The carriage drove quickly through the streets, and finally out of the city, walking through the mountains and forests.

"My lord, I see you also sent us a fortune, why don't you invite you to eat later?"

Song Ci said: "Song has been waiting for this day for a long time, and he doesn't eat any delicacies from the mountains and seas, just a few side dishes, otherwise, I'm afraid your little silver won't be enough to spend."

Wen Cheng and the others also quipped: "Yes, Miss Xiaoyue, we eat a lot, if you don't have enough money by then, what can you do?" Our brother said first, we don't borrow money, we have to keep the daughter-in-law.

Qin Xiaoyue said: "Just you are stingy, look at the adults, they are more capable than you, and they are more handsome than you, the adults are not in a hurry, what are you still in a hurry to do?"

The two of them were flushed and a little embarrassed when they were said, Lu Sheng said: "Miss Xiaoyue, I really can't lend it to you, I have been with the adults for a short time, but I don't have as much money as you."

Ren You spread his hands, "I just came, but the adults didn't give me money, otherwise I could have lent it to you!"

The carriage went straight forward, and then came the voice of Wenwu, "My lord, there is a teahouse in the woods ahead, why don't we go and rest and drink some tea?"

Song Ci said: "Song Mou has this intention, Wenwu, park the car on the edge of the teahouse."

"It's my lord!"

The carriage was parked, everyone got out of the car, and as soon as they walked into the teahouse, there was no one around, but it was also clean.

Xiao Er soon walked over with a towel draped over his shoulders: "A few guest officers, what do you want to eat?"

Song Ci said: "Aren't you a teahouse here?" Why, can you still eat?"

Xiao Er said: "Isn't there no way, in order to support the family, do more, and besides, this place is sparsely populated, how many guests can come after this day?" Do you say?"

Song Ci nodded, "Miss Xiaoyue, since you said that you invited us to dinner, then you can look at it, it can neither be too extravagant and wasteful, nor too shabby, Song's request is here." ”

Qin Xiaoyue said: "Little Er, bring us a bowl of slim for each of us, and a pound of beef for each person."

"Holo." Xiao Er left happily.

Lu Sheng said: "Miss Xiaoyue, you need at least a few hundred dollars now, are you really so generous?"

"That's not it, my lord gave me ten taels of silver a month, and this money is enough for me to invite you to eat dozens of times."

Soon, Xiao Er was carrying a few bowls of noodles and a few bowls of beef on the table.

"Guest officer, your meal is ready, you can use it slowly now, and if you have any needs later, you can call me at any time.

Song Ci said: "Since this is the case, then don't wait for a while, it's okay now, by the way, Xiao Er, Song asked, this place belongs to the jurisdiction of that county?" How far is it from the city?"

Xiao Er said: "The guest officer must also be a foreigner, we are called Pomegranate County here, and it belongs to the suburbs at the moment, and you have to go straight for twenty miles from the city."

Ren You muttered in a low voice, "Pomegranate County, this name is not bad, it sounds like it is rich in fruits."

Xiao Er said: "You are right, our county mainly produces pomegranates, most of which are sold to other provinces, and the people here live on this.

Xiao Er left, Song Ci said: "I have walked so many counties, I hope this county will not disappoint Song, I don't believe that I can't find a clean official in the officialdom of the Great Song Dynasty."

"That's not necessarily, sir, don't you see that there is still Lord Bao in the Northern Song Dynasty, General Yue? They are big clean officials, but it's a pity that General Yue Fei was framed by Qin Hui, which is really an unforgivable crime. ”

After eating the food in a hurry, everyone left, and when the carriage went straight all the way, a civil and military voice came, "My lord, come and take a look, something is wrong." ”

Song Ci got out of the car and looked at it, and was stunned, these pomegranate trees actually fell in a large area, which looked like man-made from a distance, not like they collapsed due to natural disasters.

There were so many, hundreds or thousands of fruit trees, and for some reason they were destroyed. "What's going on? Why is this happening?" Lu Sheng muttered, "It's just ruined like this, isn't it a pity to die?" My lord, judging from the traces of the fracture, these trees were all maliciously cut down. ”

Song Ci naturally knew this, "Maybe this master doesn't want it, otherwise, how can others cut it off at will?"

