The first year of Xingqing in the Song Dynasty, autumn, Sichuan, Kuizhou Road, Kuizhou Fucheng.
In the Song Dynasty, the first-level administrative unit was "Lu", which was equivalent to the province in later generations, with two-level systems of prefectures and counties. In the fourth year of Xianping in the Northern Song Dynasty, Shu was divided into four roads: Yizhou, Zizhou, Lizhou and Kuizhou, collectively known as the "Four Chuanxia Roads" or "Sichuan Roads". During this period, there were official positions such as Sichuan Proclamation Envoy and Sichuan Xuanfu Envoy, from which Sichuan got its name.
When the Song Dynasty crossed south, the four roads in Sichuan became five roads: Chengdufu Road, Tongchuanfu Road, Kuizhou Road, and Lizhou East and West Roads. Among them, Lizhou Road and Lizhou Road are the northwest frontier, also known as Shukou, bordering the Kingdom of Jin. The other three roads are located in mainland Sichuan.
Kuizhou City, the headquarters of Kuizhou Road, is located at the mouth of Qutang Gorge. It has a dangerous situation and has always been an important military town in eastern Sichuan and a battleground for military strategists.
On the streets, people were coming and going, most of them wearing linen clothes, some of which were finely woven, and naturally there were also low-grade ones made of straw.
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Kuizhou was under the rule of the Chu State, so the people of Kuizhou were also called Chu people. There is no sericulture in Kuizhou, and ordinary people cannot afford to wear silk. But Bayu is the origin of ramie, and the fine linen weaved is of high quality. The people of Kuizhou generally wear linen clothes, so there is a saying that "Chu people wear linen clothes at all times."
On South Street in the city, in an alley, I saw several officials appearing. Several people who were selling chicken, duck, rice and grain ran away, but they were blocked by the officials who had been prepared.
"Stand still! Get your things!"
A petty official with a fat face and a round waist came up and stood in front of a common man who was smiling apologetically. He looked at the ducks in his hand and smiled coldly.
"Pay tax, 500 Wen!"
"My lord, didn't the imperial court decree that people don't have to pay taxes when selling their own chickens and ducks? It's been said in the newspapers, but you still have to pay taxes just for spreading your wealth?"
The man who spoke boldly was about forty years old, with a dark complexion, coarse linen clothes, and thick joints on his hands, indicating that he was a farm man.
"The Qianyuan Festival is coming. It's the official's birthday. Do you dare not pay taxes? Do you want to be disrespectful to the official? Are you a son of a bitch going to rebel?"
The flesh on the subordinate's face trembled, and his hand rested on the handle of the knife.
The farmer's face turned pale. As a last resort, he tremblingly took out the banknotes and paid the tax. What he got back was a flimsy, wrinkled and worthless receipt.
"You, you have to pay taxes on yours too!"
The subordinate officer turned to another thin young man and glared.
"Master, it's the official's birthday. I've already paid my taxes."
The young man had a sallow complexion and lively eyes. He was carrying a bag of grain, bowed his head, and had a flattering smile on his face.
"I know a lot! This is an additional levy imposed by the imperial court. The imperial court wants to train a new army in Sichuan. There are so many soldiers serving the country. Don't they want to eat, drink or receive military pay? Quick, 500 Wen!"
The bull's-eyes of the subordinate officer bulged again.
"My lord, haven't you seen the imperial court imposing additional levies? The newspaper didn't mention this either!"
The young man looked very smart, seemed to be well-informed, and wanted to argue with others.
500 Wen is enough to feed his family for several days.
"If the imperial court imposes a levy, do you want to publish it in the newspaper for ordinary people like you? Submit it quickly, or you and I will go to the Yamen!"
The hengluo man winked, and several subordinates came up with chains to take him away.
"Master, I'll hand it over! I'll hand it over!"
The people do not fight with the officials. The young man panicked, quickly put down the grain bag, quickly took out the money from his arms, and handed it to the official.
"You know the truth! Let's go on patrol!"
Hengrouxu collected taxes from the remaining common people, issued tax vouchers, and waved his hands impatiently at the passers-by around him.
"It's gone! It's gone! What's there to see?"
Hengrouxu led his men and left in a swagger, and passers-by on the street got out of the way.
