Chapter 68

Wang Changfu said, "Alright, I will definitely do my best, sir."

At this moment, Liang Xing rode back, and Yang Qiu also brought over about twenty captives. He had already interrogated them with his subordinates, and many of the captives had lost their teeth or had faces swollen like pigs. In front of Zhang Han, Yang Qiu pointed, and all the captives obediently knelt down.

To make these bandits so compliant, it seemed Yang Qiu's interrogation skills had improved.

"Sir, I caught a big fish," Yang Qiu said with an excited smile, addressing Zhang Han. "This guy, sir, do you recognize him?"

Zhang Han saw a middle-aged man with an ordinary appearance, his body and face covered in wounds. He quickly lowered his head when he met Zhang Han's gaze, appearing ordinary, cowardly, and despicable.

"I don't recognize him. Tell me."

"This is Ning Yicheng's trusted steward, Ning Zhiyuan. Sir, this guy was sent by Ning Yicheng to the bandits, specifically to handle communication. This time, the main plotter against us was Ning Yicheng, and the Fan family is also implicated. The Zhou brothers were just hired hands."

Yang Qiu now spoke very logically and was well-informed about recent opponents of Yusheng. When speaking to Zhang Han, he lowered his voice to prevent others from overhearing.

This guy was getting closer to Zhang Han's ideal standard.

A cold look appeared in Zhang Han's eyes. Ning Yicheng had once looked at him with disdain, which was a significant wound to Zhang Han's pride. However, without power, and later without evidence, it was not easy to deal with a sixth-rank official, even a miscellaneous one. Now that there was evidence, the old grudge must be avenged.

At this moment, Liang Xing called over Wen Zhongfa, Yang Sisun, and others, ordering the leading bandits who had fled to kneel down. Then he began to slap them, left and right.

The sound of slaps echoed continuously. Over a dozen bandits knelt obediently, and after being hit on the left cheek, they were hit on the right. Liang Xing did not hold back, and after a few slaps, blood spurted from their noses. After a dozen slaps, their faces were swollen.

"Let's see you run, you dogs. Let's see you run."

"You bastards, you take your monthly pay, eat at the shop, and even bought houses and courtyards, and you still ran."

As he beat them, even with his good physique, Liang Xing was panting. He turned his head and called out, "Yang Qiu, come over and help me beat them."

Yang Qiu smiled, called a few of his subordinates, and began to beat the sandbags.

The dozen or so bandits were now defiant, not making a sound even when beaten. When knocked down, they would get up again. Yang Qiu and Wen Zhongfa, who had always been on good terms, did not hold back. He kicked one in the chest, and everyone heard a "thud." Wen Zhongfa was kicked to the ground and struggled to get up and kneel again.

Without Zhang Han's command, the subordinates knew what to do.

Liang Xing, finding the beating unsatisfactory, had someone fetch a horsewhip and began to whip them.

With each whip, their faces and bodies were covered in lash marks. The bandits could no longer hold back and began to beg for mercy and cry out in pain.

"Do you find it painful now? When you abandoned your master and ran, did you think about the consequences?" Liang Xing lashed out again, hitting a bandit in the face, causing a scream of pain. He did not stop, continuing to whip the same person, each lash leaving a bloody mark.

Yang Qiu followed suit, leading a few others to whip them with the horsewhip.

The dozen or so bandits were beaten to a pulp.

First, they were slapped, then punched and kicked, and now whipped mercilessly. Some could no longer make a sound, only rolling on the ground instinctively to avoid the blows.

The surrounding guards and porters initially watched with a sense of schadenfreude, but later their eyes showed sympathy. After all, they trained together and did the same job, and even if they came from different backgrounds, they had developed some camaraderie over time. The sympathy in the eyes of the bandit-born guards was even more evident, but no one dared to plead for mercy. Everyone had seen what happened; when the bandits attacked, these people had abandoned their weapons and fled first. If Zhang Han were a Ming general, these dozen people would have been beheaded, with no one spared.

Zhang Han remounted his horse and watched quietly.

Wang Changfu watched for a while and quietly said to Zhang Chun, "Brother Chun, is the master not going to keep these guys? If he beats them so harshly, they will be crippled."

Zhang Chun looked around and said with a smile, "Brother Changfu, you're confused. If he didn't want them, he would have politely dismissed them. This beating is to teach them a lesson."

After a while, seeing that everyone was unable to move, Zhang Han lightly waved his hand.

As if they had been watching Zhang Han, Liang Xing and Yang Qiu stopped.

