Eternal Immortal Dynasty: Starting as a Petty Official

Chapter 160: The Distribution of Profits, Zhao Xian's Scheme (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

As the sun rises in the east, sounds gradually drift from the villages and hamlets.

But the village where the Wu family lived remained completely silent.

The sounds of fighting and crying last night were deafening. The villagers all hid in their homes, trembling with fear, and dared not show their faces at this time.

Around 9:00 AM, the thunderous sound of horses' hooves echoed through the inner lane. Only then did a Taoist priest hide behind the door, cautiously peeking out to observe the Wu family's movements.

Several knights dismounted and strode towards the Wu family's residence.

The last two men were escorting a burly man with disheveled hair.

In the blink of an eye, the group disappeared into the inner path.

"uncle!"

Outside the main hall, the Wu family members, who were crouching on the ground, saw the burly man being escorted and immediately began to cry out loudly.

Upon seeing this, the burly man being escorted immediately showed a look of grief on his face, his eyes reddened, and tears streamed down his face.

"Zhao Xian!"

"I did everything myself; what does it have to do with these women and children?"

The burly man immediately glared angrily, struggled fiercely, and roared loudly towards the main hall.

Wang Cong and Zhang Wen, who were escorting him from behind, were both finding it difficult to control this burly man.

"Snapped!"

Suddenly, a figure rushed forward, raised his sword sheath, and began to strike the burly man repeatedly!

After several slaps, the burly man was bruised and swollen, his face covered in blood.

"If they dare to shout again, kill them first!"

With a flick of his scabbard, Zhao Cheng pointed at the women and children below the hall and shouted sternly.

"Take him to the hall!"

Seeing that Wu De had stopped struggling, Zhao Cheng immediately looked at Zhang Wen and Wang Cong and gave them instructions.

When Zhao Xian saw Wu De again, he was also shocked by his current appearance.

"No matter what, Lord Wu is a minor official of the rank of 100 shi (a unit of grain measure), how can he be so rude!"

Looking at Zhang Wen and Wang Cong, Zhao Xian immediately ordered, "Untie Wu Jun!"

"Bring another basin of warm water, and have a maidservant serve Lord Wu as he washes up!"

"Zhao Xian, you brat! Stop with this pretense!"

Upon hearing this, Wu De immediately roared angrily, his eyes wide with fury as he stared intently at Zhao Xian.

"I hate it!"

"I regret not gathering a crowd and beheading you back in the village of Xixiang!"

"This has brought such calamity upon my family!"

"Mr. Wu, your family's misfortune was not brought about by me, Zhao Xian!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian shook his head and gave a bitter smile. He then waved his hand, signaling Wu De to be taken away.

Seeing this, Zhao Cheng immediately took Zhang Wen and Wang Cong and brought Wu De back outside the hall!

"Ah Cong, find a piece of burlap and gag him!"

Upon exiting the main hall, Zhao Cheng immediately looked at Wang Cong and gave him instructions.

Meanwhile, all the officials in the hall had gathered, and even Zhao Zheng had been summoned by Zhao Xian.

"The annihilation of the Wu family is a foregone conclusion!"

Seated in the main seat, Zhao Xian surveyed the officials before him and immediately smiled. "This is the inventory of the Wu family's assets that were seized. Please take a look!"

Liu Ping, who was standing to the side, was also prepared. He got up and distributed the silk scrolls that had already been copied to everyone.

"Whoa!"

"There are so many!"

Xu Dejing took the silk, glanced at it, and immediately exclaimed in surprise.

"Even if my family's wealth were many times greater, it still wouldn't be half of the Wu family's!"

Cao Quan, standing to the side, echoed this sentiment with a sigh.

After everyone had finished reading, Zhao Xian smiled and nodded slightly to Huang Zhong, Zhao Duan, and Zhao Bing beside him.

The three immediately understood Zhao Xian's meaning, and turned around to go into the back hall, each carrying out a wooden box.

"Since you are all close to Zhao Xian, I will speak frankly!"

"I'll give all the mid-grade spirit stones to the county magistrate!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuancheng immediately nodded in agreement, saying, "That's exactly right!"

"Without the county magistrate's approval, this matter cannot be accomplished!"

"Take out five hundred low-grade spirit stones and hand them over to the county clerk who has come!"

Xu Dekun chimed in with a laugh, "Everyone who sees it gets a share! Mr. Zhao is fair!"

"The remaining two hundred-odd low-grade spirit stones will be divided among Liu Sheng, Liu Ping, Zhang Wen, and Wang Cong!"

"Can!"

The others nodded immediately upon hearing this.

Liu Ping hesitated for a moment, wanting to say something, but Zhao Duan tugged at his sleeve from behind, so he had to remain silent.

Zhao Duan naturally knew that Liu Ping wanted to refuse, but in this situation, how could he allow him to embarrass his elder brother!

"The total amount of talisman money is 250,000. The Xu family gets 150,000, Mr. Chen gets 50,000, and the Cao family gets 50,000!"

Zhao Xian looked at Xu Dekun, Chen Yuancheng, and Cao Quan, and immediately said with a smile.

