Bai Wei and Zhuyu protected Ping'er and Pan'er and walked into the beautiful scenery even further away. From time to time, the sound of children giggling came from the ears.

Xu Muqing looked at Xiao Linye with a comfortable face, "Jiangnan is indeed a talented person. Who would have thought that this place suffered a terrifying flood and plague more than four months ago? Now it is full of harvest and hope everywhere. I feel like it very much, and I am willing to stay here."

Xiao Linye looked at the busy farmers in the fields not far away, "After the promulgation of tax exemption, they slowly recovered for the past three years, and then they will be in a prosperous south again."

"No, these farmers would thank the emperor for his wiseness. If it were the past, they would have lived a harder life." Xu Muqing complimented Xiao Linye in a good mood.

However, it didn't take long for her to be slapped in the face.

Some people wearing military uniforms rode their horses out of nowhere, walked towards the harvested farmers in a daze, and asked arrogantly, "Have the sweet potatoes and corn been harvested? Why don't you load the carriage quickly? What are you rubbing there?"

The timid women and children were scared to tears, shivering, and tears fell down.

The men who looked like yamen runners were very impatient and even said viciously, "Why don't you cry if you don't work well? Be careful I will whip you with a whip, don't think about being lazy, hurry up."

The woman and the child were silent, and they dared not cry anymore. They continued to load the harvested food onto the truck with tears in their eyes.

After about half an hour of busyness, the food was finally filled with the carriage. The yamen runners asked specialists to take away all the food, and there was no left of the food dug out of the field.

Xiao Linye and Xu Muqing, who were resting under the pine trees, were burning with anger. The moment they said that the people did not have to bear the heavy taxes, and that their lives should be better. Who would have thought that these local officials would dare to ignore the laws above and directly take away all the food from the fields. They did so arrogantly and so blatantly that these people simply wanted to die.

"Your Majesty, it turns out that these officials below are lip service. It seems that the orders issued above are of no use. There are policies and countermeasures at the top. The people at the bottom are still suffering. Maybe they will not eat enough to cover up their bodies." Xu Muqing saw the exploited farmers with her own eyes, those young and helpless children, and felt very distressed.

Xiao Linye's fist clattered, and he seemed to be brewing something in his heart. After a while, he said to his wife, "I'll have someone come to the carriage to bring some food, let's go over and ask about the situation."

Xu Muqing immediately asked the maids who were serving around him to go over. After a while, the maids brought a large bag of dry food and jerky meat, dried fruit and candied fruits, "Emperor, Empress, the food is ready."

Xiao Linye whispered, "You should call the master and wife outside, don't expose your identity."

The maid showed a look of shame on her face and responded softly.

Xu Muqing and Xiao Linye asked the maids to walk towards the farmers who were working with dry food and jerky.

Several children aged eight to ten were still crying and saying to the woman, "Mom, I'm so hungry, I want to eat."

The farmer and his wife were frowning and coaxed her bored, "Children, let's bear it for another two hours. We will cook some sweet potato porridge at night. We can't eat so much now. There will be three months of winter in the next. What if we finish everything, what should we do when the Chinese New Year?"

However, the children were so hungry that they looked pale and thin, so they could not bear it. They sat on the ground and shed tears.

Xu Muqing was sad to see it. She took the dry food and jerky meat and said softly, "Brother and sister-in-law, there is some food here. You can take it to your children for food, don't be hungry."

The package opened, and there were golden crispy meat patties, dried pork jerky and beef jerky, which looked particularly attractive. Several children's eyes were straight and they swallowed two mouthfuls of saliva in a bad mood.

The farmer and his wife were tight and wary, and they did not dare to take these foods, fearing that there were any traps in it.

Xu Muqing tried to make her face look kind and smiley, and her voice was gentler than before, "Brother, sister-in-law, don't be afraid, my husband and I are not bad people. We came to Yizhou from the capital to do business. We just saw the yamen runners collecting taxes and felt sorry for the children's hungry, so we took some food to eat for the children."

She paused and continued, "To say something offensive, you have nothing worthy of my husband and I. My elder brother and sister-in-law also eat a little. When I finish eating, I would like to ask you which road leads to Yizhou City is better."

