Naive

Within a grand mansion in the southern district of the city, an array enveloped the rear garden. Though it was a freezing night on the verge of snow, the garden remained as warm as spring, with jade-green trees and clusters of blossoming flowers. A lake sat in the garden, bridged by a pavilion arching over the water. Inside the pavilion, a delicate spread of wine and dishes was laid out on a table, beside which stood two couches of differing heights and styles. At that moment, Princess Ningguo reclined on one of the couches in a thin gown, reading a popular storybook. The fabric of her long dress was exceptionally supple and snug, cascading over her form like a flowing waterfall, tracing an undulating landscape of ink-wash contours. She wore neither shoes nor socks, leaving a pair of bare little feet exposed. Fair with a hint of pink, they looked slender, yet every toe was plump and rounded, showing no hint of bone. Whenever the story reached a critical juncture, her entire body would tense slightly, her five little toes curling up, clutching at the hearts of everyone watching. A tree in the garden shook its branches and spoke. "Isn't it time yet?" A fish surfaced in the pond, looked up at the full moon in the sky, and said, "A quarter of an hour left." Another fish poked its head out and asked, "What great matter could that barbarian have that he had to drag things out for four hours, insisting on coming only at the hour of the rat?" A piece of decorative rockery wobbled, speaking in an omniscient tone. "He received some extraordinary rewards and needs time to refine them. These few days are the most critical, so it's hardly surprising that he's putting in extra effort. Besides, the dead of night is perfect for concealing his weakened state." "Jie-jie-jie..." From the darkness of a corner, a duck let out a sinister chuckle and said, "Too bad he could never guess that we've lain in ambush here in advance, ready to witness his Three Spears reputation firsthand! It's just that the princess has to suffer another grievance." Princess Ningguo said languidly, "You lot, if you're playing background props, then play background props. The time isn't even up yet, so why are you losing your patience? Oh, right. We should handle the magic treasures beforehand, lest you forget to use them when the time comes." With a light flick of her finger, several gossamer curtains dropped out of thin air, shrouding the entire water pavilion. Through the fabric, one could only see a stream of pale pink light flowing across the drapes. No matter how formidable one's divine abilities were, it was impossible to peer past them, though sound could travel out without the slightest hindrance. The background props all fell silent. A moment later, an air of sorrow, resentment, and indignation permeated the rear garden. They knew Princess Ningguo possessed magic treasures, but this one was far too potent—no one short of a True Monarch could see through it. Why did she have to take it this far! *** In the night, a troop of riders galloped past, heading straight for the western gate. Every rider gleamed with the light of Dao power, their iron hooves striking the ground without a sound, so that the residents in the houses along both sides of the street noticed nothing at all. Catching sight of the mounted company charging toward them, the gate guards were jolted completely awake. The officer shouted in alarm, "Halt! Who dares storm the gate late at night?" A magnificent sword was thrust before the gatekeeping officer. The rider atop the horse barked coldly, "This sword was bestowed by the Great King! Seeing this sword is like seeing the Great King himself! I am Wei Yuan, Military Commissioner of Dingxi, departing the city on urgent military affairs. Open the gate at once!" The blade bore a unique dharmic impression, which every officer guarding the royal capital knew how to verify. Having confirmed the sword was genuine, the officer immediately opened the city gate. Wei Yuan rallied the cavalry stationed at the garrison post, took advantage of the dark, and rode out of the city, vanishing into the distance. The bright moon hung high in the sky. It was precisely the hour of the rat. Only after galloping more than ten li did Wei Yuan turn back to look. In the darkness of the night, Yingcheng resembled a monster coiled across the earth, devouring men without spitting out their bones. *** A full two hours passed after the hour of the rat had struck. Princess Ningguo could finally bear it no longer and dispatched someone to the courier station to look for Wei Yuan, only to discover that the quarters were already deserted. Inquiring along the way with the night patrols and gate officers, they learned that Wei Yuan had departed the city in the dead of night, his whereabouts unknown. The princess was both mortified and furious, yet entirely helpless. With that, the yard full of living creatures broke cover—those in the water surfaced, and those rooted in the ground pulled themselves free. The duck nearly forgot to revert to human form and tried to fly off on the spot, only to be swatted down by a branch from the neighboring tree. This was the Jin capital, after all; flying around at midnight was an easy way to get shot down. These young lords and noble scions had never suffered such humiliation in their lives, nor had they ever experienced the lives of ordinary creatures so profoundly. From that day forth, 'Ningguo summons, a night flight of a thousand li' became another tale of the Wei Barbarian, sure to be recounted over drinks and tea. *** Having left the Jin capital, Wei Yuan held back no longer. Leading his cavalry forward at full speed, they covered twenty thousand li over three days, arriving at a city in the western portion of the Western Regions: Lai. Lai City was home to roughly two hundred thousand households, making it a major city in western Jin. Trade routes converged here from all directions, and surrounding fields stretched far and wide, marking it as an affluent place. Wei Yuan chose it as one of his transit stops, intending to rest for a day while