I studied in modern times

Chapter 843 Bleeding
Li Sanyong drove his donkey cart, loaded with vegetables and eggs he had just purchased from the village, as well as a dozen old hens kept in bamboo cages, and walked on the spacious official road with a fiery heart.

He has a book in his mind.

The vegetables, eggs and old hens purchased in the village and from the neighbors could be sold for at least thirty strings of cash or even thirty-five strings of cash as long as they were transported to Bianjing City! , and the cost was less than twenty strings of cash, so he could make a net profit of more than ten strings of cash!
After doing this, I can make a profit of fifty strings of cash this month.

Fifty strings of cash mean nothing in Kaifeng Prefecture.

It might even be less expensive than a cup of tea that a yamen official in Bianjing city drinks after dinner.

But it could allow him to buy a new donkey cart, and the remaining money should be enough to pay the tuition for his two younger brothers to go to school.

The donkey pulling his cart was very old and traveled too slowly. The body of the donkey was rotten and was nailed with various wooden boards. The wheels had broken several times.

But this is his important asset!
With it, Li Sanyong can go to Bianjing City six times a month to sell vegetables.

You can earn seven or eight or ten strings of cash every time.

In this way, at the end of the year, after deducting household expenses and taxes paid to the government, he could save about three to five hundred strings of cash.

Three to five hundred strings of cash!

Just thinking of this number, Li Sanyong's heart began to burn like charcoal fire.

He followed his father to sell vegetables in Bianjing City since he was a child.

In his memory, he and his father worked from dawn to dusk, but at the end of the year, they could not even make any money.

It’s good enough if we don’t have any debt.

Because selling vegetables in Beijing is a difficult journey.

It was only a distance of a few dozen miles, but tax collectors, officials, and hooligans were like roadblocks.

Peel off the flesh and blood of the father and son layer by layer, then stuff it into their mouths and chew it with big mouthfuls!
When arriving at Bianjing City, one has to face the most dangerous hurdle - the city gate!
The tax collectors guarding the city gates were as fierce as wolves and tigers.

Every time, they would turn the father and son's donkey cart upside down, and would not let them go until they took out a handful of sweat-stained copper coins as a tribute, pretending to let them go.

If entering the city is a pass, then leaving the city is the gate of hell!

Tax collectors would carefully check the belongings of everyone who left the city.

They would even take off people’s hats to check their texture and order them to take off their shoes to see if there was anything hidden inside.

Because they charge tax on everything that leaves the city!

Including copper coins!

Therefore, small vendors could only try every means to bribe a familiar tax collector and pay a fixed amount of tribute every month so that the tax collectors would show leniency when they went out of the city.

But even this is not safe!
Because there were people above the tax collectors.

These people will appear from time to time, and if you meet them, you can only accept your defeat.

All your money and belongings may be confiscated by them at any excuse or reason.

If anyone dares to resist...

At the least, they would be severely beaten, at the worst, they would be thrown into prison…

Therefore, although Li Sanyong's family had been making a living by collecting vegetables in the countryside and selling them in Bian Jing since his grandfather's generation.

But after three generations, there was not much savings.

Apart from a rammed earth house, the most valuable thing in the house is the donkey cart driven by Li Sanyong.

This is already very good!

At least, I can feed the whole family!

There was also some extra money left for Li Sanyong to go to school, so that he could learn to read and do arithmetic, and learn to use various measuring instruments.

This is a skill that must be mastered to sell vegetables in Bian Jing.

but now……

It’s different now!

Since the minor official ascended the throne in Bianjing City the year before last, the situation has gradually changed.

Li Sanyong was in the city of Bianjing, listening to storytellers saying that this was because "the emperor was kind and saintly by nature, and could not bear to see the common people suffer." Legend has it that the eunuchs and female officials in the palace had told their families about this - the emperor would often shed tears in the palace when he thought about the people not having enough to eat and no clothes to wear.

Li Sanyong didn't know whether these things were true or not.

So, at the beginning, every time Li Sanyong heard the storytellers talking about these things, he would just smile.

Because, no matter how the storyteller praises it.

What Li Sanyong felt has never changed.

Every time I went to Beijing to sell vegetables, clerks, ruffians, and city gate workers... were always there.

Like his father, he worked hard every year, got up early and went to bed late, and lived frugally, but at the end of the year, he had little money left.

But, starting last year, things started to change.

First, the government issued an edict to completely abolish the gate taxes at the inner and outer gates of Bianliang City.

From then on, everyone, regardless of whether they were scholars, farmers, merchants or artisans, no longer had to fear being exploited by tax collectors when entering and leaving Bianliang.

Li Sanyong's family life gradually improved.

