Chapter 255: Bandit-exterminating Hero
After the door closed again, Shang Wan looked at Zhou Gua who was standing silently. “As for you, practice building up your courage. Give your position to someone else first. Whether it’s a fine or something else, listen to Tan Zhang’s arrangements.”
It’s not unacceptable to hide when encountering danger, but hiding without sending word home is deadly.
Zhou Gua had already prepared himself to be sold to the tooth agency, so Shang Wan’s leniency truly let him breathe a sigh of relief.
He thought for a moment and recommended, “Owner, why not consider Liu the Fourth? This man has exceptional courage and courage, and his martial arts are not bad either. He can take on the role of guard leader.”
Shang Wan remembered everyone in the merchant caravan. In the earlier melee, this Guard Liu had taken on three without falling behind.
“Call him in.”
“Yes.” Zhou Gua accepted the order and went out. The heavy stone weighing on his heart finally dropped.
By the time Shang Wan finished handling the merchant caravan’s affairs, the sky outside had already brightened.
Xiao Huan had gone to the kitchen to simmer a large pot of porridge, steamed several trays of buns, and prepared freshly pickled side dishes that were salty and crisp, perfect to go with the porridge.
Lu Chengjing carried breakfast over on a tray, placed the porridge and buns on the table, and said to Shang Wan, “You’ve been busy all night, eat something.”
“Mm.” Shang Wan’s eyes didn’t leave the account book as she agreed verbally but didn’t move.
Since there was no one else in the room, Lu Chengjing simply picked up the bowl and fed his wife, alternating bites of side dish and porridge.
Shang Wan finished looking at the last bit, closed the account book, picked up the chopsticks, and took a bun to eat.
She could now taste the flavor and asked, “Did Xiao Huan make this?”
“Mm.” Lu Chengjing fed Shang Wan the last spoonful of porridge from the bowl before picking up his own bowl to eat.
“Was it you all who went to the county yamen to report to the officials?”
Lu Chengjing nodded with porridge in his mouth.
Shang Wan said, “After we go down the mountain later, will you go with your fellow students, or go back with us?”
Lu Chengjing naturally wanted to go with his family, but, “I made an appointment with them to visit Mister Chi Ran. It wouldn’t be right to break the promise.”
Mister Chi Ran was a great scholar of the age, with excellent calligraphy. Shang Wan had heard Lu Chengjing mention him before.
She took a bite of the bun, swallowed it, and then asked, “Are the gifts prepared?”
“Mm, I prepared them on the road.”
Shang Wan thought for a moment and said, “I just saw in the account book that the merchant caravan received two end inkstones. Go take a look later. If you think they’re suitable, add them to the gifts.”
Shang Wan had met all those fellow students who were studying tour with Lu Chengjing. They were of good character, but aside from Qiao Yu’an, none of them had much family background.
The gifts they prepared on the road were probably a bit lacking.
Lu Chengjing nodded. Thinking of how Shang Wan was considering things for him, his heart felt warm, and the corners of his eyes curved up, full of smiles.
With his smile, Shang Wan was momentarily dazed, suddenly remembering to settle accounts after the fall.
She reached out and pinched Lu Chengjing’s earlobe, twiddling it between her fingers. “The xiucai scholar is quite capable, huh? Daring to night raid the bandit stronghold all by yourself?”
Were all those promises before leaving eaten by dogs?
Lu Chengjing choked on the porridge and immediately explained, “I didn’t plan to raid it, just to take a look.”
“Look at what?”
“I thought the bandit stronghold was on Chencang Mountain, so I wanted to come at night to search. If I found it, I’d go back and inform the government.”
Shang Wan narrowed her eyes. “Weren’t you afraid of being eaten by wolves?”
“I knew my limits, and I had medicine prepared by Divine Doctor Duanmu on me.” Lu Chengjing’s ear hurt badly, but he didn’t dare dodge, speaking gently, “You were all waiting for me at home. How could I put myself in danger?”
Shang Wan let out a light hum, released her hand, and rubbed his reddened ear.
