"Since we have already cleared the land and fortified our city, why would we leave them behind?"
Shen Tang glanced at the shivering horse bandit.
I was thinking about how to deal with them.
Chu Yao said indifferently: "I think he has his own considerations."
Shen Tang showed a rare sarcasm, frowned in displeasure, and asked several questions in a row: "Considerations? What considerations? Considerations of overestimating one's own capabilities? Or do they think that if they offer enough offerings on a daily basis, the accumulated incense and love can avoid being crushed by the iron hoof?"
Chu Yao looked indifferent.
Said: "It's good as long as you can't find any fault with us."
The fertile land that has been reclaimed in Longwu County is in the hands of these wealthy families, so Zhao Feng and his group of brave warriors can only go to unowned land to reclaim wasteland. These newly reclaimed lands are in remote locations, and if you want to increase the fertility of the soil, you have to carefully cultivate the land.
There's simply not enough to share.
This is secondary. The most difficult issue is the difficulty in collecting land taxes.
Fertile land and good farmland were in the hands of these people, and the common people could only work as tenant farmers for them in order to have food. The harvest of the land and the number of tenant farmers were closely related to the taxation of the county governor. If they concealed the figures, the county government would not be able to collect the full amount of tax silver.
At a time when the Zheng Qiao royal court did not care about the life and death of the prefectures and counties under its jurisdiction, the operation of the county government, the military pay for the garrison at Yonggu Pass, and the repair and reconstruction of Longwu County all depended on this income. To put it bluntly, this had seriously threatened Shen Tang's lifeblood.
Before this, Shen Tang had marched deep into Shiwu alone, and he and Qi Shan and others had dealt with these wealthy families and gentry in order to raise food and money for the troops. These cunning and sly old foxes were not afraid at all, and either pretended to be deaf and dumb or used the method of delaying.
Several companies united together and kept in touch with each other.
The attitude was that they treated the county government as a poor beggar begging for money, and even someone with a good temper like Chu Yao felt a little irritated.
Appeal to their emotions and enlighten them with reason
It doesn't work at all.
If they really had this kind of sense of family and country, they would not do so many things that would anger God and people and wipe out their entire families.
These local tyrants and local rulers are used to being arrogant! If the Ten Crows come in, it will only be a matter of changing their positions.
Now one of them is in trouble...
Haha, Chu Yao really can't muster any sympathy.
Not applauding is a sign of good self-cultivation.
Hearing the unhappiness in Chu Yao's words, Shen Tang could only sigh, and said helplessly and regretfully: "Although we can't find fault with it, this matter is ultimately their own death, ignoring the wartime deployment, but as the head of a county, I let the horse bandits wreak havoc on this land, and it is also my fault. Wuhui, these horse bandits will be tied up and taken back to calm the public anger..."
Chu Yao hesitated: "My Lord, you won't kill him?"
"Of course I have to kill him, but not now."
Chu Yao didn't ask any more questions.
Gu Chi had been feeling unwell since the battle at the Shiwu King Capital, and even increased the dosage of his nourishing pills by three points. Now he was sitting in a carriage—even though Shen Tang had specially asked people to cover the carriage with thick animal skins to reduce the bumps, he still suffered a lot. When he found that the army had stopped moving forward, he lifted the curtain to look at the excitement for a while, and after putting it down, he made a sound of tut-tut.
Kang Shi and Gu Chi were riding in the same car.
I had nothing to do so I just closed my eyes and dozed off.
Hearing his teasing, she asked bluntly, "Why are you so weird?"
Gu Chi laughed and said, "How can you be sarcastic? Isn't this just praising the Lord for having more than 800 minds?"
He and Chu Yao are really a good pair, singing and dancing in harmony.
"What do you mean?"
Gu Chi said pointedly: "The captured women were all maids and servants, there was not even a concubine."
The relationships among these families are complicated.
Since all parties live together, there should be quite a few female relatives.
Kang Shi's heart moved slightly, and he understood what was going on.
But he still said: "Maybe he escaped with the other men under the protection of the servants..."
If the master's family fled, even if they were accompanied by maids, they would be first-class maids who served them personally, and the maids below them would be left to fend for themselves. It was normal that they were not killed by the bandits.
Gu Chi just sneered: "Your cousin..."
Kang Shi's face turned dark.
He now gets a headache when he hears the word "Qishan". He worries about what kind of war Xun Zhen will cause when he sees Qishan. He worries even more about how many unknown enemies Qishan has waiting to come and collect debts! This cousin really makes him depressed at the first sight.
Pretending not to know, "What happened to Yuanliang?"
Gu Chi smiled and asked back.
"Why do you think he's called 'Evil Plot'?"
It is no exaggeration to say that praying for good will make people hate you.
It’s not that Qi Shan took action personally, but there is a 99% chance that he did it, whether he turned a blind eye or added fuel to the fire!
Outsiders can't find any faults.
Because there was a severe shortage of troops in Longwu County.
