PDLP Chapter 717: The Price of Food and Grass is Too Outrageous
Chapter 717: The Price of Food and Grass is Too Outrageous
"But, Lord Lin, even if we take the IOU to ask for the money, the Ministry of Revenue will still have to pay for it."
Lin Cangshi frowned and said, "I told you to ask whoever borrowed it for it."
"The Imperial Guards borrowed it, so we should ask them for it back, right?"
"Don't ask me about that. Just look at the tax amount. Is there any problem?"
Wu Ruolin felt angry when she saw that he was being unreasonable.
He turned around and waved to an official.
The official quickly took out a promissory note and ran over to hand it to Wu Ruolin.
"Lord Lin, here is the General of the Imperial Guard..."
Lin Cangshi interrupted him.
"You don't need to tell me this. I'm just asking if the amount of tax silver is correct."
Wu Ruolin was helpless: "The quantity is correct."
"That's good. When can the tax silver be delivered to the Ministry of Revenue in Kyoto?"
"It's hard to say the date."
"Why?"
"Because all the silver has been loaned to the Imperial Guards, there is no extra silver at the moment."
Lin Cangshi sneered and reached into the pocket of an official, pulling out a scroll.
"This is an imperial edict. Have you seen it? Would you like me to read it to you?"
Wu Ruolin said with a smile.
"There's no need to read out the imperial edict. Lord Lin, please wait for three days and I will give you a reply."
Lin Cangshi frowned and stared at him.
"Can you raise the tax money within three days?"
"Of course, we will be able to hand over the full amount of tax silver to Lord Lin."
Lin Cangshi nodded doubtfully.
"Alright, I'll wait for you for three days. If you can't collect the tax, don't blame me for filing a report and accusing you of deceiving the emperor."
As he spoke, he raised the imperial edict in his hand.
"Don't worry, Master Lin."
The two were in no mood to talk about anything else, so Lin Cangshi and his group of officials were sent to the post house to stay.
On this side, Wu Ruolin had already sent people to rush out of the city.
He sent someone with a large stack of IOUs to Kuncheng outside Kyoto by express horse.
These IOUs were placed on Lin Feng's desk.
These were the amounts of food and fodder collected in Jingxi City by the Imperial Guards to resist the rebels before the Zhenxi Army arrived in the Central Plains.
Lin Feng looked through it for a while and frowned.
"The amount of food and fodder should be more than doubled based on the grain prices at the time. How could it be so small?"
The official who came to deliver the letter bowed hurriedly to report.
"Commander, Lord Wu said that it's because the current grain prices have been suppressed, so..."
"Your Lord Wu's calculations are incorrect. You should double the converted silver, deduct the tax, and give me the remaining amount."
The official grinned secretly. He knew Lin Feng's name, and now he saw him, he was deeply impressed.
In my entire life, I have never seen anyone who dares to speak to the court like this.
Originally, after these grains were converted into silver, they basically offset the tax silver.
However, according to Lin Feng's calculation method, not only did he not have to pay taxes, but the court actually owed Jingxi Prefecture a large sum of silver.
Lin Feng stared at the official, calculated the amount, and then nodded.
"Go back and tell Magistrate Wu to have the court's tax officials come to me to collect the tax silver."
The official bowed and said, "Yes, Commander, I will take my leave."
Lin Feng stopped talking and just nodded.
Just as the official retreated to the door, Lin Feng waved his hand and called him to stop.
"Wait a minute, get a certificate before leaving."
Lin Feng was afraid that Wu Ruolin would find it difficult to refuse, so he asked someone to write a document, stamped it with the seal of the commander of the Imperial Guards, and asked the official to take it back.
Kuncheng is more than 500 miles away from Jingxi Prefecture. The official who delivered the letter stayed in Kuncheng for one night and returned to Jingxi Prefecture the next day.
On the morning of the third day, Wu Ruolin took Lin Feng's letter and went to the posthouse in the city to meet with Lin Cangshi, the Minister of Revenue.
Lin Cangshi strolled around Jingxi Prefecture City these past two days and saw that all the residents in the city had rosy complexions and were in high spirits.
There are many shops on the street and business is booming.
After talking with many people.
He knew that Jingxi Prefecture was very wealthy, and there was a good chance that the tax silver could be paid in full to the national treasury, which would be considered as completing the task assigned by the Prime Minister.
Once the door to Jingxi Prefecture is opened, it will be difficult for other prefectures to shirk responsibility.
Just wait three days, collect all the taxes and return to Beijing to report.
On the third day, Wu Ruolin, the prefect of Jingxi, came to visit.
The two of them sat down in the guest hall of the inn as host and guest, and the servants served them tea.
Wu Ruolin bowed and said, "Master Lin, I have sent people to the Imperial Guards headquarters to ask for a receipt. Please take a look."
Originally, Lin Cangshi was full of hope and was waiting for Wu Ruolin to give him money, but unexpectedly, it was just an IOU.
I picked it up and glanced at it, and saw that it was written on it.
"The Imperial Guard owes Jingxi Prefecture 83,700 dan of grain, equivalent to 209,250 taels of silver, and 43,500 carts of grass, equivalent to 21,750 taels of silver. The total is 231,000 taels. Please go to the Jingxi Prefecture Office with official documents to the Kuncheng Imperial Guard Headquarters to collect the money."
The note was stamped with the red seal of the commander of the Royal Guards.
Wu Ruolin smiled and said, "Master Lin, the commander has already agreed. As long as you go there, you can get the tax silver."
Lin Cangshi shook the note in his hand.
"This is a bit exaggerated. The price of food and fodder is too outrageous."
"Alas, sir, it was a time of war. If it weren't for the government's pressure, you wouldn't be able to buy food even at this price."
Lin Cangshi frowned and thought for a moment.
"The tax silver isn't that much, not even half. Could it all have been paid as taxes?"
"Of course not. I will accompany you to Kuncheng, and we will each get what we need."
"How come the Royal Guards have so much silver?"
Wu Ruolin shook his head: "This is the promise made by the commander himself, so it must be correct. However, I don't know where the silver came from."
"Well, I will wait here. Lord Wu can go to Kuncheng to collect the debt and then come back to pay the full tax."
Lin Cangshi stared into Wu Ruolin's eyes and said.
Wu Ruolin looked at him calmly.
"That's very good. Lord Lin, please wait for a few more days. I will go and collect the debt right away."
Seeing that he agreed so readily, Lin Cangshi began to feel doubtful again.
Is there something fishy going on here?
"Are you sure you can get your money back?"
Wu Ruolin pointed to the note in his hand.
"Sir, this is clearly written in black and white. How can the commander of the Royal Guards go back on his word?"
Lin Cangshi waved his hand and said, "What I mean is that you will take back the debt and then hand over the tax money to me?"
Wu Ruolin spread his hands.
"if not?"
Unable to find a flaw, Lin Cangshi began to hesitate.
If I follow him to Kuncheng, Lin Feng is not someone who is easy to talk to, so I'd better not embarrass myself.
But I won't follow him to Kuncheng. What if he gets the money and plays tricks on me, and I will come back empty-handed.
Lin Cangshi was in a dilemma and didn't know what to do.
Wu Ruolin picked up the teacup and sipped the tea slowly with a calm expression.
Finally, Lin Cangshi gritted his teeth and said, "What am I afraid of? I am collecting taxes for the court, so I have a legitimate reason to do so. Even if you, Lin Feng, embarrass me, as long as you give me money and let me call you dad, that's fine."
"Master Wu, let's go. I will accompany you to Kuncheng."