Daming: Mixed in Dangzhi County, Beiping

"That's a lot!"

The force officer let out a long sigh and counted them one by one: "In addition to summer taxes and autumn grains, there are also money for fixing boats, money for lighting boats, money for gods and Buddhas along the river, money for carts and bicycles, money for transporting rice, etc. Service money, yellow grain money, book making money, bamboo basket money, food money..."

After Na Liyu finished speaking, Zhu Gaochi said word by word: "Twenty-two kinds of taxes?"

"should be……"

The Lifu glanced at Zhu Gaochi in surprise and explained: "I can't read or do calculations even if I don't know how to do it. I have to pay as much as the grain chief says!"

"These people deserve to die!"

Zhu Gaochi's face turned livid and he said angrily.

"Young master, please calm down. These officials who are harsh and exploiting the people should be killed one by one!"

Guo An said slowly, "However, we still need to complete the tasks assigned by the master. After we return, I will ask the master to report to Your Majesty to investigate these corrupt officials one by one!"

"Ok!"

Zhu Gaochi nodded fiercely.

"Thank you two noble men!"

Liyu quickly knelt down and kowtowed in thanks.

Guo An asked again: "No need to thank me for waiting. Is there anything else you can tell me about waiting for?"

Liyou looked ashamed and said: "Back to you, my lord, this is all I know!"

"That's enough!"

Guo An nodded slowly and said to Wang Zhong on the side: "Give the pie to this warrior!"

"Thank you, noble man, thank you, noble man!"

Liyu quickly thanked him.

Guo An warned: "Remember, after you go back, you must not reveal anything said on the ship to anyone. Otherwise, if the officials hear it, you will most likely be retaliated against!"

"Yes, yes, even if my parents ask, I won't tell anyone..."

As Na Liyu got off the boat with five pieces of cake, the fleet set off again.

"Teacher, I didn't expect that in a place directly under the capital, there would be such evil officials who exploit the people!"

Zhu Gaochi said with a ferocious expression as he looked at the group of children and the soldiers who were gradually going away.

The always kind-hearted Prince Ming couldn't help but feel murderous at this moment.

Guo An's face was full of pain, "Additional taxes, additional servitude, additional floods and droughts, additional predatory fishing by officials, and additional annexations by powerful powers. The ordinary people, who already have a somewhat difficult livelihood, have to suffer so much exploitation, Your Highness." There’s a long way to go!”

"Yes, these people are suffering too much!"

Zhu Gaochi also nodded slightly, and after reacting immediately, he looked at Guo An in surprise, "Teacher, why do you say I have a long way to go?"

Guo An looked at Zhu Gaochi and said, "Your Highness, you are the crown prince of the Ming Dynasty! Apart from Your Majesty, you need to be more attentive to solving the sufferings of the people!"

"Too……"

Zhu Gaochi nodded slightly.

After a while, my brows wrinkled slightly again. I always felt that something was wrong, but I couldn't figure it out!

The fleet continued down.

Another day's journey.

What he saw and heard on the road made Zhu Gaochi feel more and more depressed.

Along the way, except for the gentry with bright clothes and angry horses, he didn't see any common people from relatively wealthy families!

Every one of the people here is exhausted and exhausted from hard work!

He even often saw officials beating and oppressing people!

"These thieves!"

In the end, before leaving the county called Jiading, Zhu Gaochi couldn't bear it anymore and said angrily: "Teacher, I want to take good care of these corrupt officials and evil gentry in Jiading County!"

Guo An did not stop him, but told Zhu Gaochi the consequences.

"Your Highness, if your identity is exposed, it is likely to cause some rogue officials to take risks and even flee to the sea!"

"Teacher, as the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty, I cannot sit idly by and watch these corrupt officials and evil gentry oppress the people!"

Zhu Gaochi's eyes were filled with cold light.

Guo Andao said: "In this case, please summon Wang Zhen, Suzhou Prefecture Jinyi Guards, Songjiang Prefecture Jinyi Guards, Zhenhai Guards, and Songjiang Prefecture City Ship Division to each send a team of soldiers to obey your orders!"

"Teacher, are there so many people summoned?"

Zhu Gaochi was shocked.

“Be prepared!”

