Chapter 135: Capture of Lan County
Sun Qingchen thought Xu Zhenying was going to ask him how to deal with these gentry, but Xu Zhenying remained unmoved, much less flew into a rage as he had imagined. Instead, he said slowly, "There's no need to be angry. Since these gentry won't listen to me, Xu Zhenying, I have my own way of making them obey."
"Excuse me, sir, do you want to kill a chicken to scare the monkeys? If you want to kill someone, although I look frail, I am naturally strong and can wield all kinds of weapons. If you have any difficult tasks, please leave them to me."
Xu Qingying felt the voice sounded unfamiliar, so Feng'er immediately said, "This is the captain of Team 12. I think his name is... Mo something. You can tell me yourself."
He was a handsome young man with an upright figure. Although he had fallen into the group of refugees, he spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly and dared to volunteer. It seemed that he was a man of real ability.
The man bowed and introduced himself. "My name is Mo Jinchun, and I'm from Sanjiang County, Jinzhou. This year, Jinzhou was hit hardest by floods, and Sanjiang County was the worst hit. It's now a devastated place, with only one in ten people left. They've all fled. I'm the only one in my family who escaped; the whereabouts of the rest of my family are unknown."
Mo Jinchun's voice choked with emotion as he thought of his missing family. "My family runs escorts, and the Sanjiang Escort Agency is our family business. I've practiced martial arts since childhood and am proficient in all kinds of weapons. I've been escorting for years, and I know the routes to every county in Jinzhou by heart. If you have any requests, I will definitely not refuse."
"Well done! I like people who are talented and courageous!" Xu Zhenying did not hide his admiration for Mo Jinchun. Talents, these are all talents, they can be used right away, how convenient!
She turned to Feng'er and said, "Feng'er, take note. Ask someone to take a census of our five thousand people later. How many can read? Who has what skills? Farmers, weavers, chicken and pig farmers, and even craftsmen. Please make a list."
Feng'er obeys the order.
Xu Zhenying then said to Mo Jinchun, "You're very good. Not many people dare to recommend themselves, which shows that you have real ability. I, Xu Zhenying, have everything except talent."
Mo Jinchun couldn't hide his excitement.
When he was in Lao Liao's team before, he had already seen that Lao Liao was not a hero, so he disdained to associate with him.
Even though Lao Liao tried to win him over many times, he remained unmoved.
But Xu Zhenying is different. Although he is young, he is able to control his subordinates. All of his subordinates obey him. He is not greedy for money and is generous to his subordinates. He can also make earth-shaking things like black powder.
What is even more commendable is that Xu Zhenying attacked the city but did not massacre the inhabitants. The first thing he did after entering the city was to deal with government affairs. Judging from his experience in handling government affairs, he was definitely not an ordinary refugee.
If you don't show your loyalty now, when will you?
Fortunately, he won the bet.
Xu Zhenying seemed quite satisfied with him.
"But," Xu Zhenying smiled slightly, tapping his fingers. "I prefer to conquer the enemy without fighting, not to engage in bloodshed. Your skills will only be kept for now; they might be of great use in the future. There's no point using this butcher knife to kill a chicken this time. Rest for now. I'll have something important for you to do in a couple of days."
Sun Qingchen's heart trembled, and he couldn't help but look at Xu Zhenying.
Good boy, this method of winning people's hearts is quite sophisticated. Seeing Mo Jinchun's expression as if he had met a confidant, you can tell that he is sincerely convinced by Xu Zhenying.
What is the origin of this Xu Zhenying?
He can make black gunpowder, is familiar with government affairs, and can win people's hearts. Judging from his tone, he seems to have studied military strategy.
Xu Zhenying called Fang Xun again, "Fang Xun, I have another task for you. Select forty refugees, two men and two women. Choose strong men and kind women. Divide into ten groups and knock on every door, asking them three questions. The first question is which wealthy families are there in the city? The second question is what bad things these wealthy families have done. The third question is who among them do the common people think deserves death the most? List them in order."
Mo Jinchun didn't understand what he meant.
The others also looked confused.
Fang Xun didn't understand what he meant. He thought about it carefully before asking, "What if the people refuse to cooperate? The local gentry is powerful, and the people are afraid of retaliation and dare not tell the truth."
