Chapter 332

Not far from the restaurant, in the single room by the window, there were also people watching the chaos in the street.

Here is a man and a woman. The man is middle-aged, with vicissitudes on his face. The woman looks beautiful and just in her young age.

"Interesting." the woman opened her lips, red as blood, looked down at the long street, and smiled at the corners of her mouth:

"Just arrived in Anle County, I saw such farce."

The woman should be young, but her eyes are deep. She seems to be used to seeing things in the world, and she regards the scene in front of her as a farce.

"It seems that someone is dissatisfied with the prince." the middle-aged man thought a little and said:

"In the last year, there were no experts here. They were allowed to do things by the palace. Zhu Dingwu has done so many things. He has a great reputation and high prestige. Naturally, he will arouse the vigilance of the new dynasty."

He asked for instructions:

"Miss, let's..."

"Don't pay attention." the woman raised her hands gently and her voice was lazy:

"Although his father-in-law has some relations with us, he is an outsider after all. Don't care too much."

"Besides, if someone suppresses his arrogance, it will be good for what you want to do in the future."

"Yes." the man should be, and then said:

"But the Lord enjoys a high reputation here and does more practical things. I'm afraid it's difficult to find the wrong place."

"I think the people of the new dynasty are greedy and want a share when they see the gold and silver in and out of the palace."

Raising soldiers, building academies, and covering the whole Anle County, the consumption is by no means a small number.

The sunrise is far more than gold.

This huge wealth, not to mention the people of the new dynasty, is their underground, will also be moved.

If you can get a piece of it

"Do less and make more mistakes. If you do more, how can you have no flaws." the woman shook her head gently:

"Zhu Dingwu certainly does not have the skill of turning stone into gold, but there must be no shortage of gold and silver."

"Where did he get it?"

"I don't know my humble position." the man bowed his head:

"However, to support such a large consumption, it is obviously not enough to rely on the accumulation of the palace alone. Maybe the people in the court know something."

"HMM." the woman nodded:

"Let's see."

"Yes."

On the long street, the informant was still crying.

This man is over half a hundred years old, with white hair. Now he can't get up on his knees and tears, but he is also a little desolate.

But apart from the people walking with him, everyone else in the street glared angrily.

How dare this man sue the Lord?

In the past year, the Lord built academies, popularized martial arts, took in refugees, expanded trade and suppressed gangs

By doing so many good deeds, nearly one million people in Anle county have been free from war and worry.

These are all real benefits!

In the eyes of the public, this man is an ungrateful man who deliberately planted and framed the king.

"Imperial envoy!" the old man raised his head and cried:

"Villain Saturday, this is a county and city cloth merchant, and operates pawnshops. It is also a small fortune."

"The days are round and full, but they are also satisfactory."

"He has also donated academies, dug wells, and done good deeds, and has never done anything against the law and discipline."

He sobbed and said:

"But since half a year ago, the king's order of the king's house was transmitted and gold and silver was searched, which directly destroyed the roots of our Zhou family!"

"Oh?" upstairs, the imperial envoy's voice sank:

"What you said is true?"

"As far as I know, the prince loves the people like a son and is known as a virtuous man. How can he deliberately target you as a small cloth merchant?"

"Don't blame me for not reminding you in advance. It's a great crime to commit the following crimes and slander the Lord!"

"Nobody dare!" he kowtowed anxiously on Saturday and said sadly:

"My lord doesn't know. The prince loves a false name. Although he has done many good deeds, he uses the money we have worked hard to earn!"

"In the past dynasties, the taxes on agriculture, commerce, industry and trade, land and water checkpoints were mostly 30 taxes, and the higher was only 15 taxes."

"And the Lord..."

He cried loudly and said:

"The tax set by the Lord for villains, but one of the two is the highest, even his seven, me and three!"

"What?"

"How is that possible?"

"Fake?"

As soon as he said this, he heard that everyone changed color, and everyone in the street was in an uproar.

A man and a woman belonging to the underground forces in the restaurant frowned one after another, and the man disdained to sneer:

"No wonder we can afford so many people. Such heavy taxes are unprecedented. It's really official coercion and popular rebellion!"

