Before they even entered the city gate, they were stopped outside. "If you don't have money, what are you doing entering the city? Go, go, go! Hurry up and leave, don't block the way."
Lu Chuan didn't press the matter further. Upon hearing this, he stepped aside. When it was the next person's turn, he saw that the person had paid two coins as an entrance fee to the city.
Previously, there was no entrance fee to the city. I never imagined that the imperial court would be so destitute that even entering the city now requires a fee.
Suppressing his displeasure, Lu Chuan took a step back and struck up a conversation with a kind-looking man, "Brother, do we need to pay a fee to enter the city now?"
Seeing Lu Chuan's confusion, the older man kindly replied, "Young man, judging from your appearance, you must not have been to the county town for a long time."
Lu Chuan rubbed his hands together sheepishly, pretending to be a country bumpkin. "To be honest, my home is quite far from the county town, and I haven't been there for almost half a year."
The man nodded knowingly and explained to Lu Chuan, "After the New Year, you will need to pay an entrance fee to enter the county town. It's two coins per person, capped at ten coins. If there are more than five people, there will be no extra charge. In addition, if there are livestock entering the town, there will be an extra five coins."
"I see, thank you for informing me, brother." Lu Chuan clasped his hands in a respectful bow, and the man returned the gesture before they parted ways.
Since he couldn't enter the city, Lu Chuan turned around and went to the post station. It had been a long time since he had been there. The last time he came to the post station was when he was seeing Yunhua and Zhao Yunyun off. He wondered if Uncle Zhang and the others had sent any letters during this time.
Arriving at the post station proved fruitful; both Uncle Zhang and Manager Li had sent letters.
Lu Chuan opened the letter on the spot and saw that there was nothing important, just mutual greetings, so he was relieved.
Because he had no money and could not write back, he could only get up and leave, and would reply to Uncle Zhang and the others another time.
I imagine Uncle Zhang and the others know about Lu Chuan's situation and how inconvenient it is for him to travel back and forth down the mountain, so they won't blame him.
As the sun began to set, Lu Chuan quickened his pace to get home.
By the time I rushed home, it was already completely dark.
Because the Taoist priest and Lu Chuan said they would definitely be back before dark, Xu Han couldn't help but worry when she saw that it was already completely dark and she still couldn't see them.
The lights were on in the courtyard, where Xu Han, Grandpa Zhao, and the children were enjoying the cool air while anxiously waiting for the two who had not yet returned.
After an unknown amount of time, the sound of dogs barking finally came from outside. "They're back. It must be the two of them."
Xu Han was about to open the door when Grandpa Zhao pulled her back, saying, "Don't rush, wait a little longer."
Upon hearing this, Xu Han quickly realized what was happening and immediately ushered the two children inside.
Only when Lu Chuan knocked on the door did Xu Han finally feel relieved. She quickly ran to the gate and opened it.
"Why are you back so late? Did something happen?"
"We were delayed in the county town for a while, let's go inside and talk."
Lu Chuan slipped in, replying as he made a move to close the door.
Xu Han looked bewildered. Why was one person missing? "Where is the Taoist priest? Where did he go? Why hasn't he come back?"
Lu Chuan took Xu Han's hand and started walking into the courtyard. When Grandpa Zhao saw that the Taoist priest had not returned, he also stood up and looked at Lu Chuan with a worried expression.
After Lu Chuan settled down on the bench, he took a deep breath and said, "Master, it's alright. Honey, could you get me some food and water? I haven't eaten all day and I'm starving."
Xu Han was even more confused when she heard this. She had taken a lot of food and water when she left in the morning, and had also given money. How come she hadn't eaten anything all day?
However, Xu Han knew that now was not the time to ask that question, so she decided to get Lu Chuan something to eat first.
Knowing that Lu Chuan hadn't eaten all day and must have an upset stomach, Xu Han took out some plain porridge and some light dishes from her spatial storage.
Lu Chuan wolfed down the food on the table. Xu Han, ever observant, quickly handed him a glass of water. After Lu Chuan finished drinking the water, she slowly began to explain.
"Today, the Taoist priest and I had just come down the mountain when we encountered a group of new recruits..."
Lu Chuan gave a general account of what happened, and Xu Han and Grandpa Zhao were relieved to hear that the Taoist priest was safe.
As for whether they would encounter any danger later, the two were not worried at all. The Taoist priest could handle this small matter on his own without any problem.
"Now you have to pay an entrance fee to enter the city. Since all my money was taken by the Taoist priest, I didn't go in. I just inquired about some information outside."
"Entry fee? How much is it?"
"It's not much, just two coins, but the livestock will cost an extra five coins."
Grandpa Zhao, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan, recalled, "Our Yuanqing Kingdom hasn't collected entry fees for nearly thirty years. All those miscellaneous taxes from the past, reflecting the peace and prosperity of the nation, have been abolished."
The fact that they've started collecting city fees again shows that the national treasury is truly empty. The next few years will definitely be even harder for ordinary people.
Just wait and see. In the future, not only will there be an entry fee to the city, but also all sorts of other miscellaneous taxes, such as a poll tax, a livestock tax, and so on. Moreover, barring any unforeseen circumstances, this year's grain tax will definitely increase.
Xu Han continued, "In that case, wouldn't it be the people of Yuanqing Kingdom who suffer the most? With all the taxes added up, the people can't even afford to eat."
Grandpa Zhao sighed, "There's nothing we can do. The front lines need to fight, and the soldiers need to eat. The national treasury is empty, so we can only squeeze money out of the people."
Xu Han muttered under her breath, "This era is truly one where the rich die rich and the poor die poor."
Actually, it's the same everywhere, not just in this era, even in modern times. It's just not as obvious. At least under the five-star red flag, everyone can have enough to eat.
But things are different here. In the event of war, it is always the poorest people who ultimately bear the brunt of everything.
Grandpa Zhao smiled and said, "Don't worry, once this war starts, the wealthy merchants and aristocratic families will be the first to bleed. You know, we have a devilish prince in the capital. He will definitely make these rich people bleed a lot."
Xu Han and Lu Chuan were both very curious upon hearing this, wondering who this person was.
Seeing the two looking puzzled, Grandpa Zhao explained, "Our prince is someone the entire capital avoids. Calling him a devil is no exaggeration. Which of those noble families' sons hasn't been beaten by him? Because of the late emperor's favor and the current emperor's indulgence, he can do whatever he wants in the capital."
However, our prince isn't truly a spoiled brat; he just has a bit of a temper, but he's very reasonable. If he sees any aristocratic scions bullying ordinary people, he'll make sure to catch them and give them a good beating. Therefore, all the aristocratic scions are afraid of him.”
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