novelhk Page 118
Page 118
"Brother Fei Bao, we on Liangshan really don't lack this little bit of money..."
Ruan Xiaoqi recounted all the gains from Liangshan's righteous actions during his two-plus months of descent from the mountain, as well as the pearl farming business and the refined salt and white sugar business from the hotels around the lake.
All of this left Fei Bao and his three companions dumbfounded.
They had also ruled the mountains as bandits, but that stronghold had only a few hundred people, and after three to five years, they had only accumulated twenty to thirty thousand strings of cash.
Compared to Liangshan now,
Their village was like a playground for children...
Chapter 157 Brother, let's rob the birthday tribute this year!
Although they knew that Liangshan did not lack the money they had.
However, Fei Bao still insisted on donating half of the birthday gifts to Liangshan.
According to him, it was to repay Zhao Yuan for saving their lives.
Looking at this man who had a very clear understanding of the ways of the world, Zhao Yuan already understood his meaning.
Fei Bao insisted on donating half of the birthday gifts, both to repay the debt of gratitude for saving his life.
They also didn't want to be too flashy or stand out from the crowd.
Although Zhao Yuan was generous and didn't care about their birthday gifts,
But with so many brothers on Liangshan, it's inevitable that others will have different ideas.
Even if half of the birthday gifts were given away, and the remaining money was divided among the four, it would only amount to a little over ten thousand strings of cash per person.
Although this asset was still more than that of the other leaders on Liangshan, it wasn't by much, and it wouldn't arouse any strange thoughts from others.
Furthermore, seeing them offer half of their birthday gifts to the stronghold, the other leaders would only think of the four's generosity, making it easier for them to integrate into the Liangshan group.
“Brother, why do you have to think about everything so clearly?” Zhao Yuan said, frowning.
"elder brother?"
Fei Bao paused for a moment, looking at Zhao Yuan's knowing gaze.
He immediately realized that his little secret had been discovered, and his face flushed with embarrassment.
"Fine, since you insist, the stronghold will accept your gesture."
Zhao Yuan knew that Fei Bao was a man who saw through the ways of the world too clearly, and whose mind was extremely sensitive.
If he insists on not accepting the birthday gifts, Fei Bao may continue to feel uneasy.
Thinking of this, Zhao Yuan could only helplessly pat Fei Bao on the shoulder.
"There's no need to think about so much right now on Liangshan. You'll understand once you get up there and it's been a while."
The matter concerning Fei Bao and others has been resolved.
The ship's owner and other passengers also noticed that the group of pirates had disappeared.
The passenger ship never docked at any port along the way, nor did it see any other ships approaching.
Anyone with a brain can guess that those river bandits have probably sunk to the bottom of the river to keep company with the fish and turtles.
Of course, in the words of the bandits, this is like eating "rolling noodles"!
The passengers dared not say a word. Although the ship owner also suspected Zhao Yuan and his group's official status, he could only hope to arrive in Jiankang Prefecture as soon as possible and send all these fierce men off the ship.
..........
That morning,
The passenger ship arrived at its destination, and the ship had just docked at the pier.
The boat owner then hurried over to inform them.
"Boatman, have all the other guests disembarked?" Zhao Yuan asked.
The boat owner nodded and said cautiously,
"Sir, my ship has unloaded its cargo and is heading back now."
His words were clearly urging Zhao Yuan and the others to disembark quickly, and Ruan Xiaoqi, standing to the side, immediately glared at him.
"Don't try to fool us, ship owner! No ship returns empty-handed. If it's not fully loaded with cargo and passengers, you'll lose money on this trip!"
"this......"
The boat owner, his face contorted in bitterness, suddenly knelt before the crowd and pleaded,
"Heroes, although my family has some wealth, the most valuable thing I own is this passenger ship. I beg you to show mercy and let me go."
"How did you, boatman, know that we are not government officials?"
