Pig Killer

Chapter 257

"So what if they know? The Hezhong Prefecture dares not move an inch now." Shen Changsheng swung the whip in his hand and said, "This is not something that just happened. It has been a while since the Hezhong Prefecture made any statement."

"The court's ability to control has declined too much." Shen Hui'e said to them with a frown.

"The county system has only been in place for a few years and has not been consolidated. In addition, the Second Emperor has been levying heavy taxes and levying heavy taxes. No one has risen up in rebellion, so you nobles should just laugh secretly!" Shen Changsheng snorted coldly and said unceremoniously, and then continued, "Due to the suppression by the government troops, there is a strange silence now. Sooner or later, it will be unbearable."

"Big brother is right." Shen Hui'e shook her head and chuckled, "The court will be unable to hold back by next summer at the latest."

"Why?" Huang Zhongchang looked at her in confusion and asked.

"Summer harvest and taxes!" Shen Hui'e said with her eyes slightly narrowed.

"Oh!" Huang Zhongchang nodded in understanding, "Without food, what will those nobles eat?"

"That's right!" Shen Hui'e looked at him with her inky black eyes and said, "Without food, how can the nobles get their salaries?"

"It's not that they own the land." Huang Zhongchang thought after hearing this.

"Not all people have land, and they don't pay taxes. The huge bureaucracy has a lot of expenses just on salaries, not to mention the troops fighting outside." Shen Hui'e snorted coldly, "Add to that the embezzlement, hoarding, and embezzlement, and the money is stretched beyond the means!"

"So, next year will be difficult again." Huang Zhongchang pursed his lips and looked at her.

"The court is having a hard time. The people below are busy making money, but they are eating too much." Shen Hui'e said with cold eyes.

"Ahem..." Shen Changsheng coughed twice, "Second sister's words are too sharp."

"The truth is usually not pleasant to the ear. It's not as good as flattery, which makes the person who flatters it feel good." Shen Hui'e said as she looked at them with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"Haha..." Huang Zhongchang shook his head and laughed, "But if we take action, the good days of those nobles will be over."

"Yeah!" Shen Hui'e smiled and nodded slightly.

"We're here. Hezhong Prefecture is in front of us." Shen Changsheng pointed at the tall city walls and gate towers in the distance with the whip in his hand.

"Such a high city wall?" Shen Hui'e looked at them in surprise and said.

"After all, it is the head of a county and is very well built. Of course, it cannot compare with the capital." Huang Zhongchang narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at the high city walls of Hezhong Prefecture.

"What is that dark thing in front?" Shen Hui'e pointed at the dark area under the city wall in front.

"Gathering refugees!" Shen Changsheng said solemnly.

"So many?" Huang Zhongchang looked at him in shock and said, "Why don't you go home in the middle of winter?"

"The grain was confiscated, and the land was sold to exchange for grain. We had no food to eat, so we had to flee the famine." Shen Changsheng frowned and said, "At least there are many opportunities in the county governor's office, and we can work and not starve to death."

"There was no natural disaster, but common people were displaced. It's such a sin!" Shen Hui'e said angrily.

"Alas..." Shen Changsheng sighed heavily helplessly.

"How can we let them go back?" Huang Zhongchang blinked his dark eyes and looked at her.

"Redistribute the land to them!" Shen Hui'e said, looking at them with her deep and penetrating eyes.

"It's not easy to divide it!" Huang Zhongchang raised his eyebrows and said, "They bought it. One is willing to buy and the other is willing to sell. How can you let the land be divided?"

"Yes! Yes!" Shen Changsheng nodded hurriedly after hearing this, "The transaction is voluntary."

"Are you really willing?" Shen Hui'e raised her eyebrows and looked at them and said, "Isn't this just taking advantage of someone's misfortune?"

"I'm afraid you can't convince people! If you force it, the rich will oppose it." Huang Zhongchang said to her with a frown.

"There are only so many fields, and they are all in the hands of the rich. They don't have to pay taxes. Common people can pay taxes, but they don't have fields." Shen Hui'e looked at them with her inky black eyes and said, "The court can't collect taxes, the treasury is empty, and even the salaries of officials can't be paid. It will be ruined sooner or later." Then she continued slowly, "On the contrary, these rich and powerful people own a lot of fields. They are all fat and wealthy. Who cares about the court's life or death!" She bit her lip and said, "The court has troops to feed and disasters to rescue. Where is the money? Where is the food? The money and food grown in the soil are all taken by the owners of the land."

"All the land under heaven belongs to the king." Huang Zhongchang looked at her with his deep and bottomless eyes and said, "Let them pay taxes too."

Shen Hui'e sneered and said, "What's the difference with the previous vassal states? It's just that there is no obvious financial power, military power, and the power to appoint officials." Looking at the naive Huang Zhongchang, "Oh! In the previous dynasty, we didn't have to pay taxes, but now we have to pay taxes. Do you feel comfortable with this comparison?"

"Well... I'm definitely not willing to do that." Huang Zhongchang said after a moment of hesitation.

