As they spoke, Cao Xian took out an account book, saying, "Please have Governor Zhang and Commandant Yang take a look!"

The other powerful families of Xuzhou also handed over their respective income ledgers, which were taken by the servants of the governor's mansion and placed on the table next to Yang Qiu.

Zhang Jian then took Cao Xian's account books and began to peruse them.

"Excellent! It seems this year is indeed a bumper harvest. Patriarch Cao has handed over a staggering 10,000 shi of grain, a full 30% more than last year. Good! Very good!"

"Yes, it is all thanks to His Majesty's wisdom and the blessings of Heaven that we have such a harvest!"

Seemingly oblivious to the implied meaning in Zhang Jian's words, Cao Xian wore a fawning smile and continued to flatter the emperor.

The crowd followed behind Cao Xian, saying some nice things.

Seeing their ugly faces, Zhang Jian immediately threw the account book on the ground and shouted:

"Someone come here!"

"promise"

With a loud shout from Zhang Jian, two squads of Imperial Guards soldiers suddenly rushed out from the back hall, wielding sharp blades, and surrounded Cao Xian and his men.

"this....."

The faces of these powerful families from Xuzhou turned deathly pale.

Cao Xian's face turned pale, and he asked tremblingly, "Governor Zhang, Commandant Yang, what...what is the reason for this?"

"Hmph~ Why?"

As he spoke, Yang Qiu took out a bill from his sleeve. "The Cao family has 500,000 shi of grain stored up this year. According to the tax rate, they should pay 100,000 shi."

As soon as Yang Qiu finished reading the number, Cao Xian felt his vision go black and his limbs go weak. He thought he had hidden it very well, so how could Yang Qiu know it so clearly?

Yang Qiu looked coldly at Cao Xian and asked casually, "Patriarch Cao, you should have paid 100,000 shi of grain, but you only paid 10,000 shi. Tax evasion is a serious crime. How dare you hide so much? Have you thought about your fate?"

Yang Qiu narrowed his eyes, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "Confiscate their property, exile them to the frontier! Those with more serious offenses will be beheaded!"

"Forehead!!"

Yang Qiu's words startled Cao Xian so much that he couldn't catch his breath, his vision went black, and he fell backward.

"Hmph~ So cowardly, yet so greedy!"

After glancing at Cao Xian lying on the ground, Yang Qiu looked at the other powerful families of Xuzhou. The crowd was so frightened by Yang Qiu's murderous gaze that they were speechless.

Yang Qiu then selected a few people whose tax payments were not significantly different from the actual amount paid and sent them home. The rest were all imprisoned.

Subsequently, under the leadership of the officials in the Sili government, squads of Imperial Guards and Tiger Guards, led by spies, began to confiscate the property of these wealthy families who had evaded taxes.

At the same time, Xuzhou officials who colluded with them were also arrested one after another, so many of them that they almost paralyzed Xuzhou's official business.

Moreover, Zhang Jian personally ordered the execution of all these people. In just two days, Yang Qiu and Zhang Jian killed no fewer than a hundred powerful families and officials in Xuzhou, and exiled more than two thousand to the frontier.

For a time, the names of Yang Zhang the Butcher and Zhang Er were known throughout Xuzhou.