The Frontier Prince: Starting From Scratch - Chapter 11 - Passion of the Common Folk

The scorching sun blazed down upon the earth.

Yet, the sweltering heat couldn’t dampen the fervor of the people in Yan City.

“Li Yuan, is it true that the Prince’s Mansion is recruiting tenant farmers?”

On the official road south of Yan City, a group of displaced people surrounded a young man who had just returned from the city.

They were all landless folk, unwilling to become mere laborers for the regional magnates.

“It’s true! I signed the contract myself, and tomorrow I’ll be getting my land,” the young man declared, spittle flying as he proudly displayed the contract to those around him.

But how many in Yan Prefecture could actually read?

They looked at one another in confusion. “What does it say? We can’t read it. What if it’s a trick?”

“No mistake about it. I had three scholars look it over, and they all read the same thing,” Li Yuan carefully folded the contract and tucked it into his belt like a treasured possession.

Hearing this, the others felt their hearts race with envy.

Without another word to Li Yuan, they rushed toward Yan City in a frenzy.

When they arrived at the Prince’s Mansion, they found it swarmed with people, packed so tightly that there was no room to move.

“Oh no, it’s our fault for hesitating. What do we do now? We might not get a chance,” a middle-aged man lamented, slapping his thigh in frustration.

“We thought Prince Yan would be just like the regional magnates, but it turns out he’s a good man.”

“Indeed, it’s like heaven has finally opened its eyes and sent us a benevolent Prince to Yan Prefecture.”

Outside the Prince’s Mansion.

Zhao Xu stood behind Accountant Qin, and every person who received a contract bowed respectfully to him.

They had learned that the young man at the gate was Prince Yan himself, and their gratitude was genuine.

“Accountant Qin, how much land do we have left?” Zhao Xu inquired.

In no time, the Prince’s Mansion was nearly overwhelmed.

With the news spreading, more people were flocking to the mansion.

Taking this opportunity, Zhao Xu felt it was time to connect with the people of Yan Prefecture, to make them understand that the prefecture was no longer under the Zhang Family’s control.

“Your Highness, we have forty thousand mu left,” Accountant Qin replied, wiping the sweat from his brow.

Zhao Xu nodded.

He had reviewed the household register of Yan Prefecture, which showed a total of 380,000 households, with one-third residing near Yan City.

For this land distribution, he allocated land by household, allowing each household to claim six mu.

This meant that sixty thousand mu would be enough for ten thousand families.

In ancient times, the yield per mu was low, with two to three hundred jin of grain being a good harvest, so six mu wasn’t much.

Moreover, he didn’t follow the regional magnates’ practice of using contracts to turn people into their slaves.

Typically, such contracts required not only farming and paying taxes but also performing labor for the magnates and serving as soldiers in times of war.

He had removed all these clauses.

The reason was simple: while the regional magnates sought to exploit the people, he aimed to win their hearts.

As long as the people’s loyalty was with him, it was far better than having them reluctantly serve the magnates.

As for why he didn’t return the land to the people, he had his reasons.

The people were vulnerable and couldn’t protect their property from the magnates. Only by holding the land in his name could he prevent the magnates from extending their greedy hands.

This was why he opted for the Prince’s Mansion to own the land, allowing the people to farm it. It was essentially a form of state ownership of the land.

Though the people who farmed under the Prince’s Mansion were called tenant farmers, they were, in fact, free individuals under his protection.

The people’s eyes were sharp, and the sudden influx of so many today was proof of that.

“Don’t hold me back, I’m joining the personal guard.”

As Zhao Xu pondered, a commotion caught his attention.

A young man, around sixteen or seventeen, ignored a woman’s pleas and pushed his way to Chang Wei.

The land distribution and recruitment were happening simultaneously.

To his left was Accountant Qin, to his right was Chang Wei.

“Hu, aren’t you listening to your mother? Why not just take the land and go home to farm? Why become a soldier?”

“I want to avenge my father, to fight the Beidi,” the young man said stubbornly. “Besides, with three taels of silver, I can support my mother and sister.”

“Farming can support us too,” the woman held onto the young man, refusing to let go.

