Promise to settle down
Knowing Fu Zhiqiao's plans, Xie Zhuo was worried and immediately decided to personally escort her up the mountain.
Fu Zhi Qiao was very resistant. Firstly, Xie Zhuo was a member of the Xiaoqi Army, a righteous force whose purpose in coming to Qingzhou was to wipe out the Black Tiger Stronghold, while she wanted to protect the people of the Black Tiger Stronghold. They were on different sides now.
Secondly, Fu Zhi Qiao didn't want to use her status as Xie Zhuo's "beloved" to make him do things that were inconsistent with his identity.
But Xie Zhuo disagreed; he couldn't let Fu Zhiqiao, a woman, go into the bandit's den alone.
In the end, the two compromised. Fu Zhi Qiao agreed to go up the mountain with Xie Zhuo, but only to protect her safety and not to do anything else. Fu Zhi Qiao also assured Xie Zhuo that her purpose was only to recruit the bandits and get the grain back, and she would not reveal any information about the elite cavalry to the bandits.
The stronghold's walls were built of stone blocks, and at the entrance of the stronghold was a five-meter-high watchtower, entirely constructed of wooden planks. A watchman stood on the watchtower, vigilantly watching the approaching people.
"I am the manager of Taibai Wine Shop. I have business with your boss. Please inform him, young man?" Wen Jiang said, taking out a wooden tiger-head plaque from his pocket. This was the token used for communication between the two parties.
After the henchman took the token and confirmed it was correct, he looked at Fu Zhiqiao and Xie Zhuo behind him.
Wen Jiang realized what was happening and pointed at Fu Zhi Qiao, "This is the accountant at the wine shop. We rely on him for all our accounting." Then he pointed at Xie Zhuo, "This is my bodyguard."
The henchmen, having been notified beforehand, immediately ran into the village to deliver the message.
Fu Zhi Qiao disguised herself as an accountant and followed behind Wen Jiang. Xie Zhuo was also disguised by her, wearing the most ordinary linen clothes. Fu Zhi Qiao even drew two thick eyebrows on him to try to cover up his handsome appearance.
"Quickly tone down your imposing manner, lest someone notice your weakness."
Xie Zhuo stood behind her with his head bowed, his posture respectful and without the slightest arrogance, but his overall demeanor was undeniable. If he hadn't been bowing his head, one could almost immediately tell that he was different from ordinary people.
A moment later, a henchman came out and said to Wenjiang, "Our boss invites you in."
The three successfully entered Black Tiger Stronghold.
To prevent their route from being memorized, outsiders entering Black Tiger Stronghold must be blindfolded. The three were led around in a huge circle by the henchmen before stopping. About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Fu Zhiqiao wiped the sweat from her forehead, and someone came over to remove their blindfolds.
Seeing the rows of low buildings, Fu Zhiqiao knew that they had entered the center of Black Tiger Stronghold.
Fu Zhiqiao followed Wen Jiang into the main hall. Looking at the group of bandits in the hall, Fu Zhiqiao finally felt like she had entered a bandit's den.
Black Tiger Stronghold seemed to be trying to intimidate them, leaving them unattended and forcing them to stand while they spoke.
Wenjiang spoke first: "Chief, is three thousand catties of grain enough to feed us?"
Cheng Yexuan: "So that batch of grain belonged to your Taibai Wine Shop."
Wenjiang stated the purpose of his trip directly: "Regarding what was said in the letter, I wonder what the chief thinks?"
"As far as I know, the owner of the wine shop is surnamed Fu." Cheng Yexuan saw through Wen Jiang in just a few words. "Let someone who can make the decision speak for us."
Silence.
One of the bandits behind Cheng Yexuan couldn't hold back any longer. "Hey! Are you deaf? Our leader is asking you a question!" he shouted, and then attacked the thinnest one, Fu Zhiqiao.
Xie Zhuo stood in front of Fu Zhi Qiao and kicked the bandit, who instantly fell to the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood.
Seeing this, the other bandits drew their swords, but Cheng Yexuan made a gesture to stop them and said unhappily, "Is this the sincerity of Taibai Wine Shop?"
