I become a god in another world

Chapter 188 Meeting to discuss

Chapter 188

Most of these townspeople were half-clothed, their hair was disheveled, their bodies were dirty, and they exuded a foul odor.

When Zhou Song saw Zhao Fusheng seeing such a situation in the town, he was deeply afraid that she would be dissatisfied, so he quickly summoned the police officers and asked them to drive the people away.

The officers shouted loudly and drove away the group of people watching the excitement.

Zhou Songpai smiled and said:
"I didn't know that the adults were coming to the village so soon. If I had known earlier, I would have swept the streets and ordered them not to go out."

Zhao Fusheng shook his head.

She recalled her recent trip to Baozhi County. Although the people in the county could be seen to be relatively poor, the situation was not as serious as under Wan'an County.

Logically speaking, the internal affairs of the court are not her responsibility, but the responsibility of Magistrate Pang.

But after the court abandoned this place, it became her territory. She asked Zhou Song:

"How is the situation in Wulitian Village under your rule?"

"Thanks to you, the situation in Wulitiantun is much better than that in other villages and towns because it is close to Wan'an County." Zhou Song replied quickly.

Zhao Fusheng didn't want to hear him say such official words. Judging from the living conditions of the people in the town, it didn't look like 'life was easy'.

She thought for a while and called the officer who had previously said he was willing to move over to ask questions.

The officer was trembling with fear. He looked frightened after being called upon by her, and followed the carriage tremblingly.

Zhao Fusheng asked him:
"What's your name? Where do you live? How long have you been on duty?"

The guard was about thirty years old, with a medium build, but a little thin.

An ill-fitting uniform was worn on his body. It was frayed in many places and looked like it had been passed down for many years.

He was still a little at a loss when he heard Zhao Fusheng's question, until Zhou Song glared at him:

"When adults ask you, you still don't tell the truth."

The officer hurriedly responded several times and then said:

"Sir, my surname is Wang. I am the second in my family. People call me Wang Er. My family lives in the town. My father used to be a servant in the village. Later, when I got older, I took over my father's job. .”

"A son inherits his father's legacy."

Zhao Fusheng said.

Wang Er saw that she had a gentle attitude and seemed to be chatting with him. The uneasiness in his heart gradually subsided, so he nodded and said shyly:

"Many people in our village and government offices are like this."

"How much is your annual salary when you are on duty in the government office?" Zhao Fusheng asked unhurriedly.

Wang Er said:

"I get about two to five coins a year."

Zhou Song wiped his sweat frequently as he listened. He didn't know what the purpose of Zhao Fusheng's question was, so he could only keep smiling with him, and he was supported by the servants and followed along the side of the carriage. It was quite difficult to walk.

"How many people are in your family?" Zhao Fusheng asked again.

"My father has passed away, but my mother is still here. My wife has given birth to three children, and I live in separate households with my two younger brothers."

"Who does mother live with?" Zhao Fusheng asked with a smile.

Her tone was gentle, without any hint of the coldness or oppression of a ghost controller, and the questions she asked were all about trivial matters. Wang Er's tense heartstrings gradually relaxed:

"Mother lives with me now."

Zhao Fusheng nodded:
"In other words, there are six people in your family."

"Yes." When talking about his mother, wife and children, Wang Er's face showed a smile.

But he quickly realized his gaffe, and hurriedly tightened his face again, showing a tense expression.

"Are your three children sons or daughters? How old are they?"

Zhao Fusheng asked again.

Her questions were very strange.

She is the newly appointed commander of the Demon Suppression Division. She went to Kuai Liang Village this time to investigate the ghost case in the village. However, after the commander finished handling the case, he did not elaborate on the ghost case. Instead, he seemed to be more interested in the lives of the officers. interested.

The old village chief was puzzled, but he did not dare to interrupt the conversation, so he had to follow the driver step by step and listen to the conversation between the two.

"There are two sons and one daughter in total, the eldest is nine years old, and the youngest is a daughter, just three years old." Wang Er was also a little uneasy, but what Zhao Fusheng asked were all trivial matters at home, and there was nothing weird about them.

He secretly glanced at the old village chief who was wiping his sweat, and then answered politely.

"This age is just the right age for reading and literacy." Zhao Fusheng sighed deliberately.

Wang Er immediately laughed:
"Then how can I afford to study? If I can grow up safely in the future, I can support my family by taking over my position——"

After he finished speaking, Zhao Fusheng frowned.

The actual person in charge of Wan'an County seemed to be silent for a moment, and the atmosphere in the convoy suddenly froze.

Wang Er was a little scared and subconsciously turned to look at Zhou Song:

"Master Zhou——"

"Don't talk nonsense, kid!" Zhou Song scolded him immediately.

"No nonsense."

