Li Chengcheng was wearing a peach-colored dress with three narrow collars and sleeves, revealing a skirt that was only two or three inches long. The outer sleeves were trimmed with white fur. Her face was slightly red, and the cold wind made it look like she had rouge on it. Her red lips were slightly parted, revealing a hint of white teeth.

Zhu Youxiao looked at the gentle, beautiful, yet somewhat eager woman, blinked his eyes, suddenly stepped forward, stared at Li Chengcheng, and snorted, "Well, you said you didn't find it?"

Li Chengcheng was a little panicked and quickly took a step back, wanting to bow and apologize, but she found that the emperor had taken another step forward and was only half a foot away from her face.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me." Li Chengcheng had no choice but to retreat again, his face showing panic. "I will look for it again, and I will definitely find it."

"Really?" Zhu Youxiao kept his face stern and approached step by step until the girl had her back against the wall with nowhere to retreat.

Li Chengcheng felt the chill on his back, and the back of his head pressed against the wall, like a little white rabbit trapped with nowhere to escape.

Well, in Zhu Youxiao's view, he was a helpless little hamster that was forced into a corner by a cat.

Li Chengcheng was just about to hide to the side when Zhu Youxiao raised one arm and pressed it against the wall, blocking her way.

Just as the maid was facing the emperor's face so close to her, she was terrified and at a loss, opening and closing her lips to apologize and plead again, the emperor's face suddenly grew bigger.

Well, it is very close, so close that there is no gap at all.

The warm room became quiet. Li Chengcheng slowly closed his eyes, his thoughts drifting away in the passionate kiss, his mind blank.

After a long while, Zhu Youxiao reluctantly moved away slowly amid the meowing sound. It smelled so good!

Li Chengcheng opened his eyes, his expression still a little dazed.

"Well, the cat is back. I have punished you before." Zhu Youxiao showed a wicked smile and said, "Put on more clothes and accompany me to shoot guns."

Li Chengcheng rolled his eyes before he regained consciousness.

Then the maid's face flushed red, and she lowered her head in shame, not daring to look at the emperor's smiling face. She could only respond in a mosquito-like voice: "As you command."

Hehe, the wall-dong technique is really cool. I finally have the chance to use it!

………………

The Chinese New Year is just over a month away, but the massacre in Jiashan County has cast a heavy shadow over the gentry and students in Jiangnan, making them terrified. How can they have the heart to celebrate?

This is normal. A group of evil gentry and students were killed, their properties were confiscated and thousands of people were exiled, but it does not mean that the dust has settled and everything is over.

The newly appointed Jiangsu Governor, Wei Guangwei, quickly took office and publicly declared, "I will use strict laws to eliminate violence and tyranny. I will eliminate all evil local tyrants."

At the same time, the imperial court issued a decree that anyone who was stripped of his official title and gentry status due to illegal activities would be banned from taking the imperial examinations and becoming an official for life.

Starting with Jiashan County, local officials in various prefectures and counties across Jiangnan also took a tough stance, vigorously investigating the concealment of taxes and grain, and severely punishing lawless slaves and servants. The groups that suffered the most were naturally the gentry and students.

Under the threat of killing the chicken to scare the monkey, most of the gentry and students who had committed illegal acts such as submitting false donations, evading taxes, etc., took the initiative to clear up and pay the taxes, and finally developed a fear of the law.

But there are also some greedy people who are taking chances and do not make complete repayments, thinking they can get away with it.

However, these guys, blinded by money, forgot that this was no longer an investigation conducted solely by the local government, but that the East Factory was also involved.

Therefore, as soon as the one-month amnesty period was over, local governments that received intelligence from the East Factory began to severely punish illegal activities.

According to the latest order of the court, those who fail to report the illegal activities within the prescribed time limit and fail to repay the debts will have their honors and titles revoked, their exemptions and privileges revoked, half of their property confiscated, and be beaten with the cane fifty times and put in shackles for three days.

Is the punishment severe? Historically, it's not the most severe or harshest.

During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, anyone found to have evaded taxes would have all their money confiscated and be forced to serve in the frontier for a year.

