After listening to Zhang Xiang's words, Shi Liangyu did not show a little psychological pressure, but said with a smile as if he didn't understand: "I don't know about the horses, although Rong County, but over the years, the people of Rong County have been rich in food and clothing, and their families will accumulate a lot of food every year, and what they lack is silver." No, after the Yuan Day, most people want to sell some grain because the silver is gone, and in this Rong County, my Shi family's grain business has become bigger, and they naturally sold it to the Shi family. ”

Zhang Xiang said with a smile: "Shi Yuan's food business is not all sold to the outside world!" When did you become a big grain collector? ”

"Don Ma, the Shi family has been in Rong County for so many years, thanks to the people of Rong County, they can afford it, so they can be regarded as having some money, and now the people of Rong County are short of money to spend, so it is impossible for the Shi family not to ask! We are all the people of Rong County, and we usually don't help each other! Shi Liangyu answered like a stream, and made himself extremely great.

If you were someone else, I would have to believe it because of his emotional tone.

Zhang Xiang said slowly: "But do you know that after they sold the grain to you, there is no grain to hand over to the imperial court as military rations. ”

"Oh? Is there such a thing? Shi Liangyu was taken aback: "Horse Mingjian, before the imperial court's grain decree was issued to Rong County, they had already sold the grain to my Shi family, after the grain decree came down, Shi was worried, and specially sent people to ask them door-to-door to ask if they still had surplus grain to hand over to the court, if not, my Shi family could return the grain to them, but at that time they gave it to me, and they still had a lot of surplus grain enough to hand over. ”

, Shi Liangyu sighed; "Donkey, Shi must be a businessman, he will not stop doing business, and now this kind of thing has happened, it is Shi's fault."

This old guy is really good at acting.

Zhang Xiang scolded secretly in his heart, and said with a smile on his face: "Outside the Shi staff, the county government has not been able to receive the food of the people of Rong County for so long, don't you know?" ”

"Yes!" Shi Liangyu nodded: "Shi Mou lives in Rong County, how can he not know, but Shi Mou heard someone at the time, this is because the people of Rong County feel that the amount of grain levied by the imperial court is too heavy, and many people are reluctant, so this is why the government has no food at home." Because of this incident, Shi was afraid that the government would not collect enough grain, so he specially sent someone to pay twice as much grain to the government. ”

Zhang Xiang praised: "If the people of Rong County are as sensible as Shi Yuanwai, we don't have to be so difficult to do the major affairs of the imperial court." ”

Shi Liangyu hurriedly flattered and handed over: "The horse is too famous, Shi's family is a grain merchant, and he should also be the largest grain household in Rong County, this has more grain, which is also to relieve some pressure on the people of Rong County." ”

"It's just..."Shi Liangyu shook his head bitterly: "It's just that Shi didn't expect that the people of Rong County would be so indispensable, the imperial court's collection of grain is a major matter of the family and the country, as the people of Southern Chu, they must make a contribution to the imperial court, these people have surplus grain at home, and they are unwilling to hand it over, doesn't this chill the hearts of other people?" ”

Zhang Xiang said indifferently: "If there is any surplus grain in this people's home, the government will check it, if there is really surplus grain and not hand it over, then the punishment that should be punished, the punishment that should be punished, and the government will not let anyone go." But if they really don't have food at home, that's a different story. ”

Shi Liangyu said heavily: "Don't worry, don't worry, if those people have no food at home, Shi will return the grain to them, and how much grain Shi received from them at the beginning, he will return it to them a lot." ”

Zhang Xiang waved his hand and said: "This is not necessary, Shi Yuan is a businessman, he has handed over enough food to the government, and he has done his best, and the court will not let Shi Yuan suffer too much loss, this court will collect grain according to household registration, so that everyone can give everyone fairness, so that everyone will not have resentment in their hearts, those who have really no food at home, the court will find a way." ”

After that, Zhang Xiang also drank the tea in the cup, got up and said: "It's not too early, I will take my leave, and this time I came to thank the court for the grace of the food donation." ”

"That's what grass people should do." Shi Liangyu hurriedly got up and sent him off.

Out of the Shi family's house, Zhang Xiang got into a carriage and returned to the county office.

All the way back, he sat in the carriage and closed his eyes to recuperate, and the way back was peaceful, and he did not encounter any more people blocking the street.

He also had a lot of thoughts on where to go.

