usatvline Chapter 236 Binding
Chapter 236 Binding
Chapter 236 Binding
On the third day of the Lunar New Year, the sounds of battle echoed outside Chong Sheng Temple.
The two teams of twenty-eight people, Gao and Bian, marched in neat rows, stepping to the rhythm of the drums, towards each other.
The distance decreased from two hundred steps to one hundred steps, then to seventy steps, fifty steps, and thirty steps, with the distance constantly shrinking.
During the march, Captain Gao only adjusted the formation twice, while Captain Bian had to do it one more time.
If that wasn't enough, then when the two armies clashed and began to exchange gestures, Bian's troops were somewhat overwhelmed, and the commotion grew louder.
The difference in combat strength is obvious at a glance.
"How is it?" Shao Shuyi asked, looking at Ge Daji, the clerk in charge of prosecution, Meng Chaodong, the clerk in charge of criminal investigation, Jiang Guanbao, the patrol inspector of Ma Tuosha, and others who were following him.
Ge Daji's expression was solemn, not because of the troops Cao She was training, but because he had openly displayed them without any restraint.
Meng Chaodong had never participated in the suppression of bandits in Qinwang Mountain, and he was quite surprised to see such a well-organized force for the first time.
He secretly compared the archers of the patrol office to the newly recruited group in the distance. The former had no proper posture, often whispering among themselves when they huddled together, discussing tea, wine, women, or inquiring about who had extorted how much money. The latter, on the other hand, sat on the ground in perfect order and utter silence. One of their leaders, with a tortoise flag—or perhaps a Black Tortoise—stuck on his back, paced back and forth with a whip, clearly a figure who was strictly disciplined.
According to Cao Luo's previous statement, this "Xuanwu Team" was newly formed and had a diverse group of members, including porters, local farmers from Ma Tuo Sha, and migrants from Jiangbei who had come south, totaling fourteen people.
The three teams in front of them, "Descending Tiger," "Vermilion Bird," and "Black Tortoise," numbered over forty people in total, a sight that made one's heart pound.
Jiang Guanbao, however, remained expressionless. Having spent years in Matuosha and being a local strongman, he knew all too well what was going on.
As for why Cao She trained these "soldiers," he was too lazy to care, nor could he care.
"Cao She, these soldiers—" Ge Daji said worriedly after withdrawing his gaze.
"Just some men navigating the boats and unloading cargo," Shao Shuyi laughed. "As Master Ge knows, the waterways are difficult to navigate these days. The boat belonging to Master Wan, heading to Wuhu, was just robbed. They hired a team of over ten men led by Wang Lin, a famous martial arts master from Suzhou, yet they still managed to steal one boat, with eight or nine dead or injured—a truly tragic incident. If even Master Wan was robbed, how could someone like me, who's been in the business of water transport for years, not be prepared?"
Upon hearing this, Ge Daji nodded, as if he had something else to say.
Shao Shuyi looked at him with a puzzled expression.
Ge Daji grabbed his arm and said, "Cao She, let's talk in private."
The two then came to a willow tree.
Ge Daji organized his thoughts and said, "Cao She, don't make a fool of yourself."
"Why do you say that, Master Ge?" Shao Shuyi asked.
"May I ask how much it costs to support these forty-odd people in a year?"
"Around seven hundred ingots."
Ge Daji gasped, his face turning even paler. He murmured, "Actually, ever since the bandit suppression at Qinwang Mountain, the prefectural government has been gathering information about you, overseen by Assistant Magistrate Zhu. Over the past few months, they've learned quite a bit about the situation in Matuosha."
Shao Shuyi nodded.
Some things are just a matter of whether or not they are investigated. If they are really investigated, his actions will not be able to hide from those who are interested.
The same applies to the powerful clans who trained troops in the countryside in ancient times. Either the local officials didn't care, or they colluded with each other. As the saying goes, they could only keep secrets from their superiors. The big officials were high above and only knew what their subordinates told them. But it was difficult for the lower-level officials to hide anything. Or rather, they could hide it for a while, but it would eventually be exposed.
