The world of film and television starts from the flow of money

Yi Huawei walked slowly in the street.

The street market was quite lively, with people coming and going, and it was noisy. The stalls on the street were lined up one after another, filled with a wide variety of goods, including fresh rice with a fragrant smell, colorful fabrics, and all kinds of daily necessities.

However, Yi Huawei was keenly aware of a number of problems.

The prices in Sihui County are obviously much higher than other places.

As the people were selecting items in front of the stalls, their brows were furrowed, with expressions of helplessness and dissatisfaction on their faces. Low-pitched complaints were heard one after another, and it was obvious that they were quite dissatisfied with the high prices.

I don’t know if this situation is unique to Sihui County or the same for the entire Nanhai County.

As Yi Huawei walked, he kept these situations in mind, preparing to investigate them carefully later, and then planned to go to the county government office.

Just then, there was a sudden commotion on the street, breaking the original noisy rhythm of the market.

"Well, check his tax stamp!"

A county magistrate in a light green official uniform shouted at the top of his voice. The county magistrate had a face full of flesh and a look of arrogance in his eyes. He walked over with big strides and staggered, followed by several runners, who also had arrogant looks on their faces.

The county magistrate casually raised his hand and pointed at the merchant who had just sold cloth, as if he was directing his own servant to do something.

After receiving the order, several officers walked towards the cloth vendor aggressively and shouted:

"Show me your tax receipt!"

The cloth vendor was horrified. He quickly put down his work and tremblingly took out a receipt from his clothes. He handed it to the officer respectfully, saying, "Sir, I have paid the tax! Please see it, sir."

The officers took the receipts, pretended to check them carefully, then nodded and returned to the county magistrate.

Seeing this, the county magistrate nodded slightly, looked around, and then shouted at the top of his voice: "Everyone, take out your tax receipts! Don't wait for me to urge you. If I find out who hasn't paid, you will be in trouble!"

"I have submitted it, I have submitted it!"

The vendors responded one after another, frantically taking out tax invoices from various corners and handing them to the officers who came to inspect.

Looking around, the county magistrate walked slowly with his arrogant gait and approached a middle-aged man who was selling eggs.

The middle-aged man was thin, and his clothes were tattered and patched. He had a simple and honest face, and his forehead was covered with wrinkles. He looked at the county magistrate and others with a trace of fear in his eyes, his lips trembling slightly, and he looked around timidly.

When the people around saw the county magistrate coming, they all stopped what they were doing unconsciously, and a trace of worry flashed in their eyes. They knew that every time the county magistrate appeared, something bad happened.

The county magistrate narrowed his eyes, glanced at the man, and asked arrogantly in a hoarse voice: "Egg seller, have you paid the tax?"

Seeing that the man didn't react as if he was frightened, he frowned, suddenly raised his voice, and shouted impatiently: "I'm talking to you! Are you deaf?"

Several officers nearby immediately understood what he meant, and waved their arms roughly, cursing as they drove away the customers who were about to buy eggs: "Go away! Get out of here! It's none of your business, don't get in the way!"

The customers were so frightened that they ran away in all directions, and there was chaos around the stall.

The man selling eggs was frightened by the sudden scene and turned pale. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. After a long while, he squeezed out two words from between his teeth: "...No."

The county magistrate raised his eyebrows, a trace of anger flashed in his eyes, he glanced at the man in plain clothes, raised his voice and asked:

"Why not?!"

The man in plain clothes was so frightened that he trembled all over and stammered:
"I, I just sell a few eggs! They are not worth much."

An officer came over with a swagger and patted the man's shoulder heavily, almost knocking him to the ground: "You have to pay taxes even when selling eggs! This is the rule, do you understand?"

The man looked at the officer in fear and explained hastily, "I, I just want to sell a few eggs to make some money to make a living. Sir, please be kind."

The officer snorted coldly: "Didn't you see the notice posted at the gate of the county government? It clearly says that you have to pay taxes to me even if you sell vegetables or firewood, not to mention eggs! Don't try to get away with it."

"No, sir..."

The man wanted to argue, so he mustered up the courage to say, "Don't other counties sell these things without paying taxes?"

When the officer heard this, he immediately flew into a rage: "We have to hand it over here! This is the rule of our county, how dare you disobey it?"

The man was a little dissatisfied, and said in a low voice: "The Great Qin Dynasty is just one country, and there is only one emperor. Why is it special here?"

