When Hai Rui got on the sedan chair, the expression on his face instantly became solemn, what he didn't expect was that the situation here would be so severe, and there were many problems in the granary of Kaifeng Mansion alone.

"It seems that Liu Yuan, the previous envoy, was right in the note submitted to His Majesty, that the actual amount of grain stored in the local granary in Henan is very different from the amount recorded in the account books."

Thinking of this, Hai Rui couldn't help but clench his fists and muttered to himself silently.

"These damn moths, wait for the official, and the official will never let you go!"

After Hai Rui calmed down, he quickly made a corresponding plan, and he wanted to find an opportunity to contact Liu Yuan, the envoy, so that he could learn more information from Liu Yuan's mouth.

"Didn't they always want to invite the official to dinner, and in that case, the official can also take advantage of this opportunity!"

In this way, Hai Rui took a sedan chair and returned to the post station.

……

On the other hand, Xiao Er, who had previously received Hai Rui's order to go nearby to investigate the situation, made a major discovery.

On the way, he and several guards met several people who were in a hurry with sacks on their backs.

When the people saw them, they ran away like a hare to an eagle.

Seeing this, Xiao Er hurriedly ordered his subordinates to stop these people, and after his subordinates stopped them, he immediately stepped forward to ask.

"What are you running?"

Seeing this, the people knew that they could not escape, and after exchanging glances with each other, they saw an old man with gray hair, skinny wood, dressed in tattered coarse linen clothes, trembling and kneeling on the ground.

A pair of dry hands tugged at Xiao Er's trouser leg and choked up.

"Poor master, my family has this little bit of food, if we hand it in again, our family will have no food!"

"If there is no food, our family of five will starve to death, please have a lot of them, let us go!"

When Xiao Er heard this, his face was full of surprise, and then he asked.

"What kind of grain to pay, didn't the imperial court just collect the field tax not long ago?"

"Besides, now is not the time to levy grain!"

After Xiao Er finished speaking, his eagle-like eyes swept over the ordinary people present one by one, and those who were swept by Xiao Er's gaze did not dare to look at him, and lowered their heads one after another.

Immediately afterwards, Xiao Er seemed to think of something possible, and the expression on his face became extremely ugly, only to see him help the old man up from the ground, and his tone gradually eased.

"Old man, what do you mean by what you just said?"

After being helped up from the ground by Xiao Er, the old man patted the dust on his body, and then spoke.

"Listen to the accent, you're not local, are you?"

When Xiao Er heard this, he immediately responded subconsciously.

"Well, it's not."

After getting the answer he wanted, the old man also nodded and said to himself.

"A few poor masters are from other places, so it's no wonder they don't know the situation here."

The old man paused for a moment as he said this, and then continued.

"Let's do it, all year round, all kinds of taxes emerge in endlessly, today is the field tax, tomorrow is the land tax, and then I don't know what the tax is, anyway, those who are officials can always come up with new words!"

"In the end, it's us ordinary people who suffer!"

Seeing that the old man had a tendency to talk at length, Xiao Er immediately opened his mouth and brought the topic back on track.

"By the way, old man, what did you say about handing over the grain?"

When the old man heard this, he sighed, his expression became depressed, and he said slowly.

"Alas, don't mention it!"

"I heard that recently, the imperial court sent a minister to investigate the case, and those who were officials, after knowing the news, panicked, and unscrupulously requisitioned the grain in the hands of the people!"

"Tomorrow in Shiqiao Village, those officials who are responsible for collecting grain will have to collect grain again!"

"I see, most of them are holes in recent years, and they can't be plugged."

When Xiao Er heard this, he frowned, and a look of doubt appeared on his face.

"Holes?"

Seeing this, the old man withdrew his gaze from Xiao Er's body, and then explained to him.

"Rumor has it that those who are in charge have been secretly selling the grain in the official warehouse!"

Xiao Er heard this, and then continued.

"After so many years, hasn't anyone thought of suering?"

The old man seemed to be quite dismissive of this, and replied without thinking.

"Yes, how can it not, but these complainants, without exception, all died ugly!"

"Over time, no one dared to mention it anymore."

Seeing that he was almost rested, the old man leaned down, put the sack containing the grain on his shoulder with great difficulty, and said goodbye to Xiao Er.

"Poor master, we still have some things to deal with, so we won't bother you!"

After the old man finished speaking, he beckoned to the rest of the people and wanted to return the way he came.

At this moment, I saw Xiao Er stop the old man and speak.

"Old man, in fact, we are the guards of Lord Qincha sent by the imperial court to investigate the case this time, can you ......?"

Xiao Er's words were not finished, but the old man stopped, turned around, smiled miserably, and said slowly.

"Alas, poor master, I won't tell you anything, you are not the first batch of officials to come here to investigate the case, and you will not be the last!"

"For so many years, the officials who came to Henan to investigate the case have changed one after another, but in the end, nothing has changed, and none of the crimes that our people should suffer have been left behind!"

"You don't have to say it anymore, I don't have a few years to live, I just want to live my life quietly, and I don't want to cause any more trouble."

After the old man finished speaking, he beckoned the rest of the people and embarked on the road back together.

Xiao Er looked at the old man's stiff back in silence, his lips moved, but he didn't make any sound.

……

Kaifeng Mansion, in the post station where Hai Rui stayed.

At this moment, Xiao Erzheng was standing respectfully in front of Hai Rui, reporting what he had discovered.

"My lord, that's all the news that the little detective has heard!"

"Well, yes, it's good that you've been able to find these things in such a short period of time!"

Hearing this, Hai Rui nodded, withdrew his gaze from Xiao Er's body, and said encouragingly.

Immediately afterwards, Hai Rui seemed to think of something, and the look in his eyes suddenly dimmed, and he sighed.

"The official didn't expect that the local people in Henan would actually live such a life."

"I have worked hard for a year, but I can't even fill my stomach, and what's even more hateful is that this group of insects is still constantly looting the people's fat and ointment from the people, and this official can't wait to dispatch the soldiers of the guard station now to kill this group of dog officers cleanly!"

Seeing this, Xiao Er hurriedly stepped forward and admonished.

"My lord, you have to be calm, you are now the hope of the people of Henan, you can't go wrong!"

"Otherwise, the people here will no longer have any hope."

After Hai Rui vented his emotions, he gradually calmed down, and then turned around and confirmed to Xiao Er.

"Didn't you say earlier that tomorrow in Shiqiao Village, there will be officials who will forcibly levy the grain of the common people?"

When Xiao Er heard this, he nodded, feeling a little puzzled by Hai Rui's sudden mention of this matter.

"Your Excellency, ...... you"

Hai Rui nodded, and immediately instructed Xiao Er.

"Early tomorrow morning, let's go to Shiqiao Village to see the situation!"

(End of chapter)