I become a god in another world

Chapter 201 Accident
Chapter 201

Under such circumstances, local officials are almost struggling to survive under the hands of the ghost masters, and they rarely have character or status.

Pang Qing used to live such a fearful life, but now he unexpectedly encountered a ghost controller like Zhao Fusheng who was completely different from what he had in mind, and he seemed to be slightly unaccustomed to it.

His reaction reminded Pang Zhixian that he had served several ghost masters in the past. Just when he was feeling emotional, he saw his cousin suppressing his inner emotions, his eyes were slightly red, and he whispered:
"Your Excellency is right, the poor cannot withstand the temptation. If they know that they are transporting food, there is no guarantee that they will not be dissatisfied."

He said:
"But these government affairs are managed by my cousin, and it is inconvenient for me to interfere. I only speak from the accounting office."

He suddenly swept away his previous sluggishness, straightened his back, and his eyes were eager:

"Your Excellency intends to repair Baoding Lane and rebuild part of the government offices, buildings and gates of the Zhenmo Division. I have repeatedly calculated the expenditure for this part, and the initial estimate is 25,000 taels of silver."

This part of the expenditure is still based on the main framework of the Demon Suppression Division.

"After talking with the craftsmen on the job, I calculated that at least 500 pieces of wood and some stone materials need to be prepared."

The cousin introduced by Pang Zhixian is indeed a useful person.

He was not originally an accountant and knew nothing about building repairs, but he was able to quickly sort out the equation after taking over the matter, which shows that he had put in a certain amount of effort to get the matter done.

Zhao Fusheng glanced at him appreciatively and nodded for him to continue.

"Because of the difficulty in transporting stone, if we purchase it from outside, it may consume extra manpower and material resources, and the gain outweighs the loss in the end."

He said:
"It's already mid-October, and it's no longer the busy farming season. Many people have nothing to do at home, so why don't you order the purchase of stone materials?"

In this way, some people can make money to supplement their livelihood, and at the same time, some people can be reduced from committing crimes.

Pang Qing glanced at Zhao Fusheng and added:
"According to my previous experience, in winter, cases of theft and fights will increase. Rather than letting them cause trouble, it is better to find something for these people to do."

After he finished speaking, he received a nod from Zhao Fusheng. He was obviously more energetic than before and said again:
"Then there's the missing wood."

"Wan'an County is not the source of wood. This part of the wood needs to be purchased from outside. Why don't you save the food for now, recruit people and then buy and transport the wood. Firstly, the Demon Suppression Division can repair it as soon as possible. Secondly, We can also restrain these temporarily recruited people and gradually cultivate their loyalty, so that when we deliver food later, it may be more smooth."

After speaking, Magistrate Pang also added:

"Then the team can be led by a person with authority and the money can be handed over to him. It is expected that others will not dare to cause trouble."

Pang Qing's idea was sound.

Zhao Fusheng's main purpose is to open up the current closed situation in Wan'an County and have contacts with outside businessmen.

She didn't care whether the transaction was food or timber.

"Okay." She nodded:

"We can let Zheng He and Gu Jiansheng lead the team then."

She quickly thought of a suitable candidate in her mind, and Magistrate Pang was overjoyed when she heard this.

"If Vice-Ling Zheng takes action, he can naturally suppress the unruly people."

Zheng He controls ghosts, which makes ordinary people fear him. With him, even if the team he leads is a mixed bag, there will be no trouble.

Pang Qing was also overjoyed.

He had only been in the Demon Suppressing Division for a short time, but he had also heard about Deputy Ling Zheng's reputation.

This famous ghost controller in Baozhi County unexpectedly gave up the opportunity to be promoted to general and transferred to the state capital. He was willing to serve as an envoy in a small county that was abandoned by the imperial court.

When Pang Qing came to Wan'an County and learned that Zheng He, the former deputy commander Zheng, was working under Zhao Fusheng, he was particularly surprised.

But after being happy, Pang Qing felt a little uneasy:

"Is Vice Ling Zheng willing to go on such an errand?"

Most of those who control ghosts are unruly and behave surly and willfully.

Zhao Fusheng asked him to do business. Maybe he would feel humiliated. Maybe he would agree on the surface but be angry in his heart and vent his anger on the people below him.

"It's not a big problem."

Zhao Fusheng smiled.

Although Zheng He has been controlling ghosts for many years, he is not a fool. He knows very well what can and cannot be done.

What's more, compared with handling ghost cases, traveling for business is not as dignified as being an official, but it is worse than safety.

A seasoned veteran like Zheng He, who has almost gone through hell once, should know which thing is easier to handle.

"He will not refuse my words." Zhao Fusheng was very confident about this.