Zhao Fusheng quickly restrained his outward expression, smiled and shook his head.

In fact, she was not angry because Wang Er said something wrong.

Wang Er's words represented the current situation of many people at this time, and she felt emotional after hearing it.

But because of her status, every look and action affects the hearts of the people around her, making others pay special attention to her words and deeds. Her words and deeds are magnified, and even a small expression can make people around her terrified.

Zhao Fusheng composed himself and said:

"Your child is still young. Do you have any other livelihood at home?"

"My mother washes clothes for people on weekdays. There is some land outside the city. My mother-in-law often works on it, and she can also get some harvest." Wang Er felt uneasy, fearing that he would cause a big disaster if he said something wrong. Every time Every word he spoke was carefully considered, his speaking speed became a little slow, and he was obviously starting to think:
"A few children also help with some things. Occasionally, my mother-in-law weaves some cloth and takes over some embroidery work."

This is the norm for many families in the town. Zhao Fusheng looked at Chief Zhou. The old Chief was suddenly stressed and nodded:
"His family's situation has been sorted out."

"What about the annual taxes?" Zhao Fusheng asked.

"Because he is a servant working for the government, his tax collection is 30% less than that of ordinary people. There are six people in his family, and he has to collect a total of more than two taels of silver in one year." Zhou Tunchang said.

Wang Er's salary totaled 20,000 yuan, which was equivalent to paying taxes on most of his annual income. The family's food and drink depended on his wife, mother, and helpers to make up for it.

Ordinary people live in poverty and cannot afford education after having children. When their children grow up, they will still follow the same path as their parents.

There is no end to poverty.

No wonder this Wang Er heard that after moving into the boundary of Kuai Liang Village, he could be exempted from the tax of the Suppressing Demon Division, and he was not even afraid of the village being haunted.

Zhao Fusheng didn't know what to say for a moment.

After a while, she said:

"If that's the case, moving into Kuai Liang Village will be really good for you."

"This guy is greedy and wants to take advantage."

Chief Zhou said with a smile that Wang Er was not embarrassed after being complained about, but instead smiled.

"If I can really be exempted from taxes for three years, I can run errands in the town and my family won't have to worry. Maybe, thanks to the blessings of the adults, I can save a few years of money. In the future, my two sons will get married and give birth to a grandson. The grandson can still study and not leave our family." old road."

When he talked about the future, he finally puffed up his chest and his eyes became a little brighter.

The other officers were also a little moved when they heard what he said.

"Aren't you afraid of ghosts?" Zhao Fusheng asked.

"Didn't my lord say that the ghosts have been collected?"

Wang Er said without hesitation.

These people pay a huge amount of tax to the Demon Suppressor every year, and they firmly believe in the words of the Demon Suppressor. Maybe they don’t dare to doubt, and they don’t dare to think deeply about the consequences of these people’s lies, for fear of spying on the endless despair in the future. , so he subconsciously believed it, and even such a policeman believed in the Demon Suppression Department's ability to exorcise ghosts and handle cases more than ordinary people.

Zhao Fusheng suddenly felt very stressed.

She lost interest in continuing to talk, and she made no sound again until the carriage returned to the town inn.

Zhou Song was frightened and a little panicked. He glared at Wang Er several times along the way, blaming this kid for not keeping his mouth shut and irritating the big shot.

The food in the villages and towns cannot be called luxurious, and is even a bit shabby, but the old village chief has tried his best.

During the dinner, Gu Jiansheng sneaked up to Zhao Fusheng and explained to her:

"In the middle of the last month, a huge number of people from the county have been here to collect taxes."

Wulitian Village is not a wealthy village.

Especially as Wan'an County was gradually abandoned by the imperial court, county officials and gentry had received the news in advance and had already made plans.

However, the people who were behind in the news knew nothing and were still trapped in the county town.

The people in the city were still like this, and there was no news from other villages and towns. Zhou Song and others knew nothing about the court's arrangements, so the towns and villages were relatively calm for the time being.

After the changes in the commander-in-chief of the Wan'an County Town Demon Division, Magistrate Pang quickly began to manage the internal affairs of the county. Earlier in July and August, after the autumn harvest, county officials had been sent to various towns and villages under Wan'an County to collect taxes.

As the leader of the village, Zhou Song did not dare to relax at all when faced with the taxes he had to pay every year. He had already prepared himself and successfully passed this hurdle.

In order to pay this large amount of tax, the police officer in the village has not paid any money for three months.

Everyone's belts were tightened very tightly. Although it was still shameful to clean up the table, there was really nothing that Chief Zhou could do.

There are still many such situations in Wan'an County, and Wulitian Village is relatively better. At least there is no tax owed to the county government. Zhang Chuanshi also whispered:

"Some towns owe a lot of money, and local officials are very worried. They are afraid that their lives will be lost."

