The golden rice grains flowed all over the ground in a thick layer.
At a cursory glance, one can tell that it weighs dozens of kilograms.
Li Xuan stood aside, his face already extremely cold.
Chen Xiang, the tax collector who had kicked him back and forth before, was already kneeling aside, with his head lowered and his whole body trembling.
Behind him, Huang Bai stood with an apologetic smile, and his wife Zhou stood on one side holding her son Huang Xi.
Even with her head lowered, Li Xuan could see that her face looked very embarrassed.
"Did you practice those two kicks just now for a long time?" Li Xuan's voice sounded faintly in Chen Xiang's ears.
Chen Xiang subconsciously wanted to nod, but then, as if he thought of something, his whole body trembled, and he fell to the ground in fearful submission.
"Kick the stems!" Li Xuan sneered, directly exposing the two most disgusting methods of grain officials in the world.
Li Xuan raised his head. He didn't know when more and more people began to gather in the tax collection square.
These people from Huangjia Town heard the news from somewhere and immediately rushed to watch the excitement.
At the beginning, all the people were whispering in low voices, looking at Chen Xiang with a hint of schadenfreude, but also a hint of worry.
I am not worried that Chen Xiang will be severely punished, but that he will escape punishment and his revenge will be even more brutal in the future.
But soon, no one knew who said what. Many people subconsciously looked at Li Xuan in surprise, with respect and a hint of hope in their eyes.
Li Xuan glanced at the whole audience, then her eyes fell on Chen Xiang, and said with hateful eyes: "Do you know how much grain will be scraped to the ground if you take a copper ruler and scrape it on the mouth of Dendrobium? , if you kick like this, how much food will be kicked into the dust. Every time you kick like this, how much will the court lose, and how much will the people lose?"
Li Xuan's eyes quickly turned to one side and fell on County Magistrate Gu Tan and Bing Cao Canjun Xi Ying. His eyes were like sharp swords, making everyone feel extremely uncomfortable.
"Fifteen kilograms, every time is fifteen kilograms. If you just kick it occasionally, I would hardly pay attention to it. But today, in front of me, you kicked me twice in a row, not to mention deliberately scraping it. These taxes that should have belonged to the imperial court fell into the hands of evil officials like you.
Twenty percent, a full twenty percent of the taxes and grains were stolen from the people, from the imperial warehouses, and into your own homes.
Do you still remember what I said in court today? Since I have said it, you should know the consequences. If so, you will be executed for treason..."
Conspiracy, as soon as these two words came out, Chen Xiang's eyes were already filled with fear.
The word "Zhan" made him fall directly to the ground.
"Your Majesty, although this official has committed serious crimes, it is not enough to commit treason. I hope your Majesty will be lenient." Gu Tan quickly stood up to intercede for the tax collector Chen Xiang.
It's not because of any shady dealings between him and tax collector Chen Xiang, but because at this time, Dongyang County Government really can't let anything happen again.
Once people's hearts become turbulent, if nothing else, this year's summer harvest will definitely be affected.
Li Xuan frowned slightly and looked at Chen Xiang who was lying there, trembling with fright at Li Xuan's words of treason. Li Xuan showed a disdainful sneer at the corner of his mouth and said, "Indeed, being sentenced to treason will indeed make people question the nature of the crime." The king’s punishment was too harsh. If that’s the case, then let’s punish him with eighty sticks!”
"Come here!" As soon as Li Xuan finished speaking, two Qianniu Guards had already flashed out from the side and stepped forward to help Chen Xiang up, preparing to pull him aside and scold him.
At this moment, an old man in a suit of clothes who was white, half black, and half white quickly stood up: "Please forgive him this time, Your Majesty. Chen Xiang knows his mistake. He will never dare to do it again in the future. Your Majesty, he is still a child." ah!"
Li Xuan subconsciously lowered her head to look at Chen Xiang. He was obviously a strong man in his twenties. Why would anyone dare to call him a child?
Li Xuan's eyes swept over the other tax collectors present and saw the uneasiness in their eyes.
And fear, Li Xuan sneered in her heart.
"Well, since so many people are begging for you, then eighty sticks will be fine, ten sticks will be enough." Li Xuan's words made Chen Xiang, who was lying on the ground, suddenly feel extremely happy and relaxed. tone, and at the same time, a trace of resentment flashed in his eyes.
Li Xuan's eyes passed over the people in the distance, and finally fell on Chen Xiang again, waving to Qianniu Weiyi beside him.
The two Qianniu Guards immediately pulled Chen Xiang aside, and then, in full view of everyone, they struck him hard with their sticks, very hard. new
Li Xuan's eyes fell on the Dongyang County tax collectors around her. Seeing their relieved expressions, Li Xuan sneered even more in her heart.
"Mr. Chen, right?" Li Xuan's eyes fell on the old man in silk clothes. This man was Chen Mu, the chief tax collector of Dongyang County, and the uncle of tax collector Chen Xiang.
"I don't dare to call the prince like that. The prince calls the villain Lao Chen!" Chen Mu seriously raised his hands to Li Xuan, his expression full of uneasiness.
Li Xuan has been in Dongyang for a long time, but what he has done makes everyone feel uneasy and afraid.
"It doesn't matter. You are several times older than me. It's not too much for me to call you Old Chen."
After saying this sentence, Li Xuan's face had completely turned cold: "When I was in the county government, I have said more than once that at this special moment, I will not pursue the past of you. Sin has nothing to do with your future affairs, but this year, this year, everyone who acts in Dongyang must be restrained by me. Your little tricks must be tolerated this year if you can, and if you can't!"
