Dad, don't be greedy! My brother climbed into the emperor's bed, and I became famous overn

Gu Mingyue quickly did some mental calculations.

The Azure Dragon Hall is said to have eight hundred members.

Hundreds of strong men, all of them able to eat and drink well, and all doing heavy physical labor such as carrying and unloading goods.

Each person receives a base salary of two taels of silver per month.

The base salary alone is 1,600 taels a month.

Including food and lodging, three meals a day for one person, consisting of coarse grains and vegetable soup, it would cost at least fifty coins.

During holidays, rice, flour, and oil are distributed, in addition to workers' compensation, site maintenance, management expenses, winter coats, and summer herbal tea...

Over a year, that's at least 50,000 taels.

Fifty thousand taels!

This is just one of the Green Dragon Halls. I heard that the Canal Gang has branches all over the country, with a total of five halls!

If we recruit all of them...

This money may look good on paper, but it wipes out all the profits!

Absolutely gorgeous!

Is there really such a convenient thing in the world?

Gu Mingyue felt that she must have had incredible luck today.

Even being kidnapped can turn into a lucrative business deal.

"Master Qian."

She looked at Qian Dajiang, her eyes practically sparkling.

Like a wolf that has been starving for days, seeing a flock of sheep.

Qian Dajiang felt his hair stand on end under Gu Mingyue's gaze.

He had barely entered the hall, and before he could even utter a single polite word, he sensed that something was amiss.

The way this little girl looked at him...

Extremely evil.

Gu Mingyue spoke first.

"The dock cannot be given to you."

Qian Dajiang frowned, about to open his mouth.

"But I can hire you."

Qian Dajiang was a little confused.

Just as he was about to say something, Gu Mingyue interrupted him.

Gu Mingyue pushed the silver notes in front of Qian Dajiang again.

"Puji Hall has taken in all the brothers of Qinglong Hall."

"Meals and lodging are provided. The base salary is two taels of silver per person per month. Rice, flour, and oil are provided during festivals."

"Those who work a full year will get an extra half tael. Their usual duties include guarding the dock, patrolling the river, and loading and unloading cargo."

"If you get injured or sick, the workshop will cover your medical expenses. If you have elderly people or children at home, you will receive an extra New Year's gift."

The hall fell silent.

You can even hear the sound of the breeze in the wild.

Qian Dajiang's mouth was open, and he couldn't close it for a long time.

No, he hasn't said a word since he came in!

Could I have a chance to speak?

He had been eavesdropping for a while behind the dilapidated temple.

I've prepared a whole host of talking points to deal with Mr. Gu.

We considered seven or eight different strategies, including soft tactics, hard tactics, coercion, and feints.

Before he could even utter a single word, he had already been completely arranged for him?

Niu Jiaojin stood to the side, his eyes wide, looking somewhat bewildered.

"Wait, let me process this. So you're saying we don't have to be bandits, but can actually become employees of Pujitang?"

The skinny little lackey in the back row blinked and whispered to the person next to him:

"What does 'free meals and accommodation' mean? It means... you don't have to buy rice yourself?"

The man next to him glared at him: "Two taels a month? My dad used to work as a porter for the salt merchants, and he only made eight hundred cash a month!"

"They still give out gifts during Chinese New Year?"

"Will all medical expenses be reimbursed?"

The murmurs of discussion spread from behind the palace, growing louder and louder.

They originally came to ask for a piece of land and to find a legitimate job.

The canal gang is now fragmented and leaderless.

Qinglongtang is already struggling to make ends meet.

The dock was their last hope.

With a dock, there's work to be done; with work, one isn't considered a tyrant or bandit.

If they weren't considered local bullies and bandits, they wouldn't have been wiped out by the King of Qi's troops.

This is fantastic news!

Qian Dajiang's Adam's apple bobbed.

He looked down at the stack of silver notes on the table, then looked up at Gu Mingyue's face.

This woman has bright eyes. She doesn't seem like someone who lies.

