Chapter 206 How dare they be escorted by the government!

After being exiled, the Xie family always did some bizarre things along the way, and Xiong Jiushan had gotten used to it by now. He stood at a distance and watched for a while, and when he saw nothing unusual, he went back to his simple tent to study the map.

On windy, snowy and cold days, it is not advisable to stay on the road for too long, so as to avoid the cold air invading your body and causing illness.

However, the wind was strong and the snow was heavy, and it was extremely tiring to keep walking against the wind and snow. How to go on was also a difficult problem facing Xiong Jiushan.

After passing Laiwu Town and all the way to the place where the Min family's caravan had an accident on its way to Beijing, there were no decent cities in between. There were only a few scattered villages, which were small and sparsely populated.

It would be hard for hundreds of people to pass by without being conspicuous. Moreover, the news that he was escorting a group of fugitives might have spread all the way. This was also a problem that Xiong Jiushan had been thinking about.

There were many vehicles and supplies in the team, plus some of the convicts' own property. Xiong Jiushan felt that if he were the bandit who ruled Panlong Ridge, it would be difficult for him to watch a piece of fat meat pass by unscathed right under his nose.

An old yamen runner who had experience escorting people along this route suggested, "Sir, no, why not get two people to go and pay respects to the mountain? Although it's not appropriate, it's better than being dangerous. The mission is urgent, and life is important."

As for property, giving up a little in exchange for the safety of most of it is much better than confronting a group of desperate criminals who don't care about their lives.

Xiong Jiushan remained silent. Someone nearby disagreed. Gripping the sword at his waist, he pointed at the vast expanse outside the Great Wall and said, "Once we're outside the Great Wall, the northern border will be even more dangerous. Supplies are hard to come by. We've only just replenished our supplies, which are barely enough. We've only just arrived, and we're about to be fed to stray dogs. What if we run into highway robbers again? If this keeps happening, we'll never be able to complete this escort mission."

The old yamen runner sighed inwardly, feeling that speaking to such a clueless young man was like talking to a cow. Pointing to the narrow, winding post road along Panlong Ridge, he said helplessly, "This place! The road is long and winding, with high mountains on both sides. If we go through this place with so many of us, if something goes wrong, we won't be able to cover everything. If those bandits don't dare to act recklessly because they're escorted by the government, then that's fine. But if they're too bold and harbor evil intentions, we might not be able to get out safely with just our men."

"They are under government escort, how dare they!"

The old yamen runner was unable to catch his breath, and the truth in his heart was stuck in his throat and he couldn't say it out.

Xiong Jiushan raised his head and glared at the young subordinate. "I've been in office for a long time and have a lot of experience. Just listen carefully. There's no need to have so many opinions."

"Yes, sir, I've spoken too much."

Xiong Jiushan turned to the old yamen runner and said, "This is a foolish man. Your Excellency, please don't bother with him. Let's calm down. How did we cross the mountain here before? If there's no good way, we can discuss other things. After all, we're wearing official uniforms and can't afford to be in cahoots with those thieves."

Since the adults had said so, the old yamen runner naturally couldn't take it to heart. Besides, he was smart and clear-headed, and those words were just Xiong Jiushan's men saying what he wanted to ask.

What's more, the adults had discussed the matter of Panlong Ridge before. He guessed that Xiong Jiushan already had an idea in his mind about what to do. Now he was thinking again. Either something unexpected happened in the middle, or he would have to wait and see before reaching the mountain gate. He felt uneasy.

He was uneasy and spoke frankly, "It used to be easier to get through Qingzhou. A few years ago, the commander of Qiuling Pass was a member of the Tu family. When things got tough, the Qingzhou governor would ask General Tu for help. I've never heard of banditry becoming so serious here in Panlong Ridge. Now General Tu's gone to the northern border to guard the border, and I really don't have much experience. I did hear my former colleagues mention it a few times when they were escorting prisoners, but it used to be easier to escort them when there were fewer of them. With so many now, I'm at a loss. I just figured less trouble is better."

Xiong Jiushan could tell that what the old yamen runner said was indeed the truth.

Cheng Ye crossed his arms and whispered, "Since they've joined the outlaws, they've long lost their respect for the government. If we give them benefits now, not only will their greed be insatiable, but they'll also think we're afraid of them. So why would we, the soldiers, come out of the barracks to escort this fugitive? Why not just let you take him there?"

The old yamen runner did not refute. He had said everything he needed to say. If these adults selected from the barracks didn't care, then he didn't want to be the annoying villain.

The key lies in how Xiong Jiushan decides.

Everyone knew that this official mission was different from previous ones because there was a special group of convicts in the team.

The Xie family is a hot potato.

Based on what has happened in recent days, no one can guarantee that their ideas will succeed.

Outside, the prisoners had eaten and drunk hot water, and their fatigue had improved considerably. Although a full stomach was a luxury, having food in one's stomach could restore a lot of energy and spirit.

Pang Jiming had a good harvest from working with Tie Niu. He handed in his things and got double the amount of food in return. The family of four finally had a full meal with hot water. Looking at the satisfied expressions on his wife and children's faces, Pang Jiming also felt a little happy in this cold snowy day.

In order to thank Tie Niu for his help, he broke off most of the extra pancake he had received and gave it to Tie Niu.

Tie Niu raised the food in his hand and said, "I have it."

Pang Jiming still stuffed it into his arms seriously and said seriously: "You have helped our family, these are what you deserve. You should accept what you deserve."

Tie Niu felt that he had only pointed him to a place, so it was not good for him to get half a cake for free. However, he was happy to have more food. He just didn't understand why he said, "You got an extra cake and gave me most of it. Didn't you work for nothing?"

Pang Jiming laughed and said, "How could that be? Even though I don't have much, my family can all have enough to eat. How can this be considered as working in vain?"

Tie Niu looked at his family, then looked at the extra half cake in his arms.

"If only my father could live to see his exile."

Pang Jiming: “…”

I always feel like I want to say something but can’t.

The good thing about the Iron Ox is that it never wastes time.

It's just a casual remark, and the next second it's over. After eating and drinking, you can curl up and immediately enter a state of rest.

Pang Jiming had never seen a more relaxed convict than him. Tie Niu's easy-going mentality cured Pang Jiming of his long-standing depression.

Now, he seems to have seen another way of living life. He does not mention his past ideals and ambitions at all. He only wants to emulate Tie Niu and live another life and another realm.

Pang's wife kept listening to him talk about his brothers Tie Niu, but never mentioned anything about water conservancy and people's livelihood. She always looked like she was listening attentively, but sometimes when she saw her husband so detached from the past, she couldn't help but feel some other worries in her heart.