Unlimited Resources: Raising a Minister with a Space Supermarket-Chapter 533 - 468: Public Opinion (Part 2)

"Sir Su is truly noble!" An elderly man’s voice was exceedingly excited, "Since you’ve arrived, you’ve been treating our illnesses and dispensing medicine. Recently, you have eradicated the bandit threat on Wuyuan Mountain, and now you are organizing the construction of cement roads for the commoners. Sir Su, what a good official!"

The old man knelt down before Su Jingchen, "Sir Su, please accept an old man’s bow!"

This elder seemed like someone who stirred the atmosphere, leading others to also praise Su Jingchen profusely.

A multitude of people kneeled on the ground with a whoosh.

At this moment, Su Jingchen was inwardly thrilled. It turns out that every deed he accomplished was deeply remembered by the people.

To be capable of helping others—it’s indeed such a blissful thing.

Su Jingchen exhaled long, forcibly restraining his overwhelming emotions, "Please rise quickly, as your trusted official, it’s my duty to do these things."

Seeing that Su Jingchen was approachable, the old man boldly inquired about the autumn grain tax.

The previous County Magistrate, after the great disaster in Yangcheng, not only did not reduce the grain tax, but once the disaster slightly subsided, began forcibly collecting grain taxes, even excessively demanding residents to pay off the grain taxes owed during the disaster.

In short, regardless of whether the crops yielded grain or not, he demanded the specified amount, you had to muster enough.

What? Not enough?

Find a way to fix it or perish!

The grain tax levy was mandated by the court, Su Jingchen couldn’t exempt it, however, being only about grain tax, folks wouldn’t be so terribly burdened, aside from the grain tax, the former County Magistrate devised tricks to impose several additional miscellaneous taxes.

Miscellaneous taxes abolished; just the grain tax will do!

As soon as Su Jingchen spoke, the scene instantly became uproarious.

Some clapped their hands joyfully and laughed heartily, some laughed till tears fell, some quietly thanked Goddess Guanyin in their hearts for bestowing Yangcheng County with a good official.

Jun Mobai listened to the news brought back by the spy, raising an eyebrow with a smile, "Who knew Su Jingchen had some skills, already winning over a portion of the people’s hearts."

"Prince, there’s something I’m unsure whether to say or not?" Fu Qing was somewhat anxious.

"Speak!"

"Over at the Yangcheng Cement Factory, the treatment surpasses ours, some of the laborers here somehow heard about this, many are discussing privately, saying..."

Fu Qing paused, then closed his eyes again, gritting his teeth saying, "Saying the Prince is exploiting and oppressing the citizens, in short, the reputation of the Prince outside now... is very bad."

This affair, well, partly blames Su Jingchen.

If not for Su Jingchen setting the precedent of paying laborers, the Prince’s reputation wouldn’t be tarnished to this extent.

Bear in mind, since the drought in the Northern Land began, the relief efforts and post-disaster reconstruction work—those are the laborious contributions of the Prince, and now, unexpectedly, Su Jingchen arrived, directly overshadowing the Prince’s stature.

"What can those with discontent do? Would they dare rebel?" Truthfully, even without Fu Qing speaking, Jun Mobai knew those laborers harbored grievances against him.

But what if there are grievances? He is the Prince of Linzhou, in Linzhou he is the biggest, whoever defies must suppress it.

"Rebellion isn’t possible, it’s just that when word of this spreads, I fear it doesn’t bode well for the Prince’s reputation.

Perhaps... I go to Yangcheng and tell Su Jingchen to stop paying those laborers." Fu Qing actually didn’t comprehend Su Jingchen’s actions.

He had never seen an official who doesn’t love money!

When the spy reported that the daily expenses of the cement factory were over a hundred taels, Fu Qing was extremely astonished, wondering if Su Jingchen was foolish?

He clearly could save money, yet he chooses to spread it out, such an unusual official he indeed met for the first time.

Throughout the years, as long as the order was given from above, the militia had to work for the officials without pay, not to mention only providing one meal a day, if worked slowly, even facing the lash—this was Fu Qing’s impression of servitude scenes.

Ultimately, his decade-long perception was overthrown with Su Jingchen.

Jun Mobai waved his hand, "Each official has their mandate, let us allow him to proceed! Su Jingchen is capable, if he goes down and someone foolish like a pig comes, I’d be more infuriated!"

Regardless, Su Jingchen offered him the cement formula, assisting him in successively raiding the homes of several corrupt officials and bandit dens, within merely months, he gained tens of thousands of taels without much effort, Jun Mobai was quite satisfied.