"Ah..." the woman also shook her head gently, disdaining her face:

"It's amazing that such a harsh person should have such a virtuous name. It's a long experience!"

"Is this true?" in another restaurant, the elder Liao frowned and looked at the waiter:

"Ten taxes can force families to break down and people to die. One of the two is unprecedented. This is too much..."

He shook his head before he finished speaking.

As the cloth merchant said on Saturday, most of the taxes in the past dynasties are 30 taxes and one, and 15 taxes are very few.

Even if there is a tax in addition to the tax, it can never be as big as half or even three or seven.

If it is true, the tax set by the Lord is really unprecedented.

"This..." the waiter hesitated:

"The villain earns more than one or two silver a month and has never paid taxes. The shopkeeper said that the tax set by the LORD was slightly higher. He complained a little."

"But certainly not so exaggerated!"

He said in a heavy voice:

"Yes, even if there is a tax, it can't be so high. This man is deliberately planting and framing the king!"

"That's not necessarily true." Qi Qian smiled coldly and shook his head:

"It costs a lot to raise soldiers and build academies in the palace. With these two bottomless holes, his money must come from somewhere?"

"And since the man below dares to report to the official in full view of the public, it is probably impossible to lie and deceive."

"This kind of thing is known as soon as you check it!"

This time, no one refuted. Even the scholar in white nodded gently when he heard the speech, with a dignified face.

If so, the prince who loves his people like a son is just generous to others. He is not a person.

"No, it won't." the waiter was flustered and suddenly thought of an explanation and said:

"Even if there is such a high tax, it must be because this man did something against the law and discipline that he provoked the king's punishment!"

"..." master Liao shook his head gently.

He could see that the prince was deeply in the hearts of the people of Anle County, and even spontaneously looked for an excuse for it.

But

I'm afraid it's true!

"Really?" in the restaurant, the imperial envoy seemed surprised:

"Take one out of two and divide it into three or seven. Is that too exaggerated?"

"What the villain said is true!" the cloth merchant's boss knelt down and cried, and even raised his hand to swear:

"If I have a half empty word on Saturday and today, I would like to be struck and thundered by heaven and never be reborn!"

"Poop!"

"Poop!"

Behind him, several people knelt down and shouted:

"The villain money, the local wood merchant, is willing to testify for shopkeeper Zhou. The Lord's tax is indeed so!"

"Villain Li Fu, county and city grain merchant, as shopkeeper Zhou said, the tax set by the Lord makes us miserable!"

"Villain Wu Liangcai, county city salt merchant..."

"Villains do waterway business. They have cargo ships, caravans and several inns."

“……”

For a time, more than ten people who followed behind on Saturday knelt down one after another, one after another in tears, accusing the Lord of atrocities and heavy taxes.

Their words were sincere and their faces were sad. They didn't seem to be cheating at all. They also made the onlookers panic.

Is it difficult that the image of the prince loving the people like a son is really an illusion made by squeezing other people's wealth?

Even the waiter was pale, holding the cloth towel in his hands.

They don't want to believe it, but at present, it seems so!

"My Lord!" seeing that the faces of the people changed and there was no sound upstairs on Saturday, he hurried to speak again:

"People all over the world say that tyranny is fiercer than tigers, and taxes are heavy. Such heavy taxes are hard for villains to bear."

"Just the day before yesterday, because they couldn't afford to pay taxes, the king's house came and directly took away the villain's two sons!"

"It's a threat to villains. If they don't pay off the tax and silver within three days, they don't know to blame us. They also have to copy the cloth shop and confiscate all their family property."

"My Lord." the others shouted:

"I wait, I wait!"

"On the surface, the prince loves the people like a son, but in fact, he lives extravagantly. After driving away the princess, he is nostalgic for the romantic place and spends money like earth, but he uses the money we earn to publicize his reputation."

"Just ask, we have donated to the Academy, sold and served porridge, but we have been scolded as rich and unkind. The king has done all kinds of evil and plundered the people's fat and cream, but all our reputation belongs to him!"

When people say something to you and me, they kill their hearts and engrave their bones. It can be seen that the accumulated resentment has been deep.

Those who hear it change color on their faces. Even those who admire the Lord can't help shaking their hearts.