"That's good."

Pang Qing breathed a sigh of relief.

He was worried that Zheng He had a grudge and did not dare to trouble Zhao Fusheng. If he found out later that it was him who gave the advice, he would make things more difficult for him.

After solving the problem of the purchasing leader, Pang Qing's thinking changed quickly:

"Sir, five hundred logs is not a small amount. Yizhou, which is adjacent to us, is rich in timber."

As he spoke, he actually laughed:

"And Xuzhou and Yizhou are connected by the Bailing River. If we take the land route, transporting this wood is not easy."

The road is difficult at this time, especially after entering Yizhou. The mountain road is rugged and difficult to walk. There are many deep mountains and old forests. If you are not a local, you will lose your way once you get into them.

"In comparison, the waterway is much more convenient." His eyes sparkled, and he was full of energy:

"It is better to let Deputy Ling Zheng lead the team to set off lightly. After arriving in Yizhou, they can buy wood from local merchants. They can temporarily buy it at a high price, but the condition is that they hire their own cargo ships."

Pang Qing was worthy of being a respected figure in the county. When it came to doing business, his mind was spinning very quickly:
"I boldly propose that we can hire another group of people to repair the cargo port docks during this period, and when the ships arrive, we can collect money from these cargo ships when they unload the cargo."

"..." Zhao Fusheng looked serious and nodded:
"That's a good idea."

When the time comes, all these merchants will come and they will definitely pay the money.

"But the money shouldn't be charged too high. If the price is too high, they might not come back next time."

As soon as Zhao Fusheng finished speaking, Pang Qing's eyes lit up:
"But we can't charge too low. The money to repair the pier must find a source."

Wool comes from sheep.

"And the unloading money must be calculated carefully. It is best to keep it so that they can make a small profit on this trip, but if you include the return trip, it will be a little bit useless." Zhao Fusheng showed a slightly sly smile. .

"Your Excellency is wise."

Pang Qing praised:
"In this way, if these businessmen want to make back their money, they will have to fill up the cargo ships they bring back."

To fill cargo ships, merchants would buy in Wan'an County. "It's a pity that there are no special items in our county for the time being." Pang Zhixian said regretfully.

"Let's use some of the silk, cotton and linen we collected earlier to make up the difference. The common people also bought some woven items at low prices." Zhao Fusheng said, suddenly thinking of the situation in Wulidiantun.

The people in the town were half-clothed, sallow and thin, and seemed to be having a hard time.

After she left at that time, she asked Zhou Song to handle the matter in Kuai Liang Village. After handling it, he returned to Wan'an County to give her a reply. Zhou Song still has not come.

While she was thinking about something, Magistrate Pang hesitated after hearing her words:

"Sir, this is court tax. If it is misappropriated——"

"What are you afraid of?"

Zhao Fusheng smiled and looked at Pang Zhixian:

"We are an exiled county. We cannot pay taxes or tribute to the court for the time being. If someone from the court comes later, we will discuss everything later. Anyway, I am here."

Her words gave Pang Zhixian great confidence, and Pang Zhixian nodded:
"Everything should be done as the adults say."

"But this time we reopen for business, some money can be collected, and some money can't be earned." Zhao Fusheng stopped his smile and said seriously:
"If you are selling only ordinary items, you can lower the price appropriately and make a loss the first time. The main reason is to allow these merchants to come back next time."

Her words made Pang Qing glance at her strangely several times.

The origin of Zhao Fusheng is not a mystery.

In this era of frequent ghost cases, studying is not the only way to survive. On the contrary, characters with extraordinary power like the Ghost Controller are above everything else.

Pang Qing's initial impression of Zhao Fusheng was that of a country girl from a humble background, who accidentally gained the power to control ghosts and took control of a county.

Although Pang Zhixian praised her so much, Pang Qing didn't completely believe it at first. He was only moved by Pang Zhixian's words: Zhao Fusheng is powerful, willing to solve ghost cases, and emotionally stable, and there is no risk of losing control for the time being. .

After arriving in Wan'an County, Pang Qing found that everything was exactly as his cousin said. This gentleman had a sincere and direct temperament. He had the majesty of a ghost controller, but did not have a cold and weird sense of oppression.

It wasn't until today when she was talking about business that Pang Qing realized that her thoughts were moving very quickly. When she talked about business and trade, she didn't lose track of her conversation with Magistrate Pang. On the contrary, she seemed to be very used to such scenes and had vaguely taken the initiative.

He was curious, but he didn't dare to ask any more questions.

After that, several people discussed the repair of the pier and some other chores. Pang Qing had a huge workload and was eager to take stock of the budget, so he left first.

