1. Situation

A wave of cold rain, a wave of wind, a solitary figure and a lone lamp, listening to the autumn rain beneath the jade steps and brocade eaves

Unable to cry, unable to laugh, it is indeed helplessness that brings about indifference, misleading others is still called cleverness

The common people cried out together: "Indeed! Look at whose home still has rice? We can barely eat, and we truly cannot pay! Even if we are beaten to death, it would be of no use; only those wealthy gentlemen have rice."

Yuan Xiu said with a smile: "Then I shall take my leave, Lord Li, please take care of yourself"

Dong Yanhun was in a state of panic. He had presided over numerous murder scenes, yet he had never witnessed such efficiency, which made him truly believe that death was imminent. He struggled desperately and shouted: "General! How could I dare to embezzle? The grain must travel three thousand miles to the capital, and there are hundreds of checkpoints along the way, each requiring interception. Throughout the transportation, everyone from top to bottom must be bribed, and charging an additional fee is the rule! This year, due to the excessively high taxes in Yizhou, we only added eighty percent. No one can help it; everyone is in the same situation. How can you blame just me, General? If you want to kill me, then there will be no officials left in this world!"

Li Xiaoxian noticed that these guards moved swiftly and had cold expressions, unlike the guards of ordinary households, which made him feel even more uncertain, and he said: "May I ask if you are..."

A man in his thirties, dressed in traditional Chinese attire, was frowning as he watched the crowd. Suddenly, he said: "Enough, if this continues, someone will get hurt."

The man smiled, "I actually know this. Do you know it too? Your courage is indeed quite remarkable. I see you only have one head, so why not use it sparingly? Why are you so eager to lose it?"

The man discerned his doubts and smiled, saying: "I was indeed a marquis within the borders, but I am not the one in the ancestral hall; that is my father. My name is Yuan Xiu, and the Emperor has appointed me as the military governor of Yizhou. Lord Li, did the governor of Yizhou not show you the imperial edict?"

It is already early winter, yet in the southeastern part of Dayuan, in a small county town called Yong'an, the weather remains warm and sunny, showing no signs of the harshness of winter. Yong'an County has a river named Yong'an River, which faces the green mountains. The emerald waters and the verdant mountains echo each other, and as a gentle breeze passes, the river surface shimmers, bringing a sense of tranquility and delight.

"Wronged?" Yuan Xiu sat in the chair, "I do not know what grievances you have, but I cannot interfere in governmental affairs. Fortunately, your county magistrate is here; you may speak with him."

The official stepped forward in response, but several guards suddenly emerged beside the man, coldly staring at Dong Yan. Dong Yan shivered in fear and looked back at Li Xiaoxian, "My lord, this..."

Dong Yan was hesitant, "My lord, what about the others... will they still fight?"

Yuan Xiu sighed, "Li Xiaoxian is a person of Prince Jin."

Dong Yan could not believe that Yuan Xiu was serious, and exclaimed: "General! General! I am wronged!"

Stop talking nonsense!" Li Xiaoxian was quite angry, "Noble families are those whose ancestors achieved merit or retired officials. For generations, there have been rules: exemption from rent and taxes. If you want to blame someone, blame your ancestors for their lack of ambition! You commoners only know your own hardships, but you are unaware that the six northern provinces are suffering from disasters and rely on this grain for relief. The emperor has set the rent for us, and as officials, we must collect exactly that amount: four stones of rice per acre, not a single grain less! You commoners only know your own hardships, but you are unaware that the six northern provinces are suffering from disasters and rely on this grain for relief. The emperor has set the rent for us, and as officials, we must collect exactly that amount: four stones of rice per acre, not a single grain less! If you have something to say, go to the Golden Luan Hall and speak to the emperor!" He then glared, "What are you standing there for? Keep hitting! It would be better to beat them to death so that these commoners can see what happens to those who dare to default on the emperor's rent!"

The officials, constables, and yamen runners of the entire county stared at each other in confusion, while Dong Yan shouted, "My lord! My lord!"

Several guards showed no mercy, kicking Dong Yan in the knee, causing him to involuntarily kneel down. One guard removed his official hat and pulled out the hairpin, causing his hair to fall down and cover his face.

The common people all showed expressions of surprise, and then immediately rejoiced, each one vying to call out: "My Lord!" "It is the Marquis of Guannei!" "My Lord, I offer incense to you every month, please save us!" The people hurriedly knelt down and bowed their heads.

Unexpectedly, Yuan Xiu's expression suddenly darkened, no longer resembling the playful grin from earlier. He shouted, "You falsely convey the imperial edict; do you think simply retreating will suffice? Someone, seize this registrar!" His eyes narrowed into a slit as he coldly declared, "Execute him on the spot!"

