Wang Kuan raised his hands and grabbed Ding Xihou's cloth shoes. Using his knees as legs, he walked towards Ding Xihou step by step.
"Father, the people who came this time are from Dongchang. The ambush in Qinling Mountains only knocked down eight troops and no one was injured. I'm just afraid that they will follow the clues and find my place."
Ding Xihou had one bare foot on the floor, and raised his right hand as if he wanted to pull it down, but in the end it stayed in the air.
"Did any of your people fall into their hands?" Ding Xihou asked.
"No, the other party probably didn't even see his shadow."
"Let him just let this matter go. An Anxin's relief is that the terrain in the Qinling Mountains is dangerous, and there are many small groups of horse thieves. If there is no direct evidence, ignore them."
He lowered his head and thought for a moment, then waited for the answer.
"The imperial envoy who came this time is the purple-clad captain of Dongchang. He has handled many major cases in the court. I'm afraid that he will find his way to my head little by little." Wang Kuan's face was very panicked.
Staring at Wang Kuan, Ding Xihou's eyes gradually narrowed: "To be honest, is there any evidence left at the scene?"
"In order to kill them completely, I asked people to use gunpowder. Who knew that these Dongchang people were so skillful that they all escaped from the ambush." Wang Kuan lowered his head and said.
"Gunpowder? Did you ask the caravan to help you make it?" Ding Xihou's eyes seemed to spit out flames.
The gunpowder for the caravan was given by myself in private. The purpose was to allow the caravan to protect itself when encountering extraordinary situations.
Now, they have actually used it in an ambush against the Imperial Envoy of Dongchang. Is this because they are afraid that others will not think that the ambush is related to the government?
"Yes." Wang Kuan said softly.
"Get up." Ding Xihou bent down, took the cloth shoes that Wang Kuan handed over, and slowly put them on his feet.
Wang Kuan didn't dare to say anything and hurriedly stood up.
The waist is still half-bowed, showing one's respect.
As for Dongchang, Marquis Dingxi knew that it was an agency directly under the emperor, and its power was still higher than that of Jinyiwei. Several major cases handled by the court showed the strength of Dongchang.
In particular, the captain in purple clothes actually killed Cang Cheng, who was the Minister of Rites at the time, in front of hundreds of officials. This kind of courage is not possessed by ordinary people.
Now, Wang Kuan ambushed the purple-robed captain. Even if he beat Wang Kuan to death, it would be of no avail.
According to the way Captain Ziyi behaves, if he suffers such a loss, everyone involved will not have a good outcome.
If he really found out that it was the caravan, the entire caravan would be killed.
Half of the income of the Hou Mansion comes from the caravan.
Without the caravan, how could he support such a large family with a marquis's fiefdom?
"Take the food and rush back to Gongchang Mansion immediately. Just pretend that this has never happened and just go to the disaster relief. At the same time, inform the caravan not to solicit business in the near future. All gang members should stay away from Gongchang Mansion.
."
After thinking for a long time, Ding Xihou made a decision.
"What about the people in Dongchang? They will definitely not give up the pursuit."
"In a few days, I will personally go to Gongchang Mansion to untie the knot in the purple-clothed captain's heart."
At this moment, Dingxihou's waist straightened slightly.
Three days later, a huge motorcade appeared outside the gate of Gongchang Mansion.
The carriage was filled with large and small cloth bags, full of grain.
In the carriage at the front sat Wang Kuan, the prefect of Gongchang.
Near the gate of the city, the motorcade stopped. Wang Kuan opened the curtain on the carriage and looked at the sun in the sky. After some hesitation, he stretched out his feet and got out of the carriage.
He put one hand on top of his head to block the sun, and pointed at the endless motorcade behind him with the other hand.
"Marquis Dingxi did not sit idly by when there was a drought in Gongchang. These 50,000 shi of grain were the first batch of aid he gave us in Gongchang. Before the disaster relief food funds from the court arrived, Marquis Dingxi would not let everyone go hungry. From today on,
The porridge used in disaster relief has been replaced with dry rice."
When they heard that porridge had been replaced by dry rice, the people cheered.
"Dingxihou is truly a living Bodhisattva. Thank you so much, Dingxihou, and thank you, Lord Magistrate."
While talking, one by one fell to their knees and kowtowed towards the motorcade.