"..."

Zhao Fusheng was speechless.

The situation in Wulitiantun can illustrate the current predicament of Wan'an County. Zhao Fusheng still has a long way to go.

She rested for a while in Wulitian Village and was ready to return to the county after noon.

Before leaving, she looked at the old village chief who was nodding and bowing, and told him that after completing the Kuai Liang Village case, he must go to Wan'an County to report to her.

The old village chief didn't dare to be careless and nodded in agreement.

This old village chief is not young. As the head of a village, he is undoubtedly qualified for the court - the annual tax collection is unambiguous.

But after dealing with the imperial court, the salary of the servants still had to be replenished. How could he make up for the shortfall? In the end, it was still collected from the people.

She thought of the townspeople when she entered the town, who had big heads, big bellies but skinny limbs. If the people in the town lived like this, how should the people in the village live?

This trip to Kuai Liang Village made Zhao Fusheng feel quite bad.

She saw the true face of the people in the villages under her rule. The deaths of Lady Zhuang Si and the people of Kuai and Zhuang villages had made her very uncomfortable.

The ghost case is easy to solve. As she succeeds in controlling ghosts, once the list of gods and hell are opened in the future, it will be easier for the evil ghosts to deal with it. However, the reason for the evil ghost's recovery is due to the environment.

If the root cause is not changed, just solving ghost cases is just treating the symptoms and the root cause.

"Alas -" She sighed and waved her hands feebly:
"Walk."

On the way back, Zhao Fusheng was not in high spirits. Gu Jiansheng noticed it and whispered to Fan Wujiu and Wu Shaochun:
"My lord doesn't seem very happy."

"No."

Fan Wujiu shook his head:
"I didn't see it."

"You fool!" Zhang Chuanshi heard clearly from the side and laughed.

Fan Wujiu was furious when he heard this, and wanted to compete with him, but then he thought that the old man had commanded the ghost ship, and he was afraid, so he forced himself to hold back:
"My lord is very happy."

"My lord has not spoken for a long time." Wu Shaochun also said.

He was an honest man, and he said the same thing as Gu Jiansheng. Fan Wujiu immediately sat up straight and guessed:

"Is it because the food in Wulidian Village is not delicious, which makes you feel bad?"

……

Several people discussed in low voices, but Zhang Chuanshi did not join in. He clasped his hands behind his head and thought of something. The sarcasm on his face gradually dissipated, and his expression rarely became serious.

When we returned to Wan'an County, it was already dark.

When Zhao Fusheng came back this time, Magistrate Pang and others had already received the news and had already rushed to the Demon Suppression Division.

Fan Bisheng stood in front of the government office to greet them. When he saw two carriages returning from afar, and when he saw his brother getting off the carriage after the carriages stopped, his heart, which had been hanging for several days, finally returned to its original place.

He was not in a hurry to talk to Fan Wujiu, but stayed in front of Zhao Fusheng's car.

When he saw Zhao Fusheng opening the car door and coming out, a smile appeared on his face, and when he was about to speak, Zhao Fusheng said:

"The ghost case in Kuai Liang Village has been solved!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the whole audience suddenly burst into exclamations.

Whether it was the magistrate of Pang County or the county officials, squires, and servants in the government office, they all had a look of surprise on their faces when they heard this.

Since Zhao Fusheng left, the shadow that had shrouded the Wan'an County Demon Division dissipated with her words.

At this time, Zhao Fusheng was the well-deserved leader of Wan'an County.

Since she took control of the Wan'an County Demon Division, she has solved six major cases in a row. At this time, she is in stable condition and has a gentle expression. She has not shown any tendency to lose control of the ghosts under her control due to her continuous handling of ghost cases. This undoubtedly made Magistrate Pang and others more convinced.

The crowd gathered around her to get out of the carriage. When Kuai Manzhou also got out of the carriage, Fan Bisheng was stunned, but he didn't say much.

Kuai Manzhou followed Zhao Fusheng, looked around, and then took Zhao Fusheng's hand.

Zhao Fusheng did not throw her away, but held her hand and stood at the door for a long time.

"What are you looking at, sir?"

Zhang Chuanshi followed her, and when he saw her stopping, he asked in a low voice.

While speaking, he followed Zhao Fusheng's line of sight and saw her eyes falling on the gate arch of the Zhenmo Division.

It was the third quarter of the hour (around 17:45 in the afternoon), and the sun was heading west. The afterglow of the setting sun fell on the archway of Zhenmosi gate, illuminating the three big characters on it: Zhenmosi.

The sign seemed brighter than before, as if the dust on it had been wiped away.

