Seeing that Fu Qingchu had not yet recovered from the anger of being deceived, Situ Ce couldn't help but smile and coaxed softly: "Okay, I don't blame you, you are not the only one who was deceived."
"But let her continue to lie like this?"
"No, someone has already reported it to the official." Situ Ce said calmly.
Fu Qingchu: "..."
Therefore, he really has secret guards.
She shook hands, feeling a little uneasy.
Situ Ce took her hand and walked forward, and said in a deep voice: "Young Master Wang and Sun, including you, were all 'born in a deep palace and grew up in the hands of women.' We can only know a thing or two about the bitterness and suffering in the world. It's not like 'why not eat ground meat'.
"Some people work hard to live a better life, while some people will only take advantage of opportunities and do bad things. That's why I say that there are good and bad people in this world. What they show you is what they want." For you to see.
"Sometimes, the same thing written in history books and Huabo can even be completely different. If you have read "Historical Records" and "Hanshu", you should also know that if you want to understand something accurately, you have to View many biographies.
"Just like the 'witchcraft disaster', which person played what role in it can only be known by looking through the biographies of people at that time. And a person, in one thing, he has this image, in another thing In the matter, there is another image.
"What others say may be true from his point of view, but from another person's point of view, it may be false. No one will say something that is not good for him. If true and false are mixed together, which one is true? , which one is fake? Can you tell the difference?"
Fu Qingchu's hands and feet felt cold when he heard this, and his heart almost jumped out of his chest. She knew that Situ Ce already knew about Situ Jian wooing her. Now it was reminding her that Situ Jian was lying to her.
Come to think of it, he is really capable of being generous and benevolent. He was betrayed by the people around him and yet he taught him so carefully. If it had been anyone else, she would have died countless times.
But how true or false is what he said?
He and Situ Jian were just following each other's strengths.
Seeing that she didn't speak, Situ Ce didn't ask any more questions. There is no need to hit the drum with a heavy hammer. With Fu Qingchu's ability, he will surely hear these words in his heart. He gave her a choice, and she will choose on her own.
While the two were talking, they came to a house. Fu Qingchu saw a carriage parked at the door and thought it was arranged by Situ Ce. He was about to ask him where he was going tonight when he saw him step forward and said to the door: "This little Brother, please let me know that Cui Ce is visiting."
After hearing this, the disciple glanced at Situ Ce and saluted hurriedly: "I deserve death for my small crime, but I don't recognize the second master. I'm inviting the second master inside. The master has said that when the second master comes back, just invite him into the house without announcing it." .”
Cui?
Could it be that this is Situ Ce's uncle's house?
It makes sense to think about it. He traveled incognito, neither going to Musheng Garden nor staying in a hotel. The only place where he could stay safely was the Cui family's mansion.
The door led people inside and shouted in front of the front hall: "Master, the second master is back."
Everyone in the room stood up when they heard the sound. The first man, a man over fifty years old, knelt down when he saw Situ Ce, "Common people..."
"My foster father will never do it." Situ Ce hurriedly helped the man up, "It should be the child who salutes you."
He hurriedly helped the man sit down and stood in front of him. "Cui Ce has met his adoptive father and wishes him well." As he said this, he knelt down.
The man hurriedly supported him and said, "Get up quickly, get up quickly."
Situ Ce stood up and said to the man: "Father, this is my wife. In the early Qing Dynasty, this is Mr. Zhang who saved my life when I was at Qingyun Temple."
Fu Qingchu was surprised that he had such a foster father, but he didn't expect him to call himself his wife.
"I've met... my adoptive father."
After weighing it several times, she still followed him and called him foster father.
Come to think of it, if you don't take your wife on a trip on Chinese Valentine's Day, is it possible that you can take a concubine with you? Since he said so, she didn't care whether he overstepped his bounds or not.
Zhang Min smiled and nodded, "Get up quickly and sit down. Stop standing."
Situ Ce sat down next to Zhang Min, and another middle-aged man just stepped forward and knelt down to salute: "I, Zhang Yu, have met the Crown Prince. Your Highness, the Crown Prince, is a thousand years old."
Situ Ce lowered his eyes and blew on the tea in the cup, took a sip, and then said calmly: "Second uncle, no courtesy."
Zhang Yu, Zhang Min's younger brother.
"Thank you, Your Highness." Zhang Yu said, stood up and stood in front of Situ Ce with his hands down.
"How is your uncle's health lately?" Situ Ce put down his tea cup and asked with a smile.
"Your Highness, I am thinking of you. I am in good health." Zhang Yu said in a deep voice.
"Autumn grain will be put into the warehouse soon. Taxation in various places is a national matter. Lantian County, which is under the jurisdiction of my second uncle, is a large county in the middle of Beijing. After the autumn harvest, my second uncle will have to work harder."
"The taxation plan is related to the country's people's livelihood. This is the official duty of the minister, and it is not considered hard work."
Hearing this, Situ Ce smiled with satisfaction, leaned back slightly, looked at Zhang Yu and said with a smile: "The national economy and the people's livelihood are good words. To serve the country is to serve the people, and to serve the people is also to serve the country."
Hearing this, Zhang Yu was a little puzzled, but he didn't dare to ask questions. Situ Ce looked at him, his eyes slowly turning cold, "But the second uncle doesn't seem to understand this."
"I am stupid, please express it clearly, Your Highness." Zhang Yu hurriedly knelt down.
