Chapter 476 Extortion
After successfully passing through the checkpoint, Lin Changning led his group into the city and headed to the market. By the time everyone had gathered, it was already quite late.
Old Qian wiped the sweat from his forehead, sat down with Lin Changning and Qi Rong at a small stall, picked up the tea he had just bought and drank it all in one gulp. After finishing, he looked at Lin Changning and suddenly asked a question.
"Changning, spreading rumors and such? Uncle Qian isn't very good at that. You think about what to do, and Uncle Qian will listen to you."
Commander Qian had long known that the eldest son-in-law beside the prince was no ordinary man; he had put the emperor in a predicament without firing a single shot. Professional matters should be left to professionals.
So when he first came in with the two of them, his plan was to listen to Lin Changning and do whatever the prince's son-in-law said.
Lin Changning looked around to make sure there was no one else beside him except for the guards who had come in with him, then nodded: "There are thirty of us in total. Tomorrow we will split into five teams. The men I bring are all experienced. Two of you will take the rest of your guards to the teahouses in the city to tell stories for free, or to spread the word in crowded places. As for how to do it, my men will take your guards there. Just one thing, since there are too few of us here, don't alert the government officials. Just keep a low profile."
Commander Qian rubbed his chin and sighed. When the group came in, Lin Changning had already prepared what to say and how to spread the message, which saved them the trouble.
"And what about us?"
Qi Rong glanced at Commander Qian: "Naturally, we'll wait here. Wait for news to be sent? What news again?"
Lin Changning interjected, "Let it ferment, wait for the news to ferment, Second Brother."
Qi Rong picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea, and nodded: "Hmm, fermentation."
Last night, Lin Changning had already told him the general plan: after the news spread, when there were the most people, the soldiers would disguise themselves as government troops and rob their grain, putting on a big show.
As for how to perform it? Tsk, Changning has the final say. That kid is quite proficient in this area.
After the three finished talking at the tea stall, the others went elsewhere. The next day, when the three came out of the inn, news that the King of Chu was going to attack Shunde City was already flying everywhere.
News of the King of Chu distributing grain to the people after capturing a city spread far and wide.
The three men sat at yesterday's tea stall, looking at a seemingly idle loafer, and gathered together to talk.
"Have you heard? The King of Chu is going to attack Shunde."
One of them lowered his voice and asked the person next to him.
"How come I haven't heard of that? We've even heard that the King of Chu will distribute grain to us after he conquers a city! Isn't that like food falling from the sky?"
"That's right. Last night I went back and told my mother about it. She said she couldn't wait for His Highness the Prince of Chu to invade. He's already requisitioned grain three times this year. If he does it again, we won't be able to afford to eat!"
“Who says otherwise? My father said yesterday that it would be better to give the world to the King of Chu, at least he wouldn’t steal our grain! And I heard that the soldiers under the King of Chu do not harm the people at all, they won’t steal a single grain of rice from us!”
As soon as the man finished speaking, a disguised guard rushed over and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Not only do you not rob grain, but you don't know, do you? A few days ago, a commoner's child had a high fever. When the King of Chu saw that the child was sick, he didn't even bother to enter the city. He first had the army doctor treat the child before entering the city. How can such a king who loves his people like his own children not be our Emperor?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Changning, who was sitting next to him with his legs crossed, chuckled and said, "Your information is from a hundred years ago, isn't it? I have some information that you definitely don't know."
The group looked around, lowered their voices, and looked at the man with his legs crossed: "What news? Tell us."
Lin Changning, with his legs crossed, cracked a melon seed and said, "The King of Chu is about to attack Shunde in the next few days. I have a cousin who works in the yamen. I heard that they're going to requisition grain in the next two days! The soldiers stationed outside the city don't have enough food, so they need us to contribute!"
The men who had just been speaking suddenly changed their expressions and turned pale with fright.
One of them looked at Lin Changning with a serious expression and asked, "Young man, are you serious about this?"
Qi Rong, standing beside him, sighed and nodded with a sorrowful expression: "Of course it's true. Didn't you see the firewood beside us? They're going to requisition grain again soon, and we've run out of cooking. That's why we risked going outside the city to cut some firewood to sell and buy some grain to pay the requisition! It's just a pity we only sold half of it. We don't know where we'll get our food next month."
Upon hearing this, the three men next to him changed their expressions drastically. They no longer cared about sitting together drinking tea and gossiping, and within moments they ran off to other places.
He must have gone home and spread the news.
By noon, the streets were filled with more and more people. Lin Changning looked at his guards, who had changed into soldiers' uniforms and approached silently, nodded slightly to them, and curled the corners of his mouth.
Suddenly, the soldiers posted a notice at the gate of the government office, stating that they would requisition grain again for military supplies. As soon as it was posted, a crowd of people gathered around it.
"Sir, what does this mean?"
Lin Changning's personal guards glared at the people and said irritably, "What else could it mean? The King of Chu is about to attack Shunde City. Go home, pack your things, and hand over your grain."
"Didn't we just pay it a few days ago? Why do we have to pay again?"
"That's right, my good sir, are you even giving people a way to live?"
Lin Changning stood in the crowd and shouted, "The emperor is forcing people to die! If we had known this would happen, we would have preferred to let His Highness the Prince of Chu conquer this place. I heard that His Highness the Prince of Chu would distribute grain to our people!"
"That's right, His Highness the King of Chu is even distributing grain to us, but the court only knows how to beg for food from the people!"
Lin Changning's personal guards above him said with dark faces, "Don't say anything nonsense, or we'll throw you all in jail!"
Lin Changning's delicate face was filled with grief as she stiffened her neck: "We can't even survive, who cares about going to jail! Arrest me, arrest me! There's no food left at home, at least in jail we'll get some food!!"
As he spoke, he stiffened his neck and rammed into the guard. The guard drew his sword abruptly, but before he could do anything, Lin Changning rammed into him and crushed the cinnabar that he had mixed with tea and put in the fish maw that morning.
If time hadn't been so tight, Lin Changning might have been able to get some pig's blood.
In a flash, the people saw Lin Changning, his neck and collar stained with bright red blood, running away while howling.
"The soldiers are killing people! The soldiers are going to collect grain again, and they're going to kill people again."
As Lin Changning shouted, he wiped his face and ran towards the crowd outside. More and more people stopped in their tracks, and the bewildered crowd, led by his guards, surged directly toward the notice board.
Qi Rong rubbed his face, trying to suppress the smile on his lips, as he looked at the increasingly indignant crowd around him. Then he suddenly lunged at Lin Changning's personal guards.
"If you dare touch my brother, I'll fight you to the death."
After saying that, he grabbed a piece of firewood and threw it at Lin Changning's personal guards.
The guard collapsed to the ground the instant the firewood touched his head. At that moment, Old Qian grabbed a piece of firewood and shouted, "The imperial court is trying to kill us! They want to requisition grain and kill us too! We can't live like this anymore! Why don't we all join them in overturning the county government office, opening the city gates, and welcoming His Highness Prince Chu? Once His Highness enters the city, he'll distribute grain to us!!!"
More and more people gathered at the doorway. Hearing the conversation, they clenched their fists indignantly, picked up firewood from the ground, and some even grabbed bamboo poles and hoes.
They followed Lao Qian and Qi Rong, pressing towards the county government office.
"Down with the corrupt officials! Down with the imperial court! Welcome the Prince into the city!!!"
"Down with the corrupt officials! Down with the imperial court! Welcome the Prince into the city!!!"
"Down with the corrupt officials! Down with the imperial court! Welcome the Prince into the city!!!"
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