Big businessman and little fisherman

Chapter 316 Collusion
"This group of gangsters appeared a year ago. They are not many in number, only about a dozen or 20."

Although Dr. Xie was bought by Zhou Yang long ago, he is only a small doctor, and the information he can get is limited.

"These people are elusive, and few people see their true colors. I have never seen them kill and rob goods, and it is rare to see their boats appearing in Honghu Lake."

Lu Yange was a little confused: "You don't kill people, you don't sell goods, and you rarely haunt Honghu Lake. How did you become a water bandit?"

"Actually, we only found out about the water bandits after the Nanyang County Government posted a notice to suppress the bandits recently. Everyone doesn't know the details. I only heard that there were water bandits, but the Honghu Lake area is full of merchant ships, so I didn't hear about it." Someone's cargo was robbed, and there is no news of a merchant ship being injured."

Dr. Xie Xu just visited Zhang Tianxing, and seeing that his health has improved, he let go of a big stone in his heart, and even his tone became much lighter.

"Some people say that there may not be any water bandits, at most they are a group of poor fishermen..."

Speaking of this, Dr. Xie suddenly remembered Lu Yange's original identity, and couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed, and said, "Maybe the county government made it up on purpose in order to grab credit. At that time, they will randomly find some refugees to pretend to be, and they will say that they will be arrested." When it comes to the bandits, isn't it a credit."

"It's just what you think."

Lu Yangge looked at the wine in the teacup, and his eyes flashed, "Even if you are catching refugees and impersonating them, you have to have a reason. What happened when Zhou Yang asked you to stare at the accidental river worker? Could it be that the county government can still use this batch of Hegong came to pretend to be a bandit?"

As soon as the words fell, there was complete silence in the hut, and even the sound of the boy in the pharmacy brewing medicine in the yard seemed to have disappeared.

If you are not an experienced person, just holding a bamboo stick and not looking at the number of red and green paint, you will have no idea how many months the stick is.

The water bandits were not fabricated by the Nanyang county government. There was indeed such a group of people in Honghu Lake, but these people could not be called water bandits.

However, the toll stations she knows are all set up on the highway, and the fees collected are also taken from the people for the people.

If it is the first time passing by Honghu Lake in the first lunar month, and the boat fare has been paid, there will only be one red paint and one green paint on the stick.

Different years have different bamboo joints. The sticks for the first month are one-year bamboos, and the sticks for February are two-year-old bamboos.

As for the proof, Si Hai also managed to get two of them, which were like the bamboo sticks used by porters at the pier.One is a bamboo stick from February, with one line of red paint on one end and two green paints on the other end.

Since Zhou Yang has prepared everything for her, if she doesn't follow his will, wouldn't it be a little disappointing to others.

Lu Yangge looked at the stunned Doctor Xie, and it took him a long time to realize what he had said.

This credit is just dispensable to her. She, Lu Yange, is just a princess. As long as she keeps her own place and does not try to usurp the throne and become a female emperor, I believe her second brother, the emperor, is still very reassuring to her.

The purpose of these people haunting Honghu Lake is very simple, that is to set up barriers and block boats in Honghu Lake to collect some boat fees.

The shipping fee is determined according to the value of the goods transported on the ship.

Lu Yangge still can't figure it out, he can do it by himself without borrowing her hands.

"Yes, Si Hai arrived in Nanyang County yesterday, and he probably hasn't left Nanyang yet. If the princess wants to ask Si Hai if she doesn't understand anything, I'll go find someone and call Si Hai here immediately."

This, this is too vicious!

However, the highest fee they charged did not exceed 20 taels.

It's just that she still doesn't know Zhou Yang's purpose, so she can only take one step at a time to see what Zhou Yang means.

They do not kill people or disturb the people. The fishermen around Honghu Lake have encountered them several times.

Lu Yange flicked his fingers on the teacup containing the apricot blossom wine, and chuckled lightly: "Then call Sihai to come."

This group of people charged fees on Honghu Lake, which was a worthless business.

That is to say, the number of lines of red paint represents the number of times the ship has passed in that month, and the number of lines of green paint represents the number of months.

Since Zhou Yang let her get involved, there must be a purpose.

Dr. Xie took a half step back cautiously, and said softly, "The reason for this has not been found out, and the grassroots dare not speculate, but General Zhou's investigation is the responsibility of Si Hai, or else, the princess asked Si Hai to ask."

After listening to it for half a day, Lu Yange came to a general conclusion in his mind.

In the first month, after the second time, it will be replaced with one green paint and two red paint sticks.

But, why did Zhou Yang do this?

The bamboo sticks were selected from the bamboo forest under the Qingshan Academy in Nanyang County. Although they are all bamboos, they are only painted with ordinary red and green paint, but the bamboo joints on the back of the bamboos are different.

Si Hai came very quickly, as if he had been waiting near Xie's pharmacy to be summoned by Lu Yange.

"Sihai is in Nanyang County?"

I don't know who thought of this method. Although it is not troublesome, there are still disadvantages.

When February passes, you exchange the lottery from last month, and it becomes two green paints and one red paint.

Later, Sihai pointed out that the bamboo sticks are actually different.

They don't kill people to intercept the goods, but only charge a certain fee according to the value of the goods. These merchants will not refuse to pay this fee for the safety of the goods and the smooth flow of the waterway.

After seeing Si Hai, Lu Yange's guess was confirmed.

This signature is only cut from ordinary bamboo. If someone fakes it, he only needs to cut a stick by himself and paint it with red and green paint. It is likely that he will pay half of the ferry fee.

Perhaps for large ships of the same tonnage, some only charge one or two taels of silver, while others charge more than ten taels.

Most of the fees charged are around a few taels, and if the same merchant ship and the same cargo owner pass by here twice or three times within a month, half of the fee can be reduced or exempted based on the original payment voucher.

Part of it is included in the national finance, and part of it is used to build bridges and pave roads to maintain smooth and safe roads.

This is like a toll booth, and the bamboo stick is the toll voucher.The red and green paint is only for the ship merchants to see, but the person who stopped the boat and charged the fee is actually looking at the bamboo knots on the bamboo sticks.

Is this really the case?

These people charged at Honghu, let alone a year, the fee for a month should be quite high.

As long as they do not exceed their psychological limits, most people will not be stupid and fight recklessly with them.

"Princess."

You can settle down safely by paying some silver taels, as long as there is a brainy ship merchant, they will not refuse.

Who are these people?
You say he is good, but he just stops the passing ships to collect fees.

You say he is not good, but he does not kill people to intercept goods, nor disturb the nearby residents and fishermen.

Why didn't the Nanyang County Government send troops to exterminate them, but prepared to use the river workers to replace them?
Could it be that this gangster is in collusion with the local government?

(End of this chapter)