Liu San'er also stiffened for a moment, nodded at that person, and as soon as he turned around, he saw my miserable white face, which startled him: "Light girl, what's wrong with you?" ”

I......

I couldn't speak, I just looked at him with a panicked expression, Liu San'er hurriedly said, "If you are uncomfortable, sit and rest for a while." Rue, you help me take care of her. ”

After saying that, he hurried out.

Rue Xiang stood at the door and watched his disappearing back, as if she wanted to follow and see, but when she looked back at me, she showed a look of unease, and her hand holding the door frame was trembling.

But by this time, I had calmed down.

From the day I woke up alive, I knew that there would inevitably be such an "accident", and if that man didn't believe that I was dead, he would definitely send someone to find me. If he does find it, hiding in this room will not be enough to hide me.

And I don't want to bring disaster to the people here.

Thinking of this, I gritted my teeth and stood up on the table, Rue heard the movement, looked back at me, and was shocked: "Light, what are you doing?" ”

"I'd like to see it too."

"Don't go, do you? Your body-"

"It's okay."

I insisted on walking to the door, Rue Xiang actually wanted to go too, and when she saw my strange expression, she nodded: "Okay." ”

She helped me out of the courtyard gate, and after a while I walked to the entrance of the village, and saw a large number of people around it from a distance, almost all the people of Jixiang Village arrived, and many people were talking loudly, and I noticed that there were still a few people in the crowd who were unfamiliar faces, wearing poplin, obviously the "people from the government" they had said before.

My heart chuckled.

If it was really Pei Yuanhao who sent someone to find me, it would definitely not be the only one who was in this position. And looking at the appearance of those officials, it didn't seem like they were looking for something, but like they were promulgating something.

Rue Xiang helped me slowly approach, and I heard a sharp voice: "Hmph, it's really a poor mountain and a bad water." ”

As soon as these words came out, the people around them immediately became angry.

One of the young men was about to rush up with his sleeves rolled up, and said angrily, "What do you mean? ”

"It's clear that your government is unreasonable, promulgating a ban on fishing, and actually collecting fishing tax silver, which still doesn't let people live?"

"That's it, if we don't let us fight the fish, why should we pay taxes!"

Immediately, everyone shouted into a ball, and the officials also brought some people, immediately pulled out the knife from the scabbard, stepped forward and said angrily: "What are you doing, you want to rebel!" ”

I said softly, "Miss Rue, what's going on?" ”

Rue Xiang said gloomily: "I don't know why, from Rencheng to Yangzhou Mansion have issued a ban on fishing, in fact, it has been a long time, and the big boats in our village have not been able to get down the river, so they can only secretly catch some small fish and shrimp in the nearby small river ditch." ”

"Fishing ban?!"

"I heard that it was a holy decree, an order from the emperor."

My feet were weak, and the whole person almost fell, but fortunately, Rue Xiang's eyes were quick, and she hurriedly supported me hard, and exclaimed, "What's wrong with you?" ”

"No, it's fine."

I said this, but my face turned pale again in an instant, and I couldn't deceive anyone, Rue Xiang touched my hand when she helped me, and suddenly exclaimed: "Why are your hands so cold, like ice?" ”

“……”

I was speechless, just shook my head slightly.

He is still in Yangzhou.

He is still in Yangzhou......

I really didn't guess wrong, and the shadow in my heart that I couldn't erase really became real at this moment. The whole world is not the king's land, and if he really wants to find me, it is a simple matter.

And now, he is still in Yangzhou, and even issued a fishing ban. That's—

Thinking of this, my body involuntarily began to tremble, as if it was very cold, Rue Xiang looked at me, and also worried: "Light girl, if you are not feeling well, I will send you back to rest." ”

"No, I'm fine."

I waved my hand and asked, "What are they doing now?" ”

Ruxiang's brows furrowed, and she said hatefully: "We are not allowed to fish, but we have to collect double the fishing tax silver, isn't this our life?" The first few times they came, everyone was arguing a lot, and today they brought knives, I'm afraid it's-"

My brow tightened, too.

It's the cancer of untouchables again.

But no......

Pei Yuanhao is now in Yangzhou, and he has always been gentle with the governance of Yangzhou, even if he really bans fishing, with my understanding of him, he will definitely not increase the fishing tax!

Could it be-

I grabbed Ruexiang's arm and walked a few steps forward cautiously, when I heard a government official sneer: "If you are not allowed to go down the river, then you have no other livelihood?" I haven't seen you starve to death, as long as you don't starve to death, you have to pay this tax! ”

How can there be such an unreasonable person!

I was angry when I heard this, but the white-haired old village chief could only swallow his anger and asked tremblingly, "Then, how much should I pay?" ”

"Five pennies of silver."

"What?!" The people around him roared.

"Five dollars of silver, didn't it only cost two dollars in the past?"

"Why don't you let you go down to the river to fish, but the tax money is too much?"

