Zhao Yuan's expression was solemn, and as soon as the words came out, Gu Qinghan and Yang Ning both changed color, and Gu Qinghan even got up and said, "What did you say?" The tax money has been sent? ”

Zhao Yuan said: "It has been sent over at the end of September, and it is Cheng Ye..... It was arranged by the head of Qi personally, in order to ensure the safety of the tax and silver, as before, he went to Jingzhou City to find Lord Taishou, and transferred more than a dozen soldiers to escort him. Pen ~ Fun ~ Pavilion www.biquge.info"

Yang Ning thought that this matter was getting more and more complicated, and he also got up and asked: "Over there in the Hou Mansion, I didn't see the tax silver, and because of this, Sanniang and I came to Jiangling in person to find out what the situation was." ”

"How is this possible?" Zhao Yuan was shocked and said: "Chief Manager Qi was going to escort him personally, but because he couldn't get away from something, he sent Xiao Cui to escort him, Xiao Cui had been to the capital and was familiar with the road, and after they came back, they also said that the tax money had been delivered on time, and everything went well." The fox said suspiciously: "The third lady and the prince came back from this trip, is it because of this batch of tax silver?" ”

Gu Qinghan stared at Zhao Yuan's eyes, saw Zhao Yuan's serious face, sat down slowly, closed his eyes slightly, and pondered for a moment before asking, "Let me ask you, is the tax in Fengyi now collected according to what percent?" ”

"The third lady knows that when the old marquis was alive, he set the rules, and the Jinyi Marquis food and yi were all assessed first, and then collected according to 20% of the harvest." Zhao Yuan said: "And if there is a famine year, such as a drought or flood, or a locust plague, the tax will be reduced, the Hou Ye is kind and kind, it is to let the people of the feudal province live and work in peace and contentment, food and clothing, our side, naturally follow the rules set by the Hou Mansion." ”

Yang Ning said: "But as far as we know, the Marquis of Jinyi has begun to increase taxes many years ago, and the increase is not half a star. Stretching out four fingers, "Today's fiefdom has increased to forty percent of the tax every year, Mr. Zhao, this shouldn't be fake, right?" ”

Zhao Yuan was stunned for a moment, and then smiled: "Forgive the villain, the prince is joking." ”

"I don't have time to laugh with you." Yang Ning said lightly: "I only ask you, is there such a thing?" ”

"Shizi, the twenty percent tax was set by the old marquis back then, don't say forty percent, the Hou Mansion is to collect thirty percent of the tax, and I also want to admonish here, and please ask three or four for yes." Zhao Yuan said: "For decades, the people in the fiefdom have been accustomed to the favor given by the old marquis, and because of this, the taxes on the fiefdom rarely have problems, and they can be paid in time. However, if the tax is increased rashly, the people's will will inevitably be shaken, and everyone will be happy to reduce the tax, but even the slightest increase in tax will make the people resentful, and the tax must not be increased lightly. ”

Gu Qinghan said: "Zhao Accounts, don't you understand, it's not that the Hou Mansion wants to increase taxes, but that your side has increased taxes privately." ”

Zhao Yuan frowned and said, "What does the third lady mean is that the Hou Mansion has no order, and we have increased taxes without authorization?" Showing an unbelievable look: "This ..... How is this possible, Third Madam, I just ask, if we really do this, will we lose our heads? ”

"It's good to know." Gu Qinghan sneered: "If you increase taxes without permission, the Hou Mansion will naturally not be able to spare you." ”

"We all understand this truth, so the third lady thinks we will make such a mistake?" Zhao Yuan sighed: "Fortunately, there are accounts in the account room in the past few years, and the third lady can understand it immediately as long as she goes to the account room to check carefully." He smiled bitterly and said: "The third lady doesn't have to worry about what the villain will do, you and the prince suddenly come back, and the villain doesn't have time even if he wants to do something." ”

Although he is a bookkeeper, the arrogance of a scholar is still there.

Gu Qinghan thought that this account must be seen, he is in charge of the affairs of the Hou Mansion, and the account is one of the most important links, and when he comes back this time, he will naturally check the accounts here.

"Since you are an account office, you should know everyone who comes to pay taxes every year." A smile appeared on Yang Ning's face, "Mr. Zhao, do you know Han Yi?" ”

"Han Yi?" Zhao Yuan thought for a while, and immediately said: "Back to the world, Han Yi is the head of Luwang Village, but this person has a fiery temperament, and all other places pay taxes quickly, only Luwang Village is the most slow to pay taxes every year." ”

"Oh?" Yang Ning smiled faintly: "According to what you say, Luwang Village is a thorn?" ”

"That's not enough, and they didn't pay less in the final taxes." Zhao Yuan said: "I heard that this person likes to make friends, although he is just an ordinary farmer, but there are many friends outside, and he has a wide range of contacts, so he is bold, when he came to pay taxes last year, he had a quarrel with the land in another village, and the two fought, and Han Yi almost beat someone to death." He said to Gu Qinghan again: "Is the third lady going to the account room now to take a look?" It was still early, and Manager Qi couldn't come back for a while. ”

Gu Qinghan nodded slightly and said, "Lead the way!" ”

Zhao Yuan led the way, Yang Ning followed behind with Gu Qinghan, and when he arrived at a small courtyard, he saw that there were wooden frames on the left and right, and the wooden shelves were full of all kinds of accounts, and there was also a Xiao Si in the house, who was the assistant of the accounting room.

