"Impossible." Bai Yousi blurted out. "There are countless grains delivered to Luokou warehouse every year. You say corruption, corvee disturbing the people, and the division of the north and the south. I believe it, but how can there be a shortage of food?"

"I don't believe it either." Zhang Xing replied with a sigh. "No one who has lived in Dongdu will believe it... But until I saw an old document and learned how the food in the palace came from

”

"What document and how did it come about?" Bai Yousi asked in a low voice.

"The document is an old document. It is the conveyance of the saint's decree when he established the five-capital system after he ascended the throne and moved the capital. It requires the seven counties near Jiangdu in the Jiangdong region to deliver 10% of the annual autumn grain to Jiangdu Palace on the spot to enrich local storage...

...Then, within seven or eight years, the warehouse overflowed and transshipment stopped... That was when Eunuch Zhao became the governor of the Jiangdu Palace, and he is now, another five or six years have passed." Zhang Xing recounted calmly.

"What did the inspection think of?"

"This year, several counties in Jiangdu have suddenly lost 10% of their autumn grain. I sent a letter to ask, saying that the rains have delayed the transportation, and they have to wait until spring to deliver it together... You go to Jiangdong to urge you." Bai Yousi said.

He repeated it expressionlessly. "You are saying that Governor Zhao is a good man, or a weak person. After he took over, he either took the initiative or was coerced to release the food in the palace again to let these seven

The county officials took away the grain and used it as autumn grain for business purposes. Then this year, the food in the palace was empty, which attracted us here...so...but..."

At the end of the sentence, Bai Yousi was obviously in disbelief, but he didn't know where to refute, so that such a smart person became incoherent.

"The numbers are so coincidental, and they also explain why many people in the Jiangdu officialdom, including Duke Zhou, have such ambiguous attitudes, and the case is completely clear." Zhang Xing talked eloquently. "But there is still a huge problem, that is

Why are Duke Zhao and the officials of the seven counties willing to take such a big risk to do this, even if the True Fire Cult is used as a black hand... This goes back to the original question, because Jiangdong is really short of food, then

Adding in 10% of the autumn grain is likely to cause famine or even large-scale rebellion."

"That's the truth, but I still don't understand why there is a shortage of food?" Bai Yousi was a little angry.

In the neighboring room, a child was already crying again, but Nu Guan was obviously alert but did not dare to coax her any more.

"Please take the inspection officer to Jiangxin Island." Zhang Xing stood up without saying a word.

Bai Yousi stared at the other party. He did not touch the wine jar or carrots, but grabbed the other party. He jumped in the air and floated towards the river ahead like a stream of light in the snowy night. He flew to the center of the river. There was a person here.

There are several villages and a market on the huge Jiangxin Island.

"It's over there, in the village below, next to the house at the head of the village." Zhang Xing was obviously prepared, so he shook his finger. "There is a tree ahead."

Bai Yousi was already impatient, and flew down here like a powerful crane, throwing down his capable subordinate, and then he couldn't rush him:

"Stop being so pretentious and tell me."

Zhang Xing ignored it, but stood under the tree, pointed to the open space in front of the tree, and said seriously again: "The matter is very important. Please inspect and measure the size of this land. From this tree to that tree,

There are ridges on all sides, so it’s easy to measure..."

Bai Yousi glanced at the other party blankly, but still walked over and used the long sword. Like a magic trick, he used his true energy in the air to make the long sword roll rapidly for measurement, and then gave the answer after just a moment: "I

The sword is exactly four feet long, and the land is less than three acres..."

Zhang Xing nodded and stared at the other party with a smile under the tree:

"Inspection, you always want to find out the foundation, and this is the foundation of the foundation."

"What?" Bai Yousi breathed heavily, as if he was avoiding something. "What's the basis?"

"The basis of this case is, why is there a shortage of food in Jiangdong?" Zhang Xingcong calmly responded. "Including the basis of another problem, which has troubled people all over the world for many years, that is, why did the late emperor not become a dragon? Just because

Is he usurping the throne?

Also, for example, why did Yang Shen dare to rebel? Why did he and many people, including smart people like Li Shu, think he could succeed?

Also, why do I, a country person, always feel that the Wei Dynasty is too unconventional since I entered the Eastern Capital? Sometimes it feels like the beginning of a new dynasty, and sometimes it feels like the end of the dynasty?

Why would a powerful man like Xu Dalang from the East have to be an enemy of the imperial court? The root of all the problems lies under your feet and sword."

Bai Yousi was stunned for a long time and suddenly looked at the snow under her feet. The next moment, she was stunned as she heard a word in her ear.

"This piece of land, which is less than three acres, was clearly measured in the official register when the late emperor was in power. It is ten acres." Zhang Xing answered seriously.

"Impossible!" Bai Yousi immediately retorted after coming back to his senses.

"That's not all. There are five people in the family behind, three generations of ancestors and grandchildren. As soon as the son came of age, he was recognized as two families...According to the meager tax set by the late emperor, his family's harvest is 50%.

Used to pay taxes. I asked Brother Hu and Qin Erlang. This number is 35% in the East and Hebei, and 20% in Guanlong." Zhang Xing continued. "The reason for this is the same as the death of the late emperor.

It is related to the order of Dong Qi and Nan Chen. After the first emperor destroyed Dong Qi and Nan Chen, they each emphasized one thing again and again... that is to require local officials in various states and counties to inventory the land, check household registrations, and no aristocratic families are allowed.

A powerful person can hide even a little bit, and if anyone can't do it, his house will be confiscated immediately and his head will be executed."

"You are saying that because they were far away, the late Emperor was suspicious and could not check, so he forced too much. The officials below could only exaggerate according to his wishes, and in the end they had to pay taxes several times the actual acres. This is too ridiculous.

"Yeah..." Bai Yousi laughed a little angrily. "Why didn't any loyal minister tell the late emperor?"

"Did the late emperor really not know?" Zhang Xing responded jokingly. "This year, the Central Plains was hit by war. The prince of Nanya blockaded the prefectures and counties, but did not provide relief. He acted like something skillfully. Where do you think this political tradition comes from?

Moreover, when I was in Jing'antai, I clearly saw that in his later years, the late emperor became more and more harsh, and even made laws such as stealing a penny from the official warehouse and killing people and ransacking the house from a bucket of grain...so much so that some Chengdan masters couldn't stand it and stopped the court.

The clerk asked the late emperor, has there ever been a court that killed someone for just a penny?"

"Why didn't you force a rebellion..." Bai Yousi continued to question, but he stopped abruptly after only half a sentence.

"Here in Jiangdong, we first destroyed a country, killing many people, losing all the elites, and killing even a grandmaster in Jiangdong." Zhang Xing shook his head in reply. "But even so, it still caused huge turmoil in the late emperor's later years.

Otherwise, how could Yang Bin, who had committed no crime, take advantage of the opportunity to gain prestige in the southeast? But Yang Bin only kept his word and marched accordingly. Did he not kill people? And now, only a few years ago, a group of losers from the True Fire Cult are actually attacking him again.

Under the banner of rebellion, we can easily win the hearts and minds of the people, but yet we live in harmony with the government? Also, why are the people in Jiangdong so scared when they see us?"

Under the snowflakes, Bai Yousi took a long breath and couldn't catch his breath for half a day.

But Zhang Xing still put his hands together and continued: "Because I'm afraid of being killed, I killed everyone and didn't dare to rebel. Otherwise, I'll die... Inspection, the matter is that simple, what do you want to do?"
Chapter completed!