After deciding to investigate, Jiangyin Prefecture, being at the grassroots level, has already lifted a corner of the mysterious veil surrounding Shao. The current situation is that if Jiangyin Prefecture helps to cover it up, then the bigwigs in Hangzhou will still be kept in the dark, or the time of exposure will be postponed.
"Cao She, you mustn't make a mistake," Ge Daji repeated. "If you want money, I've brought you a hundred ingots today, which are the rewards from the previous bandit suppression. Fifty ingots are for you, and the other fifty were originally intended to be distributed to the bandits in person by the prefectural government as a reward and encouragement. Now they're all yours to handle."
After a pause, Ge Daji continued, "If you want a woman, you can choose any girl from the theaters and brothels in Jiangyin. Even Guan Yanyan from last time, if you like her, you can have her cross the river tonight to serve you. If you prefer a woman with a scholarly air, there are also scholarly families in Jiangyin. You can go and discuss finding a concubine's daughter to marry you; that's not out of the question."
Being an official can be a bit troublesome. But it's not like you absolutely have to be one, right? If you need anything, just give me a call, and I'll take care of everything I can.
"
After saying that, Ge Daji looked at Shao Shuyi and said, "As long as everyone behaves themselves, it's good for you and me, and everyone can keep things going."
"Since you've spoken so frankly, Master Ge, I won't hold back either," Shao Shuyi said. "I'm not a man of great ambition; my only interests are wealth and women. My eyes light up at the sight of money, and I can't resist the urge to walk when I see a woman. As for wielding swords and spears, it's purely a personal hobby; young men are all fond of that. The people I train can also be used by the government. We've already dealt with the bandits at Qinwang Mountain; if any more thieves sneak in, I'll be there without hesitation."
Ge Daji still couldn't completely believe it, but hearing this made him feel a little more at ease. At least, Cao Luo wouldn't rebel for the time being, and with that, he could return to the prefectural office to report.
He then put on a slight smile and said, "Who doesn't love beauty and money? Very well, I'll inquire tomorrow whether there are any unmarried young ladies among the clerks in the prefectural government. You're seven years old now; many people at that age already have children. By the way, do you have someone in mind?"
Shao Shuyi knew that the prefectural government had gone to great lengths this time, wanting him to marry a woman from a local official or scholar-official family, and thus put a noose around his neck.
After all, rebellion is not a one-person affair, and it is difficult to keep it from one's wife who is with him day and night. If one has any conscience, considering the wife's family, who have a large and powerful family in the local area, this will add a lot of resistance.
He didn't really want to be associated with these people right now, but he couldn't just refuse the prefectural government's "kindness" so he pretended to be embarrassed and said, "Last year when it snowed, I saw Zhu Tongzhi's sister-in-law at the Confucian Temple. I was amazed by her beauty and fell in love with her. I wish to marry her."
"Zhu Tongzhi's sister-in-law?" Ge Daji was taken aback and said, "The daughter of Fei Gong, the Deputy Commander of the Grain Transport Commissioner? You...!" Ge Daji was so angry that he laughed and said, "Cao She, what can I say to you? How dare you marry Fei Gong's daughter? Find someone else."
Shao Shuyi shook his head and said, "I only want Fei Gong's daughter; I will marry no one else."
Ge Daji was dumbfounded. He cursed inwardly, "Why don't you take a piss and look in the mirror? You're big and burly, with a face full of江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry). If Fei Gong's daughter saw you, she would probably be terrified, let alone become husband and wife."
Furthermore, what is your identity?
In terms of wealth, the Fei family, who had traveled overseas, possessed countless gold, silver, and jewels, with so many rare treasures from overseas that they could hardly contain them all. Even their eldest daughter, who was already married, would occasionally return to her parents' home, bringing back a few unusual items that would amaze the officials of Jiangyin Prefecture. How can you compare?
In terms of land, they own vast tracts of land and houses in Taicang, Shanghai, and their hometown of Changxing in Huzhou. They donate hundreds of acres of fertile land to temples without batting an eye. How can you, a country bumpkin, compare?
