Li Xiaotian asked: "How did Jiang Zhoumu know that I was here to check the accounts?"
Jiang Zhengqian smiled and said: "Because your Excellency is the Secretary of the Ministry of Household Affairs, I thought that Your Excellency was here to review the accounts."
"Smart, I have indeed been ordered by His Majesty to go to major cities and towns to fight against corruption." Li Xiaotian said, drank Jiang Zhengjing's wine, and continued: "I see that the people in Tongzhou live and work in peace and contentment, and Jiang Zhoumu has no regard for inspections.
If you are so proactive, you should not take bribes and bend the law, what do you think, Jiang Zhoumu?"
Jiang Zheng bowed and raised his hands in salute: "Your Excellency, you are wise!"
"However, you still have to see what you need to see. As the saying goes, you know people and faces but don't know their hearts. You can't be an official based on your feelings." Li Xiaotian's words echoed.
"Your Majesty is absolutely right." Jiang Zheng agreed, his tone obviously less sincere than before.
It’s no wonder, who doesn’t love to hear kind words more?
Later, Jiang Zheng toasted to Geng Nian again. Like Cao Qing, Jiang Zheng had been to the palace and met Geng Nian and knew his identity.
While having a drink with Lei Ming, Jiang Zheng asked about his identity, and Lei Ming made nonsense and said that he was Li Xiaotian's personal bodyguard.
Although Jiang Zheng was dubious, whether it was true or false, it meant nothing to him.
Li Xiaotian and the three of them are monks. Lei Ming had already entertained them well when they were in Pianzhou. It had only been less than a day, and there was a lot of meat and fish. It seemed that the food and wine were far less than what Lei Ming Chamber of Commerce ate. No, it was less than a cup of tea.
Everyone dispersed.
In the side room, Li Xiaotian was carefully reading the detailed accounts of Tongzhou's income and expenditure over the years sent by Jiang Zheng. There were several thick piles, half a person high.
In less than two hours, Li Xiaotian read all the account books of Tongzhou in recent years. Then he breathed a sigh of relief, leaned back on the imperial chair, raised his head and looked at the beams, thoughtfully.
Tongzhou's accounts were honest and there was no problem. However, Li Xiaotian's intuition told him that there was definitely something wrong with Tongzhou's prefect Jiang Zhi. It was like when a case was being tried, it was clear that the person under the court had committed a crime but no evidence could be produced.
distressed.
After thinking hard and racking his brains, Li Xiaotian still had no clue.
Really feeling a little tired, Li Xiaotian could only remain in doubt for a while, go to bed and sit cross-legged, channeling his energy to practice.
The next day.
Li Xiaotian, Gengnian and Lei Ming were walking on the streets of Tongzhou.
"Brother Lu, how are you? Have you found any evidence of Jiang Zheng's corruption?" Lei Ming asked Li Xiaotian, suddenly remembering that he still had something in his hands, and hurriedly added: "I'm talking too much, you don't want to say it"
You don’t have to say anything, and I won’t ask any more questions.”
"Three big men, walking side by side on the street without saying a word, don't you think the atmosphere is a bit awkward?" Li Xiaotian asked, paused, and continued: "So, except when I close my eyes, I keep quiet.
Time, as you wish."
Li Xiaotian's words were like tearing off the seal on Lei Ming's mouth. Lei Ming asked again: "So, have you found any evidence of Jiang Zheng's crime?"
Li Xiaotian sighed and replied: "I have gone through the Tongzhou accounts given by Jiang Zheng several times in my mind. To be honest, I really can't find any faults."
Lei Ming asked back: "Maybe Jiang Zheng is really okay?"
Li Xiaotian insisted: "There must be something wrong with this guy. I believe in my feelings."
With that said, the three of them entered a teahouse to rest. After all, the three of them had already visited most of Tongzhou City.
In the elegant seating area on the second floor of the teahouse, three people sat by the window.
"This Tongzhou looks about the same size as Pianzhou. Why does it feel like there are much more people than Pianzhou, and the buildings seem to be denser than Pianzhou. Is it so prosperous?" Lei Ming looked out the window and complained.
.
Li Xiaotian frowned, thinking of something, and asked: "Is your feeling reliable?"
Lei Ming rolled his eyes at Li Xiaotian and said: "I can't help it. I have been in Pianzhou for nearly seven years and I am very familiar with it. How could such a simple and intuitive feeling be so wrong? Compared with your unfounded intuition
It’s much more reliable.”
"You are a talent." Li Xiaotian stood up excitedly, patted Lei Ming's shoulder, and then walked straight downstairs.
Lei Ming's face was full of questions: "This tea has just been served, and my butt is not even hot yet."
Lei Ming looked at Gengnian again, and Gengnian shrugged, indicating that he was also confused.