Lian Feng'er was anxious and blurted out: "Either lure him with benefits, or drive him with fear, or use both. I'm not afraid that he won't tell the truth!"
Xu Zhenying was somewhat surprised by Feng'er's progress. She glanced at Feng'er with a smile. Feng'er was at a loss as to what to do. She lost her confidence and said with her head down, "What's wrong, sir? Am I wrong?"
"No, you said it very well. I'm just surprised by your intelligence and diligence." Xu Zhenying turned his head and looked at Fang Xun again. "You heard me, you go and think of a way, and make sure to make a big show of it. Let those gentry know that we are blacklisting them. If anyone asks, just tell the truth. Say that we won't kill a good person, but we won't let a bad person go either. The first few people on the list may have their entire families' heads chopped off. Let those gentry recall carefully whether they have done anything bad to bully men and women recently. Make them panic!"
Fang Xun pondered over Xu Zhenying's words and retreated thoughtfully.
But Feng'er was unable to come back to her senses because of Xu Zhenying's praise. Oh my god, did the young master praise her again just now?
No, if she hears one more sentence, she will really faint.
"There are still some things to be done, which will be gradually carried out after things stabilize. That's all for today. I'll adjourn the meeting and ask Liu Dazhuang to come see me."
Everyone left. Da Zhuang had finished his work and returned. "I've already sent someone to keep the Sun family under guard. I saw that their house was quite large and could accommodate about fifty or sixty people, so I took the initiative to move them to the Tianzihao room in the restaurant. This way, it will be easier for our people to supervise them."
Xu Zhenying then called Dazhuang forward, "Liu Dazhuang, Li Zhaodi was sold into the city a few days ago. Take a few trustworthy people with you to look for her... well, just you go alone. I don't trust anyone else."
Liu Dazhuang clearly felt that Xu Zhenying was hesitant to speak, and there seemed to be something surging in his eyes. He did not say anything and waited for Xu Zhenying's next instruction.
"Go look around more often in the brothels and red-light districts. If you find someone, don't make a fuss. Just bring them to me quietly."
Liu Dazhuang's heart skipped a beat.
He did not have a deep impression of Li Zhaodi. All they remembered on their journey together was the night when they went to rescue Yin Zhang. Li Zhaodi's hot tears almost burned his back.
That woman... was actually sold to a brothel?
At this moment, everyone in the city was in panic.
Not long after, the doors of the people's homes were knocked open one by one. Old man Zhang from Xicheng raised one foot and walked very slowly. He responded in panic and asked his old wife and granddaughter to hide in the house before he dared to open the door.
Uncle Zhang thought to himself, it’s over, they’re probably coming to steal our food.
He picked up a kitchen knife from behind the door and hid it behind him.
There were two men and two women knocking on the door.
Before Uncle Zhang could react, the leading woman smiled and said affably, "You must be from Old Man Zhang's family in West City, right? Don't be afraid. We are here on the orders of the city lord to ask you a few questions. Don't worry, we have asked all the locals questions, not just yours."
Old man Zhang was startled and felt strange. He stuck his head out to look and saw that there were two men and two women asking the same question from the opposite house.
He was skeptical, but a smile appeared on his face. "Ask me anything. I will tell you everything I know."
"Okay. Do you know any of the wealthy families in the city? Who are they?"
The woman spoke softly and in a particularly kind way, which made Old Man Zhang less wary.
He thought again, asking who the rich people are, and answering this question is not illegal.
"There's a man named Chen in the city. He has a cousin who's a high-ranking official in the imperial court, and his business has spread all over Jinzhou Prefecture. His family runs a business: grain, clothing, restaurants, everything. I heard the floors in his house are made of silver..."
"Has he ever done anything to bully men or women?"
Old man Zhang immediately became alert, waved his hands, and said vaguely: "It's hard to say, I don't know him..."
The round-faced woman stepped forward and lowered her voice, saying, "Don't worry, we're just talking casually. We won't tell anyone. The city lord said that these wealthy families in the city are exploiting farmers by buying grain at low prices, and then selling it to you at high prices. In times of natural disasters and man-made disasters, they are taking advantage of the national crisis to make a fortune. This behavior is simply worse than that of beasts! The city lord wants to punish these wealthy families in the city and force them to hand over grain, and then distribute the handed-over grain to the people in the city, but unfortunately he can't find a reason..."
