Chapter Fifty-six: The Butcher Sun's Second Blow

This matter was of great concern to everyone, so most people lowered their hands after listening. At that moment, Sun Chuanting noticed that Yang Siqi had raised his hand and called on him to speak.

Yang Siqi said, “Just now, when Your Excellency mentioned that seeds would be distributed for free, I felt it might actually be better if we charged for them.”

Sun Chuanting asked in surprise, “Why would charging for the seeds be better? Please explain, Prosecutor.”

Yang Siqi replied, “As Your Excellency mentioned, the seeds are only sufficient to plant twenty percent of each county’s farmland. If we distribute the seeds for free, the common people may have doubts, suspecting that anything given without cost must be inferior. They may refuse to accept the seeds, or even if they do, they might discard them without planting. I have heard it said that people do not cherish things they haven’t paid for. Just a humble opinion, Your Excellency, please advise.”

Sun Chuanting considered this and found it reasonable. He then consulted the other officials, who all agreed with the Prosecutor’s reasoning. If the seeds were distributed but no one planted them, it would not only be wasteful but also ineffective.

Thus, the seeds were to be sold at a high price, with contracts signed between each county and the purchasing farmers. Each county would provide planting techniques, and after harvest, the crops would be purchased at a fixed price, with Sun Chuanting responsible for the purchase funds.

Next came the issue of farming techniques. Sun Chuanting had brought more than thirty experienced hands from the Bureau of Imperial Gardens. Originally, he planned to assign one or two to each county, but Yang Siqi objected. After discussion, they decided to divide these veteran farmers into four groups, establishing four schools in the prefecture according to distance. Each county would send representatives to study collectively, who would then return to guide local villages in planting.

Finally, the most crucial issue was the military farms. Sun Chuanting proposed that all existing military households in the stations—of which Yan’an Prefecture had only stations—be converted to civilian households. The military farm lands would be thoroughly surveyed and new records established. The original military households would continue to farm, with taxes levied as on civilian land.

Immediately, an official raised his hand to speak. Sun Chuanting called on him, and the man stood up, saying, “Your Excellency, there are cases where soldiers occupy civilian land and civilians occupy military land. How should these be handled?”

“We will not investigate the past nor reclaim previous lands. Taxes will be levied on the existing land, and responsibility assigned to those currently cultivating it. That is the general policy. What matters is that someone pays taxes and there are no hidden lands. The muddled accounts of the past can never be fully cleared, so it is better not to try. But the surveying must be meticulous, under no circumstances careless.”

Historically, Sun Chuanting had used this very approach when organizing the military farms in Shaanxi: he did not care whose land it was, so long as taxes were paid. Now he went further—taxes were to be paid as on civilian land, and even military service was exempted.

Another official asked, “Your Excellency, what should be done about the large tracts of abandoned land caused by the flight of military households? And if military officers possess large amounts of land, may they continue to cultivate it?”

“Abandoned land will be reclaimed as official land. Military farm plots will be surveyed, with each originally allotted portion set at fifty mu. Any excess over fifty mu will be confiscated as official land, though the officer may continue to cultivate it.” The difference in taxes between official and private land was significant, and this would encroach upon the interests of some officers, but Sun Chuanting cared little; enriching them at the expense of the court would mean there would be no funds for recruiting soldiers.

The officials all looked troubled. Most officers stationed at the military posts owned far more land than their allotted quota. Though the military farms were now managed by local officials, they rarely dared confront the officers.

Sun Chuanting understood their concerns and smiled, saying, “I have come with the Imperial Sword precisely for this matter. If anyone refuses to cooperate, just report them to me, and I will deal with them personally.”

Though he spoke with a smile, the threat in his words was unmistakable. The officials were reassured—if the unpleasant task did not fall on them, it was indeed a good thing.

The officials dispersed to carry out their duties. Sun Chuanting still had to arrange for the Bureau of Imperial Gardens’ veteran farmers to serve as instructors throughout the region, and to organize eunuchs and local farmers to conduct experimental statistics. When he finished these tasks, he began patrolling the farm surveys in plain clothes with Assistant Magistrate Lu Xuan.

Each region had already seized the lull in farming to begin the clearing of military farms. Their first stop was Ansai County. Ansai lay northwest of Fushi City, with relatively fertile land and high yields—a rare good place in Shaanxi.

The two brought only about ten guards and rode directly into the county town. There was no prior notice to Ansai County, so no welcome was prepared. The group dismounted in front of the county office, where they heard loud commotion from inside, and found no one at the entrance. They ordered their guards to stand watch and entered directly.

Inside the main hall, two factions confronted each other. On one side stood County Magistrate Wang Zhengyue with a few trembling clerks and bailiffs; on the other, a commander clad in armor, flanked by a dozen fierce-looking soldiers. The commander was shouting, “The military farms are an ancestral institution! Who are you to limit my land to one hundred mu? What if I have a thousand mu—try touching even one mu of mine!”

Wang Zhengyue, seeing Sun Chuanting, was overjoyed. The commander did not recognize him and stepped forward, saying, “The office is closed today. Come back tomorrow if you have business.”

Sun Chuanting was surprised. “It is only the hour of Si; how can the office be closed? That’s not in accordance with ancestral regulations, is it?”

The commander looked them both over—dark, thin men—and relaxed, cursing, “If I say the office is closed, it’s closed. If you don’t leave, I’ll break your legs!”

Sun Chuanting’s face grew stern. At that moment, Wang Zhengyue stepped forward and knelt, crying, “Your Excellency, please uphold justice for your subordinate.”

The commander was startled. He held a fifth-rank post; the county magistrate was seventh-rank. In Ming law, civil officials outranked military, so his fifth rank did not surpass the magistrate’s seventh. He had always disregarded the county magistrate, being stationed in Ansai with some connections, and the transition to local management of military farms was recent. But the prefect was fourth-rank; no matter how bold, he dared not defy a prefect.

He immediately knelt and knocked his head on the floor. “Your Excellency, spare me! I did not recognize you and offended you. Please forgive me this once!”

The other soldiers, seeing this, also knelt and kowtowed repeatedly.

Sun Chuanting did not allow him to rise, but instead asked Wang Zhengyue, “What is the situation?”

Wang Zhengyue replied, “Your Excellency, as per your instructions, I am clearing the military farms. Commander Chen should have one hundred fifty mu, but he actually occupies thirteen hundred mu, while his subordinate soldiers are mostly landless tenants in his household. I wish to allocate Commander Chen’s land to the landless soldiers, but he refuses, leading to today’s confrontation.”

Sun Chuanting turned to Commander Chen. “Is the magistrate’s account mistaken in any way?”

Commander Chen kowtowed, “The magistrate’s words are accurate, but—”

Sun Chuanting cut him off, calling out, “Guards, drag him out and execute him.”

Lu Xuan had already summoned the guards, and two stepped forward to seize Commander Chen.

Commander Chen screamed in terror, “Your Excellency, spare me this once! Spare my life, Your Excellency! I am a fifth-rank officer, you cannot execute me, Your Excellency…”