How could Qishan have the energy to take care of everything
Kang Shi: “…”
The air fell into an inexplicable silence. After a while, Kang Shi asked in a low voice: "Will it affect the reputation of the lord?"
Gu Chi pulled his furry fox scarf tightly around his neck.
He leaned back and adjusted himself to a comfortable position, and said with a smile: "My lord, isn't this a 'hero saving a beautiful woman'? Fortunately, there is no decent female relative here, otherwise, our lord would have to kill someone with a borrowed knife and cause an accident."
Precisely because there is nothing, we save generously.
If there was a legitimate heir alive in this family, even if it was just a daughter, there would be no legitimate excuse to take away the land they had swallowed up over the years, let alone release the hidden tenants. It would also be easy to be criticized for dereliction of duty.
Although it is not serious, it does have a blemish on its reputation.
This situation is different from Lin Feng’s original situation.
Gu Chi looked lazy: "I don't know Qi Yuanliang. If we find something that can kill people in this family's house, haha, let alone killing a chicken to scare the monkeys, even pulling out a chicken feather can be an excuse for him to get angry..."
Kang Shi: “…”
Gu Chi smiled and said, "Do you think it can be found?"
Kang Shi: “…”
The answer is yes.
It can even save Qishan the effort of framing others.
Because of the deeds of these local tyrants in Longwu County, not only Shen Tang and others who had just arrived, but even the lower-class common people had heard about it, but they could do nothing about it. I'm afraid even these local tyrants didn't know that they had really hit a wall this time.
This iron plate is full of ruthless people.
After simply comforting the women who were captured, Shen Tang and his men continued to lead their troops on their way, arriving at Ruyao before the Golden Crow sank in the west. Qingniao, who arrived first, had passed the news to Qishan, and Shen Tang saw the young man under the city wall from a distance.
I haven't seen Qi Shanqing for nearly two months. He has lost a lot of weight, and the clothes that used to fit him well now seem loose on him.
"Yuanliang!"
She waved from a distance.
Qi Shan led a group of minor officials from the government office to welcome her. His dull expression finally showed a hint of joy. When he saw the soldiers appearing in his sight, he was also excited. His heart was finally at ease. He stepped forward and saluted: "Congratulations, my lord, on your triumphant return."
Shen Tang leaned forward to look at him, almost leaning on the neck of the motorcycle, and said with a bit of boasting: "Have you been injured recently?"
Qishan took the reins of the motorcycle.
Under Shen Tang's expectant gaze, he smiled and praised her, "You are not injured. I think your strength has improved again."
Shen Tang wanted to give himself a thumbs up.
“It’s natural!”
Unfortunately, she doesn’t even know what realm she is in. She becomes stronger when facing a stronger opponent. Is this probably the drawback of practicing both civil and martial arts
Qi Shan's eyes were clear, even gentle.
He said, "My lord, are you tired after all this march? The government has already ordered people to prepare meals, and the celebration will be held tomorrow."
Shen Tang rubbed his stomach: "It would have been fine if Yuanliang hadn't mentioned it, but now that you mentioned it - hehe, I'm really a little hungry."
Staying in the Shiwu, exposed to the sun and wind, hiding during the day and coming out at night, she missed her own broken doghouse very much. At this moment, she had a strong urge to eat a full meal, take a bath, and sleep well. Even if the sky was about to fall, she had to wait until she had a good sleep before talking about it.
Qishan is very tolerant of Shen Tang's occasional childishness.
All in all, she is only fourteen.
It’s only the fifteenth day after the beginning of the new year.
The warriors and scholars had sharp senses, so they didn't speak loudly, but if they were attentive, they could hear clearly. Among them, Xun Zhen, who was sharpening his sword, was the most serious and the most surprised. It took him a while to come to his senses.
He looked towards Jiang Sheng and lowered his voice.
"Xian Deng, are you sure this is Qi Yuanliang?"
The face was unfamiliar, but that was not surprising - Qishan's ability to disguise was such that anyone would be fooled - but Qishan's gentle tone almost made Xun Zhen waver. He almost suspected that this Qishan was not the same Qishan, and that he had recognized the wrong person
"Yes, it's him." Jiang Sheng added fuel to the fire, "If you don't believe me, go down now and see how he reacts."
Xun Zhen: “…”
Just as an ugly daughter-in-law has to meet her parents-in-law, this enemy will also meet sooner or later. Kang Shi and Gu Chi got off the carriage one after another. He and Jiang Sheng couldn't hide like a girl in the boudoir. Besides, he had nothing to be ashamed of.
When Xun Zhen got off the car, he heard his master say to Qi Shan: "This trip has yielded a lot of gains. The county government will not have to worry about the expenses for the next two or three years. Oh, by the way, there is another capable person joining us. Yuan Liang, let me introduce you to him..."
Qishan asked, "A capable person?"
Shen Tang endured the pain and said, "It was thanks to him that we were able to win the battle of Yonggu Pass. With you, it is only a matter of time before Longwu County will be prosperous again." If he doesn't exploit Xun Zhen's labor force, how can he justify the money she made
That’s five thousand taels of gold!