"A son of a turtle, a wolf with a heart and a dog's lungs, will not have a butthole to give birth to a son!"
"What kind of world is this!"
The young man watched the subordinates leave, spit on the ground angrily, picked up the grain bag, and fled in a hurry with the other two companions who were frowning and mumbling.
After this "robbery", they no longer have the courage or mood to continue selling.
Under the eaves across the street, Fan Zhong, the head of the Sichuan Anti-Corruption Division, and several entourages around him remained silent.
Everyone saw clearly the scene where the subordinate officials were collecting taxes just now.
Sichuan, the land of abundance, is prosperous and prosperous, but we did not expect that the people live in poverty. There are many people with sallow complexion and unkempt hair. Whether he is a corrupt official or not, the scene just now seems to be obvious.
Being able to make the people look like beggars and continue to collect the exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes that the imperial court abolished from the people shows the character of these people in power.
"Mr. Sir, does the official family collect taxes for his birthday?"
Follower Fan Zhi, Fan Zhong's nephew, asked suspiciously.
He is well-read in poetry and books, and is good at boxing and kicking. He works with his uncle and complements each other.
"I don't know. To be honest, I don't even remember when the official birthday is, but these officials know it better than me."
Fan Zhong shook his head, also confused.
Qianyuan Festival is the emperor's birthday. Did the emperor make great arrangements for his birthday and conquer the world?
Fan Zhong thought hard about when the emperor's birthday was, but he had no clue.
"The official's birthday was not mentioned in the newspapers. How could it be possible to conquer the world? Although there was a lot of news in the newspapers about the training of the new army in Sichuan, the official never said that extra gifts would be given? The official loves the people like their own children, and will never He would do such a ridiculous thing! This is clearly robbing the people of their wealth and tyranny is as fierce as a tiger!"
Wang Ruoshui, a member of the Sichuan Anti-Corruption Division, said with a sneer.
"The imperial court has clearly banned the collection of exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes from the people. How come these subordinate officials dare to commit crimes? Who is backing them and poisoning the people?"
Kou Yuanfang, another member of the Anti-Corruption Division, expressed indignation.
"Don't rush to judgment yet. Maybe you and I don't know yet about the birthday of the official family and the recruitment of new troops in Sichuan."
Fan Zhong said coldly, turned around and stepped forward.
Fan Zhi and others looked ugly and followed him one after another.
Since the establishment of the Sichuan Anti-Corruption Division, these anti-corruption officials have conducted overt and covert investigations, and the first targets they have targeted are the Sichuan scholar-bureaucrats. The crimes committed by some people are shocking.
They deceived the superiors and deceived the inferiors, pretended to be free of wages, bought and sold by force, annexed land, and even under harsh government, the common people were deprived of their livelihood.
In the prosperous and prosperous Sichuan, under the burning fire, people's livelihood is in ruins and the people are miserable.
No wonder the emperor said that the Song Dynasty was the prosperity of officials and powerful people, not the prosperity of the people. After seeing the scene, it turned out to be true.
When I arrived at East Street, I saw a carriage filled with charcoal parked in front of a gold and silver shop. Several minor officials stood at the door of the shop with knives in hand, and there were a crowd of onlookers standing there.
"Let's go over and have a look!"
Fan Zhong cheered up and led everyone with him.
"Pu Xianggong, we have enough charcoal for the winter at home."
An old man in brocade robes and a big cloak, with a smile on his face, was begging for mercy from a tall, thin official in green who was standing with his hands behind his back.
"Enough? Then buy more. Shopkeeper Lu, please honor your parents and brothers, take care of your relatives and friends, love your neighbors, and share the worries of the court. You, a great benefactor of Kuizhou Prefecture, have a duty to do so!"
The green-robed official said seriously and waved his hand. The subordinate official on the side couldn't help but handed the official seal-stamped voucher to Shopkeeper Lu.
"Shopkeeper Lu, this is the voucher, take it!"
After the green-robed official finished speaking, he turned around and left the store.
"Shopkeeper Lu, what are you doing with such a sad face? Remember to go to the Yamen to pay the charcoal money and bring the car along with you!"
The junior official warned and hurriedly followed.