The officer was furious when he heard this: "Hey, you little bastard, our county has four rivers. How can it be the same in other counties? Every place is different, how can the tax be the same?"

When several officers heard this, they quickly gathered around and shouted in unison: "Pay taxes!"

The man was so angry that his face turned red, and veins popped out on his neck: "No... the Prime Minister's words are valid everywhere! The Prime Minister has issued a notice that those who sell less than ten dan of grain and run small businesses don't have to pay taxes, right?"

When the county magistrate heard the word "prime minister", his mouth curled slightly, his face full of disdain: "This tax has increased a little. But this is for the purpose of building a palace for His Majesty the Emperor! To honor His Majesty, do you understand? Prime Minister, huh! Can he control this much?"

After a pause, the county magistrate raised his voice, looked around, and continued: "Those who are willing to pay taxes are loyal people, and those who are unwilling to pay are rebellious people! Listen to me!"

The man was angry and anxious. He picked up the basket and turned to leave. "I-I don't want to sell it, okay?"

Seeing this, a police officer's face darkened, and he rushed forward and kicked the man's basket hard. The basket was overturned to the ground, and the eggs crackled and shattered all over the ground, with the yolk and egg white flowing everywhere.

The people around saw this scene, their eyes were full of anger and sympathy. An old man frowned, shook his head helplessly, and whispered to the young man next to him:
"Is there any law left?"

The young men clenched their fists, but were afraid of the police and the county magistrate, so they dared not speak. A few women also looked reluctant and whispered to comfort the frightened children beside them. Everyone watched this scene silently, and the atmosphere was so depressing that it was hard to breathe.

The man looked at the broken eggs on the ground, his eyes reddened, tears welled up in his eyes, his lips trembled, his throat seemed to be choked by something, and he couldn't speak for a long time. His body swayed slightly, and his hands hung weakly at his sides.

"catch him!"

The county magistrate frowned, a hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes, and he snorted coldly. Several officers rushed forward like hungry wolves, their faces ferocious, and they roughly pressed the man to the ground. The man struggled, but was held down by the officers.

The county magistrate stepped forward, stepped hard on the man's back, and said viciously: "You want to leave without paying taxes? Today you have to pay it or not!"

The man's face was pressed against the ground, his eyes fixed on the broken eggs, and he shouted in a trembling voice: "My eggs... my eggs! You have to compensate me for my eggs!" The county magistrate looked disdainful and spit on the ground fiercely, and the spit splashed on the man's face: "Compensate for your eggs? Bah! I tell you, you have to pay taxes if you sell them here! This is the rule of this county, and you cannot disobey!"

At this time, a man in the crowd, who was wearing coarse linen clothes, could no longer bear to watch and shouted, "Ah, alas, you want to arrest people for such a small matter? You, you are going too far!"

An officer immediately turned around and walked over aggressively, staring at the man with wide eyes, "What did you say? Say it again!"

A sturdy, muscular man next to him took a big step forward, his chest rising and falling slightly, and said angrily, "He has a point. You are just collecting taxes randomly! How can you be like this!"

With someone taking the lead, others gathered around and said one after another:

"Yes, they just collect taxes randomly!"

"Other places charge 20% tax to 1%, why is it 20% tax to 3% in our county? Isn't this bullying?"

"You're right! How can we live like this?"

"Tea is taxed, salt is taxed, oil is taxed! Even cloth is taxed! How can we survive if everything is taxed?"

"There are four more taxes. That's too many! Isn't this going to drive us to death?"

When the county magistrate heard these words, his face turned red, and the veins on his neck bulged. He looked around, his eyes full of anger, and roared:
"You all want to resist taxes, right? Huh?!! You bunch of unruly people, are you looking for death!!!"

This made the crowd even more indignant, and everyone's emotions were like a lit powder keg.

"We are reasonable! It is wrong for you to collect taxes indiscriminately like this!"

"We can't collect taxes randomly! We want fairness!"

"If you pull a cart to transport some goods, you have to pay a driving tax. If you use a house to store some goods, you have to pay a housing tax. Aren't you collecting taxes randomly?"

One of the officers was frightened by the scene and panicked, but he still pretended to be calm. He drew out the sword from his waist with a "swish", waved it in the air, and shouted loudly: "You want to rebel? Get out! Get out! If you make trouble again, don't blame me for being rude!"

The county magistrate also pointed at the crowd, his finger trembling, and shouted at the top of his lungs: "Do you want to rebel?!"

