Seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune: Starting with death row inmates

The news of Shen Chen killing the Bloodthirsty Python quickly spread throughout the mountain stronghold, and naturally reached the ears of the third leader, Zhuang Fu.

What concerned Zhuang Fu most was not that Shen Chen had single-handedly killed the nine-foot-long python, but that he had distributed the snake meat to his men.

"How could Shen Chen be so willing to give up something?" Zhuang Fu asked his confidant.

The confidant added, "Not only that, he also compensated the families of those eaten by the Crimson Blood Python with a large sum of money for each household..."

"Now his reputation for generosity and righteousness is spreading throughout the village, and many people are going to seek refuge with him."

Zhuang Fu didn't take it to heart: "Heh, he is indeed righteous, but unfortunately righteousness can't put food on the table or be spent like money."

He casually stacked a stack of coins into a tower shape: "It won't be long before he's begging me to redeem the salt well."

Juyi Hall.

Hu Muzhi stared at the bag of salt in front of him. He had lived for more than 30 years and had eaten a lot of salt, but he had never seen one so fine, white and translucent.

"Good salt, good salt!" Hu Muzhi praised loudly, then turned his gaze to Shen Chen opposite him: "Did you make this salt?"

Shen Chen cupped his hands slightly and said, "I obtained this salt-making method from an ancient book. I tried it by chance and unexpectedly succeeded. I suppose it was thanks to the chieftain's good fortune that I came to present it to him."

"Hahaha." Hu Muzhi laughed loudly, pointing at Qin Pi beside him, "Seventh Brother, your brother is much better at talking than you are."

"Tell me, what reward do you want?" Hu Muzhi asked Shen Chen.

Shen Chen said, "I dare not accept any reward, but I thought that this salt-making method would be a great benefit to the mountain stronghold, and I intend to offer it to the chieftain."

Hu Muzhi was taken aback, and his expression became playful: "Oh... Brother Shen is indeed as generous as the rumors say."

There's no such thing as a free lunch. Hu Muzhi's mind raced, and he quickly understood Shen Chen's meaning.

Shen Chen came to recruit him. Salt trading was almost a monopoly business. Regardless of age, gender, or martial arts skill, everyone needed to eat salt every day.

Once Shen Chen's salt of this quality goes on sale, it will surely monopolize the market. When the business grows, Qin Pi's status will not be enough to deter the leader with ulterior motives, but the chieftain will be a different story.

With the village chief as a backer, this business can last.

"I understand. Tell me your method," Hu Muzhi said with a smile.

Shen Chen did not hand it over to him immediately, but instead said, "This method is extremely precious. Chieftain, you must not be careless and let those with ulterior motives know about it."

I'm showing you my sincerity in cooperating with you, so don't turn around and leave me to hook up with other people.

Hu Muzhi understood Shen Chen's implied meaning and smiled, "I will never let my brother down."

Then, Shen Chen handed a scroll to Hu Muzhi: "I've memorized the salt-making method on page forty-two."

Hu Muzhi nodded slightly, then suddenly remembered something and said, "Brother Shen only has those four salt wells, but no shops for business, right?"

After receiving an affirmative answer, Hu Muzhi waved his hand and said, "I remember there are three vacant shops in the East Market. You can take them."

"Thank you, Chieftain. I'll take my leave now." Shen Chen thanked him repeatedly, and then walked out of the room with Qin Pi.

Qin Pi said happily, "Now that we have a shop and the banner of the chieftain, we can open for business and make a fortune."

Shen Chen said, "No rush, let's wait a while."

Qin Pi asked, somewhat puzzled, "What are we waiting for?"

He's been short of money lately, and he's so desperate to make money that he's practically splitting every penny in half. He's eager to open for business and start earning money as soon as possible.

It was already December when a snowflake suddenly drifted down from the sky and landed on the dry branches of a tree.

Shen Chen reached out and caught a snowflake, saying calmly, "Wait for a north wind."

……

Da Yan, Fengjing.

"Your Majesty, at noon yesterday, the northern barbarians marched south, breached Jin Pass and Yuhai Pass, and entered Ningzhou. Sixty-three thousand soldiers were killed or wounded..."

The Minister of War read the battle reports one by one, his voice trembling.

Emperor Chonghe was a thin young man with a pale face and dark circles under his eyes. As more and more battle reports came in, his face turned blood red at a visible speed.

"How dare you, you barbarian dog!" he roared angrily, sweeping all the memorials on the table to the ground. Several memorials hit the heads of the officials in front of him, and blood gushed from their wounds immediately, but no one dared to cry out in pain.

Emperor Chonghe immediately cast a sharp glance at the prime minister in red robes beside him: "Prime Minister Yan, didn't you say before that the might of our Great Yan army was so great that even barbarians wouldn't dare to offend us?"

Before the prime minister could defend himself, Emperor Chonghe roared angrily, "You were the one who said that Yuan Long was plotting to collude with the Northern Barbarians and had rebellious intentions. I listened to your slander and had him executed by slow slicing. Now that Yuan Long is dead, the Northern Barbarians have invaded with their entire country. I think you are the real barbarian spy."

He immediately drew his sword and stabbed the prime minister into the body.

The prime minister stared at the long sword embedded in his chest, feeling the excruciating pain. Instead of offering any explanation, he burst into laughter: "Hahaha, you tyrant! You tyrant! Stubborn, suspicious, and reckless! Such a tyrant, your reign is doomed!"

"You are a king who has lost his country, and we are all slaves of a fallen nation." He shouted three times, and then died.

"Cut the corpse into pieces and feed it to the dogs, and exile the family members to the Northern Cold Tower!" Emperor Chonghe roared.

The imperial court was completely silent.

The new emperor has only been on the throne for three years, but he has already had six prime ministers and three different groups of border generals.

Emperor Chonghe swept his gaze across the countless officials below, his voice filled with resentment: "The battle reports of the past all proclaimed great victories! Utter triumphs! Why then is the battle line drawing ever closer to Fengjing? Huh?"

"You are all incompetent sycophants!" Emperor Chonghe roared like a madman for a while, and it took him a quarter of an hour to calm down.

Emperor Chonghe coldly replied, "Yan Kuan says I am a ruler who brought about the downfall of his country, but which ruler who brought about the downfall of his country is as personally involved in everything as I am, working tirelessly day and night? I am not a ruler who brought about the downfall of his country, but unfortunately, my subjects are ministers who brought about the downfall of his country!"

He then coldly replied, "Now that Yuan Long is dead, who can lead the army for the country?"

All the officials remained silent, and not one dared to speak.

A moment later, an elderly man with white hair and beard stepped out of the ranks and said in a hoarse voice, "This old minister is ready to fight for the country."

The speaker was named Yang He, who had just celebrated his 90th birthday and had served three emperors of the Great Yan Dynasty.

Emperor Chonghe glanced at him and sighed, "Then let's ask General Yang to come out of seclusion..."

Yang He knelt on the ground and kowtowed deeply: "Your Majesty, I beg Your Majesty's grace. No matter how the situation in this battle unfolds, this old minister will live and die with the soldiers. If this old minister sacrifices himself for the country, I hope Your Majesty will protect the Yang family bloodline so that it may not be cut off."

Emperor Chonghe paused for a moment, then nodded slightly: "I grant your permission."

……

Anxi County Town.

Inspector Chen Wei looked at the secret letter from his subordinate and suddenly laughed, "Brother Zhang, it's time to raise the price of salt."

Sitting opposite him was Zhang Fuguang, the county magistrate of Anxi County. Upon hearing this, Zhang Fuguang's eyes lit up immediately: "The Khan has already sent out troops?"