Helpless, the two of them had no choice but to follow him, both wanting to know what important discovery this guy had made.
State Mufu, Yatang.
"Tongzhou Prefect, Jiang Zheng, do you know the crime?" Li Xiaotian was sitting at attention at the trial table.
Lei Ming and Geng Nian stood beside him.
After Li Xiaotian was awakened by Lei Ming's words, he went directly back to the Prefecture Mufu and summoned Jiang Zheng for questioning.
"Sir, I don't know what crime I have committed if I hold such a low position!" Jiang Zheng looked innocent.
Lei Ming and Geng Nian looked at Jiang Zheng's confused look. They were also confused in their hearts. They couldn't guess what the Minister of the Ministry of Finance had suddenly realized and what crime Jiang Zheng had committed.
"Jiang Zhoumu, the nature of your accusation is completely different from that of asking me to tell you. I will give you one last chance. Do you think you are guilty?" Li Xiaotian was very confident.
Jiang Zheng saw that Li Xiaotian was full of confidence. Even though he was feeling uneasy, he still managed to stay calm and said: "This villain really doesn't know what crime he is guilty of!"
Li Xiaotian chuckled, stood up, walked down the hall, came to Jiang Zheng's side, and said: "Then I will give Jiang Zhoumu a heads up, population."
When Jiang Zheng heard the word "population", his uneasiness finally turned from the inside out, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead. But when he thought about the person in the palace, after weighing the matter, he still chose to keep silent: "I don't know what your lord is talking about.
"
"It seems that Jiang Zhoumu didn't shed tears without seeing the coffin!" Li Xiaotian shook his head and sighed in disappointment: "Excuse me, Jiang Zhoumu, how is the area of Tongzhou compared with Pianzhou?"
Jiang Zheng didn't know why Li Xiaotian mentioned Pianzhou, but he still replied truthfully: "Both states have jurisdiction over thirteen counties, so they should be about the same size."
Li Xiaotian continued to ask: "How is the population?"
Jiang Zheng replied: "I haven't done a survey, so I don't know. However, since there are the same number of counties, the population is roughly the same."
"Smart, it's indeed about the same. Tongzhou just has a few thousand fewer people than Pianzhou." Li Xiaotian answered on his own. He has seen the accounts of both states, so he naturally knows this. He paused and suddenly said: "But there is one thing I am very fond of.
It’s strange, the population of Tongzhou is obviously smaller than that of Pianzhou, but why are the number of people participating in the conscription much higher than that of Pianzhou?”
Hearing Li Xiaotian's words, Lei Ming and Geng Nian were enlightened and finally saw the medicine buried in Li Xiaotian's gourd. It was like picking out the shreds of meat stuck between the teeth, and they felt very comfortable.
Jiang was panic-stricken, but knowing that he could not produce strong evidence, he found an excuse and said: "Sir, maybe the male population in Tongzhou is prosperous."
Li Xiaotian said sternly: "Jiang Zheng, do you think I am joking with you? To tell you the truth, I have already photographed the accompanying imperial guards to investigate the population of each county. At most, I can fly back in the evening.
, if there is any discrepancy with the population you reported to the palace, you will know the consequences."
When Jiang Zheng saw that Li Xiaotian had found the reason, he slumped to the ground like a leaf that had been wilted by the sun, with a frustrated face, and said: "I, Jiang Zheng, am responsible for all my work, please let my family go."
"When I looked around the Zhou Mu House, my relatives were dressed normally, not extravagantly, and even a little plain. I was very curious about where Jiang Zhou Mu spent the unreported taxes on so many people and such a huge amount of stolen money. Could it be that
It's hidden and you don't dare to spend it. If so, why did you embezzle so much money?" Li Xiaotian asked, without directly answering Jiang Zheng's plea. Seeing that Jiang Zheng was silent and silent, he had no intention of answering.
He asked tentatively: "I don't think Jiangzhou Mu is the kind of person who is greedy for money and enjoys life. He definitely wouldn't have the guts to underreport the population and make a lot of tax money. Or is it that you are doing things for others and don't even pay the price?"
An intermediary who doesn’t dare to make money?”
Jiang Zheng remained silent. After hesitating for a while, he slowly said: "If I tell you, can you guarantee the safety of my family?"
"As long as you name the person behind the scenes, I will help you intercede with the king when writing the memorial. I believe the king will be able to forgive you." Li Xiaotian replied, there was only so much he could do.
Jiang Zheng smiled helplessly and said: "Let's forget it. If we betray him, I'm afraid the destruction of the family will come earlier."
"I don't know whether the family will be destroyed or not, but what I can be sure of is that if you don't reveal the people behind you and this huge amount of tax money cannot be recovered, you also know the laws of the Qiu Kingdom. The whole family is slaughtered.