Infrastructure Throne

Shen Qingze didn't pay much attention to everyone's expressions, he ordered General Jin to take out the contract documents prepared in advance, and asked him to read it in public. The two brothers in the Jin family are stubborn, and he, the boss, has been in private school for several years and can read and write .

The contract is written in black and white, which clearly states the rights and obligations of the employer and the employee.

All the means of production are provided by Shen Qingze personally, so this contract is also written in his own name, not the imperial edict of the City Lord's Mansion, in other words, whether there is a surplus or a loss, Shen Qingze will also be solely responsible for it.

If he succeeds, he will order it as the officiant and promote it throughout the city, and the resistance from the nobles will naturally not be worth mentioning.

On the contrary, if his "pilot" failed this time, he would lose not only his little private money, but also the prestige he had built up so hard.

"The right to use the land, agricultural tools, seeds, and cattle is leased, and the conversion is included in the grain rent when harvested. The grain rent is set at ten taxes and four for the first year..."

As Jin Da read it, he suddenly froze, staring at the words "Ten Tax Four", his hands trembling while holding the contract.

"...The tax reduction for the second year is ten tax three?!" Jin Da's eyes widened, and he couldn't help but look up at Shen Qingze, wanting to confirm if he made a mistake.

Shen Qingze just stood on the high steps with a calm expression, turning a blind eye to Jin Da's astonished gaze.

The secretary Fan Mizhou simply walked behind Jin Da and took a look at the contract. He was even more surprised by the clear writing on it.

Could it be that he was thinking wrong, is the master priest trying to gain fame, or his arithmetic is not very good, or...he is a saint?

Fan Mizhou gently plucked the hair hanging from his ears, and looked at Shen Qingze with puzzlement and a bit of curiosity.

As soon as Jin Da's words fell, there was an instant commotion from the crowd. The shock on their faces was no less than that of Jin Da. They even suspected that there was something wrong with their own ears, or that the other party had read wrongly.

With Shen Qingze's acquiescence, the commotion in the crowd gradually escalated. A farmer pretended to be brave and asked:

"Master Officiant, do you really only charge [-]% of the rent?"

Although the contract stated that only [-]% is the first year, and [-]% is the maximum in the future, this point is directly ignored by the poor who are used to oppression. Even if it is the most beautiful dream, they have never heard that noble landlords only charge [-]% of.

In their view, only [-]% of the grain rent is charged, and they can wake up laughing from their dreams.

The fact that the poor peasants don't care doesn't mean that Shen Qingze doesn't care. After all, this is a major event that directly affects the enthusiasm of the labor force.

Shen Qingze's face was solemn, and he emphasized emphatically: "Only the first year is [-]%. In the future, we will get through the current predicament of lack of clothing and food, and we will give everyone another reduction."

His explanation did not arouse much reaction. Everyone was still immersed in the joy of the full package of farm tools and seeds and [-]% rent. Even the most simple and innocent farmers did not believe in the reduction or exemption of this big pie.

Fan Mizhou coughed softly, came to Shen Qingze's side silently, and bowed to him: "Master Officiant, have you discussed with the Lord City Master about the matter of only charging [-]% of the grain rent?"

Shen Qingze looked sideways, and asked indifferently: "Let me take care of the farming in the city, don't I have the right to decide the grain tax?"

Fan Mizhou paused, his lips moved: "Of course you do, it's just..."

Shen Qingze nodded and interrupted him: "That's good."

Fan Mizhou had no choice but to choose his words carefully, and asked again: "Then the [-]% you decided should only apply to the land you own, right?"

He stared closely at Shen Qingze's expressionless side face, feeling anxious in his heart, he was really afraid that the other party would demand that the whole city's land rent be reduced to ten taxes and four taxes, and even change the tax rate of treasury taxes.

If it spreads out, it will cause a disturbance, not to mention that the grain turned over to the warehouse will be reduced by [-]%, and those nobles who regard the fields as their lifeblood will not know what they will do when they become angry from embarrassment.

Shen Qingze glanced at him with a half-smile: "Of course, other people's land is not mine, so I don't care how much rent they charge."

Hearing this, Fan Mizhou secretly heaved a sigh of relief, he was a reasonable person who knew what could be touched and what could not.

Shen Qingze said again slowly: "As long as the food delivered to the warehouse in the city is not delayed or owed, that's fine."

Fan Mizhou's heart skipped a beat, and his newly relaxed heart instantly sank.

Yuanliu City's tax is [-]%, which refers to the public tax that is paid to the warehouse of the City Lord's Mansion every year.Compared with the [-]% tax charged by Mingzhu City, it is already considered light.

Landlords hire tenant farmers to farm for themselves, and the [-]% they collect from tenant farmers is private land rent.Taxes are borne by the landlords themselves, and what they do all day long is to find ways to avoid taxes.

According to the law of the feudal system, the nobles in the city enjoy the privilege of being tax-free, such as Earl Yan En, and high-level officials. Shen Qingze, as the priest, has a high status and also enjoys the privilege.