The farmer and his wife looked at each other and looked at the two children in extraordinary clothes walking not far away, as if the rich couple did not look like bad people.

The man silently took the jerky and meat patties and said softly, "Thank you two nobles."

The children were all divided into two large meat pies and a piece of jerky meat. The hungry children had already opened their mouths and started eating them in big mouths. They were choked and poured them down with water bags. It was obvious that they had been hungry for many days.

The couple also started eating. After the floods and disasters passed, they never ate as sweet and delicious food as they are now. They ate and cried.

Xiao Linye felt uncomfortable when he saw it, so he asked the maid to bring some pastries over and hand them over, "You can take these pastries back for dinner. Brother, you have a hard time this year."

When a man in his thirties heard this concerned question, his eyes turned red. It was more than just a difficult thing. He was so rare that he could not hold on. He kept thinking about selling who among the four children and changing some food rations, otherwise the whole family might really starve to death.

The peasant woman drooped her tears silently, with a look of despair on her face.

Xu Muqing couldn't help but feel angry and curious, and asked inadvertently, "Didn't the court have issued a decree? The emperor exempted farmers from taxes for three years, and landlords and wealthy households could not collect taxes from tenants. Why did the yamen runners still come to collect your harvested food?"

The man choked and said, "What's the use of the above laws? The emperor does not allow taxes, and the boss can always find a way to squeeze our food, especially this year, there was flooding first, and then there was plague and cholera spreading. How much did the wealthy families above lose? How could they exempt taxes? We were really forced to have no way to survive. The sky is high and the emperor is far away, who can control this world?"

"We came from the capital. The emperor sent special people to patrol. Why is this still the case? Are local officials really not afraid of being discovered and punished by the emperor?"

Xu Muqing was so angry that she felt sorry for the suffering farmers. Life was already so hard, and those landlords and local officials had to continue to collect taxes, which was to force the farmers at the bottom to death.

The man shook his head and tears burst out, "It's useless, so what if the people sent from the upper class? They received the news early on, just behave like it, but the people at the bottom of ours are not suffering. Master, madam, don't ask anymore, don't talk nonsense when you go out, otherwise these officials and gentry in Yizhou City will never let you leave here safely, and don't cause trouble."

The woman knelt down directly at them and said shamelessly, "Madam, although I know what I will say next is really shameless, can you ask the wife to be more merciful and give us some dry food. The children were hungry and thin, and the grain produced in the fields was taxed 50% again. We really have no way to live, please."

Xu Muqing couldn't help but want to cry, "Sister-in-law, don't kneel down, I'll have someone give you some dry food."

Xiao Linye took out his purse and handed it to the man, "There are twenty taels of broken silver in it. As long as it is not a waste of extravagance, it should be enough for your family to overcome this difficulty. These children all look very sensible, so don't sell their children anymore, it's so heartbreaking."

The farmer and his wife couldn't believe what they heard in their ears. They pulled their son and knelt on the ground, and said in tears, "Thank you, Master and Madam. You are the saviors of our family. We will definitely remember your great kindness for the rest of our lives. Children, thank you quickly and thank you Master and Madam. We won't have to starve to death in the future and will be able to survive this difficulty."

Xiao Linye looked around and couldn't help but make a gesture of silence, and said in a low voice, "Please keep these broken silver and take out the flowers slowly. Don't tell others that you have seen us. We have never met us, do you understand? Children, remember to take care of your mouth and don't cause any disaster."

The peasant woman rubbed the heads of several children and reminded anxiously, "Children, have you heard it? Don't say a word about what you encountered today, otherwise your father and I will still sell the child who is most unreliable."

Several children immediately nodded and said, "Dad, mom, we won't tell you. We are all very obedient, don't sell us."

"You guys keep busy working, see you again if you are destined to be together." Xu Muqing waved to the children.

After Xu Muqing and Xiao Linye found out what they wanted to know, they stopped staying and took the maids away.

Ping'er and Pan'er ran over from not far away with their short legs, with a crisp and cute smile on their faces and rushed into the arms of Xiao Linye and Xu Muqing.

