Liver in Water Margin, outlaw madman

Zhang Shan did not directly answer the crowd's questions. Instead, he turned his gaze to Ruan Xiaoqi and asked calmly:

"Xiao Qi, are there many fishermen fishing around Liangshan Marsh these days? Does the government collect taxes from them?"

Upon hearing this, Ruan Xiaoqi's eyes widened, and her voice rose as she spoke, glancing angrily at Wang Lun: "Brother, you're asking this? The reason we brothers were forced to go up the mountain is entirely due to this ridiculous rule!"

He clenched his fists, his voice filled with anger: "It used to be better. Anyone could come and fish in this vast expanse of water. It was all about skill. Whoever was quick and nimble could catch big fish and earn more money to survive. It was fair."

"But then the government officials came and shouted that all land under heaven belongs to the emperor, this lake belongs to the emperor, and the fish in the lake also belong to the emperor. If ordinary people fish, they have to pay the emperor. If a family has a fishing boat, they have to pay a tax every year, not a penny less!"

Ruan Xiaoqi grew angrier as she spoke, slapping her thigh and cursing, "Those who live near the mountains live off the mountains, those who live near the water live off the water—this rule has been passed down for hundreds of years. But here, it's all become the emperor's prerogative? What gives them the right?!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shan frowned slightly, already having a clue in his mind.

He vaguely remembered that there was once a powerful eunuch in the court who, in order to extort money, set up an expansion office and seized all the wasteland, mudflats, lakes and forests in the country. People had to pay money even if they were just digging up a lotus root or catching a fish, or they would be arrested and punished.

"Did you pay it? How much did the government ask for?" Zhang Shan pressed, his tone becoming more somber.

Ruan Xiaoqi scoffed, her face full of disdain: "Hand over my ass! Let them come to the lake and catch me, I'll throw them all in and feed them to the turtles!"

Ruan Xiaoer quickly added, his tone becoming more moderate: "My brothers and I are wild by nature, so naturally we don't pay. But the other fishermen, the timid ones and the honest ones, are all forced to pay. It seems to be one string of cash a year. It doesn't seem like much, but fishermen work so hard to earn their money. One string of cash can drive a family to their death."

Zhang Shan, seething with anger, pursed his lips and asked, "So now? Can the fishermen still fish with peace of mind?"

"Relax? Brother, the fishermen are suffering terribly!" Ruan Xiaoqi's tone turned somber again, her eyes coldly sweeping over Wang Lun. "Later, people from Liangshan came and said that fishing was prohibited in the waters near Liangshan. The people could only work in the shallow waters, but there are hardly any big fish in the shallow waters. The small fish and shrimp they caught couldn't fetch a price at all, and they were struggling to make ends meet!"

Wang Lun felt uncomfortable under his gaze and subconsciously shrank back, explaining in a low voice, "At the time, there was no other way. I was afraid that someone might use fishing as an excuse to find out the defenses of Liangshan and infiltrate the government's spies, which would endanger the entire stronghold."

Ruan Xiaowu smiled and smoothed things over: "Brother Wang Lun's words are not entirely wrong. After he came, there was one benefit: those tax collectors no longer dared to be arrogant in this area. Although the people could not catch big fish, at least they did not have to pay those unfair taxes and could barely survive without starving."

Zhang Shan smiled too, but his smile was full of bitterness. He spoke slowly, his tone heavy: "The people are truly miserable. The government exploits them at every level, and bandits plunder everywhere. They face certain death either way. How are they supposed to survive?"

In short, Wang Lun, Du Qian, Song Wan, and others from Liangshan were all blushing, their heads bowed low, not daring to utter a sound.

Zhang Shan's gaze swept over the crowd, his tone gradually turning cold: "What I hate most is the strong bullying the weak, the big taking advantage of the small. What kind of skill is it to bully unarmed civilians? If you're so capable, go and fight those who oppress the people head-on!"

Wang Lun sat below, secretly resentful.

In this era of chaos, where the strong prey on the weak, if we don't bully the common people, are we supposed to bully the government or the powerful?

But he also knew that the situation was beyond his control. Zhang Shan held great power, and he dared not utter a single word of rebuttal. He could only silently endure it.

"From this day forward, Liangshan hereby establishes its rules: If we're going to fight, we'll fight landlords and powerful clans, we'll fight government troops and soldiers!"

Zhang Shan suddenly raised his voice, and with one sentence, he set the course for Liangshan's future. His tone was firm and resounding.

