Gao Mingheng has been in Qi County for three days. He met the officials and gentry who came to complain and listened to their requests, but did not accept their complaints.

County government office, back hall.

"Mr. Su County," Gao Mingheng asked, "When Li and these gentry were collide with food, do you know?"

This is the back hall, which is used to talk about some secret matters. In other words, Gao Mingheng told him about this matter here, which was to discuss with him. And he did not accept the gentry's paper, which shows that Gao Mingheng did not intend to accept this case.

So Su Jing felt at ease and nodded, "The Lord knows."

"What do you think?" Gao Mingheng asked curiously. He had been two magistrates, but he didn't have the courage to offend all the gentry and officials in the county.

Su Jing bowed and said, "I believe the governor Gao also knew that there are droughts and locusts, and the harvest is not good. Moreover, these gentry and officials paid less through various relationships, even without paying taxes or paying wages. However, the above taxes have a fixed quota, so they can only add additional payments to those self-cultivated farmers, and there will be various other additional payments and expenses. The burden on farmers is getting heavier and heavier, so they will simply throw away the wasteland and run away. No one will farm, so naturally they will not be able to collect taxes. However, whether the imperial court is a detainee or a suppression of thieves, they all need food and salary, and there is no way to be a low-ranking position."

Gao Mingheng nodded and said, "These situations do exist, but they involve too many benefits. No one dares to tell His Majesty about this situation. No important minister dares to make any decisions. Similarly, His Majesty, if you want the honorary family to take out some money to sponsor military pay, it is still in vain. It's difficult, no one wants to take out the things in their hands."

Su Jing asked in surprise: "Are you the honorary relatives?"

Gao Mingheng waved his hand and said, "Don't guess randomly, just do your duty."

"The official knows." Su Jing bowed his hands in fear. After wiping the sweat on his forehead, he spoke again: "It's just a county, and there are no powerful families here. At most, he will be about to retire as the head of Huang, the engineering department. However, Huang, the head of Huang, has already sent a letter and has acquiesced to President Li's behavior and will not use other methods to solve it."

"Well, it's better not to have high-ranking officials." Gao Mingheng nodded and said, "If these people are involved, even the relatives of these families will be troublesome."

"Xiaguan knows the importance of it," Su Jing said relaxedly: "When Li Baron wanted to do this, Xiaguan thought of this level, so he asked him to do it."

Gao Mingheng smiled and said, "That's good, then I'll be relieved. I won't accept this case, you guys will handle it yourself."

Su Jing quickly bowed and thanked him: "Sir, thank you for your kindness in protecting you."

Gao Mingheng waved his hand and asked Su Jing to get up, sighing: "As a subordinate, you and I can only do this for Your Majesty and the court. If you can keep a county safe, just keep a county safe."

Su Jing nodded and said, "The so-called Xiaguan also thinks. Fortunately, Li Bazhong Zhongyi has trained his troops very well. He just defeated the attacks of tens of thousands of people from the giant thieves "One Dragon" and "Yuan Laoshan". These two giant thieves killed Gao Yuanheng, the defender of Guide, to the formation, and defeated Zuo Liangyu's five thousand army who went to Guide. It is really a blessing."

"And Zuo Liangyu's troops?" Gao Mingheng frowned and said, "How could his troops appear here?"

Su Jing shook his head and said, "I don't know about this official."

Gao Mingheng no longer asked questions, and it was useless if he asked. Governor Li Xianfeng should have blocked defense in Dengzhou. Now he has returned to Kaifeng? Now the world is getting worse and worse, and the rules are not clear, especially the generals, who are becoming more and more lawless.

Gao Mingheng said, "Call Li Yan and ask him to send someone to Suizhou to see if there are any thieves and how the public security situation is. I plan to go to Suizhou next stop."

Su Jing quickly advised: "Thinking twice, Suizhou is not safe. Although 'Yuan Laoshan' and 'Yilong' were defeated, their strength was not damaged much. After all, Li Baron had few cavalry and could not pursue the thieves."

Gao Mingheng nodded and said, "Well, that's why Li Yan sent someone to take a look first."

After waiting for half an hour, Li Yan came to the county government office.

"Why did it take so long to come?" Su Jing asked with a frown.

Li Yan bowed his fists and said, "I went outside the city to check the progress of the camp construction. I was unable to come in time, so I made the two adults wait for a long time."

Gao Mingheng waved his hand and said, "It's not a big deal. Ben Shu asked you to come. I want to ask what you said about your forced collection of food for the gentry?"

Li Yan said calmly: "There is nothing to say about Beizhi."

"In other words, do you accept their accusations completely?" Gao Mingheng asked in confusion.

Li Yan smiled and replied, "No, this cannot be considered an accusation. We are just a contractual relationship. They need my soldiers to protect their property, and my soldiers need food and pay. So we signed a contract, and they provide food and pay, and I provide protection for them, that's all. As for them complaining to you, it's just that they feel that their property does not need me to protect now, so they want to return the food and pay they provided before. So, the wrong thing is not the humble position, but the cunning gentry and wealthy families."

"Ah? Hahaha." Gao Mingheng was stunned after hearing Li Yan's explanation, then laughed and said, "Is this your explanation? Or do you think you are right?"

Li Yan nodded and said, "Yes, Beizhi thinks this is fair. They pay food and pay, while my soldiers pay blood and even life. But they don't want to pay anything, and they want their property to be properly protected. I think everyone knows that Beizhi is doing right."

Gao Mingheng smiled and said, "The truth is the truth, and the world's love is the world's love. If everyone acts according to the truth, it will be the rule of the three generations in the book. But now it is a chaotic era, and it is still far from the prosperous era. It is great that you can have such an idea, but it is just a labor of hard work and self-inflicted troubles."

Li Yan bowed and said, "Thank you, Gao Xun, to teach me."

"I mean, this kind of thing is only once. If you do it again, I can't protect you." Gao Mingheng looked at Li Yan and said seriously.

He valued Li Yan's ability more and wanted Li Yan to have a better future and make greater contributions to the court, but he did not want Li Yan to have such dangerous ideas. After all, he is also a person with an industry, and he also has the selfish mentality of getting benefits without giving, and people share the same intention. Once Li Yan's fair idea is implemented on a larger scale, then all the privileged people will attack Li Yan. Even if Li Yan is really a person like Yue Wumu, there will be Fengboting.

Li Yan nodded and said, "I have recorded my humble profession."

Gao Mingheng explained: "Okay, please send someone to Suizhou to see if there are any thieves there and how to defend."
Chapter completed!