Chapter 1050: As Expected

Xiao Dongliang had been practicing martial arts for more than a year, and had even eaten tonics. His daily food was also the same as Wang Yan's, very sumptuous. Over the past year, not only had he grown ten centimeters, but his body had also become strong, like a little calf.

Facing the assassins surrounding him, Xiao Dongliang chose to take the initiative. Because he deeply understood that if they really fought, he might be a burden to Wang Yan. So he rushed forward, lowered his body, and used his hands to block the knife slashed by one person. Immediately, he twisted his hands, flipped the person's wrist joint, and had already disarmed him. Then he twisted his waist and hips, directly dragging the person to change positions with himself.

The next instant, a flash of a knife, and two people's knives slashed mercilessly onto their accomplice's body. Immediately after, another person came up, and three people surrounded Xiao Dongliang to block him.

The remaining twenty or so people continued to kill Wang Yan without stopping their steps. In the process of running, they spread out in a fan shape, blocking Wang Yan's retreat, not giving Wang Yan a chance to escape.

Because they practiced martial arts at home every day, and when training the *Xiangjun*, they had also been taught various attack methods, so those who paid attention knew that Wang Yan was proficient in both literature and martial arts, so they gave enough attention.

Wang Yan stood smiling on the spot, observing the actions of these assassins.

Although it was just a simple circle of people, it was enough to see many things. They were not soldiers, because their cooperation was not tacit when they were surrounding him. There was no communication in their eyes, which showed they were unfamiliar, confirming they were temporarily organized.

So the identities of these people were determined: they were dangerous elements who were strong, had some martial arts, and perhaps had some combat records. Perhaps they were retainers recently recruited by large families, promised heavy profits, to kill him, Wang Mou, to solve the problem.

Wang Yan was not bored enough to arrange for people to assassinate himself as a raft to make trouble. He arrested those ten families to press the ringleaders to death and forcefully push his "cleaning fee."

So the origin of these people now didn't need to be asked; it was just those few wealthy families who hadn't been arrested, who didn't want to become meat on Wang Yan's chopping board and wanted to solve Wang Yan, the person who caused the problem, directly. As long as Wang Yan died, Hangzhou would still be the same situation as before. Moreover, they could also take over the inheritance of the ten families that had already been dealt with by Wang Yan, which instead strengthened their strength. It was really a good thing that killed many birds with one stone and made everyone happy...

The damned Wang Yan finally stopped putting his hands behind his back. Facing the chaotic knives of the siege, the best way was naturally to get rid of the situation of being attacked from the front and back, and use positioning to make himself face as few people as possible at the same time.

So he rushed towards the person in front of him, then paused, kicked low, blocked his hands, and snatched the knife. In the blink of an eye, he held the knife in his hand, kicked and broke the person's shin, and when he passed by, he also gave a punch to the abdomen, cleanly solving one person.

Seeing Wang Yan so fierce, the other assassins were not affected at all, still killing towards Wang Yan desperately, which showed that they were really paid enough.

Wang Yan didn't kill wildly and bravely; he just held the knife and quickly retreated to meet the slashing knives. While using others' knives to block, he would nimbly cut the tendons of people's hands and kick their shins to pieces, making them lose their combat effectiveness, and also kick the knives far away.

His movements were fast, fighting and retreating, unhurried, leaving as soon as he succeeded.

The assassins were naturally desperate. In such a short time, because they desperately wanted to touch Wang Yan with their knives, they found that they were always two inches short. Also during this period, their numbers were decreasing rapidly.

Also during this time, the *Xiangjun* standing guard at the city gate had rushed over quickly, and even blew a horn to warn. One could clearly hear the response from within Qiantang City.

Also during this time, the people working near the city gate had already reacted. From initially staring blankly, to recognizing that the person being surrounded and killed was Wang Yan, to someone shouting and raising their arms, they picked up various tools in their hands one after another—some took shovels, some took hoes, some took sticks, and some took stone bricks. They gathered together and came over here in a swarm.

Then there was no then. There were twenty-five assassins, and not one escaped. Xiao Dongliang killed three, the *Xiangjun* killed six, the commoners beat two to death, and the remaining fourteen were all captured alive.

