Wei and Jin Cooks

  Chapter 697 Surrender

   Mrs. Chen and Mrs. Chen nodded repeatedly, "Exactly."

  Xiao Zhi on the side immediately said: "I also have this reason."

  Zhao Hanzhang glanced at him, and asked the Chen family first, "How many people are there in the family now, how old are they, how many servants are there, and how many acres of land are planted?"

  Zhao Hanzhang asked carefully. Mrs. Chen's face was slightly pale, and she was a little embarrassed. She glanced at the people watching outside the county government office. At this distance, the voice could not be heard outside, but...

  She looked at the Xiao family.

  Zhao Hanzhang also turned his head to look at the Xiao family, and when he was weighing whether to ask someone to invite the Xiao family down first, Mrs. Zhao had already reported in a low voice.

  The Chen family... ran out of money.

  The Chen family did not leave Luoyang at the beginning. Of course, the houses, fields and shops were preserved, and they were not taken by Zhao Hanzhang, and even a lot of money remained.

   But when Zhao Hanzhang brought a large army into Luoyang, he was short of food and drink. In order to feed his soldiers and wait for the follow-up food and grass to arrive, Zhao Hanzhang asked them to "donate" a batch;

  Later, the emperor moved the capital and left, Luoyang was expensive, and they spent a lot of money, and they had to bury their family members, so there was no money left.

  Now the fixed assets in Luoyang are worthless, they have to wait for a long time even to sell the shop, and the price is kept very low, let alone the land.

  There is a large piece of abandoned land outside the city. Those who want to buy land can buy it from the Yamen.

   But the Chen family is a noble family, and they need to pay money if they want to maintain a decent life, and the situation in Luoyang is not good now, and the supplies are a bit expensive.

  Zhao Hanzhang asked them to pay back taxes, even if their family had no adults and was exempted from hard labor, the burden was still heavy.

  So they decided to flee and go to other relatives and friends.

  Zhao Hanzhang glanced at them and asked, "Where are you planning to visit relatives?"

   Mrs. Chen lowered her voice, and said with a guilty conscience: "Go to Yuncheng."

  Zhao Hanzhang glanced at them inexplicably, then turned his head and asked Xiao Zhi, "Are you going to Yuncheng too?"

  Xiao Zhi also felt guilty, and responded in a low voice: "I have an uncle who is an official in front of His Majesty, so I wanted to join him, and happened to be on the same road as the Chen family, so I..."

  Zhao Hanzhang couldn't help but shook his head, and Zhao Kuan who was beside him also secretly said "idiot" in his heart.

  Zhao Hanzhang did not point out, and asked about the assets, population and taxes to be paid of the Xiao family.

  A family's assets are a secret. If there is more, it is okay, but if it is less, it will be too embarrassing.

  That's why Mrs. Chen has such an embarrassing look. The family is really embarrassed.

  But the Chen family said it in front of the Xiao family, Xiao Zhi hesitated for a while, but still told the truth.

  Zhao Hanzhang then said: "Do you know why you are struggling?"

  Because you collect our taxes.

  The three families answered silently in their hearts.

"Because you have a lot of registered fields, but few actually cultivated fields, and the tax is calculated according to the registered acres. Even if I halve the tax this year, you will have to pay a lot of food tax." Zhao Hanzhang asked , "Why do you have to report the inconsistent number of acres?"

   Mrs. Chen hesitated for a while and then said: "You issued a decree, saying that even if the owner's land is not cultivated for more than three years, it will be taken back by the government, so..."

   Zhao Hanzhang understood that they were not willing to abandon the land in their hands.

  She expressed understanding, who would like to take out the meat in his mouth and give it to others?

  Zhao Hanzhang sighed and said, "It's my fault, I take it for granted."

   Mrs. Chen and the others were startled, they all became a little apprehensive, and couldn't help but look at each other.

Zhao Hanzhang had already made up her mind quickly, and she said to Mrs. Chen and Xiao Zhi: "You two, you should be rewarded for your meritorious deeds and punished for your mistakes. Since you violated the law, you will be punished, but I think you are the first offender, and help I have improved the law, and the Yamen will give me a lighter punishment."

