Jiang Wanwan took out a few pieces of silver from her crossbody bag and threw them on the table.

The waiter's eyes lit up when he saw this. He grinned and looked at Jiang Wanwan, "Madam, is there anything I can do for you?"

Jiang Wanwan said with a smile, "As long as you answer a few questions for me, these few pieces of silver are yours."

Upon hearing this, the waiter bent down and quickly picked up the few pieces of silver on the table. He smiled ingratiatingly and said, "Madam, please ask, I will answer to the best of my knowledge."

She crossed her arms and asked, "Brother Er, were those bandits the same ones who colluded with the county magistrate?"

“That’s right, it’s them. Every night, those bandits come down from the mountains, and the magistrate will order his officials to open the city gates wide and let the bandits into the county town. The bandits split what they rob with the magistrate.” The waiter’s expression turned somewhat angry as he finished speaking.

"How did those bandits get the yellow flag they mentioned? How much silver do they have to pay to fly it?"

The waiter became even angrier upon hearing this. "These yellow flags are something the bandits created to force people and shops to hand over their money."

Every day during the day, the bandits would set up a small stall in the city, selling yellow flags and registering information. Shops had to pay three hundred taels of silver each month to receive a yellow flag, and the bandits would personally help the shop owners or ordinary people who bought the flags to hang them up.

As you just saw, madam, the bandits wouldn't break into shops that had yellow flags displayed in front of them. But if there wasn't a yellow flag, that's what happened to those people just now.

If the money is not paid to renew the flag after the one-month deadline, the bandits will take away the yellow flag hanging in front of the shop.

Before the locust plague, shops could still make a little money. But since the plague started, people are worried that if they run out of money and something happens, they won't have any left. So, people are now very careful with their money, making it extremely difficult for shops in the city to earn a living. Earning ten taels of silver a month is already very difficult, let alone having to pay three hundred taels to the bandits every month—who can afford that?

Even our inn can't afford to renew its lease next month, sigh~~

Jiang Wanwan understood now. It was obvious that the bandits had only robbed a few shops last night to make an example of them, warning the people and shopkeepers to quickly buy yellow flags, or they would be the next ones to be robbed.

Under this double fear, the people and shopkeepers will soon surrender. Those with money will obediently buy yellow flags, and those without money will try to scrape together the funds to buy them.

Only in this way can one's safety be guaranteed.

"And what about the common people? How much silver would they need if they wanted to hang a yellow flag?" Jiang Wanwan continued to ask.

The waiter made a cross with his two index fingers and said, "Ten taels of silver per household."

"Ten taels of silver! And it only covers one month? Isn't this pushing the people to their deaths?" Jiang Wanwan exclaimed in shock, her eyes wide.

"Who can argue with that? But what can be done? Ten taels of silver is more than enough for an ordinary family to live on for a year. Who among the people who have no means of livelihood can afford to pay ten taels of silver a month?"

That's why many families in the county town had already been ransacked by the bandits, which is why you found the town so quiet after entering.