The fool has become a spirit, and she can speak

Chapter 1440 The poll tax quadrupled

"The next master? I don't want to change masters. I have confessed to my grandfather. I know I was wrong. I don't want to change masters. Master, please help me say something and let the national master resume the position of the crown prince's guardian!"

He could not speak for anyone but Huang Chenming. This was the principle of a follower, but he could not say this to Cheng Youning, "Disciple, just follow your grandfather's instructions. Don't make things difficult for him. He has been very tired from punishing more than 70 officials today."

"It is said that one cannot punish everyone, why did Grandpa punish so many people?"

"Give it a small warning. If you don't punish it, the government will be in chaos. It's you who colluded with the ministers to accept bribes today. If it were someone else, they would have been beheaded by now. Disciple, you should reflect on yourself."

"Disciple knows his mistake..." Before Cheng Youning finished speaking, his followers disappeared from the room.

Cheng Youning looked at the empty room, then at the copper lock in his hand, and fell back on the bed weakly. He was very depressed. At such a young age, he had already begun to suspect that he must have violated the laws of heaven. Nothing went well for him that day.

At dawn the next day, Cheng Feng reached out to pull Shang Xi, who was still asleep, and said, "Wife, wake up."

Shang Xi rarely opened her eyes so wide when she was woken up. She sat up in panic, "What's wrong? Did Youning get into trouble again?"

"No, Youning is fine!"

Shang Xi's body softened and she lay down again. "As long as he's okay, everything will be fine! Everything else can be put aside. It's not even dawn yet. Don't disturb me. I can still take a nap."

"Don't sleep yet. Didn't you say yesterday that you would get up early and go to the Crown Prince's Mansion? If you want to go, go early and don't let others see you. Now there is no one in the entire Fengying City who doesn't know you as the Crown Prince's Consort!"

Shang Xi slapped his head, turned over and climbed up again, feeling as if he had lost his memory, "Yes, yes, yes, I prepared some blood-replenishing and Qi-replenishing herbs for Cheng Youning. This time, the fifty strokes will be heavier than before, so please don't cripple him."

While muttering, she put on her clothes. After she was done packing and leaving the room, she found Yuhua waiting there with a basket. Shang Xi opened the basket and took a look, "What's in it? Why is there such a big basket?"

"Ganoderma lucidum, ginseng, deer antler, cordyceps, they are all good things. Let's go quickly and don't let anyone see us."

"Okay, okay, go early and come back early."

The two people were very prepared. One of them wore a big straw hat on his head, got on the carriage and hurried to the Prince's Mansion. After getting off the carriage, they acted like thieves and met Sister Wu at the gate of the Prince's Mansion.

"Sister Wu, how is Youning?"

Sister Wu held Shang Xi's hand, her eyes were also dark, "Last night he had a fever and was talking nonsense, the doctor from the Imperial Hospital stayed here all night before leaving, the old housekeeper was here last night too, and just left now, following you guys."

Shang Xi was anxious, tears welled up in her eyes, "How is it now? Has the fever gone down?"

"He's still hot. I gave him some medicine and he went back to sleep. He hasn't eaten anything since yesterday. He didn't eat a single bite of the porridge I cooked for him, and he didn't even drink the ginseng soup. I was so anxious." Sister Wu was tasked with taking care of Cheng Youning. Cheng Youning hadn't eaten anything for the past two days, and Sister Wu was already extremely anxious.

"Youning, you never stop eating and drinking every time you get beaten. What's wrong with you? Are you sick? How can you recover from your injuries without eating or drinking? Sister Wu, what did the people in the Imperial Hospital say?"

"The imperial physician said that the beating was too severe. A child should be given fifty strokes of the cane. This time the fifty strokes were much heavier than the last time. When he was carried back yesterday, he was a bloody mess, his face was pale, and he had no energy at all. He was sick the whole time, and he didn't talk or eat. During dinner, the prince was worried and looked very sad."

Yuhua said, "He's just a kid, there's nothing to worry about. Let me sneak into the mansion and take a look. I'll know the severity of his injuries."

Sister Wu held back Yuhua who was acting rashly, "Why are you coming in? The Crown Prince has been punished by the Emperor to be under house arrest and cannot see anyone. Don't cause trouble for him."

"I'm worried. How can this child not eat? He's not made of iron."

Sister Wu looked at the people passing by on the street and whispered, "Keep your voice down. This child is angry and needs to be relieved."

"How to solve it?"

Shang Xi also wanted to know how to comfort him. What was even more strange was when her son needed someone to comfort him. This man was thick-skinned and had a big heart. There was nothing that he couldn't get over.

"It's because the Imperial Preceptor was dismissed from his position as the Crown Prince's Guardian, and the Crown Prince is angry."

Shang Xi understood immediately. This child had angered many masters in the past, and the only one he believed in was Huang Chenming. Shang Xi handed the supplements she brought for Cheng Youning to Sister Wu, and told her, "Sister Wu, please take good care of Youning. I'm going to the Imperial Master's house to ask about the situation."

Just as Shang Xi turned around, Sister Wu stopped her and said, "Shang Xi, wait a minute, Sister Wu has something to tell you..."

"What does Youning have to say? Sister Wu, tell me quickly. Don't make me anxious!"

"It's not Youning's business, it's my business."

Ever since Sister Wu came to the Prince's Mansion to serve Cheng Youning, Shang Xi has seen this person less and less. "Sister Wu, just tell me what's the matter!" Shang Xi was in a hurry to find Huang Chenming.

"Shang Xi, you also know that Fengqi and Dalang are fighting again. Dalang has suffered a series of defeats and has begun to exploit the people. I received a letter from my family yesterday saying that the land tax and the head tax have quadrupled and may be further increased. No matter how good the land is, the grain produced is not enough to pay the taxes they have to pay. No one can pay so much money and grain now. It’s okay for Dalang to collect taxes, but the most hateful thing is the Yatuo. The Yatuo in the north keeps harassing the people. Many people’s land has become Yatuo. The local people have to pay the tax. It’s simply lawless and unjust. According to what my son said, there will be a lot of Yatuo people living in our South City soon. The Yatuo people are very bad. They rob silver and land. The most hateful thing is that they rob women and kill children. They don’t do anything humane!"

"How is this possible? Yatuo is reinforcing Dalang from the north and east of where we are begging. Even if they are exploiting the people, they won't be in Nancheng, which is still north of Bianjing." Shang Xi was well-informed, but not to this extent. She had heard that the Yatuo soldiers who were in collusion with Dalang were fighting while exploiting the people of Dalang, but she had never heard that they were plundering the people in the north.

"Can I lie to you? There are already quite a few Yatuo people living in North City, all of them brought their families with them. They are probably settling down there. Soon there will also be Yatuo people living in our South City. Eh? By the way, North City used to be your hometown, right? Do you have any relatives there? Have you received any letters?"