In the late Tang Dynasty, strict penalties were enacted to prevent smuggling and tax evasion of tea: "Those who illegally sell more than 300 kilograms of tea will be sentenced to death; those who travel in large groups and consume even a small amount of tea will be sentenced to death..."

Song Dynasty law stipulated that anyone who evaded taxes by selling illegal salt would be punished with 15 strokes of the cane if they sold more than one tael. Those who dared to resist taxes violently would be punished with death if they and three or more people were to be beaten with the cane. Selling illegal tea would result in 100 strokes of the cane, and if they sold more than 20 jin, they would be executed. Selling illegal liquor would result in death if they sold five dou.

In the Yuan Dynasty, smuggling salt, tea, wine and other goods was the same crime as tax evaders, and both were punished with "seventy strokes of the cane, two years' imprisonment, and half of their property was confiscated by the government."

Even if a neighbor did not report tax evasion, he would be beaten with a stick 100 times. "For those who conceal (evade) taxes, half of their goods will be confiscated by the government, and half of the confiscated goods will be given to the informant as a reward.

While the Ming Dynasty reduced penalties for evading important taxes like salt and tea, the financial penalties remained severe. Even for evading minor taxes, the punishment was unequivocal: a fine of 1,000 guan (approximately 1,000 guan in cash) was imposed.

Whether it is smuggling goods to evade taxes or concealing land to evade taxes, they are the same in nature and there is no essential difference.

The local officials and students who usually appeared righteous and elegant soon paid a heavy price for their greed.

Stripping of official titles, confiscation of half of property, spanking, and public display in shackles, this series of harsh punishments, ranging from political and economic to personal dignity, ruthlessly tore off the fig leaf of illegal local officials and students.

"...those who have always been known for their integrity, their magnificent houses and gardens, their beautiful acres south of the city, all encompassing famous places, stretching across the country; yet in their conduct, they do not know how to value virtue and respect their age..."

"… Busy chasing after profit, even if one is as rich as Tao Zhu and Yidun, one still has to beg for favors every day, like a hungry dog ​​begging for mercy…"

In conjunction with the ruthless and severe punishment, "Daming Forum" also stepped up its efforts, criticizing and exposing the various illegal activities of the bad gentry and students.

Don't look down on ordinary people who are known for their literary and philanthropic backgrounds. Look at what they do, they are greedy and shameless, no different from hungry dogs.

This is really a harsh insult, and the punishment is not decent at all. What is the point of being a respectable scholar, what is the point of being a gentry in the upper and lower ranks? I just want you to lose your dignity and lose face.

Along with the severe crackdown, officers and soldiers mobilized from Northern Zhili and Nanjing Beijing Camp were also stationed in the eight prefectures of Jiangnan, using swords and guns to suppress the noise that was about to arise but had not yet happened.

At this time, those powerful local tyrants and law-breaking gentry truly saw the iron fist of the court and the determination of the emperor.

Those who were severely punished were filled with resentment, but could only keep silent; those who were still hoping for a lucky break were afraid and anxious, and hurried to surrender themselves to the authorities and beg for leniency, fearing that if they missed a step, they would be beaten and crushed.

But at this time, the new Jiangsu Governor Wei Guangwei was in Jiashan County, accompanied by the county magistrate Liu Lishun, who presented a plaque to Zheng Yuanjin and his son, who were flattered and felt like they were in a dream.

Amid the sound of firecrackers and drums, a plaque inscribed with the emperor's own calligraphy, "Diligently complete national duties, serve the country and abide by the law," was hung high above the door lintel. The red cloth covering it was lifted, revealing the honors received by the Zheng family.

"Long live the emperor, long live the emperor, long, long live the emperor!" Zheng Yuanjin and Zheng Shaokang knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times.

Because he was so cautious and prudent, and saw the clues from the court's crackdown on the "Wenxiang Sect's remnants", he did not dare to default on his payments, nor did he associate with other evil gentry and local tyrants to cause trouble. He also paid taxes and grain early, and he was able to achieve such glory.