Ling Ye shook his head, was silent for a while, and said lightly: "If we killed these fast catchers in the past, we could only save them for a short time." When we were gone, what happened to them was only more tragic. Do you think that's a lifesaver?"

Xiao Yao said: "But, is it impossible to watch them run amok like this?"

Ling Ye said: "They are so tyrannical because the empire allows and even encourages such behavior. Only if the decree of the empire prohibits such brutal acts, the common people will not be so miserable. But that's not something we can do, at least not right now. ”

Xiao Yao said: "Alas, you are too far away!"

Ling Ye said, "I just want to tell you that it's useless to simply kill them. However, there is a way to save these poor people without causing them to die even worse in the end, and that is ......"

I won't say anything about it here. Que Wan'er had been listening quietly, and said, "What does Brother Ling mean, is it to stop these people, buy these cattle with silver money, and return them to these poor farmers?"

Ling Ye nodded slowly: "It's just that I don't have any money, let alone steal money from the government." stealing money from the government to save these people is the same as pushing these people into the fire pit. ”

Que Wan'er patted her burden and smiled: "Don't forget, I used to be the eldest lady, although I am not very rich, I always have some money." ”

Xiao Yao hurriedly dissuaded: "Miss! we don't have much left......

Que Wan'er said: "I want to save people, and I don't want to pay even a little price, how can I do it? Besides, for us, these are just things outside the body, and when we cross the Moon River and reach the Holy Capital, I don't think these tragic things will happen again." ”

Xiao Yao lowered her head: "Miss......"

Que Wan'er smiled and said, "It's decided! However, the three of us are too young, and these officials may arrest us to fight as soldiers." It's nice for us to dress up as humble old men and old women!"

※※※

"My lord, please wait a while, listen to a few words from the little old man, will it be successful?"

On the way back to the city, the group of fast catchers were driving the cattle and livestock they had stolen from the peasants, and on the way back to the city, they met three old men on the side of the road, one of whom arched his hand and said very politely to the leading catcher.

The leader of the trap looked at them for a while, and said impatiently: "If you have anything to say, say it quickly!"

Xiao Lao'er smiled and took out a silver ingot from his sleeve, held it in the palm of his hand and showed it to the leader: "Listen to Xiao Lao'er's words, this ingot of silver is yours as an adult." ”

When the leader saw Yinzi, his eyes immediately widened, and a smile immediately appeared on his face, and he said amiably: "Hahaha, how can you be embarrassed? What can't you discuss? ”

The little old man smiled and said, "Then the little old man will say it directly." My lord, these cattle and livestock may be just a few meals of meat for you, and if you drink wine and eat meat, you will be gone, but for those poor peasants, it is the foundation of their food and clothing, without them, you will not be able to farm this year, and you will not be able to survive in the end. Can you raise your hand and give it back to them?"

The leader of the trap immediately frowned, and said impatiently: "You said it easily! The empire now needs to resist the invasion of the barbarians, and it is the time when people need to pay taxes and serve in the military. When the strong men in their family heard the news, they all ran away, they couldn't pay their taxes, and no one went to serve in the military, so they were clearly just a group of Diao people! If they didn't punish them properly, how could these Diao people keep to themselves?"

The little old man smiled and said, "Aren't taxes and military service convertible into silver and handed in?"

The leader of the arrest quickly said: "That's right! But these people just refuse to hand over the money, what can the official do?

The peasant women and the old lady who came after them were all arrested and could not come over, but they still heard the answer. Someone shouted, "No! Where do we have money? Do you see that we are dressed in rags, as if we have money?"

The leader of the catcher was furious: "No one asks you! If you talk more, the big whip will be whipped! Diao Min, who doesn't know whether he is alive or dead!"

The "Diao people" not only kept their mouths, but more people started talking: "We are all poor like this, you still have to take away our ploughing cattle and pigs and dogs, you want our lives like this!"

Catch a quick fury, and have another attack. Xiao Lao'er raised the silver in his hand and said with a smile: "I don't know how much silver can pay off the taxes they need to pay and so on?"

The leader of the catcher was quick to talk when he saw the silver, and his expression improved again: "Not much, so many people, a total of more than five hundred taels of silver is enough!"

Xiao Lao'er took out a silver ticket and showed it to him in front of the catcher: "This is five hundred taels of silver tickets, how much is it missing?"

The leader stared greedily at the silver ticket, stretched out his hand to grab it, and roared into his arms, and said with a smile: "Another fifty taels is enough!"

Xiao Lao'er took out a silver ingot of fifty taels: "The silver is enough, can I return the cattle and livestock to them?"

The leader snatched it again, looked at the little old man with bare eyes, and said with a smile: "Old man, you are very rich! I don't know if your own taxes have been paid?"

He clearly meant what he said. The little old man didn't move, but still smiled and said, "It's already been paid off!"

The leader said quickly: "Hehe, it's not enough for you to just say this, we have to find out." I don't think your accent is a local, but you're from another place, right? Then you have to find out even more! Haha, come on, come with us, and go back to the yamen to find out!"

Now even an idiot can hear it, this person sees that this little old man has money on him, and wants to take them away, if it's good, extort more silver, if it's bad, it may be to find a place to kill and snatch all the money, and then throw the corpse into the wilderness.

The little old man sighed and said, "It's also your duty to find out, this is okay! However, can these peasants' cattle and livestock be put back?"

The leader of the catcher looked at the little old man with bare eyes: "You say let it go, let it go?" This matter has to be said by the county magistrate!"

The little old man's expression was still unmoving: "I just paid their taxes according to the amount you said!"

The leader of the trap quickly opened his hands and looked around left and right: "Paid off, where is the money, where is it? Who saw it?"