Chapter 82: A Fiery Frenzy

Inside the government office, after Zhang Dian, who had hurried in, once again expressed his gratitude to Du Long on behalf of the people of Fengli County, the group finally sat down to discuss official business.

“Governor Zhang, as I have only just arrived and am unfamiliar with many of the affairs of Fengli County, and now that all the corrupt officials have been dealt with, I would like to hear your opinions on how to implement the most urgent policies,” Du Long said, smiling at the still somewhat reserved Zhang Dian.

Nodding, Zhang Dian collected his thoughts and said, “Before we proceed, there is something I do not understand. The lord has just announced the latest land tax policy, collecting only twenty percent in land tax. You should know that two and a half parts of the land tax must be handed over to the state. If you are only collecting two parts, does that not mean the lord not only earns nothing but must pay half a part out of pocket to the state?”

Clearly, Zhang Dian had touched upon the key point. Those who had already been puzzled by the new policy turned to Du Long, waiting for his answer.

Du Long nodded and chuckled, “The reason is quite simple. Princess Fire Phoenix is the emperor’s most beloved daughter. Since she was given such a poor fief, naturally, there must be compensatory privileges.”

“One such privilege is the imperial edict granting her full authority over her fief, including the power to act first and report later. The second is a tax concession. The emperor has promised Her Highness that as long as Fengli County is no longer running a deficit, the empire will only collect ten percent in taxes from Fengli.”

A sharp intake of breath came from Su Jinbao, who exclaimed, “Does that mean the same applies not just to land tax, but also to all other forms of revenue, including business and mining taxes?”

Du Long did not answer directly but simply nodded with a self-satisfied smile. Su Jinbao could not help but growl, “Damn! You really lucked out! With these advantages, you’re practically the uncrowned king of Fengli County!”

“Haha, he’s the emperor’s son-in-law, practically half a prince. What’s a single county compared to that?” Zeng Wan’er joked with a bright laugh.

The young people bantered, while Zhang Dian, rubbing his hands together in excitement, said, “This is wonderful! With such a policy, collecting twenty percent in land tax is no problem at all!”

“In that case, Governor Zhang, please share your thoughts on which areas should be addressed first in the governance of Fengli County,” Du Long pressed eagerly. He knew his time in Fengli would be short, so he wanted to address the major issues quickly before returning to the capital.

“Very well, let me speak,” Zhang Dian stroked his fine beard and nodded. “With such favorable tax policies, the first step is to issue an official notice to the nine towns and thirty-seven villages under Fengli County’s jurisdiction, announcing the new land tax policy and organizing a fair redistribution of farmland.”

It was clear Zhang Dian was a true master of county affairs. He began explaining in detail how a seemingly simple land tax policy actually involved countless intricacies in implementation.

For example, how to scientifically allocate uncultivated fertile land, how to prevent corruption during the redistribution process, how to assign inspectors to oversee the fairness of land allocation in every village and town—each step required careful planning.

Zhang Dian then shifted the topic to commerce in the county seat. In recent years, businesses in Fengli County had been nearly wiped out by the oppression of corrupt officials. Local and outside merchants alike had been driven away, forced to abandon the city.

As a result, the county’s basic livelihood economy was almost entirely controlled by Qian Jinlong and his cronies. To give a sense of scale, Qian Jinlong alone had seized ownership of over thirty to forty percent of the county’s street-front shops. The remaining sixty percent were held by closely connected nobles, with only a small portion left in other hands.

With the recent confiscations, the deeds to these shops now belonged to Du Long. In other words, from this day forward, seventy to eighty percent of the shops in Fengli County belonged to the lord.

Based on Zhang Dian’s recommendations, the county should gradually revive its commerce by renting out these shops at low rates. Once the city prospered, rents could be raised appropriately.

Of course, the industries previously monopolized by Qian Jinlong must be opened up, allowing more people to participate. Only through competition could the county’s commercial environment flourish, leading to more jobs for the people.

Du Long had no objections. He instructed his steward, Fu Bo, to follow Zhang Dian’s advice and lease the confiscated shops at the most favorable prices possible.

