Chapter 039: Demolishing the bridge after crossing the river, killing the donkey after it has done its job

Speaking of himself, He Yan quickly responded: "We found some clues. It seems to be someone from Beijiang, but we don't know who it is."

The head of the He family frowned, his old face full of worry: "Move faster, or something unexpected might happen if we take too long."

"Yes, father." He Yan echoed, and seeing that his father looked tired and seemed to need a rest, he took the initiative to leave.

After leaving the room, he wanted to go back to his own yard, but when he was halfway there, the housekeeper came to him.

The steward said anxiously: "Master, those guys are here to find us."

He Yan was unhappy: "Explain clearly, what are those guys?"

The steward looked around, confirmed that there was no one nearby, and then approached and whispered, "From Shijing Street."

Shijing Street, a famous poor street in the capital, is also where the remnants of the former dynasty live.

He Yan was startled at first, then asked, "What are they doing here?"

The manager said, "It requires money."

"Didn't you give it to me at the beginning of the month?"

"He said that he had run out of it and there was an emergency at home, so he wanted to ask you to give him some more."

The steward relayed the story in a tactful way, but the original words of the group of people were: You think you can give us a pass with just that little money? That's a nice thought. We're a little short on cash recently, and considering our relationship with your family, it's not too much to ask you for some money, right?

"Ha." He Yan sneered, "We agreed before that the amount to be given each month is fixed, but you broke your promise so quickly. You are really not worthy of being on the stage!"

The steward was embarrassed: "What does the master mean?"

"We won't give them a penny more. They got away with it this time, but they will be more greedy next time." He Yan said with a vicious look, "Drive them away and send someone to beat them up so they will remember this lesson!"

He Yan was in charge of contacting the remnant factions. He had long been fed up with their thug-like behavior. This was just the right opportunity to give them a good warning so that they would not think that the He family really had no way to deal with them.

After receiving the order, the manager turned around and went to do his work.

"Qin Shan, are you sure you can get the money this way?"

In front of the small door in the back alley of the He family, a man wearing a clean short-sleeved T-shirt but with a shabby face nudged his companion with his elbow.

Behind him, the other two men also looked at Qin Shan. It seemed that they had the same doubts.

Qin Shan thought to himself, I'm not the Jade Emperor, how do I know whether the He family will give money?

But in order to reassure his accomplices and prevent them from running away, he could only say, "Before, they came to us begging for cooperation, and we have to contribute to the He family in the future. What's wrong with asking them for some money now?"

He pointed at the He family's house and continued, "Look at this mansion. Even when we were at our most glorious, we never lived in such a grand house. The He family needs us and has money, but they want to send us away for just a few dozen taels. How can this be justified?"

The accomplices thought that several dozen taels a month was not a small amount, but people are greedy and they also wanted more money, otherwise they would not have come with Qin Shan to find the He family.

"But what if..." He wanted to ask what to do if the He family doesn't give money, but at this moment the back door was suddenly opened and the manager he had just met came back.

It looks like things are coming to fruition.

A few people wanted to move closer, but two burly guards came out from behind the steward and blocked their way.

The manager's attitude is also different from before. If he was lukewarm before, now it is full of naked contempt and disdain.

Qin Shan and others felt a little uneasy, thinking that something bad might happen.

Sure enough, the steward said coldly the next moment: "Our master said that we have given you everything we should give you, exactly as we agreed at the beginning. You came to me halfway through. Do you not want to abide by the terms of the contract?"

Qin Shan cursed the manager in his heart as a bastard who took advantage of his power, but his face was full of flattering smiles. "Please understand, manager, we absolutely don't mean that. It's true that we have to abide by the contract, but the contract doesn't say that we can't give extra money, don't you think?"

"Hmph, I think you are not going to drink the toast, so you're going to drink the punishment." The steward pointed at everyone and shouted, "Get out of here! You lowly fellows are dirtying the place where the family is celebrating by standing here. If you dare to make trouble and linger, don't blame me for being rude and calling the officials over."

