Chen Xi's words were very casual, and Chen Xi was indeed relatively weak in this regard, but no matter who was in charge, it was impossible to regard Chen Xi's opinions as reference opinions.
Even if Chen Xi's opinions are full of weakness, Li You, Liu Ye and others must consider Chen Xi's feelings when dealing with them. It's really annoying that Chen Xi has given up his choice, which is a problem for all of them.
trouble.
"The development of Nanpi is actually quite good." Although Liu Bei came here for Sun Yong, the governor of Bohai, after seeing the people coming and going at the entrance of Nanpi City and the large number of carriages transporting various supplies, he
Liu Bei was still in a good mood.
"Of course, Nanpi was well built when Ju Gong and Shang were here. I even came here in person." Chen Xi recalled that he played chess with Ju Sue at the top of Nanpi City, and couldn't help but smile. But the past is like smoke, Ju Sue
They have been dead for many years.
"Let's go and see what Sun Yong wants to do." Liu Bei recalled that time and couldn't help but shook his head. Chen Xi took advantage of the chaos in Jizhou in the north to suppress Nanpi. This was the first time he faced Yuan Shao after pacifying Qingzhou.
conflict.
The Zhen family was also subdued by Chen Xi at that time. It can be said that it was the starting point of the hegemony. Now that I think about it, time flies really fast. In the blink of an eye, more than ten years have passed.
The gate of Nanpi City is no different from when Chen Xi came here. There are still a few gatekeepers standing there to collect city taxes. This is also a considerable part of the income of local counties. However, if I remember correctly, Chen Xi has gradually
The city gate tax was abolished in the county government.
The prosperity of trade and commerce can replace this thing to a certain extent, and the city gate tax is really unfriendly to the people who come to work in the city. They earn thirty pence a day, but still have to pay two to four pence.
Wen's city gate tax, isn't this a scam?
As for the city gate tax, which is only paid by merchants who bring large items, just listen to this. Now that you have started to collect the city gate tax, you can set up a card and collect some from people passing by. Let alone ancient times, it belongs to modern times.
A very normal situation.
Therefore, even when some local officials proposed that people working in the county town could enter the county town with their vouchers and no city gate tax or anything else, Chen Xi decisively began to abolish this thing. You all said that in the county town
People working as part-time workers can show their vouchers and refuse to be taxed. Isn’t it obvious that they were taxed before? What else can I say? This tax must be forcibly abolished.
"They're still collecting city gate tax." Chen Xi said with some sadness when he saw this scene.
"I remember that you requested that it be abolished this year, right?" Liu Bei suddenly asked.
"The proposal from last year's court meeting requested that it be abolished this year. In principle, state and county governments cannot continue to extend this tax." Chen Xi nodded.
"No one cares about this?" Liu Bei frowned.
"It's not that no one is taking care of it, it's just that it hasn't been completely solved and it's just a continuation of the old routine." Chen Xi thought for a while and explained, "But if there is still a city gate tax by the end of the year, then someone will take care of it. It won't be done now."
Someone is watching this."
The carriage continued inside. Because of the city gate tax, the speed of entering the city was not very fast. It took a while to queue up to get to Liu Bei and Chen Xi. The person driving at this time was Liu Bei's guard, an experienced veteran.
"Large frame, thirty cents." The soldier guarding the city gate didn't even bother to check, he just took a look and then directly gave a price.
Although the price was a bit high, it was not excessive when the city gate tax was collected. The guards paid directly and prepared to enter the city.
"I'm talking about the carriage." The spiritless city guard stopped the carriage directly after Liu Bei's guards paid and prepared to leave. "Get off the carriage and undergo inspection. The city gate tax is four cents per person."
Chen Xi scratched his head and did not dare to look at Liu Bei's expression. He estimated that Liu Bei was really angry at this time. The city gate tax for one person was as high as four cents. In Liu Bei's words, you probably don't want to die.
"What's going on?" The Nanpi city defenders saw that the driving guards looked ugly and some didn't want to pay, so they immediately surrounded them. The six city defenders looked like they wanted to take advantage.
The city gate officer itself is a lucrative job. As long as you have a good eye, find good targets, and blackmail, no one cares about it. It is also because of this that Chen Xi wants to abolish the city gate tax. As long as you get money, you will still be able to do it.
That kind of money that cannot be verified can only rely on personal moral quality, and personal morality is not reliable most of the time.
"Hasn't the city gate tax been abolished?" Chen Xi did not stop him. Liu Bei got off the carriage and stood in front of the soldier collecting the city gate tax opposite, asking with an indifferent expression.
"It wasn't abolished until the end of the year. We still have to pay it now. At least we here in Nanpi still have to pay it until the end of the year." The tax collectors vaguely surrounded Liu Bei. Judging from Liu Bei's demeanor, they felt a little bad. After all, they were greeted at the door.
It is impossible to send it without some discernment.
