A great man of the Northern Song Dynasty

Zhao Xu disappeared.

With a livid face, Zhao Shu scolded Zhang BaBa and immediately summoned Shen An.

"What did he say...to investigate, to go among the people? Is this your idea?"

"Yes." Shen An didn't expect that Zhao Xu would be gone for five days without any news.

"The people from the Imperial City Division have lost track of him, go and check."

Zhao Shu said coldly: "The scouts of the Mangshan Army are unparalleled in the world. I am waiting for your good news."

Brother Chun is indeed a powerful weapon, but this powerful weapon can only detect the movements of enemy troops and is useless against friendly troops.

Shen An left the palace with a sad face. There was a chamberlain waiting for him, "Madam asked how the king is doing."

The so-called madam is Zhao Xu's first wife, Xiang Shi.

"No problem!"

Shen An was very confident, and the chamberlain went back to convey this.

"Shen Longtu said it's okay!"

"That's good." Xiang breathed a sigh of relief, picked up a half-finished handkerchief, and said with a smile: "Shen Longtu is a famous general in our dynasty. He said it's okay. I think the king will be fine if he comes."

But it’s hard to find famous generals!

There is no positioning system now, and there is no missing person notice.

Shen An stood outside Bianliang City and said melancholy: "For the sake of safety, we can't even offer a reward. How can we find someone?"

Once he offers a reward of how much it will cost to find the great king, Zhao Shu and Gao Taotao can eat him alive.

That was actively exposing the target, and Zhao Xu was really in danger.

Don't doubt the determination of those who oppose the New Deal. Once given the opportunity, they will not hesitate to kill Zhao Xu, a fanatical supporter of the New Deal.

So let’s explore slowly.

Shen An calmed down, "A certain person asked him to go to the town to investigate. He said he would be back in three days. Since he didn't come back, he was either in danger or thought he had found something good... He had a few people with Chen Quan. A guard will not be in danger unless he encounters a premeditated interception. Then... go and let the brothers inquire."

The rural soldiers of the Mangshan Army changed into plain clothes and began to inquire for information along the route.

"The king once dined here and asked the shopkeeper about his business and tax payment."

This was a very remote restaurant. There wasn't even any mutton in it. It was all pork, chicken and duck meat, and the smell made Shen An not even want to eat it.

"The king ate half a chicken and drank a bowl of wine."

The dark table was covered with stains. It was hard to imagine that the pampered Zhao Xu could sit here and eat half a chicken.

Good thing.

Shen An left the wine shop, looked at the path in front of him, and asked, "Where is the place ahead?"

The shopkeeper was brought in, and he looked as fierce as a quail at the moment.

"My lord, Caishu Village is ahead."

"This name is too domineering."

The homophony of Caishu Village is very domineering, but it turns out to be miserable at first sight.

There are more than a hundred families scattered on the plain, and there is a small river right next to the village.

The houses in the village looked dilapidated, and even a mangy dog ​​at the head of the village was so thin that it was completely malnourished.

The mangy dog ​​barked, Huang Chun threw a piece of dried meat over, and the mangy dog ​​rushed over and took a bite of the dried meat. It turned around and chewed, and howled low in its throat.

Shen An dismounted and ordered: "Just come with a few people, the others will wait outside."

He led the people into the village and followed the sound without looking.

After passing the house in front, turn right and you will see an open space. This is probably where the villagers dry their grain. It is very flat.

A group of farmers were squatting there, and in front, the dirty Zhao Xu stood on the stone mill and was talking.

"...Why not raise more chickens?"

"I can't feed you." An old farmer coughed, spit out a mouthful of thick phlegm, shook his head and sighed, "Young man, you can't feed the chickens just by driving them out. If you drive the chickens out to look for food, they will either starve to death or be killed by snakes." Killed by insects."

Well!

This is life experience.

"Raising chickens requires feeding. I don't even have enough to eat at home, so how can I feed them? I can only raise a few laying hens. The eggs can also be exchanged for money."

"Then why don't you raise more eggs? It's okay to sell eggs!" Zhao Xu felt that this kind of thing should be supported.

