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The high-yield crops they planted this year were obtained from the County princess through the county magistrate and the governor.
The county magistrate had always been considerate of them. Since the county magistrate took office, whenever they suffered injustice, the county magistrate would ensure justice for them.
They had witnessed everything the county magistrate had done for them.
“Please get up first. We will address your matter later. Let’s focus on the issues related to these two individuals for now.”
“Understood.”
As one accusation followed another, the county magistrate was surprised to hear different accounts from Yuanxu’s investigation and the people’s testimonies. He didn’t expect Steward Song to be involved in two cases of loss of life, one of which had occurred several years ago and had not been uncovered due to the short investigation time.
The county magistrate glared fiercely at Steward Song. The despicable man had committed so many outrageous acts.
“Steward Song, for forcibly taking a young girl and disregarding human life, you will be sent to the Supreme Court for judgment,” as it involved loss of life, the case had to be reported to the Supreme Court.
The final decision would be made by the Emperor.
“I will write a letter to the Emperor about this matter. It will expedite the process,” Wang Jinhe, who had been silent until now, spoke up.
“I apologize for the trouble, County Princess.”
Wang Jinhe shook her head and then turned to the county magistrate, considering for a moment before saying, “Since this matter needs to be reported to the Emperor, your lax governance will also be reported to the Emperor…”
“County Princess, the county magistrate has been too busy working for us to manage the affairs of the yamen. His merits outweigh his faults. Please spare him,” one of the people who had been speaking up knelt down to plead for the county magistrate.
One by one, the people outside knelt down to plead for the county magistrate.
Seeing this scene, the county magistrate’s eyes became moist. His efforts over the years had not been in vain.
Wang Jinhe felt somewhat helpless. “I understand that the county magistrate’s merits outweigh his faults. Originally, this matter occurred within my jurisdiction, and I could have made the decision directly. However, Steward Song’s actions involved loss of life, so it must be reported. As the county magistrate is the local authority, his responsibility must also be reported to the Emperor. But rest assured, the county magistrate will be fine.”
“We can write a letter and press our fingerprints to petition the Emperor,” someone suggested.
“Yes, we can write a letter to the Emperor to plead for mercy.”
Those who could write immediately grabbed the pens and paper prepared on the side and began to write a joint petition.
Outside, the onlookers ran to call others, and soon, more and more people arrived. The yamen was soon filled to capacity, and people had to stand outside due to the lack of space.
The page full of fingerprints left Wang Jinhe somewhat bemused. It seemed that they didn’t trust her very much.
The county magistrate looked at the full page of fingerprints, his hands trembling slightly. What was his purpose in being an official? This was it. The greatest wish he had was to gain the support and recognition of the people.
The governor reached out and patted his shoulder. “Your hard work and dedication are evident to the people.”
“Sir…”
“Don’t worry, with the County Princess here, everything will be fine.”
“I’m not worried,” the county magistrate said, feeling happy even if he were to be punished.
“Give these two a thirty-strike caning and throw them into the prison to await the Emperor’s judgment.”
“Understood.”
After resolving the matter, the county magistrate summoned the landowners who had seized the people’s land. Not only did he make them return the land to the people, but he also fined each of them five hundred taels of silver.
The idea of imposing a five hundred-tael fine was suggested by Wang Jinhe, and both the county magistrate and the governor agreed that it was a good decision.
The fines received were meticulously recorded by the county magistrate and intended for future use in the county when needed.
“Everyone, you may disperse now. If you have any grievances in the future, come to the county magistrate. As long as he knows about it, he won’t ignore it,” Wang Jinhe addressed the people who were still gathered at the yamen.
“Understood.”
After the people left, Wang Jinhe turned to the county magistrate. “I need to discuss something with you in a quiet place.”
“Understood.”
The county magistrate led Wang Jinhe and the governor to the study. After tea was served, he asked, “County princess, what do you have in mind?”
“Tell me about the situation of the people in my fief.”
“Fuan County is a mediocre county, with plenty of land, much of which remains uncultivated. This year, the people of Fuan County should have a higher income.”
Wang Jinhe, with a pensive look, then spoke up, “Inform them that anyone who cultivates the uncultivated land will be exempt from taxes for three years. They should start cultivating the land this year, and next year, I will teach them to grow cotton. After the cotton harvest, I will collect it. I will also write to inform imperial brother, the Emperor, about the tax exemption.”
“County princess, are you planning something big?” The governor immediately sensed that Wang Jinhe must have something significant in mind and asked curiously.
“I do have some ideas. Our region has beautiful mountains and rivers, and the town is picturesque. If we can produce some unique local products and beautify the town and major cities, it will undoubtedly attract many visitors in the future.”
“What do you have in mind, County Princess?” Both men were excited just listening to her.
“I have been collecting flower seeds recently. I plan to have people help me plant flowers along the roads in the town. Then, we will organize and beautify the streets. What do you think? These are some sketches I made of the future look of the town. Take a look and give me your thoughts.” Wang Jinhe handed the drawings to the two men.
The two men huddled together, looking at the sketches drawn by Wang Jinhe, and their eyes sparkled more and more as they looked.
“The County Princess’s plan is indeed feasible, but it will require a significant amount of financial and material resources,” which was the most important consideration.
“That’s not a problem. I have the funds. I will first ensure the well-being and prosperity of the people in the next year or two, and then proceed with the development of Fuan County. This year, I will establish a large workshop and a school that both girls and boys can attend. The girls will be taught some skills to support themselves in the future.”
“This is great news for the people of Fuan County. County Princess, are you planning to request funding from the Emperor, or…”
“Don’t worry, I’m not that short of money, and I certainly can’t ask my brother for funding to develop Fuan County. After all, my brother has to support so many troops and be prepared for potential natural disasters at any time. It wouldn’t be right to burden him with such a trivial matter.” She had never considered asking for money from Xuan Feiran when thinking about this matter.
“County Princess, you are truly generous.”
“After I discuss the tax exemption with my brother, you can spread the news. Cotton planting won’t be feasible this year, but people can plant sweet potatoes and potatoes. These two crops have low soil requirements and high yields, and I will collect the produce,” Wang Jinhe said.
She couldn’t allow the people to cultivate the land and then let it go to waste.
“Understood. On behalf of the people of Fuan County, I thank the County Princess.”
“I am the County Princess of Fuan County, and this is my fief. Naturally, I want the people here to live better lives.”