Chapter 205: Chaos in Xiaocheng (Forty-Five) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
When the servants came to report, Wu Yuan thought to himself, "They've got a tacit understanding," and that these people coming to his door on their own initiative saved him a lot of trouble. But when he met them, he found that they were all either looking mournful or displeased, as if their ancestral graves had been ransacked.
Seeing this, Wu Yuan's heart skipped a beat. He couldn't help but wonder what these people were up to, and he prepared himself mentally in advance. He was just about to exchange a few pleasantries and give them a warning so they wouldn't come looking for trouble at this time.
Before they could even begin to recount their plea, one of them, with tears welling in his eyes, stepped forward to plead his case and cry out for justice, hoping the prefectural government could lend them a man.
Wu Yuan was still unaware of what had happened.
He only heard the words "borrow someone".
He then said, “Borrow men? As you all know, the rebels are watching us closely outside the city. We are in a predicament with a sword hanging over our necks, and the troops inside the city cannot afford to relax their vigilance for even a moment. Borrowing men… it’s not that I’m unwilling, but that I simply don’t have enough manpower available…”
The best way to deal with these "deadbeats" who come to "borrow" is to "fight fire with fire." Wu Yuan's expression changed to one of difficulty, and he sighed deeply: "To my shame, last night I was thinking about whether I should shamelessly ask you gentlemen to borrow your private retinue..."
He said that, but in his heart he was already rolling his eyes.
Even a fool could tell that the elite private retainers of these powerful gentry families had already escorted their masters away from Xiaocheng, leaving behind only the rabble. Sending them to the battlefield would be more harmful than scraping the skin; they would simply be providing warmth, heads, and military merit to the enemy.
Wu Yuan never expected anything from these people.
Upon hearing this, the visitors exchanged bewildered glances.
At this moment, one of them stepped forward, covering his bruised eye. Wu Yuan looked closely and almost burst out laughing. But years of excellent self-control allowed him to hold back, and he even showed some "genuine" concern as he stepped forward and asked him.
"What's wrong with you? What happened?"
Half of his sleeve was burned to ashes, most of his goatee was gone, and a large bruise appeared around his right eye. Upon closer inspection, one could also see that his nose was more crooked than before, with a bluish tinge at the root—he looked utterly pitiful.
Wu Yuan was deeply shocked—this was Xiaocheng, a place where established local gentry were the true local power brokers! Even if the rebels were at the gates, no one would dare to provoke them. What had happened to them? How could they be in such a sorry state?
The middle-aged man, who was being questioned, wiped away his tears with half of his charred sleeve and recounted his ordeal—last night, around midnight, a mob took advantage of their weak defenses, stormed into their territory, looted and plundered, injured dozens of guards and servants, and then left triumphantly!
Wu Yuan exclaimed in shock: "A mob?"
The middle-aged man replied, "Yes, they're all mobs."
Wu Yuan then looked at the others: "And you?"
Others: "Same here."
"almost."
Wu Yuan then asked, "So—you've come to report to the authorities?"
The middle-aged man suppressed his tearful expression, wiped away the remaining tears from the corners of his eyes, and stroked his half-burnt beard: "That's right. We know the prefecture is in a difficult position, but the losses this time are enormous. If we can't catch those 'rioters,' how can we face Xiaocheng and Sibao Prefecture in the future? We implore you to give us justice and make sure the lawbreakers are brought to justice!"
Wu Yuan's lips twitched, thinking to himself, "You old fogies have no shame for such things." No matter how disgusted he felt inside, he couldn't show it outwardly. He said, "Gentlemen, please hear me out. It's not that I'm unwilling, it's just that..."
He still wanted to use the excuse of insufficient manpower to shirk responsibility.
Where can we find them to solve cases and catch thieves at a time like this?
They also claimed to be a mob, and that they successfully robbed their property. To achieve this, there must have been a large number of people involved, likely including some skilled martial artists. How could he possibly apprehend them?
The middle-aged man took a deep breath.
He asked Wu Yuan, "So you're saying you're unwilling?"
Wu Yuan raised an eyebrow: "What are you saying? What do you mean by unwilling? Our relationship is like lips and teeth; if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold! Unfortunately, we are truly powerless to do so. We can't possibly transfer the soldiers on the city wall who are fighting the enemy to handle this matter, can we?"
The middle-aged man suddenly let out a cold snort.
He asked Wu Yuan, "Do you know what was stolen?"
Wu Yuan listened intently, increasingly sensing a hidden meaning in the man's words, and a hint of anger rose within him. Just because he appeared easygoing didn't mean these people could take advantage of him. Therefore, his response became more forceful, asking, "If you don't tell me, how am I supposed to know?"
The middle-aged man stared intently at Wu Yuan's face, not daring to miss the slightest unusual expression, and said in a sarcastic tone, "It's grain!"
Wu Yuan's voice suddenly rose: "Grain?"
What a coincidence!
He had just made up his mind to "borrow grain" when their grain was intercepted by the "mob." Wu Yuan couldn't help but glance at the crowd with suspicion, secretly worried that they had planted a spy among him, someone he trusted quite a bit.
