Chapter 19: Chapter 19 : Yang Zhao
Registrar Yang sized up the young man in a blue-green long robe before him and felt that he looked somewhat familiar.
"This official seems to have seen you somewhere before."
"Registrar Yang has a good memory. Several years ago, when you came to Dongxi Village to handle the matter of the Yu family's land, this humble one led the way," Wentian said with a smile.
"So it was you. This official remembers now. Your name is Jianyi Wentian, correct? Have you come today to ask this official to handle something?"
Yang Zhao remembered that he had personally promised to owe him a small favor.
"Registrar Yang misunderstands. This humble one has not come to trouble you. I have brought these two here to handle household registration and settle them in Dongxi Village."
Yang Zhao looked at Li Er and his son again.
At this moment, they were no longer dressed in rags with disheveled hair and filthy faces.
Although they still looked somewhat thin and weak, their appearances were proper, and they carried a certain heroic air.
"Household registration?"
"They fled here because of the flooding disaster in the west. With nowhere else to go, they wished to become servants in my household. I thought that even servants should have a proper identity."
Yang Zhao nodded.
Such matters were extremely common.
When people could not return to their hometowns in the short term and had no means of livelihood, they either became beggars and begged along the road, or became servants in someone else's household and lived under another's roof.
Yang Zhao did not want to ask too much. Looking at Li Er, he asked, "Are you father and son voluntarily settling in Dongxi Village?"
"Replying to Registrar, yes."
"In that case, state your names and ages."
For outsiders handling household registration, each person had to pay five taels of silver. Naturally, Wentian paid this money.
Once they settled here, their descendants would no longer need to pay silver when entering the household register.
"Many thanks, my lord. If there is nothing else, this humble one will take his leave."
Now that the matter was finished, Wentian still needed to hurry home.
"Wait. This official has something he wishes to ask you. This time, a great many refugees have fled here. How is the situation in Dongxi Village? Is it chaotic?"
"Dongxi Village is still relatively stable for now. Wealthy households that need labor will take in a few short-term workers or servants."
This disaster had caused many refugees to flood into the entire Yuehu Commandery.
Every county and even the commandery city were all having headaches over how to handle this group of refugees.
Although Yang Zhao was not the county magistrate or the county deputy, if he could propose a good suggestion and have it adopted, that would count as political achievement.
It would be extremely beneficial to his future promotion.
Seeing Wentian's current manner of dress, Yang Zhao knew that the Jianyi family must have developed well over the past few years.
After all, when he saw him last time, Wentian had been wearing coarse hemp clothes, looking like an ordinary commoner.
Now, his clothing and daily style were already approaching that of some wealthy households.
Because of this, Yang Zhao had a sudden thought. He wanted to hear whether this man could offer any useful insight.
"Then how do you think these refugees should be settled?"
Wentian froze slightly, not expecting Yang Zhao to ask such a question.
"The county magistrate and the other lords naturally have their own considerations regarding this matter. How would this humble one dare to speak carelessly or make reckless comments?"
Wentian's face showed panic.
"Speak casually, and I will listen casually. If what you say is good, this official will owe you another favor."
He likes owing favors this much?
"Then this humble one will speak a little of his shallow opinion."
Wentian began, "It definitely will not work to simply ignore the refugees. If they are allowed to become beggars, it will also affect the public order of the entire Qingjiang County."
"It would be best to find a place where they can be gathered together, then register and manage them one by one to prevent chaos."
"For those willing to settle here, some of the administrative fees can be waived, and household registration can be processed for them."
"Provide several days of rations. Then the county yamen can offer some labor opportunities, such as repairing waterworks, roads, and so on, absorbing part of them. At the same time, mobilize the wealthy households of Qingjiang County to internally absorb another portion."
"As for the specifics, that depends on the number of refugees in Qingjiang County this time, as well as how many the county yamen and wealthy households can absorb."
At first, Yang Zhao had not paid much attention.
But as he listened, his gaze became serious.
"I understand the county yamen providing labor opportunities, but how would the wealthy households absorb them?"
Wentian smiled lightly.
"The scale of the disaster in the west is quite large. Among the refugees, quite a few have martial skills. There may even be martial artists hidden among them."
"For such high-quality household servants, there is no wealthy household that would not want them."
"The county yamen can select those willing to become servants, summon the wealthy households, and publicly recruit them. It can even appropriately collect some silver from the wealthy households to subsidize part of the cost of the refugees' rations and reduce the county yamen's financial pressure."
"Mm. Anything else?"
Yang Zhao nodded and continued asking.
"Furthermore, if the villages under Qingjiang County still have unused land, it can first be rented for free for two years to refugees willing to settle. Afterward, the rental fee can be gradually increased until the cost is recovered."
Yang Zhao's face remained calm, but in his heart, he was extremely shocked.
He had not expected that an ordinary commoner would truly possess such remarkable insight, greatly broadening his thoughts.
No wonder that in only a few years, this man had allowed his family to rise steadily.
He was a talent.
Wentian continued, "These are only this humble one's shallow opinions. There are still many specific details involved, such as distinguishing good people from bad, how to decide who receives free land, and so on."
"This official understands."
Yang Zhao pondered for a moment, then smiled as he looked at Wentian.
"For this matter, this official will owe you another favor. This is my Yang family token. Take it. When ordinary officials see it, they will usually give you some face."
"Many thanks, Registrar Yang."
Wentian did not refuse. After receiving it, he cupped his hands again and said, "Then this humble one will take his leave."
"Go."
That afternoon, Wentian returned home with Li Er and his son.
Meanwhile, Yang Zhao began writing a detailed refugee settlement plan based on Wentian's suggestions.