"Pu Xianggong, walk slowly! Everyone, walk slowly!"
Shopkeeper Lu showed great respect and sent the officials out of the store.
"What are you looking at? Pull Charcoal in through the back door. Go quickly!"
Shopkeeper Lu shook his head, then straightened his face and started talking to his servants.
The servant pulled the charcoal cart away. Shopkeeper Lu was about to enter, but was stopped by someone.
"Shopkeeper, the yamen sells charcoal to you. What's so uncomfortable about it?"
Fan Zhong came up and said with a smile.
The shopkeeper saw that Fan Zhong was well-dressed and accompanied by an entourage, and he seemed to have a foreign accent, so he quickly raised his hands and smiled bitterly.
"Sir, you don't know, the charcoal is 50% higher than the price on the street, which is still less than the price. Besides, should I buy so much charcoal for making seeds?"
"Shopkeeper, you don't have to buy it."
Fan Zhong laughed heartlessly.
"Sir, I see you are a foreigner. Don't want to buy it? Then do you still want to do business?"
After the shopkeeper finished speaking, he stepped into the store.
"Shopkeeper, do you have government tax receipts when you buy charcoal?"
Fan Zhong followed in and looked at the splendid shop.
It seems that shopkeeper Lu is not short of money.
"Why not? If you come to sell it again, can you do it without a certificate? Not only do I have it, but all the merchants in Kuizhou Prefecture have it."
Shopkeeper Lu pointed at the counter.
"Sir, please take a look. I'll go to the backyard to process the charcoal."
"Man, how come the government has so much charcoal?"
Fan questioned the clerk at the store.
"It's said to be the government's surplus, but who knows? Didn't all the money from the sale go into the pockets of corrupt officials?"
The guy was young and it was not his own business, so he said it immediately.
"Man, that green-robed official just now looked so majestic!"
Fan Zhi said softly and continued to support the fire.
"Awesomeness! His uncle is the prefect of Kuizhou, the pacifier Xianggong? That selling charcoal thing is most likely the pacifier Xianggong's behind-the-scenes instigation!"
The clerk snorted coldly, the indignation between his brows clearly evident.
"The dignitaries of the imperial court are forced to buy and sell the imperial supplies. I'm afraid that just the charcoal will cost a lot of money!"
After several people left, Fan Zhi said jokingly.
"Exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes are no less than charcoal money. It's a pity that all this money ended up in the pockets of corrupt officials. I'm afraid the court won't get a penny!"
One of the staff let out another long sigh.
"Go around and take a look first before talking."
Fan Zhong frowned, his face gloomy, as if water was leaking out.
Pu Hong, the pacifying envoy on Kuizhou Road, was a high-ranking member of the imperial court and a prominent family in Kuizhou. Instead of being loyal to the emperor, serving the country, and caring for the people, he instead preyed on the people and became worse.
After some investigation in the past few days, Pu Hong committed a crime that was worse than he imagined. Killing the head ten times was not enough. To fight tigers in Sichuan, I am afraid that the carrots will be pulled out and the mud will be pulled out, and the officials will collapse en masse.
"Wang Ruoshui, there should be news from Chengdu Mansion."
Fan Zhong walked a few steps, suddenly stopped and asked.
The emperor wants to rectify the border troops, and the Sichuan Anti-Corruption Branch cannot stand idly by. Corruption in the border troops is a fundamental issue and must not happen.
"Uncle, it should be soon. Li Guoping is smart and hardworking, and he is smart and will not miss anything."
"When the news about Li Guoping arrives, he will be sent to the two generals Cao Youwen and Yu Jie for his crimes with the border army generals."
Fan Zhong said to his staff, thinking for a moment.
"Fan Zhi, you lead a group of forbidden troops and wait for news from Zheng Sun. You must not let the tiger go back to the mountain. The whole mess in Chengdu Mansion is all on him."
With Zheng Sun's crime confirmed, the corrupt officials in Chengdu Prefecture, the richest city in Sichuan, have nothing to hide and can only sit back and wait for death.
The implementation of the New Deal on Sichuan Road is just around the corner. Zheng Sun made Sichuan a mess, but he still wanted to eat and drink enough to escape. How can anything be so cheap?
