Chapter 134 Yang Wei Escort Agency
Yang Wei Escort Agency
Ever since they received that strange escort order, their people would often pass by Yang Wei's Tavern in Xinghua Hutong.
Well, actually, Yang Wei Escort Agency has nothing to do with Yang Wei Tavern. The owner of Yang Wei Tavern is a local from Chang'an. He originally bought the tavern from a relative who had been running the business for 20 or 30 years and was quite famous in the area. He didn't change the name after buying it.
The first head of the Yang Wei Escort Agency was named Yang Wei. He was an outsider who came to Beijing to make a living after his hometown was struck by disaster. Knowing some martial arts, he opened an escort agency under his own name. After the business opened, he discovered that the name was the same as someone else's tavern.
This was awkward. Someone who didn't know would have thought the two families were relatives. But when someone asked, both sides gave negative answers.
For the owner of Yang Wei Tavern, they were also upset that Yang Wei Escort Agency had brought trouble to their family's reputation.
But for the escort agency, they felt very wronged. They had already chosen the name and opened it. Wouldn't it be unlucky to change it? And they named it after themselves, so why not?
The tavern was initially a bit angry. But when they realized the other party was running an escort agency, they immediately backed off. "Never mind, forget it. They're just an escort agency, not a tavern. Harmony brings wealth, harmony brings wealth." The tavern owner, a single-line successor for three generations, refused to admit he was scared.
By the way, a few days ago, a red cloth was tied on the door of Yang Wei's tavern, and the people from Yang Wei's escort agency knew that they were about to set off, and began to prepare for departure according to the previous agreement.
Then, a few days ago, someone delivered two baskets of prepared candy and rice cakes to the escort agency, telling them to take them on the journey. When Chief Escort Yang inquired, he learned that these were for the people they were escorting, and that they were unable to carry them, so they were asked to take them along. Later, other items arrived: quilts, mattresses, cotton-padded clothes, rice, flour, grain, oil, charcoal, and so on. They even had two sets of pots and pans.
Chief Escort Yang suddenly had a very bad premonition.
But they were kind. When they first sent them candies and cakes, they also gave them another basket to the escort agency, saying they wanted to give them a taste. Later, when they sent more things, they kept saying they were inconvenienced and asked them to bear with them.
This person is grateful for the favor, what can Chief Escort Yang say?
"This sesame milk peanut candy and rice cracker are really delicious. But the peanuts seem to be a little too finely ground, so they're not very satisfying to chew."
"I don't like those sweet candies, but I really like the glutinous rice cakes they gave me. They're firm, slightly sweet, and very filling. Two or three can last me the whole afternoon. They're much better than the dry food we used to bring on the road."
"Yes, yes, boss, let's prepare these two things when we go on escort missions next time. They are better than the dry food we prepare ourselves."
A group of young men were eating sugar cakes and talking about them.
Chief Escort Yang said angrily, "You guys just eat and eat all day long. Don't you know how worried I am about you, Chief Escort?"
No one else paid any attention to him.
"I say, don't you feel something is wrong? Who accepts an escort like this? Look, how much stuff has been moved here?" It looked like the luggage had all been delivered to their escort agency. Could it be that the other party was unmanned and asked them to escort them without luggage? Thinking about what had happened in Chang'an City recently, he thought of a possibility and his scalp tingled.
"You!" the young man and the young lady said in unison.
"You what?"
"Didn't you ask who took the dart like this? You."
Chief Escort Yang choked.
Chief Escort Yang began to sigh. He was very upset. The key was that these old friends were still laughing and eating and drinking heartlessly.
"Eat quickly, or they'll snatch all the food away. Things will work out when the time comes. There's no point worrying so much."
"Uncle Zhang." Chief Escort Yang looked at the old man who gave him a piece of dried vegetables with chopsticks with emotion.
Uncle Zhang picked up a piece of meat for himself and said, "You worry too much, that's why you look like you're in your forties even though you're in your twenties."
Chief Escort Yang: ...It seems like he can’t eat this meal at all.
Just as he was about to say something, he saw a woman wearing a veil being led away by the security guard of their escort agency.
When the woman saw him, she took out the token she had given him when they had received the escort.
After taking it, Chief Escort Yang asked cautiously, "Who does the young lady want us to escort, where are we going, and when do we leave?"
"Escort the Qin family, the former members of the Pingxi Marquisate, to Pingzhou. If possible, leave as soon as possible and wait for someone on the road from Chang'an to Pingzhou."
Chief Escort Yang: Sure enough! His premonition was true!
"Miss Mo Bing, is that you?" Uncle Zhang Shilin beside her suddenly asked.
At this time, the person took off the veil, revealing a girlish face. Bing Mo nodded to Zhang Shilin and said, "It's me, Escort Zhang."
Chief Escort Yang: You know this girl? Could it be that this girl named Mo Bing chose to send Yang Wei Escort Agency on this trip because of Uncle Zhang?
"Captain Yang, I need to confirm with you whether your Yang Wei Escort Agency will accept this escort."
When the others heard this, they looked at each other in surprise. They had never expected that the strange order they had received before was to escort the Qin family of exiles to Pingzhou.
