Why Does Mr. Xie Favor Me? Chapter 43

Chapter 43 Go to Wushan together

Hmm.

The mass graves outside Guzang City are dim as dusk.The howling of wild dogs came from the distant hills, intermittent, like a dull knife cutting bones.

Several men in black worked silently, and the sound of shovels hitting the soil was dull and regular.They pulled a body from the cart, wrapped only in a straw mat.

The body was thrown into a shallow pit with a heavy muffled sound.Mud quickly covered the face that was twisted in pain.The leading man in black stopped, took off the wine bag from his waist, pulled out the cork and slowly sprinkled the remaining wine on the slightly raised mound.

“Brother, don’t complain.” His voice was hoarse, as if it had been rubbed by gravel. “When you are reincarnated in the next life, your eyes should be brighter.”

A younger man in black behind him asked in a low voice: “Boss, is he really…?”

“Don’t ask what you shouldn’t ask.” The leader glanced back at him, his eyes like daggers, “The Wang family didn’t raise us to grow tongues.”

The young man in black kept silent and his men moved faster.

Several people quickly filled up the pit, and moved a few scattered stone tablet fragments and piled them randomly on top, giving the appearance of a deserted tomb in disrepair.

After doing all this, the sky had completely darkened, and the outline of Guzang City in the distance was only a vague silhouette. A few lights moved on the city wall, and they were soldiers patrolling at night.

The men in black put away their tools and quickly disappeared into the growing darkness.

The wind became stronger, picking up the floating soil on the new grave and completely blowing away the smell of alcohol.

In the next few days, several accidents happened one after another.

Downstream of a tributary of the Qing River, a fisherman discovered a swollen corpse of a man stuck face down in the reeds in the morning mist.After the correct inspection, it was determined that he had slipped and fell into the water.The deceased was a small businessman and it was said that he owed a lot of money to the gambling house.

Three days later, at the foot of Yingchou Cliff in a neighboring county, a herbal collector found a body that had been smashed into a human shape, with several packets of medicinal materials scattered around him.The government concluded that there was a mistake in collecting the medicine.The deceased was a practicing doctor who usually walked alone.

The most sensational thing is the Qianjin Yixiao Tower, the largest gambling house in Guzang City.Late at night on the seventh day, a fight broke out in the back alley of the gambling house. In the melee between seven or eight gamblers, a rogue named Hu San was stabbed to death with a knife.Before he died, he widened his eyes and shouted half a sentence in a hoarse voice: “The Wang family is destroyed…”

Before he could say a word, a dagger accurately cut his throat.The person who did it was an unfamiliar gambler, his hat was held down low, and he disappeared after the melee.The owner of the gambling shop worked with the government all night, and finally decided that it was a dispute between gamblers, and they fought to death.

When the news reached the Wang family mansion, it was the fifth watch of the day.

Wang Yuzong stood quietly in the morning light of the ancestral hall, with cigarettes lingering on the altar table, and the densely packed tablets watching him silently.In the last row, a newly added tablet stands out.

The butler stood bowed outside the threshold and said in a very low voice: “Mr. Master, everything is clean. All three places have been taken care of. The government has arranged for an accident.”

Wang Yuzong did not look back. He twisted the red sandalwood beads one by one in his hand, and the wooden beads made a tiny crackling sound when they collided.He closed his eyes, as if silently reciting scriptures, but his fingertips turned slightly white.

“Did many people hear the half of what Hu San shouted before he died?” Wang Yuzong finally spoke, his voice calm.

“The situation was chaotic, but… there were always two or three sharp-eared people.” Sweat broke out on the steward’s forehead, “But they were all gangsters in the market, and they have been dealt with. The boss of the gambling shop is also sensible and told them to keep their mouths shut.”

“The mouth of a scoundrel in the market is tighter than a colander.” Wang Yuzong slowly opened his eyes, and his eyes fell on Wang Xinlu’s tablet. “Add another sum of money to let them leave Guzang, as far away as possible. If they refuse to leave…”

He didn’t finish speaking, but the butler already bowed, “Old slave, I understand.”

Wang Yuzong turned around, and the morning light fell on his face through the high window, illuminating the tiredness and coldness hidden in his eyes.