These people in front of him didn't want to "lend" the grain, so they staged a "mob intercepting grain" drama and even took the initiative to run up to him and cry.
Wu Yuan's face turned pale and then red.
He was starting to worry that his identity had been exposed.
If so—
He lowered his eyelids without making a sound, concealing the murderous intent in his eyes.
This person in front of me probably can't be allowed to live!
The middle-aged man, oblivious to his perilous situation, was so angry that his fingers trembled and his molars ground together. He said sarcastically, "Yes. It wasn't just my family; every granary here was attacked by 'mobs'! This is too much of a coincidence! How could a group of 'mobs' know the location of every granary? And how could the operation be so swift without unified command and coordination?"
This trip was not only to recover the losses from "borrowing people," but also to test the waters, since the prefecture, which was in dire need of food, was also highly suspicious.
Wu Yuan's face was gloomy.
For the first time in my life, I was suspected of being a thief.
"Gentlemen, speak frankly, there's no need for beating around the bush! To put it bluntly, what does the life or death of Xiaocheng have to do with me? It doesn't matter if the city gates are opened and the rebels surrender, but it concerns the lives and fortunes of you individuals and even your entire clans! Even though the prefecture is so short of food and manpower, it hasn't bothered you, has it? You've indiscriminately framed me, it's truly disheartening!"
Although Wu Yuan is still young, his anger is enough to intimidate people, and his attitude is open and honest.
For a moment, everyone looked at each other, unsure of what to do.
They dared not truly anger the Wuyuan. If they really provoked them, the Wuyuan would surrender without a word, and they would have nowhere to turn.
The middle-aged man spoke up gently to comfort him.
"Please calm down, Wulang. That was not our intention. We lost our composure because of the great losses we suffered... Please forgive us."
After saying that, he bowed deeply.
Wu Yuan could only manage a forced smile and back down the aisle.
The two sides cannot afford to completely break off relations at this time.
So, they each took a step back.
Wu Yuan made several empty promises, promising to send people to keep an eye on the whereabouts of that group of "mobs" and inform them as soon as there was any news—after all, Wu Yuan was not at ease with such a group of "mobs" who could rob various granaries and then leave without a trace.
Is this any different from having an enemy sleeping with their head hanging from the ceiling in your bedroom?
How big does your heart need to be to fall asleep?
After finally getting rid of these people, Wu Yuan became angrier the more he thought about it.
Wu Yuan received the group, while Gu Chi listened from the back room, separated only by a screen. As soon as they left, he emerged from the back room, his brows still tightly furrowed, making his already gloomy and frail face appear even more somber. His thoughts partially aligned with Wu Yuan's.
These prominent local gentry came prepared!
Wu Yuan looked towards the door, his face grim. He slammed down his teacup and asked, "Mr. Gu, what's your opinion on this matter?"
Gu Chi said, "The timing is too coincidental."
Wu Yuan then asked, "Does Mr. Gu also suspect there's a mole within the organization?"
Gu Chi was about to answer "yes"
At this moment, Gong Cheng's inner thoughts were approaching—although his inner thoughts were not logically complete, judging from the fleeting short sentences, Gong Cheng was in a very good mood at this time—five of the ten sentences praised his brother-in-law for how heroic, wise, clever and decisive he was, and the remaining five sentences praised Gong Shuwu for his strength and how he resembled his own second uncle!
Gu Chi was speechless.
Having spent so much time with Gong Cheng, I've rarely heard this increasingly silent former prodigy sincerely praise anyone. Even towards Wu Yuan, Gong Cheng's words are mostly expressions of gratitude or guilt for being a burden and holding Wu Yuan back.
Such lavish praise?
Ukrainian dollars don't even have this kind of treatment.
Thinking of this, he looked at Wu Yuan with a hint of pity and sympathy—he wondered what Wu Yuan would think if he knew.
Gu Chi only heard Gong Cheng's voice, but five people entered after the announcement: Shen Tang, Chu Yao, Qi Shan, and Gong Shuwu. Seeing this, Gu Chi inwardly scoffed, quite displeased at being targeted like this.
He's so stingy; he won't listen to a single thing you think.
As soon as Gong Cheng entered, he said, "Uncle, good news!"
Wu Yuan's expression softened when he came in.
Picking up the teacup, he asked, puzzled, "What brings you this joy?"
He agonized over it all night before making a decision, only to have the pregnancy fail and then be falsely accused by a group of people in a sarcastic and malicious manner.
It's so unlucky, it's really bad luck.
Gong Cheng smiled and said, "Why don't you take a guess, sir?"
Wu Yuandao: "Were the rebels outside the city killed by a celestial star?"
Gong Cheng shook his head: "How is that possible?"
If another treacherous star were to descend upon the earth, capable of destroying tens of thousands of people, how could Xiaocheng remain calm given the distance between the rebel camp and Xiaocheng? Gong Cheng immediately stopped being coy and readily revealed the answer: "The supply of provisions for the garrison has been secured!"
