The black-bellied peasant girl is reborn, and her weird relatives are mad

As expected, Tang Zhongbai stared at him with cold eyes and asked him in a cold voice, "Is what they said true?"

Xun Qing and the other two exchanged glances and denied it outright.

They knew clearly the consequences of admitting their mistakes. Given Tang Zhongbai's style of doing things, once he determined that they were the ones who spoke ill of others and said things that insulted the emperor's reputation, he would not let them off easily.

It would be better to refuse to admit it and leave him helpless and unable to do anything to them.

Li Tong waved to the villagers gathered in the distance. Everyone understood and rushed over with high momentum. They surrounded Li Tong and stared at the officials with eager eyes, as if a fight was about to break out.

The villagers were talking one after another, pointing at Xun Qing and the other two. Their words were as sharp as a steel knife, as if they wanted to cut the three of them into pieces.

Tang Zhongbai understood what they were saying from the confusing language. Every word the village chief said was true. These three people spoke ill of others, threatened and ordered all the villagers to pay the taxes within three days, otherwise they would be punished for treason.

Li Tong raised his hand and chin. Li Dagang understood and stood up and waved his hand to stop the villagers.

The chaotic scene stopped and there was silence for a moment. Everyone turned their eyes to Tang Zhongbai, hoping that he could give the villagers a fair explanation.

Xun Qing, with the knife at his neck, was held up on both sides as if he was being roasted over fire.

Xun Qing was so frightened that beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. His original confidence was completely gone under the suppression from both sides.

He knew Tang Zhongbai's methods. When he first came to Suanzao County, he met a woman in Xigang Village who hid someone else's child as a prank, so he beat the woman with twenty sticks.

Now that so many villagers have come forward to confirm what he said, he has implicated the emperor. If Tang Zhongbai tells the truth, his family's lives will be in danger. Therefore, he made up his mind and decided to deny it to the death.

"Tang Juecao, you and I are colleagues, you have to listen to me! You know me. I have always been timid and afraid of trouble. How could I possibly speak without restraint and involve the emperor? Am I stupid? Or do I think my life is too long? It is this group of villagers who conspired to frame me with false charges so as to find an excuse to evade taxes." As he spoke, two lines of tears fell from his eyes. He wanted to make himself look more pitiful, but the wounds on his face were swollen and deformed, making him look ridiculous.

The other two people around him nodded repeatedly, confirming that what Xun Qing said was true.

"You're talking nonsense, it's not true, he's lying..." The villagers began to argue at once.

The husband said he was right, the wife said she was right, and the scene became chaotic again.

At this time, someone in the crowd shouted: "I swear on the lives of my entire family that everything the village chief said is true."

"Yes, yes, yes. I also swear on the lives of my entire family and the fate of my children for generations to come. If I tell a lie, my children will become slaves for generations to come, and I will become a livestock for generations to come."

"And me, if I tell a lie, I will never have enough to eat, I won't be able to marry, and I will never have any children or grandchildren."

The crowd rose and fell, and everyone swore on their own or their family's fate to testify for Li Tong and prove that every word he said was true.

Xun Qing's face turned pale when he heard this, and he looked at the villagers as if they were monsters.

These people must be crazy. How could they make such a vicious oath? Are they all tired of living?

The villagers turned their eyes to Xun Qing and the other two, shouting at them, "You guys are going to swear too? Didn't you swear that we are lying? Why don't you be more realistic and swear on your entire family and your future?"

"Yes, I'm afraid you don't dare, right?"

"I don't think they dare. What if they take the oath?"

"That's right. If I take the oath, won't my whole family die? Will we be unable to live as human beings for generations to come?"

The crowd burst into laughter. Hu Daxin stared at them straightly. He could tell from their gloomy faces that it was not that they did not want to swear, but that they really did not dare to!

Tang Zhongbai looked coldly at the three panicked people sitting on the ground and sneered in his heart, "Xun Qing, if you had known this would happen, why would you follow Feng Nian to harm the villagers?"

Today, I will kill a chicken to scare the monkey and let Feng Nian see whether a mere county magistrate like him has the final say in Suanzao County, or whether I, the son of a prefect, have the final say!

He raised his chin and pointed the knife in Hu Daxin's hand at the other two led by Xun Qing.

Hu Daxin said sternly, "Tell me, was it Xun Qing who instructed you to threaten the villagers? As far as I know, the county has exempted the entire county from taxes after learning of the severe drought in Suanzao County. How dare you go to the countryside to collect taxes from the villagers privately? Did you collect the taxes and put them in your own pockets, and plan to embezzle them together with Xun Qing?"

When the villagers heard that the tax had been exempted, they were delighted, but then they started to shout loudly in dissatisfaction, "What a black-hearted and rotten-hearted official! The county has already exempted taxes, and you dare to deceive your superiors and harm the villagers. You are so bold."

After Li Tong looked at his son, a sharp look flashed in his eyes.

Things had only ended here for them, but for Xun Qing, it was just the beginning.

Xun Qing could never have dreamed that when Hu Daxin went to invite the village chief, he repeatedly reminded the village chief of what Tang Zhongbai had told him, and asked the village chief to perform a play with him.

A play that could exempt the entire county from taxes, punish Xun Qing, and foil Feng Nian's wishful thinking.

When Xun Qing heard the news that taxes had already been exempted, his eyes widened in shock. This was not what County Magistrate Feng had told him.

County Magistrate Feng had clearly told him a few days ago that he would be credited with the greatest contribution when taxes were collected, and that not only would he be promoted but he would also be given 10% of the taxes.

It was precisely because of Magistrate Feng's guarantee that he worked hard for him.

If what Hu Daxin said was true, and someone reported it to the county, Feng Nian would put all the blame on him, and his entire family's lives would be in danger.

Xun Qing gritted his teeth, spat out a mouthful of blood, and cursed inwardly: "Feng Nian, you cunning old man, I am loyal to you, but you pushed me into the fire pit."

Hu Daxin's words successfully aroused the anger of the villagers. Those with more violent tempers picked up sticks and were about to beat him, but were stopped by Li Changli and his men.

Li Changli stood aside and watched silently for a long time. Only then did he understand Tang Zhongbai's intention.

I'm afraid that Hu Daxin's statement about tax exemption is not true. Tang Juecao dares to say anything to help the people vent their anger.

But he is the governor's biological son, maybe it can come true? He can turn a lie into reality, which is also a good thing for the people.

But he has his responsibilities. He can't let the villagers beat Xun Qing to death. This can be considered as helping Tang Zhongbai a small favor!

Tang Zhongbai stepped forward, stretched out his arms and waved in the air. With the help of Li Tong and Li Dagang, the villagers calmed down and looked at Tang Zhongbai.

Tang Zhongbai pointed at Xun Qing and said loudly: "Fellow villagers, this man was also instructed by someone. But he threatened the villagers and insulted the emperor. His crime is unforgivable. Today, in front of the villagers, he will be punished with 50 strokes of the cane to serve as a warning to others. Fellow villagers, do you agree?"

"Agree." Thunderous cheers of approval echoed throughout Li Village.