Ink panel: Hunting the sun and surveying the sky from the bow

Chapter 83: One-hit kill

"Ah? Are you two sirs kidding? One tael of silver... our whole family, young and old, even if we don't eat or drink for a month, can only get one tael of silver even if we have a good harvest."

"Are you questioning us?" A tax collector suddenly pulled out a tiger-head knife and clamped it on Zhang Baoqing's neck: "I don't care what method you use, this tael of silver must be paid. In addition, you have to pay the Yellow Peril Tax."

Zhang Baoqing was completely confused: "What kind of tax is this?"

"A few days ago, the county magistrate was fighting the remnants of the Yellow Heaven Sect every day. Wasn't it hard? In order to protect the safety of ordinary people like you, we go out early and come back late, without a moment's rest. You should also sympathize with us."

One of the tax collectors put away the knife clamped on Zhang Baoqing's neck.

Zhang Baoqing opened his mouth and said: "Two sirs, then... how much is the total spring tax this time?"

"Two and a half taels of silver per household."

"What..." Zhang Baoqing was completely speechless after hearing this, and thought he had heard it wrong.

"Two hundred coins for forestry tax, three hundred coins for adult tax, one hundred coins for leftover women tax, one hundred coins for road tax, two hundred coins for canal tax, one hundred coins for real estate tax, fifty coins for broken windows tax, nine hundred and fifty coins for tiger removal tax, and five hundred and fifty coins for yellow peril tax."

"This is all clear and obvious." The two tax collectors said impatiently, "What's the problem? Go and collect it quickly. Otherwise, we will have to stay here overnight today, and we will have to pay an overnight tax."

Zhang Baoqing was extremely indignant and surprised.

This is just the spring tax.

It is far beyond their tolerance.

But looking at the tiger-head knives of the two officials, Zhang Baoqing did not dare to say more.

These two officials were wearing thin uniforms in such a cold day, and their faces were ruddy.

Their martial arts must be stronger than Chen Yuan and Shen Qing.

Fists are power, and he can't beat them at all.

I just feel aggrieved.

Zhang Baoqing took a deep breath and sighed, "I'll go and collect the money right away."

Looking at Zhang Baoqing's back as he left, the two officials said indifferently, "This group of unruly people don't know how to move unless they are whipped. They are all as stupid as elm heads."

"Be content. It's good to have food and drink in the deep mountains and old forests."

"I don't know why the county magistrate is like crazy and wants to collect so much at once?"

"It's because they have been paying yellow thieves for years. The tax is rising all over the country, not just in our county. Besides, no matter how much he collects, we can't lose a single word in our hands. The old rule is that 30% goes to the national treasury, 30% goes to the county magistrate, and 30% is ours. It all depends on our ability to collect more or less."

"Yeah, that's the truth."

...

"Two and a half taels, so much?"

Knowing that the spring tax would collect two and a half taels of silver at once, Shen Qing was a little unbelievable for a while.

This tax is simply too high.

Zhang Baoqing was speechless.

Shen Qing pondered for a while and said, "Zhang, wait for me for a while."

Said that, Shen Qing went back to the house and found eight taels of silver, put it on the table and said, "Zhang, here are eight taels of silver, which are the spring taxes for me, my uncle's family, and Tian Xiaohu's family, and there is also five hundred yuan. You can see who needs it and make up for him."

Zhang Baoqing was so shocked that he couldn't speak when he saw Shen Qing took out eight taels of silver.

He didn't expect Shen Qing to change so much. He nodded and said a few good words, then took the money and walked out.

Shen Qing didn't feel too bad about the money. Anyway, he didn't want to bother with it if he could solve it with money.

If Shen Qing remembered correctly, the two tax collectors were also martial artists in the bone refining realm.

It's better to have less trouble than more.

Because of the tax collection, the village was in chaos.

Zhang Baoqing finally collected a part of it from every household and handed it to the two tax collectors.

The tax collector counted the number and frowned, "Why is it so few?"

"My lords, there are only the elderly and the weak in some households, and it is really difficult. I hope you can bear with it." Zhang Baoqing persuaded earnestly.

A tax collector took out a roster and said, "There are a total of 36 households in Hongshan Village. You should have collected 90 taels of silver. How much is this? Less than 60 taels. Do you think I am blind?"

"My lord, there are only 29 households in our village, and the Chen family has lost seven households."

"Are you stupid, or am I stupid? The roster says 36 households, but the remaining households are all dead?"

Zhang Baoqing stammered, "Yes, they are all dead!"

Bang!

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a huge force in his lower abdomen.

The whole person was kicked by the tax collector and hit the wall in mid-air.

He opened his eyes with difficulty, and felt that the figures in front of him seemed to be shaking.

"Let everyone come here. I want to check them one by one. I don't believe that all of them are dead." The tax collector said viciously.

Many people would hide their accounts to evade taxes, and they would spend some time to do so, but to be honest, this kind of blatant tax evasion is the first time they have seen it.

"Yes, yes." Zhang Baoqing said with his back bent and nodding.

Dong Dong Dong!

The sound of gongs rang out, and many villagers were gathered.

It seemed that the time was almost right.

One of the tax collectors took the roster, looked around at everyone and said, "There are thirty-six families in Hongshan Village, but now seven families are said to be dead? I have never heard of such an outrageous thing. If anyone of you can tell me where these people are, I will allow him to reduce his tax by three hundred yuan."

"My Lord, they are indeed dead."

"Yes, he is dead."

The villagers who gathered here echoed one after another. They lived in the village and had never seen much of the world.

They were more or less involved in the killing of the Chen family. They were very worried that they would be punished by the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty because of this matter, so they only dared to tell half the truth.

Shen Qing, who was hiding in the crowd, saw the whole scene, and couldn't help but think that these people still understood the interests and didn't do anything stupid.

The tax collector was a little impatient and didn't want to say more: "In this case, the spring tax of these seven families will be shared by each of you, and each family will add another 600 coins."

"Wow..."

The words of the tax collector were like a drop of water falling into boiling oil, and the crowd was indignant.

They were very dissatisfied with the arrogance of the tax collector.

One of the old hunters said angrily: "In order to collect your tax money, we can't even afford to eat, and you still add it?"

After hearing this, the tax collectors not only did not restrain themselves, but became more arrogant.

They drew out their tiger-head knives and asked coldly, "Do you have any objections?"

"Not only do I have one, but it's also very big!"

The old hunter has been living in the mountains for many years, and his whole body is full of wildness.

"Good, very good, very good." One of the tax collectors walked up coldly and said several good words.

As he finished the last word, a cold light flashed in his hand.

Puff.

The old hunter hadn't figured out what was going on before his head was cut off with a knife.

Blood splattered on the spot.

The tax collector turned around and looked at everyone: "Who else has any objections?"

All the villagers in Hongshan Village were silent.

Another tax collector closed the roster and said, "If you can't get the tax money together, you can see if you have brothers and sisters around you. The city is now in need of corvée labor, and corvée labor can be used to pay the tax money."

Corvée labor?

Everyone shuddered at the word.

Few people who did corvée labor could come back alive.

"Very good, I see that no one is saying anything, which means that no one has any objection, so let's do it."

"I have something to say?"

Shen Qing walked out slowly from the crowd and walked towards the two tax collectors.

"What is it?"

"How much is your life worth, sir?"

"Hmm? How bold!"

Poof!

The tax collector hadn't finished speaking yet.

Shen Qing put his fingers together and pointed at his throat with lightning speed, deeply inserted into his throat.