Chapter 260: Chapter 182: Enjoying Both Yin and Yang
Translator: 549690339
The faint scent of sandalwood wafted into Feng Qing’an’s nostrils, causing him to glance sideways. Among the crowd of onlookers, he saw the distinct figure of a tall entity.
The ghost deity of Pingwu County!
“We have no right to interfere with the affairs of the mortal realm. Please forgive us!”
When they saw Feng Qing’an’s gaze turn towards them, the Pingwu County God bowed in courtesy, leading the other ghost deities who had come to observe.
“Hmm.”
Feng Qing’an nodded, disregarding the group of ghost deities. The ghost deities worshiped by people could catch evil spirits, fiends, but they had no power over humans.
This heavy taxation had nothing to do with these ghost deities. If they wanted to spectate, he would let them watch.
Thunk!
Currently, all the officials in the county government office, along with their superior, were strung up from the large beam above the entrance. The whip-wielding Wu Qilang showed no mercy. Grinning cruelly, he greeted them while their cries echoed around. He had no sympathy for corrupt officials.
“Tell them that apart from the regular land tax and per-capita tax imposed by the court, starting from today, all other miscellaneous taxes in Pingwu County
will be abolished!”
As Feng Qing’an listened to the cries of these parasites, he turned to the housekeeper and gave orders.
“Yes!”
“Zhou Yiyang!”
“Young Master, your command!”
The exuberant eldest son of the Zhou family quickly came over.
“Bring over all the accountants from your Zhou family to tally the tax revenue collected in the county government office!”
“Back to Young Master, you’re going to…”
Shock spread across Zhou Yiyang’s face.
“That is the hard-earned money of the people. This pig has scraped it off mercilessly, leaving the people unable to survive. If we don’t give it back to the people, how are they supposed to live in the future?”
“I’m afraid this isn’t something that can be done overnight!”
Hearing Feng Qing’an’s thoughts, Zhou Yiyang showed admiration but also some worry. He wanted to dissuade him but didn’t know how to start. This young man probably hadn’t seen the depths of human depravity yet.
Distributing the silver, scraped off by the corrupt officials, back to the people was indeed a good thing. But how could it be achieved fairly and justly?
These guys didn’t keep accounts when they collected tax revenue. Now to return this money to each family, how would they decide on the amount? Do they simply give the amount each family claims? It’s likely that more than half of this money in the county government treasury would be used up before everyone was paid.
“Then take more time!”
Feng Qing’an smiled, then his expression became somewhat cold.
“If there are any issues, you can tell me. If it really can’t be resolved, we can set an example by executing someone!”
“Our Zhou family’s accountants can handle the counting of the silver, but how should we return the exact amount of money? Surely we can’t just give them whatever they claim?”
“In this matter, we can offer our modest assistance!”
The scent of sandalwood suddenly grew stronger. After hearing Feng Qing’an’s command, the ghost deities, who had originally come only to observe, stepped forward.
“We can discern the truth of people’s words!”
“Then I must trouble you all!”
Seeing the local ghost deities take such initiative and offering to help, Feng Qing’an was quite pleased. As ghost deities could distinguish the truth of human speech, it’s only natural that they should be able to reward the good and punish the evil.
“We dare not!’
At this point, a commotion even more clamorous than before erupted from the watching crowd. This was because the housekeeper had just announced the abolition of the miscellaneous taxes.
After hearing that there would be no more miscellaneous taxes, the people were first in disbelief, then broke into ecstatic celebration. After all, the County Magistrate had been strung up, what else could be impossible?
When their complex range of emotions collided, an unprecedented wave of cheers erupted from the crowd. Yet, there were those who retained enough sense to boldly inquire about Feng Qing’an’s identity from the old housekeeper.
“Elder, who is your young master?”
“The elder brother of my young master is a provincial governor!”
The old housekeeper directly dropped the name of Feng Qing’an’s elder brother. To the people, the designation of ‘provincial governor’ was very unfamiliar. Those who heard it were left confused, but eventually, someone who understood the title explained. Once people realised what the title meant, the atmosphere of joy among the crowd grew even more exuberant.
“Young Master, I will bring our family accountants over now!”
“Hmm, go!”
Feng Qing’an spurred his horse forward, leading Black Mountain and Bai Yao into the county government office. He wouldn’t leave without solving the problems, even after beating up the County Magistrate and venting his anger.
As the sun set and dusk fell,
“Young Master, there’s a man claiming to be from the night patrol office who wants to meet you!”
In the backyard of the county government office, Feng Qing’an, who was reading through the county chronicles, looked towards the bowing housekeeper who came in. When he heard his report, a smile appeared on his face. It was exactly as he had expected.
“Let him in!”
“Yes!”
Before long, the old housekeeper led a man wearing a bronze mask into the backyard of the county government office. The man’s obscure and almost undetectable aura made Feng Qing’an examine him carefully. He then nodded in acknowledgment.
“Night Patrol Officer, Ma Lu, pays his respects to the Second Young Master!” “Ma Lu? Is that your name? Who gave it to you?”
A ‘Ma Lu’ is a type of centipede that lives in wet and dark environments. Considering where this man came from, his name was pretty fitting.
“That’s an alias of mine!”
The man wearing a bronze mask responded with utmost respect.
“So, what exactly does your night patrol office do?”
Feng Qing’an stared at the man in black in front of him. If it weren’t for the man standing right there, he would easily overlook his existence. His aura was almost non-existent, blending perfectly with his surroundings. There was very little notable about him.
“Replying to the Second Young Master, the Night Patrol Office was established by the Great Ancestor Emperor with the power to monitor all officials!”
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