Ruan Qian pointed out, "Those who want to settle here come from all sides. Most of the villagers in Fengjia Village are simple and honest. Whether it is to protect the villagers, keep their businesses running normally, or resist risks, they need to make preparations as early as possible."
The two agreed, and Fan Zizhong said, "Brother Ruan, just tell us what you need us to do; it's our business."
Ruan Qian stated frankly, "Of the various factions that joined, apart from those arranged by the prefect, the ones related to Wanjiacun pose the greatest risk in my opinion."
Song Shiwen agreed, "In fact, the two can also be seen as a whole. Wanyou itself relies on the prefect's support."
Fan Zizhong: "We can't openly refuse the people from the prefecture's stronghold, but once they come in, they certainly won't behave themselves."
If even distant relatives are so fearless, how could the people directly placed by the prefect be closer relatives or subordinates?
"So, Brother Ruan wants to find a force to balance things out?"
Ruan Qian smiled and shook his head, "Why not find another way? Isn't Wan You always watching us?"
"Let him experience what it feels like to lift a rock only to drop it on his own foot!"
Song Shiwen couldn't help but smile. Although he hadn't seen Ruan Qian make a move, he had no doubt about Ruan Qian's cunning.
Ruan Qian looked at the two of them and said, "This matter requires the two of you to handle together."
"Brother Ruan, what are your orders?"
"Brother Fan, take your men and keep an eye on things in Wanjiacun. Ideally, among the refugees assigned to Wanjiacun in the last two years, find someone who doesn't get along with Wan You, but whose character isn't seriously flawed, who is exceptionally courageous, and who has major conflicts with the villagers..."
Song Shiwen's eyes lit up as he understood Ruan Qian's intention: "The number of people can be large, otherwise it will be easy for them to form small groups after they come in. He has a grudge against Wan You and other diplomatic villagers, which can create conflicts and prevent the newly naturalized people from forming cliques."
"Only those with exceptional courage and flawless character can be of use to us. As for the feud between our Fengjia Village and Wanyou, the fundamental part needs to be publicized."
"As long as you find the right people, it's easy to win them over."
Ruan Qian nodded, and Song Shiwen cupped his hands in greeting, "Don't worry about the rest, Brother Ruan. I will select and win over the people. Brother Fan will gather information in advance and work with me."
Ruan Qian was very confident in the abilities of the two men, especially Song Shiwen's eloquence, so he did not elaborate further.
Before leaving, Fan Zizhong stayed behind and subtly told Ruan Qian that he would consider Ruan Meng's arrangements as an elder brother, and if there were any risks or he felt something was wrong, he would tell Ruan Qian.
Fan Zizhong hadn't confirmed with Ruan Qian before because he was worried about Ruan Qian's health. He also had a vague feeling that Ruan Meng had called him away before leaving in order to keep it from Ruan Qian.
After listening, Ruan Qian didn't expose him, but simply patted Fan Zizhong on the shoulder.
Song Shiwen and Fan Zizhong took it very seriously and came to report on the progress in less than three days.
Knowing that the prefect and others might close the gates, they wanted to bring in the people they wanted to catch ahead of time.
Fan Zizhong kept watch for a day, bribed someone to find out about the situation of the refugees in Wanjiacun, and verified with Achun to determine the target.
Song Shiwen and Fan Zizhong tried to arrange to meet the two men and observe their expressions. They found that the two men were straightforward, so Song Shiwen directly explained his purpose.
Unlike the Ruan, Song, and Fan families, the two were exiled here last year. The reason they were assigned to Wanjiacun was because they had no money to bribe the prefectural officials. Wanyou took a liking to their skills and specially asked for them.
The two men were soldiers who returned home after their service and discovered that one of their wives had been forced into marriage and thrown into a well by a notorious local bully.
This man was an orphan since childhood and never had the chance to have a child before his wife suffered this misfortune.
With no worries about the future, this man sought revenge on the local bully. However, the bully had many guards and thugs, and his comrade, who had also retired from the army that year, worried that he might be killed instead of achieving revenge. So, after settling things at home, he went with him...
The local tyrant was eliminated. Originally, the two traitors were to be executed immediately, but the villagers pleaded for their lives. Even their former superior officer in the army wrote a letter to plead for their lives. Just then, the new emperor ascended the throne and granted a general amnesty. Due to the obstruction of his forces, the two were instead exiled.
Wan Youyuan had hoped that these two men could act as his henchmen to strengthen the management of the displaced people in Wanjiacun Village...
However, the two were clearly not on the same page as the villagers of Wanjia. Because they were disobedient, they clashed with Wanyou several times. They were supposed to be sent to the mine for service, but because they were good at hunting and fishing and could pay compensation, they stayed in the village.
Upon learning of the invitation from Fengjia Village, the two immediately knelt down before Song and Fan.
They said that Fengjia Village's treatment of Achun alone was enough to make them want to join them.
Song Shiwen and Fan Zizhong, on the contrary, felt somewhat embarrassed.
Originally, I intended to take advantage of them, but I didn't expect them to be so honest and not a vicious person at all.
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