"You have to pay taxes." The old farmer said disdainfully: "Everything you sell has to pay taxes, don't you know?"

Zhao Xu just knew about it, so he was very confused.

"What if I don't pay taxes?"

He felt that he had touched something and was very excited.

Shen An was also very excited and led people to retreat to the side.

"If we don't pay taxes, then we can raise whatever we want, and we won't be afraid." The old farmer got impatient and stood up and said: "My family says there is no work, but squatting here doing nothing is a waste of food. Go home and lie down. "

"That's right, you will get hungry slowly if you lie down, and you will get hungry faster if you go out."

"Go home, go home!"

Zhao Xu hurriedly said: "Something will be sent here immediately."

The old farmer squatted down again and coughed: "What are you giving out? We can't give out those dry pancakes this time. There is soil in them, so you can't poop after eating them."

Damn it!

Shen An was speechless. He didn't expect that Zhao Xu would rely on such tricks to gather public opinion.

"Just some pancakes, do you want it?" Chen Quan has also changed a lot in the past few days. First, he is dirty, and secondly, he is desperate.

They stayed in this village for two days. Zhao Xu said not to spend too much, otherwise the people would not tell the truth, so he took his people to the nearest town and bought this kind of dry biscuits. Even they It’s to eat this.

This dry cake was very cheap, but it was actually mixed with a lot of things. Chen Quan swore that he had eaten hay.

I am not a cow!

He doesn't want to live like this anymore, but the king eats it, how can he not eat it? Then Gao Taotao could tear him apart with his own hands.

When the farmers received the dry biscuits, they carefully collected them in their arms, and then looked at each other triumphantly. They probably wanted to say that Zhao Xu was a stick, asked some inexplicable questions, and then offered benefits.

"I would like to ask you one last question, if you are not charged business tax, what do you want to do?"

"Raise chickens and pigs, raise everything, and grow anything valuable."

"Is this so?" Zhao Xu said thoughtfully, "I understand."

Shen An left more than fifty people squatting nearby and went back with him.

After returning home, Shen An asked someone to report the news, "Just say that the king has been found. He is safe. He should be back tomorrow."

He sent people outside to intercept him. If Zhao Xu still wanted to wander, he would just bring him back.

"Mr. Lang, there are many people here! They all bring generous gifts." Zhuang Laoshi appeared quietly, "There are even some who are giving gold and silver."

so good?

Shen An narrowed his eyes and said, "Who?"

"They are all businessmen."

"No!" Shen An sneered: "This generation is the one being talked about for being extravagant and extravagant. They are seeking death!"

Zhuang Laoshi went to the door and said arrogantly: "My husband said that extravagance means you wait. This is seeking death!"

The Song Dynasty is not the Ming Dynasty.

The merchants in the middle and late Ming Dynasty were really rich. The salt merchants of the Lianghuai generation wished they could wipe their butts with gold foil. They were so extravagant that even the emperor could not match them.

But that was the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty in which officials and businessmen colluded.

And this is the Song Dynasty.

The prime ministers were preparing to catch a few chickens and kill them. These wealthy businessmen had sharp noses and panicked when they smelled something wrong.

Zhao Xu came back the next day, looking disgraced.

He went back to wash up, change his clothes and take a bath before being taken into the palace.

Gao Taotao's pink face was filled with anger. Seeing that he was not injured at all, and his arms and legs were missing, he said angrily: "I don't know how to bring more people with me when I go out. Also, why did you go for so long? Aren't you afraid that I and the officials will worry? ?”

Zhao Xu quickly admitted his mistake. His words did not persuade Gao Taotao, but made her burst into tears.

"I remember when I first gave birth to you..."

Zhao Xu wanted to explode on the spot, but he didn't dare.

When a woman starts talking, it's like a flood passing through, and whoever stops her will be unlucky.

"Your Majesty, the officials have summoned you."

Zhao Xu ran away as if he had been granted amnesty.

All the way to the front, the prime ministers and assistants were also there, and they all had serious faces when they saw him coming in.