Guo Andao said, "I am confident that the two hundred soldiers of the Shenji Battalion and the cargo of this fleet can completely protect the safety of His Highness.

However, I am worried that those thieves will see me and others alone and want to do something evil. At that time, our Shenji Battalion will have no choice but to go on a killing spree! "

"in this way……"

Zhu Gaochi pondered for a moment and looked solemn.

"Somebody come!"

"The general is here!"

The school captain who had been following Zhu Gaochi closely responded immediately.

"Take your father's order and go to Suzhou Prefecture Jinyiwei, Songjiang Prefecture Jinyi, and Songjiang Prefecture Shibosi, and ask them to each send one hundred households to Jiading County to obey orders... Zhenhai Guards sends three hundred households to Jiading County to obey orders. !”

"The general will obey the order!"

The captain immediately took the order and immediately sent four teams of troops to rush towards Bu Fangxin.

As soon as these captains left, Zhu Gaochi's whole demeanor changed. His eyes narrowed slightly, full of violence, which made Guo An feel in a trance. He seemed to see Zhu Di!

"Teacher, I want to take a closer look in Jiading County to see how these rogue officials exploit the people!"

"Your Highness can do as he pleases. I, the two hundred soldiers of the Divine Machine Battalion, can suppress all those who disobey in the county!"

Guo An looked confident.

"Thank you teacher!"

Zhu Gaochi bowed his hands towards Guo An, and then moved forward with the guards beside him.

In Jiading County, the exploitation of the people seems to have become a matter recognized by all officials.

Before they had gone far, they came across a place where the summer tax was collected.

One by one, ordinary people, dressed in rags, bringing their families with them, pushing carts and carrying burdens, bent over and handed over food or money to a person who looked like an official. They said some kind words with humility on their faces. .

but.

In response to this, the official was still full of arrogance and wanted to lift his chin to the sky.

"Please be patient and tolerant, Mr. Li. Almost all the items that should be sold in this little man's house have been sold. Even the iron pots have been sold, but I only got one stone of grain and one to two or thirty coins..."

"not enough?"

The old man named Li Gong squinted, glanced at the man in front of him, and said quietly: "There are five people in your family. According to the number, you must also pay one stone of food, or five hundred coins?"

The man said with a flattering look on his face: "Yes, yes, please give Mr. Li a few days of grace. I will definitely be able to raise enough!"

"Oh, how do you raise it?"

Mr. Li smiled coldly, "Also, the imperial court trusted me and asked me to come here to collect taxes. But in the end, each and every one of you has to ask me for mercy. Then how can I collect taxes?"

"But Mr. Li..."

The man still looked humble, trying his best to smile and say something nice.

Li Gong had already said quietly: "If you can't raise the money to pay the tax, let's remember that your family still has three acres of paddy fields and five acres of dry fields!"

The man's face suddenly changed and he begged again and again, "Mr. Li, you must not do it. The whole family of this villain has to rely on these acres of thin fields to fill their stomachs!"

"Hmph! You want to fill your stomach. Don't the nobles in the court and the soldiers at the border also need to fill their stomachs?"

Li Gong glared at the man fiercely, "If everyone is like you, and your family is a little nervous, you want to pay less tax, or delay it for a while, and wait for your family to become a wealthy businessman, then what will happen to me?" How to collect taxes?”

The man hurriedly said: "But Mr. Li, just paying the summer tax is definitely enough for me! However, I also have to pay the fixed canteen money, the cannon barley money, the money for the gods and Buddhas along the river, the money for the carts and bicycles, the money for the first rice, and the bamboo baskets." The villain really can’t hand over the money!”

"Ok?"

Mr. Li's face turned cold, "What are you talking about, you bastard? How dare you doubt the tax set by the superior?"

"Mr. Li..."

The man was startled.

Li Gong has shouted again: "Come here, slap me!"

"Yes!"

Beside him, several strong men stepped forward, raised the man up, and one of them raised his palm and slapped the man in the face.

"Clap clap..."

The sound was clear and crisp, and all the people present could not help but lower their heads, trembling with fear.

"Mr. Li, don't fight, we will pay, we will pay everything!" "Dad..."

A woman and two and a half-year-old children rushed out and begged Mr. Li for mercy.

"If you say the wrong thing, you'll have to stand next to me!"

