Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 118: Dear donors, I am Murong Yan.
march?

Li Ming's heart tightened.

Damn it, can Murong Yan read minds?

Just when I was about to deal with him, he came to kill me?
He stood on tiptoe, not daring to show his head, and looked out the window from afar.

Just as Hou Junji guessed, a row of cavalrymen lined up and rushed towards Fulai Inn with great momentum!
However, what was strange was that these riders were wearing a variety of loose robes, not like regular troops, but they all wore red turbans and covered their faces with black cloth.

The locals seemed to have seen the god of plague. Pedestrians fled in all directions and businesses closed their doors.

Someone was running and shouting:
"Hurry and report to the authorities! The Red Scarf Bandits are coming!"

Red scarf bandit?
Li Ming felt a pain in his teeth, thinking of the urgent report that he had shaken to get -

In addition to military troubles, Pingzhou also has bandit troubles!

How can governing Liaodong be done without suppressing bandits?

My goodness, one wave after another comes, and they all come at the same time!

"Something's wrong."

Hou Junji leaned against the window and narrowed his eyes.

"They are marching in an orderly manner, and their horses are fat and strong. Which bandit group has such good conditions?"

Wei Daijia hurriedly pulled him back:
"Aunt, no matter where they come from, they have bad intentions, block the door quickly!"

The group hurried downstairs.

In the lobby on the first floor, a few individual customers were drinking and eating meat in groups of three or four.

The storyteller was telling a story with saliva flying all over his body, adapted from the news serialized in the Chang'an Express a few months ago:
"But it is said that the King of Song, Li Ming, rode alone, a thousand miles to Jiucheng Palace, and broke into the Ashina Society's camp alone..."

"Hey! Old man, wasn't Li Ming the Prince of Lu? How come he became the Prince of Song?" The drunken spectators started to make a noise.

"Uh... Li Ming has made great contributions, and His Majesty has just conferred him a title..." Before the storyteller could explain, his companion interrupted:
"Don't talk nonsense. Where did King Song come from? It's obviously King Cao!"

"Bah, you're the one talking nonsense! Isn't Li Ming the King of Liaodong?"

"No, no, no, it's King Zhao! It must be King Zhao!"

"Bullshit, the King of Zhao is the Thirteenth! I'm from Zhao!"

Several tables of drunkards started arguing over the issue of Li Ming's account being banned, and the argument was getting very intense.

Wei Daijia shouted:
"Stop arguing, the Red Scarf Bandits are coming!"

All the guests were stunned. They didn't know what the Red Scarf Bandits were, but they all realized that they were no good, so they finally quieted down.

Hey, Awei, you are ignorant, why do you keep talking so much? I haven’t heard enough... Li Ming muttered in his heart.

At this moment, several people with nervous expressions rushed in from outside the door.

But he was Li Ming's mounted guard on this trip.

They quickly closed the door of the inn and blocked it with wooden bars.

The shopkeeper came out from the back kitchen, wondering for a moment:
"Hey, guests..."

"The Red Turban bandits are here!" Wei Daijia said seriously.

The shopkeeper glanced at them strangely and replied with one word:

"Oh."

This attitude made Wei Daijia feel helpless: "Aren't you afraid?"

The shopkeeper shook his head:

"That group of people only robbed people and didn't hurt anyone. And..."

He pointedly said:

"They usually deal with unruly out-of-towners."

boom!
With a loud bang, the wooden board blocking the door was broken from the outside.

The shopkeeper immediately showed a heartbroken expression and hid in the kitchen.

A group of men rushed in from the door. They were the same group of people who were wearing red scarves and riding horses through the city just now.

All the guests in the room sobered up immediately and scattered like birds and beasts.

Li Ming's guards decisively drew their swords to protect two adults and four children, six distinguished guests, without any fear in their eyes.

The thieves were stunned and smacked their lips in disdain:

"Looks like you're going to play it tough?"

"Not good..." Hou Junji whispered:
"They are not afraid of weapons at all. They are probably wearing armor."

"Bandits also have armor?" Li Ming was stunned.

Is Pingzhou's iron wrought industry so developed?

But then I thought of a bigger possibility.

"Just like the servants collecting 'taxes' in Murong Mansion, they hide armor under their robes...

"Are they also from the Murong family?"

Li Ming's expression became serious.

Damn it, Murong Yan is so powerful in Pingzhou?!
OK, you wait...

"Stop, put down your sword." Li Ming gave the order decisively.

The guards were stunned, but still obeyed.

The leading thief's eyes moved slightly, and he said with a smile:
"You are a sensible young man. As long as you pay the money obediently, we won't make things difficult for you."

The Red Scarf thieves laughed rudely.

