Griffin Commander in the Late Ming Dynasty

"Yeah, yeah, me too."

"There's me and there's me"

Seeing so many victims present, Wang Dang smiled with satisfaction: "In this case, today, I will tell you a good news. Just yesterday, the gang of mountain bandits that had been entrenched in the vicinity of Yangzhou City for a long time was dealt with by the court. All the bandits were beheaded and will be displayed in Caishikou tomorrow. I am going to report this news, and I hope you will spread the word in the city."

"what?"

The atmosphere at the scene was somewhat stagnant.

"what??????"

Volume 84: Chapter Chapter : Wen Ren’s Great Crisis!

The people present had different reactions. The first type was simply surprise. Why was the new county magistrate so powerful?

They do business in and outside the city, and are often robbed by this group of bandits when leaving the city. They are lucky to be able to survive each trip. They naturally hate bandits, but when they reported to the authorities before, they were dealt with hastily. The government's answer was that this group of bandits is powerful and intertwined, and it is difficult to wipe them out. They are also working hard, so please be patient and as the people, please be more understanding of the difficulties of the court.

But if I could understand the court's difficulties, who would understand my own difficulties? No matter what, the previous county magistrate launched more than ten bandit suppression operations. Everyone present donated money or grain, but the money and grain became less and less, while the bandits became more and more.

The common people were simple and honest. They only thought that bandits were rampant, and never thought that the county magistrate would actually deceive them. Over the years, they hated the bandits but were helpless. Unexpectedly, the new county magistrate helped them solve such a big problem as soon as he took office.

It is really gratifying that such a strong official has solved a major hidden danger in the minds of these merchants right away.

The second group were even more surprised. These people had some connections and knew very well that this group of bandits had a backer, but they didn't know who the backer was. With such a premise, they could perform one more operation than the previous merchants who could only bear the loss.

Everyone hates bandits and everyone has been robbed, but I am familiar with the county magistrate. Although everyone does not have the courage to suppress the bandits, they have the courage to make money from suppressing the bandits, and they are very brave. Every time the bandits are suppressed, they are the most active in paying money and grain. After the task is accomplished, they return all the money they paid, and split the money of the people in a 30% and 70% ratio.

With the help of the bandit suppression, they have recovered a lot of losses, but what happened here is not something that should be told to outsiders. We are all businessmen, and fighting and killing are not good. They can make money whether the bandits are suppressed or not.

I had been thinking about how to establish relationships with the new county magistrate to continue their business after he took office, and how everyone would be good to each other. But I didn't expect that this county magistrate was so arrogant. Not only did he have the courage to make money, but he also had the courage to suppress bandits. The first thing he did after taking office was to suppress the bandits without saying a word.

Is this a good or bad thing? Of course it is good. Compared to continuing to make money by suppressing bandits, it is more profitable to sell goods. By suppressing the bandits, a lot of expenses for hiring bodyguards can be saved. The income from selling goods is definitely much more stable than squeezing the poor. Generally speaking, it is good news for them.

Then the third type is naturally gentle and kind.

His face was gloomy at the moment. This group of bandits was sponsored by him. He had never told anyone about this matter. Most of the salt goods to the north of Yangzhou City were included in his supply after being looted. He gave part of the share of the sales to these bandits. The cooperation was quite pleasant.

Naturally, he had to be more approachable to the outside world. If others were robbed, he could not be spared. Otherwise, if others were robbed and you were the only one who was fine, even a fool could see that there was something wrong with you. Then he became the largest salt merchant in Yangzhou City. All the businessmen present had to give him some face.

The bandits can be said to be Wen Ren's leg, or even a thigh. With the help of the bandits, he robs the villa. The captured women, if they are pretty, are sent to the Wen Mansion and trained as skinny horses to bribe their superiors. If they are not so pretty, they are left to the bandits to deal with. With such a group of people, many things can be done secretly.

Why do we need to support bandits? You should know that, generally speaking, the salt and iron business must be officially approved and done with a salt permit. You have to sell as much as the salt permit states. If you sell more, it will be considered as selling contraband salt and you will be beheaded.

Although the official salt business is extremely profitable, it is under strict government surveillance, and every transaction is clearly recorded. At the same time, a large amount of salt tax must be paid. However, it is different with private salt. You can sell as much as you want and how you want, and the money you earn is 100% yours. It is so cool.

But now, this leg is broken.

Wen Ren was naturally not in a very good mood. First of all, he had to know that training a loyal bandit leader was a very mentally exhausting job, because the business involved was all extremely sensitive. How to prevent the other party from having second thoughts was a very difficult science.

The most important thing is that Wen Ren doesn’t know whether the county magistrate has really wiped out the bandits. If so, are there any survivors?

This group of bandits knew so much, every piece of information could get him sent to Caishikou and be beheaded. Perhaps beheading was still a light punishment. If the county magistrate had any survivors in his hands, and if he were to interrogate them and find out something, then all his decades of planning and painstaking efforts would be in vain.

Wen Ren's heart was filled with panic at this moment.