After he left, Magistrate Pang couldn't sit still anymore, and he still had a lot of official business to do.

"Last time, Your Excellency mentioned that we should recruit people from the vicinity of Huanggang Village and Fengmen Village. Recently, I am asking people in the local towns to count the household registrations and rosters of the people."

Having said this, he looked like he had a headache:
"In recent years, the court's errands have become increasingly difficult to do. Many fertile fields have been left uncultivated. Many unscrupulous people have turned into bandits. Without food and money, they have come out to rob and rob homes. Many villages have empty houses, and some household registrations have long been empty. There is no need for them at all. No number."

The imperial court's taxation was based on household registration.

Ghost cases have been very serious in Wan'an County in recent years, and the power is in the hands of the demon-suppressing commanders. Most of these commanders are short-lived, and they collect taxes and extortionately during their lifetimes, without caring about the people's livelihood.

The county's household registration book was compiled more than 40 years ago, and the list, number of people, and fields were long ago inaccurate.

However, according to court rules, the amount of tax revenue is calculated based on the list.

This will cause trouble.

Magistrate Pang had been with Zhao Fusheng for some time and had a good understanding of her personality. He bravely complained to her in a joking manner:

"Take Huanggang Village as an example. Forty-seven years ago, there were 967 people in the village. These people had to pay taxes in total-"

He reported a series of numbers familiarly:
"But this household register is definitely not accurate."

In this era, people's life span is short, many people have died, and newborns may not be able to grow into the labor force in a short period of time. However, the taxes are like a mountain, and the people in the village still have to pay the taxes according to the 967 people.

Some people had no choice but to flee into the mountains and become bandits, while the remaining villagers had to bear heavier taxes.

This creates a vicious cycle.

"Many people don't believe the government's propaganda at all. The recruitment of young men has not been going well recently. Some people think this is a conspiracy by the government, and they just want to trick them into going down the mountain and arresting people."

When Magistrate Pang talked about business, a look of pain appeared on his face:

"And many people started causing trouble, throwing feces on the notice, and spreading rumors that the government wanted to collect taxes."

The people were ignorant, and many people did not know what was going on. When they heard the rumors, they began to flee with their families.

When mentioning these things, Pang Zhixian's face turned extremely ugly.

“Have you ever considered finding a local to break the deadlock?”

This was the task of Magistrate Pang, and Zhao Fusheng was not angry because his plan was disrupted.

She knew very well that the situation in Wan'an County was not caused by deterioration in a day or two, and it would not be possible to correct it in a short time.

It was just that Pang Zhixian was working for her, so she simply gave him a few words to enlighten him.

Pang Zhixian complimented:

"Your Majesty is right. I thought so too at first. I found a local named Guo and wanted to ask him to help recruit some high-prestige village elders nearby to act as guarantees——"

When he said this, he started to frown again:
"He did a good job at first, but yesterday he asked someone to send me a message, saying that he couldn't do this and asked me to find someone else."

Zhao Fusheng frowned immediately:

"You asked someone to do something, did you give them money?"

"Give it." Magistrate Pang knew Zhao Fusheng's character and did not dare to neglect him. When he saw Zhao Fusheng frowning, he immediately stood up and replied:
"I gave him three hundred dollars and asked him to help talk to the village elders of Hefengmen Village and some people in Huanggang Village. He agreed well."

"Then he dared to go back on his word after accepting the money from the government? Did he take the courage of a bear and a leopard?!" Zhao Fusheng's face darkened.

The government office in Wan'an County is empty. No matter how capable Pang Zhixian is, he is still a clever woman who cannot make a living without rice.

When Zhao Fusheng took over the Demon Suppression Division, the government officials in Wan'an County had lost their hair for several months.

After she received the sponsorship from the gentry, a sum of money was sent to the government office, which solved the problem of Pang Zhi County.

It can be said that the current expenses in Wan'an County are all her money!
Someone dared to take her money and not do anything. It was really outrageous!

Zhao Fusheng slapped the table:
"Such a bad trend cannot continue. If he has no reason, arrest this person named Guo first and then proceed."

This was the first time Pang Zhixian saw her sullen and angry. He was shocked for a moment. After he realized what he was doing, he was at a loss. Before he could speak, Zhao Fusheng calmed down for a moment, took two steps back and forth, and wiped his forehead:

"Is there any reason why he said he regretted it?"

Pang Zhixian's back felt numb, cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and he replied:
"He didn't mean it on purpose. When someone sent the message, it was said that someone in his family was missing -" Pang Zhixian sensed Zhao Fusheng's intimidating feeling at this time and quickly replied.

After finishing speaking, he added:
"If he didn't lie and deceive people, he would be excusable."