"Really?" upstairs, the imperial envoy spoke slowly:

"I heard that the prince has a good name. I'm afraid there's some misunderstanding."

"It's all illusion!" roared on Saturday:

"What we said is absolutely true. If the imperial envoy doesn't believe it, you can invite the king to confront him!"

"I'm afraid he won't dare!"

"My Lord." upstairs, the voice of the king of the county house sounded, as if he was trying to resist a smile:

"Anle county is the Lord's territory. It is reasonable and legal for him to govern here."

"Adults work all the way. There is no need to take these things to heart."

"Moreover, the Lord doesn't want to see you. If I want to see you, I have to wait half a month."

"Hum!" hearing the speech, the imperial envoy's voice sank:

"Is it the king's land and the king's officials who lead the land? Although this place is the possession of the king, the people are the people of the imperial court. How can we tolerate such oppression?"

"What he did represents the imperial court. If he did evil deeds, it would damage the reputation of the imperial court!"

"I patrol on behalf of heaven. Even the Lord can't avoid it. Come and ask the Lord to come!"

His voice was full of anger and shouted:

"We are right here, right here, waiting for him to come and confront him!"

"I'll see if he dares to come? What else to say!"

"Yes!" someone answered. Then he turned over and jumped out of the restaurant. After several ups and downs, he leaped into the distance.

That's where the palace is.

…………

Time goes by.

On the long street, the crowd not only did not decrease, but more people came after hearing the news.

More and more, leaving little space.

Under the restaurant, cloth merchants and more than a dozen shopkeepers on Saturday have been unable to kneel down, even if ordered by Imperial Envoys.

Their faces were haggard and their eyes were angry. It seemed that they were going to fight to the death today.

Whispers spread all over the world.

Even the waiter stopped greeting the guests and looked out from time to time in front of the window.

"Something's wrong." the white dress scholar narrowed his eyes slightly and said:

"In the past so long, those soldiers on patrol have never appeared in this street again."

According to his observation, the past two batches should be right!

"Someone deliberately expanded the influence." master Liao said slowly:

"It seems that this is aimed at the prince, to discredit him and suppress his reputation."

"Are you from the new dynasty?"

From the current situation, although the prince claims to be no matter what, his prestige is too high.

Only by suppressing the prince can the people of the imperial court really control Anle county.

Or

replace.

"Corrupt?" the scholar in white shook his head gently:

"I'm afraid it's not. I'm afraid the king's taxes are really as heavy as the cloth merchant said."

"If not, where did his money come from?"

"Yes." master Liao nodded gently.

They are highly cultivated. There are many whispers below, but they can also listen clearly.

Some of them are complaining about the heavy taxes paid by the Lord.

It's true.

"Coming!"

Suddenly, someone drank.

Then the crowd stirred and looked towards the end of the long street.

There, a luxury car is slowly coming, and the sign of the palace is particularly eye-catching.

"Get out of the way!"

"Get out of the way!"

In front of the sedan, the royal guard waved his hands and divided a passage in the crowded crowd.

This was not unusual in the past, and even many people would take the initiative to give in, but today there are some complaints.

The atmosphere has obviously begun to change.

Not long after, the sedan came to the bottom of the restaurant. The coachman jumped out of the carriage and bowed inward:

"Lord, here is the place."

"HMM." in the car, there was an indifferent response, and then the side curtain was slowly pulled up.

Standing in the restaurant opposite, master Liao can't see the king's face, but he can see the cloth merchants and others who are all afraid.

They bowed their heads one after another and dared not say more.

"Mr. Xu." Guo fan didn't get out of the car, but took a seat in the car and spoke to the wine upstairs:

"Why did you invite me here?"

"Pedal..."

In the restaurant, footsteps came downstairs, and a group of more than ten people walked out slowly.

Among them are Lord Gao, the emissary of the prefecture, and Lord Wang of the prefecture.

He is a white, middle-aged man with a solemn look. He should be an adult.

Lord Xu approached and bowed to the car:

"I know the Lord likes peace and quiet, and I don't want to disturb him."

"But I was ordered to patrol the world. Today, a group of local rich businessmen sued the Lord."

"I have to ask the Lord to condescend and come here!"

