The north wind swept the white grass and folded, and the snow flew in August.

Although Cen Shen's poem is a little exaggerated, the northern part of the Central Plains really has a bit of winter chill after entering mid to late October. This year's winter is coming earlier than usual, and it is only halfway through October, and the area around the Daimyo Mansion is already cold and windy, and the clouds are overwhelming the city, and it seems that soon, this first snow will come.

However, compared with the harsh climate, what is even more chilling is the government's expropriation and expropriation. Nowadays, in the Great Song Dynasty Beijing Daimyo's Mansion, there is already a lot of mourning, and hundreds of people are crying and helpless in their homes, just because in the past two days, the government has imposed several heavy taxes on their heads, and stipulated that if they cannot pay the taxes in full by the end of this month, then wait for the whole family to go to the prison together and be allocated.

And all of this came from an order from Liang Zhongshu, who stayed in the Daimyo Mansion, and he needed to collect more than 100,000 yuan of money and fortune to transport to Tokyo within this month, and send it to his father-in-law, that is, the current prime minister, Taishi Cai Jing's mansion, because only in this way can he make up for the mistake of failing to give gifts to his father-in-law for his birthday in the past two years.

In this regard, Liang Zhongshu's cronies still have some opinions, but ordinary people don't dare to touch this mold, and they really run to him to advise him. Only the two people who have the most trust in Yiwen and Wu dare to persuade a little, Wu is naturally Suo Chao, and Wen is Shi Yan, a think tank around him.

Today, these two people came to see Liang Zhongshu again, hoping that he could take back his life and not increase the burden on the people. But no matter what they said, Liang Zhongshu was still unmoved, and even said with a straight face: "Suo Chao, Shi Yan, you two don't need to persuade anymore, the official has made up his mind, and he will not change it at will." And I also believe that in this daimyo's mansion, I can still get all the 100,000 yuan I need. ”

Shi Yan and Suo Chao glanced at each other, and then said bitterly: "What Xianggong said is naturally the truth, as long as it is forcibly requisitioned, with the foundation of my Daimyo Mansion, I can naturally squeeze out another 100,000 yuan or even more money." I also know why Xianggong did this, you have your difficulties, if you don't say anything this year, I'm afraid it won't be good to speak in front of the Taishi. But...... In this way, many people will be cornered. If they are forced to have no way out and become homeless, what should they do if the population in their jurisdiction plummets next year? Xianggong can't just focus on the present and ignore the long-term, right? ”

"Yes, Xianggong, this matter has to be considered in the long run. The last general heard that many brothers in the military camp complained a lot because their families were exploited, although they could still suppress them for a while, but once something really went wrong, I was afraid that they would ......" Suo Chao did not have such good eloquence as Shi Yan, so he could only persuade him according to his wishes.

"Hmph, what's the use of just a few untouchables? Are you really unprepared? Liang Zhongshu was full of confidence: "I'm not afraid to tell you the truth, I also know that such a hard tax hike may not be able to squeeze much money out of these ordinary people, so this is just to force them away." As long as they are forced to leave the territory of our daimyo mansion in disregard of the laws of the imperial court, then their fields and properties can be confiscated into the official mansion.

"In addition, the three big families of Xu Liu Jia in the city have already paid the truth to the official, as long as I can force these people who occupy the land to leave, they will pay a high price to buy all these fields and real estate. In this way, not only can the problem of money be solved, but also the government can have an additional income, so why don't I do it? ”

Now the two of them were really dumbfounded, and they couldn't imagine that as a close confidant, they didn't know that their father-in-law had such an arrangement. But then, Shi Yan said urgently: "What about the future?" Once the people fled, the fields would be desolate......"

"This is not a problem, now that my Great Song Dynasty official army has captured the sixteen states of Youyun, it must not be long before the imperial court will transport the soldiers and horses from the south to those cities. At that time, as long as I do a little trick, I will naturally let those people stay in my daimyo's mansion and make up for the previous losses. Presumably, with the location of my Daimyo's Mansion, it is always much stronger than the bitter cold land of the border pass, right?

"So you two don't have to worry about it anymore, the official has arranged everything, and he can send 100,000 yuan of money and treasures to Tokyo at the end of the month, and give it to me Taishan-sama before the end of the month."

This time, the two really had nothing to say, they could only sigh and retire silently. In the final analysis, one of them is just a military general, and the other does not even have an official position, so how can they dare to contradict Liang Zhongshu. What's more, it wasn't the two of them who really suffered, they just did the duty of a subordinate.

As even these last two people did not dare to speak out, the government naturally became more and more unscrupulous, and every day the cries of the city could be heard, and hundreds of people were in a desperate situation.

