Chapter 196: Doubly Ordinary

Tao Yaoyao appearing to form this "good bond" with Zhang Gui truly opened his eyes.

At the same time, it also made Zhang Gui feel that his status on Xianrong Island had inexplicably become transcendent.

After all, the junior sister of the 'Human Walker' of the ancient sect 'Dailuo' had already treated him as a 'cub of the same kind' and released goodwill.

Then Mr. Yin, whose identity is also likely the 'Human Walker' of an ancient sect, would not be able to make things difficult for Zhang Gui without reason in the future.

And besides these two brother and sister with unfathomable strength, there was really no one among the various people in Prince Zhen's "Traveling Residence" that Zhang Gui, who was in high spirits, felt was invincible.

Even if besieged, he could always escape.

So Zhang Gui, who originally planned to leave Xianrong Island immediately, stayed on the island for a few more days.

Until the beginning of July, Guan Xihui led a fleet loaded with massive amounts of grain and military supplies to land at the military port of Chuanshen.

All the way, they arrived at Hancheng Prefecture in a mighty manner.

He met and discussed secretly with this old shrimp head several times before leisurely returning to his fief, Zhihai Town, on the Dongsheng Continent.

And after being separated for dozens of days, stepping onto this land again.

Everything had changed like a storm, as if it were a lifetime ago...

The summer crow wind blew, making people sweat profusely.

The number of people on Zhihai Wharf was not much less than before.

The streets were still crowded with people, shoulder to shoulder, and the smell of sweat from coolies, porters, and peddlers was suffocating.

But the noisy and lively sounds in the ward were much smaller, and people's energy and spirit also looked very decadent.

Zhang Gui paced silently on the wharf of his fief.

Suddenly.

A woman who had been curled up on the ground beside the road threw herself at his feet and grabbed his ankle.

"Master, Master, buy my child, she has been..."

"Shut up, don't cry, I'll buy your daughter.

I'll buy you and your family, whether it's a daughter, a boy, a husband, or an old father, one counts as one, I'll buy them all.

But you must shut up immediately, no crying or begging, otherwise it won't count."

The woman was truly clever and immediately covered her mouth.

She turned around and waved desperately at the side of the road, signaling for several family members to come over quickly.

But perhaps the woman was the only clever one in her family, leading the rest to be fools.

Or perhaps people were so hungry and dizzy that their brains couldn't turn, and they couldn't see the situation.

In short, the woman's group of relatives were all wooden and numb, looking back at her blankly, not moving at all.

Instead, other refugees saw something and crawled towards Zhang Gui on their knees.

Just then, Zhang Gui suddenly roared,

"Ding Chengqi, Ding Chengqi, you bastard, is this how you manage the town for me?

Hurry up and open the granary to release grain, let's not let people starve to death first!"

This roar circled in the air, as if shaking the ground of the entire town.

The entire wharf suddenly became dead silent.

After a while.

Ding Chengqi, the Right Chancellor of the Dragon Tiger Curtain Office, brought a group of miscellaneous officials and senior clerks to Zhang Gui in fear and trembling, bowing his head to the ground,

"This humble official and others have seen the Heir Apparent Great General.

We are incompetent..."

"Alright, alright, stop talking nonsense.

I know it's not your fault, I was just venting my anger, sorry about that.

I know where the grain is; with the few people in our Curtain Office, we couldn't eat it in several lifetimes.

You can go ahead and open the porridge factory with the grain you stored.

Also, don't do that disgusting thing of only letting the refugees eat and not letting the merchants and clerks who come to our wharf to do business eat.

Even if you boil porridge so thick that a chopstick won't fall, how much grain can it cost?

It won't make us poor, and it won't make them rich.

And as long as they are decent people, if you ask them, they won't take advantage of us.

The market is deteriorating so fast, and I don't know what the future will be like, so let's all pull together in times of trouble for now."

Zhihai Town is Zhang Gui's Earthly Divine Kingdom, and every grass and tree is under his divine authority.

So in fact, he had long known that this place had become this ghostly state.

It's just that consciousness sensing is consciousness sensing.

It was even more realistic than the virtual worlds of human-machine interfaces advertised in my previous life; one could freeze, zoom in, see through, or even render key points at any time, making it feel more real than looking with the naked eye.

But no matter what, remote sensing could never bring Zhang Gui the emotional touch of a fellow human being about to starve to death suddenly grabbing his ankle and begging bitterly.

But not begging to save their own life, but to save the child.

"Damn it, I'm broken."

After giving the order, Zhang Gui bent down and wiped the bloody fingerprints on his ankle, muttering to himself.

At this time, as if finally reacting, the wharf, which had been dead silent, suddenly erupted with deafening human voices.

Like a tsunami or a collapsing mountain, rushing straight into the sky.

"Great kindness, great kindness, saving our lives, great kindness..."

"Alive, can live, I can live on, thank you, thank you Great General..."

"The kindness of saving the whole family, this scholar will never forget it in this life, and will repay it in the next life..."...

Zhang Gui just sighed heavily and did not respond to the gratitude that filled the pit and valley.

Triggering several "Zongheng As You Wish" divine clusters in his body, he soared into mid-air.

With a flash, he crossed a distance of over a thousand steps and fell into the main hall of the Curtain Office.

After a while, Ding Chengqi and a group of subordinates also ran back to the hall in a hurry.

Just as he was about to kneel down guiltily and pay respects again.

Zhang Gui was already tapping the big case 'papa papa' and said:

"Alright, alright, stop with those vain and flashy rituals.

I have been messing around on Xianrong Island with Prince Zhen's 'Traveling Residence' for only two or three months.

How come there are so many disaster victims in our desolate mountain area.

The merchants who come by ship to do business value the natural harbor of our Zhihai Town wharf and the convenience of the sea route.

Do you know why these people came here?"

"Most of those who came to Zhihai to escape the famine are fishermen from Xia Yu Village in Pingtao County, the commandery seat.

A big storm a few days ago destroyed their fishing boats.

The little savings they had stored before were long ago exploited by the petty officials who collected fish taxes and sold water licenses this year.

Putting the two together, they could only support the remaining few broken boats and come out to escape the famine."

Zhang Gui actually knew this reason long ago, and the reason he pretended to ask Ding Chengqi was just to better fit his "persona."

Ever since he heard those words from Tao Yaoyao and knew that he might be more special than he imagined.

He began to want to show "ordinariness and commonness" doubly.

"This is 'if the skin is gone, where will the hair attach.'

Once state affairs become chaotic, the imperial court can only make the people suffer, and the first thing must be to double the collection of land taxes.

Who makes those who farm the most, and are honest enough.

So the first wave of farmers suffered.

At this time, perhaps fishermen and mulberry farmers would rejoice that they had escaped a disaster.

But under the unbearable burden, farmers had to abandon their fields and flee for their lives.

This heavy tax was transferred to the heads of fishermen and mulberry farmers.

At this time, perhaps small merchants would rejoice that they were not among the second wave of unlucky ones.

But soon, they will probably know the severity.

Followed by medium-sized merchant firms.

Next, hum hum hum hum, alright.

I ask you, is the porridge factory arranged?"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 197 =====