Chapter 146: Guo Yuan Sets the Strategy

Three hours!

Even a living person soaking for three or four hours might pass out from weakness, let alone a full six hours.

If Mo Xiaobai hadn’t known that Dong Zhen’s medical skills were supreme, he would have thought this was an attempt to drown Zheng Xuan on purpose. But now that Dong Zhen had given the order, both Mo Xiaobai and Guo Yuan had no choice but to follow it.

They stuck to the three hours strictly, daring not add a single moment or take any time away.

After all this hard work, Guo Yuan was exhausted. He had to constantly wipe Zheng Xuan’s arms and back, while Dong Zhen, though tired, sat on the other side and did not leave. She merely closed her eyes, occasionally opening them to check the bath tub.

As soon as the three hours were up, Mo Xiaobai and Guo Yuan immediately lifted Zheng Xuan out of the bath tub. No one knew if it was just from the soaking or because he had truly recovered, but Zheng Xuan’s skin no longer looked so shriveled as before.

“Let Duke Kangcheng rest first, you two clean this place up,” Dong Zhen said, seeing that the old master Zheng Xuan’s breathing was steady. Finally taking a deep breath of relief, she added, “You don’t need to call me for dinner tonight. I need at least a full day of rest.”

After saying this, Dong Zhen turned and left, walking back to her own bedroom.

Once Dong Zhen left, Mo Xiaobai and Guo Yuan still had to keep working. They carried the bath tub out of the room to wash it clean. After another round of hard labor, another half hour had passed.

When the two men returned to Zheng Xuan’s room and saw the old master lying flat on the bed, Mo Xiaobai smiled and said, “Now that Duke Kangcheng’s health is gradually recovering, Zini, you no longer need to worry.”

“Thank you, My Lord. If we hadn’t met you, how could my master have safely survived this disaster?”

Guo Yuan spoke with gratitude. Just as Mo Xiaobai had said, he finally felt truly relieved now. With this major burden lifted from his heart, he finally had the energy to think about other matters: “In recent days, while taking care of my master, I have been unable to help My Lord much. You never urged me to do so, allowing me to stay by my master’s side. Now that my master’s serious illness has passed, I should dedicate my efforts to planning for My Lord.”

“Do not rush. You have worked hard these past few days. Rest well for two days first.”

“I am in my prime years. What is there to be tired about? Although I have seen that My Lord’s Territory is developing well in various aspects, there are still many improper points,” Guo Yuan shook his head, politely refusing Mo Xiaobai’s kindness, and shared his views: “I have observed several industries in Daming Village. They require no more than a thousand laborers, while the rest of the Territory Citizens are mostly engaged in mining timber and stone. However, such ordinary wood and stone sell at low prices. Even after setting aside supplies for storage, selling them does not bring high profits. Meanwhile, large areas of wasteland still exist within the Territory. If this continues, it will surely hinder the development of the Territory.”

“I also know what Zini is saying, but regarding how to do it specifically, I ask you to teach me,” Mo Xiaobai admitted. He certainly knew there were problems with the current Territory management model, but he had no experience in this area, so he had to ask an expert.

“Encourage the Territory Citizens to reclaim the wasteland themselves and plan a tax system. On one hand, this improves the Territory using the citizens’ hands; on the other, it increases tax revenue for the Territory. In my opinion, the soil in My Lord’s Territory is fertile. Even if all the land were reclaimed for farming, it would all become high-quality farmland. In that case, one harvest a year would be enough, and the tax revenue would be far greater than that from mining timber and stone.”

Encouraging farming and collecting taxes reasonably!

What Guo Yuan said was simple and straightforward.

If it were just this principle, Mo Xiaobai actually understood it too. The reason he hadn’t done it was mainly because he couldn’t decide on the specific implementation methods.

As Guo Yuan clearly listed out the encouragement policies and the tax plan, a smile quickly appeared on Mo Xiaobai’s face.

Having an expert in internal affairs nearby was truly an excellent thing. Although Guo Yuan mainly managed agricultural fields under Cao Cao, this did not mean he lacked knowledge of other civil policies.

After Guo Yuan finished speaking, Mo Xiaobai immediately made the decision: “Leave this matter to Zini. Additionally, what you just said about the official system for managing Daming Village citizens is indeed what we urgently need. However, there are not many capable talents in Daming Village suitable for appointment. Currently, managing the villagers should remain simple, and we cannot create too many new positions.”

“I understand. Once I get to know each villager individually, I will report the details to My Lord.”

“Enough, let’s not just stand here talking. Come with me back to the manor to eat something. We have been busy for a long time; we cannot just cure Duke Kangcheng and then exhaust you.”

…

That night, Daming Village.

A normal residential courtyard, the home of Ma Laoliu.

“Old Six, do you know our Lord mentioned some new news?”

By a simple wooden bed, Ma Laoliu was wiping a new short sword he had just received. Suddenly, his wife pulled him over: “That Mr. Guo who looked so distinguished this afternoon went to our area. He told everyone that our Lord is preparing to divide land among us.”

Divide land?

Ma Laoliu was initially a bit impatient, but upon hearing “divide land,” he immediately changed to a puzzled expression: “Divide what land? Where do we still have land to divide?”

Next to Ma Laoliu, a middle-aged woman dressed as a farmer explained: “She means that wasteland behind our Daming Village.”

“Wasteland? That belongs to our Lord, not us.”

“That is exactly why the Lord said he wants to give it to us. It’s not free; if we get the land, we must farm it. We can plant whatever we like. Hearing Mr. Guo speak, we can no longer let fertile land sit idle.”

“The logic is correct, but if we have to buy the land, I’m afraid our monthly salary won’t be enough.”

Seeing Ma Laoliu still shaking his head, the woman nearly slapped him and spoke anxiously: “The Lord does not want money from us! He also gives seeds for free. At most, we just need to buy two iron shovels each, which won’t cost much. And Mr. Guo said that once the crops are harvested, our Lord will calculate taxes by household, charging only one tax for every twenty. Think about it; where can you find such a good deal?”

“Tax of one in twenty? Does that not count the number of people in our family? Did the Lord really say that?”

Ma Laoliu was no longer calm. Before he had followed He Chun to become a bandit, a career with no future, he had been a soldier. He knew something about government taxes.

The Prefecture Government was very ruthless with taxes. Every household’s tax was calculated per person. The more people in the family, the higher the tax. No one had ever heard of paying tax only per household.

Now, the Lord was not only giving land for free, but the tax was only one in twenty?

Ma Laoliu was always smart. He quickly calculated that farming would definitely earn him much more than helping at the Mulberry Garden.

Just as he was pondering whether this news was reliable, his wife continued: “You silly man, now you know the stakes, right? Let me tell you, this is not just known by us. It has spread everywhere.”

“Such a great opportunity surely belongs to everyone.”

“Hehe~ That might not be the case. Mr. Guo said that for the first batch, only three thousand mu of land will be distributed. Families with children to raise can be given priority for the land, and we can even be exempt from the tuition fees for our children to study and write at the Academy for the first year.”

Ma Laoliu’s wife looked proudly at her husband, almost claiming credit. If she hadn’t been so fertile and given birth to a chubby baby boy many years ago, they would not be enjoying such a great priority treatment today.