The people of Qin were forthright and direct, and most of the tenants who received the news in the evening flocked to the main house to thank the owner, and some families with children even came with chickens.
Ling Qingyu smiled back until his face became numb. He was moved by the enthusiasm of the local people and persisted until the last time the family left.
Back in the main house, Ling Qingyu slowly flipped through the ledger, thinking in his heart that if taxes continue to increase like this, his family's so many fields will not be able to bear it so hard.
"The head of the house." Han Bian yelled twice, seeing that she was still in a daze, he raised his voice and yelled again.
"Ah?" Ling Qingyu came back to his senses, smiled embarrassedly, and said, "I was distracted just now, what were you talking about?"
"What are you thinking?" Han Bian asked.
"I'm thinking, we have so many fields, it's not a problem to always carry it so hard. Since the imperial court has started to increase taxes, it seems like they have tasted the sweetness. It will only get heavier and heavier. We will have to pay for it later. It's gone." Ling Qingyu said.
Han Bian nodded, then remained silent, and said, "Why don't we find someone to attach to?" Attaching to Jinshi or a family with honors can exempt most of the taxes.
Ling Qingyu shook his head slightly, and said: "Our amount is too large, and many of them are connected together. I'm afraid no one will dare to take it."
"As the head of the family, General Yang's subordinates all have official positions, and they are also included in the tax exemption as a rule." Han Bian said.
"The fields on Hedong Road can be listed under their names, but the fields in Wuhu, Huai'an, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and here are probably not easy." Ling Qingyu shook his head and said: "And I'm not only worried about this, generally speaking, Once the imperial court starts to increase taxes on a large scale, it will not only be right, it may also increase business taxes."
"Business tax has been increased, but we are all in the middle, with some reductions and exemptions, and the tax collectors on the road have also been bribed. Calculated, the increase is 10%." Han Bian nodded.
"Now that we have sinned against the Wang family, I'm afraid it will not be so easy in the future. We need to open another business to specialize in this area. Also, the amount of spices coming this time is very large, so we must be careful." Ling Qingyu said. The profit margins of those commodities are very large, and adding 10% is not a problem, but I am afraid that this will become a bottomless pit by then. Hmph, when the time comes, the wool will come from the sheep. Anyway, only the upper class can afford those spices and treasures. My wife will increase the price!
Seeing Ling Qingyu rubbing his forehead, Han Bian said: "Let's take a rest first, this kind of thing can't be rushed for a while."
"Well, you've been tired all day too, good night." Ling Qingyu nodded. That's right, these things can't be rushed over for a while, there is always a way to solve them.
On the third day, Ling Qingyu and Han Bian were looking at the permafrost between the field ridges, when the sound of hurried horseshoes sounded, and a cloud of dust was raised from the official road in the distance.
Ling Qingyu and Han Bian stood up and looked at each other without realizing it, but Yan San and Ying Shisan were on full alert. From the sound of horseshoes, there were a lot of people, but they were uniform. This is a well-trained team. Why did they come to this village? Wild place
The speed of the horse team was very fast, as if they had come to the front in the blink of an eye, the first two horses were stretched high and raised their front hooves in a galloping state, after the horseshoes landed, He Li called out in a hearty voice: "Master. "
The other person is also an acquaintance, Gao Liu!
"It's good to be in charge." Gao Liu said with a light smile.
"What are you doing here?" Ling Qingyu asked a little stupidly, you are serving soldiers, is this considered AWOL
"The general gave us some holidays, and we got some rewards in the previous wars, so we want to buy some land." Gao Liu laughed.
Ling Qingyu and Han Bian looked at each other, and Han Bian said in a low voice, "The fields here were not purchased under the name of the Ling family."
That means they won't be implicated? Ling Qingyu's eyes lit up, and he said with a smile: "Exactly, I happen to have some fields to sell here, I wonder if the two adults are interested?"
"We don't have much time, can Mr. Han bring the documents and run with us?" He Li asked while leaning on the saddle.
"I'll go back and get it right away, you guys wait." Han Bian lifted up his robe and ran towards the village.
Ling Qingyu beckoned the two of them to get off their horses, then ran to dig into the fire that had just extinguished nearby, and dug out two roasted sweet potatoes, handed them to them and said, "Taste it."
"It's so cold, the head of the house came here to roast sweet potatoes?" Gao Liu took it and said with a smile.
"Not counting, let's take a look at the ground floor, why did you come here at this time?" Ling Qingyu asked.
"When we went back, the county magistrate showed the general the tax increase document. The fields on Hedong Road belonged to the general's name and belonged to the scope of tax exemption, so the general said he wanted us to come and touch you. Gao Liu and I have a relationship." With an official position, some can be exempted." He Li leaned closer to Ling Qingyu, and said in a low voice: "If it is not enough, I will also bring some small schools, although it is the eighth and ninth ranks, some can be exempted."
"I offended the Wang family and the Zhao family this time, so I won't cause you any trouble, right?" Ling Qingyu leaned over and said in a low voice.