"Hey, I said why are you talking so much nonsense!" One of them said viciously: "Do you know what is going on in Yangzhou City now?" The emperor went south to Yangzhou, how much pomp and circumstance, how much consumption, the yamen is already beyond his means! Collect a little more tax to hold the scene up, if the emperor blames, how many heads do you have to bear! ”

Nonsense! Although Pei Yuanhao went south on a tour this time, the pomp was not big at all, and he didn't even build an annex, he just lived in the state capital, and he had been here for so long, except for the fireworks dinner on the first day, there was no other arrangement. It's just the consumption of the accompanying officials and guards, how can it be possible for the fat Yangzhou Mansion to make ends meet!

I looked at their appearance, and I also understood that those officials were simply using the emperor as a guise to take advantage of the opportunity to make money!

"Besides, the emperor is about to leave Yangzhou, and this scene can't be cold!"

Pei Yuanhao is leaving Yangzhou?

My heart skipped another beat.

At this time, I heard the village chief laugh and say, "Ladies and gentlemen, since the emperor is leaving, the consumption will not be so much, right?" ”

"Who said that?" The man's eyes widened and he said, "Do you know why the emperor returned to Beijing?" It is because the war in the north is now tight, and the provinces will soon start to raise food and wages. The tax on your five pennies is already small! ”

Is the war in the north tight?

So I want to prepare to go back to Beijing because the situation over there is no longer easy to control?

From this point of view, Pei Yuanhao should have negotiated a result with Yao Lao and Yao Lao before they came to this point completely, but the problem is that although the general trend has been decided, these greedy officials below are still tyrannical to the people, so Jiangnan will still be chaotic, and he will still be a tyrant who expropriates and tyranny.

Seeing that everyone was arguing and the situation was getting worse and worse, the villagers kept waving their fists, and the samurai brought by the officials also drew most of their swords, and a riot was inevitable.

At this moment, a clear voice said, "We don't fish anymore." ”

The voice was not high, but as soon as it came out, the chaotic crowd slowly quieted down, and everyone looked at the person who was holding the village chief and kept silent.

Liu San'er.

His young face did not have the hearty smile I was accustomed to, but was very calm.

When the officials saw him, they narrowed their eyes slightly. But, I don't know if it's my delusion, but I seem to see a vicious light flashing in their eyes.

One of them sneered: "Liu San'er, are you here to make trouble with us again?" ”

"Don't dare."

"Don't fish, hum, I forgot that you kid is a rich man, I heard that more than a month ago, you bought one or two ginseng in the town, of course you don't have to fish if you are so rich. The fishing ban can't be on your head. ”

"Official, what I said about us not fishing has nothing to do with the fishing ban."

The officials were stunned for a moment, and Liu San'er said: "We don't fish, which means that we don't make a living." Since you don't make a living from this, do you still have to collect this tax? ”

"Hmph, no matter what you do to make a living, as long as you are still in this realm, you have to pay taxes. Tell me, what do you do if you are a poor fisherman and don't fish? ”

Liu San'er said: "Ladies and gentlemen, don't forget, last year, Lord Liu Yi issued an order to allow us to open up mountains and reclaim land, and the more than 1,000 hectares of land under Niangniang Mountain were opened by us in the dry season. Now we don't do fishing anymore, we farm. That's always okay. ”

Lord Liu Yi!

As soon as I heard this name, I couldn't help but be moved, I didn't expect that he had done so many good things for the benefit of the country and the people, but immediately, a trace of sourness surged in my heart.

Such a good person has not been rewarded.

I was still thinking about it, and I saw a government official slowly walking in front of Liu San'er.

He stretched out his hand and patted Liu San'er's shoulder, with a hint of a smile on his face, but with a clear hideous meaning, he smiled: "Liu San'er, what a boy, I went out to see the world for a few years, and I dare to come back to talk to us!" ”

I heard that this meant something wrong, so I whispered to Ruexiang: "Why do those people seem to be specifically targeting him?" ”

"Those who have been tyrannical in the village before they became officials, and they have been tyrannical and tyrannical, and the third brother has brought people to make trouble with them a few times, and their tricks have not succeeded, so I hate the third brother very much."

"Oh......"

I nodded thoughtfully, turned around, and saw Liu San'er say respectfully: "The official said that Liu San'er didn't dare." It's just that people want a way to live. ”

"Hmph, live the way, well said!" The official sneered and patted Liu San'er's shoulder heavily, and said, "If you want to live, don't others want to live?" ”

"What do you mean, sir?"

"Don't forget, when Niangniang Mountain opened up the mountains and reclaimed the land, it was not done by your Jixiang Village on the one hand, there is Lujia Village in the north of the mountain on the other side, and they are now also pointing to this piece to find a way to survive."

"The grass people have not forgotten this. Originally, the land was cultivated by two villages, and it was also necessary to cultivate it separately. ”

"Yes, the land can be divided, but what about the taxes?"

The official looked at him with a sneer, and said, "This thousand hectares of land is opened by you, and there is no problem with cultivating it for you." It's just that you all know how much tax to collect. Liu San'er, since you are so capable, then tell me, how much do you share in this tax, and how much do they share? ”