Coincidentally!My name is Liu Bian

Chapter 59: The stewards of the kilns

The place was dead silent.

The kiln managers looked at Liu Bian dumbfounded, speechless.

What else can I say? ——The person in front of me is His Royal Highness, the King of Bohai, and the Governor of Bohai. He is far more powerful than himself. Even if the head of the family comes forward, he must bow his head... How can I resist?Sweating profusely, the kiln managers wanted to say something, but they said nothing.

That's it?

Liu Bian looked around dissatisfied at the kiln managers present and thought to himself: Are you complaining?Resist? ——You made me angry so that I can annex your kiln farm naturally?
Why haven't you said a word now?

...Liu Bian felt slightly regretful: If he had known that the other party was so easy to talk to, he should have just said "take back the kiln farm" - cough!I've mispoken!Is it right to "nationalize the kilns"? !
What happened to him just now? ——Why do we talk about taxation? !What kind of restriction is "from the end of next month at the latest"... He is short of money, so he just asks for money!What's so pretentious? !
At this time, even if he suddenly transformed into "Zhou Bapi", he did not feel guilty at all, and his conscience was not uneasy at all... He thought: As long as I treat the potters in the kiln well and pay them accordingly, then Doesn't it count as encroachment?
Anyway, as who said, the kiln farm was originally owned by aristocratic families and powerful people in Bohai County, trying to obtain huge profits through irregular tax avoidance methods? ...In short, it is reasonable to confiscate the kiln.

Of course, as long as the other party refuses his request, he will have a chance!

Thinking of this, his eyes shone, he felt more energetic, and urged again: "Speak!! One by one, what are you doing if you don't speak? Are you all mute?!"

"Your Highness! Your Highness..." The kiln managers were sweating profusely and could not say any more.

Suddenly, a dark-skinned kiln manager stabbed his neck and cursed angrily, "What are you..."

Before the words fell, He Xian's expression changed——

As an ordinary cavalryman, He Xian has a much greater advantage than his opponent even if his martial arts skills are average!As soon as he heard that guy's disrespectful words towards His Highness, He Xian's face turned pale. He suddenly raised his foot and kicked the man hard, sending him flying on the spot!

Pity the dark-skinned kiln manager. Before he could finish scolding him, he... fell heavily to the ground, rolled his eyes, and didn't know whether he was alive or dead.

"He Xian." The corner of his mouth twitched. He knew that He Xian was trying to protect him, but... "You kicked him too hard." Sighing, he seriously suggested, "Next time, be gentler and don't kick people to their knees." Well, treating people’s illnesses and injuries doesn’t cost money or supplies? Besides, since this person can be responsible for managing the kiln, I think he’s also a talented person——”

It’s a talent, so you can’t miss it!
Even if he is a scumbag talent, he still has a way to make the best use of the scumbag talent and squeeze out the last bit of value!
"Your Highness, this person made rude remarks!" He Xian clasped his fists with an angry look on his face, but at the next moment, He Xian respectfully admitted his mistake, "It was my subordinate who was reckless and disturbed Your Highness. Please give me a heavy punishment!"

How else can I be punished?
Waving his hand, he was sure that He Xian would not be punished severely, and sighed: "You will not change despite repeated admonitions! I will fine you ten days of grain and deposit it in the warehouse. Do you have any objection?"

He Xian was taken aback for a moment, and replied without thinking: "This subordinate is willing to accept the punishment!"

After saying that, He Xian turned around and left.

After taking only two steps, He Xian turned around again, said "Your Highness, I'm sorry", and then took the initiative to reach out and drag the dark-skinned kiln manager away, so as not to scare His Highness by his fainting appearance.

After He Xian left, He Bai guarded Liu Bian instead.

Without squinting his eyes, he knew that he had to go to pay the fine and find a doctor to bandage the man's wound first, so he turned his attention to the kiln managers again and said calmly:
"Are you willing to pay taxes?"

Now, probably due to the deterrent effect brought by the lessons learned from the past, the kiln stewards finally let go and said:

"Your Highness, the common people wish..."

"I know! You don't want to!!" He announced loudly, interrupting and covering up the voices of the kiln managers.

The kiln managers: "..."

What? !

