All the members are good people, only the host is a pervert

Chapter 145: Female Dominant Prodigal Son 28

Linruan’s three-year agreement is not bragging.

Although the prefect had prefects and provincial governors above her and county magistrates below her, all the finances of the prefecture had to go through her. During these six years, she sorted out Suzhou's finances and understood why the emperor had transferred her there.

The current tax collection method of Fengwu State is called "One Whip Method", which combines land tax, corvée and miscellaneous taxes into one, and collects silver according to the amount of land. It aims to reduce corruption among local officials, improve the transparency and efficiency of government fiscal revenue, and reduce the burden on farmers.

However, Suzhou had a developed economy, and the wealthy businessmen owned a large amount of land and population. The implementation of the Single Whip Law meant that they needed to bear more taxes, so they resisted the reform through various means, such as bribing officials and concealing population and land.

Although everyone knew that Suzhou had a developed economy, the amount of tax silver collected each time was very limited.

During these six years, Lin Ruan sent people to conduct a detailed survey of land and population throughout Suzhou. He not only checked the land area and ownership, but also used this information to recompile the fish scale map and the yellow book.

This process was not smooth. Land annexation was a serious problem in Suzhou. Not only did local gentry obstruct him in every possible way, but even forces in the capital put pressure on Lin Ruan. If it were not for the old lady of the Lu family in the Ministry of Personnel, Lin Ruan would probably have become one of the few prefects who was transferred before the end of his term of office was nine years.

Lin Ruan had no choice but to take a step back and clearly stated that it was just a measurement and inventory, and that taxes would remain the same as before. Only then did he barely suppress the opposition and record Suzhou's population and land one by one.

But the two mouths under the word "official" meant anything. After spending nearly six years counting and compiling the records, Lin Ruan waved his hand and launched tax reform.

She set taxes according to the Qing Dynasty's rule of distributing the capitation tax based on the amount of land she owned, distributing the capitation tax that was originally levied per person into the land tax and levying taxes based on the amount of land she owned.

It was no use hiding the population. Lin Ruan didn't collect taxes based on headcount. When the news got out, the gentry couldn't sit still and rushed to the government office to cause trouble. But Lin Ruan was prepared. She ordered people to bring out the fish scale map and the yellow book. They clearly recorded which family had how much land and how many people there were, leaving the gentry speechless.

However, the gentry would not compromise easily. They began to unite and try every possible way to make trouble for Lin Ruan.

Lin Ruan's final three years in office were filled with conflict. He fought against officials, merchants, and agitated peasants, but he eventually managed to implement the tax system of "dividing the land into levies." In his final year, Lin Ruan submitted a memorial detailing this tax, along with Suzhou's tax revenue, to the imperial court.

Thanks to this achievement, Lin Ruan was successfully transferred to the capital and became the Junior Secretary of the Zhanshi Palace and a lecturer in the Hanlin Academy.

The Junior Secretary of the Imperial Household was a rank of Fourth Grade, while the Imperial Academy's Lecturer was a rank of Fourth Grade. Lin Ruan's tax reforms were so significant that he only received a half-level promotion. However, everyone knew that Lin Ruan's appointment as Junior Secretary of the Imperial Household was equivalent to securing a spot in the cabinet's reserve ranks.

As the warm spring sun shines obliquely on the magnificent Forbidden City, every brick and tile tells of the solemnity and weight of history.

Lin Ruan walked into the magnificent palace complex, her steps neither hurried nor slow. She was wearing an official uniform embroidered with exquisite patterns. Her long, dark hair was combed into a simple bun, and a few strands of hair gently fell by her ears, adding a touch of feminine gentleness.

Passing through tall red walls and green tiles, Lin finally arrived in front of the Qianqing Palace, this palace symbolizing the majesty of imperial power, the place she had been away from for nine years.

Taking a deep breath, she adjusted her posture, then took steady steps, stepped over the high threshold, and entered the core of this power.

A solemn silence reigned within the hall. Sunlight filtered through the carved window lattices, casting dappled shadows on the ground, adding a touch of mystery. The emperor sat upright on the dragon throne. Lin Ruan glanced over. Nine years had passed, and fine lines had appeared on the beautiful emperor's face. Time was indeed merciless.

"Mr. Lin," the emperor said in a deep, powerful, yet gentle voice, "I heard that you achieved remarkable success during your time in Suzhou, especially your policy of allocating land tax to the land tax, which is considered a good way to govern the country. What are your thoughts on this?"

Hearing this, Lin Ruan thought to herself: What can I feel? The tax money doesn't go into my pocket. However, after severely punishing a few troublemakers, he took advantage of the convenience of the prefect and bought 5,000 acres of fertile land in Suzhou Prefecture with his own money, successfully entering the class of large landowners.

She leaned forward slightly, performed a standard salute, and spoke in a clear and firm voice: "I am well aware of Your Majesty's wisdom and power. The implementation of this reform is entirely due to Your Majesty's divine judgment. I am merely following your orders and fulfilling my duties. I dare not harbor the slightest arrogance or pride."

The emperor nodded in satisfaction, his smile growing even more cordial. She slowly stood up and walked over to the desk, her fingers gently stroking the memorials spread across the table. Her gaze was profound. "What a 'follow your orders'! It seems I was right in choosing you. I hope you can maintain this original aspiration and make even greater contributions to the Fengwu Nation."

Hearing this, Lin Ruan smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I am deeply apprehensive."

The emperor smiled and said, "Mr. Lin, there's no need to be so modest. I heard you've acquired quite a bit of private property in Suzhou. Have you fulfilled your promise of 'waiting for the corrupt officials to fall'?"

Lin Ruan smiled sheepishly and whispered, "Your Majesty still remembers."

The emperor's smile was slightly teasing. She took a few steps closer, her tone relaxed yet intimate, "Of course, I remember everything Lord Lin said."

Lin Ruan returned to her family's mansion after leaving the palace. Her father had already prepared a meal. Seeing his daughter, whom he had not seen for nine years, her father couldn't help but burst into tears.

He was now fifty-six, showing signs of old age. He leaned on a dragon-headed cane and hurried towards Lin Ruan. He hugged her and cried, "My daughter, you are finally back."

He fell seriously ill two years ago and is still in poor health. Every time he wakes up in the middle of the night, he is afraid that he will not be able to see his daughter for the last time.

Lin Ruan helped Lin's father sit down, poured a cup of tea herself, and handed it to Lin's father with both hands - she added a drop of spiritual spring water to the tea.

This wasn't the first time she'd faced the death of a relative, but Father Lin had to be in good health. Perhaps because so many women adopted children, the Fengwu Kingdom placed great importance on filial piety, even incorporating it into its laws. Whenever it came to this, the punishment was always severe and swift.

If Lin's father died, the emperor would not dare to take away her lover without permission, so she would have to observe mourning for three years. The officialdom was full of changes, and she could not afford to lose another three years.

After drinking the tea, Father Lin felt much more energetic. He thought it was because Lin Ruan came back, so he didn't take it to heart.

Just at this time, Chi Wen Ning and his family came with their three children to pay their respects to Lin Ruan.