She spoke of the main matter. “We could all guess the bandit stronghold was on Chencang Mountain. Couldn’t the government people guess it?”
“What if they guessed, what if they didn’t?” Lu Chengjing picked up a bun. “They just want to protect themselves wisely.”
Officials like Lord An who worked for the people were rare. The imperial court was full of those who occupied positions but did nothing.
They sought no merit, but no faults.
Thinking darker, who knows if the bandit stronghold had connections with the Baoji County yamen.
“Then can we still send these mountain bandits to claim the reward?” Shang Wan realized right after asking that she’d asked a stupid question.
No matter what dealings the county yamen and bandit stronghold had in private, capturing all the mountain bandits in one net was a great achievement for them.
The county yamen might even beat gongs and drums to commend them.
Shang Wan touched her chin and said to Lu Chengjing, “Later, have Tan Zhang go to the county yamen and say these mountain bandits were all taken down by the merchant caravan.”
The merchant caravan traveled outside, and it was inevitable to encounter such trouble. She couldn’t always happen to arrive in time every occasion.
It was very necessary to build the merchant caravan’s reputation. Best if other bandits heard the merchant caravan’s name and didn’t dare to reach out their claws.
Lu Chengjing had thought of this too, so he naturally had no objections.
After everyone finished breakfast, Shi Tou carried Yuan Yuan and circled the bandit stronghold with several guards, confirming the wild beasts had retreated before calling everyone to go down the mountain.
Among the abducted people, aside from the merchant caravan, most were common folk living around Baoji County.
“Who are these five?” Shang Wan pointed at the youths huddled at the back of the crowd, all dressed identically.
“They are all Hu Niang’s husbands.” Xiao Huan glanced and said, “They were also abducted up the mountain and forced to marry Hu Niang. Normally, they can’t even leave the stockade gate.”
The music Shang Wan had heard was played by these five youths.
Hu Niang was about to marry a new one, and wanted them to accompany in the wedding hall. The five, fearing whips if they erred, diligently rehearsed.
The five youths had varied looks, but all were quite handsome.
Shang Wan secretly tsked. Hu Niang was living quite comfortably.
Xiao Huan leaned closer to Shang Wan and whispered, “Sis, won’t keeping them be a hidden danger?”
What if one of these five was smitten with Hu Niang?
What to do if they came seeking revenge later?
“Have them come.” Shang Wan didn’t care at all. Even a hundred like this, she wouldn’t fear.
Hearing her sis say that, Xiao Huan relaxed, and her gaze on the five youths wasn’t as cold as before.
Nearly two hundred people went down the mountain in a grand procession, then grandly entered the city, drawing countless gazes.
“Who are all these people?”
“Didn’t you see it written on that placard? The damn mountain bandits.”
“Yo, the mountain bandit leader is a woman, how’d she lose her front tooth?”
“Heaven has eyes, finally caught this heaven-cursed bunch. My son can come home.”
……
Amid the common folk’s discussions, Tan Zhang led the merchant caravan group, escorting the mountain bandits, and strode proudly into the county yamen.
Half a shichen later, the entire merchant caravan became bandit-extermination heroes, receiving one hundred thirty taels of reward money from the government, and even got a notice posted in praise.
Seeing a team of soldiers hurriedly leave the city, Shi Tou asked puzzledly, “Brother-in-law, all the mountain bandits are caught. What are they rushing out of the city for now?”
“The mountain bandits are caught, but the money they robbed isn’t.” Lu Chengjing’s tone was somewhat cold.
Shi Tou scratched his head and turned to look at his sis.
Weren’t those things all collected by his sis?
His sis had even said this trip wasn’t a loss.
“A pack of jackals smelling blood.” Qiao Yu’an sneered mockingly.
They hid behind people when facing danger, but swarmed like flies for benefits. With such profit-chasing, justice-forgetting soldiers, no wonder the mountain bandits here could grow strong.
He shook his head and turned to leave.
Lu Chengjing also withdrew his gaze. “Let’s go, back to the inn first.”
“Good.”