Li Ming also laughed:
"Yes, pay."

I'll give you some paper money.

Wait until I go to Yingzhou to mobilize the heavenly soldiers, and then see if I will skin you alive.

Just then, a thief came running over and whispered something in the leader's ear.

"Tsk."

The leader smacked his lips and waved his hand:
"go!"

Amid the puzzled gazes of the crowd, the Red Scarf Bandit left without any warning, just as he had come.

This is... Li Ming and his group looked at each other in surprise.

What are these people here for? Are they going to let go of the duck they have caught?

When the shopkeeper heard that there was no noise outside, he tentatively stuck half of his body out from the kitchen.

"It's over? Did they leave you money for the store?"

Wei Daijia was disgusted, so he pulled out a hundred coins from his sleeve and threw them at the old miser's face:

“Today is our last day!”

The shopkeeper exclaimed in amazement:

"Hey, you're lucky. I left so much for you."

He shook his head and hid in the kitchen again.

Hou Junji said decisively:
"Pingzhou is in danger, we set off tonight!"

The three little ones' faces turned pale in an instant.

They had no idea what was happening in Pingzhou. They only knew that they had to travel at night, and that it was very dangerous in remote Liaodong.

The three of them turned to Brother Ming for help.

However, Li Ming also nodded:

“Indeed, and you can’t ride in a carriage, it’s too conspicuous.

"Let's throw away all the inconvenient luggage and the carriage. Let's go on horseback!"

Compared to continuing to stay in Lulong County and being bullied, it might be safer in the wilderness.

The situation in Pingzhou was so complicated and dangerous that it was completely beyond Li Ming's expectations.

Among the thirty-six strategies, running away is the best one. Let’s rush to Yingzhou first!

No matter whether you are Murong Yan or Murong Fu, if you dare to start a country on my territory, the police station will wipe you out!
But just as they were about to leave, another person came to the inn.

It was someone Li Ming did not expect.

The Governor of Pingzhou, Liu Xin.

"How many of you are..."

Liu Xin was shocked to see several gods of wealth preparing to run away with their buckets.

Li Ming sneered:
"The people of Pingzhou are too enthusiastic. We can't handle it. Goodbye!"

How come you, a kid, make the decision... Liu Xin was a little confused, and said to Hou Junji, who seemed to be the oldest, "Liaodong is located in a remote area, and the thieves in the county can still abide by the rules and are afraid of the government.

"If you go into the wilderness in the middle of the night, those thieves may not be so easy to talk to."

This made sense, and he also implicitly took credit for it - those red-turbaned bandits were driven away by him.

For the sake of this face, I can't give the cold shoulder to Envoy Liu anymore.

Hou Junji and Li Ming exchanged glances and pretended to be distressed:
"Envoy Liu, it's not that we don't want to start a business in Pingzhou, so that the Central Plains can use the inexpensive and high-quality Liaodong specialties, and the mountain and sea travelers in Pingzhou can live a more comfortable life.

"However……"

He sighed tactically.

"Which businessman can afford this 70% mountain and sea donation?"

Liu Xin had long expected this situation.

"Don't worry, everyone. I have a little face.

"Under my help, Murong Family's Patriarch Murong Yan is interested in meeting you all and invites you all to his house tonight for a chat."

As he spoke, he glanced at the three people:

"Even if the deal doesn't work out, we still have our righteousness. How about you all give me a little favor?"

Li Ming and the other two quickly exchanged glances, and each read one word from the other's eyes:

Hongmen Banquet.

How poor is Pingzhou!

Just for a few big enemies from the capital, a dignified governor was forced to do such a thing.

Moreover, this governor is quite cowardly.

On the one hand, they beg for investment, and on the other hand, they have to lick the local tyrants, making themselves a sandwich.

After the local official said so much, it would seem suspicious if he insisted on leaving tonight.

Moreover, the Liaodong wilderness at night is indeed not a safe place...

"Then we... can only obey your orders." Hou Junji said helplessly.

Liu Xin's expression was obviously more relaxed.

I finally managed to communicate with the local tyrant these days. It would be embarrassing if I stood him up.

"Everyone, please."

As soon as the group left, the shopkeeper popped his head out from the kitchen and shouted:
"Hey! I haven't paid for the broken door yet!"

…………

Although it was an invitation, it was obviously impossible for the merchants to travel in the same car with the governor.

Li Ming and his entourage, including the guards, all rode horses, and Li Ming sat in Hou Junji's arms.

Liu Xin sat upright in his carriage, opened the curtain, and chatted with a few people.

"I guess you didn't listen to my advice." Liu Xin said with a smile:
"I didn't pay the mountain and sea donation, which led to a false alarm just now."

