I have a role in the heavens

The imperial court set up many checkpoints on the canal. Every time they passed a checkpoint, they had to pay a tax. After paying the tax, many merchants would find that even if they reached the destination and sold the goods, the money they earned was not enough to pay the tax. So you simply burn the cargo and return, because if you carry the cargo, you will have to pay tax again when you return. Empty ships were not needed, and burning their cargo along the river was a common occurrence.

There are even more outrageous things, because small merchants cannot afford water transport tariffs and can only rely on water transport chambers of commerce. Those chambers of commerce will swallow up the goods at low prices and sell them at high prices. Take the saltpeter mine in Taikang County as an example. Local households quarry stone and burn ashes. The capital cannot afford such a large quantity, so they can only transport it to various states for sale. However, the tariffs are so heavy that they cannot afford it. The Chamber of Commerce took the opportunity to purchase lime at a low price and transported it through its own channels. The gray households could only get 10% or even less profit. Barely enough, the interests involved behind this are unimaginable. Even Wei Yuan is too worried to touch it.

Xu Zisheng's face was filled with coldness, his eyes flashed with sharpness, he sneered, turned around and left, leaving only a clear and firm voice.

"I'll touch what the watchmen don't dare to touch! I'll take care of what the civil and military officials of the dynasty don't dare to touch!"

Emperor Yuan Jing's cultivation of Taoism and alchemy required huge expenses, and the money did not come from the household department, but was provided by his own small treasury. So, it is self-evident that Emperor Yuan Jing has so much money for him to spend money like crazy.

In the Jinluan Hall, Emperor Yuan Jing sat high on a dragon chair, looking down at the civil and military officials in the hall, speaking in a deep voice with great majesty.

"If nothing happens, let's leave today!"

Xu Zisheng suddenly took a step forward, bowed slightly, raised the wat board in his hand, and said loudly.

"I have this note!"

As soon as these words came out, the ministers in the court were shocked and looked at Xu Zisheng in shock and uncertainty. This man was an evil star. Who was he going to kill again today?

Suddenly, all the civil and military officials trembled, thinking to themselves that what they had done recently, there should be nothing that would involve the black gauze hat on their heads, and then they breathed a sigh of relief. With Xu Zisheng.

Emperor Yuan Jing's eyes were slightly condensed and his claws were numb. Every time Xu Zisheng played a book, it would cause an uproar in the court, making the chickens and dogs restless. Even he was frightened and tired. He kept the balance in the court to save worry and concentrate on practicing Taoism. The immortal is now even more tired by Xu Zisheng.

"Xu Aiqing, what else do you have to report?"

"I ask your Majesty to reduce the tax on the customs. The tax is too high and merchants cannot afford it. Burning goods along the river happens frequently. If things go on like this, commerce will inevitably decline. Merchants and common people will not have enough to eat, and the people will not be able to make a living!"

Xu Zisheng faced Emperor Yuan Jing's glaring gaze without giving in, with a firm look on his face and said coldly.

"In order to cultivate Taoism, Your Majesty imposed excessive taxes and increased taxes on the people, making the people miserable. This is tyranny! Harsh rule is fiercer than a tiger. Please correct your mistakes!"

"Xu Zisheng, you are so presumptuous!"

Emperor Yuan Jing was furious and stood on his head. No one had ever dared to accuse him of his faults in front of the civil and military officials of the court like he did now. This made the emperor who was extremely controlling increase his murderous intention. Emperor Yuan Jing stood up from the dragon throne. He stood up, stared at Xu Zisheng, and said angrily.

"Xu Zisheng, do you really think I don't dare to kill you?"

As soon as these words came out, an astonishing murderous intent permeated the Jinluan Palace, causing the civil and military officials to remain silent. They lowered their heads and secretly glanced at Xu Zisheng, looking forward to the subsequent development of the matter.

