Prince Li You of the Great Tang Dynasty begs the noble families to their deaths!

Zhao Hongliang, a gang leader, was also a capable man.

Besides his wife, he also had five concubines, who bore him a total of four children.

However, I didn't notice his mention of "having elderly parents," so I guess he just said it offhand.

Spring plowing is in full swing on Tongbai Mountain, and a large number of people are indeed needed. Li You dispersed these people and assigned them to different places. The able-bodied and young did the heavy work, while the old and young did some odd jobs. Those who were unwilling to cooperate were locked up first.

The dozen or so "core members" led by Zhao Hongliang were indeed somewhat unruly and unwilling to work, so they didn't seem to be good people in their daily lives.

Huang Chao's army didn't tolerate them. After a few beatings with whips, most of them obediently went to work in the fields.

According to the soldiers' observations, Zhao Hongliang was still not convinced and even showed signs of plotting to escape; in short, he was very restless.

Based on the principle of treating the sick and saving lives, Li You summoned this person.

"You're Zhao Hongliang?"

"This humble servant has met... has met my lord."

"I've heard you're quite dishonest. What, you're trying to steal our charcoal formula? That's thievery, and you'll be severely punished no matter where you are. Do you think I'm going to keep such a scoundrel as a pet?"

"No, no, this humble servant... this humble servant has something to say to my lord."

"What did you say?"

Zhao Hongliang gritted his teeth: "My lord, you may not know this, but I was quite a figure in Xiangzhou City before. I'm sure you've already searched my family's meager wealth and taken it up the mountain. However... I have a large sum of money hidden in the temple that I'm willing to offer to you, my lord. I only ask that you... allow me and my wife and children to come down the mountain."

Li You stared coldly at Zhao Hongliang: "You want to go down the mountain?"

Zhao Hongliang said, "Look, I... I'm not cut out for work, so I'm no use staying with you."

"Then you're mistaken. I don't lack money, I only lack people to do the work. Besides, what's wrong with staying in my Huang Chao army? My soldiers are well-fed and clothed, and I'll even introduce women to unmarried soldiers... Oh, right, right, you, Master Zhao, are a wealthy man with five concubines. You probably wouldn't have looked down on us peasant Huang Chao army, would you?"

"No, no, no, I, you scoundrel, I absolutely didn't mean that..."

"Zhao Hongliang, this is the last time I'm telling you: work hard, and your family will be safe. But if the soldiers find out you're not being honest, things won't be as simple as they are today. Don't say I didn't warn you!"

"My lord, I truly have..."

Li You grew impatient and waved his hand: "Drag him away and behead him."

"I know I'm wrong, I know I'm wrong, I beg the Lord for mercy, I beg the Lord for mercy!"

Seeing this fellow keep kowtowing, Li You felt a little sorry for him.

If this person hadn't harbored evil intentions, would I have been able to obtain these three hundred-plus men for no reason?

Every sip and every bite is preordained; let's give him one last chance.

"Zhao Hongliang, you always think about getting something for nothing, and you have had days of getting something for nothing. When you were in Xiangzhou, you were certainly not a good person who helped the poor and needy. There is a destiny in the dark. You have done bad things, and God will surely bring you disaster sooner or later."

"I sell charcoal in Xiangzhou, and the money I earn is used to buy food and supplies not to satisfy my own selfish desires, but to feed the lives of thousands of people. If you ruin my business, these thousands of people will starve to death! You reap the benefits without lifting a finger, which is certainly great, but have you ever thought about the disaster you are causing to others? How many people have you harmed in the past?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Hongliang stammered, unable to utter a word.

"Think about it carefully yourself!"

Just as Li Yougang was about to send the man away, he started making demands again.

"My lord, I... I haven't seen my wife and children in so long, could... could I see them?"

"Isn't it all because you're dishonest?"

"You wish to see your wife and children? That's fine, but can you do what I've ordered of you?"

Li You's patience was almost completely exhausted with this slippery fellow in front of him.

"Yes, yes, absolutely!"

"Your wife and four children live in a thatched hut. As for your concubines, I have already arranged for them to marry meritorious soldiers, so you need not see them again."

"Ah? My lord, this..."

"What, you don't want to?"

"I, I, this, this..."

Seeing Zhao Hongliang's appearance, Li You's murderous intent rekindled.

