The Splendor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 135 Punishment

The campfire melted the surrounding snow, making the area quite muddy.

Xiao Yi spread out some dry grass, sat down, and noticed a dark object stuck to the stone where Guo Wei was sitting. He picked it up, examined it, and found it was a piece of cow dung. He casually tossed it into the fire.

Then he took out a hard flatbread from his pocket, hard enough to stop a knife, and roasted it by the fire.

Seeing an old farmer looking on with longing, he broke off half of it and handed it to him.

"It tastes like meat, and it's salty. I haven't had a salty bite in a month or so."

"Grain tax can take half your life, salt tax can take your whole life."

Guo Wei became interested and said, "Tell me about it, brother."

Guess how much salt costs here?

"A pound of salt, half a bushel of millet?"

"Three bushels! A whole three bushels of millet, exchanged for only one pound of salt!"

Xiao Yi saw that the old farmer's three outstretched fingers were trembling, and his numb old eyes were glistening with tears from the excitement.

Guo Wei asked, "Why is it so expensive? I don't pay this much for salt in Yedu."

Xiao Yi happened to know this; Li Ye had recorded it in his book, and it was one of Wang Zhang and Su Fengji's clever ways of making money.

He didn't rush to speak, and only spoke when he saw that the old farmers couldn't give a clear answer.

"Uncle, it's like this. The imperial court has been increasing the salt tax. For every shi (a unit of dry measure) of salt, a thousand coins are paid as the regular tax first. In addition, one dou (another unit of dry measure) of salt is reserved as a supplementary tax. There are also transit taxes, salt allocation, and salt levies. I'm afraid you don't have these on your end."

"Talk about it."

"Taxation means that salt is taxed separately every time it passes through a prefecture, county, or pass. It might be possible to avoid taxes when it is transported to the army, but those who sell it to ordinary people have to pay taxes at every level; salt rationing means that government-owned salt is forcibly allocated to each household regardless of whether the people need it or not..."

"No one was sent!"

"Exactly, we've never received one!"

“No, we didn’t distribute any salt,” Xiao Yi explained. “Distributing salt doesn’t mean we’re actually giving you salt; it means we’re taking the money you paid for the salt first. Do you understand?”

"Huh? What about the salt?"

“You have to buy salt separately, which means you have to pay twice, once by force and once voluntarily. Every time you sell salt, you will be charged a salt tax, which is called salt tax.”

"Damn it!"

Guo Wei turned around and asked Xiao Yi in a low voice, "The salt we eat isn't that expensive."

"Uncle, we're not eating government-supplied salt."

How dare you eat contraband salt?

The old farmers were very puzzled and stared with questioning eyes.

They couldn't figure out the salt tax, but they were terrified of the serious crime of smuggling salt.

“If smuggled salt is discovered, even if it’s just a single ounce or a fraction of a ounce, it’s still a crime of smuggling salt. Regardless of whether it’s a first offense or an occasional offense, the punishment is severe. Five pounds would result in beheading.”

"Bullshit, Old Zhang only brought back two jin (1 kg), and he got his head chopped off..."

Hearing this, Xiao Yi looked over, the flickering firelight casting an unpredictable shadow on Guo Wei's face.

In fact, these harsh policies were not imposed by Liu Chengyou. The people who oppressed the common people and indiscriminately beheaded those who smuggled salt in order to get a taste of it were none other than Guo Wei's allies Shi Hongzhao, Yang Bin, and Wang Zhang.

A large portion of the money obtained through extortion did indeed flow into Guo Wei's army, supporting the war effort in Hebei.

Guo Wei's Tianxiong Army and the old troops of Shi Hongzhao who supported Guo Wei were all supported by the people's hard-earned money.

The purpose of breaking down the old and establishing the new is not to break down the enemy's old ways, but rather to break down our own old ways.

What will Guo Wei do?

For a long time, Xiao Yi watched as Guo Wei's brows furrowed, his eyes sometimes filled with worry, and sometimes with determination.

The old farmers gradually dispersed.

