"Sir, we use all the things here for our own use, not for sale. We've already paid taxes once for running the restaurant, so how can we be taxed again?"
When the shopkeeper saw this situation, he hurried out to explain. Dozens of horses were carrying 50 kilograms of rice, which was considered a large caravan, so soldiers and officers came over soon.
"Have you reported to us?"
An official said with a frown, and when he saw that the shopkeeper didn't say anything, he immediately sneered.
"Since there's no report, then these are all transit goods. We're going to take 10 bags."
After hearing what the officer said, the people around him started talking about it. It was only twenty or thirty bags at most. Now you want to take away 10 bags of rice at once. What kind of tax can be so expensive?
"General, I wonder what the tax rate is in your country of Pyu. Isn't it a bit too high?"
Li Xiang had already come out of the house at this moment. He was very angry after seeing this situation. I have conquered half of the world, but I have never seen anyone speak to me so arrogantly, especially when you come to collect taxes at my door.
"Who do you think you are? You dare to question our tax rate? You Tang merchants have plenty of money, so your tax rate is different from others. You have taken all our money from us over the years. Either leave 10 bags of rice, or take these things and get out of here immediately. You are not allowed to enter Wa City."
Hearing this man's arrogant words, Chang Sun Ze could no longer bear it and was about to go up and pull him off the horse, but Li Xiang still held Chang Sun Ze back.
"May I ask, General, is this tax rate only applicable to merchants from the Tang Dynasty?"
Seeing Li Xiang's extraordinary bearing, the officer did not dare to say anything.
"Why do you care so much? I'm just asking if you want to do business in the city. If you do, you have to come to me and exchange your official documents. Without 10 bags of rice, you can't get them."
After this guy finished speaking, he waved his hand and several soldiers under his command prepared to move the rice.
Li Xiang also basically understood that other merchants from other countries did not have such tax rates. This was purely imposed on the Tang Dynasty merchants. It was probably because they saw that the profits of Tang Dynasty merchants were relatively high that they came up with this idea.
"What a coincidence! I'm not here to do business. I'm an official from the Tang Dynasty's Anxi City, and I'm on my way to see your prefect. Could you please show me the way? I'd like to ask if all Tang Dynasty merchants have to bear different tax rates."
Li Xiang's words scared these people. They thought Li Xiang was just an ordinary businessman. Unexpectedly, after Li Xiang finished speaking, the follower next to him actually took out a seal, which was indeed stamped with the seal of Anxi City.
"You...you are a Tang Dynasty official?"
When he saw the seal next to it, the guy immediately started stuttering.
"It's written in black and white. Can't you read it yourself?"
There were also quite a few Tang Dynasty merchants on the street. After seeing this scene, although they did not dare to speak, they were extremely excited in their hearts. They thought they should teach these people a lesson. Starting from this month, they would treat Tang Dynasty merchants differently.
"I am not responsible for this. If you want to submit official documents, you should go to the prefectural government office yourself."
There was a clear look of panic on this guy's face. Just when he mounted his warhorse and wanted to escape, he found that the horse's head had been pulled by someone and could not move forward at all.
"How dare you! Do you Tang people still have any law? Do you really think this is within the territory of the Tang Dynasty? Let me tell you, this is the city of Wa in my Pyu Kingdom. This is not a place for you to run wild!"
After this guy finished speaking, several of his soldiers immediately took out their knives. Li Xiang really didn't know what to say to them. Let me see your rusty and unrecognizable knife. Do you dare to take out such a thing and embarrass yourself?
Li Xiang's men were not willing to be outdone. They took out their knives and compared them with the weapons they had used in the previous fight. They immediately knew what the situation was. If they really fought, your knives would probably not last a single round and would be chopped off by the opponent.
After these weapons were revealed, the people in front of them understood that these were not ordinary merchants from the Tang Dynasty. They should be officials from the Tang Dynasty. If they were ordinary merchants, how could they have such standard weapons of the Tang Dynasty army?
Over the years, they have also seen some weapons of the Tang Dynasty army, which are really as powerful as cutting through mud. At least the swords, guns, sticks and clubs made in their country are useless and will be chopped off in one round.
"Are you still leaving?"
Li Xiang rubbed his hands and slowly walked up to the officer.
"Sir, we are not interfering with each other. You are here to do business. I am Lattigon from Wa City. If you need any help, I can also help you. There is no need to make things like this, right?"
This guy secretly increased taxes on Tang Dynasty merchants without getting the consent of the local government. However, because this incident brought them a lot of benefits, he sent people to the city gate to watch and collect heavy taxes from any Tang Dynasty merchants who came in.
If this gets reported to the prefect, he'll probably end up in trouble.
"I am a Tang Dynasty official named Huang, with a single given name, Yizi. Today, I will be taking care of this matter. If I were to stop doing anything, I don't know how long my Tang Dynasty merchants would be bullied by you. I have put down their swords, so I am going to the prefectural government office. If there are any merchants who have been blackmailed by him recently, please come with me. I will seek justice for you."
Li Xiang's voice began to rise as he spoke. The people around him had never heard of this Lord Huang, but he had indeed taken out the official seal just now, so this must be true.
These people came to Wa City to do business because the profits here were relatively high, and they had endured hardships along the way, not just to make money? But who knew that after entering the city, they would be blackmailed by this Tiragon.
At that time, they tried to reason with them, but were beaten up by these soldiers. Although the Tang Dynasty court was extremely powerful, this was their territory after all. If they wanted to get justice, it might not be that easy.
I didn't expect to be so lucky today. There are officials from the Tang Dynasty here. We have worked so hard to transport the goods here. Who would be willing to make a wedding dress for them?