Zhang Chuanshi's Adam's apple slipped and his eyes flickered twice. Just as he was about to speak, Zhao Fusheng seemed to be chatting with him:

"Old Zhang, when you held the account book to ask for debt, what you wanted was this sign, right?"

Zhang Chuanshi was in a daze. Hearing her words, he nodded subconsciously:
"Yes--"

As soon as he said the words, he immediately realized that he had said the wrong thing, and a storm surged in his heart. His expression immediately changed, and he shook his head desperately:
"No, sir, you are joking, what am I doing with this sign? No! No!"

People with a guilty conscience always talk a lot.

Zhao Fusheng smiled:

"Whether you are or not, this signboard of Wan'an County cannot be taken away."

After saying this, she led Kuai Manzhou into the government office and said no more to Zhang Chuanshi.

Everyone followed Zhao Fusheng into the hall.

Everyone was very excited when they heard that she had finished another ghost case. Led by Magistrate Pang and others, they made arrangements to reserve a table at a restaurant in the county to help Zhao Fusheng.

The gentry in the county had full confidence in Zhao Fusheng and were extremely happy to see that she was in stable condition.

Zhao Fusheng experienced this ghost case. His body was not very tired, but his spirit felt tired.

But she didn't want to go against everyone's enthusiasm.

The current situation in Wan'an County really required some celebrations to arouse the enthusiasm of everyone in the county, so she did not refuse, but allowed Wade and others to discuss the matter of setting up a table.

She knew that Fan Bisheng must be curious about the whole story of this ghost case, so she ordered Fan Wujiu to describe the ghost case orally, and Fan Bisheng would record it.

After temporarily sending the others away to do their own things, she invited Magistrate Pang, his master, and Gu Jiansheng to go to the other side hall to talk.

"How much gold did Zheng He ask you to escort here this time?"

As soon as Zhao Fusheng sat down, he got straight to the point and asked about the money Gu Jiansheng was transporting during this trip.

"After your Excellency handled the case in Baozhi County, local Xu Yachen and other squires, including Deputy Ling Zheng, pledged a total of 34,000 taels of gold."

When Gu Jiansheng heard her talk about business, he also looked serious:

"Mr. Zheng has always been very concerned about your affairs, so he collected all his wealth and sent letters to his family in Dijing asking for funds. In this month and a half, a total of 6000 taels of gold were raised, including the gentry. 7000 were raised, so a total of 1 taels were escorted.”

He said:
"In addition, I have also prepared a portion of rice, corn and rice worth ten thousand taels to pay off debts. I wonder if you will allow it."

When Zhao Fusheng heard this, he smiled and nodded:
"of course can."

She looked at Pang Zhixian:

"Now that the county has a small population, part of the rice, millet and rice sent by Zheng He can be used to fill the county's inventory, and the excess grain can be sold."

When Pang Zhixian heard this, he was stunned for a moment:
"Where to sell it?"

The county has a small population now. In the past two months, the county has just collected a batch of taxes, which have not yet been transferred to the government treasury. If Baozhi County delivers another 10,000 taels of rice and millet, it will not be a small amount.

There are not many rice and grain vendors left in Wan'an County. They are all old acquaintances. It would be better to ask these gentry to donate money in the name of Zhao Fusheng.

"It can be sold to other counties."

Zhao Fusheng replied.

Although gold and silver are good, in such a world, food is always the most important thing for the people, and it is also one of the hard currencies.

This time, in addition to gold and silver, Zheng He also sent food, which showed that he was deliberately trying to please her.

"Outside the county?" Pang Zhixian was stunned for a moment:
"If that's the case, wouldn't it be more convenient to ask Deputy Ling Zheng to help exchange the grain for gold and silver?"

"Different."

Zhao Fusheng shook his head:
"At that time, we can hire people to send it out. This will also be an opportunity to communicate with outside businessmen."

After Wan'an County was abandoned by the imperial court, many merchants and gentry had already sensed the smell and abandoned it one after another.

Even if Zhao Fusheng took office and solved several major cases, stabilizing the frequent ghost cases in this area, the news might not spread, and even if it spread, people might not believe it.

——Good things don’t go out, but bad things spread thousands of miles.

However, if you interact with the outside world through business and trade, it will reduce the wariness of some merchants. Once business contacts occur, it will naturally bring about population mobility.

"Hiring people also provides a way for people to support their families and eliminates the impulse and possibility of some people to commit crimes."

Zhao Fusheng remembered the cause of the massacre in Kuai Liang Village.

This case is a typical example of the resurgence of evil spirits caused by environmental and human factors, which then led to the massacre of the village.

Today I am still adding more information.

Big update of 5.4K. I’m actually in pretty good shape recently when writing about daily life. At least I don’t wear the mask of pain when I work every day~~~
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