Everyone looked at Liu Bian with dumbfounded eyes, and saw Liu Bian punching his right palm with his left palm, and summing up to himself: "Alas! How pitiful! It is a mutual benefit to establish a kiln, produce ceramics, and sell them to surrounding counties. Who would have thought that you would hide a good thing that is mutually beneficial because of your own selfish desires, and refuse to hand over the brief? It can be seen that you are greedy by nature, and would rather take money than life! Anyway, I will never tolerate you living in this world. In this world, it’s not as good as…”

Liu Bian frowned thoughtfully, seemingly caught in a choice between heaven and man.

Looking at the kiln stewards present, Liu Bian also showed sympathy, but there was no lack of ruthlessness——

The kiln managers felt the wind was turbulent and had an ominous intuition.

A kiln manager turned pale, trembled, and shouted loudly: "Pay taxes! Pay taxes! The common people are willing to pay taxes!!"

This person made the beginning, and the remaining kiln managers also shouted: "Pay the tax! Pay the tax! The common people are willing to pay the tax! The common people will pay the tax immediately!! Your Highness, please accept it!!"

Liu Bian: "..."

Quietly, Liu Bian stared quietly at the group of kiln stewards, hoping in his heart that they would not know how to flatter them, so that he could... Sigh!I hate that the other party is too knowledgeable about current affairs, and he can't really imitate the bandit's behavior and occupy the kiln in Nanpi County for no reason——

That's all, that's all!How about expanding Nanpi County anyway, finding another suitable place, and building another kiln?

Speaking of which, the other party is willing to pay taxes right away, which is really an extra surprise for him!

He is short of money now! !

He was so happy that he almost danced on the spot. Liu Bian tightened his face and said calmly: "How much can I pay?"

The kiln managers looked at each other again, unsure.

"Huh?!" He narrowed his eyes.

The kiln managers had cold sweat on their foreheads and stammered: "Your Highness, you can take as much as you want!"

"Nonsense!" He scowled and reprimanded the kiln managers, "I said that as long as [-]% of the kiln interest within three months is used to pay taxes! Are you deaf? You can’t even remember what this prefect just said?!”

"Remember it clearly! Remember it clearly!" The kiln managers responded numbly, "Please send someone to let me go back to settle the account, and then the common people will hand over all the taxes they owe!"

Narrowing his eyes, he stared at everyone calmly, silently assessing whether the other party's promise was feasible.

In fact, there is no need to evaluate at all -

It's still the same sentence: It's okay if the other party pays taxes. Anyway, it can alleviate Liu Bian and Nanpi County's inexplicable increase in food expenses by 10 people. On the contrary, he confiscated the kilns and took them back for use... Not better? !

Who made him the king of Bohai and the prefect of Bohai? ——Looking at the entire Bohai County, his status is the highest?
So what does he have to worry about? ——Shouldn’t it be that all the wealthy family members came to fawn over him? !
When I think of the powerful families in Bohai County...well, flattering them is all an illusion. It's better to be down-to-earth and pay all the taxes on the kiln first.

To be honest, he is quite curious about the pottery from the kiln and the profits made from it? ——You should have made a lot?Otherwise, it would be impossible for powerful people from aristocratic families to take risks.

Thinking about this, he looked at He Bai.

He Bai is not as clever as He Xian.

When he first received Liu Bian's gaze, He Bai was confused and still stood there, motionless.Helplessly, Liu Bian said: "He Bai, why don't you send five or six more people to send these managers back?"

Only then did He Bai react and quickly called six or seven guards and asked the guards to send the stewards away.

—Wait a minute!
In order to prevent these kiln managers from defaulting on their debts, Liu Bian took great pains to order each of the kiln managers to write an IOU as evidence, and publicly declared that he welcomed the other party's denial, so that he could manipulate the other party with peace of mind.

After a short time, all the kiln managers were sent back.

Rubbing his forehead, Liu Bian felt very tired.

Now, even if he hopes that all the kiln managers will be rich in millions at the next moment and pay taxes to him, he also knows that no matter how fast the other party moves, it cannot be done overnight.

Inadvertently looking up out of the window, Liu Bian saw that the sky was getting brighter outside the window.

At this time, He Xian returned and told Liu Bian that the previously injured people had been properly arranged.

Raising his eyebrows, he asked with interest: "Are you looking for Zeng Aniu?"

"——Your Highness, he is Zeng Aniu's companion!" He Xian stressed, "The man named Zeng San is also a doctor! At that time, doctor Zeng San was still sleeping..."

(End of this chapter)