"Are they making trouble for you again?" He Li asked with a glint in his eyes.
"Cut, a few dead men wanted my life, they thought well! They were all wiped out by Yan San!" Ling Qingyu said proudly, and then whispered: "Don't tell Yang Zhao about this, you know Do not?"
He Li took a deep look at her and said, "The general will know if you don't tell me."
"Anyway, you didn't hear anything!" Ling Qingyu stared and said, the problem of quick talk really needs to be corrected!
"That sweet potato is not enough to bribe us." Gao Liu said with a leisurely smile.
Ling Qingyu turned around and went to the fire to dig a sweet potato, took it out and handed it to him, "I'll double it for you, and there won't be any more! You can't be too black-hearted!"
"We'll send you to Yinzhou first." He Li said softly.
"No, you didn't have much time to come out, and my carriage couldn't go fast. They couldn't find us even after we left Bianjing. It doesn't matter." Ling Qingyu shook his head. They are all in casual clothes, travel-stained, and they seem to be rushing here non-stop. If they go around Yinzhou, they don't know how much time it will take.
He Li pursed his lips and kept silent, knowing in his heart that what she said was right, so the sulking anger had nowhere to go.
Han Bian ran back in a hurry and said, "Okay, okay, let's go back quickly."
In the evening, Han Bian came back alone, saying that after completing the paperwork, his team only had dinner in the county and left.
"The people who came here all have official positions, and the number of fields is enough. The problem here is solved." Seeing Ling Qingyu's expression was a little sleepy, Han Bian said: "They are also afraid that they will be seen to gossiping and hurt you."
"I know, I just feel very aggrieved," Ling Qingyu knocked on the table, and said, "Are we breaking the law or killing people? Why are we hiding like this?!" It's impossible to have a meal together!
"Han Bian," Ling Qingyu took a deep breath, calmed down his anger, and said, "This country is about to rot, and any dynasty that makes people live in fear, is not far from extinction. "
"The current situation is not very good, but the imperial court's control is still very strong, otherwise, we don't need to do these things anymore, the head of the family, it won't be so fast." Han Bian said in a daze.
"Taxes have increased, making people's lives difficult, and then there are rebellions everywhere, and now there are foreign enemies peeping, why not call it bad?" Ling Qingyu sneered.
"Because Cheng Xiang and Qingliu are here, all the bureaucratic systems in the local area are working normally or even efficiently. Dazhou has been prosperous for decades, and the accumulated wealth is very considerable. These cannot be destroyed all at once. Foreign enemies Not to mention the Zhao family army, but General Yang is here too." Han Bian said, he had never seen Ling Qingyu like this, she had always been confident that nothing could trouble her, and now it seemed like she was disappointed in everything, let him Very startled.
"In other words, can it last for decades?" Ling Qingyu said.
"At least there won't be chaos immediately. Just look at how the court will play games later. If Cheng Xiang and Qingliu's faction can suppress these things, then long-term stability can also be achieved. If they can't be suppressed, then it's really hard to say." Han Bian With a wry smile, he said.
Ling Qingyu stared at Han Bian for a while, and said, "Brother Han, your ability to withstand stress is much stronger than mine." During this period of time, successive things have accumulated in my heart little by little. Framed and spread rumors to chase and kill, and the result broke out today. From this point of view, it is Han Bian and the aboriginals who have strong psychological endurance.
"Wrong, if you talk about being strong, no one can compare to the master." Han Bian laughed. Because you are the one who bears the brunt, you are the one who is rumored, and you are the one who was assassinated. You still have to make the final decision on how to take the helm of the Ling family. We are nothing more than executors. It exploded and smashed the table.
"That's right, I'm an unbeatable Xiaoqiang! If you dare to block my way, gods block and kill gods, and Buddhas block and destroy Buddhas! Han Bian, we're leaving for Yinzhou tomorrow, and I'm going to learn how to ride a horse!" Ling Qingyu was very imposing. He smashed the bowl on the table and said loudly.
After leaving the Guanzhong Plain, we enter the Loess Plateau, and the scenery on both sides is completely different.
After that high fever, Ling Qingyu's body miraculously recovered, she was no longer so afraid of the cold, but she just coughed sometimes, so Yan San no longer restrained her, and took her to sit in the driver's seat to have a look from time to time landscape.
After leaving Yanzhou, the road is difficult to walk, and it is rare to see pedestrians on the road.
All the way was yellow-gray, Ling Qingyu yawned and said, "How far is it?"
Han Bian rode his horse and walked beside him, and said with a mysterious expression: "We'll find out later."
Before he could finish his words, a huge cloud of dust was raised on the road ahead as if a wind and sandstorm had turned around.
Seeing Han Bian smiling, Yan San also relaxed.
Only Ling Qingyu couldn't close his mouth after eating the wind and sand that was full of it.
The one running ahead was not a cavalry team, it was hundreds of thousands of war horses galloping together.