"father--"

"mother--"

The couple hugged the children in a heavy mood and hid their anger under their gentle smiles. "Ping'er, Pan'er, can we go to a more beautiful place to play? Then see where there are wild fruits to eat. I will pick some fruits for you to taste."

The two children were tired of playing and fell into their parents' arms sweat. Not long after they got on the carriage, they fell asleep in a deep sleep.

Bai Wei and Zhu Yu carefully carried the children to another carriage again so that the little prince and the little princess would sleep more comfortably.

"Your Majesty, what should I do next? The gentry and local tyrants in Yizhou City clearly colluded and gave benefits to the prefect of Yizhou. There was no tax on the surface, but in fact the taxes became heavier. Those local officials were really too much." Xu Muqing couldn't help but feel distressed when she thought of the worn-out children, who were so hungry that she looked pale and thin.

"It's my fault. Those officials I believe I trusted are watching, so the people below dare not do anything randomly. The forces I support are too few than those of the landlords and gentry who have been intricately connected in the local area, and those inconspicuous officials. If others deliberately hide it from them, even if they want to investigate, they will not find anything."

Xiao Linye had a deep helplessness between his eyebrows, "I was careless, ignoring the collusion between officials and businessmen, ignoring the power of forming party and private affairs and squaring together. During this period, the farmers and the people at the bottom still lived in dire straits. I am not a competent emperor."

Seeing the guilt and self-blame in his eyes, Xu Muqing couldn't help but comfort him softly, "You have been the emperor for more than two years, but it's not until three years. It's normal for you to not know the underworld officials to disobey and bend around. Your Majesty, you are a human being, not a god, and it's impossible to cover everything. Don't feel guilty anymore."

Xiao Linye seemed to have a burst of anger burning in his chest, "I must let these vampires who disobey and ignore the lives of the people when they see the interests. During my rule, no one can deceive or betray them unless they want to die."

"The prefect of Yizhou seems to be called Yue Lingzheng. He was a Tanhualang who was highly valued during the late emperor period. He was talented, outstanding in strategy, and knew how to see the situation clearly. After Xiao Lie fell, he quickly expressed his loyalty to you. He paid a lot of taxes and silver in the past two years, and the grain in the granary was full. Did you think he was involved in this matter?"

Xu Muqing quickly analyzed the arrival of the Yizhou prefect. She always felt that the prefect was too busy doing things, so this time they were so shocked when they encountered the yamen runners' levies.

Xiao Linye showed a disgust and said hatefully, "He has been rooted in Yizhou for ten years. Do you think he is not sure about the twists and turns inside? The confidant officials we sent out have been kept in the dark for so long, and I wouldn't believe it without his work."

"Then check it out from the prefect of Yizhou. I really think he is a very powerful person. I know that even if he is transferred back to the capital, the emperor will not use him. So I just stayed at the position of prefect of Yizhou with peace of mind. In the past, she thought she would be re-elected for another five years. Being a powerful third-rank local official is much better than being held captive in the capital, and it is easier to get benefits. It also makes the people above unaware that this prefect is a powerful character."

When Xu Muqing said this, she was half moved and half sincerely admired.

Xiao Linye didn't want to tolerate it. He encountered such a thing as he arrived at the southern prefectures and counties closest to the capital. He couldn't imagine how heartbreaking the scene would be waiting for him and Xu Muqing as he walked south.

"I still have a glimmer of luxury. I hope he is innocent in this matter. I don't want to cure him except for the crime of trashing responsibility. Otherwise, I will be frightened and I will not even be able to control myself. At that time, many people may die in the entire Yizhou City."

Xu Muqing felt the anger and murderous aura emitted from the man and immediately comforted him, "Your Majesty, don't be angry. If there is anything we need to solve it slowly. It's not worth getting angry with those greedy bastards."

Xiao Linye swallowed his anger into his stomach, "You are right, being angry cannot solve any problem. I don't need to punish myself with other people's mistakes. But I don't think that there will be good results for this group of local officials in Yizhou who are lip service."

They clearly got practical benefits, but they smeared his reputation and made the people at the bottom call him a fool, forcing the people at the bottom to have no way to go.

