Thinking of this, Qiong Hua said righteously: "Your Highness, as a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy, I know how to restrain myself and observe etiquette, and examine myself three times a day."
"Wei Chen cared deeply about the tenants under his management and paid attention to education. All the tenants under Wei Chen's management lived and worked happily, bathed in the great favor of the emperor, and were all grateful."
The prince looked at Qiong Hua with a half-smile but asked, "Really? Then I would like to ask Bachelor Qiong another question. I wonder how much rent my Daxia tenants usually have to pay?"
Qiong Hua said lightly: "70%."
The proportion of rent that landlords charge tenants is not fixed and depends on supply and demand.
For example, in the early days of Daxia, very few rental relationships existed. Because at that time, people could allocate large amounts of land from the government.
If we can’t grow our own land, who will rent land to grow it?
As time went by, the population increased, and land annexation also began.
Those who lost their land had to rent land from landlords. In the beginning, there was a lot of land and few tenants, and the rent was usually 50%.
As time went by, the population increased, land annexation became more and more serious, and the number of tenants increased.
The supply and demand relationship between the two parties has changed, and rents have also increased accordingly. It has risen from 50% to 60% and even to 70% today.
The reason why Qionghua raised the rent to 80% is because there are many tenants and there is less land available for rent. He doesn't have to worry about no one renting his land.
After hearing Qiong Hua's answer, the prince asked again: "How much rent does Bachelor Qiong's family charge?"
Hearing this question, Qionghua couldn't help being startled, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
He vaguely sensed something was wrong.
Other landlords charge 70% of the rent, while his family charges 80%. Is this how he loves his tenants?
Although he could have said that his house only charges 70% of the rent, or even 60%.
But since the prince asked this question, Qiong Hua had a vague hunch that the prince might have known the actual share amount collected by his family.
Thinking of this, Qionghua didn't dare to lie. He said with difficulty: "Eighty percent."
This answer made the originally noisy scene in Jinluan Hall fall into silence.
They couldn't help but curse in their hearts, how could this bitch Qiong Hua do something so outrageous?
The prince even sneered: "So it turns out that Bachelor Qiong loves the tenants and educates them like this? It turns out that Bachelor Qiong charges 10% more rent than others. How can these tenants be grateful to Bachelor Qiong and the court?" "
Qionghua sweated more and more on his forehead, and he said quickly: "Your Highness, although my rent is 10% more, I care about the tenants very much. My tenants live a prosperous life, and they will be grateful to the court. .”
The prince asked again: "Listening to what you said, you must know the life of the tenants very well? If the tenants under your rule are living in poverty and are about to starve to death, or they are seriously ill, Master Qiong will definitely not care about their life or death, right?" "
Who cares about the life and death of those untouchables? You deserve to die if you are sick!
How could Qiong, a noble Hanlin scholar, condescend to understand the tenants?
But such words should never be said out loud, as there is no proof.
Qionghua gritted his teeth and said: "I love the people as my own children, and I can't bear to see the people suffer, let alone my own tenants? I won't sit idly by as they live in poverty."
The prince smiled and said: "Really? But as far as I know, the tenants of Qiong Xueshi's family in Lijia Village gave birth to a girl. Because they had insufficient food, they thought the girl was a loser, so they set up extra basins to drown them. I don't know. Does Bachelor Qiong know about this?"
These words made the Jinluan Hall fall silent again, and the faces of all the officials showed a look of horror.
Drowning a baby girl is usually something that happens in years of disaster or war!
Now that the world is at peace in the Great Xia, such an appalling thing could happen to the village where Qionghua's tenants live?
And once this is confirmed, Qiong Hanlin's reputation will be destroyed!
Qiong Hua was also shocked. He felt that someone must have maliciously slandered him! Because he really didn't know about this matter.
He knelt down with a thud and said loudly: "Your Majesty, Your Highness the Crown Prince, Wei Chen is wronged! Wei Chen is wronged! This must be someone maliciously slandering Wei Chen! Such a shocking tragedy must never happen to the tenants of Wei Chen's family! Wei Chen Dare to use Xiang’s head as guarantee!”
The prince sneered again: "Really? But what if I tell you that this is what I saw with my own eyes? Bachelor Qiong, do you think I am maliciously slandering you?"
"Six days ago, I secretly went to Lijia Village, which is the village where your tenant, Qiong Xueshi, lives. I only wanted to clear your name! Because I believe that you are a good official who means what you say! An honest official! "
"However, what I have seen with my own eyes and heard with my own ears is completely different from what you, Master Qiong, said! You talk so much about benevolence, justice and morality, but in reality? You are simply full of male thieves and female prostitutes. You are no better than a pig or a dog. !”
"I live in the home of Old Li Tou in Lijia Village. His eldest daughter-in-law gave birth to a girl four days ago. However, there was no joy on their family's faces. Old Li Tou brought a basin of water into the house. He held his daughter and pressed her into the basin, trying to drown his own daughter alive!"
"If I hadn't stopped him in time, the baby girl would have been drowned alive in the basin! I angrily accused Li Da of being worse than a beast. He wanted to drown his own daughter even though tiger poison is not a problem!"
"And Li Da pulled me to their food tank and took off the lid of the tank. There was only a thin layer of leftover food inside. He asked me how I could feed this child? He said that if there wasn't any way, the dogs wouldn't be able to feed him. Plant the land of Bachelor Qiong’s family, haha!”
"And this is not unique in Lijia Village! It's not just Old Li Tou's family who does this. You can go to Lijia Village and see how many girls there are in their village?"
"I once believed your words, thinking that the people really live and work in peace and contentment, and really appreciate the emperor's grace. When I first went to Lijia Village, I asked them, are you happy? Do you know how they answered me? They The answer is: happy as a chicken!"
"Haha! Is this what you call your gratitude for the emperor's favor? Is this what you call the power of enlightenment? You are all my ministers of Great Xia! Who of you can tell me that you keep on educating the people and enlightening all peoples!"
"Who can tell me where your power of enlightenment is reflected? In which village can you see it? How do you educate the people? Is it just your words?"
The prince's words were like a slap in the face, hitting Bachelor Qiong's face again and again.
Of course, it was not just Bachelor Qiong who was drawn, but also all the civil and military officials of the dynasty.
Especially those civil servants!
Usually they like to talk about all kinds of benevolence, justice and morality.
However, the more joyful he usually shouted, the harder he was slapped now.
(End of chapter)