Li Xuan almost said these words through gritted teeth in the end, and her cold eyes were like steel knives, scratching everyone's face.
Many Dongyang County tax collectors at this scene immediately handed over their hands and said with fear: "What the prince said, I have long been familiar with the humble position. It's just that Chen Xiang is too young, and some things are accustomed to him, and it is difficult to change for a while."
"It's hard to change once you're used to it?" Li Xuan sneered, and then said coldly: "It seems that you are doing these things really well. Since you are used to it, I will give the order now.
From today onwards, whenever grain is harvested and the grain is deliberately caused to fall onto the ground, if one catty falls, one cane will fall, ten catties will fall, ten canes will fall, and if one hundred catties fall, then one hundred canes will be used.
Please understand, as long as I am in Wuzhou for one day, the entire Dongyang must implement this law to the best of my ability and change your bad habits. "
Li Xuan's voice rang in everyone's ears like thunder. The people of Huangjia Town in the distance looked surprised and couldn't help but whisper.
The faces of the many Dongyang tax collectors standing on one side had already turned pale.
If this is really the case, then it will fundamentally cut off the way for them to rely on these old methods to make money from taxation.
Everyone's eyes were full of anger. They didn't dare to face Li Xuan or Gu Tan with their anger, so they could only face Chen Mu who was standing on one side.
On the other side, Chen Xiang was being punished with a stick and kept wailing.
With a "pop" sound, the ten stick punishments on Chen Xiang have been completed, and the two Qianniu Guards have returned to Li Xuan with Chen Xiang's bloody buttocks supported.
Throwing Chen Xiang directly to the ground, the two Qianniu Guards retreated into the crowd at the same time.
Li Xuan walked to Chen Xiang, stood still, looked at the rice fields in front of her with a cold face, and asked coldly: "Chen Xiang, do you know your guilt?"
"Chen Xiang is guilty!" The punishment of the ten sticks made tax collector Chen Xiang's buttocks ache. Faced with Li Xuan's questioning, he did not dare to neglect. He lay on the ground and replied quickly.
"It's good if you know your guilt. In this case, I don't have to punish you as a soldier on the Shangxi front line, nor do you have to be dismissed from your job as a tax collector." Li Xuan's two light words made Chen Xiang and Chen Xiang Mu, and everyone present could not help but change their expressions.
The only place in Dongyang where war might happen now is in the Shangxi Gold Mine.
Sent to the front line of Shangxi, if you are not careful, you will die.
Being dismissed from the position of tax collector also made Chen Xiang palpitate.
Over the years, Chen Xiang has offended many people openly and secretly because of his position as a tax collector.
If people knew that he was personally deposed by the King of Nanchang because he maliciously levied taxes in front of the King of Nanchang, then I don’t know how many people would be ignited in revenge.
In that case, Chen Xiang would not be able to investigate even if he died.
Now it is just a stick to punish ten sticks, which can be said to be a great grace!
"Why don't you quickly thank your lord for your forgiveness!" Chen Mu stood up immediately and shouted at his nephew.
Chen Xiang immediately lay down on the ground and cupped his hands: "Thank you..."
"I'm not busy!" Li Xuan waved his hand directly, looked at the many tax collectors present, and then said coldly: "Today, the king has issued an order. From today on, anyone who deliberately causes the grain to fall to the ground when collecting grain If a person drops one catty, he will receive one stick and ten catties will fall. If he drops one hundred catties, he will lose one hundred catties. This order must be carried out by someone eventually."
"Chen Xiang, I will order you to supervise this matter in the future. From now on, no matter whether you are an official or a squire, if you violate this order, you will personally carry out the punishment of the rod." As soon as Li Xuan finished speaking, Chen Xiang's eyes Already full of surprises, he bowed to Li Xuan: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty!" Chen Mugang on the other side wanted to stop him, but Chen Xiang responded directly.
Chen Mu stretched his hand in the air, his eyes filled with horror.
Li Xuan glanced at Chen Mu lightly, then looked at Chen Xiang expressionlessly and said, "Work hard. In the future, not only Dongyang, but also the entire Wuzhou will have a place for you to perform."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Chen Xiang bowed deeply once again.
Li Xuan waved her hand and said to Gu Tan: "That's it, let's continue weighing taxes!"
Here! " As soon as Gu Tan waved his hand, a group of tax collectors from the county government immediately started busy, but their eyes when they looked at Chen Xiang were full of fear and resentment.
Li Xuan turned around and waved to the Huang and Bai family on the side.
Huang Bai immediately walked over excitedly, and then bowed deeply to Li Xuan: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your generous care!"
"This is what I should do." Li Xuan reached out and took the little boy Huang Xi, patted his forehead gently and said, "Since you love to study, you will be admitted to the county school as soon as possible in the future, and then let Cheng I’ll teach you how to read by offering wine as a sacrifice!”
"Okay!" Huang Xi was confused and just nodded, not understanding what Li Xuan meant at all.
On the other hand, Huang Bai on the side immediately raised his hands to Li Xuan and said excitedly: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"Well!" Li Xuan raised her head, looked at Huang Ren on one side, and said with a half-smile: "Huang Weng, family harmony is the blessing of the family and the world. I hope you can remember, in addition, In three months, I will come here to check on your family’s autumn grain situation, so don’t let me down.”
The yellow and white cheeks couldn't help but twitch slightly, but he still said respectfully: "I accept the order."
"Yeah!" Li Xuan nodded, then turned around and continued to look at the tax weighing matter in front of him.
From beginning to end, this is what he came for.