As he spoke, the two guards took a few steps forward. Their imposing manner frightened Qin Shan and the others so much that they retreated tremblingly.

After hearing what the steward said, the other three people who came with Qin Shan were frightened. Not to mention that their identities were not to be disclosed, just considering their current status, if an ordinary citizen was caught and thrown into jail, his life or death would be decided by others.

"Shan Zi, let's go back first." The man pulled Qin Shan's sleeve and said fearfully.

Qin Shan was also afraid, but he was unwilling to leave without getting anything. He took a step forward courageously and was about to say something, but the manager suddenly glared at him and asked, "Do you have anything else to say?"

"No, no." Qin Shan was so frightened that all the courage he had just mustered disappeared. He could only run away in shame with his companions.

Watching the few people fleeing in panic, the steward said sarcastically: "Master is right, these are all things that are not presentable."

He glanced at one of the guards, who nodded to show that he understood.

After Qin Shan and others left the He Mansion, they looked frightened and sad, feeling unhappy. Naturally, the best place for them to go was the tavern.

Recently, the brothers have become much more generous and no longer buy wine for them. The tavern owner who used to annoy them couldn't hide the smile on his face when he saw them now. He called them "Master" all the time, arranged the best seats for them, and brought them the best wine.

Qin Shan was so happy that he gave the boss another small reward of half an ounce, which made the boss so happy that he couldn't help but flatter him.

The anger they had incurred at the He family was vented in this way, and the group became arrogant again.

The four of them drank until the bar closed and then left. They walked home drunkenly, supporting each other. However, halfway through the journey, they were put in sacks, dragged into an alley and beaten up.

Those people beat and cursed at me.

"Don't you see who you are? Do you think you can offend a nobleman?"

"If you dare to have such evil thoughts again in the future, it will not be as simple as a beating, but your lives will be in danger!"

"Behave yourself from now on, remember?"

Qin Shan didn't remember how many times he was beaten, nor did he remember when those people left. Anyway, it was dawn when they returned home with grimaces on their faces.

After that, he had to see a doctor and take medicine, and his money, which was already very little, was gone in an instant.

Qin Shan's wife cried all day long, and Qin Shan used the money to eat meat and drink wine, buy jewelry for the women in Liuxiang, and even the clerks in the store received his bonuses.

But she, as his wife, and her children did not get a penny.

Qin Shan held all those tens of taels in his hands. When he was asked to take some out to buy oil and rice for the family, to make clothes for his son and daughter, or to send his children to a teacher for enlightenment, he would find all kinds of excuses not to give them any.

While he was eating his fill, the people at home were just starving for a drink of cold water.

He was beaten a few days ago and was lying in bed unable to get up. His wife and children were also taking care of him.

As a result, today he was able to walk and was about to go out with the remaining silver.

His wife stopped him and asked sharply, "Are you going to go find that woman again?"

"You bitch, leave me alone and get out of here!" Qin Shan pushed his thin wife to the ground and left without looking back.

When the children at home heard the noise, they all ran out, hugged their mother and cried heartbreakingly.

The neighbors heard the familiar voices and did nothing except sighing that it was a real evil. They didn't even want to watch the excitement, after all, the Qin family was like this every day.

Only a family that had just moved nearby quietly opened the door, and a woman who looked to be in her thirties entered the Qin family carrying a few white flour buns. Soon the crying of several children stopped.

The neighbors just thought the child was tired of crying and didn't think much about it.

White flour is very expensive. Qin Shan’s wife and children haven’t eaten such good food for many years.

The skinny children munched on the soft steamed buns with great care. The sensible eldest daughter wanted to share her share with her mother, but his wife refused with a smile and let her eat it herself.

Looking at his wife with red and swollen eyes, the woman delivering the steamed buns held her hand and sighed, "Sister, you and the children have suffered so much."

Hearing the woman's distressed tone, the wife almost couldn't hold back her tears again.

The woman moved to her neighborhood a month ago. The couple said they offended someone while doing business and lost almost all their fortune.

I had no money and couldn't afford to live in a house outside, so I had to move into Shijing Street.

