Chapter 1366

After passing through the main hall, Yuan Shao returned to the study.

When the heavy imperial edict in his hand was placed on the table, Yuan Shao sat down with a deep frown.

On one side is the Governor of Jizhou, General of the Vanguard, and the establishment of his own office.

On the other side is the life and death of the people of Jizhou.

How to choose?

Of course, this not only includes the life and death of the people of Jizhou, but also Yuan Shao's future.

Why is there an item about enfeoffing the Governor of Jizhou in the imperial edict for collecting grain.

It is very clear that the court wants an obedient Governor of Jizhou.

If he does not act according to the court's will, then this Governor of Jizhou is very likely to be someone else.

It could be Zhang, Qian, Sun, Li, or it could be Zhou, Wu, Zheng, Wang.

Anyway, it cannot be him, Yuan Shao.

Dong dong dong.

There was a knock on the door outside the study.

Yuan Shao didn't even look and said the two words "come in".

Xu You, wearing a gray robe and a high mountain crown, walked into the study.

"Zi Yuan, sit down."

Yuan Shao pointed to the imperial edict in front of him with a dull look: "Zi Yuan, help me think of a way, what should I do?"

After sitting down, Xu You stroked his chin's beard lightly.

After thinking for a while, he shook his head and said: "This is difficult, it's a dilemma."

"Ben Chu just asked for tax relief for the people of Jizhou, and now he has to collect taxes. If this repeats, the hearts of the people that were painstakingly gathered will probably be gone all at once. It would have been better if there was no tax reduction in the first place."

"But if you don't collect taxes from the people, it's naturally impossible to collect from the powerful clans and aristocratic families in Jizhou."

"When Ben Chu first arrived in Jizhou, he used the land left behind by the migration of one million refugees as an exchange, which gained the support of Tian Feng, Ju Shou, Shen Pei, Cui Yan, and many Jizhou aristocratic families. Now if you want to collect grain from the Jizhou aristocratic families and powerful clans..."

Xu You shook his head slowly.

Just now in the Council Hall, Tian Feng sternly rejected Guo Tu. Was that deep understanding of righteousness?

Of course not.

Among the aristocratic families, how many care about the common people of the world?

Would Tian Feng?

Would Ju Shou?

Or would Shen Pei?

If they really cared, where did their families' thousands of acres of fertile land come from? Where did the horses and beautiful maids kept in their luxurious mansions come from? Where did the brocade clothes and silk come from?

Of course, they didn't just jump out of the sage books.

If the people pay taxes to the court, they obviously won't have money to pay their land rent.

For one mu of land, the court wants one or two percent, but the aristocratic clans and powerful families want five or six percent.

If they give it to the court, they won't have enough for the aristocratic clans. If the aristocratic clans force collection, the people will make trouble.

This is the root of the interest.

Guo Tu and others naturally don't care.

Of course, this is not to say that Guo Tu, Xun Chen, and the brothers Xin Pi and Xin Ping are good people.

Because their homes are all in Yingchuan, and their family businesses are all in Yingchuan, so this tax collection naturally won't be their bad luck.

Instead, Guo Tu is happy to see Tian Feng and these local Jizhou aristocratic families suffer.

This is a factional struggle.

"Don't collect..." Yuan Shao muttered to himself.

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Xu You: "If Ben Chu doesn't collect... the court won't be able to explain it. I'm afraid it won't be long before Ben Chu is replaced. Even if you can keep the position of Inspector of Jizhou, the court will definitely send someone else to serve as this Governor."

"There is one more point..."

Xu You looked at Yuan Shao, who was in a difficult position, and said softly: "Ben Chu also doesn't want to be enemies with Zi Yi, right."

Yuan Shao raised his eyebrows and clenched his fists involuntarily.