Yang Ning really didn't have much patience in the face of the mountain of accounts, seeing that after Gu Qinghan sat down, Zhao Yuan had already picked up a bunch of account books and put them on the table, thinking that this would be done in a while, but it would not be completed in a while, and when he got out of the yard and walked around, Gu Qinghan also knew that he was not good at this kind of fine accounts, so he went out for a stroll.

The courtyard was heavy, Yang Ning turned around for a long time, only to find that this old mansion was bigger than he thought, although it was far less grand than the Jinyi Marquis Mansion in the capital, but in this small place, this mansion is also rare.

After all, the old mansion is an old mansion, although it has also been found that many places have been repaired, but on the whole, it still looks a little simple and old, and many walls look very old, he has also heard Gu Qinghan mention it before, the history of this old mansion is not short, the old marquis lived in this old mansion when he was a child, so that this old mansion is also a hundred years old.

A hundred-year-old mansion, no matter how it is repaired, is still a little twilight, not to mention that after the Qi family entered Beijing, there are not many people in this old mansion, and now it seems extremely deserted.

Yang Ning followed the path in the house for a long time, and suddenly saw a wall not far away, different from other places he had seen before, the wall of this wall was actually crawling with vines, and the vines were very luxuriant, almost enveloping the entire wall in it.

Yang Ning felt strange in his heart, secretly thinking that although there were few people in the old mansion, there were still people to take care of it, and the places that should be taken care of on weekdays would also be taken care of, at least the places he had seen before were obviously taken care of from time to time, and the flowers and trees in the house were also pruned from time to time, but this place was very abnormal, and the vines had already blocked the courtyard wall, and no one pruned it.

He couldn't help but walk closer, only to see that the path leading to the courtyard wall was also covered with thick moss, as if no one had walked this way before, and on both sides of the path, the weeds were dense, and in late autumn, the grass and trees withered, looking dead and lonely.

After a short walk forward, the withered vines and grass in front blocked the way, but through the gap in the vines, I saw an arch in front of me, the door was closed, and the two knockers were still buckled together by iron locks, which were already rusty, and the arches had already lost their color, and looked extremely old.

Yang Ning was wondering to himself, not knowing why this courtyard was so barren, when he heard a cough behind him, turned around, and found that Wei Dong was standing not far away, looking at him.

Yang Ning thought to himself, don't you old guy have no sound when he walks, he comes out like a ghost, and he is not afraid of scaring people, but his expression is still calm, pointing to the locked arch behind the vines, and asking, "Who lived in this courtyard before?" No matter how you don't let anyone take care of it, the vine will reach out into the yard, and no one will be able to enter. ”

Wei Dong didn't come closer, but just beckoned to Yang Ning and said, "Shizi, it's not a good place to be there, you ..... You'd better come over first. ”

Yang Ning saw that Wei Dong was strange, and frowned: "Isn't it a good place?" What does that mean? Seeing that Wei Dong didn't mean to come over, and the front was no longer passing, he turned around and walked back, only to find that this courtyard was a single-door house, and it was quite far away from other courtyards.

Waiting for Yang Ning to get close to Wei Dong, he lowered his voice and said, "Shizi, the meal has already been prepared, do you want to eat a little first?" ”

"Don't digress from the conversation." Yang Ning turned around and pointed to the courtyard, "You said that it was not a good place, what do you mean?" ”

Wei Tong's eyes showed a hint of fear, and he said in a low voice: "Shizi, this ..... This is an ominous place, not only now, but also when the old marquis is here, this place has always been locked, and the old marquis has ordered that no one is allowed to approach this courtyard, let alone enter the courtyard. ”

"Huh?" Yang Ning was stunned for a moment, and said curiously: "Why?" Why is this a bad place? ”

"Shizi still don't ask more." Wei Dong took two steps back, "Shizi, please go to dinner." He avoided his gaze, but he did not dare to look at the courtyard.

Yang Ning glanced back, and didn't know if Wei Dong's words had an effect, although it was a blue sky and white sun, but at this time, when he looked at the courtyard, there was really a gloomy atmosphere, this old mansion was already a little cold, and now there was such a strange courtyard, Yang Ning actually felt a little infiltrated, but he still sank his face and said: "Why are you flickering, this son asks you, what are you doing to hide it?" Don't say it yet. ”

Wei Dong naturally didn't dare to disobey Yang Ning, so he could only say: "Shizi, ..... there?" It's haunted in there! ”

A gust of wind blew, and there was silence in all directions, Yang Ning felt that the gust of wind seemed to be a little chilly, and frowned: "Zi Bu is strange and confused, what kind of haunting, how can there be ghosts in a good house?" You don't want to talk nonsense. ”

"Shizi, it's really haunted." Wei Dong didn't want to say more, but when Yang Ning said this, Wei Dong was a little anxious: "Because of this ghost courtyard, two people have already died." ”