The campfire is not as bright as it used to be.

"Guo Shouwen, go and get a few jars of wine."

"Here."

Guo Wei turned his head and said, "It's easier to deal with you than to talk about your mess first."

"I acknowledge my guilt."

"What crimes did they commit?"

Xiao Yi asked, "This humble general has performed another minor merit; may I mention it first?"

"explain."

“When I killed Li Ye, I found a key on him. I thought it might contain money, so I didn’t hand it over. Today I found his hiding place, which contained armor, weapons, gold and copper coins.”

"This is not merit, it is selfishness, it is fault."

"This humble general knows his mistake."

How did you find it?

"Li Hongxin sent a maid to help him inquire."

Why did he help you?

“Because I had a secret with him, I helped him cremate the Empress Dowager and secretly sent her ashes back to Mingli Village. He said that he did not want to miss the enthronement of the Ming Duke, and he also wanted to fulfill his sister’s last wish.”

“Li Hongxin’s actions are understandable,” Guo Wei said, “but you failed to fulfill your duties.”

Xiao Yi thought for a moment, then took off the tokens from his waist and placed them on the ground one by one.

“My lord, I have not only failed to perform my duties, but I have also embezzled. I beg you to punish me.”

"You've made it clear what the punishment should be, and I will not tolerate it."

"Yes."

Xiao Yi was prepared to get slapped, intending to fall further this time.

Rather than hiding it, which would be unforgivable if discovered, it's better to reveal everything at once.

"I had an affair with the Empress Dowager."

"Who?"

"Queen Mother."

"Not Madam An? It's Li San Niang?"

"Yes, Li San Niang."

Guo Wei, who had been calm all along, suddenly turned around, his eyes finally showing shock and surprise.

Xiao Yi held his breath and tightened his waist and abdomen.

However, Guo Wei only said one sentence, which almost scared him out of his wits.

"His vision is similar to that of the Great Ancestor." Xiao Yi had considered countless possibilities, but at this moment he was stunned.

How should I answer this?

Did you drop the talisman in your hand onto the ground?

“My lord, I have committed a heinous crime. I had an affair with the Empress Dowager, and afterwards, I did not keep a close watch on her, giving her the opportunity to commit suicide.”

"Then I'll kill you?"

Xiao Yi gasped, no longer bothering with empty talk with Guo Wei, and said frankly, "Please, Your Excellency, strip me of all my official positions, only asking to retain the title of Commander of the Tianxiong Army, so that I may have the opportunity to atone for my crimes."

"Yes."

"Yes."

He was indeed stripped of his official position.

Guo Wei pondered for a moment, then said, "Since Li San Niang has dismissed the official position she bestowed upon you, you should also hand over the thirty acres of farmland in the suburbs of the capital that she granted you."

"Yes."

"Any complaints?"

"This subordinate has made a mistake, and I deserve it."

Even so, Xiao Yi was actually somewhat surprised.

He had planned that the scandalous affair in the harem could not be made public. To outsiders, his mistake would still be seen as dereliction of duty, and it wouldn't be difficult for Guo Enruo to let him off the hook.

But Guo Wei didn't seem to want to let him off the hook, so he really punished him. Afterwards, he remained calm and silent, lost in thought.

Clearly, Guo Wei had no time to dwell on his trivial matters.

If you put yourself in his shoes, he may have fallen for a woman he shouldn't have, but with so many people under his command, how could he possibly control them all? The Empress Dowager is dead, but could it be more serious than Liu Chengyou's death?

Yes, those who deserve punishment should be punished without exception. Once the punishment is complete, why waste time talking to someone about to become emperor?
Getting angry takes time and energy, so why should he make Guo Wei angry?

The favors have gradually worn off, and if he has no further value, he may gradually fade out of the inner circle.

The key lies in value.

Having figured this out, Xiao Yi calmed down and stopped worrying.

He is valuable.

Before long, Guo Shouwen returned with a jar of wine.

Guo Wei was displeased and scolded, "Only this little? Go get more, get a bigger jar."