The Xu family had a Foundation Establishment cultivator secretly protecting them all the way, so naturally they would take the lion's share.

Chen Yuancheng and the Cao family sharing 50,000 is quite a lot. Moreover, Chen Yuancheng and the Xu family are involved in this matter because they are after merit and Xu Dekun's future!

150,000 talisman coins, which is equivalent to more than 1,000 low-grade spirit stones!

That's not a small amount!

Upon hearing this, all three looked quite satisfied.

All the ill-gotten gains have now been divided up.

The remaining items were the fields, oxen, livestock, servants, and laborers that the Wu family had secretly hidden.

Zhao Xian naturally had arrangements for these as well.

According to custom, these hidden fields are to be confiscated.

The slaves and servants were also meant to become government slaves.

However, Zhao Xian was unwilling to do so, but this matter still needed to be discussed with the people from the county.

Before long, hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall, followed by a respectful greeting: "Liu Chen, the village head of Xixiang, pays his respects to Lord Bingcao!"

"Come in!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian and Chen Yuancheng exchanged glances, their faces breaking into smiles. They looked out of the hall and said with a grin.

The middle-aged scholar at the head of the group took a few quick, small steps and arrived at a spot about ten feet away from Zhao Xian's desk, where he bowed deeply.

"I am late, sir. Please forgive my tardiness!"

"It's alright, please get up. People from the county will be arriving soon, and we may need Mr. Liu to say a few words to them!"

Zhao Xian nodded slightly, raised his hand in a gesture of support, and said with a smile.

"This~"

"This~"

Upon hearing Zhao Xian's words, Liu Chen's face immediately showed a look of panic. The rows of neatly arranged corpses and the pile of bloody, mangled heads that had been outside the hall earlier instantly reappeared before his eyes.

"Lord Zhao! I truly know nothing about the Wu family's affairs!"

Suddenly, Liu Chen knelt down and shouted urgently.

"Since I came here as the village head, most of the affairs in the village have been controlled by the major families, especially the Wu family!"

"That village official, Wu Liang, is domineering and doesn't allow lower-ranking officials to interfere in any village affairs!"

"A low-ranking official is nothing more than a seal!"

At this point, Liu Chen's forehead touched the ground, and he kowtowed repeatedly, his face filled with extreme fear.

It was no wonder he was so panicked. Wu De had offended Zhao Xian, and in just a few months, the Wu family was facing annihilation!

In his mind, Zhao Xian was already a vengeful person!

Chen Yuancheng, Xu Dekun, Liu Ping and others saw Liu Chen's panic, but they did not show any disdain. Instead, they looked at the scene with great seriousness!

A village foreman was so frightened by Zhao Xian that he prostrated himself and begged for mercy. Zhao Xian was no longer the poor country boy who couldn't get enough to eat!

"How much land does the Wu family own?"

After a moment of silence, Zhao Xian looked at Liu Chen and asked in a solemn voice.

"Reporting to Lord Zhao, the Wu family has 23 members listed in the household register, but no servants or dependents are recorded. They own a total of 100 mu of land!"

Liu Chen immediately knelt down and answered without hesitation.

"Anything else?"

"The concealed farmland should amount to over 4,400 mu, involving 46 households!"

"You seem to know quite a lot!"

Upon hearing Liu Chen's reply, Zhao Xian immediately smiled and made a joke.

Hearing Zhao Xian's laughter, Liu Chen breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he had passed this hurdle.

"Get up!"

Zhao Xian spoke again, and Liu Chen hurriedly got up and stepped aside.

Zhao Duan also added a seat for Liu Chen at the opportune moment, for which Liu Chen was very grateful.

"The Wu family owns a considerable amount of land!"

Upon hearing Liu Chen's reply, Cao Quan couldn't help but sigh.

To this day, the Cao family only owns a little over a thousand acres.

"What does Bozhang intend to do with these fields?"

Chen Yuancheng looked at Zhao Xian and asked in a solemn voice.

"I am nearing my coming-of-age ceremony, yet I don't even own a house. This house belonging to the Wu family seems quite nice to me!"

Zhao Xian did not answer Chen Yuancheng's question. Instead, he looked around the main hall with a sigh on his face.

Upon hearing Zhao Xian's words, everyone in the hall understood what he meant: the Wu residence was going to be renamed the Zhao residence!

As for the Wu family's land, need I say more?

With the remaining matters settled, everyone got busy with their own affairs. Chen Yuancheng, Xu Dekun, Cao Quan, and others, along with Liu Chen, were determined to make the case of the Wu family colluding with bandits and oppressing the villagers an ironclad case.

Zhao Xian left Huang Zhong to look after Wu De, while Zhao Duan and Zhao Bing looked after the women, children, and servants of the Wu family. He himself, along with Zhao Zheng, Zhao Cheng, and other members of the Zhao family, began to inspect the Wu family's fields under the guidance of a local official from the west.

The minor official led the way, while Zhao Xian, who was not on horseback, walked slowly behind with Zhao Zheng, Zhao Cheng, and others.

It was winter, and the fields were a barren yellow!