He is only in his early thirties, but his temples are completely white, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes are as sharp as knives. In the past few months, the Wang family has lost not only a girl, but also the connections and financial resources they have built for decades.

“Pass the message,” he walked to the altar table, picked up three sticks of incense, and lit it on the everlasting lamp. “Everyone in the mansion will be cautious in their words and deeds, and will thank guests behind closed doors for three months. Anyone who has had contact with Shen Youjin, regardless of whether they are close or distant, will be sent to Zhuangzi outside the city. They will not be allowed to return without an order.”

The housekeeper hesitated and said: “Master, the old lady in the third room… Grandma Liu’s nephew in her room once sent snacks to Shen Youjin. He was just running errands and didn’t know about it.”

Wang Yuzong inserted the incense into the furnace, his voice not rising or falling, “If the old lady asks, she will say that Zhuangzi is quiet and suitable for recuperation. Please assign two more maids to serve you.”

“…yes”

“Then…where is Danyang?” The housekeeper carefully asked the most critical question.

Wang Yuzong’s hand rested beside the incense burner for a moment. There was a thick layer of incense ashes in the burner, some old and new.He looked at the tablets. From the founding of the country to the officials of the state and county, the glory of the Wang family was densely carved on the wood, and also engraved in the bones and blood of each generation.

“Xie Heng has achieved success.” He said slowly, each word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, “Shen Youjin has fallen. The next nail he wants to pull is my Wang family. But His Majesty will not let his family dominate.”

The butler raised his head, a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes: “Master Lang is saying that your Majesty will…”

He walked back to the altar table, picked up the new tablet, and gently wiped the non-existent dust with the corner of his sleeve: “Tell each house that the acres should be cleared and the taxes should be paid. Especially in Zhuangzi, Guangling, Guzang, and Danyang, all hidden fields should be re-registered within seven days, and the taxes that should be paid should be paid. As for those that Xie Heng found out… abandon them.”

“Abandoned?” The steward was surprised, “That’s thousands of acres of fertile land, and there are two salt wells…”

Wang Yuzong put the tablet back to its original place, and his voice became colder, “Tell the clan elders that if you want to preserve the inheritance of your ancestors, you must lower your head. Bend down now so that you can straighten up in the future.”

The butler bowed deeply and said, “Old slave, I’ll do it now.”

Wang Yuzong waved his hand, and when the steward left, he was the only one left in the ancestral hall.Cigarettes curled up, and the memorial tablets stood solemnly.

He slowly knelt on the futon, bowed three times to his ancestors, then straightened up, looked at the top tablet of the founding father, and whispered: “The descendants are unworthy… But the Wang family cannot die in my hands.”

The sky is bright outside the window. This century-old tree of the Wang family has broken several branches in the continuous storms, and finally begins to shrink its roots inward, waiting for the next rainy season.

The early morning at the Danyang official office begins with the sound of bangles.

At three o’clock in the morning, the door of the government office creaked open.Clerks, servants, and servants filed in, and the various sounds and the rustling of carrying documents were intertwined, busy and orderly.

Bai Ce was the first to arrive. The lantern in his duty room had been turned on at the end of the hour. At this moment, he was checking the newly submitted land register of Beisan County with two Hucao officials.

The youthfulness between the young man’s brows has faded away, replaced by a kind of quiet concentration.His fingertips moved quickly among the dense numbers, and from time to time he wrote a few strokes on the manuscript paper next to him.

“The Cui family’s manor in Qinghe originally had 700 acres of land, but the new land was 320 acres of hidden land.” Bai Ce spoke slowly, “According to the new law, if more than half of the land is hidden, in addition to paying five years of back-tax, an additional 10% of the acres will be fined and entered the official position. Last year, due to the snowstorm in the north, His Majesty decreed that 30% of the tax be reduced, so in fact, he should pay back…”

He reported a series of numbers clearly and accurately. The clerk on the left quickly recorded them, with sweat dripping from his forehead.This boss Bai is so serious that he will track down even a copper disc error, which is even more concessions than Xie Pushe.

