Chapter 114 The visitor is not good

Liu Xian from Qingzhou came to Beihai, which surprised Liu Bei, but he was also expecting it.

Just as the military advisor said, Yuan Tan should have taken action, but he didn't expect it to be so fast.

And judging from Liu Xian's posture, it seems that he came with bad intentions.

"Liu Bie came here. It must be Yuan Shijun who has some orders. Please tell me."

After welcoming Liu Xian into the mansion and sitting down to see him, Liu Bei said with a smile.

Zhou Xing and Jian Yong and Sun Qian were accompanying them.

Liu Xian, like Liu Bei, is also a member of the Han clan, and his family background is better than that of Liu Bei, so he was chosen as his companion by Yuan Tan.

Although they both belong to the Liu family, there are many people with the surname Liu in the world. Even though they share the same clan and ancestors, there is no affection for each other at all.

Now that Liu Xian is a farewell guest in Qingzhou, he first represents the interests of Yuan Tan. He treats Liu Bei just like he treats Zhang Bei and Li Bei, and will not treat him leniently just because his surname is Liu.

Even because of the status of Liu Bei's current General Zuo, Hou Pinghou and Prime Minister Beihai, Liu Xian became jealous and resentful.

"Mr. Liu Fu, Yuan Mu asked me to come because there is indeed something wrong."

When Liu Xian calls Liu Bei the Prince of the Mansion, he is talking to him as the Prime Minister of Beihai, not as General Zuo.

"Don't drive, please tell me." Liu Bei said with a smile on his face.

"It's been a year since Liu Fujun lost Xuzhou and ran to Qingzhou, right?"

Liu Xian did not talk about the matter directly, but specifically mentioned Liu Bei's loss of Xuzhou, hoping to take the opportunity to humiliate him.

Liu Bei didn't care. He was a man who took revenge, but such trivial things could not make him angry.

"Well, it's been more than a year." Liu Bei replied without changing his expression.

"One year is neither short nor long!" Liu Xian seemed to be feeling a little emotional, "I remember a year ago, when Liu Fujun was still in Xuzhou and had not yet arrived in Qingzhou. At that time, many people said that the most powerful person in the world was The chaotic state is Qingzhou, and the most chaotic county in Qingzhou is Donglai. On the land of Qingzhou, yellow turbans are everywhere, bandits are rampant, and many people have fled to Liaodong."

"But since Liu Fujun arrived in Qingzhou, three of the four major bandit leaders in Donglai have been killed. The remaining Guan Cheng also fled to Xuzhou. Recently I heard that he was even driven to a small island in the sea and did not dare to return to the place where he landed. This is it. In the land of Beihai, as soon as Liu Fujun arrived, the Yellow Turban bandits fled one after another. The people in the two counties of Donglai and Beihai were able to live in peace. This is the result of Liu Fujun!"

Liu Bei was a little confused and didn't understand why Liu Xian mentioned this.

When others praise you, you must respond humbly.

Liu Bei smiled and said: "Liu Biejia is so ridiculous. The yellow turban bandits were wiped out and the people were stabilized. It was because of the intimidation of Yuan Shijun by his reputation and the efforts of the righteous men of Qingzhou!"

Zhou Xing had been watching Liu Xian carefully, and now he guessed that the other party might make a request next.

It's just a routine, just like first praising you for being rich and generous, and then lending you money. Flattery is not nonsense.

"It's just..." Liu Xian paused, then continued, "The two counties of Donglai and Beihai are no longer disturbed by bandits, but the counties of Le'an, Jinan and other counties have been deeply harmed by bandits. The people fled, the fields were abandoned, and taxes were difficult to collect. Now the state

The treasury is already empty, with no accumulation at all."

"Previously, the two counties of Donglai and Beihai were harmed by thieves. Yuan Mu was kind to the people, so he did not collect tax money and grain from Mr. Liu. Now that the two counties of Donglai and Beihai are free from bandits, and the people live in peace and work hard, this tax money and grain should also be collected from Lord Liu.

The state government has handed it over. Moreover, the tax money and food are not obtained by the state government, and Yuan Mu has to hand it over to the court."