Fu Zhiqiao also spoke calmly: "Is this how Black Tiger Stronghold treats its guests? If the chief doesn't want to talk, we'll go down the mountain now."
All the bandits in the room turned their attention to her.
The real person in charge has emerged.
Thinking of what was said in the letter, Cheng Yexuan said, "You stay, everyone else leave."
"Second Brother, could it be a trap?" After hearing Cheng Yexuan say it was alright, Wang Qi led the bandits down.
Cheng Yexuan stared at Fu Zhiqiao expressionlessly: "What I say includes your people."
Xie Zhuo didn't want to leave; he needed to make sure Fu Zhi Qiao was under his watchful eye before he could feel at ease.
Fu Zhi Qiao held his hand, gave him a reassuring look, and scratched his palm.
Xie Zhuo: ...
"I'll stand guard at the door."
"good."
*
Inside the main hall of the mountain stronghold, only Cheng Yexuan and Fu Zhiqiao remained.
Cheng Yexuan sat on the tiger-skin chair, looking down at Fu Zhiqiao. "May I ask what brings you to my village, Boss Fu?"
Fu Zhiqiao didn't waste time with small talk and went straight to the point: "I'm sure the chief has heard the news too. It's imperative for the government to suppress the bandits."
Cheng Yexuan suddenly chuckled, "Should I call you Boss Fu, or Miss Fu?"
He had heard of the reputation of Taibai Wine Shop, but he never expected that the owner behind it was a young woman.
Fu Zhiqiao was not surprised that Cheng Yexuan could see through her as a girl. If he didn't have this much insight, she would have to doubt his abilities.
He stopped speaking in his gruff voice and said, "Call me whatever you like, Boss."
Cheng Yexuan scrutinized her closely. "Why did Boss Fu tell me this?"
Cheng Yexuan addressed her as Boss Fu. Fu Zhiqiao knew that he did not belittle her as a woman, but rather placed her on an equal footing with him.
"Naturally, it's heartbreaking to see someone like the chief end up dying such a tragic death."
Cheng Yexuan quickly stood up, his eyes flashing with murderous intent.
Fu Zhiqiao was not afraid at all and said casually, "As far as I know, this time the government is not making a small fuss. The soldiers who came are all elite warriors who have been through many battles. Black Tiger Stronghold is doomed this time."
Cheng Yexuan's voice had turned cold. "What does Boss Fu intend to do?"
Fu Zhi Qiao probably didn't come up here to deliver a message to them. She couldn't possibly be that kind, especially since they had taken her food before.
"Hasn't the leader ever thought about disbanding the stronghold?"
"Impossible!" Cheng Yexuan hadn't even considered this question. When he agreed to stay at Black Tiger Stronghold with Jin Feihu, he was prepared to never leave. He himself was fine, but the others in the stronghold were all homeless. If the stronghold were gone, how would they survive?
"You may not care about yourself, but what about the brothers behind you?" Fu Zhiqiao said slowly, "Black Tiger Stronghold's fate is sealed. Tomorrow, the elite cavalry will come to kill you. Your brothers have been robbing and pillaging all these years, and they can't possibly have not taken lives. Once they are captured by the government, they will inevitably be beheaded... They have followed you all the way. Can you bear to see them end up like this?"
Cheng Yexuan gripped the armrests of the chair tightly, then relaxed after a moment.
"Boss Fu, you came to our Black Tiger Stronghold all by yourself. Aren't you afraid we'll throw you into the mountains to feed the tigers and wolves?"
"Why are you alone? Boss, have you forgotten? My guards are right outside the door."
Cheng Yexuan recalled Xie Zhuo's kick; judging from his skill, he was clearly a trained fighter, perhaps even more skilled than Cheng Yexuan.
"Are you here as a persuader? Do you want me to submit to the imperial court?"
"No, it means submitting to me."
"Submit to you?" Cheng Yexuan found it amusing, his tone dismissive: "Why should I submit to you?"
Fu Zhiqiao smiled slightly, “For someone like the leader, becoming a bandit is ultimately a lowly position… As far as I know, most of the leader’s brothers are from humble backgrounds, but they were forced into banditry and have been living a very unstable life these past few years, constantly on the run.”
