This tactic was quite cunning. He Zifeng's group made the greatest contribution during the arrest, but two of them died and three were injured. The remaining ten people thought they could get away with it for a few days because of their achievements.

But to their surprise, the advisor dealt them a blow.

The yamen runners quickly learned of this. Why should they get less work than others when they're doing the same tasks?

The advisor used a borrowed knife to kill, and without any major action, they collapsed on their own.

That day, two people decided not to stay with He Zifeng and his group, and instead wanted to switch to Lao Xing's group.

People are willing to die for money, so this is quite normal. It's just that their swift and decisive subletting is a bit disrespectful to He Zifeng.

He Zifeng's position as a minor leader didn't change anything. After so long, everyone genuinely believed he had a mild temperament.

He Zifeng called the remaining eight men over and said, "Perfect, we can move to someone else's side and each of us can get an extra tael of silver. I will definitely not delay your brothers' path to wealth. If you want to leave, you can go."

Those present exchanged glances. Zhou Hao said, "No matter what others do, I'm not leaving!"

Lin Feng chimed in from the side, "I'm not leaving either." These two came from wealthy families and didn't care about the money. They simply wanted to be with He Zifeng, even though it was their group's achievement, and they were clearly benefiting from it. On the day of the arrest, it was He Zifeng who turned the tide.

Bingzi also said, "I'm not going either." They became acquainted when He Zifeng first came, and they couldn't let that friendship slip away. Xie Rui wasn't leaving either. He'd practically become He Zifeng's shadow now, going wherever He Zifeng went.

But others might not be the same.

If He Zifeng could successfully become the deputy head constable, he could take care of them. But now the advisor has presented a problem: Lingshan Village is almost considered a rebel village, so how can they obediently pay taxes?

Moreover, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush; it would be better to switch groups and earn an extra tael of silver.

Two more people stepped forward and said, "Brother He, we're sorry, but we have elderly parents and young children to support. We're just waiting for this little bit of money to start our business."

He Zifeng nodded.

Lin Feng was indignant and cursed, "For a mere tael of silver, you're disregarding our friendship? Even if you go, what can you do? There are so many people in the other groups, who will treat you like a human being?"

Which leader would dare to give important positions to someone who can leave at a critical moment?

The two men said, "I'm not good at fighting, and I'm afraid I'll be a burden to the group." They meant they were afraid of being used as cannon fodder in a tax-collecting brawl.

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He Zifeng stepped in to stop him, saying, "Everyone has their own ambitions; that's normal." Then he let him go.

The yamen runners left quickly, showing no lingering attachment to the place.

So their group only had six people left, and with He Changfeng, there were only seven people. Their group was not as good as another small team.

The remaining men resolutely refused to leave. He Zifeng never extorted money from his subordinates, and their lives became much easier.

He Zifeng said, "Alright, I'll treat you to drinks after we finish collecting the taxes."

Zhou Hao and Lin Feng were both experts at drinking parties, and said, "Alright, let's drink until we drop." Everyone dispersed.

Only Xie Rui stayed by He Zifeng's side, watching over him, afraid that he would feel bad.

The news that four people from He Zifeng's group had left in one go quickly spread throughout the county. The clerk, upon hearing the news, even poured himself a jug of good wine. He had originally admired He Zifeng, but unfortunately, the man was from the county magistrate's faction. He had no choice but to intervene.

He Zifeng was not as downcast as they thought. Instead, he took Xie Rui to Bingzi's empty house in the county. No one lived there on weekdays, so anyone could stay there.

When they arrived, two people were already waiting at the door. One was San Shun, and the other was San Shun's father, who was also the current village chief of Lingshui Village. He was an elderly man with completely white hair and beard. After they entered the house, the village chief of Lingshui Village knelt down before them and said, "Thank you, benefactor, for saving our entire village."

He Zifeng couldn't let him actually kneel down, so he quickly used his hands to lift him up.

He Zifeng said, "No need for such formalities."

Then they took out the things they brought and showed them: lifelike lotus lanterns, various miniature paper sculptures, exquisitely painted banners, gold and silver ingots, as well as houses, carriages, and bridal sedan chairs.

The village chief of Lingshui Village quickly explained to him that it was a project made with the combined efforts of the entire village. Fortunately, their village had people skilled in painting and others good with their hands. The most difficult part was coloring, as the paints were simply too expensive.

That tiny box cost one or two taels of silver. Finally, an elder in their village suggested that some stones could be used to make vibrant pigments, so they searched high and low. They found some raw materials and traded them for some mid- to low-grade pigments from pigment merchants. They applied the colors repeatedly. The process was meticulous, and everyone did their best within their capabilities.

Even Xie Rui, who was standing next to him, was amazed. What they had made was practically a miniature house. When the lid was opened, there were all sorts of halls, tables and chairs, small porcelain pieces, a stove, and even the screens were lifelike.

Sam-soon was extremely satisfied with the work, saying, "I never knew the village elders knew so many things." It turns out that some elders in their village had repaired the wealthy man's house. That's why it was restored so meticulously.

