Chapter 7: The Yan City Prefecture Office

Zhao Bin walked toward the gate of the Prince’s Mansion. Wang Wu caught up with him and asked, "Your Highness, are you heading out?"

"Yes, I want to take a walk and see what our Yancheng is really like," Zhao Bin replied.

"Where shall we go?" Wang Wu asked.

"Let’s visit the prefectural government office."

"I shall go and call Commander Xiao," Wang Wu suggested.

"No need. Just tell the guards to inform him. There is no need for an escort; it is broad daylight, and nothing will happen." With that, he walked out. Wang Wu exchanged a few words with the guards and then followed closely behind.

The Prince’s Mansion was located in the heart of the city, and the prefectural office was only about a ten-minute walk to the east.

The three of them left the mansion and headed east. People were coming and going on the streets, but as this was a border town, it lacked the bustling prosperity of the capital, and the population was relatively sparse.

Soon, the three arrived at the entrance of the prefectural office. Two large stone lions stood on either side, and four lean bailiffs, with sabers at their waists, stood guard.

Seeing them approach, one of the bailiffs stepped forward and shouted, "Halt! What is your business here?"

Zhao Bin glanced at them and said, "I am the Prince of Yan, Zhao Bin."

"The... the Prince of Yan?" The bailiff stumbled over his words. He knew the Prince had arrived in Yancheng, but as they had been on duty at the office for the past two days, they had not joined the Governor at the city gates to greet him and had never seen him in person.

Hearing this, he was both surprised and skeptical. Seeing this, Zhao Bin took a golden token from his robe, inscribed with the characters "Prince of Yan."

Upon seeing the token, the four bailiffs hurriedly knelt. "Greetings, Your Highness."

"Rise. Is Governor Lin in the office?" Zhao Bin asked calmly.

"Reporting to Your Highness, Governor Lin is in the inner hall handling official business. Please, follow me."

The bailiff stepped aside to clear a path and led the way into the office, while another bailiff ran ahead to announce their arrival.

Not long after Zhao Bin entered the courtyard, he saw Lin Jingtang hurrying toward him with several other officials.

The group reached Zhao Bin and bowed in unison, "Your subordinates pay respects to the Prince of Yan."

"Gentlemen, there is no need for such formalities," Zhao Bin said, gesturing for them to rise.

Lin Jingtang stood up and said, "Your Highness, please, this way."

They entered the main hall, where Zhao Bin took the seat of honor while the others stood below.

Seeing this, Zhao Bin said, "I am just passing through today to take a look. Please, do not stand on ceremony; everyone, sit and speak."

"Thank you, Your Highness," the group replied, cupping their hands in gratitude.

"I arrived in Yancheng only yesterday and am not yet familiar with you all. Please introduce yourselves by name and title so that I may get to know you."

Lin Jingtang stood up from his chair and began, "This subordinate, Lin..."

"Ah, Governor Lin, that is unnecessary. We met yesterday. Let the others introduce themselves," Zhao Bin said, waving for Lin Jingtang to sit.

Next, a man seated below Lin Jingtang stood up and bowed. "This subordinate is Cao Li, currently serving as the Prefectural Assistant of Yancheng." The Prefectural Assistant was the deputy to the Governor, equivalent to a deputy mayor.

"This subordinate is He Miao, currently serving as the Chief Clerk of Yancheng." The Chief Clerk functioned like a city government office director.

"This subordinate is Yang Tai, currently serving as the Treasurer of Yancheng." The Treasurer was in charge of finances and grain.

"This humble officer is Qin Fang, currently serving as the Commandant of Yancheng." After speaking, Qin Fang sat back down. Zhao Bin took a moment to observe him; he was burly and robust, no less imposing than Xiao Chu, with a square face and thick eyebrows.

Zhao Bin’s interest in him was not due to his appearance, but because Xiao Chu had mentioned that feudal princes were not permitted to hold military power. The military authority of a prefecture was supposed to be surrendered to the Ministry of War, meaning this Qin Fang was not under the direct command of the Prince of Yan.

A man seated below Qin Fang stood up. "This subordinate is Wei Xiang, currently serving as the Chief of Bailiffs."

After the introductions were complete, Zhao Bin said, "I have just arrived in Yancheng and am unfamiliar with its affairs. I will need your assistance in the future."

Lin Jingtang replied, "Your Highness is too kind. Since you have arrived to take up your fief, we are your subordinates. Whatever orders you have, we shall certainly carry them out."

