Ming Dynasty: I, Yan Maoqing, am truly radiating auspicious energy!

Chapter 227 If the Tatars next door saw this, they'd think I, Yan Maoqing, couldn't handle any trouble! [Requesting monthly votes]

"General Yan, wait!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Kun's expression changed, and he quickly stepped forward to dissuade him.

"This humble official is not questioning General Yan's actions, but merely putting himself in General Yan's shoes and earnestly requesting that General Yan reconsider!"

"If General Yan were to order an attack on these sensitive herdsmen, it would likely cause negative public opinion, becoming a lifelong stain on his reputation and career..."

Is that the case?

That would be wonderful! I couldn't ask for more!

This decision was endorsed by the newly crowned top scorer, Yan Maoqing, who immediately smiled calmly and asked in return:
"So I should condone them and compromise with them?"

"I wonder if you've ever thought about this: we traveled from Taiyuan to Datong day and night, without issuing any ultimatums or entering any cities along the way."

"These herdsmen are neither government officials nor connected to the checkpoints along the way. How could they know our whereabouts in advance and intercept us on our inevitable route to demand a reward?"

"If they are not thieves who are being instructed by someone to obstruct official business, then they can only be bandits who routinely rob people here. How are they any different from the White Lotus Sect?"

Should thieves who obstruct official business be killed?

Should highway robbers who prey on people be killed?

Should the White Lotus Sect, which has been harming the people, be killed?

"Look me in the eyes and answer me?!"

If Zhu Houcong heard Yan Maoqing's words, he would surely be amazed.

This is because it was exactly the same guess he had when he saw the dense silver seal on Guan Jieshan's seal and then thought back to Zhai Luan's experience during his inspection of Gansu.

He only realized it belatedly because he had already seen the answer and then worked backwards to solve the problem.

Yan Maoqing, on the other hand, immediately provided the answer and solution process after reading the question, clearly demonstrating that his talent in the area of ​​"treachery" surpassed Yan Maoqing's.

Perhaps Zhu Houcong should feel fortunate that Yan Maoqing misused his talent, only wanting to retire and return to his hometown instead of striving for advancement; otherwise, few could rival his talent.

of course.

Yan Maoqing wasn't just spouting nonsense here, just as he had previously used righteous words to deceive Shen Kun and Gao Gong in Taiyuan Prefecture.

Unlike the double standards of Westerners, the Celestial Empire has always emphasized "having a legitimate reason for war".

Never underestimate these four words; they are the source of the army's morale, the pillar of soldiers' faith, and the driving force for fighting the enemy.

Later, a Western theory emerged that the Chinese people carried a super-soldier gene called MAOA.

Therefore, soldiers who have experienced war rarely suffer from the messy PTSD found in Western armies. After fighting, they can start building; they can put down their swords and pick up hoes. They always want to be the best in everything they do, and they are rarely satisfied with themselves. Successes are at most mentioned briefly, while humiliations and hatreds can be remembered for thousands of years.

But Yan Maoqing always felt that putting aside the MAOA gene for the time being, we should ask if it is possible that the Celestial Empire is much more civilized than those who claim to be civilized, and that the Celestial Empire has a legitimate reason for launching wars against other countries.

Did the Celestial Empire spread smallpox, scalp people, exterminate races, and sell black slaves in order to seize gold and silver and grow some cotton and hemp?
The Celestial Empire has not used the banner of free trade to arbitrarily provoke wars, invade and colonize, and commit arson, murder, and looting, has it?
The Celestial Empire certainly didn't just take a small tube of laundry detergent and easily turn a country into ashes. After all that was exposed, they still shamelessly call themselves a beacon of democracy, right?
If you've done too many bad things, how can you not be afraid of ghosts knocking on your door in the middle of the night?
If the soldiers cannot feel at ease, lack faith, and have low morale, how can they not have psychological problems?

Despite Yan Maoqing's seemingly unreliable nature and his desire to retire and return to his hometown, his methods of handling affairs are far from honorable.

However, Yan Maoqing has always paid special attention to this aspect.

This wasn't just for showing off or gaining fame; it was a calculated move, because this guy is incredibly cunning...

"Deserves to be killed!"

After Yan Maoqing's prompting, Shen Kun finally understood and immediately gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with determination, and said...
"But I wonder if General Yan has considered that the more this is the case, the more likely these herdsmen are to be a trap deliberately set by someone with ulterior motives, just waiting for General Yan to step into it."

"General Yan possesses the talent of a prime minister, and it is a blessing for the country and its people to hold such a high position. He must not be tainted by such a trivial matter, for that would only fulfill the wishes of those petty villains."

"Therefore, I believe that General Yan should entrust this matter to me!"

"I am but a lowly official with little influence. If it weren't for General Yan's promotion, I'm afraid I would still be mediocre in the Hanlin Academy. Now is the time to repay General Yan!"

The words have not yet fallen.

"Uncle, why don't you let me handle this matter?"

Yan Shifan, who was not far from Yan Maoqing's carriage, had somehow come over and grinned ingratiatingly.
"I'm afraid no one here is more suitable to do this than me."

