Chapter 178 The Transmigrated Boy Used as Cannon Fodder (Part 25) Mo Kaiyang...

Mo Kaiyang was a little taken aback when he saw General Wan Hai calling for the waiter to bring him some good wine. He had originally intended to use his past relationship with Wan Jun to call him over and discuss something.

But this person seemed to be more than just someone I'd heard his name from; he was far too familiar with me.

It couldn't be because he guessed that I had helped drug those tens of thousands of soldiers, allowing him to snag a huge windfall.

Even now, Mo Kaiyang, unaware that the medicine he had given was not working properly, tentatively asked a question. Only after receiving an affirmative answer did he feel relieved.

For some reason, the way General Wan Hai looked at him had a strange quality to it.

Wan Hai ordered three jars of wine, and even Lin You, who was just standing in the background, got some, since he had been told that two people were going to help defend against the enemy.

Although only the Evil Swordsman had become famous, he secretly asked the young shop assistant surnamed Hu, and found that there were two people who went to buy the medicine.

General, no, His Majesty originally said it would be a man and a woman, but this young master looks so delicate and weak, he might actually be a girl in disguise. After all, these things aren't uncommon among people in the martial arts world.

Wan Hai poured himself a large bowl of wine, picked it up, and drank it all in one gulp. The way he drank it, like a cow chewing on a peony, made the shopkeeper's heart ache.

This is top-quality Yuquan wine. Normally, a small pot containing two ounces can sell for five ounces of silver. This jar contains two jin (1 kg).

That bowl was still the soup bowl from the restaurant; after all, people here drink from small cups, not the kind of wine bowls from the northern deserts.

"Although this wine doesn't have the same flavor as the strong liquor from the northern desert, it's still acceptable. I'll drink this first as a sign of respect, and you two can make yourselves at home."

Knowing that these two probably didn't want to reveal their identities, Wan Hai didn't say it explicitly, but it was his words that made the shopkeeper's expression twist even more.

In the capital, the only places that sell that kind of strong liquor from the northern desert are the low-class restaurants and teahouses. You can buy a big bowl for ten coins. Restaurants of his caliber don't even bother to serve it.

But that was all in the past. Everyone knows that the current emperor was once the great general who guarded the northern desert. I'm afraid that in the future, this strong liquor will also be able to take a place at banquets in the capital!

Mo Kaiyang didn't mention what happened before. He pointed to the people on the ground and asked Wan Hai, "General, do you know what they did?"

The leader, who had been beaten so badly he couldn't get up for a long time, finally caught his breath and realized that Mo Kaiyang was no ordinary person. He scrambled over and said, "It was my fault for being blind and offending you two young masters. Please be magnanimous and spare me this time."

Wan Hai added, "These guys are blind and have provoked Brother Mo. Go ahead and beat them up or curse them, just leave them alive to send back to me."

Mo Kaiyang didn't become arrogant just because Wan Hai was backing him up. He calmly recounted the events, and seeing that Wan Hai still looked puzzled, he added an explanation:

"They are very clever. They only target those who are rich but powerless. In just half a month, they have already swindled hundreds of taels of silver from them."

You have to understand that back then, recruiting a common soldier only cost two taels of silver per person to settle down.

Seeing Wan Hai's gloomy face, these people whispered their defense: "They were the ones who wanted to treat us to dinner. A few taels of silver are nothing to them. They even tip their servants more than that."

Are we, who have risked our lives alongside His Majesty, not even as good as the servants of these wealthy families?

"They've got too much money to burn, treating you all to a meal that costs seven or eight taels of silver!" Even noble families don't eat like this every day!

Although these people weren't generals, they had fought alongside Wan Hai in several battles and had been fleecing wealthy customers at this restaurant for the past few days. One of them, quick-witted than thoughtful, muttered something under his breath:

"That shopkeeper is just throwing money away. General, the wine you drank was Yuquan wine, which costs five taels of silver a pot. All of us have only drunk one pot together, which is not as much as the bowl you just finished."

Wan Hai stared at the wine jar in front of him. This piece of junk is worth five taels of silver a bowl?!