Normally the couple seldom socialized with outsiders, and even Qin Shan didn't know there were two people near his home. However, Qin Shan's wife helped move a few things on the day they arrived, and even sent them a bowl of cooking in the evening.

Perhaps because she felt that she was kind, the woman became friends with her and often interacted with her.

Whenever she and her child were bullied by Qin Shan, the woman would come over with some things from her own home and comfort her. As time went by, they developed a deep relationship and the wife began to trust her very much.

"Marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog. What else can I do?" The wife still said the same thing.

If she had said this before, the woman would not have tried to persuade her any further but would have cried with her. But this time it was a little different.

The woman sighed at first, and then said with a sad face: "We are already this age, and it's okay to endure a hard life, but it's not the same for the children. They still have several decades of their best years. If this continues, their lives will be ruined."

The wife looked at the children sitting beside her, her eyes full of despair, "I am a useless mother, I am sorry for them."

婦人故作嚴肅道：“大妹子，這就是你的不對了，什麽叫你沒用，明明是秦山那王八羔子的錯，你和孩子都被他害慘了。”

妻子哽咽着道：“嫂子，你說的這些我都懂，可這個家是他做主，我無計可施啊……”

“怎麽就無計可施了，大妹子，你別忘了，你們的身份可不一般吶。”婦人的語氣充滿了誘惑。

秦山跟石井街不少人都說過自己是什麽前朝貴族，不過沒人信他，倒是妻子有次不小心跟婦人透露過，她丈夫說的是真的，婦人也相信她了。

妻子不明白，“嫂子你的意思是？”

*

秦山這邊，出了家門，他就徑直去找紅兒了。

紅兒之前聽說他受傷了，早在家裏備好了治跌打損傷的傷藥，還給他做了他喜歡的飯菜。

秦山感動得不行，握着紅兒的手訴說衷腸，大罵賀家有多不是人，他不過是想找他們要點錢，他們就找人打了他，還害得他被一起去的兄弟們責怪。

沒錯，在紅兒的柔情攻勢下，秦山已經把自己跟賀家的關系說了出來。

這次秦山會去賀家要錢，其實也是紅兒慫恿的，不過紅兒做得隐蔽，沒有直說，只是不停地給秦山做心理暗示。

秦山是個蠢的，果然沒過多久就上勾了。

紅兒早就知道他肯定要不到錢，所以才沒明着叫他去，省得他吃了癟來找自己麻煩。

因為她圓滿完成了這個任務，那人就賞給她好大一筆錢，不然她才舍不得花錢給秦山買藥呢。

而且那人說了，只要事成，就給她一筆錢和新的身份，送她離開京城去過好日子。

紅兒不是沒想過那人可能會騙她，到最後或許還會殺人滅口，但她只能選擇接受。

她不想永遠待在這裏肮髒貧窮的地方，她要用自己這條命，為自己賭一個前程。

“紅兒，還是你好，善解人意溫柔體貼，比我家那個只知道哭和要錢的黃臉婆強多了。”雲雨過後，秦山摟着紅兒親昵。

秦山滿身的藥味讓紅兒犯惡心，心道你妻子為什麽哭，你不清楚嗎？還在這裏跟老娘裝無辜。

不過心裏罵歸罵，紅兒還是得盡職盡責地演戲。

她靠在秦山肩頭，語氣嬌柔地道：“誰叫紅兒心悅于山哥你呢，這麽多年來，你是對紅兒最好的男人了。”

秦山信了她的話，滿心滿眼都是感動，向往地說：“要是紅兒你是我妻子就好了。”

紅兒暗地裏翻了個白眼，不想繼續這個話題，轉而說道：“看着山哥你滿身傷痕，我心裏實在難受，那賀家也太不講道理了，他們明知道不久後就能用得着你們，還敢這麽對你們，那以後要是完事了，不得卸磨殺驢啊？”

