"The driver of the noble chariot - die!" Zhao Slip's voice was full of anger.

The middle-aged man in white sat on the ground with weak feet.

The captain of the city gate did not hesitate, shouted, and led the city guards to fight up.

Although the combat power of these city guards is far inferior to that of the Quyang Army and the Shaohu Army, they are not comparable to the thugs raised by these wealthy families......

In an instant, a corpse lay down at the city gate, and only the young patriarch of the Ziping clan was still alive.

The onlookers were shocked, and some of the merchants who had been exploited by the Ziping clan saw this scene, and felt a bad breath in their hearts, and couldn't help but jump with joy.

The middle-aged man in white named Pingyu sat paralyzed on the ground, no longer arrogant as before, his lips trembled, and he was already wet with urine under him.

The captain of the city gate was about to slash with his sword, but was summoned to stop.

Xiong Wuliang opened his eyes and sneered: "Aren't you very arrogant? ”

Today's encounter has taught Xiong Wuliang another lesson - in the future, whenever you go out, even if you are in your own fiefdom, you must take safety measures.

When he was targeted with a crossbow just now, Xiong Wuliang's leg hair was about to stand up!

Scald!

If the newly promoted Marquis of Quyang of Chu State died at the hands of a small rich man in his fiefdom, it would be really a great fun!

Ping Yu kowtowed very hard, and blood stains came out of his head...... Xiong Wuliang didn't mean to stop, just stood at the gate of the city, as if he was silently waiting for something.

After a while, Hu Cong, under the guidance of a few small officials, strode over.

Seeing dozens of corpses at the city gate at a glance, Hu Cong's pupils shrank.

Raising his eyes again, he saw that Xiong Wuliang was unharmed under the protection of more than a dozen Quyang Army soldiers and dozens of city guards, and Hu Cong breathed a long sigh of relief.

"The lower officials meet the lord - I don't know that the lord is coming, and I miss the distance to welcome ......" Hu Cong bowed respectfully.

Xiong Wuliang glanced at Hu Cong deeply, and said concisely: "What's the matter?" ”

Hu Cong wiped the cold sweat on his forehead, glared at Ping Yu, who was kneeling on the ground, bowed his head and confessed: "The lower officials' jurisdiction is not strict, which makes the lord frightened. ”

With a wave of Xiong Wuliang's big hand, someone rushed forward and tied the balance that had been paralyzed into a mess of mud and tied it firmly.

A moment later, Xiong Wuliang and his entourage entered the city lord's mansion under the guidance of Hu Cong. Hu Cong personally poured tea for Xiong Wuliang and Zhao Hua, and then stood with his hands down, waiting for Xiong Wuliang's questioning.

"That Zi Ping's people said that they are very familiar with your Hu Cong?" Xiong Wuliang's eyes narrowed slightly, and he couldn't see his expression.

Hu Cong's heart jumped, and after confessing his guilt, he said honestly: "The Ziping clan is a big clan of Ping'a, and many grassroots officials in Ping'a County are from the Ziping clan...... Xia Guan is indeed no stranger to them. ”

"As for the low-level officials blackmailing merchants, the lower officials have also heard of it."

"Not only in Ping'a County, but also in Quyang County and Shansang County, it is also a common phenomenon to extort foreign merchants."

Xiong Wuliang frowned, and said very unceremoniously: "Since you know, why don't you stop it?" ”

Hu Cong smiled bitterly: "The Lord doesn't know—"

"Local clans like the Ziping clan are some of the broken nobles, and some of them are local wealthy families...... The marriage between various ethnic groups is good, and it affects the whole body. ”

"These clans have monopolized the positions of officials at the bottom...... Without their help, my Ping'a County would be paralyzed. ”

Therefore, for these wealthy families to take the opportunity to collect money, the lower officials can only turn a blind eye...... Please, Lord, punish you! ”

……

After Xiong Wuliang listened, he groaned-

This matter is more difficult than he imagined.

In this era, the common people have few opportunities to read and write—therefore, the positions of grassroots officials are often monopolized by these local families.

These families can't produce the kind of powerful officials who are in power and opposition, but they can often monopolize local official positions, thus becoming local landlords.

The Chu State's once centralized power reform was a failure, and the policy of cracking down on and controlling these local clans has always been very low - even many small families, with Tucheng and Fort at home, are simply feudal monarchs without titles in Chu State.

In many cases, the slightly weaker county officials also have to look at the faces of these local families.

Listen to Hu Cong's meaning - the phenomenon of small officials extorting merchants has become a chronic disease common to the three counties.

These petty officials did not attack the locals, but only the merchants who passed by, and these merchants did not dare to offend these local snakes, and secondly, because the trade was lucrative enough to bear these exploits...... Therefore, he did not resist, and cheapened these rich people for nothing.

Hu Cong arched his hand and said: "Lord, this son of the Ping clan has provoked your head, so I can't say anything if I use the excuse to sweep them away...... But for other clans, it can't be investigated. ”

"If they are provoked to revolt, and all the officials are angry and sabotage, it will be difficult to step down."

Xiong Wuliang frowned tightly, and he was very unwilling in his heart.

After a long time, Xiong Wuliang said in a deep voice: "Order-"

"The property and land of the entire Ziping clan will be confiscated, and a fine of hard labor will be punished for ten years."

"I hope this severe punishment can deter other families...... Let them converge a little. Xiong Wuliang took a deep breath.

For these intertwined snakes, Xiong Wuliang has nothing to do.

If you really uproot them on impulse, then where are so many literate officials available? At that time, the fiefdom will be paralyzed.

Sooner or later, these families will have to be cleaned up, but it won't work now.

Xiong Wuliang could only forcibly swallow this breath for the time being, and after some discussion with Hu Cong, he decided on the location of the commercial port...... Zhao Slip calculated, if you want to build a commercial port of the scale described by Xiong Wuliang, only the first phase of the project, at least more than 10,000 gold.

However, if the commercial port is built and the merchant ships are passed, the scale of commerce and trade will be greatly expanded—in the long run, it will definitely be a profitable investment.

Xiong Wuliang was free and easy, and with a wave of his hand, he signed a slip for receiving money and food.

When the money is gone, it will come back.

It doesn't matter if the money is gone, there will be more money boys in the future.

……

Xiong Wuliang and his entourage returned to Quyang County and returned to the Quyang Hou Mansion.

At first glance, I saw Qu Yuan waiting at the door.

Hey?

This product doesn't honestly work at the workstation, why is it so idle today?

"The lord is in danger in Ping'a, and Qu Yuan has already heard of it...... The Lord is frightened! Qu Yuan took three steps and made two steps to catch up, and greeted Xiong Wuliang very intimately.

"Qu is sitting on pins and needles in the house, only looking forward to the safe return of the lord!"

"Fortunately, thanks to the protection of the ghosts and gods, the prince is fine." Qu Yuan said.

Xiong Wuliang looked at Qu Yuan's face at this time, and couldn't help but be full of black lines.

This Qu Yuan cares about himself on his lips, but his old face is as happy as a flower.

What's going on? Qu Yuan's bitter gourd face that has not changed for thousands of years has eaten bee feces today? Why are you smiling so sweetly?

Looking at that bright smile, it seems that there is still a little schadenfreude about the attack on him?

……