He searched his pockets for a long time but only managed to pull out two taels of loose silver. In the end, he gave the innkeeper a jewel-encrusted dagger as payment for the wine.

That dagger was a trophy from his first battle as a soldier, but he couldn't let the shopkeeper keep it for him to redeem later, otherwise the shopkeeper probably wouldn't dare to accept it.

Wan Hai was heartbroken, but he couldn't show it on his face. He talked to Mo Kaiyang for a few more minutes before leading the group away.

Mo Kaiyang ultimately didn't say anything about not harming the common people in the slightest. Since he wanted to be a wandering swordsman, it was best not to get involved in these matters.

At worst, we can just send a message to General Wan Hai again if we encounter something like this in the future. As for the token, isn't it ready-made?

Neither Mo Kaiyang nor Lin You drank the wine; they returned it to the innkeeper untouched. Mo Kaiyang paid for the rest of the food and drinks on their table, as well as the damaged tables and chairs.

The shopkeeper was very astute and kept the dagger. It was a hot potato in his hands, and it would be great if someone was willing to take it over.

Wan Hai quickly went to the palace and told them everything. Wan Jun was indeed quite capable; he investigated the matter thoroughly in just one day.

The Wan family army has always been disciplined, but there are still some who eat and drink for free, take other people's things for free, and there are also those good-for-nothings who go to brothels to sleep with other people's girls for free.

Fortunately, they knew not to go too far, so no one was killed and no good girls were forced into marriage. Compared to other bandit armies that passed through, these things were already considered good.

But this was proposed by Mo Kaiyang, who had just said that he would be a good emperor.

Soon, the people of the capital saw that those soldiers who liked to take advantage of others were dragged to the busiest street and beaten with a board according to the amount of money they had taken advantage of.

Even those who liked to steal fruit from one neighbor and buns from another were given three lashes and strictly ordered to return the money for the stolen goods.

Those who are greedy for small gains are fine, it's just a matter of a few dozen copper coins. But those like the one Mo Kaiyang encountered, who squandered hundreds of taels of silver, are people who couldn't repay even if they were sold off.

In such cases, the government would initially pay upfront, then detain the person, waiting for the time to reward them and use the reward to offset the debt.

If the reward isn't enough to cover their debts, then they'll be thrown in jail.

This method of handling was praised by the people, but Mo Kaiyang couldn't help but frown. Was such a mild punishment really effective in deterring people?

But from the perspective of ordinary people today, this is actually quite good.

Lin You comforted him, saying, "The rules we had back then may not be suitable for now, and whether their rules are suitable or not, we'll only know after trying them out."

Mo Kaiyang nodded; now he only needed to watch.

The two couldn't join in the excitement of the coronation ceremony, but to celebrate this good news, many shops on the street were decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and fruit and coins were scattered at their doorsteps.

The children on the street laughed and ran from one house to another. Mo Kaiyang, relying on his speed, caught a handful of copper coins and snatched three fruits.

These pastries, shaped like auspicious patterns, are filled with sweet red bean paste and jujube paste; they taste really good.

After stuffing the fruit and money into Lin You's arms, Mo Kaiyang ran off to join the crowd. His boisterous manner made him seem more mature than other children his age, who were only ten years old.

Both Wan Jun and Wan Hai sent people to search for Mo Kaiyang's whereabouts in the capital, deploying them to various key locations.

Unfortunately, none of them could have imagined that Mo Kaiyang was mixed in with the other children. In order to fit in, he changed his clothes and appearance, and looked no different from the other children.

The excitement continued until after the New Year, when the atmosphere in the capital eased slightly. Soon after, the imperial court issued a special imperial examination and granted a general amnesty.

Mo Kaiyang could understand granting an imperial pardon, but what exactly was this "general amnesty" thing?

To celebrate, you're releasing the criminals you finally managed to catch? What if they wreak havoc on the world again?

When Mo Kaiyang went to find Wan Jun again this time, he knew to knock on the window. Although he still didn't alert the guards, he at least showed basic courtesy.

As for the grand ceremony of kneeling and kowtowing three times when meeting the emperor, Mo Kaiyang had no idea about it at all, and Wan Jun didn't mention it either.

