Royal Gold Medal County Magistrate

For several days in a row, Fang Zheng Yi had been sending people to throw sand into the porridge distribution point outside the city, causing the disaster victims outside the city to complain incessantly.

However, the effect was remarkable, and those who could barely afford to eat and were just freeloading decreased somewhat.

In addition, Fang Zheng Yi changed his demands for food and drink every day, and the small group of people in the yamen didn't even bother to hide it anymore.

They simply indulged in the food and drink more openly than before. Although the diet in the yamen now couldn't be described as extravagant, it was definitely much better than what Fang Zheng Yi had eaten when he first arrived.

Liu Xun's gaze towards Fang Zheng Yi also carried a different kind of appreciation.

Such an extreme piece of human garbage was truly rare.

However... the greater the flaws in human nature, the easier they are to exploit.

On this day, Fang Zheng Yi leisurely ate pastries amidst the envious gazes of many clerks in the household affairs office.

From time to time, someone would swallow a mouthful of saliva. Everyone had seen this master's behavior on weekdays.

Not only did he eat better than others, but he could also get some exquisite snacks every day.

Fortunately, he was picky and usually got tired of eating after a couple of bites, casually rewarding them to others.

This was when it was everyone's turn to perform.

Whoever performed well could usually receive a dessert.

Sure enough, Fang Zheng Yi frowned after only eating two bites of jujube cake and said, "It's too rough... Eating something like this hurts my throat."

"Come... I'll test you. How long will the grain in the granary last? If you answer correctly, you'll get a snack!"

"Eighteen days!"

"Eighteen days!"

"Twenty-five days!"

"Hmm?" Fang Zheng Yi glanced askance at the one who said eighteen days.

"Little Li, can you even miscalculate this? Can't you remember the daily amount of grain leaving the warehouse?"

Little Li said with a smile, "Sir, you don't know, the grain reserves in the granary are definitely not enough. Didn't we increase taxes? Today is the day to collect grain from the people!"

"The specific numbers haven't been reported yet, but I think we can last at least another seven days!"

"Hmm! Reasonable! This plate of snacks is yours. Where are we collecting grain? I'm free, so I might as well go out and take a look."

Little Li got up and happily took the plate of jujube cake that Fang Zheng Yi handed over.

"It's not far from the city. There's one today! If you go straight out of the city for two or three li, you should be able to see it!"

"The last time was a month ago."

Fang Zheng Yi smiled.

After waiting for so long, he finally waited for the government to collect grain. There must be many tricks involved, and he had to see it clearly this time.

"Not bad, you know everything. Then you'll accompany me on a trip later!"

Little Li, with his mouth full of snacks, nodded in agreement.

After finishing eating, the two rode their horses to the grain collection point outside the city.

At this time, the people who came to weigh the grain were already lined up in a long queue, each with an ashen face and skin and bones, dragging a bag of grain in their hands, waiting for the government to weigh it and take it away.

The grain collector waved his whip, constantly scolding at the head of the line.

The people poured the grain from their bags into the official measuring container to begin weighing it. There were markings on the official container, and the position of the rice indicated how many pounds there were.

When the grain collector saw Fang Zheng Yi coming, he immediately put on a flattering expression and said, "Master Fang! What brings you here?"

"Hmm, just taking a look. You do your work."

The grain collector nodded and stepped back, returning to continue collecting grain.

Fang Zheng Yi and Little Li stood aside.

At this time, a woman with tattered clothes and a face full of misery held her child and presented a bag of grain.

The grain collector poured it into the official container and said loudly, "Record! Forty-five pounds, five pounds short!"

"Go, report your household registration in front! You have three days to make up the difference!"

The woman's originally wooden face suddenly came to life.

Grief, pain, and grievance surged up together.

She cried, "Sir! That's impossible! This woman carefully measured it several times at home, and it's definitely not wrong. It must be fifty pounds! Please take another look, please take another look?"

The grain collector glanced at the woman and smiled, "Good! The government must collect grain fairly and clearly, so let's weigh it carefully again."

Fang Zheng Yi narrowed his eyes and watched from the side.

After the grain collector finished speaking, he vigorously stirred the pile of grain with his hand, then kicked the official container with his foot, and once again said loudly, "Record! Thirty-eight pounds! Twelve pounds short!"

The woman was struck by lightning! Tears instantly fell.

Two tear streaks ran down her dirty face.

Then, her knees suddenly buckled to the ground, and she kept kowtowing, the child in her arms wailing, "Sir... Sir... there must be a mistake, a mistake."

"This woman weighed it at home and it really was fifty pounds... it can't be wrong..."

The woman knelt on the ground, kowtowing and repeatedly chanting those few sentences.

The grain collector became impatient, "I've already weighed it twice for you, and you still dare to spread rumors! Get out of here, or don't blame me for being impolite!"

After speaking, he flicked his whip, and a cracking sound exploded in the air.

The woman seemed not to have heard it, still kowtowing and muttering to herself.

The grain collector's face changed, and the whip in his hand was about to lash out at the woman.

But just as his hand was raised high, it was grabbed.

Fang Zheng Yi grabbed the grain collector's hand and cursed, "What the hell are you rushing for! Weigh it for her again!"

"Damn! If everyone handled things like you, would Master Liu still have any face left?"

The grain collector retreated sheepishly.

Fang Zheng Yi looked down at the woman, smiling, "Get up, don't make trouble here. I'll help you weigh it again."

After speaking, he turned and walked to the official container, imitating the grain collector by stirring in the rice pile, and then kicked the official container hard.

"Thirty-six pounds!"

Then another kick, and the grain sank a little more.

Then there were three consecutive kicks on the container, and finally it stopped firmly at thirty pounds.

"Damn, is there something wrong with this container? What's the meaning of this?" Fang Zheng Yi looked at the grain collector with a playful expression.

The surrounding people were dumbfounded, staring blankly at this bizarre scene.

The grain collector swallowed a mouthful of saliva and whispered into Fang Zheng Yi's ear, "Master Fang, let's talk in private."

Fang Zheng Yi nodded slightly, then followed him to a secluded place.

The grain collector whispered, "Master Fang, you don't know, the official container is like this."

"It's like this? How can the grain get less and less as it's weighed? I wonder if throwing you in will help you lose weight!"

The grain collector was covered in sweat, "These people are cunning, often using inferior goods to pass off as good, so we can only weigh a little more, you know what I mean."

Fang Zheng Yi stared at him, suddenly raising his voice, "I don't know!"

The surrounding people all looked over, and the grain collector became even more nervous. "Master, don't shout! Master, don't shout! Master Liu also knows about this. We've always done it this way. You see, you might not understand the situation since you just arrived."

"You're farting! I have a very close personal relationship with Master Liu, would he not tell me about this? I think you're the one who's embezzling and pocketing the grain!"

"Tell me, where did the embezzled grain go?"

The grain collector was sweating profusely, but he didn't dare to say.

Fang Zheng Yi smiled when he saw him: "It's okay if you don't say..."

As he said that, he vigorously rubbed three fingers below.

The grain collector understood and took out a silver ingot from his arms, two taels!

The next second, a slap appeared on the grain collector's face, making his eyes see stars.

Fang Zheng Yi grabbed his collar and said fiercely, "Are you fucking looking down on me?"