"Clang, clang, clang..." The sound of gongs and drums could be heard, followed by a shout: "Everyone, listen up! This year's tax collection is in advance, so every household should prepare their money..."

Li Xiucai was startled. He looked at the back of Fu Xiaoguan standing at the door, his eyes full of confusion. Didn't this nobleman say that the new Taotai had abolished the agricultural tax? How could it be done ahead of time?

We don’t have a single penny at home, how can we pay taxes?

Fu Xiaoguan frowned slightly, then Yan Beixi and the other two came out, and Susu also stood beside Fu Xiaoguan. They saw six yamen runners shouting from door to door.

Under an old locust tree in the village sat a man wearing the official uniform of a county magistrate, fanning himself and drinking water.

Next to him was a man who looked like a legal advisor. In front of him was a small table with writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstone on it, and a basket next to it.

"Your Majesty, Young Master, it seems that Ning Yuchun's policy has not been implemented." Yan Beixi said thoughtfully.

Fu Xiaoguan nodded slightly. "He's new here and doesn't know any of the officials here. He's completely clueless. In the officialdom, there are so many cases of lip service and double-crossing."

"Do you want me to go and ask?"

"Not for now, let's see."

…

Liu Yigen frowned as he held his pipe in his mouth. "What the hell, these days, the autumn harvest is still nearly two months away, and you can't wait any longer?"

Liu Datian put down the basket he was weaving and took his knife from the wall. "Dad, I'll go take a look."

"What are you looking at? What do you want to do with the knife? Put it back!"

Liu Datian put his broadsword back into its sheath in a huff. "There's no money at home to pay the tax. What are you going to do?"

Liu Yigen exhaled a puff of smoke. He didn't know what to do.

At this moment, a woman in the village cried out in surprise: "What are you doing? Is there any justice in the world? How dare you steal my sheep in broad daylight?!"

A vulgar voice rang out: "Young lady, we are not stealing your sheep. Since your family can't pay the tax, we have no choice but to take these two sheep to pay the tax. If you interfere again, we will steal you as well!"

"Yu Lian, Yu Lian, come back!"

"Dad, we only have those two sheep. How are we going to live in the future?"

Yu Shuren of the Yu family sighed, "If we can't make it, let's flee and leave this damn place!"

"Old Yu, your daughter is pretty good-looking. How about being our master's servant and asking him to exempt your family from taxes?"

"Get out! You damned bastards, you will die!"

"Bah, Yu, you're so shameless..."

"Stop it, stop it, don't hit my dad! You bastards, I'm going to fight you!"

When Liu Datian heard this, he stood up again, drew out his knife with a "clang" sound, and rushed out like a fly.

"Yu Lian, I'm coming, I'm going to kill them!"

"Brother Datian, please save my dad!"

Fu Xiaoguan sighed and said to Liu Jin, "Tell Ning Siyan to bring a few people in and kill all these yamen runners!"

"I obey your command!"

Liu Jin ran away like the wind. Fu Xiaoguan walked towards the center of the village and shouted, "Stop!"

The two sides were fighting fiercely when Liu Datian slashed the arm of a yamen runner with his knife. The runner screamed in pain: "Ouch, this bastard! Brothers, kill him!"

Su Su was burning with rage, and the temperature in the field suddenly dropped. All the laborers shuddered suddenly, and then they looked up and saw a group of strangers in luxurious clothes.

"Who are you? We are collecting taxes here according to the law. It's none of your business. Go do what you need to do, but don't get yourself into trouble!"

Liu Datian held a knife in his hand to protect Yu Lian, but Yu Lian's father was still at the feet of the group of yamen runners. He was holding his head, with scars all over his body, and was wailing constantly.

Fu Xiaoguan looked at the group of yamen runners coldly. He suddenly pulled out a flintlock rifle and fired a shot at the yamen runner.

"ah……!"

With a scream, the knife in the yamen runner's hand fell with a clang, and he fell to the ground with a plop.

The other five yamen runners were shocked when they saw it!

They almost took five steps back at the same time, and one of them asked tremblingly, "Who are you?"

Magistrate Sun and his advisor Wang Shu, who were standing under a locust tree in the distance, also heard the gunshots, but they didn't know they were gunshots. "Such a small matter has caused such a big commotion. Go and have a look. It's such awful weather. Take the money and leave quickly."

Wang Shu ran over happily. The first thing he saw was Fu Xiaoguan and his group. He was suddenly shocked - these people were dressed in extraordinary clothes and their temperament was even more extraordinary.

This person is obviously the young master or steward of some high-ranking official or wealthy merchant family. It seems that he has a powerful background and a mere county magistrate probably cannot afford to offend him.

Wang Shu hurried forward and saw a yamen runner lying dead on the ground.

His heart trembled even more, and he quickly bowed and said, "I have been ordered to collect this year's taxes in Huanglin Village. This is the foundation of the country. This young man... can you please give me some convenience?"

"What kind of taxes are you collecting? The new governor of Far North Province issued a policy exempting all people from taxes. It's been two months. Could it be that you in Heye County haven't heard of this news yet?"

Wang Shu opened his mouth in astonishment. This young man actually knew about this... That would be difficult to deal with.

"Well, I didn't know about this policy. Besides, Heye County also obeys the orders of the prefect. So how about this? We will collect the taxes first, which is to fulfill the prefect's mission. If there is a new policy from above, we will return it to the villagers. How about it?"

"Nothing."

"So, you are determined to take care of this matter? I don't know your status, but first consider whether you can afford to offend Prefect Qian!"

Fu Xiaoguan laughed. He ignored Wang Shu and came to the lying Yu Shuren, squatting down. He looked at the middle-aged man with a bruised face and crying bitterly. He stood up and waved to Yu Lian and Liu Datian, "Help him back."

Wang Shu saw that this man actually ignored him, and his thoughts raced for a moment - this young man is so ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth. I'm going to leave anyway, so kill him! Don't delay my tax collection!

He gave a look, and the other five constables rushed towards Fu Xiaoguan viciously with knives in hand.

Just then, a gunshot rang out in the distance, and then a group of people flew from the sky.

The knife rose and fell, and in just a moment, the bodies of the five constables lay on the ground.

Li Xiucai, who was standing at the back, was watching in great shock. Wang Shu, who was standing in the middle of the field, was already frightened to the point of being stunned and sweating profusely.

Ning Siyan knelt on one knee: "Your Majesty, Master, our guards are late, please punish us!"

"Get up! Tie up this man and that county magistrate."

"Throw these bodies out to feed the dogs. Besides...we'll rest here tonight."