"Oh?" hearing the speech, Guo fan's face remained unchanged, glanced coldly at a group of businessmen who couldn't get up on their knees and said:

"I don't know why I sued the king?"

"Tell me!"

His voice was indifferent, but when it fell into the ears of a group of businessmen, they trembled and could hardly speak.

"What a great majesty!" in another restaurant, the eyes of the woman with red lips brightened:

"The power of mind and spirit is consistent with the breath on the body. Every word and deed can capture people's soul. This son is great!"

"Really?" opposite him, the middle-aged man nodded gently:

"It is said that this son is intelligent and gifted. He has achieved vigorous Qi at a young age."

"In addition, his father-in-law is the one. It should be normal to have this cultivation."

"No." the woman shook her head slowly:

"You don't understand!"

Although she said that the other party didn't understand, the woman didn't explain. She just smiled and whispered:

"Interesting young man, the owner of Qianji cave has a good son-in-law!"

"Lord." was swept by the other party's eyes, and the imperial envoy Xu was also trembling and subconsciously creepy.

However, after all, he was a bold artist and immediately bowed his hand to speak instead of a group of businessmen:

"I heard that the LORD set a heavy tax, one out of two, or even three or seven, but it's true?"

Once this remark was made, the scene was suddenly quiet.

Everyone held their breath and listened to the answer in the car, even the onlookers.

"Not bad." Guo fan opened his mouth, his voice as indifferent as ever:

"It's true."

"What?"

"Is it true?"

"How?"

For a moment, there was noise everywhere.

In the restaurant, the waiter's body shook and almost fell away.

However, master Liao frowned. Even Qi Qianqiu was not happy after being confirmed.

"Lord!" the imperial envoy, Mr. Xu, immediately said in a solemn voice:

"Taxes have never been so heavy in all dynasties. Don't you think it's too much?"

"Isn't such heavy taxes forcing people to die? Was the cloth merchant's family captured by the royal guards on Saturday?"

His voice was getting louder and louder, and his anger almost turned into a roar.

Almost half the county!

The crowd in the field did not think it was wrong, but cast approval and admiration.

"I remember." Guo Fan said slowly:

"Anle county is the territory of the king. What taxes do you set up, as if you don't need the consent of others?"

"Lord!" the Lord of the county government immediately stepped forward and said coldly:

"That's true, but what the LORD did represents the imperial court. Don't you abandon the imperial court?"

"Lord," even Lord Gao, who has always been fond of the palace, said:

"It's too much to take one of the two and divide it into three or seven. Isn't it forcing others to rebel?"

"Good!"

"That's the truth!"

"Take other people's money to publicize yourself. You don't do anything, Prince. You have a reputation of loving the people like a son for nothing."

"In my opinion, this is the real traitor and merchant!"

For a time, all kinds of strange voices sounded from the surrounding crowd. Although some people wanted to say something to explain, they were also suppressed.

"Someone is making trouble on purpose." the scholar in white chuckled and glanced at some figures in the crowd:

"I'm afraid it's going to be bad luck, Wang Ye!"

"Yes." master Liao nodded gently.

"Lord!" on the long street, Lord Xu stepped forward in time and said:

"It's unreasonable to pay such heavy taxes. Xu Daitian patrolled the four sides and categorically did not allow this to happen."

"Please also take back your orders, release the people in custody, and return the overcharged tax money!"

"Oh?" Guo fan raised his hand and finally saw waves in his eyes. Then he opened the curtain and got up and walked out of the car slowly.

"Lord Xu thinks that the tax set by the king is too high?"

"Really?" adult Xu frowned and said with Guo fan's eyes:

"Don't you think so?"

"Ah..." Guo fan stood on the car, carrying his hands and said calmly:

"The king asked you, why should there be taxes?"

"This..." Lord Xu frowned and hesitated before saying:

"It is taken from the people and used for the people!"

"So." Guo fan asked again:

"Why should the imperial court take it?"

"It's to let some people who don't want to hand it in." Lord Wang raised his head and said:

"Lord, what are you going to say? No matter what you say, such heavy taxes are difficult to convince the public!"

"Good!"

"That's the reason!"

Everyone agreed.