Yuan Xiu turned to look at Li Xiaoxian, smiling as he said: "You, this chief clerk, must be confused with fear, to actually accuse Lord Li. What should the Lord say about this?"

The young man lamented: "This new emperor is even more ruthless than the previous one; we have no way to survive!"

Yuan Xiu sneered, "Lord Li, how can you hold an official position when you don't even understand the proper law?" He stepped forward and touched Dong Yan's neck, laughing, "The proper law is execution!" With a wave of his hand, the guards stepped forward, twisting Dong Yan's arms with great force.

Li Xiaoxian suddenly realized that the father and son looked so alike, it was truly startling! He hurried over to apologize, "I knew that you would come to Yong'an County, but I did not expect you to arrive so early. The distance from the capital to this place is as much as 3,000 li, and you truly are a general who can fight on horseback, arriving in just half a month. You have worked hard; I have prepared the residence early this morning, please come in and rest, my lord."

The official immediately pulled out a young man and pressed him to the ground, starting to beat him with a stick, and the sound of his惨叫 once again echoed.

As soon as Yuan Xiu turned the corner past the ancestral hall, the smile on his face vanished completely, replaced by an expression of profound heaviness. A guard stepped forward and cautiously asked, "My lord, it is clear that the county magistrate is behind this. Why did you only execute one clerk?"

The man in traditional attire furrowed his brows, reached out to stop the constable who was about to apprehend someone, and asked, "Your Excellency, the County Magistrate, you say it is the Emperor who demands four stones of rent; do you have any evidence for this?"

Li Xiaoxian forced a smile and said, "General, you truly have a sense of humor, haha... The journey has been arduous for you, so please take a rest first."

Li Xiaoxian turned his head away and did not look at him. Dong Yan felt a sudden chill in her heart and could no longer hold back, shouting, "Injustice! The taxes and rents were all ordered by Lord Li for me to collect; I am merely a clerk and cannot be held responsible for this!"

The man in traditional attire said, "What you say is also true"

Yuan Xiu said coldly: "I have no control over the world; the Emperor has only appointed me to guard Yizhou. Consider yourself unfortunate, as you are an official in Yizhou; then I shall start by killing you."

The guards were somewhat unconvinced, "The lord is a confidant of the emperor, even the Prince of Jin would have to show some courtesy. This county magistrate has nearly doubled the taxes; even if the Prince of Jin were to find out, he would probably not openly protect him.

What news does the plum and bamboo bring on the New Year? A myriad of sorrows entwine the weary body

Upon learning that he was a Yuanxiu, Li Xiaoxian let out a sigh of relief. Initially, judging by his demeanor, he had assumed he was some noble scion, and although the position of a military supervisor was significant, it did not allow for interference in civil affairs

Yuan Xiu turned to Dong Yan and said, "Just now you insisted it was four stones, yet the county magistrate now says it is two stones and two dou. This truly puts me in a difficult position; whom should I believe?"

A gust of wind blew, causing everyone to shiver; at last, they felt the arrival of winter in this no longer gentle breeze

Yuan Xiu smiled and said: "Thank you, my lord, for giving me face. I am a rough person, and my memory is a bit poor. I would like to ask you, my lord, what is the rent exactly?"

Dong Yan looked at Li Xiaoxian with a mournful expression, wondering how to respond. He could only lower his head and say: "I was wrong, I did not wrongfully accuse anyone, I only ask for the general's mercy"

Li Xiaoxian reluctantly greeted him, his fists clenched tightly

The man frowned and said: "The climate of Yizhou is exceptionally favorable, making it one of the rare granaries in the world. It seems that one mu of land can yield eight or nine shi of rice, right?"

Li Xiaoxian's face turned red, and the chief clerk Dong Yan shouted, "Impudent! Who do you think you are to speak to the county magistrate like that?"

The two constables brought out an old man this time. The old man trembled and crouched down; with one slap, he began to wail. After just twenty or thirty blows, the old man rolled his eyes and could no longer cry out.

The young man who had been beaten could not help but say: "It's not that we are unwilling to pay, but we truly cannot afford it! In previous years, it was two stones of rice per acre, last year it was raised to three stones due to the war, which we accepted. But this year, isn't it peaceful? Why has it instead increased to four stones? How much rice can one acre produce? We can't even pay if we don't eat."

Dong Yan turned to Li Xiaoxian in tears, "My lord, please save me! Considering that I have served you for over ten years, grant me this one life!"

