Chapter 89 Bullying
Jiang Yingli's skirt is very different from the palace skirt. Palace skirts usually have wide sleeves and long hems, while this casual dress is a chest-length Confucian skirt.
The sleeves of the blouse fit the arms, and the skirt just covers the instep, which is very light and makes the person look even slimmer.
After Jiang Yingli put on her clothes, she stretched out her arms and turned around.
The green blouse, the pink and white gradient skirt, and the green silk ribbon hanging from the waist, when swayed gently, remind people of the peach blossoms in full bloom on the branches.
Xiao Chenglan stood before her with a gentle expression, his eyes filled with her gorgeous and bright reflection. His eyes seemed like still waters, without ripples, yet deep within them there were always ripples that moved with her.
"Your Majesty, do I look good?" Jiang Yingli coquettishly put her arm around Xiao Chenglan's.
"It looks good, the best." Xiao Chenglan said with a smile.
Jiang Yingli narrowed her eyes and smiled, her eyes sparkling: "Your Majesty is also the most beautiful."
The carriage drove out of the palace. Jiang Yingli hadn't seen the scenery outside the palace for a long time, and she looked outside through the side curtain with great curiosity all the way.
South Street is prosperous and mostly lined with businesses, and the Flower Traders Guild Hall is located here.
The carriage stopped at an open street. Xiao Chenglan got off the carriage and turned around to hug Jiang Yingli.
Jiang Yingli stopped and looked at the magnificent gate of the Chamber of Commerce in front of her.
After she turned ten, the Jiang and Xu families stopped interacting often, and her uncle probably no longer recognized her.
As for the Xu family's business affairs, she knew even less.
Now, seeing the magnificent guild gate, Jiang Yingli was still surprised by her uncle.
The Xu family's business was not very prosperous back then, but now they have become the head of the guild.
In comparison, the Jiang family is much inferior.
There were a lot of people in the guild, and there were a lot of boxes, which were spread all over the floor, making even the flowers used for display inconspicuous.
Xiao Chenglan and Jiang Yingli stood at the end of the crowd, and Xuan Mo, dressed as the housekeeper, followed closely behind.
Xiao Chenglan didn't say anything and let Jiang Yingli observe on her own.
Xu Yuanliang sat high on a wide chair in the hall, with a mountain of business contracts in front of him.
The merchant at the front of the line was very humble. He bent over, nodded, and said, "There have been severe droughts in recent years. Not to mention cultivating new varieties, even the old varieties cannot be planted on a large scale. How about this, since there is more rain this year, I will pay the tax after the autumn planting."
Xu Yuanliang waved his hands impatiently upon hearing this. "If everyone behaves like you, wouldn't the rules of the trade become meaningless? Today one asks me for an extension, tomorrow another asks me for an extension. I give you the qualifications, I help you find the right people to take on flower banquets, and then when you make a fortune, you clap your hands and cry poor to me. What's all this hard work for?"
The man seemed to want to say something, but the person next to Xu Yuanliang snatched the business contract and a small box he handed over.
"Go, go, go! I've never seen so many people here. Why are you refusing to leave? Are you still going to get any help from the people behind you?"
Business contracts were scattered on the ground, and the contents of the small box also fell out, including some small change and some jewelry that was pieced together.
The florist was squatting on the ground, picking up something halfway, when he suddenly felt sad.
Business was not good, but you could just grit your teeth and get through it, and there was still hope for the future. But now that Xu Xingtou has taken office, he changed the industry rules overnight and required you to pay several business taxes at once. Otherwise, you would be violating the industry rules and your store would be smashed.
Everyone can see that this is all a scam, just a way to make money by taking advantage of their position.
The man behind the flower merchant handed over the business contract and told the servant to bring a box over. He said respectfully, "Master, could you please count the goods?"
The clerk at the flower shop opened the box, and it was full of silver.
Xu Yuanliang straightened his back and waved his hand, "Give him the stamp!"
Jiang Yingli frowned when she saw this scene.
Even though she didn't know what these merchants were doing by lining up here, wasn't her uncle's behavior clearly an attempt to make money?
However, none of the merchants here complained. Instead, they were all checking the silver and money they brought, as if they were afraid that it was not enough.
Uncle, how can you be so arrogant?
At this moment, the florist who had been squatting on the ground seemed unable to bear it anymore. He stood up suddenly and spit at Xu Yuanliang.
"Bah, you bastard official! What industry rules, what commercial taxes? They sound nice, but they're nothing but corruption and bribery. Be careful of retribution!"
"Retribution? What is retribution? This is retribution!"
Xu Yuanliang said nothing more, and with a wave of his hand he called over several men, who surrounded the florist, dragged him out, and threw the things he had brought at him in a humiliating manner.
Jiang Yingli was stunned for a moment as she looked at the chaos in the hall.
Xu Yuanliang sneered and glanced at the florists in the hall.
"Let me tell you, my daughter and my niece are both consorts of the emperor now. I'm the emperor's father-in-law, so why would I need to bribe you? Changing the rules is for your own good. If it's something you can do with a few bucks, just be happy. This is giving you an opportunity!"
Everyone in the hall was so sad that they dared not say a word.
Jiang Yingli grabbed Xiao Chenglan's hand and looked at him anxiously.
She never knew that her uncle had become like this. He actually used their names to gain wealth. Her cousin was just Baolin, but her uncle dared to call himself the father-in-law of the emperor.
This not only harms the people and cuts off their livelihood, but also damages your Majesty's reputation.
Your Majesty is obviously diligent in his work and loves the people, but because of their actions, he has become a tyrant who condones the concubine's family to be tyrannical and cause trouble.
Xiao Chenglan looked at Jiang Yingli and said softly, "The Imperial Censor reported that the Xu family was relying on Xu Baolin's influence to amass wealth without restraint. Now I see that it's true. Your cousin is just a small Baolin, yet they dare to do this to her. Will they become even more outrageous in the future?"
Jiang Yingli shook her head repeatedly, "Your Majesty, if I had known that my uncle would be like this, I would never have allowed my cousin to enter the palace."
Xiao Chenglan's dark eyes were extremely deep. He lifted Jiang Yingli's chin and let her watch everything that happened in the hall with her own eyes.
"It's not too late to know now. Li'er, see? He's not your uncle. He's just a villain, worse than a dog or a pig. People like him who oppress the people and abuse their power to make money should be punished by everyone. How can I just ignore him?"
Jiang Yingli was stunned, her teeth trembling slightly.
Everyone can punish him...
My uncle did something wrong and deserves to be punished. However, there are thousands of criminal laws, including exile, but does it have to be death?
After all, they are blood relatives, and Jiang Yingli couldn't bear to be cruel to them.
Xiao Chenglan could see Jiang Yingli's struggle and said, "Li'er, don't you want me to be a wise ruler?"
Jiang Yingli looked up at Xiao Chenglan, her eyes trembling.
"If the censor hadn't discovered his evil deeds in time and allowed him to continue doing so, it would have been considered that I condoned their oppression of the people. The flower merchants in the capital would have complained about me, and if word spread, I would have become a tyrant, condemned by everyone. Could Li'er bear to see me become a tyrant?"
Jiang Yingli looked at Xu Yuanliang who was yelling at the merchants in the distance, and suddenly felt that he looked hateful. She grabbed Xiao Chenglan's sleeve.
"I do not want Your Majesty to become a tyrant. Your Majesty works diligently and cares for the people every day. How can you allow others to casually tarnish your reputation? Your Majesty, execute them!"
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