Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 326 This is my baby!!
Gwangju, Dongnae County, Ye County.

There was a bustle both inside and outside the city.

The outside of the city was crowded with people. Countless people surrounded the city so tightly that no one could get in or out. The huge crowds almost crushed the city walls.

One saw carriage after another blocking the official road, the guards pushing each other, the drivers cursing at each other, and even the noble, who was usually weak and frail, was no exception at this moment.

A nobleman half leaned out of the carriage, pointed at the people blocking the way, and angrily scolded: "I am the county magistrate of Liaocheng! Get the hell out of my way!"

Someone in the carriage ahead also poked his head out and cursed, "You are the lieutenant of Le'an County! Who the hell do you think you are?!"

There was constant noise outside the city, and people were rushing to get into the city.

In front of the city gate, there were many soldiers holding spears, and there were archers in the distance to cooperate with them.

They are checking people entering the city.

The person in charge of the interrogation was a young nobleman. He had a good appearance, was wearing exquisite light armor, and was spotless. He stood in front of many armored soldiers, looking at the people who were about to enter the city.

A farmer tried to squeeze in with a child in his arms, but he dared not move when several soldiers raised their spears.

"My dear, I have a past. I came here from Qingzhou."

The young man looked the other man up and down and said, "One hundred coins for one person, two hundred coins for two people."

The farmer's eyes widened, "My lord, you only brought some food for me to go into the city!"

"No money? Then go to another city, next one!"

The man waved his hand. The farmer wanted to say something, but the soldiers swung their spears. The farmer didn't dare to move forward and squeezed into the crowd on both sides, holding the child.

The next one was a horse-drawn carriage, and the driver was still insulting the farmer who had just come in, for daring to stand in his way.

The nobleman got off the carriage and glanced at the driver, who hurriedly handed the pass to the young man along with a small bag.

The driver acted very covertly. Unexpectedly, the young man handed the pass back, picked up the purse, opened it in front of everyone, calculated a few times, and then looked up with a smile.

"not enough."

"What's not enough?"

"Five hundred coins per person, eight thousand for a carriage, you have to pay"

The young man looked at his followers and said, "Thirteen thousand coins."

The nobleman's face changed drastically. He pointed at the young man and said, "I have never heard of paying money to enter the city! I am not a merchant!"

"You are guarding the city gates, yet you dare to blackmail people entering the city so blatantly. What do you want to do?!"

The young man laughed. "My surname is Cui, my given name is Cong, and my brother-in-law is Li Gong, the governor of Guangzhou. This time, I am following Li Gong's orders to guard this place and collect the city entry tax!"

"fart!"

The nobleman immediately stopped pretending and took out his official seal. "I am an official from Qingzhou! Let me in immediately!"

Cui Cong half raised his head and looked at him with contempt, "Since you are an official from Qingzhou, why did you come to my Guangzhou?"

"Don't want to pay?"

"Next!!"

"Wait a minute!"

The nobleman stopped the other party and looked at the carriage. Soon, a servant took out a larger bag and handed it to Cui Cong with great effort. After Cui Cong counted it, he allowed them to enter the city.

Then another group of people came.

This was the case at several city gates. Officials were extremely busy, busy "checking" people coming in and out. There were also special soldiers responsible for transporting the results of these "checks". Cart after cart of money was transported towards the government offices.

There was chaos outside the city, and the situation inside was not much better.

Along the way, you can see people kneeling on the ground and trembling. Some of them stretch out their hands and pray, but no one pays any attention.

There were cries everywhere, and more and more people poured into the city. These were homeless people who couldn't even find a place to live.

The carriage transported the money all the way into the government office.

The gate of the government office was wide open, and soldiers were patrolling back and forth.

The backyard of the government office.

Li Zuxun, the governor of Gwangju, was walking tremblingly in the backyard warehouse, leaning on a cane.

At this moment, the room was filled with all kinds of rare treasures, and coins were scattered on the ground. His wife, Cui, who was much younger than him, held his arm and took him to walk back and forth in the warehouse.

Cui looked at the glittering golden treasures around her, and then glared at Li Zuxun beside her.

"Look, it's only been a short time and we've already caught so many good things!"

"You're still saying my idea is wrong?"

Li Zuxun was not that old, but he had a hunched back and his legs were not very good. Facing his wife, he showed a flattering smile, "I am not saying that what you said is wrong, I just have my own concerns."

"It's only natural to ask those untouchables for money."

"But I have friendships with many of the officials and noble families in Qingzhou. We have a very good relationship with them on weekdays. Moreover, many of them are well-known wise men in the world. Is it inappropriate for us to treat them like this?"

Li Zuxun also came from a prominent family. Li Zu'e, the master of "Da Qi San Huang Wan", was his sister.

However, there is no trace of dignity in him, and his whole person reveals a vulgar and cowardly temperament.

Cui was much more assertive. Unlike her skinny husband, she looked taller and stronger than her husband. She frowned and cursed, "Bullshit friendship!"

