Wan Ning looked at Mrs. Li, "It is said that there are many good ideas, and a few wives have come, but they have solved my urgent need, and the wives have helped me come up with ideas, and I may have passed this level." ”

Mrs. Li frowned, Grandma Cui Er's face was up, her eyebrows and eyes were full of smiles, where did she seem to be someone who had no idea, these bright eyes looked at them, as if to remind them of the intention of visiting the Cui family this time.

obviously embarrassed them in person, but he couldn't be picky about what he said.

Refused once, making her embarrassed to say the next time.

I don't want to borrow money, but I have to come up with some ideas.

They were originally looking at jokes, where they had any serious ideas, they couldn't reprimand Grandma Cui Er in person that they shouldn't go to Fujian to collect tea.

After all, it is a guest, how can there be such a right.

Besides, she was the one who persuaded Grandma Cui to tell the truth.

Mrs. Li's face suddenly turned ugly, "This is not a trivial matter, how to use the family's money, I have to go back and ask the master." He said and looked around.

The wives around also bowed their heads.

Speaking of the scene, although she prevaricated for the time being, it was not good to sit at Cui's house anymore, Mrs. Li looked at the sky, "It's not early, I should go back too." ”

Mrs. Cui couldn't help but be surprised, "The kitchen has prepared a banquet, and there is still talking in front, why did you leave?" ”

Mrs. Li lowered her eyes to hide her embarrassed expression, "There is still something at home." ”

Wan Ning said: "Our wife is right, how can my wife stay, there are important matters being discussed in front of me, and I can't say that there will be any news in a while." ”

What's the news? Mrs. Lee was a little nervous. Busy looking at Wan Ning.

Wan Ning looked secretive, "It's all about the court, and I don't know it." It's just that the old man ordered to come down and let a few wives sit widely, and there may be news in a while......"

Mrs. Li looked left and right, and several wives had gone from not caring about themselves to being inexplicably surprised now, and their hearts had fluctuated.

Mrs. Wang tried to ask, "Is it Cui's second master's business?" ”

Wan Ning shook her head. With such a change, it was her turn to watch.

……

Cui Shitu returned to the study, and several adults were already waiting impatiently.

Cui Shitu sat down and didn't wait for Li Shi to ask. Just looked at the past, "Now that I'm not in the court, there are some things that can help me." ”

Li Shi couldn't help but lean over to listen.

Cui Shitu said: "I thought about it carefully, what Brother Li said is right. The matter over there in Fujian was handled in too much hurry. It is inevitably biased. ”

Li Shi raised his eyebrows, he was still somewhat sure that he could convince Cui Shitu, Cui Shitu has never been a flamboyant person, so he naturally would not agree with his son's approach.

There was a mess outside, if the entire Cui family was in chaos again, the father and son would be-for-tat, and Cui Yiting would be hit on both sides, and he wouldn't be able to support it for long.

Besides, Fujian businessmen came to the door, and he saw it with his own eyes. At a critical moment, he can also impeach Cui Yiting with the imperial historian.

What Cui Shitu said today, he will write it on the fold in the coming day. Even if the father is not on his son's side, who can support Cui Yiting.

Li Shi felt that he had done what he wanted to do, and he was about to retire.

But I heard a voice outside: "Lord Zhuang is here." ”

Someone lifted the curtain, and Li Shi and the others saw King Zhuang, who was slightly pale.

The sick King Zhuang suddenly entered the door, which surprised everyone.

The crowd immediately stood up and saluted.

Cui Shitu gave up his seat and let King Zhuang sit down, King Zhuang looked around, "Lord Li, the head of the household department, and Lord Wang of the Metropolitan Procuratorate are here." ”

didn't wait for Li Shi to speak.

King Zhuang continued: "I heard that there are tea sellers in Fujian who have come to Cui's house repeatedly, have you seen it? ”

Li Shi had already laughed in his heart, King Zhuang and Cui Yiting had some friendship, and now they couldn't sit still.

Li Shi's face was embarrassed, and he glanced at Cui Shitu a few times and said: "We are also just catching up, now this year's new tea is about to go on the market, the second grandmother of the Cui family has been doing tea business, and it is understandable that businessmen come to the door." ”

King Zhuang was noncommittal.

Li Shi glanced at Cui Shitu, who pursed his lips tightly and looked gloomy.

Zhuang Wang said: "Do you know how much tea the merchants who come here want to sell?" ”

Li Shi shook his head, and everyone looked at Cui Shitu.

Cui Shitu instructed the subordinates around him, "Go and bring the paperwork signed by the second grandmother......"

"Don't worry," King Zhuang took the tea and drank it, "I heard that there are still merchants in the mansion, let's see how much tea to buy." ”

King Zhuang suddenly became concerned about the tea, it must be because of the rumors outside.

It's time to watch the show. Li Shi took advantage of the tea to look to the side, although everyone pursed their mouths, there was a relaxed look in their eyes.

At this moment, it is the Cui family who should be anxious, they are just a witness.

Zhuang Wangye came to ask in person, and the Cui family did not dare to slack off, and the documents were quickly sent over.

Zhuang Wang Ye looked at it and handed it to Li Shi and the others.

Li Shi took over and couldn't help but be shocked when he saw the amount on the paperwork.

A large number of tea are bought and sold.

No wonder everyone says that Fujian's tea is going to be covered by Grandma Cui Er.

