Chapter 89 - 88: Raising Provisions
Chapter 89: Chapter 88: Raising Provisions
"Ten thousand measures?"
The moment the words were spoken, the entire room was stunned.
All eyes instantly fell upon Chen Li, filled with a mixture of shock, sympathy, and schadenfreude.
An amount like that would completely empty the grain stores of every household in the Lingxi area.
’He’s using this as an excuse to deliberately make things difficult for me.’ Chen Li knew this, but his expression remained impassive. He spoke in a low, steady voice, "Since the County Magistrate has given the order, this humble citizen will naturally do his utmost to procure it. However... ten thousand measures is a truly enormous amount, and it will be difficult to gather on such short notice. I implore Your Honor to grant us an extension, or perhaps consider a slight reduction?"
Zhang Heming’s expression was indifferent. Without even lifting his eyelids, he waved a dismissive hand, cutting Chen Li off. "Village Chief Chen has always been a capable man. This official trusts you will find a way. The deadline is the same as for the other village chiefs: one month. As for how you procure it, that is your business. This official only looks at the result."
Chen Li asked again, "Your Honor, if I may be so bold as to ask, is this grain being raised for the Court’s army that is suppressing the rebellion?"
"Of course, it’s to provision Master Wang." Zhang Heming’s face darkened slightly, his tone now laced with clear impatience. "This official has already explained. There is no need for further questions."
At this point in the banquet, no one had any appetite left to lift their chopsticks.
Zhang Heming offered a few more high-sounding words of encouragement, then calmly rose and departed.
He left behind a private room full of village chiefs, their faces ashen, sighing in a cloud of despair and gloom.
Some cast sympathetic glances at Chen Li, but most hurried away, anxious to get back and figure out how to handle the near-impossible task of collecting five thousand measures of grain.
Chen Li’s expression was placid, but his mind was racing.
He had no desire to linger either. He stood up and walked straight out of the Drunken Immortal Inn.
...
After leaving the Drunken Immortal Inn, Chen Li didn’t head straight home. Instead, he made a detour to Liu Wende’s house.
After a brief stop, he and Liu Yuejin drove the ox cart all the way back to Lingxi Village.
After a short rest, Chen Li summoned Liu Yuejin. He instructed him to take his eldest son, Shouheng, his second son, Shouye, and two capable hired hands to split up and travel to the four villages of Qingyuan, Zhuoyan, Shangxi, and Shangba. Their mission was to personally invite the clan leader of each village to a meeting at the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall in three days’ time to discuss a matter of great importance.
Liu Yuejin nodded solemnly in acknowledgement, then departed in a hurry with Shouheng, Shouye, and the others.
「Three days later.」
The four clan leaders who had been notified arrived as requested, entering the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall one after another.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Chen Li, who was seated in the main seat, wasted no time on pleasantries and went straight to the point.
"I have urgently summoned you all today because there is a serious matter to discuss. The County Magistrate has been restored to his post and has issued a strict order. He has given us a one-month deadline for our five villages to jointly procure ten thousand measures of grain for the army. At the same time, we are to immediately begin organizing and training Village Braves to deal with the need to suppress the Water Bandits."
"Grain for the army?!"
"Ten thousand measures?!"
"And we have to train Village Braves?!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the ancestral hall erupted in an uproar.
The four clan leaders practically shot up from their chairs at the same time.
Clan Leader Zhao of Qingyuan Village, the most hot-tempered of the group, cried out, his voice rising to an almost unnatural pitch, "Village Chief Chen, this... this is driving us to our deaths! We barely have enough grain in our storehouses to feed ourselves! Where are we supposed to find any surplus to hand over?"
Clan Leader Li of Zhuoyan Village’s old face was a mask of wrinkles. He looked Chen Li up and down with suspicion, his tone laced with disbelief. "Village Chief Chen, is this... true? Ten thousand measures is no small sum. How could the County Magistrate make such an impossible demand?"
The clan leaders of Shangxi and Shangba villages also chimed in. Voices of hardship, complaint, and doubt, thick with anger, filled the ancestral hall.
Standing to the side, Liu Yuejin felt fine beads of sweat break out on his forehead.
