In the early morning of the second day, a new article was added to the billboards next to the gates of the four cities in Fengjing. After a businessman who knew a few words read through the side, he immediately sneered, and then turned around to squeeze out of the crowd, but he was grabbed by the sleeve of a young student who was watching the excitement around:

"Don't go, sir, since you can see it, you have to tell us all about what is written in this list?"

Although the behavior of this young young student was a little rude, the businessman who was pulled by his sleeve did not have the heart to find fault with him at all, but first looked left and right a few times, and saw that the soldiers guarding the city at the city gate were deserting, so he lowered his voice and explained to the people present:

"Listen up, the tax and criminal laws of the Youbei Imperial Court mentioned in this list are going to be overhauled. For the people of our capital, the original 'household tax' has been changed to 'poll tax', and the merchants' housing and two taxes have also been changed from the original 'three in a hundred miles' and 'five in a hundred miles' to 'eight in a hundred miles and ten in a hundred miles'......"

As soon as an eldest lady heard this, she couldn't wait to interrupt the businessman's words, grabbed his arm desperately, and asked nervously:

"Sir, I don't understand what you're saying! I just want to ask, my family has a total of four people, and I used to pay 500 yuan in taxes a year, but now after this change, is it more or less? ”

"Four mouths, huh? If you have a family of four, according to the new poll tax law, you will have to pay 200 yuan of tax silver per year for this alone. There are four people in your family, and this year is 800 Wen poll tax...... Of course, if you still have a real estate and ancestral business at home, you will also have to add the house tax and land tax......"

As soon as the businessman had finished speaking, the lady burst into tears, and the others were in an uproar. But as if he didn't take it seriously, the literate businessman pointed to some words under the list and continued in a leisurely tone:

"It's more than that! See, starting from the next month, there will be additional taxes on coal, fish fry, paint, livestock, grains, paper, and so on...... I did a rough math, and there were probably more than 20 new taxes. Oh yes, all these new taxes are also charged on a per capita basis, starting at the age of eight! ”

This businessman has already made up his mind to leave Youbei Sanlu, so it doesn't matter how much more taxes and miscellaneous taxes the imperial court will issue. Anyway, businessmen seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, have no concept of family and country, and have long been accustomed to running back and forth from places all day long, and live a life of being home all over the world; But those local people on the three roads in the north are not as carefree as him. As soon as they heard that so many new taxes had been added, they immediately boiled like boiling oil in a boiling pot.

However, one of the old men seemed to know some 'inside information', waved his hand vigorously, and shouted to the surrounding villagers:

"All the folks, be quiet, be quiet! According to the old age, although the names of these new taxes are complicated, aren't most of them collecting taxes from those profiteers who are full of brains? What does it have to do with us ordinary people? And for example, if we are two old people, there are two people in one household, and the annual household tax is 100 yuan less! It's not bad, it's not bad, in my opinion, this new tax law is not bad! The court should have leaned heavily on those profiteers a long time ago, and the old man was angry when he saw their rich profiteers! If they had not deceived others, how could they have earned so much money for their pleasure! ”

This old man's statement really attracted the echo of many onlookers for a while; Only the businessman who was about to 'run away' sneered a few times at this time:

"I don't know if I should say you are hateful or pitiful! When have you seen the wool come out of a dog? No matter how heavy the court's business taxes are, no merchant will do a loss-making business! As much as the imperial court increases, we will add as much price to the goods! Anyway, aren't you people the last to give the money? I don't know what you're happy about......"

These people in Fengjing had just happily praised the court's benevolent and virtuous government, which was 'rich for the people', but now when they heard the businessman's words, the scene immediately turned cold......

The businessman who poured cold water on him did not say anything more, but shook his head, and went back to his warehouse to liquidate. The same scene was played out from morning to night at the four gates of Fengjing City; There are even some people with good deeds, who copied a copy of the 'new law of the imperial court' before releasing the billboard, hurried back to Nanmen Street, and wanted to invite the most learned Confucian of Youbei Third Road, Ni Xing Ni Fuzi, to explain to everyone how much this new tax law will have on his life.

Under Ni Fuzi's simple explanation, the people of Fengjing finally understood: What kind of new tax law is this, it is simply a hand to grab silver into everyone's bed! Food, clothing, shelter, transportation, movement, sitting and lying, there is no place where they can't receive money! Even if you don't breathe, eat, or buy anything, you still have to pay a tax called a 'calendar tax'! This is no longer a question of how much impact it will have on the lives of the people, but whether they can continue to live!

