Gloom and despair filled the air.
Ever since the government constables announced a twenty-percent tax increase for the year, a somber gloom had settled over all of Da Liushu Village.
Paying the tax would mean people would likely starve.
But not paying meant conscription. Fighting the Northwest Barbarians was a death sentence, with only a slim chance of survival.
However, there were ways to deal with this situation.
The answer was land commendation.
This was how the Noble Families had grown so powerful. They obtained tax and service exemptions, and villagers would commend their land to them. They accumulated wealth and power over generations.
Some of the independent farmers in Da Liushu Village, who had been barely scraping by, turned their sights to Master Liu's family.
In no time, more than a dozen households had commended their land to Master Liu.
However, once they did so, they became dependents of the Liu Family, losing their status as free people.
The paths to the civil and Martial Examinations would be closed to them, and for generations to come, their descendants would be forced to depend on their master's family for survival.
But these were just the fortunate few.
The Liu Family had been landlords for decades and already owned a great deal of land. After taking on these dozen or so families, they reached the limit of their tax exemption.
If they accepted any more land, they would have to start paying taxes themselves.
Seeing this, many of the other villagers were filled with regret. They had hesitated for just a moment and missed their chance.
For Fang Yue's Family, however, the situation was still manageable.
Thanks to Fang Yue, they had stockpiled plenty of grain this year and could afford the twenty-percent increase.
Another month passed.
The government constables had granted a three-month deferral, saying the taxes just had to be paid in full within that time.
But of course, they wouldn't actually wait three months to start collecting. Tax collection was a process, after all.
If they waited until the deadline, people would surely procrastinate. The whole affair could drag on for another month or two.
And if that happened, they would surely be punished by the County Magistrate.
「On this particular day.」
Fang Yue had just finished his training and was washing up in the courtyard.
"Husband, come help me catch this rabbit! I'll make you braised rabbit for lunch," Ms. Chen called out from the kitchen to Father Fang, who was feeding the cow.
Without looking up, Father Fang said to Fang Yue, "Zhi'Er, go catch the rabbit and take it to your mother."
"Alright, Dad." Fang Yue set down the water basin and turned to catch the rabbit.
But just then, Ms. Chen's furious shout rang out.
"You blockhead! I told *you* to catch the rabbit, and here you are ordering my Zhi'Er around. If it weren't for him, would you even be eating rabbit? What are you gawking at? Go catch it!"
Father Fang froze. He'd forgotten his place. 'My status at home is the lowest of all,' he recalled. 'And I especially can't order Zhi'Er around in front of my wife.'
'How could I have forgotten that!'
"I'm going, I'm going."
Father Fang, thoroughly chagrined, gave Ms. Chen a sheepish, placating smile.
"Mom, I'll get it. I'm faster than Dad anyway."
Before Father Fang could even move, Fang Yue had the rabbit in hand. He expertly bled and skinned it, handing the prepared carcass to Ms. Chen in moments.
Soon, it was noon.
A sumptuous lunch was ready: a spread of meat and vegetable dishes, four in total, plus a soup.
The family of five each had two flatbreads and a bowl of thick stew.
In the past, Ms. Chen couldn't even have dreamed of such a life. But now, with Zhi'Er hunting twice a month, he always brought back plenty of game and meat.
As a result, the Fang Family could afford to eat meat every few days.
Between that and the grain they traded with the other villagers for meat, the family no longer lacked for food.
They had even paid this year's taxes to the Government Office in full a few days ago.
"AAAAH—"
Just as the family was enjoying their lunch, an agonized scream suddenly pierced the air from outside.
Fang Yue immediately shot to his feet, strode out of the courtyard, and looked toward the source of the sound.
'It's coming from Liu San's house. Those are government constables from the County Magistrate's Office. It must be about this year's taxes.'
A crowd had already gathered at the entrance to Liu San's home.
"Mr. Fuquan, Mrs. Caihua, what's going on at Liu San's place?" Fang Yue asked, approaching the edge of the crowd.
"His family couldn't pay the tax. The government constables are taking him away to be a soldier," Mr. Fuquan sighed, his back hunched with age.
Just then, three government constables emerged from Liu San's courtyard. Liu San followed behind them in shackles, his head hanging low.
Liu San's clothes were torn, and his body was covered in bloody welts. He had clearly been beaten before being put in chains.
"Listen up, everyone!" one of the constables shouted. "This man, Liu San, maliciously evaded his taxes and defied the law! Today, we're taking him back to the County Magistrate's Office, and from there he'll be sent to the Northwest!"
"Take a good, long look! Let him be an example to any of you who even think of defying the law in the future!"
The lead constable's eyes held a murderous glint as he swept his gaze across the crowd. None of the villagers dared to meet his eyes; one by one, they lowered their heads.
From his place in the crowd, however, Fang Yue peered through a gap toward Liu San's house.
Inside, tables and chairs were overturned. The place was a complete mess, as if it had been thoroughly ransacked.
Instantly, a guess formed in his mind.
'The constables probably couldn't collect the tax—or maybe they tacked on their own private fees. So they decided to conduct a "search" of Liu San's house and plunder whatever they could find.'
'Then they beat Liu San for trying to stop them, arrested him, and made an example of him to scare the other villagers out of any funny ideas. It would certainly make future tax collection easier for them.'
Soon enough, the government constables moved on to the next house.
Sure enough, with Liu San as an example, the rest of the tax collection went much more smoothly.
Watching Liu San being dragged away, his neighbors and fellow villagers couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for one of their own.
But sympathy was all they felt.
Anything more?
There was none. They didn't dare.
Even Fang Yue merely watched, with no intention of intervening.
After all, the government constables all knew Martial Arts. The lead constable was, at a conservative estimate, a Martial Cultivator who had reached Great Success in Skin Grinding. As for the other two, while they hadn't reached the Skin Grinding stage, they had cultivated Whole Force. Their strength might not have matched Ergou's, but it couldn't have been far off.
Besides, these government constables represented the Great Wei dynasty. To harm them was to provoke the Government Office itself.
Fang Yue just wanted a better life for his family; he couldn't afford to go up against the Government Office.
'This world is getting harder and harder,' Fang Yue lamented inwardly. 'I have to pass the Martial Examination this time!'
The thought only strengthened his resolve.
'Only by obtaining an official post can one truly survive in this world. Then I can move my family to the county seat, and our lives will naturally get better.'
"Zhi'Er, what was all that commotion outside?"
Ms. Chen asked anxiously as soon as he returned.
Fang Yue explained what had happened at Liu San's house. When Ms. Chen heard that Liu San had been beaten half to death and was being dragged away for military service...
...she couldn't help but clutch her chest, a wave of fear washing over her. Thank goodness she had Zhi'Er. Otherwise, she didn't know how they would have managed this year!