He is in the household department, the tea tax in Fujian and Zhejiang is very clear, Taizu tea flourished, Fujian alone collected a million catties of tea tax, these years the tea households have decreased every year, and now Fujian's tea tax is only more than 100 taels per year.

Li Shi looked at the amount of tea bought and sold, and he seemed to hear the crisp sound of an abacus in his ears.

What's going on.

Where did Fujian get so much tea, if there was so much tea, why was the tea tax collected by the imperial court only more than 100 taels of silver every year.

Li Shi gradually couldn't laugh.

He is not looking at the jokes of the Cui family, he is watching the jokes of the household department.

As the head of the household, it is like shaking out the accounts of the household in front of outsiders.

"No way, this can't be."

Li Shi's face was pale, "Where did you get so much tea, is it possible to harvest Fujian tea this year...... This...... This ......"

Fear gradually spread through his body, sweat almost soaking his back.

Paper after paper was delivered. Then there were the accounts, and he could barely breathe.

"Lord Zhuang...... How is this possible. ”

"Yes," said King Zhuang, holding the teacup in his hand. "This king also felt strange, this king once heard the emperor say that Fujian and Zhejiang because of the rampant Japanese invaders, the coastal villagers fled in all directions, the fields were barren, and the people had difficulty eating, where could they receive the field endowment. The land endowment is just that, and the tea tax is very small. ”

"But today, it seems that the tea produced in Fujian is not much different from that of Taizu. So where did the one million catties of tea tax go every year? ”

Li Shi's lips trembled, and his ears were buzzing.

He suddenly remembered the look on Cui Shitu's face when he returned to the study, and he didn't have too much anger and anxiety, he should have thought of it. It's not that simple.

One million catties of tea tax.

He came to watch from the wall. Now he was forced by Prince Zhuang to ask for a million catties of tea tax.

It has been many years since the household department received such a tea tax.

King Zhuang said: "This king heard one thing, the maritime merchants like the silk of Suzhou and Hangzhou the most, the tea of Fujian, and how many good things are there in Fujian and Zhejiang?" The good things that even the emperor couldn't see were directly shipped out by the big ship. ”

Li Shi's face suddenly twitched, and he raised his face in a hurry, "Lord Wang, this." The lower officials don't know that the household department urges taxes every year. Can...... It's still a deficit year after year. ”

"What's the reason for that?" King Zhuang stood up suddenly, "Lord Li will go with this king to face the saint, the emperor is still waiting for the reply of the household." ”

Li Shi felt his whole body lose his strength, and his hands began to tremble uncontrollably, "This...... Somehow...... It's too child's play...... How can you trust the documents of the merchants......"

"Master Li is wrong." A calm and gentle voice came from outside, and then the curtain was lifted, and Cui Yiting, who was dressed in a brocade guard uniform, stepped into the door.

Li Shi saw the faint smile on Cui Yiting's lips, and his body seemed to be washed by water in an instant, and the beads of sweat in his palms fell and fell to the ground.

"Shouning, Fuzhou, Chong'an, these places, I have asked people to draw a map of the existing tea gardens, and it took a few months to make this errand clear, and now it is very convenient for Lord Li to check, and the number of tea gardens in these places can be taken out to prove it, and you will know how much Fujian officials have concealed."

Li Shi didn't know what to say.

"Master Li," Cui Yiting tapped the embroidered spring knife on his waist, his dark eyes were like stars in the night, and he looked up at Li Shi condescendingly with his head raised gracefully and proudly, "Let's go, the emperor is still waiting." ”

As soon as Cui Yiting's words fell, a brocade guard immediately walked into the house.

Li Shi's face was suddenly pale.

……

The emperor finished reading the long fold in his hand, closed his slightly reddened eyes, and he did not close his eyes for several days before he sorted out the taxes of Fujian and Zhejiang for many years.

"It is said that taxes are heavy," the emperor sneered, "since Taizu, taxes have been reduced, and when I arrived, the taxes collected were even few." ”

"Where did all this money go? It was not given to the people, nor did it go into the treasury, but into their pockets. ”

"The hateful Deng Sichang, every year when I ask the court for military expenses, I have to borrow money from all over the province to give him......" The emperor said this, and couldn't help gritting his teeth, "Hate, I can't wait to kill his Deng clan in order to calm my heart." ”

"He's not an official of the imperial court, he's a wolf, a beast that eats human flesh and blood."

The emperor blushed, "I'm going to arrest all these brutes and see who still hides them for them," he said, looking at the inner servant, "Li Shi, the servant of the household department, I want to meet this brute in human skin." ”

The chamberlain did not dare to slack off, and hurriedly went to pass the decree, and waited until Zhuang Wangye and Cui Yiting entered the main hall with the depressed Li Shi, and then the chamberlain quietly walked to the small garden of the apse, where there was already a small chamberlain responding.

"Sue sù Xia University, this time the emperor is angry, and the affairs of Fujian are over."

Fujian's affairs can't be stopped, and I don't know how many people's heads are going to move.

……

Soon, all the old ministers kneeling outside the palace gate had an extra piece of music in their hands.

Guangdong, who was imprisoned, revealed the secret of the entire Fujian and Zhejiang provinces in one sentence, "Fujian and Zhejiang are not without taxes to pay, nor are they without land or tea taxes, but the officials conceal the reports from top to bottom, collude with internal and external parties, and the big merchant ships at sea return with full loads day by day, and it is the people and the court who really suffer." ”

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