"Oh, this is such a good thing! The world has suffered from mountain bandits for so long! As soon as the county magistrate came, he helped Yangzhou solve such a serious problem, allowing us to see the blue sky through the clouds. He is really the parent official we have been thinking about!"

Some people were so delighted that they began to flatter him.

"Your Excellency, this matter is of great importance, but are you serious?"

Some people still find it hard to believe.

"Oh, this is really a great joy. With this, our business road to the north will be smooth and we won't have to tremble in fear anymore. This is really a great joy. Hey, Master Wen, why are you shaking?"

Wen Ren tried hard to hold down his shaking hands. Half of the wine in the glass was shaken out by him. He tried hard to keep his expression unchanged and forced a smile: "I am happy...happy. This bandit has caused me a lot of trouble."

"My Lord, this matter is of great importance and cannot be joked about. Is there any definite evidence to prove that this group of bandits has indeed been wiped out?"

With an excited heart and trembling hands, Wen Ren toasted Wang Dang with a glass of wine and asked about the topic that had always been on his mind.

Yes, it's still uncertain. What if the county magistrate is just greedy for quick success and comes out to fool everyone, saying that the bandits have been wiped out, and then it turns out that Zhang Mazi died and there's still Wang Mazi left? Doesn't that mean there's still hope for him?

Sometimes, even if the south wall is right in front of us, people still have some luck, always thinking, what if this wall is a shoddy construction? Only when you really hit it, you will feel the pain.

Wang Dang smiled confidently, how could he not be prepared? The next morning after hearing the news, he led his servants and asked Jiang Han and others to lead the way to the mountain stronghold to clean up the mess. No matter what, they had to bring out all the bodies of the bandits as physical evidence to be fair to the people so that they could rest assured.

"Of course there is, everyone, please take a look."

Wang Dang clapped his hands, and the servant next to him went out and shouted, "Bring all the things in!"

A group of people dressed as servants came in one after another holding things in their hands. The leader was holding a small box, and the ones behind him were holding various things.

"Everyone, inside the box is the head of the bandit leader. It has been pickled in lime. Would you like to take a look?"

Really?

Wen Ren's heart sank and he felt cold all over.

"Look, we must look! We have been robbed by these bandits for many years, and countless servants have died. We wish we could eat their flesh alive! I want to see what this beast looks like."

The small box was opened, and a group of businessmen came forward to check it out. The servant was suddenly surrounded by a crowd of people.

The group of people looked at it for a long time, carefully examining it, and then someone looked up and said, "How come there is only half of this head left?"

Volume 85: Chapter Chapter : Death Struggle

Yes, in the box, Qian Wu’s head was lying quietly in the small box. The years were peaceful and quiet. Between his eyebrows and eyes, he could vaguely be matched with the portrait on the wanted warrant. However, the problem was that only half of his head was left.

"Well... the bandits are powerful, so they inevitably use firearms when attacking. The bandit leader was unlucky and was hit directly by a cannon. Only half of his head is left. However, we still have his sword and armor to verify his identity, so you don't have to worry."

Wang Dang felt a little embarrassed. The questions from the wealthy families reminded him of what he saw when he went to the bandits' camp to collect corpses.

That scene was something he would never forget.

"Brother Jiang, you didn't tell me that you have a gun?"

It was winter, and although the bandits' bodies were not decayed to a high degree, they still needed to be dealt with as soon as possible. So early in the morning, Wang Dang urged Jiang Han and others to come to the mountain.

As soon as we arrived outside the camp, we saw the camp gate that had been blown to pieces and smashed. It was obvious that the noise was caused by being hit by large-caliber firearms.

"Where are the cannons? Look at us up and down, where are the cannons? They are just palm thunders, just the effect of throwing them out."

Jiang Han was naturally lying with his eyes open. Secretly possessing a cannon is a serious crime. If the government officials knew about it, he would be in trouble. Secretly possessing armor is considered treason. What do you want to do by secretly possessing a cannon?

Folk-made firearms such as palm bombs are still the highest-standard firearms that can be accepted in the list of villagers' self-defense weapons.

Firearms were quite advanced in the Ming Dynasty. There were records of muskets, rockets, grenades, and even landmines. However, most of the records of firearms were destroyed by the Qing court in order to consolidate its rule and prevent rebellion.

After entering the camp, the situation inside was quite tragic, which caused great psychological pressure to the servants brought by Wang Dang. Some were split in half, some had their heads crushed, and some were nailed to the wall with spears. The worst deaths were those of the leaders. Not a single bone was left of their bodies. The leader, Qian Wu, had only half a skull left.

"Then...I wonder if the county lord has caught anyone alive?"

Wen Ren remained calm and tried to test the waters secretly: "It would be too easy for these people to just let them die like this! They must be brought to justice and torn to pieces at Caishikou!"

"Yes! In my opinion, quartering is too light a punishment. It should be slow slicing. I will be the first to watch the execution!"

"Count me in! Let's go together!"

The wealthy families were very excited and expressed their deep hatred towards the bandits.