Old Man Zhang's eyes rolled around as he listened, but he still said, "Hurry up and leave! How can you speak ill of others behind their backs? Besides, I really don't know any of these Chen, Wang, Liu, Gu, etc. families in the city..."
The woman remained unperturbed and continued, "The city lord also said there's a reward for reporting. Anyone who reports the crimes of these wealthy families will be rewarded with a bushel of rice. Old man Zhang, if you don't speak up, someone else will. Please consider it."
Even though Old Man Zhang was tempted, he didn't have the courage to provoke the masters in the city. He just kept saying he didn't know and then closed the door.
Only then did his wife dare to come out. She had just heard the entire conversation clearly and now looked worried: "What's going on? Is that mountain king going to attack the rich people in the city?"
Old man Zhang walked into the house with his hands behind his back, shaking his head and sighing, "Alas, the fact that those wealthy families have grain at home can no longer be hidden. But even Lord Sun couldn't defeat those masters, let alone this new king? These are extraordinary times, so don't spread rumors everywhere, or you'll get into trouble!"
Old Man Zhang's wife said, "Don't tell me, this king really seems different from the bandit leaders before. Not only did he not kill anyone when he entered the city, but he also didn't steal our things. We saw refugees when we entered the city before, but now we can't see a single one. What do they eat and where do they live with so many people?"
"Why should we care so much? As long as he doesn't start killing people again, we can just live our own lives behind closed doors!"
Old Man Zhang's wife shook her head. "I think things are about to change in this city. The four families of Chen, Wang, Liu, and Gu have done so many bad things and offended so many people. Just wait and see. They're making such a big show of asking us to inform on them. Someone will definitely get fed up. Tomorrow will definitely be a good show to watch."
At this moment, the heads of the Chen, Wang, Liu, and Gu families were gathered in the study of Chen Zhangyi, the head of the Chen family.
Ever since the servant came to report that the new king was taking action.
He sent ten groups of people to go door to door to collect information about the wealthy families in the city. Although they didn't know what tricks this self-proclaimed king was up to, they knew that this move was definitely aimed at them.
The atmosphere in the room was a little tense.
Wang Yin, the head of the Wang family, had always advocated that they be polite to the new king, but these people were stubborn and insisted on giving him a warning. At this moment, they said bluntly: "Master Chen, from the beginning, I advised you not to go against him. What good would it do to go against him? You still tried to show him a warning. Now even Lord Sun and his family have been kidnapped, and he is just a bandit leader who is not afraid of us at all! Now look what's going on, he sent people to question every household. This is clearly looking for an excuse to deal with us!"
"He dares?!" Chen Zhangyi's beard twitched, and he slammed the table. "My cousin is a bona fide sixth-rank official in the imperial court. If he dares to attack me, I will directly write a letter to my cousin and ask him to send a large army to suppress the bandits. I don't see which of them can escape."
"Bianjing is a thousand kilometers away from Lan County. Your distant water cannot quench your immediate thirst... Besides, they are just a bunch of bandits. There is no such thing as the code of conduct. How can we confront such people head-on? What if they send people to surround our yard and chop off our heads first? What can we do then?"
The heads of the Liu and Gu families also looked annoyed, regretting that they had acted rashly and followed that old man Chen Zhangyi.
Liu Chang then said, "What on earth does he want to do? He doesn't force us to pay tribute, nor does he send anyone to force us to hand over grain. He just leaves us alone, yet sends so many people all over the city, asking questions about us...Brother Chen, I'm so panicked...I always feel that this guy is very weird. Take that gunpowder at the beginning, for example. I've never seen such a powerful thing in my life. It directly blew open such a thick city gate...Didn't you guys go to see that grass-roots king enter the city? Oh, that style, how can I put it, it's weird...truly weird..."
"How bizarre! I didn't dare go today, fearing he would use it against us..."
"I can't put it into words. I just don't know what to say. He doesn't look like an ordinary bandit leader. He speaks softly and politely, a very polite young man...but if you stare at him for too long, it makes you feel a little scared."