Wu You, who was guarding the gate in the north, was one of them, although he also had a position in the army, but it was really nothing in the Daimyo's mansion, so when the government sent someone to his house to extort property, otherwise he would drag his father to prison, he was also powerless, so he could only raise money in many ways and try his best. But to this day, half of the fifteen heavy taxes sent by the government have not been settled, which has made him worry and depressed for several days.

"Angkor, I still have half a hanging money here, you can take it first." At noon, a soldier suddenly found him and handed him a string of copper coins. But Wu You was obviously stunned: "Brother Wang, isn't your family the same as me, how can you still have money to help me?" ”

"My father and mother and two younger brothers have decided to escape from the city tomorrow, and I will leave with them......," Brother Wang immediately lowered his voice and said, "I can't live here, so I can only go elsewhere." ”

"You ......" Wu You wanted to say something, but he was a little speechless, and finally he could only sigh: "Nowadays, traitors are in charge of the world, and there are corrupt officials everywhere, where is it different." ”

"There's always a place to go. I've heard that the taxes in the cities in the north that have just been taken from the Liao are very light, less than 30% of what we have here, and if there is really nowhere to go, I will go there. ”

"Sixteen states of Youyun?" Wu You's eyes were always full of envy: "They are all two shoulders and one head, they are all soldiers, why don't we have such luck to make meritorious contributions, but we have to suffer such pickled anger here." ”

"Yes, it would be nice if we could go to the north to fight the Liao people and the Jin people like those soldiers, even if we die, it will be a hero who can be remembered......"

Just when these two little people lamented their fate, a half-grown boy suddenly ran in the distance, and saw Wu You talking under the city wall from a distance, so he said loudly: "Big brother, it's not good, something happened at home, and the person who came to collect taxes from the government just injured Grandpa......"

"What?" As soon as Wu You saw someone coming and listened to his words, the whole person immediately trembled with anger: "Is it someone from the government?" ”

"Exactly, there is also the second brother, and the second brother was also taken by them, saying that he hurt someone...... But it was obvious that the second brother went over to pull people because he saw Grandpa being injured by them, and they knocked him down and tied him up......" When this half-grown son said this, he was so anxious that he was about to cry: "Big brother, hurry up and think about it." ”

"It's so deceitful!" Wu You roared angrily at that time, his teeth creaked, and he immediately gave birth to a knife to kill those dogs and people, so that they could know how powerful they were.

"Brother Ang, don't mess around......" Brother Wang on the side was also nervous when he saw this, and hurriedly stepped forward to stop him: "We are all small people, how can we fight past the government office?" Otherwise, or we will go and ask the general again, he will always look up to you, and maybe he will help you to do justice. ”

"Hmph, General Suo has always been steady, how can he stand up for someone like me? As a son of man, I can only let my father and brother be humiliated and injured, it's really ......," Wu You said, as soon as he struggled, he was about to rush forward. Suddenly, an exclamation came from the city above: "What is that?" How did so many soldiers and horses come? ”

At this time, Wu You was completely occupied by anger, and he couldn't even take care of his duties, so he immediately strode forward. But the shouts behind became louder and louder: "There is a cavalry coming, and there is still a flag on it, what is written on it?" ”

"For the country to get rid of the thief and clear the king's side, the soldiers of the Great Song Dynasty should be self-reliant!" At last there was a literate man who suddenly shouted loudly. And when these words reached the ears of Wu You, who was about to run, his movements were abrupt, and there was even more light flashing in his eyes.

At the same time, a voice came from outside the city: "I am Han Tao, the pioneer of the thief army, and I am here on the order of General Sun, and the soldiers defending the city will quickly open the city gate, and kill the traitorous ministers with us, Qingjun's side!" ”

As soon as this majestic and domineering voice came, the people and soldiers above and below the city were stunned on the spot, and the more than 100 soldiers who were responsible for defending the city did not know how to react at all. Why did there appear a thief army, and what did they mean by what Qingjun side? However, one thing is still clear to everyone, General Sun is the greatest hero of the Great Song Dynasty today, so the soldiers and horses under his command are naturally all heroes.

But this one opened the gates of the city and let them in...... Just when everyone was still struggling, and some people were thinking about whether to report to the Liushou Mansion, a voice sounded from the root of the city wall below: "Open the city gate and welcome the thief army into the city!" Those corrupt officials and corrupt officials should also make them pay! But it was Wu You who suddenly turned around and issued an order.

This Wu You has always been quite loved by everyone in the guards of the city gate here, and as soon as he heard his words, naturally the soldiers below stepped forward to open the city gate and put down the drawbridge that had just been put away.

And with the roar of this city gate, the vanguard army led by Han Tao had already driven straight in, and quickly snatched the jurisdiction of the city gate into their own hands. In this way, this extremely important city in the north of the Great Song Dynasty was taken down by Sun Tusuo, who proclaimed himself a thief army, because of Liang Zhongshu's rampant conquest and perverse behavior.