Inspiration
When it comes to visiting and drinking water, it is certainly not as simple as just drinking water; naturally, eating and talking are involved.
Magistrate Fu was accustomed to this, as every time he visited the countryside, he would be hosted by either the village head or local gentry. Wouldn't it be inappropriate for him to dine at the poorest household?
Mr. Bai also had extensive experience in hosting visiting officials from rural areas. He first inquired about the situation in other areas, then asked about the current arrangements in the county. He indicated that he would definitely cooperate with the county's policies to ensure a successful harvest.
When the topic of the harvest arose, Magistrate Fu began to feel a headache and turned to the village head and the village elder to inquire about the situation in the fields.
The village head sighed and asked the village elder to speak.
While things inside a house can be fabricated, the crops in the fields are visible to all. Even though he wanted to paint an optimistic picture, Magistrate Fu had to believe him.
As soon as he set foot in the fields, he could see everything.
The two most heavily damaged areas in Qili Village were one near the river, and they had just walked from the other side of the river, so Magistrate Fu had definitely seen it.
Upon witnessing the village head's sigh, the village elder, without uttering a word, cast a glance at Man Bao and sighed as well, resorting to playing the poverty card.
Old Zhou was unaware of the cunning ways of the village head's nephew. He believed everything the village head said was accurate, so he sat on the side nodding repeatedly.
In fact, Qili Village's situation was relatively good compared to the villages and towns that Magistrate Fu had previously visited.
Therefore, with such a large area affected by the disaster, he became even more worried.
After some thought, he looked at Mr. Bai and sighed, "The prefectural government has issued orders for all counties to gather displaced disaster victims." Despite being situated in a remote area, Luojiang County has experienced an influx of numerous refugees. Since they are all from Yizhou, there will inevitably be relatives and friends coming to seek refuge. Therefore, the city and its jurisdiction have welcomed many refugees.
Mr. Bai nodded in understanding.
"Some refugees brought resources with them, which can temporarily cover their daily expenses, but many arrived with nothing." Unlike other natural disasters, floods occur suddenly and violently. Many families did not have time to bring anything with them, so the city has been providing relief porridge, but this is not a sustainable solution.
After the rain stopped, Mr. Bai, along with other landlords, had people send two loads of grain to the county yamen as a form of support.
Despite the accumulation of these donations, they were not sufficient to support the refugees in Luojiang County.
Hence, Magistrate Fu hinted that the county government's granary stocks were almost depleted, and relief efforts would have to be initiated to replenish the county granary.
Each county had granaries to manage natural disasters. However, to access and distribute the grain, they had to seek permission from the provincial capital.
If the beneficiaries were the local people, it would be one thing, but now there are refugees in need of aid, which might cause dissatisfaction among the locals.
Therefore, Magistrate Fu urged them to pay attention to the attitudes of the villagers and try to persuade them, as great love knows no bounds.
Of course, he was not only concerned about the refugees but also neglected the local people. This time, anyone whose house collapsed in the flood would receive compensation from the county government.
He had also seen the moldy rice and wheat earlier, and it was probably the same in other places. Where houses had collapsed, the grain had likely been damaged by moisture.
Although theoretically, this grain wouldn't be lethal if consumed, it is still not advisable to eat it in large amounts.
Given the current capacity of the county government, they can only compensate those whose houses have collapsed. If they wanted to expand the scope of assistance, they would need the help of individuals like Mr. Bai.
Mr. Bai sensed that he was being asked to donate another batch of grain, this time primarily for the benefit of the local people.
After a moment of contemplation, he realized that this would also benefit landlords like him.
For example, being from Qili Village, the grain he donated would likely go to the villagers of Qili Village. This act would not only benefit the neighbors but also earn goodwill for him and the Bai family.
Given that he had already planned to donate another batch, being able to assist the neighbors outside his door would be even more beneficial. Mr. Bai nodded and agreed to cooperate with the county's policies.
As the conversation unfolded, Mr. Bai became more relaxed. After a moment of contemplation, he couldn't help but ask about the autumn taxes.
Although the Bai family was wealthy, they had also been severely affected by the disaster.
The Bai family owned lands not just in Qili Village, but also in Baimaguan Town, other villages and towns in Luojiang County, and even in Basixian and Yizhou, so their losses were varied and extensive.
Despite having few family members, they had numerous servants who were also required to pay a certain tax. Given the extent of the damage, wouldn't the court consider reducing or exempting the autumn taxes?
Magistrate Fu hesitated for a moment. He had originally wanted to discuss this topic with Mr. Bai privately, but upon seeing the chief steward signal him, Magistrate Fu understood. Discussing it here was semi-public and had its benefits; the main one being that it could help him build goodwill and prestige among the villagers.
"In the areas directly affected by the disaster in Yizhou, taxes are definitely exempt," Magistrate Fu said. Even though it had not been officially decreed by the court, he knew that it would certainly happen. This was not only due to the severity of the disaster but also because the aid was coming from Wei Zhi.
Wei Zhi was known in the court as a fair and upright official while serving as the secretary of the Ministry.
"In contrast, in other counties that were not as severely affected, such as our Luojiang County, it would be challenging to secure tax reductions if the provincial authorities do not report the situation."
Compared to Yizhou, Basixian had not been as severely affected by the disaster. In such uncertain times, Magistrate Fu doubted that the governor would be willing to reduce the autumn taxes merely for appearances' sake.
This speculation was based on Magistrate Fu's observations and interpretations during two meetings in Basixian. It could be said that Magistrate Fu and the provincial governor had contrasting performance expectations.
Unfortunately, Magistrate Fu's superior was the provincial governor.
Upon hearing the topic of tax reduction, even Old Zhou, who had been hanging his head, couldn't help but perk up and anxiously look at Magistrate Fu.
If taxes were reduced this year, he didn't know about other households, but their Old Zhou family would definitely be able to endure; the days wouldn't be particularly hard.
Upon hearing that the provincial governor was not keen on reporting the situation, Old Zhou and the village head expressed disappointment once again.
The village head gave a silent glance to the two disappointed individuals.
Man Bao and Bai Shanbao were also listening with great interest. Man Bao already understood some social intricacies and knew that Magistrate Fu would not bypass the provincial governor to report such matters.
So, she also sighed in response.
Bai Shanbao also let out a sigh.
The sighs of the two children were quite audible, which amused Magistrate Fu. He asked with a smile, "Why are you sighing?"
Man Bao replied, "We just need a new provincial governor who shares your desire to reduce taxes."
Old Zhou was frightened and reached out to cover her mouth, repeatedly apologizing, "Please forgive us, the child doesn't know what she's talking about…"
Magistrate Fu was also taken aback but didn't seem to mind too much, saying, "Don't take the words of children to heart."
Bai Shanbao added, "It's difficult to change the provincial governor." Instead of considering replacing the governor, why not anticipate the arrival of a higher-ranking official here? "Then you can bring it up directly with him."
Man Bao removed her father's hand and nodded repeatedly, "Yes, a county magistrate is lower in rank than a provincial governor, so the magistrate has to listen to the governor; having an official higher in rank than the governor would be better, as the lower-ranking officials must listen to the higher-ranking officials."
Magistrate Fu and Mr. Bai both fell into deep thought.