Li Xiaotian asked back: "How did Mu of Jiangzhou know that I was here to check the accounts?"
Jiang Zheng smiled dryly and said, "Because the Lord is the Minister of Revenue, I think the Lord is here to review the accounts."
"Smart, I did go to the major prefectures and cities to fight corruption and embezzlement under His Majesty's order." Li Xiaotian said, drank Jiang Zhenggong's wine and continued, "I see that the people of Tongzhou live and work in peace and contentment, and the governor of Jiangzhou inspected the patrol again
If you are so proactive, you should not be corrupt and abuse your power. What do you think, Mr. Jiangzhou?"
Jiang Zheng bowed and bowed and said, "Sir, wise!"
"However, you still have to see it. As the saying goes, knowing people, but not your heart, you can't be an official based on your feelings." Li Xiaotian's words echoed.
"What the lord said is very true." Jiang Zheng agreed, his tone obviously not as sincere as before.
It’s no wonder, who doesn’t like to listen to good words more?
Later, Jiang Zheng and Geng Nian drank again. Like Cao Qing, Jiang Zheng had been to the palace and also met Geng Nian, and knew his identity.
When he was having a drink with Lei Ming, Jiang Zheng asked about his identity. Lei Ming said he was Li Xiaotian's personal bodyguard.
Although Jiang Zheng was half-believing and half-doubted, whether it was true or false, it was meaningless to him.
Li Xiaotian and the other two were all monks. Lei Ming had already had a good hospitality in Pianzhou. In less than a day, there were big fish and meat. It seemed that the wine and food were far less than the Lei Ming Chamber of Commerce. In less than a cup of tea,
All the seats were dispersed.
In the wing room, Li Xiaotian was carefully reading the details of Tongzhou's income and expenditure accounts sent by Jiang Zheng over the years. It was a lot thicker, half a person tall.
In less than two hours, Li Xiaotian finished reading all the books of Tongzhou in recent years. Then he breathed a sigh of relief, leaned his back against the Grand Master's chair, looked up at the beam of the room with his head, thinking about something.
Tongzhou's accounts, tell the truth, there is no problem, but Li Xiaotian's intuition told him that the governor of Tongzhou, Jiang Zheng, had absolutely problems, just like when the case was tried, he knew that the people in the hall had violated the law, but he could not provide evidence.
distressed.
After thinking hard and racking his brains, Li Xiaotian still had no idea.
He was really exhausted, so Li Xiaotian could only temporarily doubt and sit cross-legged on the bed to ignite his energy to practice.
The next day.
Li Xiaotian Gengnian and Lei Ming wandered around the streets of Tongzhou.
"Brother Lu, how about it? Is there any evidence of Jiang Zheng's corruption?" Lei Ming asked Li Xiaotian, suddenly remembering that he still had a handle on his hands, and hurriedly added: "I'm too much, you don't want to say it."
I won’t say anything, and I won’t ask questions anymore.”
"Three big men, walking side by side on the street without saying a word. Don't you feel the atmosphere a little awkward?" Li Xiaotian asked back, paused, and continued: "So, except when I close my eyes, keep quiet, the rest of the time.
Time, as you wish.”
Li Xiaotian's words were like tearing open the seal on Lei Ming's mouth. Lei Ming asked, "So have the evidence of Jiang Zheng found out?"
Li Xiaotian sighed and replied: "I have passed the Tongzhou account given by Jiang Zheng several times in my mind. To be honest, I really can't find any problem."
Lei Ming asked back: "Maybe Jiang Zheng is really fine?"
Li Xiaotian insisted on his own opinion: "This guy must have a problem, I believe in my feelings."
As he said that, the three of them went into a teahouse to rest. After all, the three of them had already visited most of Tongzhou City.
On the second floor of the teahouse, three people sat by the window.
"This Tongzhou looks the same size as Pianzhou. Why do you feel that there are much more people than Pianzhou? And this house and building seem to be more dense than Pianzhou. Is there anyone so prosperous?" Lei Ming looked out the window and complained.
.
Li Xiaotian frowned, thought of something, and asked: "Do you feel reliable?"
Lei Ming gave Li Xiaotian a blank look and said, "I can't go. I have been in Pianzhou for nearly seven years. I can't be more familiar with it anymore. How can I be wrong with such a simple and intuitive feeling? Compared to your unfounded intuition
Much more reliable.”
"You are a talent." Li Xiaotian stood up excitedly, patted Lei Ming on the shoulder, and then walked straight downstairs.
Lei Ming had a question mark on his face: "This tea has just come up, and his butt is not hot."