When the battle ended here, the yamen runners who ran out of the city first were fully armed and in place, followed by more than a hundred *Xiangjun*. Seeing the workers gathered together with tools, they thought a civil uprising had occurred and walked over with high tension, holding spears, until they saw the smiling Wang Yan and Wang Dongliang, who was covered in blood on his body and face, only then did they relax. The leader hurriedly came up to care for the leader like a dog, very clumsily...

For the current scene, Wang Yan was still very satisfied.

The response speed was not slow, the lineup was neat when they arrived, and there was no panic. More importantly, the commoners also picked up tools and ran over to save him, which fully demonstrated the results of his work over the past period and that he had still gained a lot of popular support.

Letting people take away the captured assassins and arranging for people to collect the bodies and clean up, Wang Yan bowed solemnly to the commoners who had not yet dispersed.

"Today, Wang Yan encountered disaster, and all the elders and fellow villagers were able to take action to save me. Wang Yan is deeply grateful. Villagers, rest assured, Wang Yan will definitely lead the villagers to live a good life..."

After delivering a speech to the commoners, Wang Yan left and returned to the yamen.

Giving Fan Zhongyan a reassuring look, Wang Yan said, "Several, do you see clearly now? These people are bold and actually want to kill me. I heard that some people in the court said that Wang Mou is acting arbitrarily and oppressing the commoners. But I don't know if these commoners are the commoners who just killed two assassins? Or are the people who hired assassins the commoners? Since I took office, relying on Master Fan's support, Hangzhou's hundred industries are prosperous, and the people live and work in peace and contentment. This year, there is a great famine in the two Zhe regions, only our Hangzhou..."

Wang Yan spoke generously to the people from the capital who came to reprimand and patrol, bitterly detailing the harm of the wealthy families. And on the spot, he wrote a memorial, submitted it to Bianjing, and suggested increasing commercial taxes nationwide and measuring fields and counting households nationwide.

The purpose was very simple: shout the slogan first. This certainly couldn't be done; Zhao Zhen didn't have the guts to do so. But for the so-called "cleaning fee" that Wang Yan established in Hangzhou, it wouldn't be too sensitive.

Because Wang Yan wanted to collect taxes nationwide and measure fields and count households, the emperor didn't dare to do it, the court didn't dare to do it, and local officials didn't dare to do it. Then how could they blame Wang Yan for collecting a "cleaning fee" here? Anyway, he wasn't increasing commercial taxes; it was a cleaning fee. Whoever was awesome could collect it; if they didn't dare to collect it, don't talk.

Of course, the outstanding are always envied and excluded. Because for other vast officials, Wang Yan was the "incorrect" side. This was not about right or wrong, but about different positions.

This was also the fundamental reason why Wang Yan wanted to rebel. If he didn't take office and hold the knife tightly, his policies couldn't be pushed forward, and his reform achievements couldn't be maintained for long. Although it might be futile in the future, if Wang Yan were a commoner and let him vote for someone to be emperor, he would vote for himself...

After sending people to fly to the capital to submit the memorial, Wang Yan took the people from the capital to the prison under the prefecture yamen, watched the interrogation process throughout, and heard the results of the interrogation.

This incident was done by two wealthy families in Hangzhou. If ranked according to that list, they were the eleventh and twelfth.

Knowing the mastermind, naturally, he had to deal with them. The *Xiangjun* went out empty-nested again, and neither of the two wealthy families was spared.

Fortunately, these assassins confessed quickly, and the jailer in the yamen who specialized in torture didn't even use unconventional means, and these people confessed everything one by one. Even though these two families had made some preparations in advance, not too many people escaped. It was nothing more than a few direct male descendants who left to preserve the family's bloodline inheritance. On this point, the wealthy families were all very persistent.

Commoners who were not wealthy were naturally also persistent, but they had a hard time living, so what could they do? Survival of the fittest was actually being staged; for those who had no ability, the bloodline would not be long...

In fact, the wealthy families didn't expect to fail, because Wang Yan's usual style was to take his family's pageboy, and there were few times with a big scene. Even if there was a scene, those officials certainly wouldn't be useful, and they would definitely run faster than anyone else.

