"By the way." Hua Zhi suddenly remembered something. "Did Zhu Fang return last night?"
"Yes, she did."
"How badly was she injured?"
"Quite severely, but what's more serious is likely the issue of her reputation." Jia Yang reminded her: "She was detained alone for most of the night, and it was in full view of everyone when the soldiers took her away."
"That was my miscalculation."
"You needn't blame yourself. Had you known Zhu Ling was acting against his will, you wouldn't have laid hands on Miss Zhu. If she were from the Chao Li Tribe, any treatment would be justified."
Hua Zhi shook her head. No matter what was said, Zhu Fang's reputation was already ruined. It would be difficult for her to find a marriage prospect in the future. However, given her identity as a descendant of the Chao Li Tribe, it wouldn't be appropriate for her to marry anyway. Zhu Ling must have had this concern, otherwise he would have arranged a marriage for his daughter long ago.
Setting aside these thoughts, Hua Zhi drank half a cup of tea and stood up. "Take me to the archives of the magistrate's office."
"Yes."
Only a forty-something archivist was guarding the archives. Apart from him, the place was empty. Yet the room was clean, not at all the dust-filled space one might expect. Glancing at the submissive archivist, Hua Zhi turned and instructed, "For all matters concerning the magistrate's office, consult Zhu Ling. Only summon me when the heads of the various families arrive."
Jia Yang acknowledged the order.
Hua Zhi then looked at the archivist. "You come and guide me."
"Yes."
The archives were vast. Hua Zhi walked slowly through the aisles between shelves, one after another, from the far left to the far right.
Despite the room being filled with documents, there was no scent of ink. She missed her family's Library, missed the leisure of pulling out a book at random and sitting down to while away half a day. Her grandfather knew she loved comfort and had indulged her when she secretly set up a cozy corner in one part of the Library. Thinking back, she owed the preservation of her eyesight to her maids who kept a tight rein on her.
Sighing quietly to herself, Hua Zhi thought, it wasn't just the Library she missed. She missed home, missed her family.
Running her hand over a stack of documents one meter high, her fingertips came away clean. Hua Zhi emerged from the shadows. "Sir, you are..."
"I dare not claim such a title. This humble official is Xu Ze."
Hua Zhi sat down behind his desk. "I'd like to learn about the situation in Jin Yang over the past few years. Please bring me whatever materials you deem appropriate, Lord Xu."
Xu Ze didn't immediately comply. Still bowing, his tone unchanged, he asked, "Might I inquire as to your identity, miss? Although the archives contain nothing that cannot be shown, they form the foundation of this region. As the archivist, I dare not casually present them to others."
That made sense. Hua Zhi nodded, took out the Seven Constellation Bureau's seal, placed it on the table, and pushed it forward.
Xu Ze apologized for his presumption, stepped forward to examine it closely, and after a moment bowed respectfully. He picked up a somewhat worn but well-maintained basket and moved between the shelves, gently placing volume after volume into the basket.
Hua Zhi watched his actions quietly, feeling an immediate sense of approval. She couldn't yet judge his capabilities, but as an archivist, he performed his duties excellently.
"You may review these first, my lady."
"Just call me 'Miss.' Attend to your duties; there's no need to mind me."
"Yes."Hua Zhi picked up the topmost ledger labeled "Population." As soon as she opened it, her eyebrows shot up in surprise—it dated back eleven years. She then took the one beneath it, which was from seven years ago, and noticed subsequent records existed for every year thereafter. She then selected the tax and land registers, finding the same chronological pattern.
Eleven years ago marked Yuan Shifang's initial arrival in Jin Yang, while seven years ago was when Zeng Xianglin first fell under their control. This magistrate's clerk was clearly a perceptive man.
Clearing other books from the desk, Hua Zhi spread out the tax ledgers—the most revealing records—chronologically from top to bottom. The comparison was stark: Jin Yang's current tax revenue amounted to less than one-third of what it had been eleven years prior.
Next, she laid out the population registers for comparison, focusing primarily on Statute Labor exemptions. Eleven years ago, one in ten people paid silver to avoid labor service; seven years ago, it was one in twelve; but in the most recent year, only one in twenty-seven could afford to pay the exemption—clear evidence that fewer households had disposable income.
As for land reclamation, from eleven years ago to the present, newly cultivated land had decreased year by year. By last year, the total reclaimed land across Jin Yang amounted to less than twenty-four hectares.
The Jin Yang of eleven years ago truly deserved its nickname as the "Little Capital."
Studying the rows of figures, Hua Zhi asked without hesitation, "May I ask Magistrate Xu to clarify how wasteland is currently taxed?"
Xu Ze, who had been flipping through a book nearby, immediately responded, "Wasteland is tax-exempt for four years. In the first two years after that period, it's taxed at half the rate of cultivated land, after which it's taxed at the full rate."
"Were the people enthusiastic about this policy?"
"They certainly were in the past. I recall one year when thousands of hectares of wasteland were reclaimed. Though land cultivation required effort, the yields were substantial. According to Daqing law, reclaimed land is registered under the cultivator's name. If wasteland was cleared and nurtured in the first year, it could yield some harvest by the second. Experienced farmers could produce harvests nearly matching cultivated land—within ten to twenty percent—and by the third year, the land would be no different from cultivated fields, yet still tax-free. Who wouldn't want extra bushels of grain for their household?"
The disparity in these figures was staggering.
Covering the numbers as if to shield herself from the dismal reality, Hua Zhi continued, "On several occasions when I left the city, I noticed some formerly cultivated fields lying fallow. Are you aware of this, Magistrate Xu?"
After a brief silence, Xu Ze replied, "Yes, I am aware."
"Is there an explanation?"
"Simply because other pursuits have become more appealing to the people than farming."
And that pursuit was gambling. When gambling had become commonplace enough to enter households, those caught in its grip failed to recognize how profoundly it had altered their lives and circumstances.
During her time in Jin Yang, Hua Zhi had learned that gambling had permeated ordinary households. Though the people's livelihoods were poorer and their finances tighter than before, there was remarkably little discontent among them. Some even claimed benefits—neighborhood relations had improved through small-scale betting and games. Discovering this had left her torn between amusement and dismay.
"Miss, the families have arrived together," Jia Yang reported quietly from the doorway.
"Understood." Closing the ledgers, Hua Zhi returned them one by one to the basket, lifted it, and turned to Xu Ze. "How long have you served as magistrate's clerk here, Magistrate Xu?"
"Eleven years."Eleven years, truly a remarkable number. Hua Zhi couldn't help but think further, though she refrained from asking more questions at the moment. Nodding, she lifted the basket and said, "Please have Magistrate Xu find more such records and send them to the front. Rather than letting them gather dust here, it's better to put them to some use."
"Your humble official obeys the command."
Hua Zhi glanced at him once more before exiting the archives, where she spotted Bao Xia waiting outside. Upon seeing her, Bao Xia offered an ingratiating smile.
Hua Zhi shot her a sidelong glance and heavily placed the basket into her hands. She had nearly forgotten—among her four chief maids, Bao Xia was the one who least enjoyed reading. Her literacy had been forced bit by bit under Nian Qiu's persistent guidance. Only someone as patient as Nian Qiu could have managed it; even she herself had failed to resist giving Bao Xia a few smacks back then.
PS: There's one more chapter.
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