Chapter 284

First Volume, Chapter 284: Desolate Women and Children

Zhou Yufu's voice grew even lower: "The scribe suffered a stroke; he won't recover anytime soon, and certainly cannot shoulder this burden."

Qin Feng found it amusing.

As Zhou Yufu said, taxation matters should be handled by officials.

Even if Zhou Yufu were richer and more powerful in Pingyao County, it would never be his place to interfere, let alone dip into his own pocket to fill the grain tax deficit.

This was clearly a bribe aimed at Qin Feng.

As the saying goes: take someone's hand, and you're bound to their will; eat someone's food, and your mouth grows quiet. Having accepted these three ten thousand taels, Qin Feng could return to Beijing for his imperial report and present to the Emperor the peaceful facade meticulously painted by Zhou Yufu and others.

At that point, the Ministry of Personnel would continue sending officials to Pingyao County.

If he colluded with Zhou Yufu and his kind, he could keep his position secure.

If he refused to join their corruption, he'd inevitably suffer another "accident."

With the National War raging and the Great Liang Dynasty's borders teetering on collapse, these corrupt worms kept emerging one after another, poisoning the land and worsening the already strained National Treasury.

And they gave the Ministry of Personnel yet another excuse to keep dispatching him to the provinces.

This was truly unbelievable!

The old saying, "Secure the interior before confronting the exterior," now seemed profoundly wise.

Qin Feng reached out and took the silver note, then casually handed it to Qin Xiaofu, smiling warmly at Zhou Yufu: "Does Pingyao County have a bank?"

A bank?

Zhou Yufu felt a pang of unease, unsure what Qin Feng intended, but since the three ten thousand taels had already been accepted, he felt reassured and didn't press further: "Of course there's a bank. Your Excellency doesn't intend to exchange silver, do you?"

Qin Feng shrugged: "What else would I do? I can't go to the bank to eat."

A flicker of embarrassment passed through Zhou Yufu's eyes, but he forced a smile: "Hehe, Your Excellency is humorous."

Humorous? The funnier part is yet to come!

Qin Feng immediately sent Qin Xiaofu to the bank to exchange the silver note for cash—two large wooden chests filled with silver ingots, the largest fifty taels, the smallest five taels.

Qin Feng picked up a five-tael ingot, and under the confused stares of Zhou Yufu and the other magnates, he walked toward the alley behind him, hands behind his back.

Seeing Qin Feng suddenly change his inspection route, Zhou Yufu's heart jolted; he sprinted after him: "Your Excellency, this alley is deep and dark—if anything goes wrong, this Commoner cannot bear the responsibility!"

Qin Feng pretended not to hear, walking deeper into the alley. Soon, a small gate appeared. He pushed—it was locked—so he pounded on it: "Is anyone home?"

The same Zhou Yufu who had been groveling moments ago now had a dark expression; he quickly signaled to the accompanying magnates, who immediately turned and left.

Qin Feng knocked for a long time, but no one answered.

Zhou Yufu forced a thin smile: "Your Excellency, perhaps the Patriarch is away. After walking so far, you must be tired. Why not let this Commoner escort you back to the Wine House first? We'll prepare a fine feast. Rest well tonight, and resume inspections tomorrow."

Tomorrow? You'll have emptied the entire city by then!

Qin Feng ignored Zhou Yufu's plea, turned, and glanced at Li Zhang beside him, grinning: "Li Second Brother, help me break this door open."

Li Zhang resented the nickname, but since they were in disguise, he didn't argue. Annoyed, he stepped forward and kicked the gate—it crashed down.

Under Zhou Yufu's scowling gaze, Qin Feng walked straight into the courtyard, opened a random room door, and with the dim moonlight, saw two dark shadows huddled on a dirt bed.

The two were clearly clinging to each other, trembling with fear.

Qin Feng took the fire striker from Qin Xiaofu, waved it forward—and saw a mother and child.

The woman looked to be in her twenties; the boy, two or three years old, curled tightly in her arms.

Sensing the woman's terror, Qin Feng softened his tone: "Don't be afraid. I'm an official sent to inspect. This room is too dark—come out. I have a few questions for you."

To gain her trust, Qin Feng stepped out of the room first and waited in the courtyard for a long while before the woman finally emerged, trembling with fear.

Seeing Zhou Yufu present, her eyes filled with dread, her legs shaking uncontrollably.

Qin Feng looked around the courtyard. It was unnaturally clean—too clean. He asked gently: "Woman, have you eaten dinner?"

The woman instinctively shook her head, then immediately nodded frantically upon hearing Zhou Yufu's light cough.

Qin Feng already understood. He turned his gaze to the boy in her arms and asked softly: "How old is your son?"

After a long pause, the woman trembled and whispered: "F…four."

A four-year-old could run around freely. The boy in her arms was emaciated, barely two years old.

Qin Feng stepped closer and reached out to touch the child.

His confusion instantly turned cold.

This wasn't the soft, plump flesh of an infant—it was hard bone. Especially at the shoulders, Qin Feng could easily feel the child's skeleton.

Due to chronic malnutrition, the boy was nothing but skin and bone. Terrified as he was, his wide eyes stared fixedly at Qin Feng, yet not a single cry escaped him.

Qin Feng seized the woman's collar and shouted: "You wicked woman! How dare you? A four-year-old boy reduced to this state? Are you deliberately abusing him?! According to the Great Liang Code, abusing infants carries three-stroke punishment! Someone, beat her!"

The three-stroke punishment didn't mean three blows—it meant breaking three water-and-fire staves. It was nearly equivalent to execution.

The woman, already timid, was instantly terrified. She burst into tears: "Your Excellency, I'm innocent! Even tigers don't eat their cubs! Even if I were the vilest woman, I'd never treat my own child this way! Since the child was born, I've had no milk to feed him!"

Hearing this, Qin Feng widened his eyes, feigning fury: "Still lying! No milk? What about millet porridge? Even a single mouthful of food wouldn't let a child starve like this!"

Mentioning food only made her cry harder, as if she had nothing left to lose. She wailed: "If we had food, would I let my child starve? I haven't eaten in three days! I chew wild greens, hold the pulp in my mouth, and slowly feed it to him! My husband, my parents, my in-laws—all starved to death! This courtyard is all that's left—just this orphaned mother and child…"

Hearing this, not just Qin Feng, even Li Zhang was stunned.

Li Zhang, known for his blunt temper, turned red with rage and roared: "Unthinkable! How can such evil exist under heaven's bright sky?!"

Seeing Qin Feng's face darken with fury, Zhou Yufu pointed at the woman and shouted: "You… you wicked woman! Don't lie! Pingyao County is a land of peace and prosperity—everyone has enough to eat, roads are safe, doors are left unlocked! How could it be as miserable as you claim?!"