Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 799: What is the purpose of Chapter 603?

“Master, what standard should we use to build the framework?” Ma Yan asked.

Yang Mingzhao said: “Let’s follow the standard of a county government, but there’s no rush. We have too few scholars at our disposal. Let’s first focus on cultivating some scholars, at the very least capable of writing and calculating.”

“If possible, it would be best to start a school!”

Ma Yan nodded: “Understood, Master!”

“And what about me?” Seeing that everyone else had been given tasks, Chen Buyu could not help but ask.

Yang Mingzhao looked at him and smiled: “You follow Uncle Wu. Uncle Wu, why don’t you take him as your disciple?”

Wu Zheng, standing outside the doorway and yawning, turned his head to glance at Chen Buyu, “Not taking him!”

“Uncle Wu!”

“He’s too old!”

“But his cultivation isn’t bad!”

Wu Zheng looked at Yang Mingzhao with a peculiar gaze, “You call that not bad? Look at them, which one isn’t stronger than him?”

The “them” he was talking about was naturally referring to Zhao Kai and Zhang Mo; both in their early twenties with cultivation at the Postnatal Second or Third Layer. Although their cultivation was not as advanced as Chen Buyu’s, Zhao Kai and the others were younger, all seven or eight years Chen Buyu’s junior.

Chen Buyu looked at Wu Zheng, then turned to Yang Mingzhao.

He could naturally tell that Wu Zheng was a master; in fact, in his heart, even Deng Xing and Han Lin were considered masters, but Yang Mingzhao’s attitude towards Wu Zheng was clearly different from his attitude towards Deng Xing and the others.

Therefore, he felt that Wu Zheng must be a very formidable Martial Artist, possibly one at the Postnatal Ninth Layer.

Okay, his knowledge was still a little shallow.

Deng Xing and Han Lin were both at the Postnatal Ninth Layer, while Li Dagui and Yang Ze had just recently broken through to Half-step Innate not long ago.

Honestly, having him serve a bunch of practically non-cultivated youths was a waste of his talents.

“Uncle Wu, please do a favor!” Yang Mingzhao looked at Wu Zheng with pleading eyes.

Somewhat reluctantly, Wu Zheng sighed, “Fine, he can only be a nominal disciple. My disciples aren’t this weak!”

Upon hearing this, Chen Buyu was overjoyed and immediately went forward to kowtow, “Disciple pays respects to Master!”

“Get up, get up!” said Wu Zheng with a hint of disdain.

He did not dislike Chen Buyu; he just disapproved of Chen Buyu’s age.

Chen Buyu was already thirty years old and just now taking a master; it’s indeed a bit late.

“Give him more liquor to drink, and also some of those tea leaves; give him some of that too!”

“No problem!” Yang Mingzhao said happily.

After the apprenticeship was completed, Yang Mingzhao continued: “Next, let’s discuss our development plans!”

“Master, aren’t we going to attack Dachang County city now?” Chen Buyu immediately became excited.

Chen Buren and Chen Jianghua and the others also became agitated.

For them, capturing a county city was definitely a good thing, and there was no doubt they could capture a city.

Inside Bashu, a county city could at most have a hundred-plus Government Officials, and even if you include the patrol soldiers, it still wouldn’t exceed a few hundred.

If they could infiltrate the county city beforehand, it was even possible to take the city without a fight.

Yang Mingzhao said, “Don’t rush, let’s first talk about what our goal is!”

“Our goal? Isn’t it to capture the county city and kill those corrupt officials?” Chen Buren said.

Chen Buren was two years younger than Chen Buyu; he too was a Martial Artist, but just an ordinary one.

Aside from those brought by Yang Mingzhao, within Three Arrows Valley, only Chen Buyu and Chen Buren were Martial Artists.

Yang Mingzhao shook his head, “Capturing the county city and killing the corrupt officials are part of the process; our goal is to let the people live better lives!”

“Yes! We want to let the people live better lives!” Chen Buyu nodded in agreement.

“Since we want to let the people live better lives, then what should we do after capturing the county city? We can’t just divide the Silver Coin and grain from the county government among the people and call it a day, right?”

“That may let the people have a few good days, but it does not solve the underlying problem!”

Yang Mingzhao’s gaze swept over everyone.

Chen Buyu, Chen Buren, and the others looked at one another perplexed. They hadn’t really thought about these questions.

Zhang Mo pondered for a moment and said, “Master, we should distribute land to the people!”

“And then what?”

“Reduce the taxes and corvée labor, abolish the arbitrary levies, construct water conservation, and promote agriculture!” said Zhang Mo.

Yang Mingzhao nodded in satisfaction, “Not bad, distributing land to farmers, constructing water conservation, and promoting agriculture!”

Zhang Mo had such an idea because he was originally a refugee from Fuhai. At the age of eight, he followed his parents to Star Moon Island, and after settling down on the island, the government began to distribute land to them, organizing manpower to build water channels for irrigation!

At the age of eight, he was already aware; he remembered clearly what life was like for their family in Fuhai Province. And after arriving at Star Moon Island, what life they had.

Although they weren’t rich or noble on Star Moon Island, as long as they worked the land, they wouldn’t go hungry.

And Yang Mingzhao also held this idea; the reason why people could not eat their fill was not due to natural disasters, but man-made ones.

The people had no land to cultivate and could only become tenants. Becoming tenants, the people had to endure the exploitation of landlords.

Tenant rents became increasingly heavy, and once disaster struck, the tenants’ lives became unsustainable.

The tenants of the Yang family had been loyal because the Yang family’s rent was low, and sometimes the Yang family would even reduce some of the rent.

Therefore, the tenants truly supported the Yang family, and Yang Zhenshan could easily persuade thousands of tenants to relocate to Star Moon Island.

But it was different for other families. A rent of forty percent was considered low, and some even had specific rent amounts set, which was paying a certain amount of grain to the landlord each year.