The older official on the right asked cautiously: “Mr. Bai, Mr. Cui has sent a message, saying that he is willing to pay an additional 20% of the tax, and he only wants to be exempted from the land penalty… do you think?”

Bai Ce raised his head and looked calmly: “The new law is decided by Xie Pushe personally, and is approved by His Majesty Zhu Pi. Today, we will make an exception for the Cui family, and tomorrow the Li family and Zhang family can follow suit. If the law does not work, how can we establish prestige?”

The elder official lowered his head and said, “I understand.”

“Go ahead and do it.” Bai Ce pushed the signed book over, “Within three days, I want to see Cui’s tax payment receipt.”

The two bowed and exited. Bai Ce rubbed his eyebrows, took a sip of the already cold tea, and looked at the east wing outside the window. Li Yuanjing should have arrived as well.

In the field survey office in the east chamber, Li Yuanjing had indeed arrived.

The old official did not sit in the duty room, but sat directly behind the desk in the lobby, with a stack of copies of land deeds spread out in front of him.The brass-framed magnifying glass in his hand moved slowly, and the eyes behind the lenses narrowed into thin slits.

There were three young scribes in the room, waiting with bated breath, not daring to disturb him.

Suddenly, Li Yuanjing’s magnifying glass stopped somewhere. He stared at it for a long time, then removed the lens, squinted and looked at it with his naked eyes, and then got closer and smelled the deed paper.

“The official seal of the land deed here,” he finally said, his voice hoarse, “the seal is dark and slightly smudged. It is an old seal from the early years of Yonghe. It is no longer used by the government.”

He pushed the copy to the nearest scribe: “Feel the edge of the seal.”

The scribe carefully touched it with his fingers and said hesitantly: “There seem to be some very fine bumps?”

“It doesn’t seem to be the case, it’s just.” Li Yuanjing snorted, “This is a deed that is covered with blank deed paper first and then filled in with the text. The ink can be written only after the ink pad is dry. The ink cannot penetrate into the depressions of the ink pad, so there will be subtle ink accumulation on the edge.”

He picked up the tea at hand and took a sip, and continued: “Also, look at the small characters here. The ink color is bright, which is slightly different from the ink color of the deed. The deed is made of pine smoke ink, but the small characters are made of oil smoke ink, and the luster is different.”

The three scribes were dumbfounded.They deal with land deeds every day, but they never knew that a piece of paper could contain so many ways.

Li Yuanjing put the magnifying glass on the case: “Check the official seal records of Danyang County in the seventh year of Yonghe and compare the details of the seals. Check all the official deeds from the sixth to eighth years of Yonghe that used the same batch of sealing pads to see if there are any similar problems.”

He pointed to the description of the four-acre field on the deed: “Finally, we transferred the deeds to several fields adjacent to this field, especially the Feng family’s to the east. I suspect that these pieces of land are basically the same piece of land. They were cut into five or six parts using fake deeds, and they changed hands back and forth to avoid paying taxes.”

“Yes!” The scribes solemnly agreed and left in a hurry.

Li Yuanjing leaned back in his chair, his eyes still as vicious as before under his wrinkled eyelids.He looked towards the main hall, where Xie Heng should have already started to receive guests.

On the west side of the main hall, in the duty room of the Du branch, Xu Shuhuai had several volumes of water transportation account books and commercial tax receipts spread out in front of him.

It was rare that he did not shake the folding fan that never left his hand today. Xu Shuhuai’s slender fingers were quickly playing with the abacus. The sound of the beads colliding was like the sound of rain hitting the window, which was so dense that it made people panic.

Two tax collectors stood in the hall with their hands down, sweat on their foreheads.

After a while, the sound of the beads suddenly stopped.

Xu Shuhuai picked up his pen and wrote a series of numbers on the white rice paper, frowning slightly: “Last year, the commercial tax on the Qingjiang section was actually 80,000 yuan, but based on the number of merchant ships and the value of the goods, it should be at least 120,000 yuan. The difference of 40,000 yuan…”

He raised his eyes and looked at the tax collector on his left: “Master Wei, you have been in charge of the Qingjiang section for three years. Can you explain?”