"Anyone who flees in battle in the future will be immediately dismissed. I will not tolerate cowards here," Zhang Han said firmly, his tone not heavy but resolute. "Why am I lenient this time? Because we are not an army, and I haven't clearly stated the rules before. In the future, we will have strict rules. With the size of our business, we have about two hundred guards, and as we expand, the number will increase. Without rules, there is no order. Such incidents must not happen again."

"Yes, sir!"

Liang Xing led the way, followed by Yang Qiu, and the other guards bowed in unison, without hesitation or doubt.

Even those who were beaten and could barely get up knelt and acknowledged.

This time, their luck was that they were not dismissed. Zhang Han did not want to create too much turmoil and disunity. After this incident, Zhang Han had a clear idea of how to manage and improve the guards' combat effectiveness, gradually eliminating the unqualified and truly strengthening the Yusheng guard force.

Some things can only be truly understood and grasped through personal experience.

Zhang Han had a talent for business and had studied it seriously, able to apply his knowledge broadly.

But he was not an all-knowing genius. This battle was a "make-up class" for him.

Wang Changfu then called out, "Help the injured onto the horses, bring the heads, and the bodies of the Zhou brothers. Collect any usable weapons, don't leave anything behind. Everyone, return to Xinping Fort slowly!"

On the way back, Zhang Han smiled and scolded Liang Xing, "Prepare some fine military sticks, not the big ones from the government, but thicker than bamboo and thinner than sticks. Paint them and color them, and place them in the center of our training ground. Next time, when someone breaks the rules, use the sticks to beat them. I will set the number of strikes. Don't make it like this time, it feels like you're holding a ceremony for the bandits. Can you do me a favor and save some face?"

Liang Xing just laughed, but his eyes still showed worry.

His subordinates had been thoroughly discredited this time. Yang Qiu had his own plans, and Wang Changfu was becoming more important. Only Liang Xing's subordinates were so untrustworthy. This beating had saved them, but Liang Xing knew they would not be trusted again.

...

Ning Yicheng held a teacup and played chess with Lai Tongxin.

Thunder rumbled outside the window. The weather in June was unpredictable. It had been sunny in the morning, but by evening, the sky turned dark, and a strong wind blew, bending the trees and raising dust.

Ning Yicheng and Lai Tongxin were waiting for news. Ning Yicheng decided to stay at the colonel's residence to play chess with Lai Tongxin.

Of course, they were not playing Go. Lai Tongxin had no patience for that. They were playing chess, which suited his military identity.

After a few games, both felt uneasy. Lai Tongxin looked at the darkening sky and said, "Why is there no news yet?"

Ning Yicheng smiled, "Sir, there's no need to worry. No news is good news. Perhaps Zhang Han has already been killed, and his subordinates are scattered and fleeing. The Zhou brothers are chasing them, so no one has come to report or ask for help... This is better, as it will prevent anyone from accusing you of failing to help and allowing bandits to harm merchants."

Lai Tongxin looked worried and said, "Zhang Han sends me one or two hundred silver taels every month. This will be a significant loss."

Ning Yicheng felt contempt but showed a comforting smile, "Fan Dongzhu is a man of great wealth. They are opening a branch in the fort and will need your protection for smuggling. Although we can't join as shareholders as we initially planned, you will still receive more than other generals. You should be satisfied."

Lai Tongxin was suspicious, wondering if Ning Yicheng had a secret deal with the Fan family. Without evidence, he couldn't say anything. Ning Yicheng had incited him to execute a dozen people, including some of the Fan family's employees, but the Fan family still refused to let him join as a shareholder, and Ning Yicheng said nothing more. Lai Tongxin's suspicions grew like waves in the sea. If not for his current reliance on Ning Yicheng, he would have had him beaten.

"Shizhai," Lai Tongxin said pitifully, "I will rely on you in the future."

"Sir, rest assured," Ning Yicheng said with a confident smile, "I have everything under control."

The Fan family's branch was located in the center of North Street, occupying a vast area with a large storefront, wide space, and high and visible signs. They had many employees, a large area, and many rooms and warehouses. Originally, it was the top merchant in North Street, where many merchants would come to discuss market prices, gather information, and borrow silver. The managers and owners would be especially courteous and respectful when visiting the Fan family's branch, bending their waists as if to touch the ground... But those good times were gone. Now, Yusheng was the undisputed top merchant in North Street, with almost the entire area around the north gate belonging to Yusheng. Grain stores, general stores, grain warehouses, account offices, horse and mule markets, factories, and silver vaults—all belonged to Yusheng. The managers and owners now frequently visited Yusheng, even if they couldn't see Zhang Han, they would chat with Zhou Fengji and Liang Hong, showing great flattery.

Li Mingda, on the other hand, looked much more down and out.