He spoke with a certain frankness. Normally, a governor is the master of a city and would not want an official of higher rank placed above him. However, Lin Jingtang was different, or perhaps Yancheng was different. Lin Jingtang was a good official; otherwise, he would not have come to such a place.

In his younger years, Lin Jingtang had served in the capital, but due to offending powerful aristocratic families, he had become a scapegoat for the clans, was squeezed out of the court, and exiled to Yancheng.

Now over fifty, nearing sixty, he found the burden of governance increasingly difficult and had long contemplated retiring to his hometown, planning to submit his resignation at the end of the year.

Therefore, he did not care if a Prince of Yan came to oversee him; he only hoped it wouldn't be some spoiled, dissolute prince.

Yancheng was a harsh borderland. For over a century, it had been breached by northern nomadic tribes multiple times, suffering through pillaging and fires, which had left the population dwindling.

He had been in Yancheng for ten years, hoping to restore production and increase the population through measures like lowering taxes and corvée labor. Yet, after a decade, the population had grown by less than ten percent. He felt he had reached the limit of his abilities as governor.

"Since Governor Lin says so, I will not stand on ceremony. I have a few questions: what is the total population of Yancheng, and what is the situation regarding annual tax revenue?" Zhao Bin asked, looking at Lin Jingtang.

"Reporting to Your Highness, the total population of Yancheng is less than 100,000. Within the city, there are about 50,000 residents, and the surrounding villages have fewer than 50,000. Additionally, there are five subordinate counties, but they have long fallen into ruin and have almost no population. However, Your Highness’s fief is limited to Yancheng and its immediate surroundings; the five counties will be reassigned by the imperial court to neighboring prefectures. Regarding the specific details of the taxes, please allow Master Yang to explain."

Yang Tai stood up and said, "Reporting to Your Highness, there are about 350,000 mu of cultivated land in Yancheng. The grain tax is forty percent, amounting to about 150,000 shi of grain annually. The commercial tax is twenty percent, totaling about 10,000 guan of currency, equivalent to 10,000 taels of silver, along with 200 bolts of cloth, 200 pieces of game, 500 animal skins, 500 catties of medicinal herbs..."

Zhao Bin listened silently to the data Yang Tai reported. It was clear that Yancheng’s tax revenue faced significant issues: first, there was too little arable land; second, productivity was extremely low, with a yield of only one shi per mu. The root cause was likely a lack of labor or backward production techniques, though natural factors undoubtedly played a role as well.

Third, the taxes were too high. He recalled that in history, the Ming and Qing dynasties had much lower tax rates, yet they collected far more. Of course, the productivity levels of those dynasties were significantly higher.

Zhao Bin could not determine which historical period this world corresponded to, but he decided to stop worrying and solve problems step by step.

As they spoke in the hall, the atmosphere grew more relaxed, and the time slipped away unnoticed.

By the time evening approached, Zhao Bin finally said, "The autumn harvest is almost upon us. I would like to go out of the city tomorrow to take a look. Governor Lin, will you have time to accompany me to witness the harvest?"

Just as Lin Jingtang was about to speak, the Prefectural Assistant, Cao Li, interjected, "Your Highness, Governor Lin is advanced in years; I fear his health may not permit it. Might it be better if I accompany you tomorrow?"

Zhao Bin glanced at Cao Li and then at Lin Jingtang. Although Lin Jingtang said nothing, he seemed to tacitly agree with his subordinate’s suggestion.

Seeing this, Zhao Bin understood. It seemed this Prefectural Assistant had his own agenda, and the two men had reached some sort of mutual understanding.

"Very well, then Prefectural Assistant Cao shall accompany me. Governor Lin, you may remain at the office to handle other affairs. It is getting late, and it is time for everyone to finish their duties. In the future, feel free to come to the Prince’s Mansion if you have any matters to discuss."

With that, Zhao Bin walked toward the exit, and the group followed him to the gate. "We respectfully send off Your Highness."

After Zhao Bin departed, the group returned to the hall. Yang Tai asked, "Governor, what did the Prince mean by that last remark?"

Lin Jingtang took a sip of tea and smiled meaningfully. "He meant exactly what he said."

"He meant exactly what he said?"

Cao Li remained silent. He understood that this was the Prince asserting his authority. Lin Jingtang had previously mentioned his intention to resign at the end of the year and had explicitly stated he would recommend Cao to the imperial court as his successor.

Although it was uncertain if the court would accept, it was unlikely to be an issue; this borderland was a place no one was eager to serve in. Moreover, now that the Prince of Yan had arrived, the appointment of the next governor would likely be decided by him. This was exactly why he had volunteered to accompany Zhao Bin.