Last year, when we counted the accounts at the end of the year, we found that there was a surplus of more than one hundred strings of cash in the family!
He happily went to the home of Hu the butcher in the village, weighed a few pounds of fat meat, and happily spent the New Year with his two younger brothers and younger sister.

At that time, after getting drunk, he happily said to his brothers and sisters: "The emperor is kind and kind, and our family will have a more comfortable life in the future!"

"I plan to use the money I earn this year to build a new house, and save the money I earn next year and the year after next to give it to my sister as a dowry!"

"If there were five hundred strings of cash as a dowry, my sister might be able to marry a scholar!"

Li Sanyong remembered that his little sister's face turned red with embarrassment at that time.

That was the happiest day of his life!
However, such happy days did not last long.

Since the beginning of the Chinese New Year, the road to Beijing has become bumpy.

Because the government knows that these people are rich.

So, the appetite is getting bigger and bigger.

In the past, you could pass through the country as long as you paid a tax card and paid one or even a few hundred coins.

Later, it would reach two, three or even five strings of cash!

In the end, he still couldn't escape the oppression of the government.

Li Sanyong's life suddenly returned to the starting point.

Back to the past, that tight life.

Even the more than one hundred strings of cash that he had saved with great difficulty last year were gradually consumed by the continuous expenses.

He no longer dared to mention the matter of saving a dowry for his sister.

but……

The emperor is indeed benevolent and wise.

More than 20 days ago, the officials of Bianjing City once again issued an edict, ordering Kaifeng Prefecture to implement the exemption of taxes within the prefecture.

From then on, the government could no longer collect taxes from merchants and could only collect housing tax.

All his dishes were sold to Bianjing City.

The clerks on the road could no longer ask him for money or favors.

So, in just over twenty days, Li Sanyong made four trips to Bian Jing to sell vegetables.

Including this time, this is the fifth trip.

After five trips, you can earn fifty strings of cash.

Li Sanyong’s confidence is back!

He even began to take the initiative to use his time in Bian Jing to go to Wazi to listen to storytellers.

Every time I hear storytellers talk about the benevolent deeds of officials, they talk about the time when the emperor shed tears in the palace because he was worried about the people not having enough to eat.

Li Sanyong was no longer as unconvinced as he was at first.

Instead, he desperately imitated the others and shouted: "Long live the emperor!"

Yes!

Such a good official should live a long life!
I heard that he is only thirteen years old this year, which means that if he can live to be a hundred years old.

Then, he and his descendants could always live under the rule of such a good official.

Li Sanyong often thought that if that were the case, it would be really great.

Therefore, on the fifteenth of this month, Li Sanyong specially bought incense, candles and a pig's head, and offered sacrifices to the gods at home, praying to the gods of heaven and earth, and praying for the longevity of the emperor's family.

Pray that days like this will continue forever.

Li Sanyong was immersed in his own world, imagining a bright future for him and his family.

A rude voice interrupted his reverie.

"Li Jiadalang, are you going into town to sell vegetables?"

A short and stocky servant in a white robe came into his sight.

The obvious tumor on his neck was swaying in front of Li Sanyong's eyes. "How did I run into this filthy guy!" Li Sanyong was shocked.

He and the officer were from the same hometown, and their homes were separated by a river, so Li Sanyong recognized him.

Qin He, but in his hometown, this person has a more famous nickname - Qin Liuzi!

This is because Qin He also has a tumor on his neck.

He is a well-known scoundrel in the vicinity of Xiaoguan Town.

Precisely because he was a well-known scoundrel, he was able to become a government servant and collect taxes for the government.

Whenever Li Sanyong went to Beijing to sell vegetables, he would deliberately avoid the time when Qin He was on duty.

He knew that if Qin He met him, he would definitely embarrass and make things difficult for him.

Because he had offended Qin He.

Last year, his younger sister went into the mountains to collect firewood and was seen by Qin He, who then sent someone to propose marriage to her.

How could Li Sanyong be willing to marry his younger sister to Qin He, a notorious person in the village?
What's more, Qin He already has a wife!
So, that was not a marriage proposal, but taking a concubine!

Although Li Sanyong had not received much education and could only barely read and write, he knew that neither concubines nor sons-in-law were considered "good citizens".

Since he is not a good citizen, he is a pariah.

He also knew that in the eyes of many people, a concubine was at most half a person.

Not only the wife can be humiliated at will, but even the maids around her can be humiliated.

Every month in the city of Bianjing, dozens of young women were wrapped in white cloth and sent to the mass grave outside the city for burial at night.

They are basically maids and concubines in wealthy families!
There are various causes of death, but all of them are reported to the public - he had an acute illness and could not receive timely treatment.

Li Sanyong had heard from others that the coroner in Kaifeng Prefecture had examined some female corpses that had been buried randomly.

After the silver needle was inserted, everything turned black!