They came for this very reason. The product was made, but they didn't know if they could sell it. They were still anxious.

Xie Rui, who was standing next to him, said, "I've never seen anything so realistic. If I hear of anyone organizing one, I'll recommend them to you."

He Zifeng said, "Go ask those Taoist priests who often perform rituals for people. At most, they can introduce a business to you and give you some money each time." Those Taoist priests specialize in doing business with rich people, which is much better than going from house to house.

These days, cloth sellers have shills, and so do business openings; hiring a few Taoist priests is nothing unusual.

The old village chief of Lingshan Village nodded repeatedly, flattering him from the side, "Sir, you've thought things through very well. We've already come up with a plan. We'll use the profits from our village to cover the costs here, half for you, and the other half for the whole village." He had lived a long life; nothing lasts forever!

He wanted to bind them together with shared interests, hoping it would last. Besides, his son's release this time was truly thanks to him.

He Zifeng said, "Alright, I can't just take half of your money for nothing. I'll think of a way, Taoist."

Then he summoned Zhou Hao and Lin Feng, who had extensive connections and all sorts of shady characters. He said the Taoist priests in their county were mostly clever swindlers, with few possessing real skills. He also explained the new money-making scheme in Lingshan Village: he would take 20% of the tribute Lingshan Village was to give them, and the remaining 30% would be divided among the six brothers.

Zhou Hao and Lin Feng quickly replied, "That's easy!"

Several Taoist priests were summoned and met with the village chief of Lingshan Village. The village chief first showed them exquisite items made in the village, saying that no matter how much they sold for, they would receive half the profits, which made the Taoist priests' eyes light up. They knew some traditional Chinese medicine. But everyone has their own expertise, and these handmade items were clearly the ones that others could make and sell for a higher price.

One of the fat Taoist priests said, "Here's what you'd like to do. Take all these things with you. I'm going to perform a ritual at Zhang the Rich Man's house later."

Upon hearing this, He Zifeng also wanted to go and see for himself. This fat Taoist priest was famous for his silver tongue and was very well-known in the area. Even those Taoist priests who were more skilled than him couldn't outwit him.

The village chief of Lingshan Village readily agreed. He then sent someone to tell his young Taoist disciple to carry these things to Zhang the Rich Man's house.

The artifacts in Lingshan Village are so lifelike that people along the way come to visit them.

Several Taoist priests and He Zifeng and his group followed behind to join in the fun.

Seeing that even they were here, it must be something big. The neighbors and relatives around also spread the word, and a large number of people went to Zhang the Rich Man's house.

Zhang the rich man's concubine recently became pregnant but miscarried. His first wife said it was because she had offended a villain or some deity, and asked him to go and exorcise the curse.

This kind of thing sounds like something that involves the inner quarters of a household, but this fat Taoist priest likes to take on this kind of work because it's easy and profitable.

Hearing the commotion outside, Zhang the rich man sent his steward to open the door. When he opened the door, he was stunned to see such a large group of people outside; it turned out that half the street had come.

Zhang, the wealthy man, was a man who loved to organize and enjoy lively gatherings. He had never seen so many people come even when he set up a stage in front of his house before, and they were filled with respect for the fat Taoist priest. They repeatedly invited him to perform the ritual with the utmost courtesy. Hearing that the other Taoist priests and He Zifeng and his group had come to see what was happening, they also invited them in. Several acquaintances from the neighborhood followed them into the house.

More than twenty people were ushered in, much to the surprise of the first wife who had organized the event.

The fat Taoist priest set up an altar, sometimes breathing fire, sometimes spraying water. Finally, a passage of scripture appeared on a yellow talisman, and the fat Taoist priest said in a mystical tone, "Your daughter was originally Chang'e's Jade Rabbit from the moon, who secretly descended to the mortal world. If she could give birth, your family would surely prosper. Unfortunately, Chang'e found out halfway and called the Jade Rabbit back. However, if you burn more rare mortal items to attract the little Jade Rabbit, maybe one day it will be in a good mood and come back to your house."

Then they told him that a paper carriage cost two taels of silver, a bridal sedan chair cost five taels of silver, a mansion cost ten taels of silver, and so on.

The village chief of Lingshui Village and San Shun were among them. Hearing his price, their hearts pounded. He was asking for way too much; they were afraid of angering Zhang the Rich Man and having them thrown out. Ten taels of silver for a paper effigy? That's enough to build a proper house.

To everyone's surprise, Zhang the rich man said, "I'll take all of these." While burning the offerings, he muttered, "Rabbit, I'm your father..."

He Zifeng didn't know what the rich people were thinking. But glancing at the villagers around him, he looked at Zhang the Rich with envy and muttered to himself, "These paper offerings are so exquisite. If we secretly burn some, could we attract the little jade rabbit to our house?"

No one knows what words caught Zhang the rich man's ear, but he got even more excited: "Taoist priest, I want to burn two sets."

The fat Taoist priest grinned from ear to ear: "Two sets are perfect, a perfect pair!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang the rich man was even more delighted.