"Hmph!" Chen Zhangyi was a little annoyed. "Don't talk about those empty words. He's doing all this right now just because he's targeting us. Tell me, what should we do?"
Wang Yin said, "After all this talk, why don't we just find out what he needs? He made such a fuss just to force us to hand over food. We should just give it to him. Is that little bit of food not worth our lives?"
"Give it to him?" Chen Zhangyi blew his beard and glared. "Sun Qingchen has come to me so many times to beg for mercy, but I won't give in. Now I have to hand over the food with both hands just because he plays a trick? There are so many refugees in Jinzhou Prefecture. If we get rid of them, how much can we get? Have you ever calculated it?"
Upon hearing this, the Liu and Gu families nodded frequently, and did not forget to echo: "Brother Chen is right. The price of grain in Jinzhou has risen sharply this year. We have worked so hard to buy grain from the north. Once we sell it, it will be all money!"
Wang Yin just thought that these people were crazy. At the critical moment of life and death, they still cared about those mundane things. He just wanted to pry open the heads of these idiots to see what was inside.
"Everyone, Jinzhou is in such a state of chaos. We're lucky to be able to transport this grain to Lan County. There are bandits everywhere outside, and Lan County has kept the gates closed to us. Who do you want to sell it to?"
Soon, another servant who was keeping an eye on the situation came to report: "Master, our inquisitors reported that the self-proclaimed king is collecting information from all the masters to see if they are bullying men and women, disrupting the market, illegally occupying farmland, etc. He is also inciting the people to hold a bully vote, saying that the one who ranks first... the one who ranks first will... will..."
Chen Zhangyi was furious: "Tell the truth!"
"He said he would chop off the heads of the whole family!"
Chen Zhangyi was so angry that his face turned pale. He slumped down in his armchair, clutching his chest. "Alright, alright, alright, very alright. Since he's seeking death, I won't show him mercy. Someone, bring me my token. Tell Steward Lu to quickly take my letter and find Lord Zheng of Jinzhou Prefecture. Request him to send troops immediately to suppress these bandits!"
The Liu and Gu patriarchs' expressions relaxed, and they quickly followed up with a flattering remark: "Brother Chen, with your help, I suspect these bandits will be like grasshoppers after autumn, and their arrogance won't last long. With this, we can rest assured."
"Once the troops from Jinzhou Prefecture arrive, I'm afraid these bandits will be terrified and threaten to chop off our heads and force us to pay tribute. They're simply overestimating their own capabilities. Sun Qingchen had to be humble when he saw us, but he, a self-proclaimed king, wants to ride roughshod over us as soon as he enters the city. He's really a newborn calf who's not afraid of a tiger. Let him be arrogant for a few more days, and then we'll go back and wait for good news from Brother Chen."
Wang Yin laughed at these people in his heart for being so ignorant of the current situation. Not only can distant water not quench immediate thirst, but the Jinzhou Prefecture is in such a mess that they may not even be able to protect themselves, so how could they have extra troops to come to Lan County to cause trouble.
Wang Yin also knew that Chen Zhangyi was a man who had always been tactless and arrogant, so he did not argue with him. He just responded with a few words and left.
He walked on the empty streets, looking at the dilapidated shops and the closed doors of every household, and his heart was somewhat infected by a sense of unease.
Ever since the new king entered the city, the people have been in panic.
Although he did not take any action, never killed people indiscriminately, never bullied men and women, and never showed any signs of extravagance and debauchery, there seemed to be no change in Lan County before and after these refugees entered the city, except for the occasional rough men who came to do things. They were in a hurry, but their eyes were very disciplined, never glancing around, and they spoke politely.
This doesn't look like a makeshift team at all!
I really can't understand it and I can't grasp it.
Because of this, Wang Yin felt even more uneasy.
Somehow, Wang Yin felt that beneath the calmness of Lan County there seemed to be a huge storm hidden.
The servant beside him reminded him, "Master, the streets are not peaceful. Let's go back quickly."
Wang Yin asked the servant beside him, "Is this self-proclaimed king ordering people to gather information about the wealthy families in the city? He's even asking the people to vote for us. Do you think our Wang family will be on the list?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com