This Shi Liangyu did not have any fluctuations in the whole conversation with him, and he was sure that the government had nothing to do with him, but he could only know that he had already been with the people, even if he really wanted to return the grain to the people, maybe those people would not want it, or there was no money to buy it, so what could the government do? You can't let the government buy it from him, right? You can't force him to pay more food, right?

Then it will become a real unreasonable deception by the government, no matter where he cries, the government is at fault.

After all, there is no direct evidence that he used such convenience to earn the military rations that these civilians had to hand over.

This Lao Tzu's calculation is quite deep.

……

On the evening of 13 February, several horses galloped across the fields dozens of miles away from Rong County.

The direction in which the horse is driving is Rong County.

"Brother Hao, if you can kill the son of such a traitor this time, it will also be a great righteous act for my people in the rivers and lakes."

"Yes, in the twenty years since the founding of my Southern Chu, there has never been a traitor like Zhang Jian, although this traitor is dead, the remnants of this traitor cannot be left, otherwise it will be a big disaster for my Southern Chu in the future."

"Cutting the grass must be eradicated, listening to this remnant also killed a lot of righteous people in Pingzhou City, now this Tao Yishi of Shunzhou Mansion and Xiangzhou Silver Spear Yue Changzhong have both gone south to Pingzhou to kill thieves, and issued a 'thief killing order' to my Jiangnan martial arts people, how can we sit and watch."

"I heard that this 'thief killing order' has been sent by many righteous people in the rivers and lakes to the Liangguang area and the Lianghu area, and the people in the rivers and lakes in these places are also on their way."

"This time, the righteous people of my southern rivers and lakes gathered in Rong County to kill thieves, this kind of grand event is the biggest since last year's conquest of the Mobei Demon Sect!"

"If we can kill this thief, we can also make a name for ourselves in the rivers and lakes."

"I heard that the Dugu Liuying of the Dugu family in Baiyue Jianzhou is also here?"

"Strange people in the rivers and lakes, lonely and lonely?"

"Yes, you first entered the rivers and lakes, I don't know the reputation of mercy, this person is the big disciple of the old monster Tie Jiangli, ten years ago he was famous in the rivers and lakes, is the son of the Dugu family of the Baiyue Jianzhou martial arts family, he ran away from home because he didn't like to practice the martial arts of the Dugu family, wandered the rivers and lakes, went all the way to Xishu Miaojiang, worshiped under the old monster of the divine fist, he is proficient in all kinds of antidotes and poisons of the world's strange poisons, as well as Qimen Dunjia, the art of the five elements of gossip, although this person's martial arts are mediocre, but the poison in his hands is killing people invisibly, ten years ago on the shore of Dongting Lake, Alone, with the poisonous technique of 'magic hand incense', he wiped out the entire dart game. ”

"It's amazing."

"So, don't look at his mediocre martial arts, in front of you and me, he can't hold up a single move, but if he wants to kill you, you will die under his poison before you go to him."

"It is rumored that this Dugu Liuying is very beautiful, that is, women will be jealous when they see it, is it true?"

"I'm just listening, I've only heard that all his women are in love with him, but it has never been rumored that he has anything to do with any woman."

"Hey, you don't know that! According to him, it was because of his junior sister, Miao Jiang Witch, Tang Yun, this Tang Yun is not only extraordinary in martial arts, but also kills God when she goes crazy, and kills Buddha when she encounters Buddha. ”

"Could it be that this Tang Yun likes this Dugu Liuying?"

"I don't know about this, it's just a rumor! After all, the temperament of this master and apprentice is famous for 'strangeness' in the rivers and lakes, and there are few people who have seen it. ”

"Haha, no wonder this iron senior wants to accept them as disciples, maybe they have the same temperament!"

"Those kinds of characters are what I am waiting for, if I can see this Dugu Liuying in this Rong County, it will not be a trip in vain."

"With this lonely shadow, it is difficult for Zhang Mingheng to fly with his wings."

In the afterglow of the setting sun, the sound of the hooves of these horses raised gusts of wind and dust, and headed towards Rongxian not far away.

At the same time, not far to the west, on Jiangnan West Road, a man named Lin Feihong had just landed at an inn in Zhongxing Mansion.

It is less than two hundred miles away from Rong County, and it should be possible to reach Rong County tomorrow.

He was a burly man, with a scruffy beard, and a dirty bag with a red tassel gun on his shoulder.

It seems that he has been on the road for a long time, and his sweat exudes a slight unpleasant smell, and even the second inn is disgusted, and his hair is sticky and sticky.