Wan Jun has some methods for judging people. Mo Kaiyang is not the kind of arrogant wanderer, but he has a chivalrous heart. He is a master of martial arts and cannot stand the injustices in the world. He always wants to seek fairness for everyone.

But for some reason, this person had a strong liking for him, and even showed a sense of closeness and trust that he himself was unaware of. If it weren't for the age discrepancy, Wan Jun would have almost thought that this was a romantic debt he had incurred sometime during his life.

Wan Jun personally took the teapot, poured him a cup of tea, and then asked, "Why did you come at this time? Did something happen?"

Mo Kaiyang sat in the chair opposite him, picked up his teacup and drank more than half of it in one gulp before saying, "There's something I can't figure out."

"What is it?" Wan Jun asked, following his words.

"A general amnesty!" Mo Kaiyang's brows furrowed deeply. "Those are all criminals, why should they be granted this amnesty!"

Wan Jun never expected that this was his reason, and a smile involuntarily appeared in his eyes. "But weren't all the previous dynasties like this?"

Even when the emperor celebrates his birthday, he grants a general amnesty. After all, he is the founder of a dynasty.

“But if bad guys are let out, it’s always the good guys who suffer. Besides, this is a new dynasty, why should we care about how the previous dynasties did things!” Mo Kaiyang finished speaking and couldn’t help but snort.

Wan Jun then realized that even he himself was still somewhat unaccustomed to his current identity, while Mo Kaiyang had already accepted the change of the court with great composure.

He suddenly remembered that when he first met Mo Kaiyang, after confirming a date, he suddenly recognized his own identity.

And his companion, with her unpredictable and mysterious methods, was someone he later sought out, but none of the skilled sleight of hand could match her abilities.

Wan Hai had previously mentioned that Mo Kaiyang was accompanied by a quiet young man who looked frail and weak; it was unclear whether he was a girl in disguise.

However, after looking at the portrait, Wan Hai shook his head and said that they looked different. Not only did the girl look different from the young master, but even Mo Kaiyang looked different.

Appearing and disappearing unpredictably and changing in countless ways, coupled with the previously shown ability to travel a thousand miles a day, is such a person truly possible in the mortal world?

If they had calculated something in advance, or if they had some special methods, then it makes sense.

Wan Jun's attitude softened, and his eyes even showed a hint of kindness. He explained, "Given the chaos of the previous dynasty, most of the prisoners were probably innocent. As for the heinous villains you mentioned, I will have someone investigate them thoroughly. Bad people will definitely not be released!"

Mo Kaiyang was about to leave, satisfied, when Wan Jun handed him a plaque. It was said that this plaque allowed him to enter and leave the palace without kneeling before the emperor, and that other officials would treat it as if the emperor himself were present.

“If you don’t like being restrained, I won’t force you. You don’t need to do anything with this badge. Just take it. If you encounter a corrupt official in the future, you can just take him down. Even if you have to kill him on the spot, it won’t be a problem.”

This is quite a lot of power. Mo Kaiyang was about to refuse when Wan Jun waved his hand and said, "From the first time I met you, I felt very close to you, as if we were old friends who hadn't seen each other for many years."

My younger brother passed away early. If he had grown up, he would probably be about your age now. Looking at you is like seeing him. I don't ask anything of you. Just call me "Big Brother" when you see me in the future.

Mo Kaiyang held the token, frozen in place, feeling a chill run from the soles of his feet all the way to the top of his head, and couldn't help but shiver.

You think he's Wan Xuan? Can you talk any more nonsense?!

He shook off the goosebumps on his body and finally managed to say, "Brother Wan, it's getting late, I won't keep you from resting any longer."

After saying that, he exchanged two more life-saving pills in the Golden Finger Shop, and also took the spare peace charm that Lin You had given him. He put them on the table for Wan Jun, and then quickly climbed out of the window.

Although Wan Jun's attempt to get close to him was a bit too deliberate, he ultimately didn't want anything to happen to this person.

Wan Jun looked at the things on the table, then at Mo Kaiyang, who was holding a token and not following the usual path, and couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle. Sure enough, this kid needed to be coaxed.