Chapter 625: Punishment
Editor: Atlas Studios
Xu Zhi wanted to see if she would forcefully occupy all those stipend land at the risk of offending all the officials in Ju Prefecture.
After verifying her thoughts, Mu Yangling asked, “I saw that they were divided into pieces over there, and that each plot belonged to each person. Their stipend land isn’t connected like His Highness’s?”
Xu Zhi said matter-of-factly, “There is little land in Ju Prefecture and whatever little land we have is barren. How can they be connected?”
Xu Zhi glanced at Mu Yangling and said meaningfully, “In the previous dynasty, the land of the various lords could be connected. Even if there’s little land, Ju Prefecture is big, so every lord can just circle a place on the map. As long as it follows the rules, it’s fine. However, after the establishment of Great Qi, His Majesty deeply felt that the officials of the previous dynasty were too greedy. Although it’s appropriate to allocate them stipend land, there are also officials who take this opportunity to forcefully occupy prime fields. Therefore, His Majesty issued a decree early on to set the scope of the stipend land which will be split among the officials.”
Xu Zhi continued, “The land in Ju Prefecture is barren and unevenly-fertile. If we want to connect the land, it will inevitably be unfair to the lower-ranking officials. Therefore, we have already measured the land and segregated the long-cultivated land and uncultivated land. When the time comes, everyone can choose according to the rules.”
Therefore, the officials’ plots of land were all scattered here and there, and were not easy to manage. However, no matter how difficult it was to manage, it was still better than being solely allocated uncultivated land or mountainous areas. Thus, no one complained.
The generals under Qi Haoran’s command were allocated stipend land based on this principle as well, but they did not dare to ask that Qi Haoran followed these same rules.
After all, he was a Prince of Great Qi and was the most doted on by the Emperor. Therefore, Xu Zhi could only bear the pain and give him the last plot of land. Not only was it connected, but the three mountains upon it also produced the best yield among those in the vicinity. Xu Zhi was already green with jealousy, but the servant from the Prince’s estate still complained it wasn’t good enough. One really couldn’t blame Xu Zhi for being angry.
Xu Zhi subtly hinted to Mu Yangling, hoping that she would be sensible and accept this plot of land, lest the situation turn ugly for all parties involved.
Frowning, Xiao Ting was about to speak when Mu Yangling glanced at him indifferently. Xiao Ting immediately retracted his aura and stood aside.
Mu Yangling turned around and said to Xu Zhi, “Measure the land here and allocate the general’s stipend land according to the same rules that apply to his subordinates. There’s no need for special treatment.”
Shocked, Xu Zhi stared at her with his mouth slightly open.
Mu Yangling narrowed her eyes and looked at the faint figures on the distant mountain. She pointed and asked, “Is that a terraced field?”
Startled, Xu Zhi immediately shifted his gaze away from Mu Yangling’s face. He lowered his head with a slightly red face and replied, “Yes, that’s a terraced field.”
Mu Yangling’s interest was immediately piqued. “Governor Xu, I’m eager to go over and take a look. I wonder if it’s convenient.”
Governor Xu hurriedly said, “I’ll make the arrangements now.”
Due to Qiannan being not very safe at present, when Mu Yangling went out, Governor Xu had to get someone to scout the area first. Having done the same this morning, he was very familiar with it. Two guards from the Prince’s estate also followed along.
Only then did Mu Yangling have the time to look at Xiao Ting.
Xiao Ting’s face was already pale. He already knew that Mu Yangling’s flattery had failed when she offered to let the general be allocated his stipend land following the same rules as his subordinates.
Xiao Ting knelt on the ground with a plop. His entire body was trembling as he lay on the ground without moving.
Mu Yangling looked at him for a while until his body stiffened before asking, “Raise your head and look at this plot of land in front of you. Let me ask you, how big is this plot of land? 100 acres?”
Xiao Ting kowtowed and cried in fear. “Your Highness, I know my mistake. I won’t do it again.”
Mu Yangling asked persistently, “How big is this plot of land?”
“Yes, about 200 acres…” Xiao Ting replied softly.
“Which stone over there is as big as a head? Bring it over for me.”
Xiao Ting shivered and knelt on the ground, not daring to move.
This plot of land had clearly been tidied up. Although it had not been leveled, there were no weeds or anything there. Naturally, the large rocks had also been picked out.
Mu Yangling moved her foot, but in the end, she did not kick him. Merely 12 years old, Xiao Ting was neither too old nor too young among the servants in the residence. However, in Mu Yangling’s opinion, he was still a child. She looked at him with a dark expression and asked, “Why were you sold to the residence?”
Other than the people left behind by Madam Zhu and the servants given to them by their uncle, Qi Xiuyuan and Qi Haoran did not have any hereditary servants because they did not trust the servants from the Qi family.
Most of the servants who could be trusted were the ones who had followed the brothers from the start, those they had bought back in the northern lands, and the soldiers who now worked as servants in the Qi family after retiring from the army.
Xiao Ting was one of them.
He kowtowed on the ground and said, “My parents couldn’t afford the taxes, so they could only sell me and my older sister as slaves. Fortunately, Steward Zhu took pity on me and allowed me to enter the residence to work.”
Who would have thought that the owner to whom he had been sold back then, would turn from a lowly general into the Emperor?
“Why couldn’t your parents afford the taxes?” Mu Yangling continued to ask.
“It’s because of the corrupt officials.” Xiao Ting gritted his teeth and said. He was only five years old when he was sold as a slave. He could not recall many things, but he still remembered the carefree days at home in the past. Although his life in the residence was alright, he often heard the older servants talk about how some masters would abuse their servants. This made him aware that it wasn’t a good thing to be a servant. Furthermore, Xiao Ting’s father wished for him to one day be pardoned and regain his non-slave civilian status.
Mu Yangling looked at him regretfully and asked sadly, “Then, what were you doing just now?”
Spring snorted and lectured him on behalf of Mu Yangling. “Weren’t you simply acting like a smug villain just now? Your actions turned our lord into a corrupt official. Xiao Ting, I used to think you’re a smart kid. Why did you do such a thing today?”
Tears fell from Xiao Ting’s eyes. Overwhelmed with regret, he could not say anything to defend himself. At this moment, his mind was blank and he was gripped by fear and shock, feeling like the sky had collapsed. He could not utter a single word.
Mu Yangling ignored him and went straight to check on the situation in the fields. To think at such a young age, this child already dared to wield the power of the Prince’s estate and challenge a fifth-grade official. It could be seen how bold he was. If she didn’t teach him a lesson, he would probably become an arrogant servant of a powerful family and use his master’s influence to bully people in the future.
He had borrowed the power of the Prince’s estate. If no one took the initiative to tell her and the people outside deliberately avoided mentioning the topic, Qi Haoran would probably wrongfully suffer much infamy.
Mu Yangling hated corrupt officials and arrogant slaves the most in her life.
When Spring saw that Mu Yangling wanted to punish Xiao Ting, she knew that Mu Yangling still intended to keep him around and was just teaching him a lesson. Therefore, she sent a young lass to serve Mu Yangling in front while she stayed behind to scold Xiao Ting and teach him some principles.
When Xu Zhi returned, he saw the servant who had pointed at him and scolded him kneeling on the ground with tears on his face. He felt happy in his heart and had a better impression of the Princess Consort. It seemed that the one who wanted to bully him was not the master, but the servant.
When Xu Zhi saw Mu Yangling squatting on the ground and holding a piece of yellow mud, he was surprised to see that this Princess Consort actually did not mind the dirt. He quickly went forward to report.
Chapter end