"Here."

Guo Wei remained seated by the campfire, downing a large gulp of wine. He said, "Yu Niang was right. Fifteen years ago, Yu Niang predicted that 'Li San Niang hates Liu Gong,' but I had completely forgotten about it. In those years, whenever there was a banquet, Emperor Gaozu would invite Li San Niang out, laugh heartily, and declare, 'To snatch the most beautiful woman in Bingzhou is the proudest thing in my life.' What is snatched will eventually be lost; what can be kept is truly one's own."

Xiao Yi realized that Guo Wei was now preoccupied with how to be a good emperor and was somewhat looking down on Liu Zhiyuan.

He then tried to steer the conversation toward something that Guo Wei was interested in, saying, "In my opinion, Your Excellency surpasses Emperor Gaozu by far."

"Flattery is useless; we haven't seen the real deal yet."

"This humble general truly believes so."

“Once I establish my own state, its territory will be smaller than that of my ancestor Gaozu.”

"Emperor Gaozu merely seized the opportunity to rise up and end the chaotic era, but it was you, my lord, who brought it up."

"Why?"

Xiao Yi paused.

He genuinely believed this, since Liu Zhiyuan was never mentioned in history textbooks. The problem was, how could he articulate it convincingly? He was here to offer excuses, unprepared.

"Because... Emperor Gaozu was muddle-headed and ignorant, while Your Excellency intends to reform and has the ambition to change the world."

Guo Wei turned his head, his eyes narrowed, and asked, "Who said I planned to implement reforms?"

Xiao Yi said, "This is my guess."

A deep scrutiny arose in Guo Wei's eyes.

After a while, just as Xiao Yi was unsure of his feelings, he turned his head and continued drinking.

"Did you harm Li Sanniang? Did you harm An Shi?"

“No,” Xiao Yi said, “but I am indeed very close to the An family. She begged me to rescue her from Taiping Palace.”

"You're not someone without self-control, are you? You just couldn't resist the methods of the most beautiful woman in Bingzhou?"

"Your Excellency is wise and discerning."

Xiao Yi thought to himself, it seems I've passed the test.

He then lowered his head and said softly, "Zhang Wan, the lady-in-waiting beside Li San Niang... may I take her out of the palace?"

"Cough cough cough."

Guo Wei choked on his wine, finally losing his temper. He turned around and asked, "You intend to marry Zhang Shi?"

"No, she is willing to be my concubine."

"You worthless bastard, I'm cursing you for being useless, and you really are hopeless."

"This humble general knows his mistake."

"Tell me, where did you go wrong?"

"I have poor self-control and couldn't resist the lust of women, so I neglected my duties."

"Fool, you don't want to be my son-in-law, all you do is play tricks. Your approach to finding women is just like your fancy but ineffective martial arts skills, unreliable."

"Your teachings are wise," Xiao Yi said honestly. "I... am not a man who knows how to manage a household, and I'm afraid of hurting Fifth Sister."

If I had actually agreed to become Guo Wei's son-in-law back then, I would be doomed today.

Not to mention Guo Xin's three-year mourning period, he also had to remain chaste for three years. If he were to encounter another woman, how many heads would be enough to chop off?
It remains to be seen whether Guo Wei can understand. In fact, although Guo Wei is deeply in love with Chai Shouyu, he also has a concubine.

"So, does Your Excellency agree to the matter of the Lady-in-Waiting?"

"Fine, I thought you were like me, a reliable man, but it turns out you're a playboy. Take your concubines and get out of here."

"Yes, sir, drink less, or go inside to drink, it's windy outside."

"You idiot, so many people are complaining about what happened after you went back. Can you still drink it? Go away, don't bother me."

"Yes."

Xiao Yi felt that Guo Wei wanted to give him an important position, but after waiting for a while, there was no change in the matter of his official post.

He had no choice but to take the sign of the Tianxiong Army Commander and take his leave.

Looking back, Guo Wei was sitting there drinking one sip after another, but his thoughts were much harder to guess than before.

(End of this chapter)