Inside the city gate, Xiao Chen touched Gongchang Tongzhi Wei Li with his arm: "Wei Tongzhi, is this Gongchang Zhifu?"
"Yes, this is the prefect, Wang Kuanwang. The food in the car must have been borrowed by him from the Marquis of Dingxi."
Xiao Chen didn't speak anymore, just smiled faintly.
He depleted the grain reserves of Gongchang Mansion and borrowed grain from Dingxi Hou to make up for the shortfall. He also did not forget to establish prestige for his father.
However, I'm afraid your move today is not very rational.
If you keep a low profile and transport food into the city, I don't want to touch you yet during disaster relief.
But since you have established prestige for the Western Marquis like this, do you still take the imperial court seriously?
Pushing aside the crowds on both sides, Xiao Chen walked out slowly.
When he was about ten feet away from Wang Kuan, he stood quietly.
"Excuse me, sir, who gave you the fiefdom of Dingxihou?"
Wang Kuan, who was indulging in gratitude to the people, was put in a very bad mood by this inappropriate sentence.
He turned around and looked Xiao Chen up and down.
Seeing that the other party was just wearing an ordinary school captain's uniform, I immediately felt confident.
"No matter who sealed it, it was the land of the Marquis of Dingxi. These grains are produced in the Marquis's fief, which represents the Marquis's love for the people."
"Okay, okay, what the prefect said is correct." Xiao Chen smiled faintly, "However, according to the regulations of the imperial court, the local government's grain reserves should be enough for the local people to eat for three years to be considered qualified. This is to open warehouses to release grains for disaster relief.
It has only been a few days since the porridge began, and the prefect went out to borrow grain for disaster relief. Where are the grain reserves? Where did the grain reserves used to prepare for emergencies go?"
Looking at Xiao Chen, Wang Kuan wanted to slap him in the mouth.
I don't know where a little captain came from, talking to me like this, I think you think your life is too long.
However, in front of so many people, especially the hundreds of soldiers guarding the city at the gate, logically speaking, I absolutely cannot lose.
"How big is Gongchang? What do you, a little captain, know?" Raising his right hand, Wang Kuan pointed towards the city wall, "The land near Gongchang is quite fertile. In addition to paying taxes, the food produced every year is also
There is some left, but what about the more remote mountainous areas? What about the deserted beaches? Do you know how much food those fields can produce?"
"But the imperial court doesn't care about this. All taxes are collected by acres. If these fertile lands are divided equally with those barren lands, do you think there is still food for storage?"
"Does the magistrate mean to complain that the court's taxes are a bit too heavy?" Xiao Chen smiled lightly and guided the other party's words.
"Isn't it heavy? If it's not heavy, why has the granary of Gongchang Mansion been empty for so many years?"
Wang Kuan went back again.
"Master Magistrate, as an official of the court, you don't have to be grateful to the court, but you can't tell lies with your eyes open. The taxes in Gongchang Mansion are much lighter than those in other places. To be precise, Gongchang Mansion's taxes are much lighter than those in other places.
Taxes are all customized according to the yield of barren land, and fertile land is not used to double the burden. Is it possible that the prefect did not implement the taxes of the court, but levied taxes on the people according to his own taxes? "
Xiao Chen said with a smile.
"What, our taxes in Gongchang are levied based on the yield of barren land?"
"If this is really the case, after paying taxes every year, there won't be any surplus left."
"If there is still food left at home, and if the disaster relief in Gongchang starts earlier, my poor grandson will not starve to death."
"And my father, he refused to eat the last morsel of food in the family, and insisted on leaving it to his children. Who knew that his old man would starve to death, and the children would also starve to death one by one."
"Wow..."
"ah..."
The people cried one after another, and the sky and the earth were darkened by crying.
Seeing that the situation in front of him was uncontrollable, Wang Kuan was furious and shouted at the garrison soldiers who were standing blankly at the city gate: "Come here, take down this man who is deceiving the public with his monstrous words and who doesn't know the heights of heaven and earth."
"
However, the soldiers remained motionless.
The voice fell for a long time and no one took any action. Wang Kuan was furious and prepared to get angry again.
It was just the scene at the city gate that made him a little confused.
Gong Chang and Wei Li stood in front of the soldiers, arms stretched out, as if blocking everyone's movement.
