Chapter 67

Xiong Yang County Town.

Xiong Yang County Town, situated on the edge of the Grand Canal, was nestled against the mountains and beside the water, but the scenery... was not very beautiful, not at all. All that existed here was hustle and bustle: the busy porters at the canal docks, the countless large and small boats coming and going on the canal. The shouts, curses, laughter, and cries... all were grating to the ears. The prosperity, perhaps, was just a surface phenomenon.

It was past noon.

Riding a yellow horse, Wu Fan had already arrived at the city gate of Xiong Yang County Town.

Even now, Wu Fan's mind was still filled with three words—grain tax ship.

The Great Sui Empire was a place where martial arts were highly esteemed. The current emperor, though not exactly a warmonger, was certainly fond of grand achievements, and the wars continued year after year. After the Southern Liang Kingdom was destroyed, the emperor immediately turned his attention to the Northern Yan Kingdom. To wage war, one needed provisions. Where did these provisions come from? Taxes! The grain tax ship that had been hijacked was loaded with taxes! The taxes of the entire Ji Province! Even if you included the four states that were reorganized after the conquest of the Southern Liang Kingdom, the most prosperous states in the empire's eleven provinces were Xu, Qing, and Ji! How much tax did the entire Ji Province collect in a year? At least ten million taels of silver in value, in money and grain!

Wu Fan had heard from Zhai Rang that this time, the grain tax ship of Ji Province was loaded onto fifteen large warships. Thirteen of them carried grain, while the remaining two ships, one carried silk, and the other was entirely money. The ship that was lost was precisely the one loaded with money! The money on that ship was worth over two million taels of silver!

Taxes.

They were the foundation and root of the empire.

Who would dare to touch them?

Wasn't that madness?

Pulling teeth from a tiger's mouth wouldn't even begin to describe it!

Wu Fan felt that the matter had become quite serious, and he wasn't very confident. After resting for a day and a night at Wagon Fort, he left Tong Wei there to be taught martial arts by Zhai Lingling, and he himself rode into Xiong Yang to see what the situation was.

"Stop! Where is your travel permit?"

Seeing Wu Fan riding his horse aimlessly into Xiong Yang County Town, the guards at the city gate stopped him.

Wu Fan suddenly came to his senses, quickly dismounted, and pulled out the travel permit from his chest, smiling and saying, "Sorry, sorry! I was distracted!"

The guard glanced at the travel permit, sized up Wu Fan a few times, and then bowed, indicating that Wu Fan could go.

Leading his horse, Wu Fan entered the city.

Following some information provided by Zhai Rang, Wu Fan did not first inquire about the location of the Yingyang Guard's Hundred-Household Office in Xiong Yang County. Instead, he went to the county government office to pay respects to the county magistrate, Huang Ye, also known as "Fourth Master Huang."

According to Zhai Rang, the county magistrate, the top official of Xiong Yang County, was a "blind man with eyes open," indifferent to everything as long as there was no trouble. The real power was in the hands of the deputy magistrate, Huang Ye, who was the most influential and authoritative person in the Xiong Yang area. He was also the central hub between the local gentry, the Green Forest bandits, and the government.

The county government office was easy to find, and Wu Fan knew it was in the center of the city. This was the standard practice for the construction of county and state government offices in the empire, all placed in the city center, symbolizing central authority.

Arriving outside the county government office, Wu Fan tied his yellow horse to the horse trough outside, presented his travel permit, and waited for an audience.

After a short while, a young clerk led Wu Fan into the county government office.

Passing through the main hall, they arrived at the back courtyard.

The clerk pointed to a study in the back courtyard and said, "Hundred-Householder Wu, Deputy Magistrate Huang is waiting for you inside! Please go in!"

Wu Fan smiled and nodded, then discreetly slipped some loose silver into the clerk's arms, saying, "It's too hot today, please have a cup of tea! Don't refuse!"

"Wait!"

Seeing Wu Fan's generosity, the clerk rolled his eyes, made a rubbing-fingers gesture, and whispered, "Deputy Magistrate Huang likes this, you should be prepared!"

"Thank you!"

Wu Fan bowed, very amicably.

Wu Fan was certainly prepared. Zhai Rang was known for his generosity, and Wu Fan had taken two thousand-tael silver bills and over a hundred taels of silver from him without even writing an IOU... Zhai Rang probably wasn't worried about it, after all, Wu Fan's nephew, Tong Wei, was still being held at Wagon Fort. If Wu Fan didn't pay back the silver, Zhai Rang could always do something about it.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

"Yingyang Guard Hundred-Householder Wu Fan, seeking an audience with Deputy Magistrate!"

Wu Fan knocked lightly on the door three times and called out in a moderate voice.

After a long silence, a voice came from inside the room, "Hundred-Householder Wu, is it? Please come in!"

"Creak!"

Wu Fan pushed the door open, stood three steps inside the door, bowed, and then looked up.

The room was slightly dim, simple and plain, with only two potted plants, a huanglihua wood desk, and two chairs.

A person was leaning in one of the chairs, reading something. He looked up and sized up Wu Fan, his narrow eyes filled with curiosity.

Wu Fan was also sizing up Huang Ye. His first impression: around forty years old, left-handed, clean. Second impression: deep schemer, hypocritical, not easy to deal with.

Huang Ye slowly stood up, straightened his black official robe, covering the Shu brocade robe underneath, and walked to Wu Fan, looking at his eyes for a while.

After a while, Huang Ye smiled and asked, "Is Hundred-Householder Wu twenty years old?"

Wu Fan bowed, looking a bit shy, and said, "Deputy Magistrate, you flatter me. I inherited my father's position early, and I turned eighteen after the New Year."

"Tsk, tsk! A young hero!" Huang Ye clicked his tongue, then changed the subject, "The Yingyang Guard has no dealings with us local officials. I wonder why Hundred-Householder Wu is here? Although you don't have an official rank yet, and I, as the deputy magistrate, am only a lowly eighth-rank official... no matter what, you don't need to report to me when you take up your post in Xiong Yang County, do you? You could just start your duties, right?"

The duty of the Yingyang Guard was "to serve as a direct guard, patrol, and arrest," and the "patrol" part also included supervision. Each county had a Hundred-Household Office to oversee local officials. That's why the Yingyang Guard was disliked by everyone, because they meddled too much and too widely!

Wu Fan smiled innocently, "I am a bit timid."

Deputy Magistrate Huang Ye shook his head and sneered, "You don't seem like it to me!"

Wu Fan smiled and took out a thousand-tael silver bill from his chest, presenting it to Huang Ye with both hands, "I heard you lost a piece of paper? Is this it?"

Huang Ye's eyes flashed with interest, but he didn't take it.

Wu Fan remained bowed, not getting up.

After a long while, Huang Ye sighed, "It is mine, but please keep it for a few more days, Hundred-Householder Wu." He paused, looked at the sky outside, and said, "It's getting late, I won't keep you, Hundred-Householder Wu! By the way, I suggest you go to the Hundred-Household Office first, to avoid any trouble! No trouble, and it's good for both of us!"

Wu Fan raised his eyebrows, smiled, and nodded, "You're right! I'll take my leave!"

Leaving the room, Wu Fan slipped the silver bill into the door crack before turning to leave.

[Old fox!]

Wu Fan thought to himself as he walked.

[Little trickster!]

Huang Ye took the silver bill from the door crack, examined it carefully, put it in his chest, and then frowned, deep in thought.

...

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