Li Xiaoxian looked at Yuan Xiu and silently cursed, yet found himself powerless, so he could only shout: "Dong Yan has falsely proclaimed the imperial edict, and the crime deserves execution. Carry out the sentence immediately"

Although Yong'an County is not large, it has produced a figure who was conferred the title of marquis by the court—Yuan Chengmao. It is said that Yuan Chengmao's father moved the family to Hu Prefecture in the southwest, a thousand miles away, when he was less than one year old, but the ancestral home of the Marquis of Guannei is still here. As a source of pride for Yong'an County, the Yuan Marquis Temple is built by the banks of the Yong'an River, enjoying a beautiful view.

"Do not speak nonsense!" Li Xiaoxian stopped Dong Yan and turned to the man with a smile, saying, "This young master is joking. Whatever rent is collected must of course be submitted to the Ministry of Revenue; I am also serving the court."

Li Xiaoxian's face turned pale, and he suddenly sensed that something was amiss. This person was so familiar with the situation in the court, he must have significant connections with the high officials in the capital.

"Lord Li, although I am a military official, I have also handled miscellaneous affairs in the capital for half a year. You can ask me about the rules of the Six Ministries, and there is not a single one that can stump me, do you believe it? The loss of silver and money is half a percent, and the loss of grain is one percent. You can collect at most two shih, four dou, and two sheng of rice. The loss has surprisingly reached nearly fifty percent; could it be that the ones transporting the grain for you are all rats?"

Dong Yan is not as clever as him, and is still shouting from the side: "Bold! Who allowed you to speak nonsense here? Lord Li is the county magistrate of Yong'an County, and he says how much is how much; how dare you act recklessly!"

Dong Yan was taken aback and asked, "What?"

In the new dawn, I eagerly await the arrival of the magpie, yet it comes in vain, not to convey the sound of jade.

One person among the common folk suddenly pointed at the man and exclaimed, "My lord! It is the lord who has manifested his divine presence!"

Dong Yan's expression was awkward, "I will return the excess amount as soon as I get back." The common people cheered upon hearing this

Yuan Xiu nonchalantly said: "Lord Li loves the people as his own children, how could he do such a thing? Lord Li, it is all because of this chief clerk..." As he spoke, he pointed to the corpse, "Many commoners have suffered unjustly; it would be better for Lord Li to offer some compensation to comfort the people. We will still follow the rules set by your chief clerk, one strike counts as one dou of rice, how about that?"

Dong Yan was so furious that she jumped up, "Someone, arrest this troublesome scoundrel! Disturbing official duties, give him forty lashes!"

"Are you not wronged? Then go ahead, take action."

"Worrying for others?" The man smiled and said, "I fear the Emperor cannot bear your kindness. This year, the harvest in Yizhou is good. I remember the Ministry of Revenue's dispatch stated that it is the same as last year, which is three stones. The Emperor sighed and said it was too heavy, fearing the people could not endure it, thus he ordered a reduction of eight dou, making it two stones and two dou per mu, which is already one of the heaviest taxes in the world! And this is only to get through the current difficulties; it certainly cannot last long. You, sir, are actually collecting an additional one stone and eight dou of rice; who are you planning to give it to?" And this is only to get through the current difficulties; it certainly cannot last long. You, sir, are actually collecting an additional one stone and eight dou of rice; who are you planning to give it to?

"Wait a moment." Yuan said, "Has the esteemed one not yet answered my question? Is it true that the Emperor requires you to collect four stones of rent for each acre of land?"

Li Xiaoxian felt somewhat embarrassed, "This... long-distance transportation inevitably incurs some losses, shouldn't we prepare a little more?"

Li Xiaoxian suddenly realized why this person looked so familiar; it turned out that he resembled the statue of the Marquis of Guannei in the ancestral hall. Could it be that the statue had truly manifested its spirit? After all, he was a literate person and could not easily accept such supernatural claims, so he continued to gaze at the man with uncertainty.

Yuan Xiu smiled as he extended his hand, "Let me take a look at the account book!" Dong Yan reluctantly handed over the account book to Yuan Xiu, who began to read aloud, "Zhang Xiaolang, three stones and two dou, responsible for eight boards; Wang Chunjiang, two stones, responsible for twenty boards; Zhao Cai, four stones. Indeed, those with the name 'Cai' are wealthy, and this one has actually paid a full four stones!"