Chief Wei’s legs went weak and he almost knelt down: “Your Majesty, it’s clear! Last year, there were indeed…there were a few private blocks in the Qingjiang section. However, Xie Pushe ordered the rectification of water transportation two years ago, and all twelve private blocks were removed. I thought…”

“Do you think that by pulling out the card, all the taxes will be collected?” Xu Shuhuai raised his eyebrows, with a smile on his lips, but there was no warmth in his eyes. “Has the pumping in the dark stopped? The gentry, boat gangs, and dock leaders along the river, where should we not pay attention? Will not the money collected be deducted from the taxes that should be paid in the end?”

He picked up the fan and tapped the account book on the case: “I’ll give you three days. Check all the checkpoint inspection records, merchant ship tax returns, and cargo value lists for the past three months. Report any doubts.”

Chief Wei’s face turned pale: “Sir, this… involves a lot of things, and it might cause an incident!”

Xu Shuhuai smiled, unfolded his fan, and shook it twice, “Xie Pushe said that the reform of water transportation is a top priority this year. Either you find out, or I change someone to find out.”

Chief Wei was sweating coldly. He looked at each other and his colleagues, and finally bowed deeply: “Your Majesty… I’m going to investigate right now.”

When the two of them exited the check-in room, their legs were weak.

Xu Shuhuai closed the fan and tapped it gently on his palm.His eyes unconsciously turned to Xie Nanqiao’s house.

Xie Nanqiao was sitting in his check-in room with bright and clean windows.

Her position is at the back of the main hall. It was originally a side room where old documents were stored. Xie Heng specially asked people to clear it out and use it as a place for her to handle paperwork.The room is not big, but it is quiet. There is an old plum tree outside the window. It has passed its flowering period and its new leaves are beginning to bloom.

In front of her was the feedback document that had just been sent to each state for the trial implementation of the “Rules for Examination of Taxes and Services.”A thick pile, from 27 counties and more than 130 counties.

Xie Nanqiao lowered his eyes and read carefully, sometimes picking up a pen to mark a few words on the edge of the manuscript paper. His handwriting was clear and thin, with Xie Heng’s style, but a bit more feminine.

When she read somewhere, her pen tip paused slightly.It was a submission from Sun Tao, the governor of Guangling County. It was a eloquent three-page document. First, he praised the new law for the benefit of the country and the people. Then he changed his tone and said that after the implementation, the subordinate staff and deacons still need to be proficient. Please allow two months for assessment. Finally, he euphemistically mentioned that local powerful people occasionally complained and needed time to appease them.

Xie Nanqiao pondered for a moment, then retrieved Guangling County’s land tax records for the past six months, and compared them month by month with the same period last year.He also adjusted the list of minor officials and salary expenditures in the county and looked through them page by page.

The light outside the window moved from the east to the middle, and she was unaware of it.After a while, she took up her pen and attached a short piece of paper to Sun Tao’s submission, with dripping ink: “Guangling’s land tax was 37,000 yuan in the same period last year, but this year after the new policy, it dropped to 32,000 yuan. However, the salary expenditure of subordinate officials increased by 20%, and the miscellaneous expenses of the county magistrate’s office were increased.Increase by 30%.Please verify whether the tax reduction is due to the actual situation. Please attach the details of the tax exemption and the basis for the approval.Please attach the details of the increase in expenditure.Are the so-called subordinate staff who need to be skilled still the same?Please attach a comparison of the list of subordinate staff before and after the New Deal.

The logic is clear and gets to the point.She sealed the document and called the clerk waiting outside the door: “Send it to Guangling urgently and order him to reply within ten days. Send another copy to my brother’s desk.”

The scribe took it with both hands and left quickly.

Xie Nanqiao then put down his pen and gently rubbed his wrist.She looked out the window, where old plum trees and new green trees were trembling in the wind.This Danyang official office seems to be in order, but in fact everyone is nervous.She looked out the window, where old plum trees and new green trees were trembling in the wind.

This Danyang official office seems to be in order, but in fact everyone is nervous.A string connected to Xie Heng, to the New Deal, and to countless pairs of secretly peeping eyes.