"If we're talking about stains, this incident is like ink splashed on a crow; it's hard to say who's truly stained."

"As for my official career, I'm not a Jinshi anyway. I relied on my father's protection before, and now I rely on my uncle-in-law's protection. As long as you don't fall, I have no worries about the future."

"Uncle, don't you think this is a match made in heaven?"

"..."

Shen Kun turned to look at Yan Shifan, then revealed an expression that seemed to say, "I suddenly turned around and found him in the dim light."

Then Yan Maoqing's expression changed, and he scolded with a stern face:
"Both of you get out of here! If the Tatars next door see this, they'll think I, Yan Maoqing, can't handle things!"

"I'm not one to back down from trouble. There's no room for negotiation. If anyone tries to take it from me again, I'll turn on them without hesitation."

"Let's go!"

With his urging, the driver immediately shouted "Giddy up!" and spurred the carriage toward the front of the procession. This matter needs to be handled quickly!
Gao Gong is no good either!

If that old bastard does the same thing as Shen Kun and Yan Shifan and gets it done first, wouldn't I lose another bargaining chip for retiring and returning to my hometown?

"General Yan..."

Watching Yan Maoqing's retreating figure, Shen Kun and Yan Shifan exchanged a bitter smile, shook their heads, and sighed.

This is why they were all willing to take the blame for Yan Maoqing, because this superior (his uncle) was such a respectable person.

He was like a big umbrella, never complaining about his own suffering, silently sheltering each of them from the wind and rain... He won everyone's heart with his sincere heart.

……

On the official road five miles away.

"Boss, this time is different from before. This guy surnamed Yan has troops with him. Will he be in mortal danger?"

A dark-skinned middle-aged man approached a man with a shaved head due to baldness, fiddling with his hair to try and look more like a Uyghur herdsman, and asked somewhat timidly.

"What are you afraid of? Do you think he would dare to lay a hand on us?"

The bald man sneered.
"Don't forget our current status. These officials are shrewd. What they fear most is causing trouble and being accused of bullying the people and undermining unity!"

"We've done similar things countless times. When have we ever run into any trouble? Every single one of them has obediently given us the money and then had to politely persuade us to let them pass."

"Let me put it this way: a high-ranking official in the imperial court encountered a similar situation before, and he had to bow his head and take money to settle it."

"Who is this guy surnamed Yan? Does he think he's more important than the Grand Secretary?"

The bald man was actually just the leader of a small gang among these people; he could only summon about a hundred men under his command.

As for what this gang does... well, they're basically a group of lazy, shameless scoundrels who professionally "beg for money."

The so-called "money for good luck" is just something that sounds nice.

What they did had nothing to do with normal celebrations; to be precise, it was extortion.

As we all know, Chinese people value a smooth and auspicious occasion when celebrating happy events. They are reluctant to get into arguments with others, as it can not only affect their mood but also cause them to miss the auspicious time and day.

These people exploit this psychology. When they learn that someone is having a wedding, they immediately swarm over, using the excuse of demanding money to extort money from others and obstruct the smooth running of the wedding.

Most host families will choose to settle things peacefully, so they usually succeed.

of course.

These people are shrewd; they certainly wouldn't dare go to truly prestigious and influential families.

Even if they went, they only dared to nod and bow, saying auspicious words. If the host was willing to give, they would give; if not, they could only give up. Otherwise, if they offended the host, breaking their legs would be the least of their worries.

And what the bald man just said.

It wasn't actually his own insight, but rather what a prominent figure from Datong told him.

This important figure is a respectable person; he readily gives away large silver ingots of ten taels each. A few days ago, about a dozen minor leaders who were fortunate enough to be invited to the banquet received one each.

The important figure also said that he would still reward the person after the matter was completed.

As for how to determine if things are done, it's actually quite simple. All we need to do is force this guy surnamed Yan to obediently hand over money as a reward. The important person wants to give this guy surnamed Yan a warning, to let him understand how deep the waters of Datong are and how to get things done.

Of course, the reward money given by the man surnamed Yan also belonged to them and was not even worth the attention of the important figures.

Where else can you find such a lucrative opportunity to make money from both sides? It's practically a windfall!

While they were talking.

"Boss, they're here!"

The dark-skinned man lowered his voice and gave a reminder.

The bald man came to his senses and looked around, only to see an army standing in neat rows with synchronized steps.

"This……"

With just one glance, the bald man's courage immediately waned.

There was a garrison called "Andong Zhongtunwei" in Ying County, and he often dealt with the garrison soldiers there.

Most of those garrison soldiers were old, weak, sick, or disabled who couldn't escape, and they didn't even look as good as the landlord's tenants. They certainly didn't live as comfortably as these lazy scoundrels... This is what an army should be.

at the same time.

A young man dressed in a scarlet robe stepped out of the army, carrying a large megaphone and shouting:

"I am Yan Maoqing, the Imperial Envoy of the Imperial Court. Whoever is in charge will be rewarded with fifty taels of silver. Come forward quickly to receive your reward and make way."

"I'm in a hurry, or I won't wait!"

(End of this chapter)