After saying that, he smiled, sat down, and poured himself a glass of water.
Before he could even take a sip of his tea, Wu Yuan, in a moment of panic, spat it out, choking and coughing. The latter seemed to realize something, abruptly standing up and staring at Gong Cheng in utter shock, asking, "What did you say about supplies???"
Good heavens—
The local gentry had their granaries looted by "mobs" one minute, and the food problem for the garrison in the city was solved the next. Even a fool could figure out that there was some connection between the two. Moreover—Wu Yuan thought of a possibility and asked, "Those 'mobs' last night..."
Gong Cheng: "Don't worry, sir, he's very clean."
Wu Yuan's mind was buzzing wildly.
It turns out that Gong Cheng did this?
So it seems that the group of people this morning didn't wrong him.
wrong--
Instead of joy, Wu Yuan's face showed a hint of gloom—Gong Cheng had acted without his consent, or even informed him, before taking action? This realization left Wu Yuan with a slight displeasure, like a fishbone stuck in his throat.
Even Gong Cheng cannot act on his own initiative like this.
Gu Chi was speechless for a moment, then turned his gaze to Shen Tang, who had been sitting quietly without making a sound—Shen Lang!
He knows far more inside information than Wu Yuan does.
Putting everything else aside, just considering the education Gong Cheng received, he would never do something so unorthodox, unconventional, and shameless.
This is absolutely shameless!
But Shen Tang is different.
Shen Lang's actions are unconventional and always surprising. He also has scheming advisors like Chu Wuhui and Qi Yuanliang who indulge (assist) his tyranny, as well as a powerful martial artist like Gong Shuwu, whose own strength is also considerable... Hehe, case solved.
Before Wu Yuan could ask, Gu Chi steered the conversation toward Shen Tang, asking with a smile, "Is this Shen Lang's masterpiece?"
Shen Tang retorted, "So what if it is?"
With Gu Chi's reminder, Wu Yuan suddenly understood.
He stood up, bowed deeply and sincerely said, "I, Wu, am here to thank you on behalf of the tens of thousands of people of Xiaocheng for your righteous act."
Shen Tang: "What are you thanking me for? I'm just 'borrowing flowers to offer to Buddha'."
Anyway, it's someone else's grain that's being taken out.
To put it simply, it means—thieves don't feel bad about taking advantage of others.
Wu Yuandao said, "A brave man of noble character."
After a round of mutual flattery, everyone took their seats.
Wu Yuan looked curious and asked directly, "I have another question: how did you manage to intercept the grain depot?"
What he really wanted to ask was how Shen Tang and his few companions managed to commit such a major crime without his help! That such a big thing could happen on his territory without his knowledge was truly embarrassing and made Wu Yuan feel a sense of crisis.
If Shen Tang had targeted him instead of the granary, wouldn't he have died a very strange death?
This is something Wu Yuan absolutely hates.
But Shen Tang failed to grasp the hidden meaning behind the words.
Or perhaps, Shen Tang subconsciously didn't consider Wu Yuan as an equal opponent, so naturally he wouldn't think about how to kill him.
Shen Tang took a sip of tea to moisten her throat—she had stayed up all night again and was feeling a bit feverish.
“It’s not that we are strong.” She paused, then said with obvious disdain, “It’s clearly that they are too weak and unprepared, with almost no decent defense or counterattack. At first, I even thought it was a trap.”
Wu Yuan then asked, "What about those who pretended to be 'mobs'..."
If Gong Cheng bypasses him and mobilizes people to act on his own without informing him, he should seriously consider whether Gong Cheng is still a reliable asset—who would trust a subordinate like that?
Shen Tang replied, "It's not a disguise."
"no?"
Shen Tang: "They are 'mobs'."
To be precise, these were thugs that Shen Tang acquired in exchange for ten catties of grain.
The slums at the bottom of Xiaocheng are full of cheap labor, and everyone is starving and emaciated. They would risk their lives for a bite to eat.
For them, whose rice bins were empty and even mice wouldn't bother with them, ten pounds of grain was truly a windfall!
It's worth taking a little risk.
They were responsible for confusing the enemy, but the real force came from the people they had arranged themselves—it has to be said, high-level martial arts masters are really valuable, one person can do the work of hundreds.
Shen Tang also began to look forward to her own martial arts prowess.
He always brings hundreds of henchmen with him when he goes out!
Stylish and impressive!
|ω`)
Ah, it's the second day since the cat came to our house.
I took her out this afternoon to trim her nails. The cat is so sharp; she scratched my hand yesterday. Even though she's been vaccinated and is a house cat, I still took her to get a rabies vaccine this afternoon, just to be on the safe side. (I have to complain, rabies vaccines used to cost around 200 yuan per shot, but now a course of treatment requires four or five shots, totaling 600 or 700 yuan.)
Today, after getting a little more familiar with the house, I started to become more lively.
Aww, having a cat is so much fun.
Although it still wouldn't let me touch it, when I was writing at night, it would sit on the openwork cabinet at my feet, staring at me expectantly, and stay there for more than four hours.
(End of this chapter)
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