Chapter 29

Chapter 21: The Tianma Dispute

Yang Zixuan stood at the entrance of the classroom, took a deep breath, and firmly held the letter containing the secret that his mother had given him.

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Yang Zixuan stood at the entrance of the classroom, took a deep breath, and firmly held the letter containing the secret that his mother had given him. The pain in his legs made him feel a bit dizzy. Although the mountain road was somewhat flatter than Qianchi Town, it was far from easy to walk on. Encountering such a road, Xiao Chen could only grit his teeth and endure it. In the back seat, there was only Yang Zixuan, while in the passenger seat sat Song An, the director of the county government office. Song An was not in the best physical condition, and his pale face, like a small boat in the sea, showed signs of nausea several times.

"County Chief, after this mountain, we will reach Tianma Township," Song An, despite feeling very uncomfortable, introduced the areas along the way with great effort, helping Yang Zixuan gain a direct understanding of the towns under Hongshui County.

"The name Tianma Township comes from Tianma Mountain, the third-highest mountain in Luofu Province. Its unique shape resembles a celestial horse, and the mountain range stretches endlessly, truly magnificent," Song An was well-versed in the cultural and geographical aspects of Hongshui County, thanks to his time as the deputy director of the county government office, where he often studied the history and geography of Hongshui County in his spare time.

After about thirty minutes, the Nissan finally entered Tianma Township. Climbing over a large mountain, Xiao Chen was drenched in sweat and let out a sigh of relief.

"County Chief, ahead is the Tianma Township government office."

"Stop here, we'll walk the rest of the way," Yang Zixuan instructed Xiao Chen.

"County Chief, there are rioters ahead, all holding iron hoes and such. Your legs are not in good condition, it's not safe to walk over!" Song An worriedly advised.

"It's fine, my legs can still walk. Driving over might make the people of Tianma Township think a big official has arrived, which could further fuel their hostility towards the government and make them less willing to communicate with us on equal terms," Yang Zixuan said as he opened the car door.

Song An quickly got out of the car to support him.

Yang Zixuan first found a place to wash his face with cold water to clear his mind, then slowly walked towards the township government.

In front of him was a dense crowd, estimated to be about seven or eight hundred people, all ordinary-looking citizens holding hoes, shovels, or even woodcutting knives, waving them wildly towards the township government...

As Liu Jian, the township chief of Tianma Township, had said, the scene was completely out of control, with many people losing their rationality and shouting wildly...

"County Chief, it's dangerous ahead, we shouldn't get too close," Song An, who had never seen such a scene before, felt his heart pounding.

Yang Zixuan continued walking forward without responding, listening to the crowd's shouts.

After listening for a long time, Yang Zixuan finally understood the root cause of the dispute.

The main reason was that the Tianma Township government had forcibly collected the retention and coordination fees at the end of the year. Due to the weather conditions this year, the farmers in Tianma Township had generally seen a decrease in income. After the collection of these fees, many farmers couldn't even make ends meet...

This retention and coordination fee, one of the "three levies and five unifications," was a historical product. Yang Zixuan remembered that in the early 21st century, the state had completely abolished this tax and increased subsidies for farmers.

Yang Zixuan felt a headache. This was a dead knot, and it seemed he needed to delve deeper to solve the problem.

Bypassing the crowd, Yang Zixuan entered the township government from the back door. Looking at the white-tiled decoration of the government building, he couldn't help but click his tongue. This government building was really well-built, considering that Tianma Township was one of the poorest in Hongshui County. How could the township government be so wealthy? There were many suspicious points here.

In the county party secretary's office, Su Nan was smoking a small panda cigarette, playing with two round stones in his hand, and listening to the report from Cheng Di, the deputy director of the county party office, in a leisurely manner.

The cigarette was given to him by his old leader before he left. He had followed his old leader for most of his life, and the old leader still remembered his contributions.

Cheng Di was someone he had brought in himself, and he was very trustworthy.

"Secretary, County Chief Yang has already led people to Tianma Township," Cheng Di reported cautiously. "Deputy Director of the County Public Security Bureau, An Zai, has also led a group of riot police to maintain order!"

Su Nan squinted his eyes, a smile on his lips. "Young people are still young, they lack experience. I set up a simple trap, and he fell right into it."

"Even if he didn't want to fall into it, he probably couldn't avoid it with the trap you set," Cheng Di subtly flattered.

"There are many ways to break the trap. For example, he could use the force of others, first reporting the dispute to the municipal party committee. The municipal party committee would definitely give instructions, and then I wouldn't be able to remain so relaxed. No matter how the matter is handled, I couldn't avoid responsibility. Unfortunately, he chose the most dangerous path. He didn't report to the municipal party committee but took the initiative to send riot police to suppress the people. This is dangerous! He is gambling with his political life! If the dispute isn't resolved, he will lose his position. Even if it is resolved, it can only be said that he handled it well, which is his duty and won't add much to his reputation. It's too childish, too naive, and too inexperienced!" Su Nan smiled faintly, never hiding his thoughts in front of Cheng Di. "However, this gives me the opportunity to sit back and watch!"

All the key figures of Tianma Township were present. Yang Zixuan, with a cold face, smoked and looked at the few fat and well-fed officials below, saying nothing.

"Liu Jian, explain the cause of the incident," Yang Zixuan said expressionlessly.

Liu Jian hesitated for a long time, not daring to speak. The other officials were also silent, slightly lowering their heads and not daring to look directly at Yang Zixuan.

Yang Zixuan, already annoyed by Su Nan's machinations, though he wasn't afraid of Su Nan's tricks, felt like a thorn in his heart. He suddenly stood up, his face cold, and pointed at Liu Jian's nose, saying coldly, "Why aren't you speaking? Do you not want to be the township chief anymore? If you don't want to, get out of here immediately!"

"Look at you, all fat and well-fed, the township government building is even more beautiful than the county government! What kind of image is this? It's a mess!" Yang Zixuan's voice was cold, and he slammed the table. "The farmers outside can't even afford to eat!"

The usually domineering township officials, who had been bullying the people of Tianma Township, dared not even breathe loudly in front of this young man.

Song An, standing to the side, was also startled. He didn't expect this young county chief to have such a powerful presence when he got angry!

Yang Zixuan's gaze swept across the room, and he noticed a small official who dared to meet his eyes, looking righteous. He was slightly surprised.

"Come out and tell me the reason for the outbreak of this dispute," Yang Zixuan immediately called out the name of the small official.