ptional ability and cunning, who will save the country from ruin.But that seemed impossible, at least when the Emperor himself made the arrangements; there was barely any hope to be seen.So he set up...Chapter 427: Extortionate Taxes

"My lord, it's not that we refuse to pay taxes. It's just that the taxes are too numerous and excessively harsh. We fishermen rely on the sea for our livelihood. It's common for a few people to die at sea during each voyage. It's like putting our heads on our belts to earn a living. But when we go out to sea, the government takes ship tax. When we return from fishing, no matter how successful our haul is, they take 30% as fish tax. Back home, we have to pay monthly levies and annual head taxes."

"Even if we grit our teeth and barely manage to get by, these officials have come demanding taxes during the midst of our holiday break! A few days ago, my eighty-year-old mother fell ill. I slaughtered our only chicken to help her regain her strength. Now these officials want to take half of it! Such exorbitant and unreasonable levies are making it impossible for the common people to survive."

As soon as these words were uttered, the fishermen were enraged. They all pointed at the officials and began to curse them.

When Su Jinping heard this, her face instantly turned cold. She glared at the official with hostility.

The three treasures beside him immediately rebuked, "What's the commotion Silence!"

Oppressive miscellaneous taxes are more ferocious than tigers. In most cases, before a chaotic era begins, natural disasters are followed by an onslaught of excessive and arbitrary levies imposed by local authorities.

The people were suffering from a poor harvest, unable to even feed themselves, and yet they were also heavily taxed by the government. This is the basic logic behind why oppression leads to rebellion.

Most of the time, the imperial court was well aware of this situation. Therefore, during years of disaster, they would always reduce taxes. Even if the imperial court ordered a tax exemption, whether or not it was implemented at the local level, and how it was implemented, were entirely different matters.

Li Chen was not surprised by this.

But since this happened right under his nose, he had to deal with it.

"Is it just you, or is the whole Weihaiwei like this" Li Chen asked.

"The first man replied, 'That's how things are in Weihaiwei. Neighboring Leizhou Prefecture and Dengzhou Prefecture don't have so many taxes and levies. Those with ability all went to those places. Only those of us who have elderly parents and young children, unwilling to leave our ancestral homes, or haven't found a place to settle in those other prefectures, remain here.'"

"Good."

Li Chen nodded and said, "As for the exorbitant taxes and levies in Weihaiwei, I will intervene. There will be a result within these few days to inform all the citizens of the city."

But today you brawl and fight, fighting even officials. This matter cannot be left as it is, even if there was a reason. The empire has laws, and justice must be served according to the facts.

"Every one of you present shall be confined for three days as a warning to others. You will not be subject to any further punishment or fines. Do you accept this"

That man was taken aback for a moment, and quickly said: "This is already a great deal of leniency. We are not tyrants, naturally we agree and are willing, but can what the master said about resolving the issue of exorbitant taxes really be true This is an order from the magistrate of Weihaiwei."

Li Chen folded his arms and said, “I came from the capital. Is an official from the capital bigger or is your magistrate of Weihaiwei bigger”

Such a straightforward and blunt comparison immediately gave the common people a very clear understanding.

That man grinned, then, leading everyone, bowed to Li Chen and said, "If Master can truly solve this matter for us, the 320,000 people of all ages in Weihai衛's counties, towns, and villages will kowtow and burn incense to Master every day!"

That's Li Chen, he was delighted to hear that.

"Alright, go to prison and behave yourself. If you cause any more trouble, we will deal with you severely."a Pass.”Wu Qingcang replied, "This subordinate understands."After some thought, Wu Qingcang told Li Chen about the task that Su Pingbei had just taken over.Li Chen frowned slightly, glanced at Su Ping...