Li Gong said with a ruthless face, and then said coldly: "You all listen carefully, these taxes are the amount determined by the imperial court and a group of superior officials. Everyone in the world knows that the people in my Songjiang Mansion are the richest.

In the past, the Ming Dynasty was disaster-free and you all paid the taxes on time. Now that there is a drought in the northern provinces, you have to pay all the taxes. Don't think about cheating and cheating. If you pay a grain of grain less, You need someone else to make up for it for you! "

"If you can't afford it, think about your family's fields, houses, or women and children... there is always a way to pay it all."

"We are all from the village, and I don't want to embarrass the big guys, but if I don't collect them all, I will lose my head!"

After saying that, Mr. Li looked at the man who had finished being beaten and said: "Dashi, don't blame me for being heavy-handed. We are all ordinary people in this world and we all have to pay taxes. If we don't pay in full, the higher ups will blame us." , we have no way to survive!"

"Your family is still short of some food, but there are enough acres of land at home. As long as you take out the deed of one acre of land and pay it to the county bank, you can loan out enough money and pay the taxes. After two months, the grain harvest will be ready." When you come down, you can go to the bank and get back your acre of land..."

The man Dashi's face was full of sorrow, "Mr. Li, the bank will eat people without spitting out the bones. You also know that if you pledge the deed of that acre of land to the bank, you will never get it back!"

"Why can't I get it back?"

Li Gong waved his hand indifferently, and at the same time motioned to some men on the side to accept the food and money brought by Dashi.

"I'll accept the food and treasures you brought first. Go and make up for the rest!"

"The next one is Xiaohegou Cui Daniu!"

"Come here, come here, Mr. Li, these are the taxes prepared by the villain!"

Among the crowd, a thin old man and a young man came up pushing a cart of grain.

He nodded and bowed to Mr. Li, his face full of humility.

On the side, two men stepped forward to weigh it.

After a while, he reported to Li Gong: "Li Gong, there are two stones and one bucket in total!"

"Da Niu? Why are there two buckets missing?"

Li Gong frowned and stared at Cui Daniu closely.

Cui Da Newton cried in mourning and shouted: "Mr. Li, you are wrong, you are wrong. It's really two stones with four stones. My father and son only dare to come after they have prepared enough at home!"

"Ok?"

Li Gong glared at Cui Daniu angrily, "You guys think that we are greedy? All this money and food are handed over to the government in full view of the public!"

Behind him, a group of soldiers also stared at Cui Daniu fiercely.

"Li Gong, please ask these big brothers to weigh it again. It's really two stones and four buckets. These are all the food in our family. There can't be any mistakes!"

"fart!"

One of the soldiers scolded angrily, "Old man Cui, what do you mean, you framed us like this in front of the big guy?"

"Fight, fight, these fights..."

Suddenly, Cui Daniu seemed to remember something, pointed at the fighting dogs, and shouted:

"There's something wrong with these wooden buckets. They're bigger than normal!"

"You fart!"

Li Gong was immediately angry, pointed at Cui Daniu and said: "Cui Daniu, these wooden buckets are all sent by the imperial court, do you want to question the imperial court and Shangguan?

Moreover, this wooden bucket is placed here, and how much grain has been weighed? Why is it okay for others, but it is a problem for you? "

"Cui Daniu, Cui Daniu, if you want to pay less taxes and grains, just say so. You actually dare to frame me, but you think you can pay less taxes and grains by messing around like this?

You have to know that there are regulations in "Da Ming Law. Household Law 2. Farm and House". Tax evasion will result in forty floggings. If serious cases are serious, an additional forty will be added, and another hundred big beatings will be given. I advise you to go back obediently. Make up for the taxes and rations honestly! "

Cui Daniu stared at Mr. Li blankly for a long time, and finally looked crazy.

"There is something wrong with these wooden buckets. Li Dade, are you making things difficult for us just because you are greedy for the few acres of paddy fields we have at home?"

“In the past, taxes were at most only money for vehicle fees and yellow grain, plus some losses.

But now, you, Li Dade, have collected so many more taxes all at once. Are you trying to force us to death? …”

Mr. Li's face turned gloomy and he stared at Cui Daniu coldly.

