plumnovel Chapter 108 Crying Out for Justice
Chapter 108 Crying Out for Justice
Ma Kuo was inevitably taken aback by Li Chong's instructions.
Why did he say that? Did he guess our purpose?
After a moment, he shook his head, suppressing his unease: "It shouldn't be. I've subtly inquired with others these past few days, and the people here don't even know what the Jurchens are, let alone the Jin Dynasty. Perhaps Brother Hefu is just being kind."
"Thank you for your kind words, Brother Hefu. Farewell, and I look forward to meeting you again in Bianliang!"
He shouted back, then spurred his horse to catch up with the group ahead and continued toward Dengzhou.
Watching the convoy depart, Li Chong turned his horse around, a sense of tension creeping into his heart.
The Song-Jin alliance has already begun negotiations, which means the Jingkang Incident is not far off. Time waits for no one, and Li Chong cannot afford to wait any longer.
"Song Jiang's rebellion will happen in the next few years; we need to prepare early," Li Chong thought to himself.
With a light thud of hooves, Xue Ming arrived beside Li Chong: "Your Excellency, have the envoys left?"
Li Chong glanced up and nodded casually: "Wen Zhao, you've come at the right time. Come on, I have something to tell you."
Slowing down his horse, Xue Ming lagged half a body length behind Li Chong, listening intently to his instructions.
"Starting today, you will begin to help prepare for the establishment of the escort agency. Erlang is honest and straightforward, and there are some things that will require your help. The road to Daming Prefecture has been cleared. Although there are still some other bandits along the way, we can finally travel there. The escort agency should open as soon as possible to revitalize the economy of Yanggu County."
Having spent many days by Li Chong's side, Xue Ming had gained some understanding of some of the new words Li Chong used.
He immediately cupped his hands and said, "Your Excellency, rest assured, my father is already contacting people, and my family will be making a trip to Daming Prefecture soon, so the escort agency will certainly not lack business. Moreover, although Brother Wu Er is not quick-witted, he is skilled enough to provide more than enough protection along the way."
"Hmm." Li Chong nodded slowly. "And then there are those people rescued from the mountains. The government can help settle them, but ultimately it will take the local gentry like you to take care of them. Please put in more effort and try your best to help them get through this difficult period."
"Yes."
The two rode freely for a long time, and Li Chong gave Xue Ming many instructions, big and small, which Xue Ming answered one by one.
In Yanggu County, Li Chong had finally built up his own team.
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Many days have passed in the blink of an eye.
The uproar caused by that massive angel caravan has long since subsided, and the focus of attention in Yanggu County has shifted to something else entirely.
Escort Agency.
Everyone is discussing what exactly this newly opened security escort agency is.
"Crackling~ crackling~ crackling!"
A series of firecrackers went off, and the crowd that had been drawn to the gate of the security escort agency gathered around with smiles.
"What exactly does this escort agency do? What do they sell?"
"What do you mean, 'selling things'? I heard from my neighbor's eldest son that this is government property; it must be a very big business!"
"What big business! It's probably just some kind of entertainment venue, isn't it?"
In ancient times, entertainment options were limited, and the entertainment industry was particularly barren in this remote county town. When something new happened, it naturally attracted many curious onlookers.
The rumors naturally became increasingly outrageous as they spread.
Soon, the crowd became much more excited.
"The door is open! The door is open!"
"Quick! Quick! Who knows what kind of prize it might be!"
Crowds flocked to the scene.
The door opened wide, and Xue Ming, dressed in new clothes, strode out with great confidence.
Of course, since Wu Song was still a "dead man," it was not appropriate for him to show his face in such a situation.
Xue Ming, his face flushed, cupped his hands in greeting and announced loudly, "Fellow villagers, today our Weiyuan Escort Agency officially opens for business, to ensure peace and stability in this region and to protect the people. From now on, anyone who wishes to conduct business, visit relatives and friends, or send goods may come to our agency to entrust their goods to us."
"After you submit your shipment, our escort agency guarantees its delivery. If there is any loss, we will provide a full refund!"
With Xue Ming's appearance, the crowd became even more lively.
The eldest son of the Xue family was quite well-known in Yanggu County; even if you didn't know him personally, you'd at least heard of him.
Upon seeing this novel contraption, the people became interested and rushed forward to inquire, creating a lively scene.
On a high-rise building not far away, Li Chong sat at a table overlooking the street, drinking tea and watching the lively scene below with a smile on his lips.
This is a good start.
Looking at the sign for Weiyuan Escort Agency, Li Chong's sense of urgency finally eased a bit.
"Hey!" Zhong Mei exclaimed, "It's so lively down there. You single-handedly built this escort agency, yet you don't even go and see for yourself."
Li Chong turned his head and put down his teacup: "After all, I am an official appointed by the imperial court. How can I easily get involved with the affairs of merchants? It's not appropriate for me to show my face."
"Tch~~~"
Zhong Mei turned her head away: "Hypocritical."
Li Chong shrugged indifferently, completely unconcerned.
Looking back at the escort agency, Xue Ming was surrounded by a group of people asking him all sorts of questions; these were all potential clients.
The more Li Chong looked, the happier he became.
Just then, Zhong Mei's displeased voice came: "Look over there, your servant is really good at playing tricks."
"Um?"
Following Zhong Mei's direction, Li Chong saw a familiar figure walking against the flow of people towards the outside; it was Cui Shi.
"He's hanging out with a bunch of hooligans so early in the morning, and you're not even doing anything about it," Zhongmei complained.
Li Chong's eyes darkened for a moment, then he shook his head: "How can I possibly manage it? You know the inside story. That kid keeps bringing that up, how can I control him?"
As time went on, Cui Shi became increasingly unrestrained. With no more worries, he spent almost all his time eating, drinking, and having fun.
He was a frequent visitor to brothels and entertainment venues.
Li Chong wanted to intervene, but the people ignored him and kept bringing up how Li Chong had gotten the biggest benefit.
After a while, Li Chong got tired of saying anything more.
"It's just a little money. The money and grain transported from the mountains are enough to support him. Let him be."
Li Chong waved his hand, indicating that Zhong Mei didn't need to be angry.
Zhong Mei shook her head: "I don't think things are that simple. Before, when he was hanging out with a bunch of constables, he was at least somewhat restrained. But now that the people around him have been replaced by hooligans, who knows what they might do?"
Cui Shi, who came from a humble background, was filled with jealousy when he saw Li Chong rise to prominence and become the county magistrate by impersonating his master.
When dealing with yamen runners, they have to do their jobs, and they're not necessarily going to fawn over him, a servant of the county magistrate.
But it's different with those idle ruffians. With money in their hands, Cui Shi can naturally become a superior person, which is extremely tempting for Cui Shi, who has always served others.
"Don't be angry, I'm not even in a hurry, why are you? Here, have a cup of tea to calm down." Li Chong gently comforted Zhong Mei.
But before the cup of tea was even filled, other noises came from the side.
A piercing scream rang out, almost drowning out the crowd in front of the security company.
"Innocent! Your Honor!"