It took Li Jin a while to find his voice. He stammered, "Sir, are you drunk?"
Otherwise, why would he have said he wanted to join the bandits?
He is the county magistrate.
Rong Bai didn't answer him, but instead murmured, "Uncle Li, have the other county magistrates already started handing over the able-bodied men for labor service?"
Seeing that he looked like he had lost his soul, Li Jin was very worried, but still honestly said, "Yes, they have all been handed over, they were all... they were all forcibly arrested."
"My lord, we..."
"Stop talking." Rong Bai raised his hand to interrupt him, and chuckled, "Even if we wanted to catch them now, we wouldn't be able to catch many."
"Why is that?" Li Jin asked, puzzled.
Although many people in Tongning County also fled famine, there were still enough able-bodied men to perform forced labor.
“Because…” After a day of calm, Rong Bai’s emotions had calmed down. He calmly recounted to Li Jin what he had seen and heard at the villa that day.
This includes the village head leading the way in becoming an outlaw, and the magical seeds of Roxi.
“I dare say that if we dare to arrest people, those people who are still hesitating will immediately side with Chaoyang Manor. At that time, it will not be as simple as just not being able to find able-bodied men.”
“Our Rong family may become the fat sheep in the wolf’s den, and Du Hong will not care about our life or death, and may even kick us when we are down.”
"How could this be?" Li Jin was completely stunned after hearing this, unable to believe it for a long time.
"But, but no matter how good Chaoyang Manor is, it's still just bandits. How could they, how could they..."
It doesn't make sense for someone to give up being a law-abiding citizen and instead rush to become a bandit.
“Ha…” Rong Bai laughed sarcastically: “Uncle Li, you’ve forgotten one thing.”
"In the hearts of ordinary people, whoever can provide them with enough to eat and wear is a good person, and conversely, whoever cannot is an unforgivable villain."
"As for who becomes emperor, and what their own status is, do you think it matters when faced with hunger and death?"
Although Li Jin felt these words were blasphemous, he couldn't refute them.
Yes, when you're about to lose your life, who cares if you're a bandit?
"But there's no need for our Rong family to get involved in this mess."
"Uncle Li, do you think we still have a choice?" Rong Bai looked at him: "Unless we move away from Nanyue County, but think about it, do you think Du Hong would let this big fat sheep like my Rong family get away so easily?"
“In that case,” Rong Bai leaned back in his chair, grinning roguishly, “why don’t we follow the crowd and become bandits, and go against Du Hong completely?”
"At that time, tsk tsk, Du Hong's expression will definitely be quite interesting."
It's such a pity that he didn't get to see it.
Li Jin: "..."
Is it really necessary to follow the crowd like this?
"Sir, perhaps we should reconsider?" He felt it was too hasty; once they became bandits, there was no turning back.
But can Luo Xi really succeed? What if she's a villain and betrays the Rong family? That would be...
"No need to think about it." At this moment, a middle-aged man who looked about 70% like Rong Bai walked in.
"Master!" Li Jin bowed respectfully, then asked with wide eyes, "You...do you also think that the young master's idea...is feasible?"
Whenever Master Rong was present, he preferred to address him as Rong Bailangjun.
Master Rong was slender, dressed in fine clothes, and had the shrewdness that was typical of merchants.
He strode over to Rong Bai, sat down opposite him, and then said, "If it were a month ago, I definitely wouldn't have agreed, but now..."
He took a slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to Li Jin.
Li Jin took it with suspicion, opened it, and was immediately shocked.
The inscription read: "Southern pirates have invaded the border again, and the Heavenly God Sect has launched an uprising in Anjiang County in the north."
This is... the world is in chaos!
"Master, when did this happen? And what is the Heavenly God Sect?"
If he remembered correctly, the pirates were only driven back by the imperial court at the end of last year.
When the Heavenly God Sect was mentioned, Master Rong's expression became quite interesting: "Ha, the Heavenly God Sect, I heard that their leader, Su Tang, is the Jade Emperor descended from heaven to save the people of the world."
"The Jade Emperor descended to earth?" Rong Bai's handsome face instantly turned strange, his jaw almost dropping to the ground: "Hahaha, then I'm the reincarnation of Buddha?"
"You brat, your father's still here. Whose master are you? Speak properly." Master Rong glared at him.
Having long been used to being glared at, Rong Bai chuckled and said, "What's wrong with that? Father, you are the master, and I am your son. So I am just a young master. It's obvious that we are father and son."
"You're just spouting nonsense." Although Master Rong said this, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly: "Ahem, let's get down to business, that's why I think your idea is feasible."
"Firstly, the imperial court is stretched thin, and secondly, we have no other options. Why not take a gamble? Besides, my son has always been good at judging people."
"The fact that you have such high regard for Chief Luo means she must have some extraordinary qualities."
"Isn't it because you're smart, Dad? As your son, I'm naturally no less so." Rong Bai shamelessly praised his father, and himself as well, before saying, "But Dad, we have to do it this way..."
He beckoned Master Rong to lean close and whispered some wicked idea, his face full of a mischievous grin.
"Hahaha, good, as expected of my son." Master Rong slammed his hand heavily on the table, making a final decision: "Li Jin, from now on, everything the Rong family does will be done according to Da Lang's wishes. The life or death of the Rong family depends on this."
"Father, whether he lives or dies, it's better than being taken advantage of by that scoundrel Du Hong," Rong Bai said bitterly.
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