266: Chapter 199: Set a Rule_4 266: Chapter 199: Set a Rule_4 Like West Mountain, such a large town even possessed a certain authority to adjudicate and manage legal cases.
If they resisted paying taxes, it wouldn’t be denied that Chu Xisheng had the power to handle them according to the statutes of the “Daning Law.”
All eyes turned towards Wen Tiance and Cloud Crane Saber Yienyang.
Wen Tiance was curious, his tone unusual, “I would like to know if the Inner City Sheen Family should also pay land tax according to their share?
If they don’t pay, how do you plan to handle it, Master?”
In West Mountain Town, the largest landowner wasn’t their Wen Family, but the Sheen Family of the Inner City.
The Sheen Family owned two manors in West Mountain with seven hundred qing of upland fields, much larger than the land owned by their Wen Family.
Chu Xisheng thought the question was good and, with an unchanging expression, replied, “I treat everyone equally.
If the Sheen Family owns land, they must pay taxes according to the law.
If they don’t pay, they will be dealt with by the sa legal code.”
Upon hearing this, Wen Tiance’s lips curled slightly, revealing a touch of sarcasm and disdain.
He didn’t show it too obviously, but let out a laugh, “The governnt is collecting so much money and grain this year, and Master Chu’s rules are too harsh.
It’s clear you want to drive us to death.
However, if Master Chu wants us to hand over the taxes, it’s not impossible.
I heard that Master Chu is planning to dig a canal in West Mountain?
As the saying goes, those who see it have a share.
If Master is willing to take out a share of the canal to let us partake—”
His voice, however, stopped abruptly, as a splash of scalding tea suddenly sprayed on his face.
Wen Tiance’s Gang Qi instantly protected his body, preventing the tea from touching him, but the scalding temperature still reached his face, turning it pale.
Chu Xisheng held the now empty cup in one hand and rested the other on his waist blade, concentrating as he looked at Wen Tiance, “What are you trying to say?
Say it again, more clearly.”
Wen Tiance felt a surge of anger rising from his stomach to his head.
His eyes widened to the size of cartwheels, and his complexion turned from white to red.
At the sa ti, Wen Tiance also felt a chill of fear.
Though he only had Seventh Rank cultivation, with the help of nurous top battle maps and several Sixth Grade magic artifacts, his combat power was not inferior to many lower Sixth Grade experts.
But just now, when Chu Xisheng splashed the tea, it had been so fast that Wen Tiance couldn’t even react, let alone see clearly.
Cloud Crane Saber Yienyang’s pupils shrank slightly, too—this man’s hands were extrely fast—indeed a genius of Qingyun ranked sixty!
Although this person was not strong enough to compete with them, with those crossbow arrows, the situation might not be so certain.
Wen Tiance squinted his eyes, locking gaze with Chu Xisheng.
Finally, with a light laugh and a wipe of his face, he said, “If Master Chu is unwilling to share, then forget it.
However, today’s banquet has no fine wine, and the feast is dull, making it uninteresting.
I find no pleasure here; please excuse !”
※※※※
Following the departure of Wen Tiance and Yienyang—
The guests in the restaurant left in a flash, with more than half of them having departed.
Only about a dozen remained—those who had closer ties to the Iron Banner Gang or had relations with Coastal areas stayed on.
Zhou Liangchen watched those leaving outside, either on horseback or in carriages, and then frowned slightly before sitting down beside Chu Xisheng.
Although the restaurant was now empty, the server still brought up the banquet Chu Xisheng had reserved.
“A bunch of vultures and wolves, blinded by their greed!
They hardly have any real power, yet they manage to be irritating,” Zhou Liangchen said, annoyed, pouring himself a drink and gulping it down in one go, “You’re just going to let them go like that, Hall Master?”
Chu Xisheng couldn’t help but smile wryly, “If not let them go, what should I do?
Slaughter them?
If I were to do that, who would dare to co when I invite people for business in the future?”
Zhou Liangchen knew this reasoning all too well.
He frowned, “At least you should’ve made an example out of one or two people to assert authority.
When they get back, they will certainly plot against you.
You want them to pay taxes obediently in twenty days, but I’m afraid that’s impossible.”
“Making an example of soone here wouldn’t make them truly submit,” Chu Xisheng replied, picking up his chopsticks to eat, explaining leisurely, “Tax collection is a matter of official concern, different from pure Jianghu affairs.
We must have a proper standing.
If they truly resist and do not pay, that actually plays right into my hands.”
Coldness flashed in Chu Xisheng’s eyes, “To not hide the truth, I do intend to make an example of a few.
We shall see whether their necks are sturdier, or my blade is sharper.”