When Xu Zisheng faced Emperor Yuan Jing's anger, he remained unmoved. His face was calm, he looked directly at the furious Emperor Yuan Jing, and said very calmly.

"It's not that Your Majesty doesn't dare to kill me, it's that you know you can't kill me!"

"Since Your Majesty has allowed me to step into the center of the court, I will take my position and work for my government. I also ask Your Majesty to reduce customs duties and give merchants and people a way to survive!"

Xu Zisheng took a step forward, and a surge of majestic and upright righteousness surged from his body, shaking the fate of Dafeng. He was filled with inviolable Ling Ran and threatened Emperor Yuan Jing to give in.

Endless resentment surged from the canal, crossed the void, poured into the sky above the palace, and oppressed the court. This was Xu Zisheng bringing the grievances of merchants and people to collide with the national destiny of Dafeng, warning Emperor Yuan Jing that if he disagreed, Dafeng would be reduced. National destiny.

There was a faint sound of dragon roar in Emperor Yuan Jing's ears, and the sound was full of panic, as if he was extremely afraid of the resentment that filled the sky over Kyoto.

Emperor Jing of the Yuan Dynasty looked at Xu Zisheng with great frustration. In the previous dynasty, there was a second-grade scholar who brought the resentment of the people to shake the national destiny, causing people all over the world to revolt. This was the great cause of Taizu's founding of Dafeng.

Emperor Yuan Jing did not dare to fall out with Xu Zisheng. If the fate of the country was really shaken, he, the Nine-Fifth Supreme Emperor, would not be as stable as he is now, and he would be able to practice Taoism and seek immortality.

"Okay, okay! Xu Aiqing really never forgets her original intention!"

"The people are water, and the king is the boat. Water can carry the boat, but it can also capsize it! Your Majesty, please encourage me!"

"The people are the most important, the country is the second most important, and the king is the least important! Is this your Confucianism?"

Emperor Yuan Jing's expression was extremely gloomy, and he stared at Xu Zisheng with cold eyes. He naturally knew the inscription that Xu Zisheng wrote in Yunlu Academy. It was precisely for this reason that Emperor Yuan Jing rejected Xu Zisheng. He was a man without a monarch. Arrogant person.

"What your Majesty said is true, this is exactly my Confucianism!"

"In that case, as you wish, the customs duties will be reduced to 50%!"

"Dismiss the dynasty!"

Emperor Yuan Jing waved the sleeves of his dragon robe and said angrily. He took a deep look at Xu Zisheng, turned around and left the Jinluan Palace.

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Xu Zisheng bowed and shouted loudly, his expression extremely respectful, as if he was truly in awe of Emperor Yuan Jing.

The civil and military officials in the court looked at Xu Zisheng who was going his own way with complicated expressions. They felt gloating in their hearts, but for some reason there was admiration in their eyes. Asking for orders for the people and angering the emperor were the ideals of the ministers when they were studying, but now things have changed. , this original intention is gone.

Dafeng's geographical annals record that Yunzhou stretches for 60,000 miles and is rich in products, such as mulberry, porcelain, herbal medicine, etc. Before Emperor Wuzong rose to power, Yunzhou's wealth ranked among the top five in Dafeng Prefecture.

In the early years of Yuanjing, the total population of Yunzhou reached five million. After that, the Yellow Book was compiled every ten years, and the population gradually decreased sharply. In the 30th year of Yuanjing, the population of Yunzhou was more than 3.5 million.

The population has shrunk by 1.5 million in thirty years. This is a very scary thing. The real population shrinkage will only be more than this. Because the land in Yunzhou is fertile, there is no need to worry about famine unless there is a natural disaster.