Returning to the topic of status, he was the Deputy Commander of the Grain Transport Office, a third-rank official, while you were just a commoner, neither here nor there, how could you compare? Fei Gong's only disadvantage was that he didn't have a son, otherwise he would have been from an official family.
Thinking of this, Ge Daji had a sudden inspiration.
No son —
"No, this won't do." Ge Daji pleaded earnestly, "How about you take a look at the Lu family of Caijing? They are descendants of Mr. Qiangdong, and their family is well-versed in classics and history, and also has knowledge of astronomy and geography. Now they are famous for their medical skills. They have both wealth and prestige. Fine, I won't try to fool you with an illegitimate daughter, how about Mr. Qiangdong's direct granddaughter?"
If all else fails, what about the descendants of Mu Shi Gong?
Or perhaps it's the Zhang family of Gounan? Never mind, that's too difficult; Zhang is still an official in Jiaxing. Anyway, 99
Shao Shuyi was displeased and said, "I run a business on the water and I just want to find a wife who is the daughter of a high-ranking official in the canal administration. Lady Fei is just right. Why can't I have her? Alright, alright, I'm too lazy to argue with you anymore. That's enough."
Ge Daji sighed, not wanting to say anything more. This guy's wild ideas were truly annoying.
But when Ge Daji saw the "soldiers" training not far away, he had an even bigger headache.
But on second thought, it doesn't seem like a bad thing. The fact that Cao Luo covets Fei Gong's daughter so much at least shows that he hasn't considered rebellion.
Thinking of this, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief and then said, "Cao She, there is one more thing."
"Please speak, Mr. Ge," Shao Shuyi said politely.
"Yesterday, the Jiangning Nantai sent a letter to the prefecture, asking them to check when you arrived in Jiangyin, who your subordinates are, and whether they are locals of Jiangyin. If not, they should check where you are from." Ge Daji said, glancing at Shao Shuyi's expression.
He knew that Shao Shuyi was not from Jiangyin.
There was no need for any spying; his accent alone spoke volumes. Ge Daji had already made up his mind that Cao Luo was from the Suzhou area, or at least not far away.
Combining this with the several ships under his name, such as Kunjia, Liujia, Taijia, and Pingjia, the answer becomes obvious. Once a ship has a name, it is called by people. During transportation and cargo handling, the ship manager and the steers would inadvertently mention the ship's name. No one had noticed it before, but now, with careful investigation, everyone knows the basics.
Pingjiang Road, Kunshan Prefecture, Taicang, Liujiagang, that's all.
Upon hearing Ge Daji's words, Shao Shuyi's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "Does the Prefect know?"
"understood."
"What did he say?"
"Four words," Ge Daji said, holding up four fingers. "Calm it down with tranquility."
"Where is the Darughachi?"
"Accepted."
After saying that, he leaned close to Shao Shuyi's ear and whispered, "Cao She, you must live up to the good intentions of the Darughachi and the Prefect. They are protecting you, and you can't let them down."
Shao Shuyi nodded slightly, his gaze falling on the soldiers not far away. He thought to himself, if I didn't have these soldiers and the ability to rush into the state government office and kill them one by one, would they still protect me?
However, at present, the time is far from ripe for rebellion, and it is indeed not advisable to break ties with the state government.
So he said, “Lord Ge, I see there is a lot of wasteland in Matuosha, so I had some measured out. After some effort to cultivate it, it will all become fertile land. Currently, the harvest in Jiangbei is poor, and many people are fleeing south. If the elders of Jiangyin are interested, they can send people to gather these refugees and help them reclaim wasteland in Matuosha. With a little cultivation over two or three years, there will be a harvest, which can be passed down to future generations. Wouldn't that be wonderful? As for worrying about bandits, haha, I am willing to be the gatekeeper for the elders of Jiangyin, and take good care of these fields for everyone.”
After listening, Ge Daji pondered for a long time, and finally smiled and said, "Cao She, you did the right thing. I need to go back and ask about this."
"Then we'll await good news," Shao Shuyi said, bowing with his hands clasped.
>