But the more he felt this way, the heavier his heart became.

If I agree...

Qian Dajiang's voice trembled slightly.

"So, from now on, the brothers... won't be part of the Grand Canal Gang anymore?"

The moment those words were uttered, all the whispers in the hall ceased.

Everyone was looking at him.

To outsiders, the name "Caobang" is just a name used in the underworld.

But to them, they are brothers.

It was a winter night when people huddled together in a wrecked boat to keep warm.

It's the confidence that comes from having a group of brothers to stand up for you when you're bullied at the docks.

It's no longer the Grand Canal Gang.

What are they?

"no."

Gu Mingyue spoke directly without hesitation.

"From now on, you will be official employees of Pujitang Wharf. There will be a roster, employee badges, and contracts."

She paused for a moment, then added another sentence.

"But you're still brothers. That doesn't matter."

Qian Dajiang stared at her.

No one spoke in the hall.

Niu Jiaojin tugged at Qian Dajiang's sleeve and lowered his voice:

"Master, could this be a trap...?"

He hadn't finished speaking.

Suddenly, an explosion occurred outside the hall.

The sound of horses' hooves rolled in from all directions, like muffled thunder rumbling along the ground.

The light of torches poured in through every broken window lattice, illuminating the entire dark and dilapidated hall.

"Surround them! Don't let a single one escape!"

The voice was sharp and deep, the tone of a military command, carrying the echo of clashing armor.

Qian Dajiang's expression changed drastically.

He rushed to the window and peered out.

The color drained completely from his face.

Outside the dilapidated temple, there was a dense mass of government soldiers.

The armor reflected a cold glint in the firelight.

Spears stood like a forest, and crossbows were nocked.

The leader rode a tall horse, his face half-lit and half-shadowed by the firelight.

Behind him were several hundred fully armed Imperial Guards, standing in rows and columns, as solid as an iron barrel.

With this kind of situation, let alone fighting.

There wasn't even time to kneel down.

"It's all over, it's all over, it's all over..."

Qian Dajiang frowned and gritted his teeth.

"Damn it! They're government troops! Retreat!!"

The hundred or so Qinglong Hall brothers, trembling with fear, erupted in chaos.

Some people squeezed towards the back door, some climbed towards the window, and the skinny little brother grabbed onto a pillar next to him, his legs too weak to stand up.

Gu Mingyue's pupils suddenly contracted.

Oh no! The cooked ducks are about to escape!

"Stop right there, all of you! Don't even think about running away!"

Gu Mingyue shouted.

The sound wasn't very loud, but its force was enough to shake the dust off the roof beams.

Clang~~

Upon hearing the commotion inside the hall, the imperial guards outside the gate drew their swords.

Qian Dajiang instinctively stopped.

As soon as I turned around, a large stack of things was stuffed into my arms.

Gu Mingyue grabbed him by the back of his collar with one hand and picked up the stack of silver notes on the table with the other, stuffing them into his arms.

The speed and ruthlessness of the attack left Qian Dajiang with no chance to dodge.

"I've already paid!"

"This is the prepaid commission fee for the Pujitang Wharf! Take it!"

"If you stay here, you're my men! But once you step outside this temple, you're just bandits! Try running away!"

"If they are caught red-handed by government troops and killed on the spot, that's bandit suppression!"

"Stay in the temple. Those are my Puji Hall people. If anyone dares to lay a finger on you, I'll settle the score with them!"

Members of the Azure Dragon Hall: ...

Qian Dajiang held a handful of silver notes, looking completely disheveled in the night wind.

He stared, mouth agape, at the silver notes in his pocket, then at the approaching flames outside the door.

Then look back at my brothers, whose eyes are filled with terror.

"I'm telling you, you little rascal..."

"That's a bit much!"

Qian Dajiang looked at Gu Mingyue speechlessly.

"Were there bandits in your family three generations back? You're quite skilled at kidnapping people!"