Du Zhongxiao and Su Song took Tao Shiqi and Shisanlang, as well as a group of followers through the mountains and forests to check the terrain. To smelify, in addition to iron ore, there are ingredients such as lime, and crucibles made of graphite for making steel. These minerals are nearby, but transport is not easy.

While walking, Shisanlang suddenly said, "See, official, what are the villagers below planting in the field? It is definitely not easy to survive in this season. Isn't it wasteful seeds?"

Tao Shiqi stretched his neck and looked at it, saying, "No need to ask, it must be a nearby big family who farmed and occupied the land and wanted to compensate."

Shisanlang looked carefully for a while and nodded, "What he said is that if you really want to farm, how could you be so careless! Officials, these unruly people are so blatant, but they are so great! Why don't I take a few people over and disperse them!"

Du Zhongxiao stood on the hill and looked at it, saying, "Let them go. We are busy with our own things. When they come to the yamen, I will deal with it."

After saying that, he led everyone forward and checked the route. The graphite mine found was in the deep mountains, ten miles away from the selected iron mining place. Looking at it, Du Zhongxiao found that the road construction was too unprofitable, and he was afraid that he could only transport it by mules and horses.

After returning to the yamen, two days later, Du Zhongxiao was discussing official duties with Su Song. An official came in and said, "Official, a Qian Man came outside, saying that the place we chose to build a furnace was his ancestral land, and was arguing there."

Du Zhongxiao said: "Let him come in and talk to me. - Also, Master Liu is outside, let him come in too."

The official took the order and turned around and went out. Soon, Liu Wei came in to see the ceremony and sat down with the guests.

Liu Wei was a Jinshi in the sixth year of Qingli, and was not at a high level. He went to this county to be a chief clerk. His political achievements were ordinary and he could not see any future. His father was very famous in later generations. Du Zhongxiao had memorized the poems he wrote when he was in school, but this era was still difficult and he could not help his son. His father was Liu Yong, who was a free official at this time, and he was a doctor of Taichang, which was much lower than Du Zhongxiao's official position at this time. For the sake of memorizing many of his father's poems, Du Zhongxiao intended to support Liu Wei and let him work with the field affairs, which was considered to be seconded from Ye County.

After a while, Qian Yuanwai came in with the officials and bowed. He looked at Du Zhongxiao and the other two, lowered his head, and his eyes were rolling around.

Du Zhongxiao looked at this person, looking at him dressed brightly, burly, standing there with a straight waist, obviously not under the crowd. Seeing Qian Manwai was a little embarrassed, Du Zhongxiao said, "I heard that the yamen occupied your land? I don't know where it is?"

Qian Manwai bowed and said, "The official is coming to the bank of the Lishui River. It is a big piece of fertile land and has always been planted. A few days ago, I was attracted by the yamen and said that I wanted to burn bricks and tiles there. Many people who are not doing anything bad are pointing at it."

Du Zhongxiao smiled and said, "South of the Lishui River, there have always been only idle fields. I have never heard of anyone farming. How could you have your land?"

Qian Manwai saw Du Zhongxiao's face was kind and brave, and said, "The officials don't know that the young ancestors built a farm near the big one, not far from the Lishui River. Seeing that the ground was flat and close to the river, it was easy to water and plant some food."

Su Song, who was on the side, said in a deep voice: "What nonsense? You brought people to plant in the wasteland a few days ago. Didn't we see it? You are a troublemaker, who uses this method to blackmail the government, and you will be punished seriously!"

Qian Yuanwai hurriedly shouted for justice: "Officials, the little one is wronged! A few days ago, the little one brought a few farmers there to replant, but it was definitely not the intention of blackmailing the yamen. The land was passed down by the little one, because I have been doing business abroad for two years and was abandoned for two years. Because I was unable to speak, I brought people to plant it, which was not a false reputation."

Su Song was still about to speak, but Du Zhongxiao stopped him and said, "Since it is your land, no one can rely on it, so why waste the seeds?"

When Qian Manwai saw Du Zhongxiao was easy to talk, he hurriedly said, "Officials, in recent days, there have been treacherous people who have occupied the land and tried to pay the money in the yamen. The young ones have no choice but to do so. If they don't see the officials, they will drive them away early, so how can they enter the yamen?"

Du Zhongxiao nodded and said to Liu Wei on the side: "Master, you are in charge of the land tax in a county. Go back and check the accounts. Is there any land on the land book? If there is, it is appropriate for the yamen to give some compensation."

Liu Wei said: "There is no land south of the Lishui River in this county, and it is all wasteland. After two years as the chief clerk of this county, it will be impossible to make a mistake!"

Qian Yuanwai heard this and hurriedly said, "Officials, this small piece of land is not naturalized, it is just planted. This dynasty does not establish a field system. This field was opened by my ancestors fifty years ago and is not on the tax book--"

Du Zhongxiao said: "This dynasty has been established for 70 years, and it will be held every three years. The land that has been open for fifty years is not on the tax book. Do you mean that the officials in the county have been in the past few decades? If they are not in the accounts, they are tax evasion."

Qian Manwai said embarrassedly: "There are so many things like this, so what's so strange?"

Du Zhongxiao said: "It's nothing strange, and this dynasty's convention, even so, I still recognize this land as yours."

Qian Manwai was overjoyed when he heard this and hurriedly bowed: "The official is wise!"

Du Zhongxiao nodded and said, "You still have to pay the tax on the ground, otherwise what is the court's face? The chief clerk, how much land tax is in that area per year? The land in the south of the Lishui River is not in the account, so it is calculated based on the north bank. Also, how much does the land in that area cost per acre now?"

Liu Wei understood it and bowed, "Return to the fortune, the land tax is one dou a year, and one stone ten years. The land there is now a market price of 400 acres per acre, because the land is vast and sparsely populated, so the price is actually not easy to sell."

Du Zhongxiao nodded: "A dou of land tax, calculated in fifty years, means that each acre of five stones is owed. In addition, with so many more land, households and others will inevitably be promoted, so there will naturally be more servants. Also, in the past fifty years, how many times have the county been paid by the local department and purchased by the county? The chief clerk went back to check and all the taxes were supplemented, and the supply of this family was replenished according to the market price of 400 citations per acre. The more they refunded, and the less they were paid, and the people did not take advantage of the people."

Liu Wei said: "The officials were the chief clerk for two years, and they still remember these accounts. It is not easy to live under the rule of the people, and they don't have to pay close attention to the accounts. It's okay to suffer some losses in the yamen. In addition to the tax on land, plus the donation of science and technology, there are about two dou per acre, which has been like this for decades. Because over the years, it was calculated based on one dou per acre. The changes in the prices of food prices were all in this half dou. In turn, one acre of land owes twelve stones and five dou of taxes, and the market price of millet is 50 cents, totaling 6,250 cents. - By the way, Qian Man Wai, how much land does your family have?"

Qian Yuanwai was stunned when he heard this and said casually: "A total of one acre and twenty acres--"

After hearing this, Liu Wei lowered his head and calculated silently, and said, "In this way, it is a total of 750 yuan. In addition to the land price of 48 yuan and money managers, you need to make up for 702 yuan. - Originally, you have been delayed for so many years and have to pay the tax. If you take the initiative to pay it, you will not be fined. You just need to make up for the tax you owed before."

Qian Man Wai opened his eyes wide and said for a while: "The yamen has occupied my land, so I have to give it to the yamen seven hundred stalemates?"
Chapter completed!