"Robbing and murdering are not sustainable solutions. If you submit to me, I can't guarantee anything else, but I can ensure that everyone can live a happy life with enough to eat and wear, get married, and have children."
To ensure that the brothers of Black Tiger Stronghold have enough to eat and wear, and can marry and have children...
Cheng Yexuan was somewhat moved. Although they had become bandits and ruled the mountains, Black Tiger Stronghold had never committed murder or arson in recent years. They only robbed caravans to survive.
Given the choice, who would want to be a bandit? Who wouldn't want a peaceful life?
Cheng Yexuan had initially suspected that she was a spy sent by the government, but now that suspicion was dispelled.
Cheng Yexuan pondered for a moment, "After surrendering, what does Boss Fu plan to do with us?"
"The past is wiped clean." Fu Zhiqiao relaxed his posture. "Those who are willing to follow me will naturally not be treated unfairly. After surrendering, you will no longer be bandits of Black Tiger Stronghold, but my subordinates. No matter what crimes you committed before, they will all be forgiven here. Taibai Wine Shop can also provide you with a respectable job. From now on, you will no longer have to live a life of hiding and running away, and you can hold your head high. So, does the chief still have any doubts?"
"You want all four or five hundred brothers from Black Tiger Stronghold?"
Disbanding Black Tiger Stronghold is not difficult; the real challenge lies in settling these people. If the other side can accept them and guarantee that they will not go hungry, then abandoning Black Tiger Stronghold is not out of the question.
Fu Zhiqiao gave him a definite answer: "I want them all. I have a manor that happens to be short-handed."
"Does the boss have any men from farming families working for him? I can arrange for them to work at my winery. They'll have free housing, free food and drink, and a monthly salary. Those who perform well can even be given official residency."
According to Fu Zhiqiao's own estimate, the manor will also have tasks such as land reclamation, farming, animal husbandry, and a transportation team, and can easily accommodate four or five hundred people.
The temptation of being offered a household registration is too great.
The Great Wei Dynasty attached great importance to population management and used household registration to count the population.
The size of a nation's population is a measure of its strength, especially in the era before modern weaponry, when population was a vital resource. Population supported a nation's military strength and its ability to wage war; only when a nation is strong and its people are well-fed and clothed can they have the resources to reproduce and procreate.
The household registration system in the Great Wei Dynasty was divided into five levels: the first level was the noble, the second level was the good, the third level was the merchant, the fourth level was the slave, and the fifth level was the lowly.
Those with superior household registration were exempt from taxes and corvée labor. For example, people with good household registration could be exempted from taxes and corvée labor if they passed the imperial examinations. Wealthy people could also buy privileged household registration by spending some money, while people with low household registration could not participate in the imperial examinations or elections.
The children of nobles are born nobles, while the children of commoners are always commoners.
In the Great Wei Dynasty, every family had to pay taxes and perform corvée labor. The poor were too poor to pay their taxes, so in order to avoid punishment from the government, they would choose to risk fleeing to other places. Even if they could only become servants or laborers after escaping, they would still choose to run away because they could not survive if they did not escape. If they escaped, they might still have a glimmer of hope.
People who escape illegally cannot obtain household registration and travel permits issued by the government.
The Great Wei Dynasty has explicit regulations stipulating that anyone leaving their hometown must possess a travel permit. If someone attempts to enter the city without proof of identity, sorry, they'll have to spend some time in jail!
Like the group from Black Tiger Village, they fled their hometowns without travel permits. They couldn't enter Liancheng Gate, couldn't find lodging or food, and could only wander the streets. With nowhere to go, they eventually became mountain bandits.
Fu Zhiqiao could apply to the government for slave registration under the pretext of buying slaves. Although it was slave registration, it was still a formal identity, which was much better than being an unregistered person!
"The opportunity to turn over a new leaf and start anew is before you; it's up to you, Boss, to choose." The bait has been cast; now she must patiently wait for the fish to take the bait.
Cheng Yexuan's eyes were filled with surprise, but he quickly regained his composure.
"The government troops are suppressing bandits down the mountain. Black Tiger Stronghold is doomed. How will Boss Fu protect my hundred brothers?"
"I have my own way."
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