Beyond restoring commerce, Du Long’s next major concern was gold mining. According to Zhang Dian, while the mining in the Forest of Beasts appeared chaotic, it was actually under the control of a secret group led by the former governor Qian Jinlong. They had long since taken over the three largest gold mines in the forest, and mining had never ceased.

Though Qian Jinlong had been executed, those three mines continued to operate under the control of his mysterious associates. Before his execution, Qian had been interrogated daily, revealing the specific locations and details of the mines.

In short, once the county’s affairs were in order, Du Long would need to travel to the Forest of Beasts and reclaim the gold mines within the county’s borders—a mission he considered vital.

Another urgent matter was the reorganization of the county’s defense forces. Under the former governor, the city guard numbered only a few hundred and was mostly unreliable. A complete overhaul was necessary.

The imperial guards Du Long had brought with him were not his private army, and would soon return to the capital with the princess. The Du clan’s retainers could stay, but not for long.

Thus, establishing a new county defense force and a private army directly under Du Long’s command became a top priority. Without trustworthy troops stationed in the area, it would be impossible to deal with the numerous illegal mining operations.

With so many unemployed people unable to make ends meet in Fengli County, raising a private army was no problem as long as Du Long could pay them. With the vast wealth confiscated from the corrupt officials and nobles, he could even afford to set up a regular army.

After discussing the details, Du Long set the recruitment target: one thousand men for the county defense force under the governor, and three thousand for his own private army. Since the governor had no money to support troops, all four thousand would effectively be on Du Long’s payroll.

Recruitment notices were quickly posted throughout the county, advertising the generous conditions for joining the lord’s private army. It became known as a high-paying occupation, and thousands of young men who could barely feed themselves applied to join either the private or the defense force.

With a total population of over a hundred thousand, the fact that more than ten thousand applied was astonishing. But Du Long could not take them all—those ten thousand were almost half the county’s workforce. If all were recruited, there would be no one left to farm the fields.

Following the principle of quality over quantity, preference was given to those with useful skills, especially those with martial prowess—a virtue in the martial-minded Haotian Empire.

After screening, among the ten thousand, five or six reached the Cyclone stage, a few hundred were at the Qi Condensation stage, and the rest were ordinary folk—though generally robust.

Living near the Forest of Beasts, the people here had to contend not just with the elements but with powerful beasts that roamed the area. Even if they did not have high martial cultivation, their bodies were strong—otherwise, they would have long fallen victim to the beasts.

In just two or three days, four thousand recruits were selected: a thousand were assigned to the city defense force, taking over its headquarters and existing uniforms. Du Long also moved some of his experienced retainers into officer positions in the defense force.

The remaining three thousand formed the private army, stationed in a camp outside the city and led by Sun Lin, captain of the Du clan’s retainers. Upon learning he could remain, Sun Lin was immediately promoted to commander of the three thousand, and readily agreed to stay in this remote land.

As for equipping the private army, the military supplies stored in the former governor’s mansion were put to use. Each year, Qian Jinlong had requested large quantities of supplies from the empire under the pretense of defending against beast attacks, hoarding them for himself rather than raising a real army—now, all of it benefited Du Long.

Had Qian Jinlong actually built a strong force with those supplies, Du Long would hardly have been able to seize power so easily.

In the days that followed, Fengli County underwent a rebirth. Land redistribution proceeded apace, with many former residents returning from neighboring counties upon hearing the news.

The two new armies began intensive training, their gleaming armor and the resounding calls of the bugle bringing a sense of security to the townsfolk.

Shops in the county seat, rented out at low prices, attracted not only locals but merchants from afar. Stores of every kind sprang up in abundance.

As the former emperor had once told Princess Fire Phoenix, Fengli County’s fate was bound to the Forest of Beasts: its fortunes would rise and fall with it.

The resources of the forest drew merchants from all directions, bringing untold opportunities. But the countless beasts within also brought endless calamities to the people.

Previously, the most profitable goods were monopolized by Qian Jinlong, leaving no room for other merchants. Now that Du Long had opened the market, many previously excluded traders rushed back as soon as they heard the news.