紅兒邊說邊偷偷瞅秦山，果然見他在聽到卸磨殺驢這幾個字後，眼神發生了變化。

“不至于吧。”他語氣像是自欺欺人。

紅兒往回收了收，“其實山哥你不用太擔心，我就是随口一說，畢竟我見識淺薄，也就在橋底下的說書人那裏聽過這樣的故事，賀家不一定會這麽做的。”

如果紅兒斬釘截鐵地說賀家以後肯定要過河拆橋，秦山還會覺得可能是紅兒想多了，但她一猶豫，秦山反而起了疑心。

說書人說的大多是歷史故事，從前發生過這種事，未來也可能會重蹈覆轍。

其實仔細想來，他們這些人無權無勢，只擔着一個前朝貴族的名頭，賀家找他們合作，想借的也是這個名頭。

賀家跟北江那位可不同，北江那位跟他們一樣，同流着前朝皇室的血，以後等北江那位推倒宗政家重現前朝輝煌，他們這些人仗着身份，還可以撈點功勞。

但賀家曾經也是前朝臣子，在前朝落敗時，他們這些世家選擇袖手旁觀，最後還歡歡喜喜地打開城門迎接宗政家入主皇位。

這些證據都能說明他們對前朝是沒有任何感情的。

等宗政家倒臺，他們沒有了利用價值，最好的辦法不就是殺了他們，再自己稱帝嗎？

秦山忽然覺得後背一涼，自己是在跟惡狼合作啊。

秦山有些慌了神，下意識朝紅兒求助：“如果他們真計劃那麽做呢？我該怎麽辦？”

紅兒見目的達到，心底萬分高興，她小心翼翼地說：“我是有些想法，不過有沒有用、要不要用，還是得山哥你來考量。”

秦山急切地道：“好紅兒，你就別繞彎子了，直接告訴我吧。”

“山哥你別急嘛。”紅兒輕撫着秦山的胸口，将自己的想法緩緩道來。

“是賀家找上門來要跟你們合作，說明賀家需要你們，所以賀家即便小氣舍不得給你們錢，也只是叫人打了你們一頓，并未傷及你們性命。”

“換一個角度來說，他們的目的沒達到前，無論如何，都不會做出危及你們性命的事來，所以，你們就可以好好利用這一點。”

“既然是他們先不仁，因為一點小事就對你們大打出手，那就別怪你們不義，利用他們的弱點進行反擊，順便拿到應有的補償了。”

紅兒說了一通，秦山卻只會撓頭，啥也沒聽懂。

“然後呢？我該做什麽？”

紅兒忍住罵人的沖動，紅唇貼到秦山耳朵上，告訴了他具體的做法。

秦山聽完，頓時哈哈大笑起來，“紅兒，我真的太愛你了。”

紅兒：呵呵，誰稀罕你的愛，老娘只要錢和前程。

第二天，秦山根據紅兒的指點，再次說服了自己的幾個兄弟，帶着他們一起去了京城裏一家檔次很高的藥鋪。

這是賀家的産業，藥鋪坐落在最繁華的商業街上，因為要價貴，普通百姓根本沒那個錢進去買藥，所以它的主要客戶都是些達官顯貴。

秦山等人穿着粗布麻衣，長得獐頭鼠目，一看就知道是窮鬼，進了藥鋪也不多說什麽，開口就要千年人參百年靈芝，語氣跟在菜市場裏挑菜似的。

店鋪的掌櫃和夥計早在幾人進來時就注意到他們了，雖說他們藥鋪沒有明令禁止窮人不得入內，但整個京城都知道他們家藥鋪是有錢才能進的地方，普通人不會來自找沒臉。

可這幾人與普通窮人不同，走路大搖大擺不說，還一進來就大放厥詞要名貴藥材。

夥計問他們是不是說錯藥材名字了，他們就忽然發火，問夥計是不是看不起他們。

推搡之下，店裏幾個夥計莫名和他們打了起來，并且還引來路人圍觀。

眼見看熱鬧的人越來越多，秦山他們就接連倒在地上，開始大喊大叫起來。

“賀家大爺叫人打傷了我們，我們帶着傷來賀家藥鋪抓藥，結果賀家夥計又打了我們，這世上還有沒有天理了？”