Those who really need to pay taxes are those middle-class nobles, ordinary landlords, and the largest number of self-cultivating farmers.

Among them, some small nobles depended on the big nobles, and they often defaulted in paying taxes, or even refused to pay them. Some big landlords often used their land to avoid taxes by marrying nobles. Therefore, the real tax burden was mostly on the owner farmers. body.

Fortunately, the environment here is vast and sparsely populated, and land annexation is not too serious. Apart from the constant threat of the orcs, there is no shortage of land species, but the lack of young and middle-aged labor.

Although the life of the self-cultivating farmers is tight, they can still meet their food and clothing after paying [-]% of the tax to the city lord's mansion.

Farmers without land at home are even more destitute than self-cultivated farmers. Apart from looking for work in the city, they can only work as tenant farmers for the landlord. tenant farmers.

Fan Mizhou thought over and over again, listening to the meaning of Shen Qingze's words... Could it be that he wants to take those little nobles and landlords and force them to pay taxes?

Thinking of the consequences of stabbing that hornet's nest, Fan Mizhou faintly felt sweat on his back, and didn't dare to think deeply.

After a moment of silence, Fan Mizhou still didn't want to give up his persuasion, and said softly and euphemistically: "The priest is sympathetic to the poor peasants. Although he has a good intention at the beginning, he should also think of the predicament we are facing in Yuanliu City today. Isn't it the lack of food?"

Shen Qingze nodded: "I'm just preparing to solve the predicament."

Fan Mizhou's slender eyebrows were tightly frowned: "You are willing to sacrifice your own interests. As a subordinate, I am also very touched, but if you still plan to reduce the city's taxes in the future, the money and grain received by the treasury will be reduced." not enough."

"Repairs in the city, guard training pensions, weapons and armor, and relief and disaster relief, operating workshops and mines, so many people have to feed, how can there be no money and food? The finances are already stretched, isn't it exacerbating the plight of food shortages?"

Shen Qingze let out a "huh" and shook his head lightly: "You always focus on the distribution of money and food, but never think about how to make the fields harvest more per mu and open up more financial resources."

Fan Mizhou was speechless for a moment, but for a long time, he said slowly in a very reserved tone of distrust: "Since the dean of the priest thinks he has extraordinary abilities, then the subordinates can only wait and see, and wait for you to create a miracle."

He shook his head secretly. After all, the priest is still too young, and he thinks very highly of himself. The harvest in the field has always been determined by watching the sky, and it is not a weed that can grow wildly.

※※※

Yuanliu City was built near the water. A big river named Chiyuan came from the northwest, flowed outside the north city gate, and flowed to the south.

A hundred years ago, the ancestors of the refugees who fled from the Far East, backed by the Chiyuan River, opened up wasteland and reclaimed land, multiplied and built this small city in the Northland, hence the name.

On the north bank of the Chiyuan River is a large area of ​​uncultivated sparse woodland, and in the depths of the woodland is the foggy forest that the townspeople turn pale upon hearing.

Going north through the foggy forest, there is a huge rift extending from east to west, as if the earth was split in two by nature with a huge axe. In the endless forest below the rift, there are countless powerful monsters.

There is also the enemy of the entire human race - the orc race, they are gathered and multiplied by various tribes and tribes, and have gradually become a climate within a hundred years.

Because of the existence of the orcs, the residents of Yuanliu City were unwilling to cross the Chiyuan River to reclaim new land. The soil on the south bank of the Chiyuan River was naturally irrigated and relatively fertile, and most of it was divided up by the nobles in the city.

Shen Qingze has just become the officiant with his great achievements. Although his status in the city is second only to the city lord, he has no basic background, no contacts, and no capable subordinates. He wants to dig out the fertile South Bank land from the nobles. , It's like a fool's dream.

Although Shen Qingze was envious of these lands, but for the time being, he didn't plan to snatch them away, he decided to find another way.

The land slightly away from the river cannot be nourished by the river water, coupled with people's unrestrained cultivation, the fertility of the land continues to decline, and finally it has become poor land under slash-and-burn cultivation year after year.

The [-] mu contiguous stretch of poor land that Shen Qingze purchased from the villagers is just west of the outskirts of the city, not far from the Chiyuan River but not close either.

There used to be a ditch connecting it, but it was gradually abandoned during the long-term population loss, and now it has become a stinky ditch for nearby villagers to dump urine, feces and garbage.

If you want to divert water for irrigation, you must first dredge this ditch.

Shen Qingze brought a group of called farmers and craftsmen to the edge of the field on the outskirts of the city.

One hundred mu of land has been upgraded to high-grade black soil. The weeds and dead branches and leaves that grew up during the abandonment period have been completely burned. The farmers noticed that the color of the land was different from others, and they only thought it was caused by the burning.

"The production team is divided into two groups, each group has half the number of people." Shen Qingze walked slowly on a dirt path in the field, looking at the field divided into two by the path, and said to everyone.

