"You must know that there is a great drought in the Central Plains this year, so don't take advantage of the present to sell more grain in the past."

"If the grain merchants from other state capitals transport grain to the Central Plains one step in advance, we won't be able to make money."

Due to this era, information transmission is slower.

There are still many people who do not know that some of the people in the worst affected areas.

has been taken by Chen Jing and Zhao Gonggong to be workers in the white sugar factory and shipyard.

Although the harvest in the Central Plains is not good, there are many fewer people to eat.

If the imperial court provides relief, the remaining people will still be able to survive this disaster year in front of them.

However, these profit-hungry grain merchants in the south did not know the situation in the Central Plains.

So I tried to find a way to collect more food, trying to make a lot of money in the drought.

The fat man reprimanded Xiongsan outside, and couldn't help but explain with a bitter face: "Xiong Bantou, it's not that the villain doesn't have to do things. ”

"But the paddy fields in our village are all washed out of saline-alkali soil, and it is already the limit to be able to collect three times more taxes."

Zhu Fan had heard from officials of the Ministry of Household Affairs about how low the grain output was in the improved saline-alkali land.

And the corrupt officials and corrupt officials of the county government, except for the fat members who are in cahoots, dare to knock on the bones and suck the marrow to such a point.

Are these people not afraid to force the overwhelmed people into rebellion?

Unexpectedly, Xiongsan didn't pay attention to the fat man's explanation at all, but snorted: "We don't care so much about you, if the county master asks, you can tell him yourself." ”

The fat man wanted to defend himself, but Yuzo didn't give him a chance to speak at all.

directly issued an ultimatum: "Three days later, the grain merchant arranged by the county lord will come to collect the grain." ”

"You're either going to get the food for the commotion, or you're going to pay for it out of your own pocket."

"The new masters this year have a big appetite, things are going to be done well, so be careful of your head."

The fat man, who was still hesitant, showed a resolute look in his eyes after hearing Xiongsan's threat: "Xiong Bantou, it's okay if you ask me to overcharge, but you have to come to support me tomorrow, otherwise those Diao people in the village may not be so easy to come up with food." ”

The third male is the fat outside.

He laughed, reached out and patted the other party's shoulder and said, "We will definitely not be absent when it comes to making money." ”

As he spoke, the two of them discussed what excuse they should use tomorrow to pay twice as much tax to the villagers.

Zhu Fan listened to the topic discussed by Xiongsan and the others, although his heart was churning with anger.

But he didn't show any unusual emotions on the surface.

After all, judging from the unscrupulous state of these two people.

Collecting more taxes in the name of the imperial court may have become the norm in the local area.

If you don't take this opportunity to break into the interior of these moths and wipe them out.

So even if you look at the county order of Shangyuan County, as well as the heads of Xiongsan and others, I am afraid that it will not be long before these corrupt people will resurgence again.

After Xiongsan and Fat Yuanwai finalized the strategy of overcharging taxes, they took Zhu Fan and others to the next village under the jurisdiction of Shangyuan County.

And what happened was basically the same.

There is not a single village that is not overtaxed.

Zhu Fan didn't say a word throughout the whole process, silently writing down the crimes of these people.

He planned to ask Mr. Lin in two days, Da Ming, who is really in its heyday, why is Dechen already a corrupt official and corrupt official?

By the time Zhu Fan calmed down and returned to the palace from Shangyuan County, it was almost evening.

Just as he walked towards the side hall of Fengtian Temple, he wanted to report to Zhu Yuanzhang what he had seen and heard today.

As a result, I was surprised to see Mao Xiang, who had not shown up for a long time, kneeling in the hall with a bald young man.

Zheng said to Zhu Yuanzhang: "Your Majesty, the person is the Goryeo army on Jeju Island, who ordered a sneak attack on the Goryeo puppet king Li Fangyuan of my Ming advance army. ”

"When the minister sent Kanazawa back to Goryeo, he also gathered a large army with the intention of fighting the trapped beasts."

"However, my captain of the Ming Governor's Mansion is not something that the weak brigade of the small state of Goryeo can stop, and his army will be wiped out in an instant under the embroidered spring knife of the ministers."

In the face of Mao Xiang's boasting, Li Fangyuan, the puppet king of Goryeo, subconsciously opened his mouth, as if he was planning to refute a few words.

However, thinking of the abuse he suffered along the way, he lost the courage to speak up.

However, after listening to Mao Xiang's report, Zhu Yuanzhang did not praise him for his hard work and achievements as usual.

Instead, he asked an irrelevant question: "Mao Xiang, the gold and silver of Goryeo are different from the texture of my Ming gold and silver?" ”

"What is the difference between the taste of a Korean woman and your little penguin with more than ten rooms?"

Mao Xiang, who originally planned to invite his son to ask for a reward, heard Zhu Yuanzhang's questioning without half an emotion.

was immediately frightened into a cold sweat, and hurriedly kowtowed to ask for guilt: "Your Majesty, if it wasn't for the minister's corrupt behavior, it was really the nobleman of Goryeo who acted too shamelessly, and even sent gold, silver and beautiful women after the minister was drunk." ”

"When the minister woke up from drunkenness, he had made a big mistake, and asked His Majesty to punish him."

The puppet king Li Fangyuan has seen a lot, and Mao Xiang is rampant and domineering in Goryeo.

At this time, seeing his frightened ugly state, I couldn't help but feel a dark feeling in my heart.

even began to look forward to what the great Ming Emperor would do with this cool official who committed corruption.

However, after Zhu Yuanzhang admitted his mistake, he changed his previous stern tone and smiled: "Since he is the former lord of Goryeo, he intends to frame me as the governor of the Ming Dynasty." ”

"Then Mao Xiang, after you rest for a few days, you will go to Goryeo again, and catch those thieves and bring them to Yingtian for trial."

As soon as this statement came out.

Whether it is Mao Xiang or the puppet king of Goryeo Li Fangyuan.

Both of them showed a look of shock, and they couldn't understand why Zhu Yuanzhang gave this order.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang didn't give Mao Xiang a chance to think about it at all, and waved his hand to signal him to retreat after giving the order.

The puppet king of Goryeo, Li Fangyuan, was full of confusion, and looked at the captain of the Governor's Mansion who was afraid of Lin Goryeo's court after leaving.

After only a moment of hesitation, he made a look of grievance.

begged Zhu Yuanzhang for mercy: "Your Majesty, Xiao Wang did not give an order to the army on Jeju Island to attack the advance army of the Celestial Empire. ”

"It's all the Jeju Island guards who made their own decisions and took action against the advance army without authorization, and please let Your Majesty know it!"

So far, the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty in Goryeo still think that Zhu Yuanzhang was deceived by the powerful minister Jin Ze.

That's why Mao Xiang was sent to Goryeo with the captain of the Governor's Mansion to arrest the people who were not subservient.

So much so that the deposed throne, Li Fangyuan, who was caught in Yingtian, still had the illusion of returning to Goryeo to restore the throne after clarifying the misunderstanding.

However, after listening to Li Fangyuan's explanation, Zhu Yuanzhang put away his smile after losing it.

He snorted coldly and said, "General Hu Yunqiang has clearly investigated the attack on the advance sergeant by the Goryeo rebel army. ”

(End of chapter)