Fang Ling understood a little when he heard this, and Chen Mou proposed on the side: "Your Highness, since Lord Cao said that the taxes are serious, and now this place has become a fief of His Highness, then if His Highness reduces taxes, it will definitely reduce a lot of burdens on the people." ”

Fang Ling bowed slightly: "Then exempt Feng County from paying taxes for three years, what does Lord Cao think?"

Cao Jingyuan was suddenly overjoyed, walked out and bowed down and said, "Your Highness is wise, and the people must be very grateful for His Highness's kindness." ”

Fang Ling smiled faintly and said, "This is just a symptom, exempting this tax may not necessarily make this Feng County rich, right?"

Cao Jingyuan smiled bitterly and said: "Don't hide it from Your Highness, this is also a question that the minister has been thinking about here for more than ten years." However, this land of Feng County depends on the mountains, if there is no way to get rid of those bandits, then there is no way to make the people rich!"

Fang Ling touched his chin and said, "Then as far as Master Cao knows, how many bandits are there around here?"

Cao Jingyuan shook his head and said: "The lower officials don't know, they only know that the thieves in the Misty Mountain and the Shilong Mountain Range are not in the same group, and it is the thieves in the Misty Mountain that plague Feng County, but it is unknown how many there are, how many people and horses, or how many shares there are." ”

Chen Mou said on the side: "Your Highness, no matter how many bandits there are, but they are familiar with the local terrain and have been active in the mountains and forests for a long time, I am afraid that it is not something we can deal with at present, not to mention that there are 10 soldiers in the city, even if there are 100, they may not necessarily have an advantage." ”

Cao Jingyuan said: "Lord Chen is very right, the mountains outside Feng County are originally the intersection of the two mountains, and the terrain is very complicated, even if there are thousands of troops here, they can only stick to the county seat, but if they want to exterminate them, it is more difficult than climbing to the sky." ”

Fang Ling also knew that there was indeed no way to move the thief's idea for the time being, so he touched his chin and thought, "Then why are the other two counties relatively rich?"

Cao Jingyuan said: "Although Xihe County is also in the mountains, there are high mountain streams flowing down, impacting into fertile land, and there is a river, so even if you can't go up the mountain to hunt, but the livelihood is not a problem, and the fish, shrimp and aquatic products can also be sold to other counties through traders; the land of Maling County is rich in fruit trees, and there has been a custom of raising horses since ancient times, and a horse can be sold for hundreds of taels of silver, and it is naturally very rich." ”

After hearing this, Fang Ling glanced at Chen Mou.

Chen Mou smiled bitterly: "Your Highness, it seems that Feng County is not rich for no reason, there are mountains that can't hunt, there are fields that can't be farmed, everyone's livelihood is a problem, there is no income, even if taxes are exempted, then there is not much silver saved, and the thieves who solve the root cause of the problem can not be done in a day or two, and the ministers have nothing to do for a while." ”

In fact, this problem is clear at a glance, but it is very difficult to solve it, after all, Cao Jingyuan has not come up with a problem here for more than ten years, and it is really a bit troublesome to think of it for a while.

Fang Ling thought for a long time, and also had a headache, it is impossible to solve the bandits immediately, so there is only another way, this is also a problem that must be solved, only by changing the situation here and establishing a prestige, can the people have their own Shicheng King in their hearts.