As for why no bribe was paid to Murong Yan, it immediately attracted the "Red Turban Bandits" to break into the city and rob in broad daylight.

Li Ming and his group were kept in the dark for the time being.

Liu Xin did not take the initiative to point it out and continued chatting as if nothing had happened.

"Perhaps I don't understand the rules of Pingzhou. Shanhai Donation is a tax in name only. How can the tax be handed over to the local big families?"

Hou Junji asked tentatively.

Liu Xin laughed bitterly at himself and said:

"It's my incompetence."

That’s right! … Chang Sunyan nodded frantically, but was held down by Fang Yize and Yuchi Xunyu.

Hou Junji said very commercially:

"Why do you say that, sir?"

"But, perhaps it is precisely because of my incompetence that the court has allowed me to be in charge of Pingzhou." Liu Xin changed the subject:
"Although Murong Yan has a big appetite, he helps the imperial court maintain troops and guard against the Xueyantuo in the west and Goguryeo in the northeast, so the imperial court is happy to use him.

"If we replace an ambitious and capable minister with this, within a month, Pingzhou will be a land of bloodshed."

As he spoke, he burst into laughter.

Li Ming followed with a cold laugh.

It's not necessarily true that rivers of blood were flowing, but it is true that there were countless heads rolling around.

The evening was falling.

The group of carriages and horses, accompanied by yamen runners, left Lulong County and set foot on the country road.

This road is different from any other.

It was surprisingly spacious and flat, even paved with gravel.

Not only that, there were even lamp posts on both sides, like a nobleman's mansion, with oil lamps lit inside.

Compared with this avenue, the main road in front of Pingzhou Prefecture Government Office can only be regarded as an animal trail.

"This road is..." Li Ming was a little surprised.

He could probably guess which local tyrant's house this road led to.

But in poor Pingzhou, the fact that the roads were paved so luxuriously was still beyond his imagination.

He inexplicably thought of the man who was forced to go up the mountain to become a savage during the day.

This is the blood and sweat of so many people...

"This road leads directly to Murong Yan's residence." Liu Xin sighed:
"To be honest, it's not just me who has something to ask of you, but also Murong Yan. He asked me to show you the way."

"Is it him? He wants to see us?" Li Ming immediately became alert.

At one point, I wondered if my identity had been exposed.

"Because there are very few merchants from the capital, Murong Yan may ask you to buy some supplies."

Liu Xin winked at Li Ming enviously:

"Your uncle might be able to make a fortune."

Huh, not exposed... Li Ming breathed a sigh of relief.

He is now in the hands of Liu Xin and Murong Yan, with their soldiers surrounding him from front to back and left to right.

If they knew their true identity.

You guessed that the quasi-warlords on the border were shocked, prostrated themselves before the governor, and waited obediently for the reckoning in the future.

Or take a risk?
"Speaking of which, a prince will soon be visiting Pingzhou." Liu Xin said suddenly.

"Cough, cough, cough!" Li Ming started coughing madly:
"Haha, really? Pingzhou is a Feng Shui treasure land."

"Alas, I don't know where that prince is now." Liu Xin scratched his head in distress:
"The court's notice was sent more than half a month ago, but there is still no sign of him. Neighboring counties and prefectures have not seen His Royal Highness the Prince..."

"Maybe he hasn't left Chang'an yet!" Li Ming said decisively.

Wei Daijia immediately followed up: "That's right, how can you hurry up? Your butt is numb from sitting for four thousand miles."

"Is that so..." Liu Xin was skeptical:
"Have you heard similar rumors in Chang'an?"

"No!" The three of them denied it in unison.

At this time, a mansion with bright lights can be seen in the distance.

The mansion is located at the foot of the southern slope of Yanshan Mountain, built beside the Luan River, and covers a vast area.

How many families can these fertile fields support... Li Ming couldn't help but calculate in his mind.

The carriage slowly drove to the front of the mansion.

In the brightly lit main corridor, a middle-aged man with a kind face quickly stepped forward and respectfully bowed to the visitor:
"Amitabha. Lord Liu, I am deeply ashamed to have troubled you to come all this way.

"Dear donors from Chang'an, I have heard of your great name for a long time and today I finally get to meet you. Are you doing well in Pingzhou?"

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

Liu Xin got out of the car almost immediately and returned the greeting to the man.

Li Ming and his party also dismounted and looked at the middle-aged man who led them with curiosity.

He was wearing coarse grey clothes and had Buddhist beads hanging around his neck, looking like a lay disciple of some temple.

"Who is this……"

The amiable middle-aged man politely clasped his hands together and said to Li Ming:

"My name is Murong Yan."

(End of this chapter)