Chapter 10

"Sir, the government is too incompetent," Zhu Qing said.

Zhu Huan shook his head: "That's not the case. It's just that those people reacted too quickly. Although there will be many troubles later, it's better to force them out than to have them in the Weilin Fort. Moreover, they are likely to flee to the border wastelands. Autumn is coming, and winter is not far behind..."

By then, those people will have no place to hide.

But the troubles haven't ended. Even now, including Zhu Huan himself, he still believes that on that day, it would have been better to let some people die and abandon the goods rather than take action.

However, things have happened. He is not the Black Bee Bandit, and he can understand that they also need to survive. He can only take one step at a time.

"That boy left in a hurry."

"Is he guarding against us? Have you found out?"

"He has been found out. His father is called Wang Ping, a former captain of the Baojie Army, who died in battle with the Western Xia a few years ago. His mother remarried to Mr. Jiang in the Security Army City. He might have been discriminated against by the Jiang family, so last winter, he returned to Wang Family Village with his younger brother and sister to seek refuge with his uncle, Wang Wei. However, his uncle's family also has several children, and their life has gradually become difficult, and his aunt is somewhat dissatisfied. So in the spring, he asked his uncle and the villagers for help to build a thatched hut, and he brought his younger brother and sister out to farm. He usually tends the sheep in the village, and sometimes goes hunting with his uncle to earn some income. He should be a very proud young man."

When he saw Wang Ju on the mountain, he thought Wang Ju was not sensible, and his clothes were so clean, washed by his aunt.

But after checking, it turned out that Wang Ju washed all the clothes himself, and he was responsible for cooking, cleaning, and washing for the three children in the family. His younger sister is only eight years old, and his younger brother is only seven, so they can only help him tend the sheep, and they can't do much else.

Not only is he proud, but he is also very diligent.

Moreover, the old patriarch of the village, Wang Quan, has a copy of the *Analects of Confucius*, which is said to have been passed down from his great-grandfather and is now in very poor condition.

Wang Ju went to ask for it, read it himself, and taught his younger brother and sister to read.

Zhu Qing tested the two children, and they actually recognized quite a few characters.

Wang Ju's performance on the mountain was incredibly impressive, but in daily life, this young man is very low-key, not quarrelsome, and many of the villagers wouldn't even recognize him if he weren't tending the sheep for the village.

The village is poor, and there are many poor families.

Zhu Qing explained the general situation and handed over a piece of paper, which should have been investigated in detail, even including the situation of the Jiang family and the fact that Wang Ping's compensation was withheld by the higher-ups.

Zhu Huan looked at the paper and thought for a while before saying, "He is suspicious and decisive."

"Sir, you are right. It's probably related to his upbringing. He even suspects you..."

"He doesn't know me, so I can't blame him. Have you found out about those two women?"

"No."

"Wait until the boy comes back, then ask him, and about those knives."

"They are sealed, called Xia Kingdom swords."

"Let them be. After they are re-smelted, at least the inscriptions will be gone."

"Sir, I'm worried about his trip to the capital."

"No problem, he should know the gravity of the situation. Although this boy is somewhat suspicious, he is rare in his loyalty. Let's do this: give all the money for the four horses to the village. He will understand when he returns."

"Sir, this is not important. I'm worried about the government's actions."

That is the most troublesome part.

...

"It seems we are safe now," Zhao Niannu said.

"Why?"

"You have the mood to buy and read the *Five Classics with Commentary*. I think the danger has passed," Zhao Niannu said with a faint smile. After leaving Yanzhou and passing through the dangerous period, her demeanor became even more graceful and noble. On the journey, it was evident that no matter where they bought things, she would casually give a handful of jiaozi to Wang Ju and tell him what to buy, never asking how much was spent. Wang Ju did not take advantage, but he did indulge in buying this large set of over a hundred volumes of books, which cost more than eleven guan in the Fuzhou city bookshop.

In this era, the cost of pens, ink, paper, and inkstones is very high. The paper is thick, the characters are large, and only about a hundred characters can be printed on one page, and it is single-sided butterfly-bound books, plus woodblock printing, making books extremely expensive. A thin *I Ching* without commentary costs more than a hundred wen, so many scholars have to copy books.

However, eleven guan is not a big deal for this young woman, so Wang Ju indulged himself a bit.

Wang Ju said guiltily, "Miss Zhao, are you unhappy?"

"Your eagerness to learn pleases me. Why would I be unhappy?"

"Rest assured, I will safely escort everyone to the capital."

In fact, this journey has made the three of them admire him greatly. Except for the urgent trip to Yanzhou, after leaving Yanzhou, the journey was not so rushed. Each time, Wang Ju would scout ahead and arrange the daily itinerary, such as how many miles to travel each day, which depends not only on the distance but also on the terrain, and then find a place to stop in the evening. They traveled on the main road and stayed in regular inns, which made the journey safer.

Even the food and other items they needed to bring were arranged by Wang Ju in an orderly manner.

This made the two maids feel very ashamed.

Zhao Niannu smiled slightly.

Pian'er suddenly asked, "Why change the carriage?"

"We need to change. First, the distance is too far, and the coachman may not be familiar with the road. Second, for safety... We will change again in Tongzhou and again at the Tongguan Pass."

"What are you guarding against? Didn't you say it's safe?"

"The government. This case might be a big deal."

"Big Ox, don't worry. I will help you solve it when I get to the capital."

"Miss Zhao, please don't. No matter how rich and powerful your family is, this matter must be kept secret. Don't mention that you were involved or that I was well-intentioned. For the sake of our acquaintance, please agree to this."

"The fault lies with the soldiers."

"Look at this mountain, it looks different from different angles. When a big event happens, there are many people who will explain it, and each person has a different perspective. In the end, many people might be implicated. The best strategy is to make a big issue small and a small issue disappear. Don't forget, the villagers in the village are mules, transporting contraband."

"Stop, stop." A shout came from the mountain road ahead.

Wang Ju poked his head out, and several soldiers were checking the passersby ahead.

"It seems the battle at Heao Ridge has escalated," Wang Ju thought.

In the Song Dynasty, second-level officials include the prefects and governors of various prefectures and the transport commissioners. Among the prefects, the most powerful is the Prefect of Kaifeng, followed by the Prefect of Henan (Luoyang), then the Prefect of Songzhou (Nanjing), and the Prefect of Damingzhou (Beijing). Apart from the prefects who serve as chancellors, the most powerful in the Song-Liao war are the prefects of Zhenzhou, Dingzhou, and Taiyuan. However, now the most powerful are the prefects of Jingzhao, Weizhou, Qingzhou, Yanzhou, and Qinzhou, as they not only govern their own prefectures but also have the authority over the military and political affairs of the small roads under their jurisdiction. For example, the Prefect of Yanzhou has the authority to interfere with the affairs of the Fuzhou and the southernmost county of Fuzhou.

They have already encountered several waves of soldiers checking them.

But they might encounter more in Tongzhou, depending on how the officials in Yanzhou decide to handle this case.

The soldiers did not make things difficult, not even checking the goods, just looking at the people and quickly letting them pass.

They soon reached the group.

Wang Ju suddenly noticed the tattoos on the foreheads of the soldiers and narrowed his eyes.

PS: This week is a naked run, and the ranking on the new book list depends on all the new and old readers.

There will be five updates today, this is the third one. I hope everyone supports with favorites and recommendations.

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