This person has too many thoughts and desires; he always has his own ideas, and keeping him around would be a real problem.

Li You felt a pang of regret. Had he known this would happen, he would have just killed him with a single blow. All that talking was for nothing, and he only made himself angry.

In his frustration, Zhao Hongliang looked up and saw Li You's ashen face, and his heart skipped a beat.

He is good at reading people's expressions.

So he quickly bowed his head and said, "I know I was wrong! I will go see my wife and children now and thank you for your kindness, my lord!"

Li You stared at the top of Zhao Hongliang's head for a long time.

Zhao Hongliang was drenched in cold sweat; he could feel the overwhelming killing intent emanating from the other side.

My life... could it end today?

Li You sighed softly and stood up.

"I will have people keep a close eye on you."

"Zhao Hongliang, you'd better watch yourself."

……

The minor incident in Xiangzhou did not affect the charcoal business of those three wood shops.

Because all those involved were taken up the mountain, the disappearance of some individuals did not attract the attention of the authorities.

On the contrary, the disappearance of this group of street thugs made the security of Xiangzhou City better than before.

Xiangzhou City was, after all, a large city with a population larger than that of Guangzhou, and its demand for charcoal was far greater than Gao Shun and his men had anticipated.

To meet the needs of customers, Gao Shun reported to Li You and opened two more stores in Xiangzhou, while also increasing the transportation of charcoal produced in the mountain village.

As the various production activities of the counterfeit business got on track, Li You gradually found that his cash flow was working again. The sense of urgency he used to feel when spending money was not as strong now, which was undoubtedly a good sign.

The rice seedlings have already grown, and we are waiting for the harvest season to begin in September.

The ramie that the soldiers had planted frantically on the hillsides had been harvested twice more, and the textile workers continued to work hard, producing bolts of brand-new linen cloth that continuously supplemented Huang Chao's army's funds.

The output from the charcoal business, hemp cloth production, and rice cultivation was sufficient to cover the food, clothing, and daily necessities of more than 4,500 people. Under these circumstances, Li You readily allocated 100,000 bolts of cloth to Yan Hongxin and Zan Junmo, allowing them to purchase slaves in Luoyang to further bolster the manpower of the mountain stronghold.

In addition, Li You sent down the mountain with more than a dozen capable assassins. Their mission was to infiltrate densely populated areas such as Shandong, Jiangnan, Hebei, and Guanzhong to investigate and inquire about the local customs, major families, tax collection efforts of the government, and the preparations of the court to attack Goguryeo.

Staying in the Tongbai Mountains and developing the resources at hand is something we definitely need to do, but we can't just bury ourselves in our work and let go of any potential changes in the world.

Especially Shandong, where Li You first raised his army.

He really wanted to see how the local people lived after he distributed the land, and how they interacted with other powerful families.

Li You is currently considering the future rebellion program of Huang Chao's army. If some things can be based on real-world examples, they will be more complete, more down-to-earth, and more easily accepted by the general public.

As for the gang leader Zhao Hongliang, ever since he sensed Li You's murderous intent towards him, he finally became obedient and seemed to be genuinely preparing to make a living by farming in the mountains.

Ultimately, these people from Xiangzhou were "forced to join the Liangshan rebels," unlike the soldiers of Huang Chao's army.

After some time, Zhao Hongliang took the initiative to find Li You and told him the location of the valuables he had hidden in the temple, without making any other requests.

Li You found it strange and asked him why he did that.

Zhao Hongliang replied that he had thought it over carefully and acknowledged that he had indeed committed many sins in the past, having taken many lives in Xiangzhou. He said that he deserved to be captured this time because he had acted out of greed. The atmosphere in Huang Chao's army was relatively kind and friendly, quite different from that in Xiangzhou. Many of his brothers, as well as his wife and children, had adapted to life in the mountains and never wanted to go back.

Li You found it even stranger.

"So, you mean my Huang Chao army belongs to a peaceful world, while Xiangzhou City is a hellish realm?"

"My lord, you may not know this, but many times we... are not in control of our own destiny."

"You mean you're not in control of your own destiny? You mean you have someone above you?"

"What you say is true, my lord. Not to mention me, almost all the ruffians in Xiangzhou City are working for Elder Yuanjue in the temple. We are all his henchmen."

"Temple? Which temple?"

"It's the largest temple in Xiangzhou, Yunju Temple."