  Zhao Hanzhang turned to look at Zhao Kuan.

  Zhao Kuan immediately said: "The lower officials will reduce the punishment as appropriate."

  Zhao Hanzhang nodded.

  Xiao Zhi was greatly disappointed, "I still have to be punished..."

  Zhao Hanzhang said meaningfully: "Of course, otherwise, who else will abide by my decrees?"

   "Xiao Zhi, who suggested that you go to Yuncheng?" Zhao Hanzhang looked at him with a half-smile and said, "Do you know that Yanzhou and Qingzhou are lawless under the governance of Gou Xi and Gou Chun?"

   "Gou Xi even kills his confidantes who have been with him for more than ten years. What capital do you two have that he can give him preferential treatment?"

  Xiao Zhi's face changed slightly, and Mrs. Chen also turned pale.

Zhao Hanzhang said faintly: "Here, I can guarantee that all people under me will be judged by the law. You should have heard of Gou Xi and Gou Chun's behavior. I advise you, even if one day you really want to escape from Luoyang, you shouldn't." Instead of going to Yuncheng, you should go directly south to Jiangnan."

  Going to Yuncheng, more than half of the journey is in Yuzhou. There are not so many bandits. If they go to Jiangnan, it is unknown whether they can make it to Jiangnan alive.

  The faces of the Chen family and the Xiao family were both ugly.

   At the same time, he regretted secretly, Zhao Hanzhang was right, they shouldn't have fled abroad, this time it was really a steal.

   Mrs. Chen glanced at Xiao Zhi, pursed her lips and said nothing.

  The reason why she decided to flee with her family was because of Mrs. Xiao. She and Mrs. Xiao were somewhat related. She heard that she would run away if she could not survive in Luoyang. After weighing it, she decided to run away with them.

   Who knew he was caught halfway.

  But in front of Xiao Zhi, Mrs. Chen did not betray him.

   But Zhao Hanzhang is not a fool, she does not dare to say that she is first-rate, but she is not bad.

  She looked at Mrs. Chen, then at Xiao Zhi, what else did she not understand?

  So she stared at Xiao Zhi.

  Xiao Zhi's face changed, and under Zhao Hanzhang's gaze, he said in a low voice: "Yes, it is the Xiao family in Xin'an who said that if I want to go to Yuncheng, I can meet outside the city, and they will send someone to **** us all the way."

   Zhao Hanzhang asked: "Why don't you go, don't they go?"

   "They are going too, but they still have some family business to deal with, and they will leave later than us."

  Zhao Hanzhang raised his eyebrows, his eyes fell on Xiao Zhi's eyes, and asked: "How many people know that you are going to escape?"

  Xiao Zhi opened his mouth, but said nothing.

  Zhao Hanzhang stood up, turned sideways and said, "Mr. Xiao Lang, please talk in the back room."

  Xiao Zhi sat on the mat and didn't really want to go, but Zhao Hanzhang was smiling and his eyes were calm and not fierce, but he still shuddered, feeling the great pressure, and got up involuntarily and followed her to the back.

There is also a desk table in the back hall. Zhao Hanzhang dragged the inkstone over casually, poured some water into it and grinded it slowly. She pointed to the white paper on the table and said, "Mr. , does anyone know about this?"

  Xiao Zhi was dripping with cold sweat. He wanted to show his integrity, mighty and unyielding, but when he raised his head to meet Zhao Hanzhang's cold gaze, he involuntarily pulled the white paper in front of him.

He hurriedly lowered his head, trying to calm himself down, thinking about the words of rejection in a mess, and managed to think of a few words, but when he looked up, those words could not be uttered again, his heart beat violently, and he couldn't help it to grab a pen...

  Zhao Hanzhang also polished the ink, put the ink stick gently, pushed the inkstone to Xiao Zhi, "write."

  Xiao Zhi almost cried out, but still shook his hands to dip the ink and began to write his name.

See you tomorrow

  (end of this chapter)