Ni Fuzi also carefully calculated an account for the people: if a family of three is calculated, even if they don't eat, drink, or buy anything every year, the court taxes that need to be paid will be about seven taels or eight pieces of silver, that is, 7,800 copper coins! Although the amount of seven taels or eight cents is placed in the Members' Building, it may not even be able to buy back a pot of wine; But the total income of an ordinary Youbei man all year round is only a mere twenty taels of silver. In this way, such a high tax collection is simply not something that the people can afford.

"According to the algorithm of Old Master Ni, that is to say, even if my family doesn't do anything for a year, I still have to pay taxes to the yamen for eight taels of silver? What kind of 'new tax law' is this, this is clearly a 'beheading tax'! Don't pull me, I won't survive anyway! The man in my family only earns a dozen taels of silver a year, and he has been living a tight life, but now he has added such a heavy tax ......"

After Ni Xing and the young students of Sanbei Academy explained the 'new tax law' in detail, a wail immediately sounded on the South Gate Street; All the people present were worried about their future 'living standards', and there was even a hot-tempered woman who rolled up her arms and sleeves to climb to a high place and shouted to the villagers present:

"Folks, according to their methods, I just don't want us little people to live! Let's go, follow me to the Prime Minister's Mansion, I want to ask Prime Minister Li in person, didn't the imperial court just win a battle? Why do you have to charge such a heavy tax? ”

As soon as Ni Xing heard this woman's words, he immediately raised the list in his hand:

"Prime Minister Li Cheng had already returned home to recuperate before the war between the two norths, and I think this is definitely not from his handwriting. Folks, how many years have you lived on this Youbei Third Road, have you ever seen Prime Minister Li Cheng pay such a heavy tax? ”

When the people heard what Ni Fuzi said, they thought about it again, and they all felt that what he said was very reasonable. Li Deng has been in charge of the government for nearly 20 years, and although the wars in the northern part of the country have not stopped, the prime minister has always tried his best to reduce the burden on the ordinary people. Now that the imperial court has introduced such a complicated and heavy 'new tax law', judging from the consistent style of acting, it is definitely not the handiwork of Li Deng. Moreover, the matter of Li Deng's recuperation in the palace has long been a well-known matter in Fengjing City......

"I'll just say, Prime Minister Li has always loved the people like a son, and he will definitely not be able to do such a lack of virtue!"

The woman who had just instigated everyone to go to the Prime Minister's Mansion to make trouble, as soon as she heard Ni Fuzi's words, she immediately changed her tone and advocated the traitorous prime minister who she had privately said was 'bullying the lord and holding the title of Heavenly Constitution'.

"Old Master Ni, I just went to the East City Gate to join in the fun, and I saw a square red seal at the end of the list, but the pattern on it is a little strange, I don't know ......"

After listening to this, Ni Fuzi thought about it, picked up some sand from the side, reached out and picked up a dry branch, and wrote and drew some 'strange shapes'. Then he beckoned to the young man who had spoken:

"Come and see, the seal you saw is similar to this one?"

"That's right, that's right, it's this weird pattern, it's a painting...... It's not a painting, it's not a word, it's not a word...... Ni Fuzi, what the hell is this? ”

As soon as Ni Fuzi saw that the young man had determined the pattern of the figure, his face immediately changed, and he did not speak for a long time......

"Ni Fuzi, Ni father and son? Tell us what this seal means. ”

The man couldn't wait to pat Ni Fuzi on the shoulder and wake him up from his contemplation. And Ni Xing looked up, only to see that all the people around him were looking at him curiously, and couldn't help but smile bitterly, pointed to the figure he drew on the ground, and explained to the people:

"It's not a picture, it's a font. This is an ancient script called 'Qin Seal', and this is not four characters, but eight characters, which is written 'Ordered by the heavens, both longevity and eternal prosperity'. It is the heirloom jade seal of the kings of the Huayu continent. Of course, the jade seal of our Youbei Third Road is still imitated from the genuine piece of the Northern Yan Dynasty at the beginning of the founding of Youbei a hundred years ago. ”

"What does Master Ni mean...... The list posted on the notice board is the emperor list personally released by His Majesty the Emperor? ”

"You're confused! Isn't the first emperor already dead? How can you release the emperor list in person? ”

"I think you're confused! Although the first emperor died, isn't there still a prince living in the palace? ”