"Mr. Liu Fu, Yuan Mu's intention, is in Chu'an, Donglai County and Beihai County. Therefore, I do not require you to pay the full amount of taxes. You only need to hand over two million yuan and 50,000 stone grain."

"So much!!!"

As Liu Bei listened, his face became more and more ugly, and finally he couldn't help blurting out.

Liu Bei can get two million coins and fifty thousand stones of grain now, but asking him to hand it over would be cutting his heart out.

It was impossible for Liu Bei to agree, nor to refuse directly.

He looked at military advisor Zhou Xing, hoping that the other party could come up with an idea for him to deal with.

Zhou Xing was slightly shocked when he heard Liu Xian's report.

Even though he was mentally prepared, he never expected Yuan Tan to be so open-minded.

It seems that the hidden dangers of Donglai's victory over Liaodong soldiers have finally emerged.

Yuan Tan wanted to drain Liu Bei of his money and food. Without money and food, he would not be able to raise soldiers, and if he could not raise soldiers, there would be no threat. This was a strategy to draw out the fuel from under the cauldron.

It is much smarter than sending troops to attack directly, especially now that Gongsun Zan of Youzhou has not been destroyed, Yuan Shao actually doesn't want to use troops in Qingzhou.

Two million yuan and 50,000 stone grains are not much, but Liu Bei had just arrived in Beihai and implemented the policy of tax reduction and exemption, so there was not much in the treasury.

If it were 200,000 yuan and 10,000 stone grain, Zhou Xinghui would immediately agree to hand it over.

The current amount is absolutely unacceptable.

Zhou Xing was also hesitant, thinking about how to refuse.

Jian Yong and Sun Qian looked at each other in confusion, looking at Liu Bei and Zhou Xing, not knowing what to say.

Both of them knew in their hearts that rejection was a given, but the key was how to refuse without angering Yuan Tan.

"Mr. Liu Fu, aren't you willing to hand over taxes, money and food to the state government and the imperial court?"

Liu Xian saw Liu Bei hesitate and asked again.

"Liu Biejia, it's not that I don't want to hand it over, it's just that the two million yuan and 50,000 stone grain are too much. I don't have that much money and grain!"

Liu Bei didn't know how to refuse for a while, so he could only cry.

"Hahaha," Liu Xian suddenly laughed, "Mr. Liu, I am from Qingzhou, and I am from the Qingzhou Mufu. Others don't know it, but I don't know it either. The current native population of Donglai exceeds 300,000.

There are more than 500,000 people in Beihai and more than 800,000 in the two counties. With such a large population, the tax collected in a year is more than 6 million yuan at least. Now the state government only wants you to hand over 2 million yuan.

, how could it not be possible? With more people, the fields can be cultivated, and the income from land tax will be more. Isn’t it easy to come up with 50,000 shi of grain?”

"Could it be that...you want to keep money and food to support the troops?"

Liu Xian finally asked in a dark voice.

Liu Bei was secretly shocked. He didn't expect Liu Xian to know so much about the situation in the two counties of Donglai and Beihai.

In fact, if the people of Donglai and Beihai counties are added to the refugees from other prefectures and counties, the population has reached one million.

"Liu Biejia, you miscalculated, there are not so many."

Zhou Xing said at this time.

"Oh, really?" Liu Xian looked at Zhou Xing and asked, "Are you Zhou Wensheng?"

Liu Xian had heard of Zhou Xing and knew that this man was Liu Bei's military advisor and Liu Bei's mastermind.

"Exactly," Zhou Xing smiled slightly and said, "Liu Biejia should know that General Liu had previously, in accordance with the wishes of General Yuan and Yuan Qingzhou, collected land tax at the rate of fifteen taxes per one, and exempted the common people of the two counties of Donglai and Beihai

At the same time, the official tax and the official tax were reduced from one hundred and twenty coins to one hundred coins, and the conscription began at the age of twenty. General Yuan and Yuan Shijun were very benevolent and lenient towards the people, and the people were young.
Chapter completed!