I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 423: Fire Prevention, Theft Prevention, and Hai Rui Prevention

Shu Youliang opened his eyes wide, his face full of surprise, "That's great, no wonder we heard the magpies chirping as soon as we entered Xintai County.

"Brother, who is the reliable person? Can you introduce him to me?"

"Brother, the reliable person I, Wang Dagui, introduced to you is the most reliable. He is my maternal uncle, named Qi Xing'an, from Sishui County. He is a sworn brother of the third steward of the second branch of the Kong family. They are half-brothers!
Brother, let me tell you this, in the nearby counties, my uncle can help you deal with anything except murder and arson.

Of course, if you have enough money in your pocket, murder and arson are also possible!"

Shu Youliang chuckled, "Brother, what you said is true. If I had a lot of money, would I still have to live out in the open and take risks to make a living?"

Wang Dagui also laughed, "Brother is a straightforward person, and I am not hypocritical. My maternal uncle happened to come to Wutai Town for something, and I followed him here. I happened to meet you. Don't you think it's fate?

You can give me a few taels of silver and ask me to do something. I can't guarantee that I can do it for you, but I can definitely help you think of a solution and find someone who can."

Shu Youliang's eyes sparkled, "It's in Wutaiji. Oh, what a coincidence! What a fate!"

Wang Dagui saw that Shu Youliang was a veteran and would not trust others easily. In order to earn a little money as a hanger-on, he quickly explained to dispel Shu Youliang's doubts.

"To the south of Wutai Town is Baima Pass, and to the west is Jiunu Pass. Do you know?"

"I know." Shu Youliang nodded.

"At Jiunu Pass and Baima Pass, there is a pavilion and a staircase of two or three hundred stone steps each. Did you know that?"

"We have passed through Baima Pass, so we know. We have not passed through Jiunu Pass, so we are not sure."

"If you go to Sishui tomorrow, you will definitely pass the Jiunu Pass, and then everything will be clear. Brother, did you pay the tax when you passed the Baima Pass?"

"I paid it. Twenty cents per person. It's really fucking shady. Whose rule is this?"

"Of course it's the Kong family's rule!"

Shu Youliang and Hai Rui looked at each other and asked in surprise, "The Kong family privately set up checkpoints and collected customs duties without authorization? This is a serious crime that violates the law of the country."

"What serious crime is this? It's not treason. What is the Kong family afraid of?"

"Why would the Kong family accept it?"

"Just look at the two pavilions at Jiunu Pass and Baima Pass. The two stone steps were built at the expense of the Kong family."

"The government doesn't care?"

"What does the government care about? In Yanzhou Prefecture, Xintai County, and Mengyin County, the officials there have to kneel three times and kowtow nine times when they see the ancestral tablets of others. We are all family, it's hard to care about them."

Hai Rui couldn't help but ask, "The Kong family does charity just to make money?"

Wang Dagui chuckled, "Doing good deeds? The Kong family never spends money on doing good deeds. He just asked the tenants nearby to bring their own dry food and work for two or three months to build this pavilion and stone steps. Even the materials were bought by these tenants with their own money, or they went up the mountain to dig stones themselves.

However, it was all considered a good deed done by the Kong family. The matter was also reported to the court by the Xintai County Magistrate. The Kong family was also commended by the Shandong Provincial Administration Commissioner for their virtue and good deeds.

Fortunately, the nobles in the capital were not foolish and did not fall for it. Otherwise, if the court commended them, they would have to build a new merit archway. Hehe, there would be no space to build a new merit archway in front of the Kong family. "

Wang Dagui rambled on for a while and then returned to the main topic, "My maternal uncle came here to handle a matter related to Jiu Nu Guan. It would be extremely difficult for others, but my maternal uncle took an eight-line letter, greeted him, exchanged a few words, and took out the letter, and it was done immediately."

Shu Youliang also understood that Wang Dagui was actually trying to support his maternal uncle by going around in circles. He had connections and abilities, so it wouldn't be a loss for him to earn a few taels of money from you.

"Your maternal uncle is really powerful. Could you please come over here and have a chat?"

After hearing what Shu Youliang said, Wang Dagui was overjoyed. After some effort, he finally caught another target customer.

"Wait a moment, everyone. I'll go and ask my uncle to come over."

After Wang Dagui left, Hai Rui smiled and said to Shu Youliang, "Your acting is good. You are getting better and better."

Shu Youliang chuckled, "Master, you are so famous that local government officials and wealthy families are on guard against you like thieves. They are on guard against fire, theft and Hai Rui. Listen, Master, you are so famous!"
It’s just that I have to be in the spotlight for everything. I’ve learned this, haha, I’ve learned this.”

Hai Rui sneered, "You've been trained to show up in public. Which family's woman are you from? Aren't you afraid of losing your reputation by showing up in public like this?
I told you to read more books and learn a little more, so you wouldn't say such ridiculous things."

Shu Youliang was upset. "Master, just laugh. You live your life by making fun of me. If you laugh again, I will quit my job. Without me to intervene, people will recognize you wherever you go with your dark face and your Mandarin accent. They will be on high alert against you. How can you still rule for the people and be a judge?"

Hu Guangsheng, who had been silent all this time, said, "Master Hai, Manager Shu, the Wang Dagui just now is no ordinary person."

Hai Rui and Shu Youliang turned to look at Hu Guangsheng, "He is not an ordinary person. How did you know that?"

"This man has calluses on his palms. He must be an old swordsman who has been practicing for many years. His index finger and thumb also have calluses."