And they sent more than twenty people, and they caught the opportunity. There was no one in the world who couldn't be killed. Even if a capable martial general was changed to come, he would definitely be killed. So they thought more about the aftermath after Wang Yan was killed.

As long as Wang Yan died, they could definitely suppress this matter. Wang Yan was "oppressing the commoners, losing popular support, and killed by the people." Even if someone from the capital came down to supervise, the result would be the same, and it could all be arranged clearly.

Moreover, there was not much time left for them. Wang Yan's purpose in arresting those ten wealthy families was known to everyone. By the time Wang Yan dealt with those ten wealthy families, he would definitely convene the fourth official-merchant consultation. At that time, Wang Yan wouldn't need to ask who agreed and who opposed; everyone would definitely agree. Whoever disagreed would have their family broken and their doors destroyed.

Once agreed, this matter would be completely settled. As long as the cleaning fee was collected once, from the local level to the capital, no official would let go, because this was the bottom line that had already been pressed, and the money that had already been obtained, so it became a fixed rule in Hangzhou. Without major changes, it would be difficult to be canceled. It could only rely on the wealthy families colluding a little bit and reducing the cleaning fee they should pay a little bit.

So their plan was not arranged very tightly, the retreat was not arranged well, and they didn't even think about failure.

But unfortunately, the person they wanted to kill was Wang Yan. Now that Wang Yan hadn't been killed, it was their turn to die...

Only after making arrangements did Wang Yan return to the official office with Fan Zhongyan.

"Are you okay?"

"Thanks to Master Fan's blessing, I am unscathed. Master Fan, look, there is not a trace of blood on the student's clothes."

Fan Zhongyan really let Wang Yan turn around and looked carefully before he was relieved. He sighed, "These people are really bold."

"Didn't I think of today long ago? After all, it's me who is causing trouble now. As long as I am solved, naturally everything will be worry-free."

"I am still here."

"Master Fan has lost power and is in the wild, not like before. Since they have done it, they naturally have a way to arrange for Master Fan."

"Yes, at worst, kill me together with you, and everything will be fine." Fan Zhongyan shook his head and turned to say, "What are your plans? Are you afraid?"

"The student doesn't even know how to write the word 'afraid'." Wang Yan smiled. "If it weren't for the people from the capital being here, today's siege would have been a good raft. Whoever dares not obey, just let the assassins point out which family bought the killer to kill the official. This time collecting the cleaning fee, even measuring fields and checking households could all be done together."

"And now?"

"Naturally, use the momentum to force them to agree. However, the regulations, especially how to deal with the taxes evaded in the past, still need Master Fan to make the decision."

"You..." Fan Zhongyan pointed at Wang Yan, but still spoke his thoughts.

Ever since he knew what Wang Yan wanted to do, Fan Zhongyan had carefully thought about these problems and had long had ideas. Of course, he also said them out for Wang Yan to refer to. He now trusted Wang Yan very much, because everything in the past proved Wang Yan's steadiness, ruthlessness, and wisdom. Since he had let go, he didn't intend to interfere too much, just let Wang Yan toss...

Knowing that Dongliang had returned home covered in blood, and hearing that Wang Yan had been surrounded and killed by more than twenty people, Hualan was very worried and kept sitting and standing uneasily, walking back and forth at home. It wasn't until the little maid guarding the door ran back to tell her that Wang Yan had returned that she let out a long sigh and hurriedly ran out.

"Master, Master, you are finally back."

Seeing Wang Yan enter, Hualan anxiously circled around Wang Yan, looking here and there, fearing that something might happen.

Wang Yan cooperated by opening his arms and standing on the spot: "Do I look like something happened to me?"

"Go back to the room and take off your clothes. Dongliang is covered in blood and was slashed twice. Such long knife wounds, I saw them. You were surrounded and killed by more than twenty people; you must be lying to me..."

Wang Yan shook his head amusingly, but still cooperated with Hualan, returned to the room to take off his clothes, and let Hualan check it once before it was over.

"Master is truly divine."

"That's right, I told my father-in-law last year that if it weren't for our dynasty valuing literature over martial arts, I would have joined the army long ago and definitely beaten the Liao and Xia to run away with their heads in their hands."