"Cui Daniu, I miss you and I live in the same hometown. I didn't want to embarrass you, but I didn't expect you to be so cunning?

These taxes are all handed down by the gentlemen above. Why are you so messy, throwing dirty water on me and ruining my reputation? "

"You killed us first. This time you charged an extra tax, and next time you imposed an extra tax. Now in order to pay the tax, we only dare to eat one meal a day...

Last year, many neighbors had no choice but to sell a few acres of paddy fields. This year you are going to increase taxes. I think you are going to take away the paddy fields from us people and let us all starve to death... …

You don't even give us a way to survive, we can't bear it like this..."

"presumptuous!"

Li Gong was furious, "Not only did Cui Daniu not want to pay taxes, but he also deceived the public with his evil words. Come here, take him down. First, he will be whipped for forty times, and then he will go to his home, search out all the remaining grain, and make up for it." together!"

"Yes!"

A group of soldiers rushed towards Cui Daniu with expressionless faces.

"Which of you dares to touch my father?"

The young man next to Cui Daniu rushed forward to protect Cui Daniu.

"You not only want food, but you also want my father's life. Aren't you afraid of retribution?"

As he spoke, the young man quickly shouted to the people behind him, "Fellow fellow villagers, everyone should understand how greedy Li Dade is. If you continue to endure this, your fertile fields and houses will all be destroyed." Bit by bit was snatched away by Li Dade!

Even, in the end, the whole family will be sold and become slaves..."

The people who paid taxes were suddenly in a state of commotion.

"Are you going to rebel?"

Li Dade's face darkened and he scolded angrily: "If I accept such a small amount of food from you, you will starve to death?

Which of you doesn't want to pay taxes, so just stand up?

I am reporting to the county magistrate that your whole family will be captured and exiled to Guozhou! "

Below, a group of people could not help but slowly lower their heads.

Seeing this, Li Dade's eyes flashed with pride.

Immediately, when he looked at Cui Daniu and his son, he felt cold.

"Cui Daniu, Cui Daniu, you have only a few years to live, and you have to bring trouble to your family. This time you dare to resist paying taxes, and you still talk nonsense. If I don't punish you severely, how can I still be here? Jiading County established?"

"Come here, hang Cui Daniu and his son up, and each of them will be whipped forty times first!"

"Yes!"

A group of warriors suddenly rushed towards Cui Daniu and his son with ferocious faces.

"Li Dade, you old thief will die a happy death!"

"Sooner or later you will suffer retribution..."

"Bah, I collect the summer tax according to the rules, how can I get retribution? However, you two unruly father and son are about to get retribution.

You have to survive, otherwise not a single acre of the fertile land in your home will be preserved, and even your house and your little wife..."

"Li Dade, you old thief, I must kill you!"

"Hahahaha, I want to see who can kill me here?"

Li Dade laughed heartily, with a happy expression on his face.

He just likes that when collecting taxes, he can deal with such a few people who have no background and are disobedient.

In this way, not only can he establish his prestige, but he can also receive more food money and even be allocated some fertile land.

As for retribution?

Hum hum, when has Li Dade ever been afraid?

As long as the few people in the county are still there, even if the county magistrate is changed, he can still speak out among the more than ten villages in this area.

Just as he was thinking about it, Li Dade suddenly saw a very strong nobleman, dressed in fine clothes, walking out from behind the common people with a gloomy face.

"I can kill you! ... You are such a thief, you are so rampant. How dare you exploit and oppress the people like this, and even want to kill people?"

"I? Is it my official?"

Li Dade hadn't realized the seriousness of the matter yet, and his mind was full of doubts.

However, before he could finish thinking about it, a big foot appeared in front of him.

Then, the whole person flew out directly.

With a thud, it hit the ground. Li Dade felt extremely painful, as if all the bones in his body were broken!

"Ouch...hiss..."

After coming back to his senses, a trace of resentment flashed in Li Dade's eyes, and he hurriedly asked: "Who are you and why are you trying to trick me?"

"Someone who can kill you!"

Zhu Gaochi said angrily.

At the same time, a group of soldiers wearing armor and steel swords slung across their waists appeared behind him, closely guarding Zhu Gaochi.

Li Dade's eyes widened with horror on his face.

...(End of chapter)