But looking at his burly figure and the red tasseled gun on his shoulder, the people who came and went didn't dare to talk to him, but when they walked by him, they covered their noses and hurriedly ran away.

Lin Feihong opened a guest room and went upstairs.

He is a native of Tanzhou, Jingnan, who has practiced martial arts since he was a child, and is physically strong and strong in martial arts.

The family is not bad, and his parents are in business, so although his life is not enough, it is more than enough.

It's just a year ago that he bumped into a bully on the street of Tanzhou who was molesting a folk girl, and he was angry and punched the bully, and as a result, this punch sent the bully to the west.

The big bully has no power in the local area, and he still has something to do with the government, and after he was killed, his parents were worried about him, so they let him go out and hide for a while.

But he never expected that the big bully couldn't find him, so he found his parents and sent someone to arrest his parents, and when he got the news, his parents had been tortured to death by the big bully.

Sad and angry in his heart, he sneaked into the big bully's house on a rainy night, killed the big bully's family of thirteen, and then escaped from Tanzhou at night.

Over the past year, in order to avoid the pursuit of the government, he has been hiding everywhere in Tibet, afraid that people will recognize his appearance, so he does not dare to cut his hair or shave his beard, and has been hiding in Jingnan and Jiangnan West Road for nearly a year.

Two months ago, he spent the first day alone in a cave on a mountain.

That night, it was very cold in the cave, and he could barely move his limbs when he woke up from the cold.

He didn't want to live this kind of hiding and hiding days, originally he wanted to go north to the Dongshan territory of Jingdong East Road and take refuge in the eighteen villages of Penghu, he heard that there were all grass robbers, because of the complex terrain, the government did not dare to go there to arrest people, only to go there, he didn't have to live this kind of hiding days.

Even if the grass falls into the grass, it is better than living this kind of life again.

In this way, he slowly went all the way north.

A few years ago, he happened to hear the 'thief killing order' from someone in the rivers and lakes, this thief is a court horse, according to the son of the traitor Zhang Jian, so after thinking about it, Lin Feihong decided to go to Rong County, Pingzhou first, if he can carry the head of this 'thief' to Penghu Eighteen Villages, it can also be used as a letter of entry into the gang, it is naturally better.

After making such a decision, this evening, Lin Feihong came to Zhongxing Mansion.

At this time, more than 200 miles away in Rong County, Zhang Xiang did not know that he had become the target of many righteous people in the south.

This night, he was calculating his next moves.

Li Yanzhi was watching the harvest of the past few days.

Since he met Shi Liangyu on the eighth day of the second month, he also had a judgment in his heart about this Lao Tzu's scheme.

Shi Liangyu has already paved all the conceivable consequences, no matter what the consequences are, he can pick himself clean, and when the time comes, it can only be the people of Rong County who come out to be wronged, so in the absence of absolute evidence, before he can prove to the people of Rong County that Shi Liangyu's scheme, he can't act rashly, so as not to startle the snake.

Therefore, the current situation can only be to find evidence of Lao Tzu's plot first.

Li Yanzhi said to him: "Don Ma, in the past few days, we have caught eight people. ”

"Tie it all up for me, watch it, and don't let anyone escape." Zhang Xiang said solemnly.

Li Yanzhi nodded hurriedly: "Don't worry, don't worry, the horse is tied strongly, and none of them can run." ”

"How many are out there?"

"I don't know, and I can only judge it based on observation, because these people, if they don't show their feet, they don't know who they will be at all."

"How much is left in a conservative estimate?"

"There shouldn't be too many, after all, this kind of thing shouldn't be too many people to do, isn't it afraid that too many targets will be detected by the government!"

"Yes, this kind of people are all taking the lead in making trouble, they should all be instructed by the Shi family, as long as these leaders are arrested, the people have no backbone, and they can't make trouble, let's observe a few more for the time being, and catch one more one."

"I'm just worried that once there are no people making trouble, will the Shi family find out."

Zhang Xiang squinted: "Don't worry, the Shi family, I have already arranged for the people of the government to take turns to star, I am afraid that he will not move, if he moves, he will be able to touch the melon, so even if he knows that his people are gone, the best way is to be in a hurry." ”

"This Lao Tzu, take advantage of this opportunity to scrape the people's food at a low price, want to empty the gloves of the white wolf, take the opportunity to make a lot of money, if he succeeds, I don't know how many people will starve to death in this Rong County, if he doesn't raid his house, I have done business for so many years in vain..."