It was gone before I could even touch it.
She took Qishan's wrist and walked towards Xunzhen's carriage with a smile on her face, as if she couldn't wait to show off.
He said: "My Lord..."
After the words were spoken, the footsteps paused.
Shen Tang found that he couldn't pull the person away, so he turned to look at him.
At some point, Qi Shan's face turned ashen, his eyebrows trembled slightly due to the force, his eyes changed from the previous clear and gentle look to a sinister one, his lips were tightly pursed, and his facial muscles were tense, these were small details of suppressing his emotions.
And his sight—
Shen Tang followed the line of sight and found that the focus was on Xun Zhen, whose fingers were stroking the hilt of the sword. The atmosphere was tense.
The only sound she could hear was the rustling of flags.
The heart in my chest also skipped a beat.
This scene—
This atmosphere—
How familiar!
Before she could say anything, she heard Qi Shan laugh without emotion: "My Lord, Shen Youli, you are really-"
Shen Tang: “…”
Good job!
The long-lost murderous aura, the long-lost "Shen Youli".
It can be seen that Qishan was really crazy this time.
She muttered: "I, I don't know either..."
Qi Shan took a deep breath and tried to suppress the buzzing in his head. He felt helpless and didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "How come? You can find all the enemies scattered all over the world?"
The national essence is brewing in his heart.
How many times has this happened
He had killed seven lords before, he admitted it!
So as retribution, must this lord in front of him find seven enemies to balance him? When Qi Shan thought that his colleagues were all enemies, his heart began to panic...
He thought with a dull face, this lord cannot be kept.
Looking at Shen Tang, she opened her almond eyes and pursed her lips in grievance. Her blank and innocent look extinguished his anger.
Qishan: “…”
Sometimes he wondered if his master did it on purpose. How could anyone be so precise and only pick on his enemies
Go out and find an enemy.
Every time you return, you will be disappointed!
Most importantly—
Qi Shan pointed at Xun Zhen, who put his thumb on the hilt of his sword and unsheathed it a little: "Do you know his ways as a scholar?"
Shen Tang muttered, "I don't know, but it's a loss of money."
She has accepted the reality of being poor.
Shen Tang could see that she probably had a "stamp collecting physique" and could meet all kinds of strange and diverse literary scholars. Even if there was no Xun Zhen, there would be the next Xun X.
Since she couldn't resist, she simply lay down and accepted her fate.
I want to see how tough my life is!
Qi Shan said: "A wise man comes up with ideas in a hurry."
Shen Tang muttered: "...sounds familiar..."
Doesn't it sound familiar
Back then, she happened to pass by the seat of Luxia County and heard Jiang Sheng talk about this scholar's way. At that time, she was also wondering why the lord was always hurt, but she didn't expect that the lord who was hurt was actually herself? If I remember correctly—
The way of the scribe is to think quickly and intelligently...
Probably, perhaps, possibly...
Will it make the master's brain not work well
She suddenly recalled her embarrassing experience riding a rocking bike that day, and calculated the time with her fingers. It was exactly when Xun Zhen was showing his might at Yonggu Pass? Therefore, she had inexplicably reduced her intelligence to a three-year-old child who liked rocking bikes and singing nursery rhymes. Wasn't she sick
The root cause lies with Xun Zhen
Shen Tang almost blacked out.
In terms of cruelty, Xun Zhen is still the most cruel.
If he doesn't take action, it's fine. But once he does, he will give her two unsolvable debuffs at once - reduction in intelligence + loss of wealth
but-
The money has been spent, this person cannot be used!
Shen Tang gritted his teeth and decided not to suffer too much loss!
"What feud did you have?"
If it was a mortal enemy, she would definitely be biased towards Qishan.
Qi Shan did not answer, Xun Zhen sneered: "This is a long story. In order to avoid revenge killing, Qi Yuanliang... "
Stop talking halfway.
Xun Zhen tightly grasped the scabbard, looked around, and said to Qi Shan: "This is in public, I will give you some face. How about we settle the past grudges in private?"
Qi Shan said with a dark face: "Yes."
Shen Tang: “…”
The gossip was cut off as soon as I heard the beginning, and I was very upset.
But this place is not a good place to settle grudges. Apart from other things, it would not be a good look if the two of them drew their swords and started fighting. How many people would watch the fun and become the topic of conversation after dinner? Maintaining the weird and stiff atmosphere, they returned to the government office.
During the time she was away, the government office had been almost repaired, with the main structure completed and the rest being slowly carved out.
Inside the new government office.
Shen Tang was afraid that Qi Shan would suffer a loss, so she stood by him silently and sat in the best audience seat to eat the melon. After Xun Zhen finished speaking, she finished eating the whole melon, and there was only one thought left in her mind -
Can it still be operated like this
Xun Zhen suppressed the urge to draw his sword and kill someone, and said in a deep voice: "... A few years ago, Qi Yuanliang disguised himself as a young girl in distress to avoid being hunted down, and was saved by my son..."
Shen Tang: “…”
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