The Prime Minister was not idle after leaving the house. He went to other houses one after another, stating his intentions with an absolutely strong attitude, making threats unscrupulously and putting high hats on people.
Looking at their angry expressions but their unwillingness to resist, he left with a look of satisfaction on his face and light steps.
Notices were posted on the city walls.
After reading this, the merchants' faces changed drastically. They said in disbelief, "If the tax increases by 30%, then we have to pay 70% to the court. How are we going to survive with the remaining 30%?"
"Hush, be careful with your mouth."
"Woo woo, how can we pay it when the house has collapsed? You might as well just kill us. No, I need to take my family out of the city."
People kept reading the notice and going back to pack up their things.
The Prime Minister was standing upstairs, and naturally saw it. The corners of his mouth raised, thinking that it was better to be a little messy, so that Your Majesty could know his importance.
A flattering voice sounded behind him: "Prime Minister, if these people leave, we won't be able to raise the money. How will we explain this to His Majesty?"
"Haha, who said we can't raise the money? Just wait and see. I'm not like those useless people who only know how to encourage merchants to donate. What can we do with that little money?"
Prime Minister Wen's eyes were full of calculation: "Your Majesty, you don't care what means are used. Whoever can raise the money will be fine. Before I leave, I will remind Your Majesty of my contribution."
"As for the merchants leaving, just push it to someone else. Send more people to the city gate."
"Anyone who wishes to leave the capital must hand over half of their belongings to the court, otherwise they will not be allowed to leave."
The staff saluted respectfully and turned to leave.
The city gate was crowded with people, all blocked at the gate. Until news came from the front and they knew the conditions for leaving the city, the despair in the merchants' eyes became even more intense.
The woman sat in the carriage, lifted the curtain and looked at the man's back, her face full of worry: "Husband, you have to pay half, why don't we not leave the city."
"The tax increase is only 30% temporarily. We can still get by if we hold on. But if we have to pay half of everything we own, we'll suffer a huge loss. How will we recover in the future?"
The man's dark face was full of determination at this moment.
"No, we must leave. Instead of being cut by a blunt knife, it's better to leave quickly. Only by leaving can we survive, Wanniang."
"...Alas, why does this world not allow people to survive?"
The woman returned to the carriage, holding the baby in her arms and sobbing softly, suppressing the panic in her heart, fearing what would happen if someone heard her.
There was a commotion at the city gate, with cries and shouts filled with desperate roars. The guards forcibly suppressed it, but how could the silent resentment be suppressed?
Even if half of all the family property was taken out, there were still many people leaving the capital, and they circled the city gate more than three times.
As it gradually darkened, the city gate closed. Everyone sat on the ground with dead eyes, staring blankly at the city gate, not knowing where to go in the future.
The dark-skinned man used a small stove to make some food and brought it into the carriage, saying softly, "Wan Niang, come and eat something. Only when you are full will you have the strength to feed the child."
Wan Niang looked at the pitch-black night outside, which was just like the darkness in her heart. She sighed and said, "Husband, where are we going after we leave the city?"
"My mother's family is in Yongcheng. If we go back, at least we have acquaintances there, and it won't be difficult to help each other out."
Wang Tiezhu shook his head and sighed, "Wanniang, if we brought a lot of treasures with us, we would be accepted back, but now... going back is not a wise move."
"Well, let's go to the Northern Wilderness. That's the Jiang family's fiefdom, which means it's not under the control of the imperial court."
"Wanniang, I have completely lost hope in the imperial court. I can no longer trust them. Rather than gamble my life, I would rather gamble with the Jiang family."
Wan Niang was silent for a moment, then said, "Okay, I'll listen to my husband. We're a family together, regardless of life or death."
Wang Tiezhu held the man in his arms and said in a deep voice, "We can definitely survive. We definitely can. I'll ask others if anyone is willing to go with us."
"The Northern Wasteland is too far from the capital. It's safer with more people on the road. Those bandits won't dare to move. Don't worry, your husband will definitely keep you safe."
"Eat in peace, I'll go downstairs to find someone."
Not long after, the man came back with a happy look on his face.
He lowered his voice and said, "Wanniang is done. I have contacted several of my former friends and they are all willing to go to the Northern Wasteland. It will be safer to have company on the road."
"Okay, thank you for your hard work, husband."
Wan Niang smiled gently. As long as the family was together, they could go anywhere and it didn't matter if life was hard.
The city gates opened early the next morning.
Merchants and vendors continued to leave the capital and head north.
This big commotion naturally alarmed many people, and the people began to panic. If all the merchants left, would they still have to stay in the capital?
The earthquake has caused a shortage of water. If they run out of water, they will just have to wait for death.
In a private room on the second floor of the restaurant, four people sat by the window, looking out, their faces as gloomy as water. "Half of your property must be handed over when you leave the city. The court's greed is getting worse and worse."
"You have such a big appetite, you're not afraid of getting too full."
"Hey, Brother Mo, what do you say? My family is in turmoil right now, and the elders are still stubbornly holding on to their opinions, believing that the Imperial City is the safest place."
Mo Han straightened his back, sipping his tea and said in a deep voice, "Leave. No matter how great the price, we cannot continue to stay in the Imperial City and be slaughtered."
"Today, the tax is increased by 30%. What about tomorrow and the day after tomorrow? As long as the imperial treasury is empty, we will be their money bags. Their greed is insatiable."
"As for why the people won't leave now, it's simply because the taxes aren't levied on them, but on the merchants. They'll wait until we leave too."
"That person... may not let the people go. It's better to make plans early. If the elders of Brother Meng's family are unwilling to leave, then just leave them here."
The corners of Meng Si's mouth twitched, and he even forgot to shake the folding fan in his hand. He said unhappily, "Brother Mo, I didn't expect you to be so sharp in your words. I also think this is a good move."
"But we have to wait a little longer. My father hasn't gone crazy yet. Once he does, he'll know what to do for the good of the Meng family. At least he can survive by cutting off his arm."
"How are you two doing at home?"
Mu Qingchen spread his hands and said helplessly, "The medicine shop was robbed by the imperial court. They said they would settle the money later, but there is no list of how to settle it. It's just an excuse."
"Oh, they even gave me a plaque, claiming it was an honor. Ugh, real money for a piece of broken wood."
"Brother Mo, Brother Meng is right. We can't stay here any longer. If we stay any longer, we'll meet again some other day. Maybe I'll beg you for food in my tattered clothes."
Wei Ge burst out laughing: "Not really, Brother Mu actually thinks you're joking. Your family are all doctors, you have the skills, what are you afraid of?"
"Our family is unlucky. Everyone knows that among the four great families, ours is the richest. Forcing them to donate money is almost like robbing them directly."
"My father was so angry that he fainted. He said that in his life, he had never seen such chaos."
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