"Everyone, please be patient, please be patient"

Wang Dang stretched out his hand and pressed it down slightly, signaling for silence. This new county lord, who had helped the wealthy families in Yangzhou City get rid of a threat, had already established his prestige in the first step. He was courageous and capable, and no one dared to be a troublemaker.

Seeing that the place had finally calmed down, Wang Dang said slowly: "As for this survivor... Of course there are some."

"I attacked the bandit camp and after a fight, I still found a few survivors. They are now receiving treatment in the prison. When they are almost cured, they will be put on trial and all the crimes they committed will be confessed!"

Wang Dang slammed the table, frightening Wen Ren so much that he trembled all over.

"Congratulations to the County Master, the Hexi County Master. Now that these bandits have been eliminated, it's a great achievement!!"

"Yes, yes, the county magistrate is young and promising, which makes us the envy of him!"

The wealthy families were all smiling and started to toast each other. For a moment, both the host and the guests were having a great time.

Wen Ren didn't know how he got back home. He was in a daze until the evening, with no focus in his eyes.

"Master? Master?"

The housekeeper at the side called softly, and only then did Wen Ren slowly come back to his senses.

"What's the matter?"

“You should rest.”

"Rest? Rest??? How can I sleep? A disaster is about to happen!!"

Wen Ren's eyes were red, as if he was ready to bite someone.

"A disaster? Master, where did you get that from?"

The housekeeper was confused. Ever since the master came back from the county magistrate's party, he had looked absent-minded. Now he was even saying that a disaster was about to happen. The housekeeper couldn't figure out what was going on.

"Hey, you don't understand. Today I met with the county magistrate, and he was so domineering that he didn't care about our rules at all."

"This person is so ungrateful, isn't he seeking death?"

How could this be considered a disaster? Who doesn't know that in Yangzhou, the county magistrate changes frequently, but the master remains the same?

"But the county magistrate then said that the bandits outside the city had been eliminated."

"Bandits? Sir, which bandits?"

"Who else could it be? It must be Qian Wu!! Qian Wu! That bunch of losers was wiped out by a young boy who attacked the mountain stronghold!"

Wen Ren suddenly became furious and threw the precious teacup in his hand to the ground, breaking it into pieces.

"Ah? Master, this is actually happening!!"

The housekeeper was also shocked by the sudden news.

"This is not what worries me the most. That kid has captured a person alive. My business, big or small, is all related to Qian Wu. If that kid asks me something, my whole family will be in danger!!!"

"This! Master, what should I do?!"

Upon hearing such bad news, the butler instantly began to panic, looking at Wen Ren in a daze.

"You ask me? I want to ask you! I feed you with good food and drink all day long, just for you to ask me for advice?"

Wen Ren was in a state of panic at the moment, and he no longer had the same confusion about his subordinates as before.

"What shall I do...what shall I do...Oh, yes, I have it, sir!"

The butler walked back and forth twice, and an idea suddenly came to his mind.

"What's the matter? Tell me now!"

Wen Ren said unhappily.

"Master, what you are most afraid of now is that the county magistrate has caught a person alive and is afraid of asking him something. But now the county magistrate has not made any big moves. Obviously, the person alive has not yet revealed anything about you. In this case, why don't we just go all out and turn the living person into a dead person? Then we won't have to worry about him confessing anything, right?"

"Hmm? That's interesting. Keep going."

"Hey, Master, think about it. After this bandit is captured, the only place he can go is the prison. In the prison, as long as we disguise ourselves and give the jailer a lot of money, and let him put something in the man's food, it will be normal for a few prisoners to die in the prison, right?"

"Not bad, not bad, brilliant! I didn't realize that a poor guy like you has such a good brain!"

Wen Ren's eyes lit up, and he clearly felt like he had found a way out of a desperate situation. He looked at the butler beside him and couldn't help but admire Xun Duo.

"This is all thanks to you, sir."

The butler bowed slightly and bowed to Wen Ren.

"Very good, very good. You will be in charge of arranging this matter. If you succeed, you will be rewarded handsomely!"

"Thank you, sir!"

Volume 86: Chapter Chapter : Counting the spoils

"Oh my god, are these bandits so rich?"

Looking at the dazzling array of items in front of him, Jiang Han felt that his three views had been refreshed.

Look here, tea, grain, porcelain, cloth, all kinds of goods are available, and the most important one is the huge amount of salt.

The amount of salt here is truly astonishing. It is worthy of being the base camp of salt merchants. The amount of salt stolen alone is scary enough.

Strictly speaking, this group of bandits was led by Jiang Han, a civilian organization, so all the spoils of war belonged to Jiang Han, and the imperial court only asked him to pay a portion of the taxes.

In today's imperial court, taxes are required for everything. After all, the emperor in the palace is going crazy with poverty. Liaodong, disaster relief, canal repairs, and military funds to suppress uprisings everywhere require money. Even if Chongzhen is frugal, he can't save such a huge amount, so he can only "let my people suffer for a few more years."