Lei Ming looked at Geng Year again, and Geng Year shrugged, expressing his confusion.
Helplessly, the two had to follow, both wondering what major discoveries this guy had made.
Prefecture and government office, yatang.
"Governor of Tongzhou Prefecture, Jiang Zheng, are you guilty?" Li Xiaotian sat upright at the trial table.
Lei Ming and Geng Year stand next to it.
After Li Xiaotian was awakened by what Lei Ming said, he went straight back to the provincial governor's mansion and asked Jiang Zheng for questioning.
"Sir, I really don't know what crime I have committed!" Jiang Zheng looked innocent.
Lei Ming and Geng Nian looked at Jiang Zheng's confused look, and they were also confused. They couldn't guess what the Minister of Revenue had realized and what crime Jiang Zheng had committed.
"Mu Jiangzhou, you asked me to tell me about it. The nature is completely different. I will give you one last chance. Do you know your guilt?" Li Xiaotian was playing with it and was confident.
Seeing that Li Xiaotian was full of confidence, Jiang Zheng still tried to calm down even though he was nervous and said, "The villain really doesn't know what the crime is!"
Li Xiaotian snorted, got up and walked to the hall, came to Jiang Zheng, and said, "Then I will remind Jiangzhou Mu, the population."
When Jiang Zheng heard the word "population", he was uneasy and finally went from inside to outside, and his forehead was filled with cold sweat. But when he thought about the person in the palace, he still chose to keep his mouth shut: "I don't know what the lord said.
”
"It seems that Jiangzhou Mu will not cry after seeing the coffin!" Li Xiaotian shook his head and sighed disappointedly: "Master Jiangzhou Mu, what is the area of Tongzhou compared with Pianzhou?"
Jiang Zheng didn't know why Li Xiaotian mentioned Pianzhou, but he still replied truthfully: "The two states have jurisdiction over the thirteen counties, and they should be about the same size."
Li Xiaotian continued to ask: "What is the population?"
Jiang Zheng replied: "There was no investigation, so it was not clear. However, since there were as many counties as the number of towns, the population was roughly the same."
"It's really the same. Tongzhou is just a few thousand fewer than Pianzhou." Li Xiaotian answered by himself. He had read the accounts of the two states, so he naturally knew this. He paused and suddenly said: "But I'm a little bit very
Strangely, Tongzhou has a population of less than Pianzhou, but why is the number of people participating in the conscription much higher than Pianzhou?"
After hearing Li Xiaotian's words, Lei Ming and Gengnian were enlightened and finally saw the medicine buried in Li Xiaotian's gourd, as if they had picked up the shredded flesh stuck between their teeth, which was very comfortable.
Jiang Zheng showed panic, but knew that he could not provide strong evidence, so he found a reason to make excuse: "Sir, maybe it's our Tongzhou man Xingwang."
Li Xiaotian said sternly: "Jiang Zheng, do you think I am joking with you? Let me tell you the truth. I have photographed the accompanying imperial guards to investigate the population of each county. At most, you can send a message back in the evening.
, If there is a difference between the population in the palace and the consequences, you will know."
When Jiang Zheng saw that Li Xiaotian had found the handle, he collapsed on the ground like a wilted leaf, with a frustrated face and said, "I, Jiang Zheng, do things one by one, and I, please let the family members of the house be spared."
"I am in Guanzhou Mufu, and my relatives are dressed normally, not extravagant, and even feel a little simple. I am very curious. So many people's taxes have been reported and such a huge amount of stolen money, where did Jiangzhou Mu spend it?
It's hidden and dare not spend it. If so, why should you embezzle so much money?" Li Xiaotian asked, without answering Jiang Zheng's plea. Seeing that Jiang Zheng didn't say a word, he was silent, and he did not intend to answer
His question asked tentatively: "I think Jiangzhou Mu is not a kind of person who is greedy for money and enjoys himself. He will definitely not have the courage to misreport the population and make a lot of taxes or wealth. Or you are helping others with a job, even the price difference is
A middle-aged official who dares not make money?"
Jiang Zheng still said nothing. After hesitating for a while, he slowly said: "If I say it, can you guarantee the safety of my family?"
"As long as you tell the person behind the scenes, I will help you plead with the king when writing the memorial. I believe the king will be able to open the door." Li Xiaotian replied, only so much can he do.
Jiang Zheng smiled helplessly and said, "Forget it, I'll betray him, I'm afraid the family will come sooner."
"I don't know the immortal family, but I can be sure that if you don't offer the people behind you, and this huge amount of tax cannot be retrieved, you also know the law of the country of autumn. The whole family is being cut off.