"Are there calluses on your index finger and thumb?" Hai Rui's eyes flickered.

Shu Youliang asked curiously, "He's a butcher?" Hai Rui and Hu Guangsheng rolled their eyes at him, "A butcher! What do you think?"

Shu Youliang quickly explained, "There are calluses on the palm of your hand because you often hold the butcher knife. When you kill a pig, you have to hold the pig's feet. The index finger and thumb are just the right place to hold the pig's hoof. You don't know how hard it is to hold the pig during the Chinese New Year. If you hold it for a long time, the calluses will appear."

Hai Rui couldn't help himself, so he stretched out his left hand and tapped Shu Youliang on the head, "Stop talking nonsense. Guangsheng, tell him."

Hu Guangsheng looked around and quietly made a gesture of nocking an arrow and pulling the string.

"An old swordsman who is also good at archery. A military household in the garrison?" Shu Youliang's mind worked quickly.

Hu Guangsheng added: "They are not ordinary military households. Ordinary military households just farm and their whole family can't even get enough to eat, so how can they have the energy to practice swordplay and archery?

In my opinion, the calluses on Wang Dagui's hands are no less than those on some military academies at the border."

Hai Rui narrowed his eyes and thought, "This is interesting. We just want to find a local leader to lead the way, but we don't want to find a big shot. Youliang, we'll act according to circumstances when the time comes."

When it comes to business, Shu Youliang is very serious, nodding and answering: "Master, I understand."

Wang Dagui quickly brought his maternal uncle over.

"My maternal uncle Qi Xing'an. Mr. Shu, accountant Li, and shopkeeper Hu."

Qi Xing'an was a short man with a sturdy build and a sharp, shrewd look in his eyes. He glanced at the three men and paused for a few moments on Hai Rui.

Hai Rui knew that this person had seen through him, so he stood up and said, "I am Li Guorui, a maritime merchant from Shanghai. He is my manager Shu, and this is my bodyguard Hu."

Qi Xingan smiled and said, "Mr. Li is honest with me, so I am also willing to be honest with you. Please take a seat."

"Please sit down!"

After sitting down, Hai Rui got straight to the point, "I came here this time to rescue a friend who was thrown into jail by the Sishui County Magistrate."

Qi Xing'an stroked his chin and said with a half-smile, "It's a high price to rescue someone from the county jail."

In the Qinzheng Hall of Xiyuan, Xu Wei reported to Zhu Yijun the results of Qi Jiguang's exercise on the coordination of cavalry and infantry in Sanbulachuan and fighting against the imaginary cavalry enemy on the grassland.

". 20,000 infantry were deployed, relying on vans, and a large number of barbed wires were deployed to restrict the enemy's cavalry from making detours and charging. 30,000 cavalry were deployed to respond to the enemy's attack from the side.
The results are remarkable, and the coordination between our cavalry and infantry has become more mature."

On the grasslands south of the desert, the Tumed and Yongshebu tribes were conducting military exercises right under their noses. Who were they performing for? Of course, it was to intimidate the 20,000 households.

It seems to work well.

Zhu Yijun nodded and asked, "What new moves has Altan Khan made?"

"Your Highness, after Altan Khan returned to the Dabansheng King's tent, he has been bedridden. Sanniang has been taking care of him day and night, and it is difficult for ordinary people to get close to him. The specific situation is not yet known. However, according to various signs, Altan Khan should be gradually recovering, but he has always claimed that his condition is sometimes better and sometimes worse."

Zhu Yijun raised his eyebrows, "Is he luring the snake out of its hole?"

"Your Highness is wise. During the time when Altan Khan was ill, Nalin Taiji, Altan Khan's second son Buyan, and fourth son Bintu were all very active."

"It's good to be active. If it's not active, it's just a stagnant pool. Send a letter to Wang Daokun in Datong, asking him to pay close attention and report any emergency. If there is an emergency, you can discuss it with Huo Ji and deal with it on the spot. Just follow the guidelines I give him."

"As ordered!" Xu Wei said again, "Your Highness, there is news about Lord Gangfeng."

"Oh, where did Hai Gong go?"

"Hai Gong went straight from Henan to Huainan, then met with Wang Yi'e, the governor of the grain transport, in Huai'an, then took a boat from Haizhou to Qingdao Port in Mizhou, and headed straight to Qufu from the east."

"Kong Mansion? Lord Hai has also set his sights on him?"

"It should be. The news that Lord Hai was on a secret visit to Henan and southern Zhili has long been spread. I believe Shandong has spread spies along the canal, as well as in Dongchang and Yanzhou. If Lord Hai enters Shandong from the west or the north, he will definitely be discovered.

Hai Gong deliberately took a long detour, took the sea route to Qingdao, and then entered Qufu from the east, taking the enemy by surprise."

Zhu Yijun smiled, "I didn't expect that Lord Hai has also learned the art of war. Pass it on and ask the Jinyiwei and Dongchang personnel in Shandong to keep an eye on Lord Hai."

Xu Wei replied: "I obey your order."

Zhu Yijun continued to ask: "Last month, Lord Ruzhen sent me a memorial from Hong Kong, saying that he wanted to destroy the Annan Mo family within three months. I wonder how the situation is going?"

"Your Highness, according to the latest news, our Nanhai Marine Battalion of 21,000 people surrounded Thang Long City. The Mo family gathered 100,000 soldiers and civilians to defend the city.

Our army dug trenches and deployed artillery, intending to capture Thang Long City with new tactics. "

"Good! Actual combat is the best place to test tactics."

(End of this chapter)