“What’s the use of just farming? When the Beidi come, they take everything. Mother says Prince Yan is a good man. If no one becomes a soldier, who will protect Prince Yan? When the Beidi come, will Prince Yan’s Mansion still be safe in Yan Prefecture? Then we’ll have to farm the regional magnates’ land again.” The young man pushed the woman’s hand away and pressed his handprint on the register in front of Chang Wei.

The surrounding people were moved by his words.

They had been oppressed by the regional magnates and the Beidi for too long. Now, the appearance of Prince Yan brought a glimmer of hope for change.

For this hope, they were willing to risk their lives, perhaps for a different future.

With this thought, some of the young men who had initially lined up for land moved over to the recruitment line.

Chang Wei glanced back at Zhao Xu, his eyes filled with a different emotion.

He had been surprised for quite a while when he learned of Zhao Xu’s low rent collection.

In the Dasong Dynasty, no one would do such a thing.

Even those renowned scholars who claimed to live for the people would at least collect fifty percent rent.

But now, he seemed to understand Zhao Xu’s intention.

He indeed collected less rent, but he won the people’s hearts.

In Yan Prefecture, compared to the ruthless regional magnates, Prince Yan’s Mansion’s actions were groundbreaking.

People’s hearts are made of flesh, and the passionate young men naturally wished to fight for such a prince.

This time, he truly admired Zhao Xu, feeling that he was fortunate to follow the right person.

“What’s your name?” Understanding the situation, Zhao Xu was moved.

In Yan Prefecture, the people’s lives were too difficult.

He hadn’t expected that just by doing a little, the people would be so grateful.

“This is Prince Yan,” someone reminded.

“Your Highness, I am Chen Hu,” the young man looked surprised at Zhao Xu, who was younger than him, and quickly bowed.

Zhao Xu nodded. Chen Hu wore a tattered short shirt, his dark face dirty.

But his eyes were exceptionally bright.

Not just Chen Hu, most of the people were like this.

They were mostly in ragged clothes, with gaunt faces.

“You may rise.”

Zhao Xu patted Chen Hu on the shoulder, “You’re a brave man, but being the only son left in your family, you should be cautious. Take care of your mother and sister.”

Chen Hu glanced at his mother, his eyes clouded for a moment, but he remained resolute. “Your Highness, you might not have witnessed the cruelty of the Beidi since you just arrived in Yan Prefecture. Two years ago, they raided us, and my father and brother were killed. Last year, they came again, and my elder sister was taken away. We still don’t know if she’s alive.”

Choking up, he continued, “If the Beidi come again this year, it might be my mother and younger sister who suffer. So, even if it means being unfilial, I must go to the battlefield to protect them.”

The woman burst into tears, letting out a long sigh. “Hu, I won’t stop you anymore. Go ahead.”

She then bowed to Zhao Xu and asked, “Your Highness, forgive my rudeness, but will your personal guard protect the people of Yan Prefecture and fend off the Beidi?”

“They will!” Zhao Xu replied firmly, “As long as I am here, Yan Prefecture will not allow the Beidi to run rampant!”

These words were not only meant for Hu’s mother but also for the young men joining the personal guard.

Zhao Xu’s declaration made the eyes of many young men light up. They longed for someone to lead them to a better life and drive away the invaders.

The regional magnates and officials of Yan Prefecture would hide in their fortresses with their treasures whenever the Beidi came, caring little for the people’s lives.

Entering a fortress was easy if one was willing to be their servant, working lands where they took most of the yield, and defending their fortresses when the Beidi attacked.

Chang Wei nodded approvingly.

He was never just in it to be a general of the personal guard. His greater ambition was to lead them in driving out the Beidi.

“Long live Prince Yan!” he shouted, his spirit surging.

As the saying goes, like general, like soldiers. Naturally, the soldiers under Chang Wei were all true men, and they echoed his shout.

“Long live Prince Yan.”

Inspired by Chang Wei and the others, Hu and the young men joining the army shouted along.

The waves of voices soared into the sky.

Zhao Xu’s heart tightened.

Looking at the people of Yan Prefecture, who placed their hopes on him, he suddenly felt the weight on his shoulders grow heavier.