"Who ordered four coins per person?" Liu Bei was also unambiguous, "I remember that the city gate tax is not levied on ordinary people in theory. How can it reach the level of four coins per person?"
In a big city like Nanpi, with tens of thousands of people coming in and out every day, what does it mean to pay four cents a time? This is like scraping the land, is it crazy?
The soldiers guarding the city were suppressed by Liu Bei's momentum and were a little overwhelmed. Although Liu Bei was a very kind man, when he was really angry, he was like a lion, very scary.
"Go and call your city gate officer over." Liu Bei said directly to the city defenders with a dark face. His aura was so ferocious that it made the city defenders panic.
Liu Bei didn't know these soldiers and had no impression of any of them. This was unreasonable. According to Liu Bei's ability to control the army, it was normal for him to not recognize the soldiers when he met them. But a group of people didn't even have an impression of them. This was outrageous.
So Liu Bei directly asked these guys to find their superiors.
Liu Bei still didn't believe that he didn't even know the city gate officer, a person who was clearly led by a retired team member. If he didn't know him, Liu Bei would have turned around and not entered the city. He would have just led his troops over from Leling.
This means that the traces of Liu Bei in Nanpi have been dealt with.
Chen Xi did not realize this aspect of the problem, because Chen Xi knew these soldiers himself, and still does not know them, so he did not find it strange. However, Liu Bei was different. Liu Bei could not recognize them, but Liu Bei should not have no impression.
Not long after Liu Bei blocked the city gate, the city gate officer came. Liu Bei looked at the city gate officer, a little strange. At that moment, Liu Bei's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. The city gate officer is an official after all, even the lowest one.
Official, that is also an official.
According to regulations, the gate officials of a big city like Nanpi are positions assigned to centurions after they retire from the army. And centurions are not appointed by Liu Bei. Liu Bei knows every centurion in the Han Dynasty.
It can be said that except for the new centurions under the command of the three princes, Liu Bei knew every one of the other centurions. This was the basis for Liu Bei to rule the country.
However, Liu Bei barely had an impression of this city gate official. After a while, he met the person. The city gate official opposite was walking past in a hurry. As he walked, he felt that his legs were weak. Did Liu Bei recognize him?
, he doesn’t know, but he knows Liu Bei.
"Sun Chang, come here!" Liu Bei faced his superior after a while, and cursed angrily at Sun Chang, who was grinding against his legs and not wanting to come over. When the city gate official opposite, who was grinding away and pretending to be dead, heard this, he rolled away.
Came directly with him.
Liu Bei only had some impression of this man, because when another centurion retired from the army, he saw Sun Chang next to him. The two were fellow villagers, and Liu Bei only chatted with him for a few words, so he had a good impression.
"I have seen the Taiwei, and the Taiwei is well." Sun Chang knelt on the ground and saluted Liu Bei.
"Get up, what's going on in Nanpi? Why is the city gate tax so high?" Liu Bei looked at Sun Chang and asked directly. When a group of people around him heard Sun Chang calling Taiwei, they all knew who it was.
People gathered around to watch, and then ran away quickly. In short, there was a huge chaos at the gate of the city.
"This is decided by the county governor. He said that we in Nanpi will rebuild the Yellow River ferry next year, but now we are missing a lot of money. The city gate tax is about to be abolished, and finally another sum will be levied." Sun Chang quickly told what he knew.
speak out.
"Is the Yellow River ferry built locally?" Liu Bei looked at Chen Xi and asked.
"The plan should be for this year. Chang'an will send professionals to repair it next year. The local government will not be responsible for it. On the one hand, it is the technical team, and on the other hand, if it is repaired by the local government, the local government always likes to charge some money to cross the bridge." Chen Xi faced
He replied expressionlessly.
Sun Chang buried his head very low at this time and did not dare to say another word.
"Who was your previous city gate officer?" Liu Bei asked Sun Chang, "I remember that you returned to Nanpi with Ding Quan. According to his merits, Ding Quan should be the city gate officer."
Sun Chang nodded repeatedly and explained, "Brother Ding came back as a city gate official and worked there for three or four years. But the year before last, he went fishing for giant carp in the Yellow River. He encountered an undercurrent and the boat capsized. Only one of the three people accompanying him escaped.
.”
"Have someone tell me to call out the person who escaped, and how many veterans have died in Nanpi over the years." Liu Bei clearly looked calm, but even the very nervous Chen Xi could feel the calmness underneath.
anger.
"I'll call him right away." Sun Chang wanted to run away, but Liu Bei held him down, so he had to ask others to call the guy who survived the boat capsize.
"How many veterans have died in Nanpi in recent years?" Liu Bei held down Sun Chang's expression and asked the previous question again, and Sun Chang opened his mouth. He couldn't answer this question because he really hadn't paid attention to it before.
.
But when Liu Bei brought it up, Sun Chang recalled it and turned blue. Just because he didn't pay attention to it didn't mean it didn't exist. If it existed, there must be traces, just like now.