In other words, within thirty years of normal reproduction, the population can grow steadily. From 5 million to 3.5 million, it is not a simple subtraction. The actual population reduction will at least double again. This loss of population , half of them were because the taxes were too heavy, they abandoned their fields and became refugees, or they went to the city to find another way to make a living, or they fell into trouble and became bandits. These people are not recorded in the yellow book. Then there is the serious banditry, burning, killing and looting, which makes the situation worse. Sometimes bandits from the village would take the initiative to go down the mountain and rob people in order to supplement their labor force. Oh, of course bandits are not included in the yellow list.

Yunzhou has undergone a rapid turn of events in the past twenty years or so, almost since Emperor Yuan Jing began to practice Taoism. This shows how foolish this Taoist emperor was, causing great chaos and a decline in national fortunes!

Xu Qi'an and his party met Yuzhou's Cao Yuan Yamen gangyun envoy to steal military supplies to Yunzhou, but found that he had been killed in the study, and the clues were interrupted. When he first arrived in Yunzhou, he met Anzi's wife Yang Yingying and was intercepted. He cracked the password left by Anzi, the watchman, and obtained the account book left by Anzi at the black market dog meat shop.

Xu Qian and others immediately made a decisive decision and arrested Yang Chuannan, the commander of the Yunzhou capital. This stirred up a hornet's nest. The Yunzhou guard commander assembled three thousand troops and surrounded them outside the Yunzhou city gate. The leader of the guard post commander Xu Huchen even released By the way, if you don’t release the commander-in-chief within half an hour and give them an explanation, then we will send troops into the city to remonstrate!

The so-called military admonishment is to use force to persuade the monarch or elders to obey. In short, it is to use fists to force you to submit.

The difference between military remonstrance and coup d'etat is that the purpose is different, but the behavior is the same. However, military advice is dead advice, and no one will use it unless it is absolutely necessary.

In order to delay time, Xu Qi'an and Li Miaozhen came to the south gate of the city. After showing their waistbands, the two climbed to the top of the city and were personally received by Qianhu of the city defense army.

Li Miaozhen is a holy girl from the Taoist Heavenly Sect. She studied under Bingyi Yuanjun and is the number two of the Tiandihui. She has an excellent appearance, with delicate facial features, a rosy mouth, and a high nose that highlights the three-dimensionality of her facial features. However, her sharpness makes people ignore her beauty.

Li Miaozhen was wearing scale armor, with a bright red cape behind her, no helmet, and her long hair tied into a waist-length ponytail. She looked heroic, like a majestic female war goddess. He originally wanted to go down the mountain with his senior brother Li Lingsu to practice the path of "entering the world first, then being born", but in the end, because of his strong sense of justice, he struggled in the world of mortals, unable to extricate himself. After arriving in Yunzhou, he saw that bandits were rampant in Yunzhou and the people were in great poverty. He immediately recruited troops, established a private army, and began a tireless journey to suppress bandits.

Li Miaozhen is a chivalrous and courageous heroine. Wherever she goes, justice is supported and justice is upheld. In just a few years, he became famous in the world and became a hero known to everyone. Because of his eagerness for justice and justice, he was known as the Feiyan Heroine.

"Master Governor, why haven't you come yet?"

Qianhu, a burly man with a saber in his hand, a Chinese-character face, and triangular eyes, looked at the empty street and couldn't hide his disappointment.

"The governor is in the capital to direct the envoys to investigate the case, and he can't get there for the time being. General Ranger and I are here to delay."

Xu Qian explained that he stood at the top of the city and looked down. There were two square formations outside the city. The larger square formation was the army of the Guards. The cavalry was in front, the infantry was in the back, and the artillery army was in the middle.

Banners were flying, and three thousand soldiers and horses looked at the top of the city. There was silence, and an indescribable ferocious aura rushed towards them.

Xu Qi'an has made rapid progress since receiving the Dharma Diagram given by Xu Zisheng, and is now at the half-step of the Divine Refining Realm. However, facing this battle-experienced army, the first thought that flashes in his mind is still to avoid it and not dare to confront him head-on. .