"Two groups of production teams, one group is responsible for cultivating half of the farmland, with the same tools and seeds, and one cattle each. When it comes time to harvest, which group has more harvest, I will distribute extra rewards to that group."

After talking about the benefits, Shen Qingze slowly set the rules: "At the same time, I will also adjust the personnel at any time according to your usual labor situation. Anyone who is lazy and slippery will be expelled from the production team."

When the farmers heard it, they had different expressions on their faces, some were eager to try it, and some were anxious.

Shen Qingze carefully observed their expressions, and stretched his brows in satisfaction. Only when there is pressure and rewards will there be motivation.

He raised his finger and pointed to the stagnant ditch not far away.

"After the ditch is dredged, the construction team will build a water truck, which can use the power of flowing water to automatically divert water throughout the day and irrigate the farmland."

Immediately someone asked: "What is a waterwheel?"

Shen Qingze ordered Jin Da to send a roll of kraft paper, and unfolded it in front of all the craftsmen.

There are several simple and detailed perspective structure diagrams on it, as well as a series of parameter data and principle explanations, and even the construction steps are clearly explained. It is the waterwheel blueprint rewarded by the system.

"This thing shouldn't be difficult to make, but can it really move by itself?"

"I heard people say that the Great Xia Empire in the east has something similar. It stands by the water and is as high as several floors..."

The only thing the craftsmen can understand is the stick figure of the water wheel, and the text is like a scripture.

Shen Qingze stroked the thick and delicate paper, but his mind suddenly drifted to another place.At present, few of the dozens of farmers and craftsmen are literate. In the final analysis, it is because of the lack of public education and the high price of paper and pen books.

By the beginning of spring next year, the transformation of paper and the establishment of schools will also be on the agenda.

Shen Qingze cleared his throat, and asked everyone to stop discussing: "The construction team and the production team get paid differently. You are all craftsmen, and I will pay you wages every month. The amount of wages is linked to the title of the job."

The craftsmen looked at each other, and after a while someone dared to ask: "Master Priest, what is the job title? How many copper coins per month?"

Shen Qingze beckoned, Jin Da immediately unfolded the contract and read:

"Craftsman titles are divided into apprentice, junior, intermediate and senior craftsman. Apprentices pay 40 copper coins a month, junior craftsmen 70 copper coins a month, intermediate craftsmen [-] silver coin a month, and senior craftsmen [-] silver coins a month!"

"Hiss—" Everyone gasped, they didn't expect the officiant to be so generous, and the treatment he gave far exceeded their expectations!

In Abyss City, the status of artisans is not even as good as that of self-cultivating farmers. Those who are capable among them are often recruited by the nobles to serve them only. They are almost equivalent to the servants of the nobles. The rest of them do some scattered work in the city. Difficult to support a family.

Joining the construction team now, you can earn one silver coin as an intermediate craftsman, and double it for advanced craftsmen!Even those with the oldest qualifications and the most skilled craftsmen in the craftsman's union are nothing more than that.

All the craftsmen were full of joy, and some even wept with joy.

"Don't get excited too early." Shen Qingze slowly poured cold water on her, "It's still the same sentence, I will still judge the promotion and retention of professional titles based on your usual work results. I hope you all take good care of it. "

"In addition to the waterwheel, there are several other important things that need to be built by the construction team."

Shen Qingze glanced at the dirty and filthy gutter, wrinkled the tip of his nose, and said, "The first thing is the dry toilet!"

※※※

City Lord's Mansion, study room on the second floor.

The heavy curtains were rolled up from both sides, and the afterglow of the setting sun covered the window frame little by little, reflecting a small piece of carpet in front of the window red.

Yan Zui sat behind the large dark mahogany desk, bent over the desk to handle official documents.

"That's what he said?" Yan Zui didn't lift his head, while dipping his pen in ink, he wrote vigorously.

Fan Mizhou stood respectfully in front of the desk, folded his hands on his lower abdomen, and spoke softly:

"Yes, the remuneration given by the officiant is extremely generous. If this news gets out, I'm afraid it will cause dissatisfaction among quite a few people. Moreover, I am a little puzzled, how can the lord officiant have so much money because he was only a small blacksmith before?"

The pen in Yan Zui's hand paused slightly, remembering the money that Shen Qingze gave himself to build a world-defying gun hole, he couldn't help pressing the corner of his forehead.

"Chirp!"

A childish cry came from the window.

The two looked up and saw a round little yellow bird desperately trying to squeeze in from the half-closed window, holding a small bamboo and wood duckling in its two bright yellow wings. .

Accidentally exerting too much force, Yaya fell out of the window in a somersault, fell into a squatting position, and aggrievedly hugged the duckling and rubbed it against Yan Zui's instep.

"Chirp, chirp, chirp!" Mama No. 2!Come play with me!

Yan Zui scooped up the two ducks together and held them in his palm.

Last night, the attendant clearly reported that the duckling could not be found, so it was hidden by someone.

He stared at the lost toy, narrowed his eyes slightly, and uttered a subtle syllable:

"Alas……"

The author has something to say: Shen: Don't think about it!