Shen Hui'e looked at him with eyes as black as black jade and said, "They have money, food, and servants. They will rebel! There will be endless wars and the people will suffer."

Huang Zhongchang looked at her nervously and said, "What should we do then?"

"The solution to solve the problem once and for all is to prohibit the buying and selling of land. No matter whether you are a noble or a commoner, you only have the right to use it, not the ownership." Shen Hui'e said to them with her bright eyes.

"That's unlikely!" Shen Changsheng said unwillingly, "I still want to buy more land! If it hadn't been a rebellion, I could have bought more land."

"Just take a look!" Shen Hui'e looked at him helplessly and said.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute, even if brother-in-law buys more land, he still has to pay taxes!" Huang Zhongchang said with his eyes suddenly brightening.

"You!" Shen Hui'e shook her head and laughed, "Think about it, I also wanted to be a landlord and own a large piece of land, so why would I buy an official position for my son?"

"To evade taxes." Huang Zhongchang blurted out.

"Hmm!" Shen Hui'e nodded at him and gave him a thumbs up. "Everyone has this idea. It's human nature. Because the only thing that can create wealth is land. So the desire for land will make people do anything to achieve their goals."

"If you have enough food at home, you won't be worried." Shen Hui'e pointed her index finger at the blue sky and said, "Land depends on the weather for food. If a natural disaster comes, the common people will have no ability to resist the risk. If there is no rice at home, what should we do?"

"Sell your children, sell your land." Shen Changsheng said without thinking, "Land is concentrated in the hands of the rich. If they get an official position, they will do everything they can to avoid paying taxes."

"This is a natural disaster, what about man-made disasters?" Shen Hui'e said as she stroked her index finger across her brow.

"This is a man-made disaster. The emperor has committed a sin himself!" Huang Zhongchang said to her with his deep and dark eyes.

"That's right." Shen Hui'e said with cold eyes, "There are many ways to cause trouble! Officials have a natural advantage in forcing people to buy or sell. If someone takes a fancy to your prime land, will you sell it or not?"

"Why?" Huang Zhongchang straightened up and said unhappily.

"Because he is an official with power, he can destroy your family." Shen Hui'e's dark eyes under her willow eyebrows were like thick ink that could not be dissolved. "The county magistrate who destroyed your family and the county governor who wiped out your clan."

"Uh..." Huang Zhongchang was speechless.

"There are many people who take advantage of others' misfortunes. The elderly in your family are sick, and you don't know whether to save them or not. But you have no money, and you have borrowed from all your relatives and friends, but it still doesn't work. You have to borrow money from rich people! Why would someone lend you money for no reason? You can lend it to me, but at high interest." Shen Hui'e looked at them with deep and bottomless eyes and said, "Lend it or not."

"If you borrow it, the interest will compound and you will fall into the abyss until your family is broken up." Shen Changsheng looked at her with dark eyes and said.

"A penny can make a hero fall!" Shen Hui'e said with deep emotion.

"You should also be grateful to the wealthy family who bought the land. It's a timely relief! Although the price was kept low." Shen Hui'e said sarcastically.

Huang Zhongchang was sitting cross-legged in the carriage with his arms on his legs, his hands clasped together, his thumbs moving up and down, and his head lowered as if thinking about something.

"You're bound to encounter these sooner or later." Shen Changsheng looked at her with his dark eyes and said.

"Hmm!" Shen Hui'e nodded slightly. "If this second emperor is reliable, then the court will continue for a hundred years before we meet him. But this second emperor is like a whip, driving the carriage faster." She snorted coldly, "It took others a hundred years to get here, but he did it in two years right before our eyes." She sighed with emotion, "This is all experience."

"This is also a lesson learned." Shen Changsheng said with a wry smile.

"We need to absorb it to prevent it from happening." Shen Hui'e said as she looked at them with her glassy eyes.

"Is it unavoidable?" Huang Zhongchang suddenly looked up at her and said.

"Can human selfishness be avoided?" Shen Hui'e said as she looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Uh..." Huang Zhongchang was speechless and said slowly, "The righteous will live forever!" He clasped his fists and said, "People like this should be killed!"

"With a ferocious face, one can subdue and kill the evildoers; with a kind face and attitude, one can protect others with love. They are all means! Appearing in different guises to protect the world." Shen Hui'e said, looking at him with sparkling eyes.

The Vajra has angry eyes and the Bodhisattva has lowered brows, both of which are for saving all living beings.

"Hey, hey! How can you kill people casually?" Shen Changsheng quickly spoke up to stop them and said, "They have money and people, and together they form a considerable force."

"Don't be impatient, don't be impatient. How can you just kill people casually?" Huang Zhongchang said quickly, "We can convince people with reason."

"Hehe..." Shen Hui'e laughed as softly as a silver bell when she heard this.

"What are you laughing at?" Shen Changsheng asked, looking straight at her.

"They can't unite." Shen Hui'e suppressed the smile on her face and looked at him seriously.

"Why?" Shen Changsheng looked at her in confusion and said, "Why are they richer and more powerful than us?"

"On the contrary, they are unwilling to give it up." Shen Hui'e looked at him with clear eyes.