"Take it from the people and use it for the people." Guo fan ignored the distractions in his ears, stepped out of the carriage, took a negative step, suddenly turned his head and said:

"At the beginning of the new dynasty, there are many disputes in the world. Do you know why Anle county can be alone?"

"It's the work of the Lord!" Lord Xu bowed his hand.

"Good!" Guo fan nodded:

"The land of Sichuan and Shu is in chaos, but Anle county is not affected. There are some reasons for my king."

Then he reached out his hand and pointed to the businessmen who couldn't get up on their knees:

"That Xu adult feels that if he had not been alone in Anle County, he could raise these rich businessmen?"

"Lord." Lord Xu's face sank:

"The situation in Anle county has created rich businessmen, but they have also made efforts for it and paid taxes. It is not the reason for such heavy taxes!"

"Really?" Guo fan glanced at him and said:

"What do you think are the reasons why you can make a fortune?"

"I know that." Lord Gao stroked his beard and smiled, stepped forward and said:

"First, it is the environment of Anle County!"

"Good." Guo fan nodded.

"Second, it is the vision of all businesses. Without their insight, how can they accumulate so much wealth."

"Not bad." Guo fan did not object:

"Any more?"

"This..." Lord Gao blinked:

"Isn't that enough?"

"Of course not!" Guo fan whispered:

"In the chaos of the world, the king provided Anle County, which is the basis for them to become rich businessmen."

"Without the stability here, even if you are proficient in business, you have to be caught in war and can't show your talents!"

"Hum!" someone hummed coldly, but did not refute.

Because it is true, but it is far from justified to levy such a heavy tax because of this.

"Second, because of the people here!" Guo Fan said again.

This remark made many people frown.

"If there were no local people, how could they manage such a big business alone?" Guo fan, with cold eyes, swept the kneeling businessman and said:

"The world is in chaos. The people only want food and clothing. They spend less than one-third of the gold and silver they used to hire the people!"

"If many people in Wujun city earn a lot of gold and silver with cheap work, can they accumulate such wealth?"

The field is quiet.

In the restaurant, senior Liao, a scholar in white and a woman in another place all frowned.

This truth seems to be true, but

have never even heard of it!

"Again." Guo Fan said:

"The commerce and trade in the county and city are smooth. Where does it come from?"

His face remained unchanged and he said:

"It's because there are soldiers patrolling, because there is a prosperous commercial city established by the king this year, and there are many people buyers who need rice flour, grain and oil!"

"Everyone makes Anle County prosperous and prosperous. Everyone has credit. Everyone has paid for their wealth. Why can only rich businessmen monopolize the majority?"

"This..." Lord Xu turned pale:

"They also made efforts. Besides, the tax burden you set is really too high."

"They really helped." Guo fan nodded and agreed:

"The king also allowed them to live a good life. Only a little tax was charged below 500 Liang, and more than 1000 Liang began to increase."

"The part above 5000 Liang is only fifty-five points, and the part above 10000 Liang is only thirty-seven points. Isn't that enough?"

"Besides."

Ignoring the complex expressions of the crowd, he continued:

"In the commercial city established by the king, the rent is reduced, so that soldiers can protect the commercial road, which makes them very convenient."

"This rice merchant, if he encounters a military disaster outside, the purchase price of rice will rise sharply, and there are subsidies from the king's house, so many..."

"You talk nonsense!" suddenly, that Saturday suddenly stood up and shouted:

"Having said so much can't change the fact that you are greedy for ink, gold and silver and provide yourself with food, drink and pleasure!"

"Kneel down!" Guo fan's eyes sank and his voice fell. On Saturday, he knelt down on his knees.

Guo fan paid no attention to his questions.

"Take it from the people and use it for the people."

With his hands on his back, he went to the car:

"When you earn gold and silver with the help of geographical advantages and people's strength, you should think that you will be used by the people one day. You don't want to, so you have taxes!"

"County city academy, tens of thousands of soldiers, city defense, commercial city, and even hundreds of officials offer silver. Where else do you come from?"

"There is no such reason in the world to get all kinds of benefits, but want to abandon the people who pay for them?"

"Get up and go back to the house!"

"Yes." the coachman bowed and took the reins.

In front of them, everyone gave way and bowed their heads.