Fighting for three thousand miles with one body, and serving as a master of millions with one sword, these are feats that can only be achieved by high-level martial artists, and cannot be accomplished by Xu Qian, a small eighth-level martial artist.

Yunzhou's army is extremely fierce, making trouble whenever they want, and is not afraid of death at all. The banditry in Yunzhou is in full swing. It would be strange if a soldier in Yunzhou is not fierce. Soldiers who have been fighting all year round have a deep evil spirit. They usually only recognize the leaders who fight alongside them. They are difficult for outsiders to control. They are not as precious about their lives as soldiers in comfortable places.

"That little square over there, which army is it from?"

Xu Qi'an looked outside the city, pointed in a direction, and asked Li Miaozhen on the side.

The troops approaching the city were the Wei Command and Envoy Division under the jurisdiction of Baidi City, also known as the Wei Division. The next level was a police station. The small square on the side had about four to five hundred people. Xu Qian guessed that it was a county-level police station.

When Li Miaozhen heard this, he looked around, suddenly felt a little embarrassed, and said coyly.

"That's my Feiyan Army."

Xu Qi'an looked at her with eyes full of distrust. Is there any mistake? Your army actually participated in the military revolt. You are not a young man, are you?

Seeing this, Li Miaozhen didn't understand Xu Qi'an's thoughts and quickly explained.

"I did think about using the military to exert pressure. This is a bad habit developed in the Yunzhou army."

Li Miaozhen also knew how to shift the blame, and passed the blame to the Yunzhou Army. Anyway, nothing happened to her, she was innocent!

"Then what should we do now? Is it possible that we have to leave the city?"

Xu Qi'an breathed a sigh of relief. This delay required Li Miaozhen's cooperation. If the other party was really a young man, he would be dead.

"Um."

Li Miaozhen nodded. She was very famous in Yunzhou. Even Xu Huchen, the commander of the guards, wanted to give her some face.

"Can I not go?"

"The governor you represent cannot go without going!"

Li Miaozhen glanced at Xu Qian, who was as timid as a mouse, and said in a deep voice with disdain.

"Commander Wei Xu Huchen has a bad temper and is headstrong. Since you want to resolve the conflict, you must be patient."

"You can't even save your face?"

Xu Qi'an swallowed, and his palms were full of sweat. This job was really not done by humans. If he was not careful, he might be beheaded by the insurgents.

"If I don't accompany him, he will chop off your gong without any hesitation."

Li Miaozhen glanced at Xu Qian with disdain and said with great pride.

"Hey, soldiers are really unreasonable."

The city gate opened with a creaking sound, and Qianhu from the city defense army sent the two people out of the city. He waved his hands and said to the two people with a look of sympathy that he would never step out of the city gate.

"FD."

Xu Qian looked back on the horse, with a look of reluctance in his eyes, and opened his mouth to invite.

"Master Qianhu, why don't you come with us?"

Qianhu immediately covered his ears with his hands, looked at Xu Qi'an innocently, and shouted loudly.

"It's windy here. What did your lord say? I can't hear you clearly! Oh, my lord, you said to close the city gate? Okay, I won't open the city gate even if I kill you."

The city gate slowly closed, and Qianhu's figure disappeared in front of Xu Qian's eyes. His heart sank to the bottom of the sea, and he cursed angrily!

"Dry!"

Li Miaozhen did not attack Wei Si directly, but turned his horse and went to his Feiyan Army. He called for dozens of cavalry to press the formation, and then he met Wei Si's 3,000 soldiers and horses.

"My Feiyan Army has the lowest level of cultivation in the refinement realm. There are 437 people in total. They are at the peak of refinement of the corps commander, at the Qi refinement realm, and at the bronze skin and iron bone realm of the Hundred Households."

Li Miaozhen's voice was pleasant and clear, and he introduced his private army to Xu Qian with a hint of pride. With four in the sixth-level realm and forty in the Qi-training realm, Li Miaozhen’s Feiyan Army is extremely powerful. Li Miaozhen's connections in the world are deeper and unpredictable than imagined. He can actually gather such a powerful force. No wonder he is famous in Yunzhou.

