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

Luo Yuyang's report was actually somewhat reserved.

He only told his superiors about some of the surface phenomena and the possible consequences behind them.

In terms of specific business operations, those darker aspects were not explained to Governor Liu.

How can you take such filthy things to dirty the ears of your superiors?

In reality, at the public level, there are officials who know exactly what "public funds" are all about, but not many.

To put it bluntly, the business Luo Yuyang was involved in was essentially ancient usury.

Loan sharks are like an amplifying agent; if you borrow too much, it will explode, resulting in bad debts.

If a bad debt is incurred and the debtor fails to repay, the creditor will need to resort to special measures to squeeze out the last bit of value from the debtor.

Luo Yuyang's special method was the monk Yuanjue.

The last thing Yuanjue did was to pack the debtor's entire family into slaves and then sell them.

Through these dark methods, Luo Yuyang obtained a comfortable life, Yuanjue became the living Buddha of Xiangzhou, middle and lower-level officials had salaries to support their families, and Prefect Liu's decrees could reach the whole prefecture. However, the thousands of debtors were ruthlessly "killed" by Monk Yuanjue, and many families were destroyed and people died.

"Luo Yuyang, such a serious matter has happened, why are you only telling me now!"

Governor Liu's face turned ashen, and Chongluo Yuyang flew into a rage.

"This humble servant is foolish and believes... the only solution now is to investigate the temple properties of Yunju Temple to make up for the deficit!"

Adhering to the principle of "better to die than to die myself," Luo Yuyang proposed the next step of the solution.

"Is this the only way? Luo Yuyang, your mansion must be worth at least three thousand strings of cash, right?"

Governor Liu's tone was full of oppressive force.

"This humble servant...this humble servant can spare three thousand five hundred strings of cash to resolve the current predicament, but this year's salary...Prefect Liu, could we perhaps reduce the amount paid to those below?"

Governor Liu took a deep breath and then said, "Don't kneel, get up."

Luo Yuyang was from a prominent family, and although Governor Liu held a higher official position than him, he still gave him some face.

"You can get by with this year's salary, but what about next year, and the year after? I still have two more years in office, and I don't want any mistakes to happen during those two years! You have to shoulder the burden of the government's finances properly, understand?"

"I understand, and I will certainly do my best. In two years, I will also need to take charge."

The Tang Dynasty's official system lasted seven years, which was considered a relatively long period for a dynasty.

People like Luo Yuyang, who come from a prestigious family but lack the official career to rise to a higher rank, will also choose a better place to settle down.

"I intend to take over those closed shops and manage them poorly. Perhaps they will turn things around, but... we may need some capital. Governor Liu, you must explain this to the wealthy merchants in the city."

"When the time comes, I will naturally step in for you."

……

Just as chaos erupted inside Yunju Temple, the government suddenly intervened, sending troops to surround the temple.

Next came the investigation of the temple's property and the interrogation of the perpetrators.

When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter; Yunju Temple is on the verge of complete ruin.

The saying "Good deeds bring good rewards, and evil deeds bring evil consequences" comes from the Buddhist classic, the Tripitaka.

Li You finally finished his business and prepared to return to Tongbai Mountain Village to see the original owner's uncle.

This was also the first time the two of them had met.

Before leaving, Li You instructed Gao Shun, Zhou Chuji, and Jing Song to find a way to open an oil pressing shop in Xiangzhou City.

Store the extracted oil for now; it will have its own uses in the future.

Huang Chao's army's financial situation has now completely changed, and the manpower they have invested in Xiangzhou can form a system on its own. Opening an oil pressing shop is not a difficult task; it's just that the initial investment is a little more.

After making the arrangements, Li You led 200 soldiers and set off back home.

The number of personnel left for Xiangzhou has been increased to 400.

Along with Li Youyi, there were several girls led by Yan Jiu.

For them, the past twenty-odd days felt like a dream.

She wouldn't be locked in a cellar, there would be no beatings or humiliation from strangers, and after a while she could even choose her future husband.

Yan Jiu was especially happy, and a smile was often on his face.

The journey took five days, and to help the girls maintain their strength, the soldiers would sometimes carry them for a while.

The soldiers who were not yet married were especially attentive when carrying girls on their backs.

Although Li You was dedicated to solving the marriage problem in the army, there was still a shortage of marriage partners. Therefore, he specifically instructed Yan Hongxin and Zan Junmo to buy more female servants when purchasing slaves.

People would vie to carry Yan Jiu, but she always refused with a smile, saying she wasn't tired.

Li You observed this and chuckled inwardly: She's quite a picky girl.

When they returned to the mountain stronghold, seven people came out to greet them.

Yan Hongliang, Yan Hongxin, Zan Junmo, and Liang Mengbiao were the four generals whom Li You trusted most.

Standing in the middle, the emotionally charged middle-aged man was Yin Hongzhi.

There was also a young man around twenty years old and a child of twelve or thirteen.

These two are Yin Hongzhi's sons; the elder is named Yin Shaokang, and the younger is named Yin Shaojue.

"Yu'er..."

"Uncle, we're finally reunited!"

Yin Hongzhi could not contain his emotions and tears streamed down his face.

He had genuinely believed Li You was dead, but now that he was alive and well, the feeling in his heart was truly strange.

After everyone met, they entered the camp together.

Li You discovered that the population in the mountain stronghold had increased considerably.

"Hongxin, how many slaves did you buy this time?"

"There are over 1000 men, over 2000 women, and over 500 children, totaling more than 4000 people. There are also 300 strong men from the north gate, and these people are under Old Zan's management."

Li You was overjoyed upon hearing this: "In that case, including the people from Xiangzhou, our stronghold will have nearly ten thousand people."

"Yes, the current mountain strongholds are much more lively than before."

Looking at the soldiers and farmers working around him, Yin Hongzhi exclaimed, "You'er, you're really something!"

Upon arriving, Yan Hongxin gave Yin Hongzhi a detailed account of how Huang Chao's army had painstakingly built their camp over the past year. From the initial difficulties to its eventual growth to over ten thousand men, it was truly a story of arduous pioneering.

Yin Hongzhi felt gratified by this.

Li You laughed and said, "Uncle, this is all thanks to the efforts of everyone; it's not something I could do alone. Hongxin, tell the new servants that after joining Huang Chao's army, they will no longer be slaves, but people just like you and me. Tell them to settle down as soon as possible. Anyone who beats, scolds, or discriminates against them will be severely punished."

"promise!"

"Let the unmarried soldiers get to know the newly arrived women more, and let them get married if they are suitable."

"promise!"

"By the way, I also brought a few girls with me from Xiangzhou. I promised them that they would be allowed to choose husbands from among the soldiers. Select a few dozen spirited unmarried soldiers, preferably those with merits, along with the two hundred soldiers who came back with me from the mountain this time. Mix them together and let these girls choose."

"Okay, I'll send someone to arrange this."

After the group entered the room, the four generals reported on other matters, and Li You gave them instructions one by one.

For those decisions that cannot be made immediately, I write them down, intending to resolve them later after careful consideration.

Yin Hongzhi sat to the side, watching Li You arrange things, and his sense of satisfaction increased considerably.

There is a faint hope that someone will become the ruler.

After discussing the specifics, it was time for dinner.

Wang Sanwa arranged Li You's meals. He and two other soldiers brought out a large basin of cooked rice, several dishes of wild vegetables, and two large basins of wild boar meat.