The man whose arm was twisted by the officer screamed in pain: "Be gentler, I can't stand it!" His forehead was covered with sweat and his face turned pale with pain.

The county magistrate snorted coldly: "Can't stand it? Then pay the taxes to me obediently! Otherwise, you will suffer!"

"Let him go!"

"I have to tie him up even if I sell a few eggs! Is there any justice in the world?"

"Let him go, stop bullying me!"

"Da Lang, Da Lang! What's wrong with you?!"

A middle-aged woman in coarse clothes ran over crying, her hair a little messy, her face full of anxiety and fear. She threw herself on the man, shielding him with her body, and begged bitterly: "Sir, we are just selling a basket of eggs to earn some money to make a living, please let him go! Sir, please!"

The county magistrate's face darkened, and he waved his hand coldly, saying in a stiff tone: "Stop talking nonsense and take him away!"

It was as if he was looking at an ant, without a trace of pity in his eyes.

Seeing this, the woman tried to chase after him like crazy, but was held tightly by the officer's big hands like pliers. Her hair became even more messy as she struggled, and her eyes were full of fear. She cried out, "Da Lang, Da Lang, you can't take him away!"

The people around were furious. They rushed forward and spontaneously blocked the officers. They glared at them and shouted in unison: "You can't take him away!" In the crowd, an old man stood trembling at the front with his hands outstretched, trying to stop the officers from moving forward.

"what's up?"

Just when the people and the police were in a stalemate and the situation was in chaos, the sound of horse hooves came from afar. Everyone turned their heads and saw two people riding tall horses slowly approaching. The horses were tall and majestic, and their hooves raised clouds of dust.

Seeing the man clearly, the county magistrate's eyes lit up and he hurried over to complain, his face full of flattery: "Sir Zhao, this kid not only resisted taxes, but also instigated the people to cause trouble! You must punish him severely."

Upon seeing this, the woman knelt down hastily with a thud, her knees hitting the ground heavily, her forehead also touching the ground, and she cried:
"Master, that's not the case! We just sold a basket of eggs! But he insisted on arresting us. We are really innocent!" After saying that, he kowtowed continuously, and his forehead soon became red and swollen.

Everyone echoed: "Yes, Master!"

"You can't arrest people randomly, it's too lawless!"

"Master, you have to make the decision for us!" Everyone's eyes were full of anticipation as they looked at Lord Zhao.

Yi Huawei frowned in the crowd, grabbed a man and asked, "Who is that?"

The man was pulled sideways, and looked back at Yi Huawei impatiently, then said, "You don't even know General Zhao's brother? He is the younger brother of Zhao Tuo, the lieutenant of our Nanhai County, and the county magistrate of our Sihui County."

Zhao Guang sat on his horse, wearing a gorgeous official uniform, an official hat, and a sword at his waist. The scabbard was inlaid with gems, shining in the sun. His face was fair, but with a hint of arrogance, his eyes casually swept over everyone. He frowned and waved his hand impatiently, the action seemed very casual, as if he was driving away a fly: "Forget it, it's just a basket of eggs, let him go!"

When everyone heard this, they cheered, "Thank you, sir!" The voices rose one after another, and Dalang's face showed the joy of surviving the disaster.

"This……"

The county magistrate was speechless, his face full of astonishment. He opened his mouth but dared not say anything. He secretly complained in his heart: Isn't this the tax you asked me to collect? Now you are the one who says you don't want it? ?

But he could only swallow these words back in his stomach. Looking at the people around him cheering, the county magistrate's face turned pale, and he felt uncomfortable as if he had eaten a fly. A higher-ranking official can crush a person, not to mention that the person in front of him is Zhao Tuo's younger brother, with tremendous power.

Therefore, the county magistrate could only grit his teeth and reluctantly waved his hand to signal the officers to release the man. After receiving the order, the officers loosened their grip on the man.

The man staggered towards the woman, and the two hugged each other and cried.

"Thank you, Master!"

"Master is so wise!!"

The crowd automatically parted to make way for a wide path. The people bowed their heads and respectfully let Zhao Guang and his entourage pass on horseback, praising Zhao Guang's kindness.

Yi Huawei stood in the crowd, his eyes narrowed slightly, and a barely perceptible light flashed in his eyes. He quietly walked through the cheering crowd, deliberately keeping a certain distance from Zhao Guang and the other man, and quietly followed behind them. (End of this chapter)