"Do these friendships count?"

"You are talking to them about friendship now, but if you are in trouble, will they talk to you about friendship?"

"They came here on their own, so what if they have to pay the city entry tax?"

"As for those wise men you mentioned, they were all frightened by Liu Taozi. Why should we care about them?"

Cui's mouth was very fast, and in an instant, she refuted Li Zuxun and made him unable to answer. Cui looked at the treasures around her and said softly: "Only these are the most precious."

Li Zuxun also looked at those treasures. He swallowed and looked at Cui.

"Madam, you are right. However, Liu Taozi's army has already arrived in Qingzhou. I heard that Gao Chuo of Qizhou was dismembered in public by him. Money is good, but we have to find a way to save our lives."

"Don't worry! I've already thought of it for you!"

Cui looked up, looking exactly like her brother at the city gate. She said, "Those people in the state are just trying to scare you. Guangzhou is a big state and so many people from Qingzhou have fled here. Even if they recruit, they can recruit tens of thousands of people. Even if they can't defeat Liu Taozi, can't they defend the city?"

"How difficult is it to defend the city? With tens of thousands of people standing on the city wall, what can Liu Taozi do?"

Li Zuxun said hurriedly: "This is not how war is fought"

"Interrupt me again?!"

Cui's tone rose again. She stared at her husband and said, "You are the only one who is smart, and everyone else is stupid? When have I ever been wrong? Aren't my opinions correct every time?"

"After so many times, you still don't believe me?"

Li Zuxun quickly lowered his head and said, "That's not what I meant."

"Then listen to me. We can also charge some other fees. I have many more ideas, and you can come up with them one by one."

Cui's eyes sparkled, and she said excitedly: "I told you a long time ago that the emperor in Yecheng is no longer important. Now it depends on who has the stronger fist. This is just the income of one city. There are several other cities. I think you should replace the officials in the other cities with our own people. Anyway, these few officials are not a big deal."

"Let them all go and earn money for us."

“And those docks!”

"We have to replace our people!!"

After inspecting his own storehouse, Li Zuxun returned to the central hall with the support of his wife, where he met with many officials under his command.

Everyone had been waiting for them for a long time. When they saw Li Zuxun coming, they stood up and saluted. But when they saw Cui beside him, some people showed displeasure on their faces.

Cui secretly kept these people in mind but did not show it.

Li Zuxun panted and sat down on the upper seat with difficulty.

He looked at everyone with a smile, "You are all anxious to see me, but what happened?"

"Governor! Liu Taozi is causing chaos in Qingzhou. The officials of Qingzhou are fleeing here, but they are unable to enter the city. Why is this?!"

A senior official immediately began to question.

Li Zuxun was stunned, stroked his beard, and said slowly: "The city gate tax was also set up to resist Liu Taozi."

"If we don't have money, how can we gather an army and attack Liu Taozi?"

"I have ordered the garrisons from all over the country to go to Jiaolai to set up defenses, dig trenches, and set up chevaux de frise. They will continue to move forward."

"These tens of thousands of people are on the front line, and their daily food and drink expenses are sky-high. I am merciful, and it is difficult to force the people to continue paying taxes. In addition to the city gate tax, is there any other way?"

Everyone looked at each other, and the chief secretary said again: "Sir Governor, Liu Taozi has taken over the entire Qingzhou, and the governor has fled and has no will to fight anymore."

"The only way to resist Liu the thief now is to contact all the righteous people in the world and fight him together!"

"As for the military expenses, the good people from all over Gwangju are willing to donate money, food, and even their own private slaves to express their loyalty!!" It can be seen that these people are very anxious.

The main reason is that they know in their hearts that once Liu Taozi succeeds in taking Gwangju, they will all die. In order to protect themselves and their clans, these powerful and noble officials who never care who their masters are are now determined to keep Liu Taozi out of Gwangju at all costs.

Everyone came up with many strategies and took out money that they could never collect on a normal day, gritting their teeth to stop the enemy.

The change of government has never had anything to do with these kind people.

But this time it’s a bit of a problem. The new government officials are targeting good people, so they can’t be stingy anymore. They should at least take out 10% or 20% of their property to resist, right?
Li Zuxun sat in the upper seat and just nodded stiffly, without any opinion of his own.

Cui stood beside him, listening to everyone's discussion, and smiled even more happily.

It turns out these people are so afraid of Liu Taozi.

Can I earn more then?

At the end of the meeting, there was no result.

The people had no choice but to start taking spontaneous actions to resist Liu Taozi, and people everywhere were busy with this matter.

More and more young and strong civilians were transporting grain to the front line.

And the number of money carts sent to government offices increased.

Everyone is doing important things.

It was dark.

There was not a single star to be seen in the sky.

The West Pier of Ye County was empty, with no swaying boats in sight.

The door of the post house directly opposite was closed and there was no fire inside.

The waves constantly hit the dock, making a rustling sound.