He had set his sights on the properties of several families.
To handle the tax collection, he had to recruit an additional one hundred and eighty gang mbers from the dockworkers of the Ancient Market.
Just the settling-in fees for these n would cost tens of thousands of taels.
Then, to equip these six hundred and eighty gang mbers with Magic Artifact Level weapons and armor, he had borrowed tens of thousands of taels from Coastal areas.
This matter was rather troubleso, for since he had beco the Hall Master of West Mountain Hall, he hadn’t been able to put a single penny in his pocket, and instead had already accrued nearly two hundred thousand taels of external debt.
Chu Xisheng could not avoid spending that money.
Among the assets left by Liu Dingtang, the most valuable were those Four-Arm Heavy Crossbows.
There were few Magic Artifact level weapons, just over three hundred, and only around sixty sets of armor.
The problem was that those Four-Arm Heavy Crossbows couldn’t be carried out of the city on a large scale.
And once he was to attack the manors of those aristocratic families, the equipnt level of his gang mbers would put them at a significant disadvantage.
Especially the armor, a good set of armor could greatly amplify the abilities of low-level martial cultivators, doubling their combat power.
But the price of Magic Tool Armor was also extrely high.
If Chu Xisheng wanted to pay off debts and pay his land taxes, he had no choice but to target these families’ properties.
As the saying goes, no man is rich without a windfall, and no horse gets fat without night grazing—to make money quickly, one must still resort to killing and arson.
However, these were not words that could be openly said to Zhou Liangchen, the forthright man.
Li Shenshan stood by the window, watching Wen Tiance’s retreating figure, his eyes filled with unabashed envy and desire.
— That fat fool actually has five Sixth Grade Magic Artifacts on him, such a waste of Heaven’s gifts!
He agreed with Chu Xisheng, that it was necessary to take a few heads to establish authority.
The question was whether they could take down those families within twenty days?
At that mont, Zuo Qingyun climbed the stairs and approached Chu Xisheng.
“When I arrived, I saw that their faces were all green, it seems you didn’t co to an agreent?”
While speaking, Zuo Qingyun placed a docunt in front of Chu Xisheng, “I have completed my task successfully.
My father said that in twenty days, you need not report to the governnt again; you can take action directly.
When the ti cos, he will stamp and file the docunt you submitted the other day.”
Standing next to him, Zhou Liangchen glanced at the docunt and was suddenly shocked.
It was an official docunt describing the seizure of all land assets of Wen Tiance, Yien Yang, and the Dan Family of Northern Town under the charge of ‘ard resistance to taxation’, and the deportation of all adult males to You State.
However, the date signed on the docunt was the tenth of February, which was twenty days later.
This ant that once the designated ti arrived, Chu Xisheng could use this docunt to directly act against these three families.
Chu Xisheng smiled faintly and saluted with his hands together, “I will thank your honored father for this!”
“No need, you’ve paid the money, a full thirty thousand taels.
What can’t be done with that?”
Zuo Ya chuckled, “Besides, this is an easy matter to handle.
Although the Prefectural Governor favors Shangguan and the Sheen Family, he will only be pleased when it concerns this year’s spring taxes.
The more taxes collected, the greater his achievents.
My father said, just do it with confidence, but if you can’t take them down, he won’t intervene either.”
At that ti, Chu Xisheng noticed that Zuo Ya’s expression was gloomy, and his eyes were filled with concerns.
He was about to inquire about the matter when suddenly two more people walked up the stairs.
It was Xiaang Kui from North Heavenly Gate and Wang Zheng from South Heavenly Gate.
After climbing the stairs, Xiaang Kui greeted Chu Xisheng with a smile and a salutary fist.
“Brother Chu, the other day you had promised to treat to a al, does your offer still stand?”
Wang Zheng, following behind, glanced at Xiaang Kui with a cold look in his eyes.
He had been released from house arrest five days ago.
Today, he ca to seek out Chu Xisheng, hoping to blend in with a new mission as a cover, but had run into this extrely cunning disciple from North Heavenly Gate.
Wang Zheng also then deeply bowed to Chu Xisheng, “Brother Chu, I have long admired your benevolence and nobility.
Today, I would like to follow in your footsteps and offer you my humble services!”
Chu Xisheng felt a mix of surprise and headache upon hearing these words.
He knew that both of their cultivation strengths were not to be underestimated.
Chu Yunyun had ntioned that these two undercover agents from the North and South Heavenly Gates actually possessed the combat strength of Seventh Grade.
But what was this situation?
His West Mountain Hall might as well change its na to Undercover Hall!
The people inside the hall were either undercover agents or wanted criminals by the court.
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