taking the opportunity to observe the local customs and conditions of Western Jin. Riders rode ahead to process all the necessary paperwork, after which the troop camped outside the city. Wei Yuan, dressed in plain clothes, entered the city to wander and observe at his leisure. Lai City was indeed bustling. Crowds swarmed through the streets, and everyday life was vibrant at every turn. Within the city stood grand mansions with towering walls and deep courtyards, as well as sprawling stretches of shantytowns. In some respects, it resembled Quliu Town, though it was somewhat wealthier. Wei Yuan navigated the alleys and avenues, neither steering clear of the fierce retainers of wealthy clans nor shying away from the filthy cesspools scattered throughout the shantytowns. Walking, watching, and exchanging a few words here and there, an entire day slipped by. Only at nightfall did Wei Yuan arrive at the commandery governor's manor, where the governor had already prepared a banquet to await him. The governor was a lean, elderly man named Wang Duan. He had passed the imperial examinations as a jinshi forty years ago, was now over seventy years of age, and had formed his dharma idol eleven years earlier without making any further progress since. After three rounds of wine and the customary pleasantries, they turned to business. Wei Yuan said, "I have long heard of Lai City's prosperity, and seeing it today confirms that its reputation is well deserved. I have only recently taken charge of local governance and find many things puzzling, so I would like to seek your guidance, Lord Wang." "Ask anything, and I shall tell you all I know without reserve." Wei Yuan said, "I have two questions. First, the population in the city seems far greater than what is recorded in the household registries; I wonder where they come from. Second, many of the city's public facilities have fallen into disrepair. Given Lai City's wealth, it shouldn't be unable to maintain them." Wang Duan chuckled. "Lord Wei is testing me. Let us speak of the people first. Lai City currently has one hundred and eighty-nine thousand registered households on the official books, but the actual number is likely more than double that. However, these extra people are not on the official rolls; they are recorded on the private registries of the noble and powerful clans." Wei Yuan looked thoughtful. "Because of the household tax?" "Precisely." Western Jin levied a household tax—commonly known as the poll tax—collected on the basis of registered households. Thus, since ancient times, there had been the saying that a burgeoning population yielded sufficient taxes. As Wei Yuan inquired in detail, Wang Duan proved true to his word, speaking openly without holding anything back. To avoid paying the household tax, countless commoners chose to sell themselves into prominent families, becoming unregistered bondservants. The prominent families in the city were almost entirely surnamed either Xu or Lü, accounting for eighty percent of them, while slightly more than ten percent belonged to the Li, Xu, and Bao clans. Families that were wealthy without being noble made up less than five percent. By now slightly tipsy, Wang Duan spoke with greater candor. "Lord Wei, your two questions are actually one and the same. Lai City looks prosperous, but its treasury is empty. Where would we find the money to repair the neighborhoods? Of the annual tax silver collected here, do you know how much comes from the great families?" Without waiting for Wei Yuan to guess, Wang Duan held up a single finger. Wei Yuan was deeply astonished. "Ten percent?" Wang Duan nodded. "Only ten percent! And of that ten percent, most is collected from local wealthy merchants outside the Seven Clans. Those one hundred and eighty thousand-odd registered households contribute ninety percent of the tax silver." "And if we leave aside tax silver and look only at income?" Wang Duan smiled. "Lord Wei tests me again. Such a matter requires no deep investigation by minor clerks; a brief glance tells the tale. In terms of income, that ratio is reversed—and likely by an even wider margin." "In other words, the common folk pay ninety percent of the taxes with ten percent of the income?" "Throughout the world, it is ever thus." Wei Yuan smiled. "I noticed that the neighborhoods where the great mansions stand are quite tidy and clean. Could it be that all the maintenance funds were poured in there?" "Lord Wei must be referring to the Upper Three Districts. Indeed, all the funds were sunk into them, yet it was still not enough. The prominent clans had to reach into their own pockets to make the districts look as they do today." "I see! Drink!" Wei Yuan raised his cup. There was no need to ask the remaining questions—such as why certain small shops clearly enjoyed roaring business, yet their owners dressed in rags and lived within bare walls. That ninety percent of the tax silver was the answer. Furthermore, since the prominent clans in the Upper Three Districts had to spend their own money to maintain their neighborhoods, they had undoubtedly exerted immense pressure on Wang Duan to squeeze even more taxes out of the populace. Having eaten and drunk his fill, Wei Yuan took his leave. Before departing, Wei Yuan asked one final question: "Why not collect more taxes from the great families? To them, it would be nothing more than a single hair from nine oxen." Wang Duan said, "Lord Wei holds high office; how could you not know that while there are many paths to collecting silver, every single one is fraught with immense difficulty? Since antiquity, under heaven, it has always been simplest to collect taxes from the heads of the common rabble." "If you squeeze too hard, won't officials simply drive the people to rebellion?" Wang Duan chuckled. "Then this official would rather wipe out a few more rebel bands." Wei Yuan bowed with hands clasped. "Thank you for your guidance, Lord Wang. Farewell." Watching Wei Yuan's figure vanish into the distance, Wang Duan returned to his manor, ordered the main gate shut, and shook his head, uttering two words: "Naive."