"Isn't it the same after Master became a civil official?" Hualan said worriedly, "Master, I think let's forget about this cleaning fee. Commercial taxes belong to the court and the emperor, not our Wang family, but life is one's own."

This was really a simple and good idea, and the so-called elites a thousand years later thought the same.

"Forgot what I said last year? For heaven and earth... Now everyone says I have established the Dao, and I am not humble enough to create my own theory and clarify my own propositions. Having reached this point, where is there any retreat? A person lives for a face; now that things have come to this, even if I don't want to do it, I can't. Moreover, I still have some ambitions.

As the saying goes, sailing against the current, if you don't advance, you retreat. If I am afraid this time, then I will be afraid for a lifetime. If I want to straighten my back again, I fear it will be difficult. So I must hold this breath and fight them to the end. The situation in Hangzhou is tense now; don't worry about me, but you must be more careful."

"I won't go out; I'll just stay at home." Hualan said firmly. Since she couldn't persuade him, she would absolutely not add trouble to Wang Yan or let Wang Yan have a burden.

"That's fine. Anyway, it will be clear in a few months. Usually, ask Master Fan's wife to come to the mansion to talk and relieve boredom. Alright, let's eat; I've been hungry for a long time."

Very quickly, while the commoners outside were still not full, the dining table in Wang Yan's house was filled with many exquisite dishes of various patterns. Wang Yan, who had an extra activity of being slashed today, was indeed hungry, eating vegetables and drinking wine, very comfortable.

Seeing Hualan diligently picking vegetables for him on the side, and looking like she wanted to say something but stopped, he smiled and said: "If you want to say it, just say it; why are you hesitating?"

Hualan stopped her movements, pondered for a moment, and then said: "I was thinking, should I add another concubine for Master... It's not that I'm anxious, but I'm thinking that Master is doing great things now and is very dangerous. Moreover, there are many family businesses now, and it's always not good to have few people in the family. With only me, how can I strengthen the family? It's better to add another room, and the family will be more lively."

Wang Yan raised his eyebrows: "Does the lady really think so?"

"If not, why mention it?" Hualan glared and sighed, "Master will definitely go to higher places in the future. I have never heard of a scholar-official family without concubines to serve. Even if I don't arrange it, in the future, when Master is out and about, it is inevitable that some people will want to marry Master, and there will always be people who are hard to refuse."

"I have wronged you."

Wang Yan said this, and it was considered as agreeing to this matter. He was out of tune with the present in many things, but in this matter, he could not be vulgar. Since Hualan had already comforted herself, why should he talk more? Just enjoy it.

He asked, "Do you have someone in mind?"

"The eldest daughter of the Sheng family's main branch, Sheng Shulan. She is one year older than me. Originally, she was going to be engaged, but the main branch is neither up nor down, not easy to look at, and there was no one she liked. Now Master and the Sheng family are connected, prospering together and suffering together, and now the main branch relies on Master's name to operate, so they want to be closer."

Hearing Hualan say this, Wang Yan already understood the process of the matter. It was not impossible that Hualan took the initiative to arrange a concubine for him, but now that he heard the candidate, it was clear that this matter had definitely been going on for a while, and there must have been a lot of messy exchanges between the Sheng family's main branch and the second branch.

Sheng Hong must have been deeply involved in this matter. The father-in-law only had this one good point: he only cared about the family's private plans. Undoubtedly, closely connecting with Wang Yan and coaxing the precious son-in-law was the top priority of the Sheng family now. The eldest daughter of the main branch and the second branch—this was really giving Wang Yan a lot of face.

As for women's happiness, in these years, few men cared. Everyone was like that, and life was lived the same way.

Sheng Shulan, in the original drama, married Sun Xiucai. Because she couldn't give birth, she was not favored by her husband's family, lived a bitter life, and later divorced and stayed at home. She was naturally good-looking, and her personality was also very good—a proper good wife.

Wang Yan nodded: "Let the lady arrange it."

Hualan said "um" and ate silently.

Even if she had already comforted herself, when it really came to this step, it was inevitable that she would feel a little wronged.

Wang Yan naturally said beautiful words to coax her; it was never good to let a woman be wronged and hurt her heart... ===== CHAPTER 1051 =====