Yuan Xiubrow furrowed his brow and sighed, "Dong Yan is not wrong; there is no place that is not greedy for ink, no place that does not impose additional taxes. This is the case everywhere under heaven. Even if we kill Li Xiaoxian, what difference would it make? Moreover, Prince Jin must also be cautious; the Emperor has only recently ascended the throne and is still unclear about the attitudes of those princes. The urgent matter now is to stabilize the situation; I cannot cause more trouble for His Majesty. " He gazed towards the capital with a worried expression, "The disaster victims are waiting for relief, the border cities are in urgent need of repair, and the internal situation is still unstable... Yizhou is the richest province, and Yong'an is also a county of great harvests. If the common people are still like this, what about the world... what about the world... sigh! " The urgent matter now is to stabilize the situation; I cannot cause more trouble for His Majesty. " He gazed towards the capital with a worried expression, "The disaster victims are waiting for relief, the border cities are in urgent need of repair, and the internal situation is still unstable... Yizhou is the richest province, and Yong'an is also a county of great harvests. If the common people are still like this, what about the world... what about the world... sigh!

Li Xiaoxian scrutinized the man, and the more he looked, the more familiar he seemed, which puzzled him greatly. He softened his tone and said, "What you may not know is that this year, six provinces in the north have suffered disasters, and the harvest in the northwest is also not as good as in previous years. It turns out that only these four provinces in the south have had a bountiful harvest. Our Yizhou is the region that produces the most grain, and as an official receiving the court's salary, I should be alleviating the emperor's worries."

In stark contrast to this beautiful scenery, cries of anguish are continuously echoing.

Yuan Xiu said to his subordinates: "Did you not hear Lord Li's orders? Why are you not helping?" As soon as the words "help" were spoken, Dong Yan's head flew up into the air. From Yuan Xiu's change of expression to Dong Yan's beheading, it all happened in an instant, leaving everyone momentarily stunned with fear.

The young lamented: "We are all poor. In the entire Yong'an County, not a single farmer owns land; all the land belongs to the prominent families. Of the nine stones of rice harvested, we must first pay them five stones. How is it possible to deliver four stones of grain from what remains?"

Li Xiaoxian's facial muscles twitched as he looked at the corpse on the ground, with blood flowing from two places on its body, and said: "I will follow the general's orders."

Li Xiaoxian saw Yuan Xiu smiling at him, yet his eyes revealed a chilling coldness. He said, "Since the Marquis is interceding for them, let them go. I will prepare a banquet to welcome the Marquis. " He did not wish to remain there, and after speaking, he stood up. Unexpectedly, Yuan Xiu stepped forward and grasped his wrist. Li Xiaoxian struggled a bit, but it felt as if he were welded in place by cast iron, unable to move an inch. Li Xiaoxian silently lamented and forced a smile as he asked, "I wonder if the Marquis has any further instructions?" Li Xiaoxian struggled a bit, but it felt as if he were welded in place by cast iron, unable to move an inch. Li Xiaoxian silently lamented and forced a smile as he asked, "I wonder if the Marquis has any further instructions?"

Li Xiaoxian was taken aback, sitting up straight to look over. He saw that the man was dressed elegantly and appeared at ease, clearly not an ordinary person. Feeling somewhat apprehensive, he swallowed back the reprimand that was on the tip of his tongue. He cleared his throat and said: "Young sir, you are an outsider and may not be aware of the situation here. The common people have become increasingly difficult these days. In the past, they would obediently pay their rents, but this year they are all complaining, and half of the rents have not been collected. If those who refuse to pay their rents are not punished, then every troublesome person will stop paying altogether"

In the open space in front of the ancestral hall, a considerable number of common people and officials were gathered. An official, dressed in formal attire, was seated in a rocking chair; he was the county magistrate, Li Xiaoxian. Holding a ledger, he casually said: "Next, twenty."

Li Xiaoxian gritted his teeth and said: "It is two stones and two dou."

Dong Yanzhi hesitated, looking at Li Xiaoxian, and finally said: "It is... two stones and two dou, I, I remembered it incorrectly."

Li Xiaoxian shouted, "You dare to slander the Emperor! Come here, quickly arrest him!"

"For one mu of land, four shi of rice, this is what the Emperor has decreed!" Dong Yan, who was used to being arrogant in his daily life, completely failed to notice anything amiss and shouted, "You say the rent is two shi and two dou, what evidence do you have? Do you know that falsely transmitting the imperial edict is punishable by death?"

After twenty lashes, the young man was already bruised and battered, struggling to get up. Li Xiaoxian said, "Next quarter, if you still don't pay the rent, it will be another twenty lashes. You better prepare in advance. Next one!" Suddenly, he glanced at the account book and smiled, "This is interesting, three quarters of rent, not a single grain of rice paid. Good, good, good, one hundred and twenty lashes, interesting."