Ruan Xiaoqi asked in bewilderment, "Are we really that different from those government officials and constables?"
Zhao Yuan helped the boatman up and chuckled, "Since my brother is curious, the boatman will explain it to him."
“Heroes, if you were truly government officials, why would you pay me for the boat? Besides, if bandits were to rob the boat midway, most government officials and soldiers would probably be paralyzed with fear, let alone be able to subdue them as easily as you gentlemen.”
The boatman explained, "Moreover, after you heroes captured the river bandits, you did not take the opportunity to extort money from us. This is clearly not the style of government officials!"
There was actually another reason, but the boatman didn't dare say it aloud.
If it were truly the officials who captured the river bandits, they would certainly have kept them alive so they could be sent to the yamen to claim the reward. How could they have fed them all to the fish and turtles halfway through the journey!
"Damn it, these days, it's become commonplace for government officials to extort money," Ruan Xiaoqi cursed angrily.
The boat owner shuddered and didn't dare to reply.
"Boatman, we are indeed not government officials, but we are not bad people either,"
Zhao Yuan said in a friendly tone, "Someone in my family has fallen ill and we need to invite the renowned physician An Daoquan from Jiankang Prefecture back to treat him. In order not to delay our return journey, we will charter your ship!"
Ruan Xiaoqi, who was standing nearby, took out two twenty-tael gold ingots and handed them over.
"Here are forty taels of gold. Is that enough to charter your entire passenger ship?"
"Enough, of course it's enough! It's more than enough."
The ship owner quickly took the gold ingot, bit it with his teeth, and after confirming that it was real gold, a joyful smile immediately appeared on his face.
He could only earn a little over two hundred strings of cash for each trip he made, fully loaded with people and goods.
Now Zhao Yuan and his group have paid double the price.
Although the ship owner was afraid of their identities, he was willing to take any risks for the sake of gold!
After asking the boat owner for directions to Jiankang City, Zhao Yuan decided to immediately enter the city to find An Daoquan.
Ruan Xiaoqi and Hu Sanniang were unwilling to sit idly on the boat and insisted on traveling together.
Zhao Yuan then ordered Longhu, Xiongjiao, and the other three to wait on the ship with most of his personal guards.
He himself was accompanied by Ruan Xiaoqi, Hu 073 San Niang, and three personal guards.
There were six of them in total, riding their horses together towards the city.
The group walked along the official road for a while.
Suddenly, a grove of trees appeared ahead, and at the edge of the grove, a village inn or tavern was open for business.
“Brother, we haven’t eaten anything this morning, why don’t we eat something here?” Ruan Xiaoqi suggested, rubbing her stomach.
"Alright!" Zhao Yuan nodded.
No one complained that the village shop was simple, and they went straight inside.
In the small shop, only one elderly person was running the business.
Upon seeing the group, the old man hurriedly and warmly greeted them.
Zhao Yuan and his companions ordered wine and dishes, and while waiting for the food to arrive, they chatted about their experiences along the way.
Unexpectedly, the old man who ran the shop was a thoughtful person; after serving the food and drinks,
He leaned against the counter and listened to Zhao Yuan and the others talking.
As they talked, the conversation somehow drifted to the topic of birthday gifts.
“Brother, this birthday tribute is all money that Liang Zhongshu has squeezed from the people’s hard-earned money,”
Ruan Xiaoqi suggested, "If Brother Fei Bao and the others can do it, why can't we?"
"In my opinion, in another month or two, it will probably be time for the birthday tribute to be delivered again. We'll just have to accept this year's dirty money on behalf of Cai Jing!"
Chapter 158 A Father Worried About His Son
“Last year’s birthday gifts were robbed, so maybe Liang Zhongshu won’t send them this year?” Hu Sanniang shook her head and said.
"We won't fail to deliver it,"
Zhao Yuan shook his head and pointed to a cooked chicken leg on the table, saying...