“賀氏家大業大了不起啊，看不起我們這些平頭百姓，覺得我們的命低賤不值錢，老天爺，為什麽對我們這麽不公平啊！”

“當今聖上愛護黎民百姓，為了讓大家夏日有冰用，還動用自己的私庫補貼百姓，救了多少人性命啊，賀家這麽對我們，難不成是覺得自己比聖上地位還高？居然敢視百姓性命如草芥！”

眼看他們越說越離譜，外面圍觀的百姓也開始對賀家指指點點，掌櫃深知再讓他們鬧下去會出大問題，于是趕緊叫人上去捂嘴。

秦山他們怎會甘心讓掌櫃如願，幾個大男人跟條蛇似地撲騰起來，對着外面大喊，“我們幾個是平頭百姓，原本跟賀家大爺毫無關系，但他卻派人去石井街打我們，你們想知道為什麽嗎？”

“為什麽？”人群中，秦山他們安插的人配合地問道。

他一開口，其他人也跟着疑惑，石井街可是出了名的窮，身為世家郎君的賀大少爺，為什麽會和幾個地痞無賴産生交集，還找人去打他們？

秦山這話說得掌櫃心裏不安極了，他靠近秦山，用只有他倆能聽見的聲音問：“你到底想幹什麽？”

秦山回他：“去把這裏發生的事情都告訴賀家大爺，問他答不答應我們之前提的條件，如果不答應，我們可就要到斜對面的茶樓裏，好好跟大家說道說道我和賀大爺的關系了。”

斜對面的茶樓是功臣集團其中一家的産業，要是這幾人跑去嚎一場，那無論他說了什麽，都會被傳進皇帝耳朵裏。

掌櫃不知道賀家大爺和這幾人之間有什麽關聯，但出于萬全的考慮，他只能先答應了這人的要求。

秦山幾人被請到堂內坐下，掌櫃親自給他們倒茶，并且派自己的心腹去了一趟賀府。

過了大概半個時辰，心腹回來了，同時來的還有之前秦山他們見過的管事。

管事沒了當時的嚣張氣焰，陪笑說那日其實是他擅作主張，沒把他們去府裏要錢的事情告訴賀大少爺，趕他們走和找人打他們，都是自己的主意。

Now that the eldest master knows the truth, he specially asked him to come and pay compensation and apologize, and also told them that the He family is sincerely cooperating with them, and hopes that they will remain calm and not let others know about the relationship between the two parties, so as not to affect the overall situation.

After saying this, the steward stuffed two hundred taels of silver notes into each of them, saying that they could go to the He family's silver shop to exchange them for silver.

Seeing the steward bending over and smiling obsequiously, the few people who had originally questioned Qin Shan because of the beating they had received last time suddenly felt relieved, and at the same time they were full of admiration for him.

Qin Shan smiled smugly.

He didn't care whether the steward's explanation was true or not, he just knew that his plan was successful.

Hong'er is right, the stupid ones are afraid of the aggressive ones, and the aggressive ones are afraid of the desperate ones.

The He family is rich and powerful. People like them are more afraid of making mistakes and ruining the overall situation. Unlike them, they only have their lives to live.

The He family still needs them now and will never take their lives. Therefore, the advantage lies in that they are not in the He family. It is the He family who should please them instead of them having to obey them even when asking for money.

You don't want to pay me? Then I will tell the emperor everything about us and see if he will chop off your heads!

Are you so angry that you want to silence them? Of course, but the emperor's people are keeping an eye on the noble families every day. If the He family suddenly killed so many people, would the emperor not be suspicious?

If there is suspicion, there will be an investigation, and if the family is investigated, its true colors will be exposed.

It was for this reason that Hong'er said with certainty that the He family would not dare to do anything to them.

They could take this opportunity to get more money from the He family and prepare for their future escape.

They got two hundred taels for the first time they made trouble. Qin Shan and his men tasted the sweetness and became even more reckless afterwards.