"This entire expanse of land belongs to the Wu family; it truly stretches as far as the eye can see!"

Walking along the country path, Zhao Jishou shaded his eyes, glanced out, and then said with a sigh.

"The rich own vast tracts of land, while the poor have nowhere to stand!"

Zhao Zong, who was following behind Zhao Ji, also echoed with a rather emotional remark!

"Ah Zong is also knowledgeable!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ji immediately made a joke.

"Brother Zhong, how about I give you a piece of this land?"

Suddenly, Zhao Xian raised his hand and pointed, looking at Zhao Ji with a smile and asking.

"That would be excellent! It's a pity, however, that it must be handed over to the county government!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ji was delighted, but then said helplessly.

"I don't intend to hand it over to the county!"

"Um?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zheng, Zhao Cheng, and the others all looked somewhat surprised.

"Those one hundred mid-grade spirit stones are my reward to the county magistrate!"

Standing on the ridge of the field, Zhao Xian looked at the Zhao family members in front of him and said with a smile.

"I intend to bring this land under my protection!"

"Then we'll distribute it to you!"

"Ah Xian, what do you mean by this?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhengli immediately asked in confusion.

In their view, even if the land wasn't handed over to the county, Zhao Xian should have kept it for themselves.

"Fourth brother, you are the second son in the family. You won't get a single piece of the land inherited from your great-uncle, will you?"

Zhao Xian looked at Zhao Cheng and asked with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Cheng gave a wry smile and nodded.

"If I were to give you a hundred acres of land, two strong servants, and an ox, would you be willing to settle down here?"

"What?!"

Upon hearing Zhao Xian's words, Zhao Cheng's face showed an expression of disbelief, and he exclaimed in surprise!

"Brother Zhong, you are also the second son in the family. My eldest uncle's fields are all going to you. If I were to treat you the same way, would you be willing to settle down here?"

Before Zhao Cheng could say anything, Zhao Xian looked at Zhao Ji and asked with a smile.

"Brother, you are the same!"

Zhao Xian then looked at Zhao Zong and said the same thing.

"Ah Xian, are you planning to establish a separate clan here?"

After pondering for a few moments, Zhao Zheng looked at Zhao Xian and asked in confusion.

"I don't have that intention now, but I can't bear to see these fertile fields slip through my fingers!"

Zhao Xian shook his head and sighed.

"I'm feeling a bit better, but I'm still not married!"

Zhao Ji scratched his head, looked at Zhao Xian, and smiled.

"Brother Zhong, with so many women in the Wu family being used as government slaves, their future situation will be even more appalling!"

"Whichever one you fancy, you can have. I'll also give you a beautiful maid, how about that?"

Zhao Xian looked at Zhao Ji and asked with a smile.

"That's about a hundred acres of land, two servants, one ox, and two women?"

Zhao Ji stretched out his fingers, counted them, and asked with a smile.

"That's only natural!"

Zhao Xian immediately nodded and responded.

"Such good fortune happening to me, I feel like I'm dreaming!"

Zhao Ji chuckled lightly, but his expression quickly turned serious. "Ah Xian, if I could truly acquire the Wu family's business empire, I would naturally be willing!"

"Um!"

"Not only you, but all the Daoist members of the demon-hunting team, as long as they are the second son in their families or do not own any land, can stay!"

"You will each receive 100 mu, as will your two cousins ​​Xu Hua and Xu Fu, and Zhang Gong and Mu Chun. The rest will each receive 50 mu and an ox!"

"Any remaining servants and maids shall also be distributed among them!"

"We'll sign a lease agreement, and after the harvest, I only want 30%!"

"There's just one thing: when recruiting followers again in the future, everyone must be able to answer the call!"

"From this day forward, I am the head of the family, and you are my retainers!"

At this point, Zhao Xian looked at the people in front of him, a solemn expression on his face.

"Fertile fields, oxen for plowing, strong servants, and beautiful maids—ha ha!"

"Ah Xian, with such excellent conditions, of course I have to come!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ji immediately laughed loudly, breaking the silence and speaking up in agreement.

Afterwards, Zhao Cheng and Zhao Zong also nodded slowly.

"Ah Xian, you are now a high-ranking official, so you must be careful in your actions from now on!"

Seeing this, Zhao Zheng pondered for a few moments and then looked at Zhao Xian, offering a few words of advice.

In his view, Zhao Xian was about to separate from the Zhao family of Yangpingli!

There's no other way if the family doesn't separate; second sons like Zhao Ji don't have much of a future!

"Let's go back!"

Zhao Xian didn't explain further, and then turned and walked towards the Wu family.

"By the way, Ah Xian, what should we do with Wu's followers?"

Suddenly, Zhao Ji looked at Zhao Xian and pressed him for an answer.

These servants were all serfs of the Wu family, who farmed the land for the Wu family and could barely make ends meet.

"I'll give it all to you!"

"We can't expect you to actually do farm work, or your martial arts skills will go to waste!"

"From now on, you will still accompany me on my inspection tours of the villages, and the servants will cultivate the fields!"

Zhao Xian immediately replied with a smile.

As for whether these followers have any objections to this, no one cares!