"When I was in Tokyo, I heard that Cai Jing had an extremely extravagant lifestyle. Just speaking of food, I heard that he would kill hundreds of quails to make a single bowl of soup!"
"It is said in Bianliang that once Cai Jing hosted a dinner for officials of the Lecture Hall, and the crab roe steamed buns alone cost more than 1,300 strings of cash!"
"To reach his position, it would be laughable to simply exploit the people. So where does the money to support his extravagant lifestyle come from? Isn't it all offered up by corrupt officials like Liang Zhongshu?"
"Moreover, Liang Zhongshu is Cai Jing's son-in-law. Whether it's to maintain his official position or to maintain his relationship with his father-in-law, the birthday tribute is absolutely indispensable."
Everyone agreed that it made sense, and Ruan Xiaoqi was particularly indignant, saying...
"That damned Cai Jing's money for one meal is enough for everyone in Shijie Village to live on for a year!"
"Aren't these corrupt officials afraid of ruining the country? How will they face the consequences then?" Hu Sanniang asked doubtfully.
"Given the current situation, barring any major changes, this empire can remain in ruins for at least another thirty to fifty years. By then, Cai Jing and the others will all be nothing but bones in their graves, and there will be no need to worry about these things anymore," Zhao Yuan said with a smile.
However, if the world changes drastically, such as if the Jurchens invade the south, then the good days for Cai Jing, Tong Guan, and their ilk will naturally come to an end.
But how could Cai Jing and his ilk have imagined this!
The old man at the inn listened intently for a long time, his heart pounding with emotion.
The things Zhao Yuan and the others talked about regarding corrupt officials and the birthday tribute incident...
Although the old man had often heard people talk about him, they were mostly peddlers and merchants passing by who would say it to pass the time when they were bored.
The group of people in front of them all looked extraordinary, and their speech was filled with a strong sense of江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world).
The old man finally managed to calm himself down, went to the kitchen, brought out a plate of cooked beef, and placed it on the table.
"Old man, didn't we already have our beef served?" Ruan Xiaoqi asked in surprise.
The old man smiled ingratiatingly and said, "Heroes, seeing that you have come from afar, our humble shop has nothing to offer you, so please enjoy this plate of beef!"
"Old man, why are you being so solicitous? Could it be that you overheard our conversation and are planning to report us to the authorities?" Zhao Yuan asked with a half-smile.
The old man's posture of perking up his ears behind the counter had naturally caught his attention long ago.
Because Ruan Xiaoqi had already revealed her intention to rob the birthday gifts, Zhao Yuan couldn't stop her from saying more.
So they simply didn't stop him, wanting to see what the old man was up to.
Upon hearing Zhao Yuan's question, Ruan Xiaoqi, Hu Sanniang, and the three guards all immediately fixed their gazes on the old man.
"My lords, please don't misunderstand, this old man means no harm,"
The old man chuckled dryly: "Please forgive my intrusion, gentlemen, but may I ask if you gentlemen are from Shandong?"
Zhao Yuan laughed and said, "So what if you're from Shandong?"
The old man quickly asked again, "When you came from Shandong, did you pass by Liangshan Marsh?"
"I did indeed pass by,"
Ruan Xiaoqi glanced at Zhao Yuan, then asked, "I heard that a group of heroes are currently gathering on the mountain in that marshland. Why do you ask about this, sir?"
"This old man wanted to ask you all about something. I heard that the leader of Liangshan doesn't rob passing merchants or kill people indiscriminately. Instead, he often helps the poor and elderly, punishes evil gentry and corrupt officials, and acts on behalf of Heaven!"
The old man asked, "Is this rumor true or false?"
Zhao Yuan and the others looked at each other in surprise.
Liangshan began to prosper in just two or three months.
Logically, their reputation shouldn't have reached the south yet.
Just like what the bandit Huang Fanshen Zhuo Wanli had said on the passenger ship before,