Many things Xu Muqing can't help with in the affairs of the government. All she can do is not add new troubles to Xiao Linye, and not let him worry about himself and the children.

"Your Majesty, let's live in the city first. Let's find a cleaner inn and then go to inquire about those things. Don't act rashly and let these local officials notice the sound of the wind. That's not good." Xu Muqing said in a gentle voice.

Xiao Linye's anger dissipated by her tone of coaxing a child, "Mu Qing, fortunately you are with me."

"That's right, since we came to the south, we have seen how the post-disaster reconstruction work has been done, and we have to travel around the country and the rivers. Don't be so tense, and slowly free up your hands to clean up. Those who care about the interests of the people will definitely not have a good end in the end." Xu Muqing said as she said, a sharp light bursting out from her eyes.

After arriving in Yizhou City, the couple took their servants to live in a seemingly spacious and clean inn.

They pretended to be rich businessmen and came to Yizhou to do business.

Xiao Linye went to contact the confidant officials placed in Yizhou, while Xu Muqing took Ping'er and Pan'er to rest in the room, planning to wait two days before going out for a walk around, taste local food, and enjoy the local customs and customs.

An hour later, in a very hidden yard, several confidants who were placed in Yizhou by Xiao Linye knelt in front of Xiao Linye.

The young and iron-blooded emperor had a cold murderous aura burst out, "You talk about it, have the food and silver given by the court sent to the people in the past few months been distributed to the hands of the people? The seeds of crops and seedlings of crops, did the court exempt the farmers from taxes?"

Several equally young officials said carefully, "The emperor, the ministers and others have indeed watched the disaster relief silver and food delivered to the people, and the seeds and seedlings are also distributed in full. Now most of the food is mature, and soon the farmers have food again, and their subordinates have not found any problems."

Xiao Linye was so angry that he threw the teacup at his hand to the ground, "It's nonsense! It's true that the grain harvest is good, and the court exempted taxes. But don't you think this is abnormal for those farmers to sell their children? It's obvious that the harvest is good, why do you want to sell their children? I'm raising you with a generous salary. Did you raise it as a decoration? You are so amazing. If I hadn't been to this trip to the south, I would have been deceived by you."

The officials below were so scared that they didn't dare to show up. "Your Majesty, I have to take people to inspect carefully every day, and I did not find any problems."

"Yue Lingzheng did not find the problem. Wouldn't you check it out from the gentry and rich? Since the grain harvest is booming, you will not be hungry and you will still bear the pain to sell your children. Don't you think this is strange?"

Xiao Linye's sharp and cold eyes fell on the officials who were promoted by himself, and a threatening tone rang out, "You have already colluded with these rich gentry and family and blinded me together. Don't forget that since I promoted you with one hand, it would be easy to kick you down easily."

"Your Majesty, please calm down. It's because Weichen and others have neglected. I'll go and check it now. I'm sure I can find it. Please give Weichen some time."

Xiao Linye said coldly, "Don't let me wait too long, let me be too disappointed."

Those trusted officials responded quickly, fearing that the emperor would get angry again, and directly dismiss their official positions, making everything they had finally had turned into a bubble and disappeared again.

In another exquisite and magnificent mansion, the prefect Yue Lingzheng teased the parrot in the cage, thinking about the news coming from the capital, "The emperor visited in a private manner, and it seems that the weather is about to change. Li Chenyu, find a way to spread the news, suspend the collection of taxes on farmers, and insidiously strengthen inspections, so as not to let the previous resale of grain leak out. When the limelight has passed, another tax will be collected."

"Master, should Lin Jianrong, Li Zhiyue, Meng Chuxing and others still beware of it? They shouldn't have discovered anything, right? Do you need to design an accident and let him directly-" Li Chenyu made a neck wiping action.

Yue Lingzheng frowned so much that he could kill a fly. "The three of them are the emperor's confidants and eyeliners. If you killed them at this critical moment, didn't you tell the emperor clearly that we are guilty?"

"Don't worry about them. They want to inquire about what they want and let them go. We will find a way to let the gentry and landlords take charge of the farmers under their command and don't let them talk nonsense. Do not sell the food they received before, and pile it in the warehouse first."
To be continued...