In my dream of returning to the Tang Dynasty, I snatched Wu Zetian from my lap.

"Young master, please ask, please ask." The old man carefully stuffed the copper coin into his clothes.

"You only made three coins from all these vegetables, but you have to pay three coins to enter the city. How are you making any money?" Li Yuanchang asked suspiciously.

The old man glanced cautiously at the city gate: "Young master, you seem to be from out of town, so don't tell anyone I said that."

"The city gate tax doesn't even cost three coins, it's actually only one. You think you have money, so they..."

Li Yuanchang nodded; he had guessed it too.

"Sir, may I ask what other taxes you have here?"

Upon hearing this, the old man sighed, "Young master, that's a lot."

"Local tax, grain tax, customs tax, firewood tax, and toll tax."

Li Yuanchang was surprised: "There's a toll tax too?"

Wang Hongzhi and the others also widened their eyes. A toll tax? Are these bandits?

The old man said seriously, "Yes! There is a bridge about five or six miles east of Pingyang County. It was built by the Peng family of Pengzhen. You have to pay taxes to cross it."

"And the Du Yi Trail to the north also needs to be taxed. These families are large and powerful, and they rely on their large numbers to occupy land and collect taxes. They've been collecting taxes since the twentieth year of the Zhenguan era."

"Why should we give it to them? This is against the law!" Guo Chao frowned and couldn't help but say.

"We can't refuse, because if we don't give it to them, we'll have to take a detour of twenty or thirty miles. There are tigers and leopards in the mountains, and they've already eaten a lot of people."

"People here are suffering..."

"..."

The old man kept complaining, secretly wiping away his tears.

As he listened, Li Yuanchang's gaze grew increasingly cold!

They collected all the county's taxes back to the twentieth year of the Zhenguan era! This is utterly lawless!

Then, the issue of unreasonable taxation gradually expanded to include the existence of "local Brahmins".

Almost all of those who can occupy land and collect taxes come from local families within Liangzhou.

In just one county town, there were no fewer than five families collecting taxes similar to toll fees, and Li Yuanchang spent two hours inquiring and visiting them.

He discovered that not only were local powers collecting taxes, but the local governments in Liangzhou also had many problems with tax collection.

Five years ago, Liangzhou still had many merchants, but due to the government's misconduct, customs and market taxes were imposed layer by layer. The county government collected them, and then the prefectural government came again, which led to a large number of local and foreign merchants leaving.

Moreover, there are rumors circulating that some businessmen have died mysteriously, leaving their family fortunes unclaimed.

As a young entrepreneur in the 21st century, he knew all too well that it would be strange if Liangzhou could become rich and prosperous with such an ecological environment.

Having merchants meant having more servants, which is what later generations called "jobs".

Just by farming and herding, and paying all the taxes, one is lucky if they don't starve.

However, Liangzhou was not a strategic location of the Tang Dynasty, nor was it a granary like Henan and Hebei. As his fiefdom, it was a very difficult place for him.

This seems to have nothing to do with him, the King of Han, since he could live a life of luxury no matter how poor he was.

But in reality, the rise and fall of Liangzhou was inextricably linked to his personal fate. Whether he could survive in the next six years and establish himself in the Tang Dynasty, an era of political warfare and brilliant stars, depended entirely on this territory.

This is his fiefdom!

Li Yuanchang spent the entire day not idle, wandering the streets and alleys, and making close contact with all sorts of idle people in the area.

More and more problems are looming before him: corruption, bandits, tigers, insect plagues... and so on!

In short, Liangzhou is an absolute mess!

"We will set off for Liangzhou City early tomorrow morning."

Wang Hongzhi and his trusted confidants, who were having a meal together at the post station, all looked up in surprise.

"Your Highness, are we not going to the other counties?"

"I'm not going. I guess the other places are the same. There's no point in seeing them. Let's go back to Liangzhou first."

Then, he changed the subject.

"I'm going to kill people, I'm going to kill one or two county magistrates to consecrate my flag and establish my authority!" Li Yuanchang's eyes flashed with a sharp, decisive glint.

He had realized that this was not a localized decay, but a systemic decay.

Everyone was filled with awe and respect, sensing the killing intent, and brimming with energy!

"Yes!" They all stood up and bowed.

"..."

On the seventh day of the eleventh lunar month, the basin experienced heavy rainfall and the weather turned cold.

Li Yuanchang and his entourage braved the gloomy drizzle and made their way to Liangzhou in a low-key manner.

This is an ancient and weathered city. A narrow path leads directly to the east gate, bustling with tenants and oxcarts, with few people dressed in fine clothes and riding spirited horses.

As the capital of Sanam West Province, it doesn't look too bad, at least the territory is quite large.

When Li Yuanchang first stepped inside, he felt an inexplicable sense of blood connection; this was his second home in the Tang Dynasty.

He didn't notify anyone, didn't receive the emperor, didn't kneel to greet him, and didn't hold a banquet. He returned to the Prince of Han's residence in a very low-key manner.

After Li Shimin issued the official edict, the news was sent to Liangzhou immediately, where local officials would be specifically responsible for overseeing all matters related to the Prince of Han's residence.

Once you ask around, you'll find the location.

"What an old house! Was it renovated? His Majesty is too cruel to His Highness, not even allowing the construction of a new residence!" Guo Chao frowned.

"Captain Guo, be careful, walls have ears!" Wang Hongzhi warned seriously.

Guo Chao and others, being military officers, were straightforward. Although they said nothing more, their eyes revealed some resentment on Li Yuanchang's behalf.

A mansion is a matter of prestige, but this palace is clearly a renovated old house. It is far inferior in terms of both size and style, and it completely lacks the grandeur that a Han king should have.

Li Yuanchang smiled and said, "I am a criminal, why should I care about these things? It's good enough to have a place to stay. Besides, the higher-ups are trying to avoid suspicion. If I stay too well, some people will have objections."

"Let it be an old house. Who knows, the eyes of the whole world will be focused here in the future."

"Yes, yes, it's good that Your Highness is safe." Fang Weng smiled.

"Let's go, Guo Chao, you take the men and unload the truck. Go inside first, or all sorts of scoundrels from Liangzhou will get the news and start coming."

"yes!"

At a command, the sound of unloading carts echoed outside the Prince of Han's residence, attracting a large crowd of onlookers.

At this time, Li Yuanchang had already entered his home in Liangzhou.

It is indeed a renovation of an old house. Its predecessor was a governor's mansion in the Sui Dynasty. It was a hundred times better than an ordinary family's house, but much lower than the standard of the Prince of Han.

But he was still surprised when he came in.

"So clean and tidy?"

His eyes lit up. The interior was truly a hidden gem; it wasn't old at all, but rather had a very lived-in feel.

"Your Highness, perhaps it was done by local officials to curry favor with you," Wang Hongzhi said.

Li Yuanchang looked around, still puzzled.

Not like.

Local officials were not so meticulous in their supervision; the flowers and plants in the courtyard were trimmed too neatly, and almost every place was spotless. There were also a large number of household items inside and outside the hall.

This doesn't look like something that was supervised by local officials. At most, local officials would do some repairs and cleaning, but this place looks like it has been carefully managed.

Just as he was looking around and observing, suddenly...