"This group of bandits appeared a year ago, and they are not very numerous, only about a dozen or twenty people."

Although Dr. Xie has long been bought by Zhou Yang, he is only a small doctor, and the information he can hear is limited.

"These people are elusive, and few people see them for what they really are. I have never seen them kill people and rob goods, and their boats are rarely seen in Honghu. ”

Lu Yangge was a little unclear: "If you don't kill people and don't oversell goods, and you rarely haunt Honghu, why did you become a water bandit?" ”

"Actually, this water bandit was also recently posted by the Nanyang County Ya to suppress the bandits, and we only knew about it, but the specific ones are not clear. I only heard that there were bandits, but there were many merchant ships coming and going in this area of Honghu, and I did not hear of people robbing their goods, let alone that any merchant ships were injured. ”

Dr. Xie Xu had just gone to see Zhang Tianxing, and when he saw that his body had improved, he put down a big stone in his heart, and even his tone was much lighter.

"Some people say that this water bandit may not have it, at most it is a group of poor fishermen......

Speaking of this, Dr. Xie suddenly remembered Lu Yangge's original identity, and couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed, and squeaked, "Maybe the county government made it up in order to grab credit." When the time comes, they will casually find some homeless people to pretend to be, and say that they have caught the bandits, which is not a credit. ”

"It's just what you think."

Lu Yangge looked at the wine in the teacup, his eyes flashed, "Even if you catch the homeless people pretending, you have to be justified. What happened to Zhou Yang who made you stare at the accident Hegong? Could it be that the county government can still use these river workers to pretend to be bandits? ”

As soon as the words fell, there was silence in the hut, and even the sound of the pharmacy boy in the yard boiling medicine and walking seemed to disappear.

Lu Yangge looked at the stunned Doctor Xie and realized what he said for a long time.

Is that really the case?

This, this is too vicious!

"Princess."

Doctor Xie cautiously took half a step back, and said softly, "The reason for this matter has not been clarified, and the grass people dare not speculate, but General Zhou's side is responsible for investigating the matter, otherwise, the princess will invite Sihai to ask." ”

"Sihai in Nanyang County?"

"Yes, Sihai arrived in Nanyang County yesterday, he shouldn't have left Nanyang yet, if the princess has anything she doesn't understand and wants to ask Sihai, I'll immediately go find someone to call Sihai over."

Singer Lu Yang flicked his finger on the teacup containing apricot blossom wine, and chuckled: "Then call Sihai to come." ”

Since Zhou Yang is ready for her, if she doesn't follow his wishes, wouldn't she be a little disappointed by the good intentions of others.

It's just that why did Zhou Yang do this?

Lu Yangge still couldn't figure it out, he could do it by himself, and he didn't need to borrow her hand.

This credit is just dispensable for her, she Lu Yangge is just a princess, as long as she keeps to herself and doesn't want to seek to usurp the throne and become a female emperor, I believe that her second brother, the emperor, is still very relieved of her.

Since Zhou Yang let her stir in, there must be a purpose.

It's just that she doesn't know Zhou Yang's purpose yet, so she can only take one step at a time to see what Zhou Yang means.

Sihai came quickly, as if he had been waiting for Lu Ge to summon near the Xie family's pharmacy.

After seeing the four seas, Lu Yangge's guess was confirmed.

The water bandits were not made up by the county government of Nanyang County, and there was indeed such a wave of people in Honghu, but these people could not be called water bandits.

They don't kill people, they don't disturb people, and the fishermen around Honghu Lake have met them a few times, not only do they not intercept fishing boats, but they also deliberately bypass the fishermen's fishing area.

The purpose of these people in Honghu Lake is very simple, that is, to set up barriers in Honghu Lake to collect ferry fares.

The fare is based on the value of the goods transported on board.

It may be that some large ships of the same tonnage only receive one or two taels of silver, while others have to collect more than a dozen taels.

However, the maximum fee they charged did not exceed twenty taels.

Most of the fees charged are around a few taels, and in a month, if the same merchant ship and the same cargo owner pass by here two or three times, half of the fee can be reduced with the proof of original payment.

That certificate, Sihai also managed to get two, that is, the bamboo sticks used by the wharf to carry the goods, one is the bamboo stick of the New Year, one is painted with a red paint, and the other is painted with a green paint. One is a bamboo skewer in February, one end is painted with red paint, and the other end is painted with two green paints.

If it is the first time that you pass by Honghu Lake in the first month and pay the boat fare, there will only be a red paint and a green paint on this sign.

In the first lunar month, after the second time, it will be replaced with a green lacquer and two red lacquer sticks.

When February passes, you exchange last month's lot, and it will be two green paints and one red paint.

That is to say, the number of red paint is the number of times the ship passes in the month, and the number of green paint represents the number of months.

I don't know who thought of this solution, although the trouble is not troublesome, but there are still drawbacks.

This signature is just an ordinary bamboo cut, if someone pretends to be, only need to cut a skewer themselves, paint red and green paint, and it is likely to pay half of the ferry fare.

Later, Sihai pointed out that there is actually a difference between this bamboo stick.

This bamboo stick is the bamboo of the bamboo forest under the Qingshan Academy in Nanyang County, although they are all bamboo, they are only painted with ordinary red and green paint, but the bamboo on the back of the bamboo is different.

Depending on the year, the bamboo knots are also different, the first month of the year is an annual bamboo, and the February is a two-year bamboo.

If you are not an experienced person, just holding a bamboo stick and not looking at the number of red and green paint, you will not know what month it is.

Lu Yangge listened to it for a long time, and had a general conclusion in his heart.

It's like a toll booth, and this bamboo stick is a toll voucher. The red and green paint is only for the shipbuilders, and the person who charges for the boat actually looks at the bamboo knots on the bamboo sticks.

These people charge fees in Honghu, not to mention a year, but a month's fee should be expensive.

However, the toll booths she knows are all set up checkpoints on the highway, and the fees collected are also taken from the people for the people.

Part of it goes into the state finance, and part of it is used to build bridges and pave roads, and maintain the smooth flow and safety of roads.

This group of people charged on Honghu, which was a business without capital.

They do not kill people to intercept goods, but only charge a certain fee according to the value of the goods, and these merchants will not fail to pay this fee for the safety of the goods and the smooth flow of waterways.

As long as they don't exceed their psychological limits, ordinary people will not be stupid and fight hard with them.

Pay some silver taels and you will be safe, as long as you have a brain, the shipper will not refuse.

Who are these people?

You say he's good, but he stops the passing ships and collects the fee.

You say he's not good, but he doesn't kill people and steal goods, and he doesn't bother the nearby residents and fishermen.

Nanyang County Ya, why didn't you send troops to exterminate them, but you were ready to use river workers to impersonate them?

Could it be that this bandit is colluding with the local government?

(End of chapter)