Situ Ce looked at him with a gloomy face: "According to the tax law, every Ding has to pay two shi of millet, two feet of silk, three liang of cotton, or two feet and five feet of cloth, and three jins of hemp to the court every year. Last year, Lantian received an additional one stone, One foot has forced many families with multiple families to flee Lantian. Is this possible?"
"Your Highness, the revenue increased last year. In fact, because of the disaster in Lantian the year before, the imperial court exempted Lantian from taxes for the year. But last year, Lantian had a good harvest, and Weinan suffered another flood, which almost stopped the harvest. Therefore, I decided to increase Lantian's revenue by one stone and one foot. Alleviating the shortage in Weinan."
Hearing this, Fu Qingchu couldn't help but raise her eyebrows. This way, she was sure that the Zhang family was indeed very grateful to Situ Ce. Otherwise, Situ Ce would not tolerate him till now.
"Second uncle actually implemented the practice of 'if there is a bad situation in Hanoi, move the people to the east of the river and move the millet to Hanoi'." Situ Ce sneered, "Then let me ask you, if the people of Lantian fled, where is their land? Can you take it back?"
"Back to Your Highness, when the people fled, they had... sold the land." Zhang Yu said with a guilty conscience.
"Who are the people buying? You cannot buy or sell land beyond a certain share. Have you gone down to check?" Situ Ce looked at Zhang Yu and asked coldly.
Zhang Yu was speechless, obviously he didn't check.
"Were you also involved in the land sale?" Situ Ce asked, "Or did those who bought the land give you many benefits?"
"I dare not..."
"I know whether you dare or not," Situ Ce said angrily. "This year, the tax on Lantian will be reduced by one. Before taxing this year, we will find out who bought more land. The extra land will be taxed at ten per mu." I will collect the tax of 500 kilograms. As for those who are exempt from taxes, how much land their family had last year and how much more land they have this year will be taxed at 20 kilograms per mu."
"Your Highness..." Zhang Yu shouted hurriedly, "If you do this, I... I'm afraid I will die a violent death."
Among those who are exempt from tax, which one is not from aristocratic families, relatives of the emperor and the country? How could he, a small county magistrate, afford to offend?
"They forced the people at the emperor's feet to become homeless. They are the ones who deserve to die!" Situ Ce said coldly, "The imperial edict will come down in a few days. I will send people from the Ministry of War and Dali Temple to collect taxes with you. Who dares To obstruct is to resist.”
At this point, Zhang Yu couldn't say anything more. Instead, Zhang Min looked worried: "Those who bought the land are from aristocratic families, and their influence in the court is deeply intertwined. I also heard that Ganye Temple was also involved in the purchase. If they are pushed too hard, they may cause another celestial disaster... then..."
When the Prince's star clashes with the Emperor's star, he will not have a prince to become a monk for him.
"These monks only eat and don't work. It's time to do something for Jingchao. They have their own celestial phenomena. Does Qingyun Temple not have the celestial phenomena of Qingyun Temple?" Situ Ce said solemnly.
Hearing this, Zhang Min still had doubts on his face, but further down the line, it was not what he should ask, so he said nothing more.
Situ Ce raised his eyes and looked at Zhang Yu, "Second uncle, Lantian is very close to Chang'an, but also very far away. You should know how to go far and how to get close."
Hearing this, Zhang Yu couldn't help but look at Situ Ce and said solemnly: "I understand."
The so-called "near" means that he has done a good job in this expropriation and has become Situ Ce's right-hand man, so he can reach the center of power. As for Yuan, it means that he can't do it well, so he just stops here.
"It's getting late, second uncle, let's take a rest early." Situ Ce looked at him and said calmly.
Zhang Yu resigned, and Zhang Min sighed: "I often advise him not to take things that are not his. It was you who promoted him, and I can't discredit you. Who would have thought." As he said that, Zhang Min couldn't help but sigh. , "I don't think he is a good official. Let's give it to him as soon as possible, so as not to cause trouble and implicate you."
"Second uncle knows the importance of things, so adoptive father doesn't need to worry too much." Situ Ce comforted him.
Zhang Min sighed, "Forget it, let's not talk about him. Your adoptive mother also talks about you all the time. I'll have someone call her out right now."
After seeing his foster mother Gao, Zhang Min arranged for the two of them to rest. It is worth mentioning that Mr. Gao gave Fu Qingchu a set of pure gold jewelry with exquisite workmanship. Said it was a wedding gift for them.
Fu Qingchu held a golden phoenix hairpin and said with a smile: "The Zhang family is really kind to you. This set of jewelry requires a few taels of gold."
"These are still few. I heard that I was getting married, and even the betrothal gift was prepared for me. I refused, and just now I said that I would only give the bride a set of jewelry." Situ Ce took the hairpin and inserted it into her On my head, I looked at it carefully and said, "It's so beautiful."
Fu Qingchu pursed his lips and smiled, "People rely on clothes, Buddha relies on gold."
"How can those dead clay sculptures be dressed in gold?" Situ Ce said disdainfully.
Speaking of this, Fu Qingchu thought of what Zhang Min said again and couldn't help but get worried, "What the adoptive father said is not unreasonable. We still need to be more careful."
"You don't have to worry about this, I have my own plan."
Seeing that he already had an idea, Fu Qingchu didn't want to ask any more questions, lest he suspect that he was lying.
"You said before that Mr. Zhang saved your life? I never heard you say that." Fu Qingchu asked instead. She was really curious about what kind of situation it was that allowed Situ Ce to recognize a commoner as his adoptive father. .
Hearing this, Situ Ce couldn't help but sigh, "Without his family's help, I might have died long ago."