Know yourself and the enemy, and you can fight a hundred battles without danger. Xu Qi'an will not fight an uncertain battle, and asked Li Miaozhen about the details of Xu Huchen.

"Then what kind of cultivation level does Xu Huchen have?"

"The peak of the God Refining Realm."

"My cultivation level is not very high."

Marching and fighting is not about being brave and ruthless. A high-quality warrior can fight one against a hundred or one against a thousand, but he may not be able to command an army of thousands. Li Miaozhen's commanding ability was already at its limit with five hundred men. However, Xu Huchen could command an army of 3,000 to 5,000 men. In a head-to-head confrontation on the battlefield, Li Miaozhen was definitely no match for Xu Huchen and would definitely be defeated.

Violence is aesthetics, war is art, two completely different concepts. Li Miaozhen stopped five feet away from the Wei Si army and said loudly.

"Commander Xu, come here and talk."

As soon as they rode out of the queue, the general at the head was eight feet tall, and the mount on his crotch was taller than an ordinary horse. He had a long spear in his hand. Those who dared to use the long spear were all brave generals.

Xu Huchen held a long spear in his hand, his eyes were sharp, and his dark blue chin had just been scratched. He nodded slightly towards Li Miaozhen and asked.

"General Li also rescued the Commander-in-Chief with us?"

Li Miaozhen shook his head in denial, which made Xu Qi'an secretly relieved. This teammate was still reliable, not just a kid, and his safety was guaranteed.

"Master Yang, everything is fine. General Xu was too impulsive. Do you know the consequences of doing so?"

"The worst case scenario is death."

Xu Huchen's performance was very bachelor, revealing the fierceness of Yunzhou sergeant. He didn't take his own life seriously and said with a grin.

"My life was saved by the commander-in-chief. If the court wants to cure him, I will risk my life."

Xu Qian frowned slightly, feeling a little confused. Their arrest of Yang Chuan was a secret, so he asked quickly.

"How did you know this news?"

Xu Huchen looked sideways at Xu Qi'an and did not answer his question. Instead, he spat disdainfully and said coldly.

"It turns out to be the eagle claw under Wei Wei's hand."

"You say I'm fine, but saying that my father Wei is too much!"

Xu Qian, who wanted to be Wei Yuan's adopted son, flicked his thumb, unsheathed the black gold sword on his waist and said in a deep voice.

"General Xu, don't challenge the majesty of the imperial court. I'm here with sincerity. If you didn't know how to appreciate me, I would have just killed you."

Reasoning is what scholars do. Soldiers only talk about fists. Only when your fists are strong can you have dignity. Xu Qian's idea is to show force first, win respect, and scare these guys who are not afraid of death, and then he can reason with them.

Xu Huchen was polite to Li Miaozhen, and directly sneered at Xu Qian. This was a sign of lack of dignity, but directly killing people would definitely not work, as it would intensify the conflict.

Xu Qi'an turned the horse's head and went to the other side silently. Xu Huchen, Li Miaozhen, and dozens of riders from the Feiyan Army followed him with their eyes. Then, with a flick of his left thumb, he pushed out the saber by half an inch. He held the handle of the saber with his right hand and briefly gathered strength. A clang and a harsh sound of unsheathing echoed in the air. In the eyes of Xu Huchen and others, in front of thousands of troops, In his eyes, he felt that the air was distorted, as if something was passing through him.

The next moment, with a dull sound, a thin crack opened in the ground, spreading from Xu Qian's feet to the front of the army, more than ten feet in length. The cavalry in the front row started to stir, and the horses seemed to be frightened.

Xu Huchen's eyes widened in disbelief. A trace of awe arose in his heart for this extremely tough general who led the troops in battle.