《新五代史·列传·杂传第三十四》
向上要交纳急需的兵赋，在下又受到苛刻盘剥聚敛的困扰。
上输兵赋之急，下困剥敛之苛。
They had to pay urgent military taxes, and they were plagued by harsh exploitation and extortion.
<s>[INST] Kindly elucidate the central themes in this passage in English: 上输兵赋之急，下困剥敛之苛。 [/INST] They had to pay urgent military taxes, and they were plagued by harsh exploitation and extortion.</s>
Kindly elucidate the central themes in this passage in English: 上输兵赋之急，下困剥敛之苛。
user
They had to pay urgent military taxes, and they were plagued by harsh exploitation and extortion.
assistant