Chen Li listened quietly. He waited for them to vent some of their emotion before speaking in a calm voice, "Gentlemen, please, calm yourselves. This is indeed a strict order from the County Magistrate; I am not exaggerating. As for the consequences of defying a direct order... I trust you all know what that would entail."
He paused, and seeing them all staring at the ground with grim faces, he continued, "They say a County Magistrate can confiscate your home, and a Governor can wipe out your entire clan. What’s more, this is a time when the Water Bandits are running rampant. If we were to be branded as bandit sympathizers, it would mean ruin for our homes and death for our families. I urge you clan leaders to think this through carefully."
Clan Leader Li of Zhuoyan Village was the first to force himself to calm down. He took a deep breath, his gaze fixed intently on Chen Li, and asked, "Village Chief Chen, even if this is true, how do you propose to divide this levy of ten thousand measures?"
Chen Li was prepared for this. He answered smoothly, "This grain levy should be apportioned according to the amount of registered farmland in each village. According to my knowledge, our five villages have a total of roughly 3,500 acres of registered good farmland. Lingxi has over 1,300 acres, so it will contribute four thousand measures. Qingyuan has over 1,000 acres and will contribute three thousand measures. Shangba has over 330 acres and will contribute one thousand measures. Shangxi has over 330 acres and will contribute one thousand measures. Zhuoyan has over 500 acres and will contribute fifteen hundred measures. The remaining five hundred measures will cover spoilage and miscellaneous expenses, with any surplus returned and any shortfall made up. What do you all think?"
Hearing this, the four clan leaders’ expressions flickered, and they exchanged glances. Apportioning the levy by farmland meant Lingxi Village was shouldering the largest share. It was already a concession on Chen Li’s part. Though they were still full of resentment, they couldn’t find any immediate grounds to object.
"As for how you will explain this to your clansmen when you return to your villages, and how you will procure this grain..."
Chen Li’s tone grew heavier as his gaze swept over them. "That is for each of you clan leaders to figure out on your own. I will not interfere."
He paused briefly before adding in a calm but final tone of warning, "This is the fairest method available to us right now. If you pay on time, you can buy yourselves some temporary peace. But if you refuse to pay, or fail to pay the full amount... you are all aware of the consequences."
The four clan leaders’ faces paled and reddened by turns as they wrestled with their inner turmoil.
They knew Chen Li wasn’t bluffing. None of their villages could bear the consequences of defying the order.
After a few moments of hushed conversation and exchanged glances, their struggle ended in helpless sighs.
Clan Leader Bai of Shangxi Village was the first to grit his teeth and speak, his voice strained. "...Fine! Since Lingxi is taking on so much, my Shangxi... accepts!"
"...We accept as well."
"Let’s... let’s just do it this way..."
The leaders of Shangba and Zhuoyan Village also voiced their agreement.
Clan Leader Zhao of Qingyuan Village had the darkest expression of all. In this levy, Lingxi and Qingyuan bore the heaviest burdens.
He had wanted to argue, but seeing that the other three villages had already agreed, he remained silent for a long moment before finally nodding in defeat. "...Qingyuan accepts, too."
Now that the matter of the grain levy was settled, the clan leaders, with heavy hearts, were preparing to rise and take their leave.
But Chen Li spoke again. "Clan leaders, wait. There is one more thing. Forming the Village Braves and training them rigorously is also a strict order from the County Magistrate that cannot be neglected. Each village must select one hundred able-bodied young men to be enrolled as Village Braves. They will be placed under our unified command for training to prepare for the Water Bandits. This matter concerns the safety of all our villages. I hope you will all cooperate fully and handle this quickly."
’First grain, now men!’
The four clan leaders were furious, but they didn’t dare to object openly.
Clan Leader Zhao of Qingyuan Village cupped his hands in a gesture that didn’t reach his eyes. "Rest assured, Village Chief Chen, we will discuss this with our clansmen when we return. But this isn’t official government conscription, after all. If they are unwilling to volunteer, we... are powerless to force them."
"No matter." Chen Li didn’t press the issue, only saying mildly, "You just need to deliver the roster of Village Braves within ten days."
He had only intended to go through the motions on this matter anyway. As long as he had the rosters, he could report up the chain of command.