Han Qi frowned and said: "A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall, but the king is Meng Lang."

"Yes." Zhao Xu had to admit this mistake.

But in turn, he stated his findings, "Your Majesty, business taxes cannot be increased!"

"Why?" Zhao Shu knew the purpose of his going down, so he said calmly: "Tell me what you found out when you went down."

"I checked many places in and outside Bianliang City. I asked everyone from merchants to common people carefully. I found that in the Song Dynasty, the rich were getting richer and the poor wanted to be poor. Why? Because of taxes."

Zhao Xu did not need to read the prompts on the wat board and said confidently: "I have asked many businessmen in Bianliang. They all said that business is difficult to do. Many people said that if there is no other way, they will definitely lose their business."

"Huh?" Han Qi felt that this was a bit exaggerated, "Why? The commercial tax in the Song Dynasty increased every year, which shows that the merchants made money."

"Xiang Han doesn't know something. The merchants are making money, but most of them are just trying to maintain their lives."

"Who is that extravagant person?" Zeng Gongliang hated those people who spent money like water.

"It's a wealthy businessman!"

Zhao Xu said: "They were the ones who made the most money in the Song Dynasty, but the middle and lower merchants were just maintaining it. They paid taxes and residence taxes willingly, but the trade road was like the road of tigers and wolves, with various exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes and concessions along the way. They are suffering unspeakably. Your Majesty, I have a message here."

Zaixue likes to use tables and figures to explain things. Zhao Shu nodded, and Zhao Xu took out a table from his sleeve and said, "I visited twenty-seven businessmen in Bianliang City. They came from all over the country. Businesses are also different. They listed all the taxes and fees for their own business. I calculated it and found that it was 15%. "

"15%?" Han Qi stretched out his hand, "I'm assuming."

Zhao Xu handed over the form, Han Qi took it, and several prime ministers gathered together to read it.

The table is very clear. On the left is the total value of the merchant's goods, and above is the tax paid. It is clear at a glance and averaged at the end.

"15%, is it so high?" Zhao Shu was shocked.

"This is only Bianliang. If you are a businessman from other places, you will pay more."

Zhao Xu looked at them and remembered that they were sitting high in the court, coming up with all kinds of ideas at once, and couldn't help but shake his head.

This won't work!

"Audacious!" Zhao Shu finally saw the form, UU Reading www.uukanshu.net and he was also angry.

"The local government collects exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes, firstly because of political performance so that they can be promoted, and secondly because they swallow them up privately. So all these complaints are attributed to the court and your Majesty, but the benefits are swallowed up by those officials."

Zhao Xu continued: "I went to look around and thought that business taxes should not be increased. Instead, all those exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes should be abolished. Anyone who dares to set up a card to collect money will be taken down."

He said with murderous intent: "Extraordinary moments require extraordinary means. I recommend that all of them be dispatched."

Zhao Shu covered his forehead and said, "It's really greed!"

Han Qi asked: "Where are those wealthy businessmen?"

"Rich merchants?" Zhao Xu thought about the extravagance of those wealthy merchants, and couldn't help but have some thoughts. They were mostly shady ones. "Behind every wealthy merchant, there are almost people, either dignitaries or officials. Their goods are transported everywhere. How can local officials dare to intercept them? There are even..."

He lowered his voice and said with sadness: "Your Majesty, middle and lower-class businessmen pay taxes honestly but are still squeezed by exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes, but those wealthy businessmen are often able to evade business taxes. Therefore, their business can naturally make money. Why? Pay less tax!"

When Zhao Shu rarely saw his son feeling sad, he couldn't help but feel angry.

What made him even more angry was the greed of wealthy businessmen and the collusion between government and businessmen.

"Check! Where is Zhang Baibian?"

The official was angry. Zhao Xu stood there with a low eyebrow, but he was laughing in his heart.

Be extravagant, be proud, now I'll let you all spit it out!

…

Thanks to the leader of the book friend "Flying Knife of Despair" for the reward, please give me a monthly vote.

The fifth update is here, good night everyone.