In the water surface that was gleaming with moonlight, several people suddenly emerged. They grabbed the wooden board and pulled themselves up easily. Then they immediately looked around vigilantly.

After making sure that there were no soldiers around, they slowly stood up.

They were all wet, with steel knives biting their mouths, and a cowhide bag on their waists, wrapped in several thick layers, tightly.

They tiptoed forward, crossed the sand, and came to the left and right of the inn. Several warriors looked at each other, picked up steel knives, kicked the door open, and rushed in.

Only two screams were heard from inside the house, and then it became quiet.

After a while, the warriors came out of the inn and dispersed, moving in all directions.

After a long time, these people gathered together again.

"no one?"

"Except for the three in the house, no one else was seen."

"Okay, do it!"

The warriors tore open the bags that were originally wrapped tightly and took out the flint and other things they needed.

Then, several torches appeared here.

In the light night mist, the light of the torches seemed dim, so they climbed up to the watchtower, which was also empty. After lighting the brazier on the watchtower, the firelight became slightly clearer.

On the calm water surface, some ripples gradually appeared.

A dark shadow appeared vaguely in the distance, approaching the dock on the shore.

The ripples created by the waves grew bigger and bigger until several large ships broke through the night fog and suddenly appeared in the distance.

Leading the way was a huge warship, a three-story ship with flames burning all over it. A ferocious beast on the bow opened its bloody mouth, looking strange and terrifying. Countless small warships appeared around it, following this behemoth and slowly sailing towards the shore.

The planks were pushed from the warship all the way to the dock.

Wang Lin, fully armed and holding a steel knife, quickly walked down the warship. Behind him were many armored soldiers.

More and more soldiers appeared here. They began to impose martial law around the area and dug shallow trenches as temporary defense.

Warriors came down from the boat, leading their war horses.

Wang Lin exhaled mist from his mouth, looked around, called a few officers, and took out a map.

He looked to the east, then looked at the map in his hand.

"The county seat is only three miles away from here."

"We must rush out of the city as quickly as possible and capture Li Zuxun and others before the enemy is prepared!"

"Tell everyone not to rest, assemble the ram immediately and prepare for the attack quickly!!"

"only!!"

Ye County is no longer the same as it used to be.

There are no longer so many fugitives outside the city. As officials begin to arrest people everywhere and send them to the front line, the dead don’t even dare to come here.

It was quiet outside the city.

The city gate was closed and several guards on the city wall sat back to back with their heads drooped, looking half dead.

In the midst of silence, a group of people were approaching quickly.

A soldier yawned, rubbed his eyes, stood up, and knocked down the person who was leaning on him.

The man started cursing, but the soldier ignored him, walked to the top of the city wall, untied his skirt, and was about to relieve himself.

The next moment, he saw countless torches in the distance.

Those torches were actually approaching the city silently.

The soldier was trembling all over. He pointed outside the city, screamed, and ran backwards without even lifting his garment. His colleague was also frightened when he saw him running towards him with his penis exposed.

"Enemy attack!!"

"Enemy attack!!"

There were cries of surprise from the city wall, and finally someone lit torches and started beating war drums.

Wang Lin completely ignored the chaos on the city wall, slowly drew out his long sword and pointed it forward.

"attack!!!"

"kill!!!"

The armored soldiers roared and rushed forward, the archers kept shooting to suppress the attack, while the infantry raised their large shields and protected the battering rams all the way to the city gate.

The entire county suddenly woke up at this moment, and the sound of war drums continued to spread, waking up everyone in the city.

Wailing sounds were heard from all over the place, and the unrest further expanded.

The streets were full of people running wildly.

Li Zuxun was lying in the house, hugging his wife, and sleeping soundly.

Suddenly, there was a scream outside the door, which woke Li Zuxun up suddenly. Cui woke up at the same time. They looked at each other. Cui put on her clothes and rushed out of the house.

"What happened?!"

"Madam!! It's Liu the thief! Liu the thief's army is attacking the city!!"

"what?!"

Cui's eyes widened and she cursed, "Bullshit! That thief Liu's army is still in Jiaolai, how could they appear here?!"

"Whoever is spreading rumors here, I will take his place."

"Boom~~~"

There was a loud noise from a distance, like something being knocked over.

Cui's face gradually became panic-stricken. She immediately grabbed the servant in front of her and said, "Quick, quick! Call everyone in! Go to the warehouse in the backyard and move things! Move things!!"

The governor's mansion was in chaos. Cui led people to the warehouse, carried the treasures herself, and walked out, asking the servants to load them onto the cart.

Everyone was busy loading and unloading, loading one truck after another.

The shouting and screaming were getting closer and closer.

"Madam! Let's go! It will be too late if we don't leave now!"

"No! My baby! My baby! How can I let it fall into the hands of thieves!"

"Take another one!"

"Just take one more!"

Cui's face was ferocious and her eyes were bloodshot. She walked forward and hugged the half-human-height jade Buddha without letting go.

(End of this chapter)