It's outrageous.
Unheard of!
No wonder, the things delivered to the escort agency these past two days were all quilts, mattresses, food, cooking utensils, bowls and chopsticks, and other daily necessities. It turned out that these things were prepared for the Qin family.
"Can we discuss this?"
"Okay, can you give me an answer in 25 minutes?"
Chief Escort Yang thought about it and decided that two quarters of an hour would be enough.
So Mo Bing was invited to the side hall to wait.
After Mo Bing left, Uncle Zhang slapped himself lightly, the kind that sounded loud but didn't actually hurt.
"Uncle Zhang, what are you doing?"
"I think I know why our escort company accepted this escort."
"Why?" Is it really because of you?
"It's all my fault for being too talkative. Didn't I do some private work in the Lu family a few months ago? You know your Uncle Zhang. He can't help but talk too much once he drinks. During that time, those security guards from the Lu family invited me to dinner every night." Uncle Zhang smacked his lips, as if he was quite nostalgic.
"Then what?"
"Well, I just told them about my own heroic past."
Chief Escort Yang had already guessed what would happen next.
"Then, you know, after I finished speaking, I mentioned you, the Chief Escort..."
Chief Escort Yang sneered, "Uncle Zhang, you've stripped me naked." Now he understood why their escort agency accepted this assignment.
"Don't worry, Uncle Zhang hasn't ruined your reputation. In the eyes of the Lu family, you are a man of immense strength, ability, affection, and righteousness."
Chief Escort Yang: Thank you?
Forget it. "Uncle Zhang, what do you think? Should we accept this escort mission?"
"Captain Escort, what do you mean?"
He meant that he had decided to take on this escort mission. Before they took on this escort mission, the Qin and Lu families were both doing fine. They had anticipated something bad would happen, so they had already made arrangements for a fallback.
Furthermore, the Qin family has defended the northern border for many years. General Qin Yue died heroically while attacking the Qiang and Hu tribes. They should protect the elderly, weak, women and children of the Qin family if they can.
And they still gave money.
Most importantly, this trip would be relatively easy, as it wasn't about transporting valuables, so there was no need to worry about bandits robbing the road. Besides, no bandits would be so foolish as to rob a group of exiled prisoners! Not only would there be no profit, but if they did, they would also offend the government.
The only thing to worry about now is the Qin family’s enemies and political opponents.
At this time, Chief Escort Yang saw his gatekeeper brother hurriedly retreat back to the yard, and then a burst of orderly footsteps was heard outside.
"What's wrong?"
"It's the Jinwu Guards taking action."
Upon hearing this, Chief Escort Yang and Uncle Zhang felt nervous.
Not long after, more news came that the Jinwu Guards surrounded the Xie and Zhao families. Like the Qin family, the Xie and Zhao families were sentenced to confiscation of property and exile!
Chief Escort Yang and Uncle Zhang looked at each other. He was just thinking about how to prevent the Qin family's rivals from taking advantage of the opportunity to do something shady. He also knew that the Qin and Lu families and the Xie and Zhao families were not on good terms.
But before the Qin family was exiled, their mortal enemy was suddenly taken down. Why did they suddenly feel a little scared?
Uncle Zhang patted Chief Escort Yang on the shoulder and said, "Ah Wei, let's take this escort."
People like this should not be offended if possible, and they must have other means prepared. Don’t think that if Zhang the butcher is gone, they will eat hairy pigs?
Zhao Mansion
Faced with the imperial decree of confiscation of property and exile read out by the deputy commander of the Jinwu Guard, the Zhao family could not bear it any more. They cried, begged, cursed, and acted like crazy.
Zhao Wenkuan was shaking all over and felt a little dizzy. It was probably because of all the things that had happened recently and the ups and downs in his emotions that he could no longer bear it.
Zhao Jia Dalang noticed that something was wrong with him and hurried forward to help him.
Because Zhao Yutan got married and it was near the end of the year, several legitimate sons of the Zhao family had returned to Chang'an. Once the imperial edict was announced, they could catch them all in one fell swoop, and there was no need to send people to various places to arrest them.
Zhao Wenkuan raised his eyes and looked at his eldest son. Zhao Dalang understood his look and shook his head, indicating that he was not the one who leaked it. He then looked at his second son, who also shook his head. His third son also shook his head.
They were all equally puzzled and stunned.
They had all heard the charges read out in the imperial edict, and listened carefully. However, some of the charges were very secretive, and his father had cleaned up the mess he had made when he committed them, such as facilitating foreign envoys while serving as the Minister of Rites. Such secrets were unknown to those outside the core of the Zhao family.
The Zhao brothers were young and quick-witted. Suddenly, they thought of someone, the fourth brother!
The brothers looked at each other and thought, "Is it true? We'll know when we see someone and ask them. This is a disaster for the whole family. If it was really done by the fourth brother, he can't escape!"
Zhao Wenkuan saw the expressions on the faces of the three brothers, and then thought of this. Thinking back to the hatred hidden in the fourth brother's eyes when he sent him away, he suddenly felt a chill all over his body.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