In the evening, Xiao Jue came back from the school grounds.Today he personally supervised the newly established refugee resettlement camp.Those young men who fled the famine in the north were organized into military camps by Xie Heng in the name of working as a relief worker. They were half farmers and half trained, which not only alleviated the problems of the refugees, but also added a barrier to the border.

The training is rigorous, and Xiao Jue is even more rigorous.He still had his black armor on, and there was still a thin layer of sweat on his forehead. As he strode through the camp, the soldiers all straightened their backs and stared in awe.

The guard handed over the wet wipes, Xiao Jue wiped his face casually, and then walked straight to the central military tent. The guard outside the tent whispered: “General, thank you Pushe for a moment.”

Xiao Jue paused slightly, then lifted the curtain and entered.

Xie Heng was dressed in dark purple uniform, with his back to the tent door, standing in front of the hanging border defense map.The afterglow of the setting sun filtered in through the gaps in the curtains, coating his body with a hazy golden edge, but also revealing the slight tension in his shoulders and back.

Xie Heng did not turn around, his voice was calm, “Over there in Guangling, the Wang family’s Zhuangzi cleared another 400 acres of hidden land today. But the submission from the county governor Sun Tao was vague, and Nan Qiao has already made inquiries.”

Xiao Jue walked to his side and his eyes fell on the position of Guangling County: “Sun Tao is Xiaolian recommended by Wang Yuzong. He was rated as the best in the Sixth Year of Yonghe Qing Dynasty.” He paused and asked, “Does it need to be hammered?”

“No need.” Xie Heng turned around and looked at Xiao Jue.

The Xuan Jia made the person in front of him stand out, stand tall and cold, but there was a look of tiredness between his brows.Xie Heng raised his hand and lightly touched the faint green shadow under Xiao Jue’s eyes with his fingertips: “How many days have you not slept well?”

Xiao Jue held his wrist, and his palm was warm, with the thin callus left by his spear practice.He pulled Xie Heng’s hand to his lips and kissed the cold fingertips very gently: “You endured it harder than me.”

The kiss was very light, but it made Xie Heng’s fingertips tremble slightly.He didn’t pull back his hand, but instead took a step forward, closing the distance between them.He raised his other hand and smoothed the sweat-soaked hair in front of Xiao Jue’s forehead: “If the general falls first, who will guard the border?”

His movements were natural, but his voice was low. Xiao Jue’s Adam’s apple moved as he looked at the face so close to him, and his voice became a little hoarse: “With you here, how could anything happen to me?”

The light inside the tent was dim, casting the shadows of the two people on the cowhide map, closely overlapping each other.

Xie Heng’s hand slipped from Xiao Jue’s forehead and landed on the cold shoulder pads of his black armor. His fingertips unconsciously rubbed the lines on the edge of the armor: “Have you seen your majesty’s order today?”

“Yes.” Xiao Jue’s eyes darkened, “Support Wang Zheng and bring out new talents.”

Xie Heng’s lips curled up with a slight arc, and the smile did not reach his eyes, “This is a conspiracy. His Majesty wants to use us, but also wants to guard against us. Concubine Zheng had just had a miscarriage, and your Majesty made her nephew a general. This is telling the family that I still keep the Wang family and the Zheng family.”

While he was speaking, his hand had slipped from the shoulder armor to the back of Xiao Jue’s waist, and he gently pulled the person towards him.Xuan Jia was cold and hard, but Xie Heng’s movements carried a rare tenderness.

Xiao Jue was startled for a moment, then relaxed his body and allowed himself to be embraced in this embrace.

The hug was restrained at first, just chest touching.But soon, Xie Heng tightened his arms and buried Xiao Jue’s face in the side of his neck.Xiao Jue stiffened, then responded immediately, wrapping his hands around Xie Heng’s waist and sinking his fingertips into the soft hair.

They hugged each other quietly like this. The wind began to blow outside the tent, and the command of soldiers changing the guard came from the distance. Inside the tent, there was only the sound of each other’s gradually synchronized breathing.

Xie Heng lowered his eyes and looked at the furry head in his arms, and suddenly lowered his head and kissed Xiao Jue’s lips.

