"Alright, alright, stop crying here. Go get them some paper and pen and write to the adults in your families, asking them to come here before sunset this afternoon. If anyone doesn't come, I'll exile you according to the laws of the Tang Dynasty."
Li Xiang saw that none of these guys could make the decision, so he was too lazy to waste time with them. He asked the adults in their families to come and talk. Anyway, no matter whether you sell your house or land, you must pay me the money.
After hearing what Li Xiang said, these people quickly picked up their pens and wrote letters, hoping that the adults at home would rescue them as soon as possible. They felt too much pressure being around Li Xiang. When Li Xiang's eyes swept over them, they all felt like they had lost two taels of flesh.
Li Xiang had just asked about their identities. Almost all of them were the eldest sons of major families, so there was no need to wait until the sun went down. Less than an hour had passed, and a large number of carriages had arrived outside. It was obvious that they were here for their children.
"Your humble servant, Tang Guoli, the Governor of Wuqing Prefecture, greets Your Highness."
An old man in his fifties jumped off the carriage and came to Li Xiang as quickly as possible. The leader of the group was his son. He had gone out to play with a group of friends in the morning and should have gone back in the afternoon. However, his family went back to report that he had been captured by an army.
Mr. Tang was a little worried at the time. As long as he wasn't taken away by bandits, it would be fine. There have been a lot of troops here recently. Could there be a conflict with the imperial army? While he was hesitating at home, his son's letter was delivered. The person he offended was the one he couldn't afford to offend the most.
After Lord Tang knelt down, he thought Li Xiang would let him stand up, but Li Xiang didn't say a word, so he could only continue kneeling. There were more than a dozen other officials kneeling around him. Li Xiang calculated that there were still several people missing, so he would talk to them together after they were all present to avoid wasting his saliva.
In the Tang Dynasty, people over fifty years old were considered old, so after kneeling for about an incense stick of time, Lord Tang was already a little unable to hold on. Just when he was about to fall, Li Xiang looked and saw that everyone had finally arrived.
"I never thought I'd meet you all in this way. I was hoping to find a good tavern and dine with you all, but unfortunately, your gentlemen won't give me this opportunity..."
Li Xiang briefly explained the situation here and finally raised a fatal question, which is, do all your sons have achievements?
"In reply to Your Highness, my son is a newly minted scholar in this prefecture..."
A seventh-rank official said.
"Is this your only son?"
"This is the only one I have to say to Your Highness."
"Take your son away and go back to study hard. None of us can ignore the court's regulations. This matter has nothing to do with you now."
Li Xiang was very disciplined in doing things. According to the current laws of the Tang Dynasty, as long as you have achieved fame, you don't have to serve in the military, pay taxes, or pay grain.
Apart from this seventh-rank official, no one else spoke. That is to say, apart from the boy just now, the rest of the people had no achievements.
"Master Tang, I have a question. Do you think these people are still ordinary people of the Great Tang?"
Li Xiang looked at Lord Tang who was shaking like a sieve and said, "To catch a thief, we must first catch the leader. After all, you are the head of the local officials. Who else should we go after if not you?"
"Your Highness, I accept the punishment. I accept the punishment."
After all, the father knew more than his son. The son was always making trouble, not knowing how much money the family had. The father immediately understood what was going on. If Li Xiang made a big fuss, the whole family would be in danger, and wouldn't they be confiscated and dismissed from office? Now they just needed a large sum of money, and they had to come up with it even if they had to sell everything they had.
"I also accept the punishment."
Some people quickly knelt down and moved closer to Li Xiang. Now they had no room to change the situation. Li Xiang detained everyone here. Moreover, their son had no achievements and was doing evil things outside every day. It was too easy to find witnesses.
"Don't force yourself. If the family doesn't have enough money, I can give you less."
Li Xiang didn't expect to achieve his goal so easily. He had to say a few polite words. These old people were very cooperative and didn't let him waste a single word.
"It is our duty to contribute to the country. According to the amount Your Highness has mentioned, please give us some time and we will go back and raise the money immediately."
Some people were just about to hear how much less they'd spend, but Lord Tang immediately blocked their way. "Are you all courting death?" "Since His Highness has given us a figure, we must pay the money honestly. This way, we can get through this difficult time. We should pray to the gods. If you're still reluctant to spend money now, you'll be going to hell next year."
"Lord Tang is indeed capable, but besides the money, the barracks at Zhechoufu are too shabby. If I were to ask my men to live here, I don't think anyone would be able to survive. Could Lord Tang make some arrangements for me?"
Li Xiang looked at the dilapidated military camp around him. If it weren't for the three words "Zhechoufu" on it, he would probably have thought it was a beggar's den.
"Please rest assured, Your Highness. I will make the arrangements immediately. I am willing to contribute two hundred laborers and will be at Your Highness' disposal."
Not only did he take the money, but he also had to send someone in the end. This Lord Tang was indeed not an ordinary person. If he were an ordinary person, he would never do things this way. Li Xiang liked Lord Tang more and more. He did not do a good job in the affairs of his descendants, but he was still qualified in cooperating with military affairs.
But the people around him were not able to cope with it. They looked at Lord Tang with some resentment and said, "You have already expressed your position, so we have to express ours too." In a short while, Li Xiang gathered more than 1,400 slaves.
"I will remember all your support for the court. When I return victorious, I will report to the emperor and detail your contributions. However, what I will say then will depend on what you do. We still have a long way to go, and today is not a one-time deal. You should go back and gather money and men first, and you young men will stay in the army and serve."
Li Xiang also had something to say, telling these people not to think that today's matter would just pass like that. As long as I'm still at the southwest border, you guys have to cooperate with me, otherwise I'll get you out of this matter at any time.
