble beginnings, that his imperial examinations are a scam, and that even if you pass, you won't get an official position. I'd like to take the exam, but I don't even have the fare to get to Yingtian Prefecture."

Zhu Qiwu, who was listening from behind, couldn't help but ask, "You want to take the special imperial examination?"

He Wenchang glanced at him: "Want to? But what's the use of wanting? I don't even have a proper pair of shoes, how am I supposed to get to Yingtian Prefecture?"

Zhu Qiwu squatted down, looking at He Wenchang. Talent Assessment Technique automatically activated—Name: He Wenchang. Literary Talent: Superior. Political Ability: Superior. Character: Superior. Ambition: Extremely High.

He is a talent that has been overlooked.

“He Wenchang, listen to me,” Zhu Qiwu said earnestly. “The special imperial examination is real, and passing it guarantees an official position. If you want to take it, I'll cover your travel expenses and even give you a pair of shoes. Are you willing?” He Wenchang’s eyes lit up, but quickly dimmed again: “You…who are you? Are you telling the truth?”

"My name is Zhu Qiwu."

He Wenchang's mouth gaped open and he couldn't close it for a long time.

"Zhu... Zhu Qiwu? His Highness the Prince of Wu's younger brother?"

"right."

He Wenchang suddenly stood up, knocking over his chair. He looked at Zhu Qiwu, then at Zhu Yuanzhang beside him, his lips trembling for a while, before he knelt down with a thud.

"Young Master Qiwu! I, He Wenchang, have waited three years for this day!"

Zhu Yuanzhang reached out and helped him up: "Don't kneel. When you become an official, doing practical things for the people will be better than kneeling to me a hundred times."

He Wenchang nodded vigorously, tears streaming down his face.

Just then, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from outside the village, growing louder and louder as it approached.

Zhu Qiwu's nerves immediately tensed. He listened carefully, and his expression changed.

"Fourth Brother, someone's here. At least ten men on horseback. They're not ours."

Xu Da's hand was already on the hilt of his sword: "Fourth Brother, I'll go take a look."

"No need." Zhu Yuanzhang stood up, looking towards the village entrance. "Let them come."

The sound of horses' hooves grew closer, and soon, a dozen or so riders appeared at the village entrance. Leading them was a plump middle-aged man in a brocade robe, riding a tall horse, followed by a dozen or so servants carrying knives.

The middle-aged man saw Zhu Yuanzhang and his entourage at the village entrance, reined in his horse, and looked down at them.

"Who are you? What are you doing in Liujia Village?"

Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent.

Zhu Qiwu stepped forward, looking up at the middle-aged man: "And who are you?"

The middle-aged man sneered, "Who am I? I am Wang Shouyi, the registrar of Shangyuan County. Are you people here to incite the people to resist taxes?"

Wang Shouyi.

Zhu Qiwu remembered the name.

The constable I met in the alley earlier was named Wang Desheng, and this one is named Wang Shouyi. They look like family.

“Registrar Wang,” Zhu Qiwu said calmly, “we were just passing by and didn’t incite anyone.”

"Take a look?" Wang Shouyi's gaze swept across the village, and a sneer appeared on his lips as he saw the ragged villagers. "What's the use of looking? These peasants are born to pay taxes. If they can't pay, they sell their land. If they can't sell their land, they go to jail. It's only natural."

Zhu Yuanzhang's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

But he still didn't say anything.

Zhu Qiwu spoke up, "Registration Officer Wang, I have a question for you. Liujia Village suffered a severe drought this year; most of the crops died, and the people can't even afford to eat. Did you collect taxes based on the standards for a bumper harvest or a disaster year?"

Wang Shouyi was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Bountiful years and famine years? Here, there are no such things. Tax silver is tax silver, not a penny less. Where did you come from, you brat, daring to ask me such a question?"

“I’ll ask you another question,” Zhu Qiwu said. “Of the tax revenue you collected, how much went into the county government’s treasury, and how much went into your own pocket?”

Wang Shouyi's laughter stopped abruptly.

He stared at Zhu Qiwu, his eyes turning cold: "Kid, do you know who you're talking to?"

“Of course I know,” Zhu Qiwu said. “I was talking to a corrupt official.”

The air seemed to freeze.

The servants behind Wang Shouyi drew their swords in unison, the gleaming blades pointing at Zhu Qiwu.

Xu Da and Zhou Dexing simultaneously stood in front of Zhu Yuanzhang, their hands on their sword hilts, exuding a murderous aura.

But Zhu Yuanzhang pushed them away.

He took a step forward, stood next to Zhu Qiwu, and looked up at Wang Shouyi.

"Wang Shouyi."

Zhu Yuanzhang's voice wasn't loud, but every word seemed to be squeezed out from between rocks.

"You just said that ordinary people are born to pay taxes."

Wang Shouyi shrank back under Zhu Yuanzhang's imposing aura, but still remained defiant: "You... what do you want? Let me tell you, I am an official of the imperial court, you dare to touch a hair on my head..."

"Officials appointed by the imperial court?" Zhu Yuanzhang sneered. "Officials appointed by the Yuan dynasty to collect taxes during famine years on my territory. How long do you think your dynasty can protect you?"

Wang Shouyi's face turned pale instantly.

Although he didn't know Zhu Yuanzhang, the words "my territory," along with the murderous faces of Xu Da and Zhou Dexing, made his legs tremble.

"Who...who exactly are you?"

Zhu Yuanzhang did not answer him, but turned to Zhou Dexing and said, "Take this man back. Interrogate him tonight, and find out every single penny he has embezzled over the years."

Zhou Dexing waved his hand, and two bodyguards immediately rushed forward and pulled Wang Shouyi off his horse.

Wang Shouyi fell to the ground, his brocade robe covered in mud. He struggled and shouted, "You can't arrest me! I'm an official of the imperial court! This is rebellion!"

"Rebellion?" Zhu Qiwu squatted down, looking into Wang Shouyi's eyes. "Wang, the registrar, you need to get this straight. In this world, who is actually rebelling against whom?"

Wang Shouyi was dragged away. When his servants saw that their master had been captured, they were so frightened that they could not even hold their swords properly. Xu Da and his men disarmed them all.

The village entrance fell silent.

One by one, the villagers of Liujia Village peeked out of their houses and watched this scene. The expressions on their faces changed from fear to surprise, and then from surprise to something indescribable.

He Wenchang, who had been sitting under the tree reading a book, walked up to Zhu Yuanzhang and was about to kneel down again.

Zhu Yuanzhang helped him up.

"He Wenchang, you just said you wanted to take the special imperial examination."

"Yes."

"Alright. I'll give you a chance. You don't need to go to Yingtian Prefecture to take the exam. I'll give you a question now. If you answer it well, I'll have Qi Wu arrange an official position for you. Start as the village head of Liujia Village and manage the affairs of your village."

He Wenchang's tears fell again, but this time it was from excitement.

"Go on, I'm listening." (End of Chapter)