Some people don't even need to test with a silver needle. When they open the thin coffin, they see that the corpse is bleeding from all seven orifices, and the nails and lips are purple.

Therefore, how could Li Sanyong be willing to let his innocent younger sister become a concubine of Qin Liuzi, a notorious man in the village?
Isn't that pushing my little sister into the fire?
Therefore, we can only avoid this Qin tumor.

It was during these days that he went to Beijing to sell vegetables, and he made a lot of money.

Plus, I haven’t seen Qin He for many days.

Because of his carelessness, he did not inquire beforehand and ran directly into the hands of this plague god.

"What should I do?" Li San thought anxiously and forgot to reply for a moment.

……

Qin He stared at the man in front of him, who was well-known in the village for his loyalty and honesty.

He grinned: "What?"

"You're not talking? Are you feeling guilty?"

"Are you hiding something shameful in your car?!"

Qin He waved his hand and ordered his men behind him, "Search for me!"

"Turn over everything in this car!"

"I want to see what shameful things are hidden in this car."

At his command, the clerks behind him rushed forward like wolves and tigers.

Li Sanyong raised his head, his face full of horror. He was about to speak when Qin He hit him on the head with a stick.

"You dare to stare at me?"

"There must be a ghost!"

Li Sanyong was hit by the stick and felt dizzy and the world was spinning.

He turned his head and saw that the vegetables and fruits loaded on his donkey cart were scattered all over the ground by the clerks.

The old hens that were locked in cages and clucking in the car were dragged out one by one by those people.

Li Sanyong found out.

He raised his head and looked at Qin He.

Qin He looked at him with a grim smile: "Li Dalang..."

Qin He was very proud at this moment.

After being depressed for more than twenty days, the comfortable days of being able to act arrogantly and beat and kick passing merchants returned.

The most interesting thing is that there is no supervising official from the imperial court in the current Xiaoguan Town.

Only two inspectors in charge of public security have a higher status than him.

However, inspectors can only manage public security and fire prevention and cannot interfere with tax collection and inspections.

Therefore, in Xiaoguan Town now, he is the emperor!

Everything that happened today further proves this point.

All merchants, in front of him, had no choice but to bow their heads and pay.

They are like a flock of docile sheep!
What makes Qin He most happy is that there is no supervisor in Xiaoguan Town now.

So, every penny he received went into his pocket.

Instead of like in the past, you have to pay at least 70% of the tribute!
Money gives people courage, and power gives people confidence.

Qin He, who holds great power, also has a subtle change in his mentality.

So, he leaned close to Li Sanyong's ear and whispered a threat: "If you still want to sell vegetables in Bianjing City smoothly!"

"When you get back, send your little sister to my house!"

"Otherwise...every time I see you, I'll beat you and rob you!"

"You!" Li Sanyong widened his eyes.

"Aren't you afraid that I will go to Kaifeng Prefecture to sue you?" Li Sanyong mustered up his courage. At this moment, he was like grabbing a life-saving straw. He covered his head and said to Qin He: "I have read the Bianjing New News, and I have also heard the storyteller say..."

"If the people have grievances, they can go to Kaifeng Prefecture to file a complaint, or even go and beat the drum to file a complaint with the emperor!"

Li San looked at Qin He with trembling lips.

In fact, he was just telling Qin He - I can sue you.

But, as long as you don't make things difficult for me, I won't sue you.

Very simple idea.

however……

When Qin He heard this, he jumped up like a cat whose tail was stepped on.

He was shocked, angry and afraid.

What shocked him was that this well-known honest man in the village actually dared to threaten him?

Rebellion!

If he gets scared, how can he survive in the future? How can he lead people?

The same is true for the cause of anger.

As for being afraid?
Because he knew that once word of what he had done reached the capital...

If the Bian Jing city sends people to investigate, he will be finished!
Chenliu County is too close to Bianjing!
In shock, anger and fear, Qin He screamed: "How dare you threaten me?!"

"Come on, beat me! Beat me hard! Beat me to death!"

As he said this, he swung the whistle stick in his hand and hit over.

His men, all armed with sticks, began to surge forward.

Li Sanyong could only hurriedly hold his head to avoid the attack and protect himself, while shouting: "Help! Help! The police are beating people and want to kill them!"

He learned this from his father.

As I recall, my father would do this every time he encountered police beating people.

Most officers would stop when they saw this.

however……

Li Sanyong used the wrong method this time.

The more he cried for help, the more brutally Qin and his men attacked him.

Because they are afraid!
I was afraid that some students or even officials passing by would see me.

So, I just wanted Li Sanyong to shut up!

Bang bang bang!
He hit him with one stick after another.

Soon, Li Sanyong stopped shouting, and slowly he began to stop struggling.

By the time Qin He stopped, Li Sanyong in front of him was already a bloody mess, dying.

(End of this chapter)