Daily Intelligence System: Don't Kill Me, Honey!

Chapter 1318: Chapter 305: Farewell, Peng Yingyu

”But I’ve heard people say that General of Eastern Expedition has a decent territory in the east, especially a Huangzhou Prefecture managed by someone named Chen Jiusi, where the people are reportedly living very well, and they’re even helping the common folk build canals. Good people indeed.”

Chen Jie nodded lightly upon hearing this and said: ”Really? In comparison, that area does seem pretty good.”

Feng San said: ”Yes, it is good, but I feel it’s only temporary.”

”Why?”

”Isn’t it obvious? A forearm can’t beat a thigh; Chen Jiusi’s official rank is just General of Eastern Expedition, can he really oppose the court, does he dare disobey the Emperor?”

”Don’t even mention him; what about the Left General? Even if he comes to Xiangyang Prefecture, he ends up with nothing, the army isn’t allowed into the city, they all stay outside, and there’s no supply management, let’s not even talk about it.”

Hearing this, Chen Jie frowned and said: ”The Left General’s army hasn’t entered the city.”

”Do they let him enter the city? The Left General and the Right General are not on good terms, and the Left General isn’t quite obedient to the Emperor either, so the Emperor joined forces with the Right General to deal with the Left General.”

Chen Jiedao: ”You know about this matter?”

”Isn’t it plain as day? Other generals’ armies can enter the city, but the Left General’s army can’t, even a fool can see that!”

Upon hearing this, Chen Jie fell silent; indeed, the current situation is very clear.

Thinking about this, Chen Jie looked at Feng San and said: ”Doesn’t the State Preceptor intervene when the Emperor and Right General target the Left General like this?”

Feng San said: ”Don’t mention the State Preceptor, I get angry when he’s mentioned, if it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t be in such a dire strait.”

”Hmm, the State Preceptor also persecuted you?”

Feng San said: ”Not just persecuted us, the current misery of Xiangyang Prefecture is largely due to the State Preceptor.”

Chen Jie looked at Feng San: ”Tell me.”

Feng San said: ”About this State Preceptor, he’s a good person, just a bit foolish. When they entered the city, the first thing the State Preceptor did was announce that from now on, no taxes would be collected from Hubei Road.”

No taxes?

Hearing this, Chen Jie frowned directly, wondering how the army could be supported without taxes?

As expected, Feng San said: ”At first, we were quite happy; yes, no taxes, isn’t that a good thing?”

”But guess what happened?”

Chen Jiedao: ”Mutiny!”

The fan was stunned, looking at him: ”Do you know about this?”

Chen Jiedao: ”I don’t know, but I can guess.”

Feng San said: ”Exactly, there was a mutiny, soldiers stopped working, they said they served to earn a living, how could they eat without military pay?”

”At that time, many armies exploded, and upon hearing this, Lord State Preceptor promptly attempted appeasement, then informed everyone that tax collection would only be half of the normal tax.”

”Well, back then everyone supported this, after all, it was less tax to pay, we all got some benefit, but then?”

Chen Jiedao: ”Another incident?”

Feng San said: ”Yes, another incident, that’s when King Qi began advancing toward the border from the Northwest, putting great pressure on the Tianyuan Empire, and at that time they didn’t have enough troops, so they had to think of ways to expand the army.”

”Expand the army, as simple as it sounds, it requires money?”

”The State Preceptor had to reinstate the court’s original tax policy on us.”

”At that time, King Qi Li Siqi’s army was awkwardly held up, and then the scattered Daqian Army in Hubei began to get restless, starting to occupy mountains as kings and plundering places.”

”And at that time, you have to suppress bandits, don’t you?”

”Suppressing bandits, doesn’t that require money?”

”Thus, Lord State Preceptor ordered an additional thirty percent temporary tax, but somehow, the more bandits were suppressed, the more appeared, and the temporary tax for suppressing bandits went from thirty percent to fifty percent, eventually doubling.”

”And then another problem occurred, the Northwest Border Army faced off against Li Siqi, requiring transport for military supplies, but the road was too difficult to traverse, so repairs again?”

”Repairs require money, where does the money come from? Increase taxes!”

”Another tax increase.”

”Meanwhile, they established a nation, the Imperial Palace needs to be built, can’t live in grass huts?”

”Then they’ve all become emperors, isn’t having Three Palaces and Six Courtyards reasonable?”

”Moreover, since they’re emperors, don’t they need to cultivate all court officials, whom they’ll have to pay salaries?”

”You need to build government offices, don’t you?”

”Every single thing costs money, and finally, the salaries were increased by Lord State Preceptor to more than five times.”

”That’s over five times the Daqian’s tax rate!”

The civilians went mad back then, shouting if they were being allowed to live, they felt they were being brought toward death, and it wouldn’t be a good death.

That year, these civilians surrounded the Xiangyang City Lord Mansion, tens of thousands pointed at the City Lord Mansion, cursing: ”The State Preceptor ruined the nation, is the great villain, not letting the common people live, we plead with Your Majesty to punish the State Preceptor for his crime of misgoverning the nation.”

It’s said that Peng Yingyu was so berated that day that he couldn’t withstand it, feeling so ashamed before all that he shut himself off.

He felt he had failed the people of the world, and at that time, the Right General, Double Saber Zhao Pusheng, stood up and said to Peng Yingyu: ”Master, you are a high monk of profound achievement, you cannot comprehend these worldly hardships, in this way, let us take over this matter along with Your Majesty, we guarantee the people’s taxes will be increased by at most one time, never exceeding twice.”

”How about that?”

Peng Yingyu was taken aback: ”Then how will the army be maintained, how will the civil and military officials be supported?”

Zhao Pusheng fought with excitement: ”Master, you don’t need to worry about these matters, I, your disciple, have it all handled, just transfer the power to us.”

Peng Yingyu had already been condemned by the common folks, feeling himself as foolish as a pig, a disaster to the nation and people, thus losing the spirit and energy to manage specific affairs.

He directly transferred power to Xu Shouhui and Zhao Pusheng.

Then he issued a self-imposed ban, confined himself, and did not listen to matters outside the window, solely focusing on self-reflection and repentance.