Even in a famine, there's no panic; the eldest sister has stockpiled plenty of money and grain.

They don't know if the magistrate has any difficulties, but it's clear that the magistrate truly doesn't know about their difficulties.

"Sir, you already took 30% from us last time, and now you want to take another 20%? Are you trying to kill us?"

"The land was so dry that it only rained once, so there was no harvest to begin with. Now they're taking the average from last year and demanding another 20% from us. They're trying to starve us to death."

"If we don't hand it over, we have no grain at home and can't pay it."

"..."

The villagers started making a scene, especially the grandmothers and daughters-in-law, who didn't care about saving face and sat on the ground crying.

Based on last year's grain tax of 30% of the total tax, half of the family's grain has already been taken away.

They're demanding 20% ​​now; they're deliberately trying to cut off their livelihood.

They had already tightened their belts and might have been able to survive another year, but if they had to pay another 20%, their whole family would probably starve to death at home. Even if they had yams dug from the mountains, it wouldn't be enough to feed them.

In an instant, men and women alike were in an uproar, and some even went home to fetch farm tools and drove the grain collection officials out.

"Uncle, is this alright?"

Jiang Bai was shocked to see the grain collector being driven out of the village by the villagers.

"Of course there's something wrong. These people represent the county magistrate. If we drive them out, we'll be disgracing the magistrate. He might retaliate against us when it's time to collect taxes next year." The village head was worried, but he didn't stop the villagers.

"Then why are we kicking them out?"

"If what they say is true, we won't even be able to survive this year, let alone next year?"

"Just you wait and see, it's definitely not just our village that's like this," the village head said confidently, waiting for news from the surrounding villages.

Nobody's a fool to do something like cutting off someone's livelihood.

Sure enough, in less than a day, Shanzi had found out all the details, and none of the surrounding villages agreed to lend him grain.

"Everyone is rebelling, isn't that a good thing? Why are you still looking so gloomy?"

Jiang Bai told Ji Yanwen about this as a joke, but to his surprise, Ji Yanwen frowned after hearing it.

"You're oversimplifying things."

"The magistrate is trying to borrow grain by reason with everyone. If reason doesn't work, then he'll probably have to resort to force next."

Jiang Bai's smile vanished instantly.

"You mean he's going to forcibly conscript?"

"It's not impossible."

“The payment of grain tax affects the performance evaluation of the county magistrate. The wealthy households in the county town have been giving him countless bribes on a daily basis. He has also offended the local gentry and wealthy households, so his position as county magistrate is not secure. If he wants to make up for the grain tax he has paid, he can either use the county’s granary or have the people pay the grain.”

“There are people who inspect the county’s granary. If there is a problem, it is their dereliction of duty. Moreover, there may not even be any grain in the granary.”

“The private sale of government grain has become commonplace.”

The more Jiang Bai listened, the tighter his heart became. Thinking of the grain he had bought at a high price in the county town some time ago, he said with a heavy heart, "You mean, the grain sold in the grain shops in the county town is tax grain that should have been in the county's granary?"

"I'm just guessing. Whether it's true or not, we'll only know after we see it."

"However, if the county government forcibly collects the money, then it's almost certain that it will happen."

All the grain had been exchanged for silver, so where would they find the grain left?

Jiang Bai finally understood why Nan'an County hadn't ordered anyone to investigate the disaster this year. The occurrence of a disaster during his term of office would not only affect the county magistrate's performance evaluation, but there was also another reason: after the tax reduction, the county magistrate probably wouldn't earn any money.

No wonder they say a clean county magistrate can earn 100,000 taels of silver in three years.

"It's almost dawn, where are you going if you're not sleeping?"

Ji Yanwen called out to Jiang Bai, but Jiang Bai waved to him with his back turned.

"I'm going for a walk."

"Want to go for a walk? Are you sure you're not going off to do something naughty?"

Ji Yanwen muttered to himself, his expression also quite unpleasant.

Jiang Bai walked around the village. Usually at this time, the village would be completely silent, but tonight every household had its lights on, and the whole village had a solemn atmosphere.

The suggestion to rob government grain was made by her; if the county government were to forcibly collect it because of this, it would be trouble she had brought upon herself.

Jiang Bai, with a sullen face, hurried up the mountain.

She remembered a poisonous herb on the mountain, which she had seen in a TV series in the underworld. It was called something like "intestinal grass." It was extremely poisonous; just one leaf could kill a person.

The darkness did not obstruct her vision, and she quickly found her target.

It's around the beginning of the morning, so there's plenty of time to make a trip to the county town.

"Troublemakers, troublemakers, they're all troublemakers."

When the grain collectors he had sent out to borrow grain were all turned back, the county magistrate was so angry that he slammed his fist on the table.

A group of grain collectors stood inside the room, not daring to utter a sound.

The magistrate paced back and forth in anger, and when he saw the clerk cowering to the side, his anger only intensified.

"They are all a bunch of trash."

The clerk kept his head down, seemingly oblivious to his own thoughts, inwardly grumbling to himself, "I've told him all along that the grain in the granary must not be touched, must not be touched, but he just won't listen."

Now look what's happened; the government grain that was supposed to be delivered has been robbed.

They even used the pretext of borrowing grain, but the people aren't stupid.

The people of the whole county are against him. Let's see how arrogant he can be.

He was secretly gloating when he suddenly heard the magistrate say in a foul mouth, "Hmph, since these unruly people refuse to listen to reason and are forced to drink a forfeit, then they won't get anything at all. Issue my order: tomorrow, I will send fifty constables to collect grain from each village."

"My lord, you mustn't, you absolutely mustn't!"

The advisor was shocked. "You're courting death, don't drag me into it!"

“What’s wrong with that? Maybe the government’s grain was stolen by these scoundrels. We can use the pretext of searching for the grain-stealing bandits.”

The magistrate sneered, "Didn't you say you wouldn't lend grain? Now you don't need to."

"My lord, this won't do..."

"Alright, that's enough. You bunch of useless trash, get out of here now."

The magistrate, refusing to listen to advice, drove all his subordinates, including his advisor, out.

The advisor sighed repeatedly, saying it was all over.

The grain officials, puzzled, hurriedly asked, "Aren't you being a bit too pessimistic?"

"What do you know? Do you really think the common people are just peasants who can't be harmed by you?"

"Don't you all think about it? Don't you have any relatives in the village? Once this forced requisition is done, how can you hold your heads high in front of your families and relatives?"

The advisor glared and bristled, then slumped down in dejection.

He was just a secretary; what could he do?

The grain collectors exchanged glances, their hearts tightening, and they hurriedly ran off to inform their relatives.

They need to hide the grain well so the constables don't find it.

The county government office was completely empty, with only two yamen runners on duty. As a result, no one noticed a shadow sneaking into the office under the cover of night.

The next morning, the yamen runners changed shifts, and the clerk and a group of yamen officials also arrived at the county yamen to take their duties.

The clerk in charge of cleaning entered the back hall of the county government office. As soon as he pushed open the door, he let out a loud scream, shouting, "Help! Help! The magistrate is in trouble! The magistrate is in trouble!"

He ran and shouted, attracting the clerk and a group of officials. After they saw the scene inside, they all shuddered.