Chapter 369

"Now too many people are not so certain about all of this!"

"So, we must wait!"

"Wait three or five days, then see how Zhuge Liang, Zuo Zuo Zongtang, Li Si, and Kill Xiao He react before deciding!"

"Starting tomorrow, my Wei family will be the first to refuse paying taxes, using this as a probe!"

After Wei Pao finished speaking, he turned and left!

And Jiang Lu, watching Wei Pao's back, was shocked!

This... is this political struggle?

So complex, so sinister and terrifying?

He was extraordinarily shocked.

However, if he knew that among the entire Zhenggechaotang, Wei Pao was the only one who did not understand all this, he wondered if he would feel even more despair!

Indeed!

What Wei Pao said, everyone in the imperial court understood!

This is also why, even though the shouting was so lively last night, no one stood forward to declare their stance today!

It is still the same saying: no one wants to be the bird that sticks its head out!

Those who can serve as officials in the imperial court, which one is not a shrewd person?

Those who can become shrewd people, which one is not a clever person?

Facing Ying Su relying on some schemes and tricks, playing some games, might fool wandering swordsmen like Xiaoyaozi and others from the Jianghu!

But wanting to deceive these people, one can only say it is difficult, very difficult!

But... even if they understood all this, Seeing Ying Zheng still dared not be the slightest bit careless!

Because... fire cannot be hidden in paper!

If it is true, it will surely surface!

If it is false, it will sooner or later be exposed!

He also hoped this was Facing Ying Su setting a trap, plotting a conspiracy!

But... how could that be!

Meng Wu's secret letter was already asking him if he intended to arrest Facing Ying Su; without absolute certainty, would he dare to ask such a thing?

"Just watch; starting tomorrow, their probing will begin!"

"All of this will surely start with resisting the payment of this one-tenth tax!"

Seeing Ying Zheng sighed and spoke to Zhao Gao.

At this very moment, his heart was filled with nothing but despair!

Because... only he believed that Meng Wu's report of victory was true!

Li Yuanba, and also Li Cunxiao, they very likely are both dead!

As for the reason they do not know, it is probably because they have not seen the detailed battle report!

If they had finished reading the detailed battle report, let alone probing, today might have been the general assault!

Seeing Ying Zheng guessed thus in his heart... 0

And in fact, Seeing Ying Zheng's guess was not wrong at all!

The reason they dared not launch an attack recklessly was indeed so.

They did not know the truth!

But no matter what, there will surely be probing!

And this probing indeed came very quickly!

At the morning court the next day, Wei Pao bowed to Seeing Ying Zheng: "My Wei family's harvest this year was poor, plus we have already paid six-tenths of the tax continuously before, plus the huge expenses of our mansion, so, I wish to delay until next autumn and pay it all at once!"

He bowed down and made his plea!

And facing this probe, Seeing Ying Zheng directly stated firmly: "No!"

"It must be paid this year!"

However, his firmness was useless; this probe was not testing Seeing Ying Zheng's reaction!

But rather Zhuge Liang, and also Zuo Zuo Zongtang, as well as Kill Xiao He and others!

So, regarding Seeing Ying Zheng's firmness, Wei Pao ignored it, merely looking towards Li Si, Zhuge Liang, Zuo Zuo Zongtang, and other direct factions of Facing Ying Su: "I wonder if the Prime Minister my lord could plead for me and grant a few days' extension?"

Li Si directly produced Facing Ying Su's imperial decree and said:

"Emperor's decree: at most one month, it must be paid; violators will have their families confiscated!"

"This..."

Once the words were spoken, Wei Pao narrowed his eyes, and finally looked towards the crowd of nobles beside him!

Instantly, a noble stood up to respond, bowing to Seeing Ying Zheng and saying: "Emperor Your Majesty, the taxes paid this year are truly too much; first the new Emperor ordered the payment of five-tenths of the tax, then came another one-tenth tax, and now another one-tenth is added!"

"We really cannot sustain it!"

"Please, Emperor, be merciful and grant us some time!"

"Please, Emperor, be merciful and grant us some time!"

At this moment, everyone bowed to Seeing Ying Zheng!

And Seeing Ying Zheng's attitude was extremely firm: "The new Emperor's throne was bestowed by me; his decree is the Emperor's decree, and cannot be changed!"

Li Si repeated the same words: "New Emperor's decree: at most one month, it must be paid; violators will have their families confiscated!"

"This..."

After these words were spoken, everyone fell silent!

Finally, the court session dispersed!

Ying Zheng glanced at Zhuge Liang, Li Si, and the others, sighed, but said nothing and left directly!

The next day!

Back in the court again!

But this time, the one testing was not Wei Pao, but Wang Wan!

He bowed to Ying Zheng and said, "Yesterday, this old minister searched through all his family's assets, yet still fell short of the one-tenth grain quota required by the new Emperor by a full hundred shi. Emperor, have mercy!"

"Could it be paid next year?"

"Or, this old minister will sell everything he has to pay the hundred shi of grain first, and make up the rest of the grain next year!"

"Impossible!"

Ying Zheng refused again!

Zhuge Liang and Li Si refused as well!

No matter who pleaded, the answer was one sentence: No!

In the blink of an eye, the court session dispersed once more!

And then came the third day, the fourth day, the fifth day!

For ten consecutive days, almost every day, someone declared that the one-tenth grain tax could not be paid!

As for the reasons, they were from the Wuhuaba Sect.

Either the quantity was insufficient, or there were other reasons!

Some even staged a death protest on the spot, demanding the abolition of noble taxation!

Claiming this was an act of turning heaven upside down!

The court erupted into fierce chaos!

Amidst these repeated disturbances, even Ying Zheng, Zhuge Liang, and the others began to struggle under the pressure.

Because... they did not merely speak with their mouths; they also took actual action!

A military coup, that was unlikely!

But... they would pull some small tricks, such as neglecting state affairs, leaving various government offices and troop movements unmanaged, keeping government offices closed, and having officials and constables stand by watching others steal property without intervening!

This caused chaos throughout Xianyang City!

The common people voiced their grievances and more!

Everything, absolutely everything, was in utter disorder!

Since they did not care, all these state affairs naturally fell entirely onto the shoulders of Zhuge Liang, Zuo Zuo Zongtang, Li Si, Ying Zheng, and the others!

For a time, they were under immense pressure!

But... no matter how great the pressure, they did not give in!

Their attitude remained extremely firm!