Chapter 100 - 77: The Black Mountain Thieves Are Too Brutal, They Even Kill Village Heroes!

Chapter 100: Chapter 77: The Black Mountain Thieves Are Too Brutal, They Even Kill Village Heroes!

Seeing Captain Zheng confiscating the property so decisively and efficiently, Du Ding naturally could not hide the satisfaction in his heart. However, a trace of worry also lingered within him; he feared Zheng Jun would be punished. After all, even though these masters usually tyrannized the countryside and preyed on the common people, they all had connections. Imperial power did not reach the villages, and their words carried more weight than an imperial decree in these rural towns. He wondered if blaming it on the Black Mountain Thieves would really work.

On the other side, Sun Rong, the Crew Leader of the third crew who had rushed over with his troops, was eager for action. Seeing the situation, he immediately asked in a low voice, "Captain, what should we do with these Guardians and household servants?"

They had long wanted to loot these wealthy households. The previous Captains had been either incompetent or cowardly, completely lacking the courage to go against the local Gentry. It was far more exhilarating to work with Captain Zheng!

"Guardians?" Zheng Jun glanced around at the dozen or so household servants and Guardians. He then calmly looked at the short man who was slumped on the ground, weeping bitterly, and asked, "What is your name?"

"T-this lowly one is Yan Ying. Greetings, Captain." Upon hearing Zheng Jun’s question, the short man immediately reported his name. With red eyes, he kowtowed to Zheng Jun—THUD, THUD, THUD—three times. "Captain, you have avenged me! This lowly one will never forget this immense kindness!"

"Just live a peaceful life from now on." Seeing this, Zheng Jun couldn’t help but sigh heavily. He stepped forward and helped Yan Ying up. "Do you know these Guardians and household servants? How do they behave normally? Are they kind to others?"

"The household servants are arrogant, and the Guardians are domineering!" Yan Ying said with bitter resentment. "Captain, our Nansha Town has suffered deeply because of them! The Yan family is truly despicable and hateful!

"My surname is also Yan. Going by our ancestral seniority, I’m actually a cousin to this animal and a nephew to Old Thief Yan. Even so, Old Thief Yan didn’t spare his own clan! Those of us with the surname Yan have also been victimized!"

"Tell me in detail. How exactly have you been victimized?" Zheng Jun nodded and probed further.

Yan Ying began to explain the situation thoroughly. He had suffered greatly at the hands of his own clan, and the other Yan family members in Nansha Town also harbored a deep-seated hatred for Master Yan. After all, these collateral relatives used to own farmland. When they encountered hardships, Master Yan resorted to underhanded tactics. He told them they could use their "soil skin" to pay off their debts while keeping the "soil bone," promising they could redeem their land once they had money in the future.

This "skin and bone" concept was a customary way of defining land rights. The ownership of the land was generally referred to as the soil bone, while the Tenant’s right to use the land was known as the soil skin.

Master Yan used this scheme to trick them into selling their usage rights to him at a rock-bottom price. He then rented the land—which originally belonged to them—back to them to make a profit. Meanwhile, the Court collected taxes based on the soil bone. This meant that while Master Yan took the majority of the harvest, he didn’t have to pay any taxes; the burden fell entirely on the Tenant farmers.

As a result, even though Master Yan possessed nearly a thousand mu of fertile land, he only had to pay taxes on his own thirty or forty mu. The rest was borne by the Tenants. If the Tenants couldn’t pay, that was fine too. The "kind-hearted" Master Yan would pay it on their behalf—but the following year, the interest would compound relentlessly.

Zheng Jun fell silent after hearing Yan Ying’s explanation. He thought about how incredibly proficient these landlords were at extorting money. They had found a loophole in Great Zhou Law to evade taxes! Was this merely an issue of missing land taxes? If they kept underpaying taxes like this, what would happen if the Court couldn’t afford to issue military pay in the future? What would he and his subordinates eat?

"Very well, Yan Ying. I am now promoting you to be the Village Chief of Nansha Town. These fifteen mu of the Yan family’s land are yours. As for the rest of the fertile land, just distribute it equally among the Tenants." Zheng Jun spoke casually before continuing, "From now on, the Black Mountain Guard will be responsible for tax collection. If the Black Mountain Guard doesn’t show up, you don’t pay. If anyone tries to take it by force, give it to them, and then come find me at the military camp!"

Money and provisions were the most critical resources. As long as he secured them, he could raise his own private army. In the past, out of ten thousand taels in taxes, everyone took a cut until the Court only received five thousand taels. The high-ranking officials in the Court assumed that the tax revenue here was only five thousand taels to begin with. Since that was the case, Zheng Jun decided he would intercept the funds from now on and take a few thousand taels for himself. After all, the Court only expected five thousand taels anyway.

"Yes, Captain!" Yan Ying trembled all over, scarcely able to believe his ears. He thought to himself that it was a miracle he could actually become the Village Chief.

"Eat more in the future and build up your strength. It would be best if you learned some martial arts. Even if you can’t beat others, it’s still excellent for strengthening your body," Zheng Jun said, patting Yan Ying on the shoulder. "If you’re willing, you can go find the Tongzhou Association. Just tell them you are the Village Chief of Nansha Town appointed by me, and they will naturally teach you."

"Yes, Benefactor!" Yan Ying was ready to drop to his knees again. He truly felt he had met a great savior. He thought to himself that a benefactor like this should be the one to rule the realm, allowing all the poor people in the world like him to finally turn their lives around.

"So..." Yang Jun hesitated nearby, but after a moment of thought, he still asked in a low voice, "Captain, what exactly are we doing with these Guardians and household servants? Also, there’s another matter. Nansha Town already has a Village Chief."

Hearing this, the two Blood Refining Guardians immediately clamored, "Captain Zheng! Please be magnanimous and spare us! You just said you were going up the mountain to exterminate the bandits. The two of us used to run with the gangs up there! We are willing to lead the way for you!"

"Since they aren’t any good, just kill them all." Zheng Jun completely ignored the two Blood Refining Guardians. He merely glanced up at Yang Jun and said, "Tell the previous Village Chief to step down from his post. Let him be the Deputy Village Chief and assist Yan Ying."