"My ancestor Zhang Jiao saw that the people of the world were suffering and living in misery, so he stepped forward, raised an army, and saved the people from their suffering."

"As a descendant of the Zhang family, I lack the abilities and courage of my ancestors, but I can at least do one thing: never bully the weak, and never plunder the people!"

Zhang Shan became more and more excited as he spoke, his hands clenching slightly into fists, a hint of determination flashing in his eyes.

He had never said these words to anyone before, not because he didn't want to, but because it would be useless to say them; no one would listen to the lament of an unknown nobody.

Now that Liangshan has several hundred people, he must set the general direction and let everyone know that Liangshan is not a den of petty thieves who rob and plunder, but a place that stands up for the people.

"My ancestor was known as the Heavenly General, and the people of the martial world honored me by giving me the title 'Little Heavenly General.' Since that's the case, we must act on behalf of Heaven," Zhang Shan continued, his voice echoing throughout the council hall.

"The current emperor is incompetent and corrupt, treacherous officials hold sway in the court, and corrupt bureaucrats run rampant, causing widespread suffering among the people. Officials only know how to embezzle and embezzle, how to flatter their superiors, and how to exploit the people, sucking their blood, but they never do anything truly beneficial for them!"

Lu Zhishen was filled with righteous indignation. He slammed his fist on the table, stood up, and shouted, "Good! Third Brother is right! Those officials are all a bunch of parasites, utterly corrupt, and they all deserve to die!"

Ruan Xiaoqi felt a surge of heat throughout her body as she listened, clenching her fists in agreement: "Brother is right! The people don't ask for much, just enough to eat and to survive, but the government is pushing us to our deaths, leaving no way out for us!"

Seeing their excited expressions, Zhang Shan smiled. Fortunately, there were still people who understood and agreed with what he was saying.

He gestured for everyone to be quiet and continued, "From now on, all fishermen in Liangshan Marsh are welcome to come and fish, and no one may stop them."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall was instantly in an uproar, their faces filled with shock and confusion. Instead of robbing pedestrians, they were letting fishermen fish in the lake. How were they going to make a living?

Seeing this, Zhang Shan slowly added, "But there's one thing: we must fish in designated areas, clearly defining each area. We can't fish randomly or fight over waterways, to avoid disputes."

"In addition, the fishermen must sell the fish they catch to Liangshan. They are not allowed to sell them privately. Liangshan will buy them at market price and will never treat them unfairly."

Zhang Shan knew that most fishermen were simple and honest, but their racial talents were etched in their genes.

If private sales are allowed, there will definitely be people who drive down the price. You sell for ten coins, I sell for five coins, and eventually the price will collapse. Fishermen will not make any money and will still be unable to make a living.

Upon hearing this, Ruan Xiaoer's brows relaxed slightly. After quickly thinking for a moment, he slowly said, "Brother, this is not difficult to handle. There are thirty-four fishing villages of varying sizes around Liangshan Marsh. Before the government intervened, these villages all had their own fixed fishing areas. Everyone had always agreed on this and would not easily cross the line. We just need to follow the old practice and redefine the area."

Zhang Shan nodded slightly, signaling him to continue: "Erlang is right. Go on, is there anything else we need to be careful about?"

He also knew that it was easy to talk about things on paper, but there would definitely be a lot of trouble in actual practice. Listening to Ruan Xiaoer's opinions would always help him avoid some detours.

Ruan Xiaoer paused for a moment, then continued, "There's another thing. Before the government set up the land expansion office, there was a big fishing tyrant in Liangshan Marsh. All the fishermen in the surrounding area had to sell their catch to him. He suppressed the prices and monopolized the entire fish market. The fishermen dared not speak out against him."

"Later, when the government came, this fishing tyrant directly sided with the government. Relying on the government's power, he continued to monopolize the fish market, helped the government collect taxes, oppressed fishermen, and made a fortune."

Zhang Shan remained calm upon hearing this, showing no surprise whatsoever.

Such a large lake and such a large fish market must have powerful backers. It would be abnormal if there were no fishing tycoons monopolizing it.

He leaned forward slightly, his eyes sharpening, and asked through gritted teeth, "What's this fishing tyrant's name? How many men does he have? Who's backing him?"

Zhang Shan had already made his plans. Liangshan had just changed its leader, and the people's hearts were not yet settled. They needed a victory to establish their authority, and this fishing tyrant, along with the forces behind him, was the best target.

It can eliminate harm to the people, unite the Liangshan brothers, and solve the livelihood of the stronghold through the fish market, achieving three goals at once.