"Let's go, while it's still early, I'll continue to the county seat and try to find the inn before dark."

The car continued to drive forward, and when it was dark, it finally stopped in the county seat, but the street did not go out at night, it seemed that there was a night ban, and people were not allowed to come out.

The carriage stopped outside an inn, and everyone also got out of the car and went inside to open two rooms, Song Ci said: "Shopkeeper, I don't know why there is no pedestrian on this street?" Now that night has just arrived, it's a good time to rest.

The shopkeeper looked at everyone strangely and opened his mouth, "Everyone, you are not from this Pomegranate County, we have been under a night ban here for a year, and we are not allowed to go out at night, those in the south can only stay in the south city, and those in the north can only stay in the north city, and they are not allowed to move around casually, otherwise they will be fined."

"Night ban?" Song Ci said: "Didn't the imperial court break this rule? Why is there such a rule? Who made this decision?"

The shopkeeper said: "Who else can there be besides this magistrate?" In this Pomegranate County, he is the emperor, no one dares to go against him, otherwise do you want to live?"

Song Ci was silent, this pomegranate county may have disappointed itself again, and if he doesn't take the regulations of the imperial court into account, it is estimated that there are many unjust cases here.

After opening the room and calling some food back to the house, Qin Xiaoyue said: "My lord, it seems that we have to be busy again now, this county magistrate seems to be a corrupt official again."

Song Ci said: "This place does not belong to the jurisdiction of Lin'an, the emperor is far away, and almost the governor will never come to check, which also leads to the arrogance of the county and the lack of attention to the regulations of the imperial court."

"What then? Are we going to investigate him?"

Lu Sheng laughed and said, "Miss Xiaoyue, what's wrong?" Our adult identity is to investigate corrupt officials and corrupt officials, since we are all here, how can we not ask? You say, don't you?

Qin Xiaoyue said: "It's me who is confused, my lord, then we will go to this yamen tomorrow to have a look and see what this magistrate has done."

Song Ci said: "Song has this intention."

There was no word for a night, and the next morning they got up from their beds, washed and ate, and then walked down the street.

In the daytime, there are more pedestrians on the streets, and it is the same as at night, and everyone walks on the streets, constantly watching the pedestrians coming and going.

I only heard someone humane: "It's over, it's said, ah, the yamen is about to issue a new regulation, and if the people want to appear on the street in the future, they must spend money to get a walking order, otherwise, they will be arrested."

Another old man said: "It's terrible, this yamen is really amazing, the common people still have to pay money when they walk, if they want to do something in the future, or open a stall to do business, won't the money paid more?"

"It's not, so let's move out of the city while we still have some time, this pomegranate county seems to be unable to stay."

When he heard the voices of the two of them, Song Ci walked over and asked, "Old man, what you said is the truth?" You also have to pay taxes when you walk, and there are still such regulations in the world?"

The old man said: "Yes, yes, this son, you are not a local, our county, in addition to paying this tax, there are many other night taxes, noon taxes, air taxes, rain taxes, sun taxes, and firewood, rice, oil and salt taxes, large and small, there are more than ten kinds, just a month's tax, all have one or two silver."

Song Ci said: "Is there still a royal law to talk about?" The income of the common people is not high, if they are all given to the yamen, what else will they eat? Do you want to live your life anymore?"

The two old men sighed, they had no choice, if they went outside the city, they had to reopen the land, this wilderness, they were old again, how could they open up the wasteland.

They sat on the stones, looking ahead with a stern expression, I am afraid that the future life will not be easy, it is good to talk about money, and the days without money are more sinful than death.

Childe, you may not know that even people have to pay taxes when they die, if they don't give it, the yamen will directly lead people to dig graves, and many old people who have just been buried have been dug up, which is not easy. ”

Qin Xiaoyue cursed: "This magistrate is too much of a thing, so he is not afraid of being known by the emperor?"

"Your Majesty? Hehe, Emperor Song Ningzong is blind, can he know this? Moreover, the prefect of the family and our prefect are a family, so no one dares to mess with this prefect now, unless the imperial court sends someone down to investigate this person thoroughly. ”

Song Cidao; "Old man, you don't have to move out in a hurry, Song is here to promise you that within seven days, the county order of this Pomegranate County must be handled."