Chapter 153: Chapter 85: Exemption from Taxes, Exorbitant Levies, and Corvée Labor

The goat-bearded elder led his soldiers to the courtyard gate. His gaze swept over the scene inside and outside the yard before finally landing on Liu Cui Ling. A gentle smile appeared on his face as he cupped his hands and asked, "Pardon me, madam, but is this the home of Lord Yang Jing?"

Liu Cui Ling’s heart pounded in her chest, frightened by the display. She was normally a smooth talker, well-versed in all the village gossip.

But now, facing such an imposing elder, her tongue felt tied in a knot. She opened her mouth, but couldn’t squeeze out a single word for the longest time. Her face flushed red as she gripped the hem of her clothes, her gaze darting away.

"My lord," Yang Shouzhuo, who had quickly composed himself, stepped forward. He stood firmly in front of his daughter-in-law. Despite wearing a coarse, patched linen jacket, his back was ramrod straight. He cupped his hands in return to the goat-bearded elder, his voice aged but steady. "This is indeed Yang Jing’s home. I am his grandfather, Yang Shouzhuo."

He then turned to the side, gesturing to the women beside him. "This is his grandmother, of the Qin Family, and this is his mother, of the Liu Family."

Qin Family quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and followed with a slight bow.

Liu Cui Ling also composed herself and curtsied in imitation, though she still couldn’t speak.

The goat-bearded elder looked at Yang Shouzhuo, a flash of surprise in his eyes.

He had assumed that a rural farmer would be timid and fearful before an Official, but he hadn’t expected this white-haired old man to be so calm. He was neither servile nor overbearing, and his words were clear and logical, exuding a steady demeanor.

"I see. My respects, Elder Yang."

The goat-bearded elder cupped his hands in return, nodding to himself.

’To be able to raise someone like Yang Jing, this family is truly not simple.’

He had followed the County Magistrate for many years and met countless people. He could tell at a glance that this seemingly ordinary old farmer was the true backbone of these three.

The courtyard gate fell silent for a moment. The villagers held their breath watching the scene, so quiet that even the rustling of leaves in the wind was clearly audible.

Everyone was seeing Elder Yang in a completely new light. They had always thought of him as a steady and reliable man, but they never realized he was this impressive, capable of speaking to that important-looking man with the goatee without so much as a stutter.

Any other villager would have, at best, reacted like Liu Cui Ling.

The goat-bearded elder smiled. "I am Cheng Wen, and I humbly serve as a Clerk in the County Government’s Clerk’s Office. I have been dispatched by the Lord County Magistrate to bring good news to Lord Yang Jing. Lord Yang placed fourth in the training grounds trial, successfully passing and officially making the list. His name has been recorded by the Court, and the formal documents will be issued shortly. May I ask if Lord Yang Jing is present?"

Hearing this, Yang Shouzhuo felt waves of excitement rising from the bottom of his heart. He suppressed his joy and quickly returned the courtesy. "We are indebted to Lord Cheng for making this trip himself. However, my grandson Yang Jing is not home today. He might be at the Martial Arts Hall in the county seat and is unable to greet you personally. I hope Lord Cheng can forgive this. If you wouldn’t mind, please, all of you, come in for a simple meal. In the meantime, I’ll send someone to the county to find Jing’Er. By the time you’ve had lunch, he should have arrived."

With that, he turned to Qin Family and Liu Cui Ling. "Wife, Cui Ling, hurry to Butcher Zhao’s in the village and get ten catties of meat. We must treat Lord Cheng and his party to a proper meal at noon." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Cheng Wen quickly waved his hands in refusal. "Elder Yang, you are too kind. Since Lord Yang is not here, we will just sit for a moment and then be on our way. There’s no need to go to such expense. Buying meat is unnecessary. Besides, we must report back to the County Magistrate and cannot delay."

Seeing him refuse, Yang Shouzhuo didn’t insist. He turned to Liu Cui Ling instead. "Then go boil some water and brew a pot of good tea."

After Liu Cui Ling acknowledged and went to the kitchen, he leaned closer to Qin Family’s ear and whispered, "Quick, go to the room and get those ten taels of silver coins. When the Officials who bring good news come to the door, we must give them a little something. We can’t be rude."

Although Qin Family was pained at the thought of the silver coins, she knew this matter couldn’t be taken lightly. She nodded quickly and turned to enter the inner room.

"Lord Cheng, please come in. Have a cup of coarse tea to quench your thirst first," Yang Shouzhuo said, stepping aside to let him pass.

Cheng Wen smiled and replied, "Thank you for your hospitality. But before tea, there are a few things to take care of."

With that, he waved to the soldiers behind him.

The armored soldiers immediately sprang into action. They went to the horses tied outside the courtyard and untied three large, heavy wooden chests from their backs.

Two soldiers carried two of the chests into the yard and placed them carefully on the stone table. The chests landed with a dull thud, clearly containing something heavy.

Another soldier opened the third chest at the courtyard gate. Inside were neat stacks of red silk banners, their brilliant color exceptionally dazzling in the sunlight.

Next, several soldiers took out the silk banners. With swift movements, they hung one horizontally across the lintel of the courtyard gate and draped one diagonally on each of the walls on either side. The red silk hung down, fluttering slightly in the wind, instantly transforming the simple farmhouse courtyard into a festive and joyous scene.

This was the government’s custom for announcing good news, known as "draping in red and hanging silks," to show celebration.

The villagers crowded outside, watching this grand display, all clicking their tongues in wonder, their eyes filled with astonishment and envy.

The brilliant splash of red at the gate flooded into view, and Yang Shouzhuo’s cloudy old eyes instantly grew moist.

He stared at that splash of red, his lips trembling, unable to speak for a long moment.

Back then, to afford sending Jing’Er to the Martial Arts Hall, he had gritted his teeth and sold the family’s best, most fertile plot of land. He even sold their plow ox for silver coins. So many people in the village had laughed at him, calling him crazy. They said farmers should just honestly plow the earth, that practicing martial arts was not something a peasant could get involved in.

But he was stubborn. He always felt his grandson had the makings of a martial artist and couldn’t be buried in this poor, remote valley. He always felt that their Yang Family couldn’t just spend generation after generation toiling in the dirt, facing the yellow earth with their backs to the sky.