I clearly wanted to be a tyrant, but how did I become the greatest emperor of all time?

Luzhou, and several surrounding counties close to Beimang.

A major taxation campaign has begun.

Qi Dazhuang was a clerk in charge of local anti-smuggling efforts.

Naturally, he would be responsible for destroying the ghost market.

In order not to alert the enemy, Qi Dazhuang made use of his trusted men he brought from Dong Liao.

The remaining minor officials were also selected from the poor families in the county government.

Qi Dazhuang was very strict in his management of the clerks and often trained these minor clerks.

Although they are not as strong as the soldiers in the army, they are definitely a strong force in the county government.

Qi Dazhuang had been eyeing the ghost market for a long time.

Although it is called a ghost market, it is an open secret to almost everyone in the county.

It is located in a valley about ten miles outside the county seat.

When the ghost market opens, the wealthy families in the county will drive donkey carts there.

Qi Dazhuang had already figured out the location of the ghost market.

The magistrate gave him the key to the county government's armory.

Controlled weapons such as broadswords, iron armor, and heavy crossbows were distributed to Qi Dazhuang and his men.

They also wrapped linen around their armor for protection.

The group reached the edge of the valley under the cover of night.

The reason why this place was chosen as the ghost market was because the valley was easy to defend but difficult to attack.

But soon those wealthy families discovered that no one cared about them at all.

As a result, the trade became more rampant, and the private soldiers guarding the valley gradually relaxed their control.

Qi Dazhuang came from a military background and had fought on the battlefield in the northern border.

He had practiced "Yue Family Sword" in the army and was also a fifth-level martial artist.

Among his trusted subordinates, there are also three fourth-level warriors.

In a place like Luzhou, this is already considered an extraordinary master.

As the sky gradually darkened, the valley where the ghost market was located began to light up.

Qi Dazhuang made a hand gesture and flew up with several of his trusted men.

With their swords in hand, they instantly wiped out these wealthy private soldiers who had never seen blood.

People trading in the ghost market were unaware that the entrance to the valley had been captured.

Qi Dazhuang looked forward and said to his men, "There are a lot of people inside. If we just barge in, some will definitely escape."

Qi Dazhuang said to one of his confidants, "You sneak in and set a fire. Once the fire starts, we will close the net here and arrest anyone who comes out!"

"Yes!"

After a while, fire started burning in the ghost market.

There were many dead trees in the valley, and the fire quickly started.

The raging flames startled everyone who was trading.

They all ran towards the exit of the valley.

But Qi Dazhuang had already made preparations and was lying in ambush on both sides with his men.

This group of panicked smugglers were all caught by Qi Dazhuang!

The usually elegant county magistrate was so excited that his eyebrows danced with joy.

Now, the court’s mission can be accomplished!

It can also strike a blow to the local powerful families!

The magistrate immediately gave an order, asking Qi Dazhuang to take his men to search and confiscate the homes of those families that had secret dealings with Bei Mang one by one!

Qi Dazhuang and the clerk from the household department went to the homes of those arrogant and domineering local tyrants with confessions and account books.

A few families tried to resist, but Qi Dazhuang and his men broke into their homes.

Those families that resisted were all charged with treason.

The magistrate was no pushover either, he immediately sentenced the head of the family to be executed!

It completely shocked those families who wanted to rely on private soldiers to resist.

Then Qi Dazhuang and Zhang the Blind began to check the amount of tax to be paid household by household.

Having to pay so much money at once, the hearts of many wealthy families bleed!

But the magistrate had already said that if the tax was not paid in full, they would be punished like the previous households for colluding with the Northern Mangs to commit treason.

These wealthy families had to sell off large amounts of land.

The magistrate took advantage of the situation and introduced a policy to lend land to the poor at low interest rates.

The local poor people excitedly called out to the great master, and the lands sold by the wealthy families were immediately snapped up!

Wait a week later.

The magistrate also found it unbelievable when he saw the mountains of silver piled up in the county government's warehouse.

Such a small county actually collected 500,000 taels of silver in one go!

It is almost four or five years’ worth of farmland tax for the entire county!

The local powerful families had been cleared out, and the county magistrate immediately ordered Qi Dazhuang to take the tax silver and escort it to the capital.

In addition to tax silver, the captured Beimang merchants were also taken to the capital as captives.

The ghost market was destroyed and a new market was built.

Merchants can legally trade in the market, and the county government also collects commercial taxes according to the system.

However, all transactions with Beimang will be cut off from now on, and no one can trade with Beimang!

It was thought that this blow would cause the county's economy to deteriorate.

But unexpectedly, after the new market was established, many people went to join in the fun.

On the first day, the market sold a large number of goods.

Blind Zhang, who was in charge of collecting commercial taxes, was also surprised when he saw the tax amount reported by the clerk.

In just one day, the market collected one hundred taels of silver!

Don’t underestimate this little bit of silver; it can amount to tens of thousands of taels of silver in a year!

The land tax in this county is only 100,000 taels of silver a year!

Moreover, this time the imperial court ordered that all commercial taxes from the previous two years be paid to the county.

With money in hand, the county magistrate suddenly became ambitious.

When serving as an official, one certainly has the ambition to benefit the people.

Now that the powerful families in the county have been defeated, all power in the county is in the hands of the county magistrate.

There is still money in hand.

The county magistrate planned to build a few roads through the difficult-to-travel mountains and reclaim more fields.

Of course, cultural education could not be neglected. When the county magistrate learned that the county magistrate had money, he also came to ask for some.

The local county school was expanded and several local veteran scholars were hired.

For a time, the magistrate's reputation among the people reached its peak!

Li Tian spent the entire month lingering in the harem.

Have dinner at the Queen's place and watch Tang Hanxue review memorials.

Go to Concubine Lan to watch the sword dance and have some "exchange ideas" with her.

Occasionally, I would go to the Empress Dowager's palace to pay my respects and chat about family matters.

Life is enjoyable.

Tang Xiaoren also fully demonstrated the style of a powerful official.

Almost everything can be handled in the cabinet.

He is also the sole prime minister of the cabinet.

For a time, Tang Xiaoren's reputation as a powerful official spread throughout the court.

The ministers soon realized that there was neither the emperor nor the noisy court meeting.

Things actually went more smoothly!

Tang Xiaoren handled all matters reported by the six ministries in an orderly manner.

The memorials submitted by ministers to His Majesty were all responded to quickly.

The court runs smoothly, even more efficiently than during the reign of the previous emperor.

Li Tian was lying on Concubine Lan's lap, enjoying the green grapes that were tributed from southern Xinjiang.

[There are still seven days until the end of the month! ]

[Establishment of the West Factory, Great Zhou's National Fortune: -3000 points! ]

[Abuse of royal relatives, Great Zhou's national fortune: -2000 points! ]

[The Ministry of Revenue is in financial crisis, Great Zhou’s national fortune: -2000 points! ]

[National fortune at the beginning of the month: 10 points! ]

[Current national fortune: 10 points! ]

Pretty!

The results are encouraging!

Just this one moon lying in the harem has ruined the country's fortune for 7 years!

One step closer to the reward!

Li Tian was delighted.

But what Li Tian didn't know was that the documents reporting the good news from the counties in the northern border had already been sent to the cabinet.

Tang Ze, the head of the Zhongshufang, was excitedly leading his clerks to check the tax silver.