The kiss was sudden, but gentle.Xie Heng’s lips were slightly cool, and with the scent of tea, he opened Xiao Jue’s teeth.Xiao Jue responded quickly after being stunned for a moment.He grabbed Xie Heng’s waist and pressed him tightly against him, deepening the kiss.

This wasn’t the first time they’d kissed, but it was deeper and more urgent than ever.Xie Heng moved his hands from the back of Xiao Jue’s waist to the side of his neck, inserting his fingertips into his sweaty hair to guide the rhythm of the kiss.

Xiao Jue’s hand slid onto Xie Heng’s back, feeling the thin but tough spine through the layers of clothing.

Inside the tent there was only the faint sound of water flowing between lips and teeth, and gradually heavier breathing.The sound of dusk drums could be heard in the distance, heavy and long, making the temperature inside the tent even more scorching.

After an unknown amount of time, Xie Heng stepped back a little, and the two looked at each other.

“Xiao Jue.” Xie Heng called him, his voice hoarse, “All the military settlements within thirty miles of Danyang’s west line must be implemented next month. I want to see the detailed list of refugee resettlement, land allocation, and tax exemptions.”

“Okay.” Xiao Jue answered simply, her eyes locked on his red lips that were kissed, and she couldn’t help but lean in and peck her again.

Xie Heng did not hide. Instead, he reached out and held his face, his eyes deep: “Also, the rhinoceros leather armor in your tent should be replaced. The corners are worn and the goggles are also cracked. I will have new ones delivered tomorrow.”

He lowered his head and kissed Xie Heng’s lips again: “You have the final say.”

A guard came from outside the tent and asked cautiously: “General, dinner…”

“Send it in.” Xiao Jue raised his voice and let go of Xie Heng.

The two of them quickly separated and straightened their clothes.When the soldiers came in with the food case, Xie Pushe was looking at the map with his hands behind his back, and his fingertips tapped lightly on the location of Guangling County on the map.General Xiao wiped his sword, and the sword shone coldly under the lamp.

It was as if the beautiful scene just now had never happened.

It’s just that Xiao Jue’s lips are redder than when he arrived, and there are still subtle indentations on the side of his neck.

The soldier put down the food table and exited without looking sideways.

The curtains fell, blocking out the outside world.Xie Heng walked to the table and looked at the simple two dishes and one soup.

“Let’s eat together.” He sat down.

Xiao Jue smiled, took off his armor, and sat across from him wearing only his shirt.The two of them ate in silence, occasionally talking about military affairs or court affairs, like ordinary colleagues, but far more intimate than that.

The sound of a wooden clapper sounded outside the window.

The clapper sounded again at the fifth watch, and Concubine Zheng woke up from her light sleep.

The smell of medicine in the palace is a bit lighter, but not gone.She was leaning on the brocade couch, her face as pale as paper, and her eyes were still red and swollen.It had been ten months since the miscarriage, but her body was still very weak, and her spirit was even more weak. She always felt that there was a baby crying in the corner of the room, and she woke up in the middle of the night, feeling her pillow was empty and cold.

The emperor often came to sit with her after going to court, holding her cold hand and saying words of comfort.Today he brought a pearl from the South China Sea. It was the size of a pigeon egg, radiant and shining, with a warm light flowing in the palm of his hand.

“I ordered someone to set a hairpin and wear it when my beloved concubine is old.” The emperor put the pearl into her palm and gently wrapped his fingers around her hand.

Concubine Zheng looked at the pearl. The halo swayed in her eyes and suddenly became blurry.The tears rolled down without warning, hitting the pearls and causing tiny splashes of water.

“What use do I need for these beads…” Her voice choked and her whole body trembled, “The children are all gone… Your Majesty, our children…”

The emperor gently held her in his arms, resting his chin on the top of her hair. His voice was as soft as coaxing a child: “We are still young, and there will always be children. You are my most beloved person, and I only want you to be safe.”

[The author has something to say]

As soon as I started writing h, I lost my temper and forgot about it. I was locked. I failed to pass the review three or four times. I cut it a lot but it still didn’t work. Even if I changed it to a stream of consciousness, it didn’t work. It has become honest [transformed].