Chapter 7

"Then let's go!"

Since the reason for the anointing ceremony was plausible, Yang Meng no longer concealed anything. After finishing the task, he needed to familiarize himself with his body and the era he was in.

"Third Young Master, wait a moment. I'll get a sedan chair for you."

Just as Yang Meng was about to take a step, Old Ding stopped him. The young master had just been injured and shouldn't be overexerted, or it would be hard to explain to his superiors.

"Then get me a horse to ride."

Seeing that the group Old Ding brought were all on horseback, Yang Meng decided to ride one as well.

"You just got injured, you can't ride a horse!"

Yang Meng's words startled Ding Baojun. This young master couldn't ride Yunnan horses. Third Young Master was heavy and large, and ordinary Yunnan horses couldn't carry him. It was easy to spook the horse, and he had fallen once before, which left a scar on his head. If he fell again, it would be a serious problem.

"Then let's walk!"

Considering his physique and the appearance of those small horses, he decided it would be better to walk.

"Third Young Master! We'll carry you!"

The poor men spoke up. They were dressed in thick cotton jackets and leather boots, and they would be given a full meal. These things were what they might not be able to afford in a couple of years. Third Young Master was righteous, and it was time for them to show their strength.

"Alright! Let's do it this way."

Yang Meng didn't refuse. Finding the right person was the priority. From the attitude of the Yiliang County Magistrate, there were many twists and turns, so it was better to get the task done first.

A bamboo pole carried by four people, with Yang Meng, who was as big as a bear, made the pole creak all the way, making Ding Baojun nervous, fearing that the young master might fall.

From treating his injuries to finding the right person, it took a lot of time. By the time they left Yiliang County, it was already getting dark. In the half-light, Yang Meng saw something that shocked him.

Outside the county, the open ground was almost entirely covered with shacks. There were only a few decent straw huts, and emaciated figures wandered in the dim light. Unlike the clean and tidy county, this place looked like a ghost town.

A gust of wind brought a stench of corpses from the shacks. These were refugees? As they left the county, the sedan chair swayed more and more violently. The poor men trudged through the mud, taking deep and shallow steps, but despite their best efforts, they couldn't keep the chair steady.

"Stop!"

Yang Meng couldn't bear the swaying. His head injury, combined with the constant jostling, made him see stars. If it continued, his new life might be ruined.

"Third Young Master! What's wrong?"

Although the light was dim, the one-eyed Ding Baojun could clearly see Yang Meng's face.

"The swaying is unbearable. Uncle Ding! What are these shacks?"

With his feet on the ground, Yang Meng felt much better and casually asked about the shacks.

"These are everywhere outside the city."

Seeing Yang Meng's complexion return to normal, Ding Baojun relaxed, thinking he had been swayed to dizziness but was now fine.

Yang Meng refused the poor men's offer to carry him and started walking with the horsemen. The leather boots with iron nails were a good tool, and despite the muddy road, Yang Meng walked steadily.

To accommodate Yang Meng, Ding Baojun deliberately slowed the group's pace. As they walked, Yang Meng's thoughts grew heavier.

It was getting dark, and it was time for dinner, but in the vast area of shacks outside the city, there was little smoke. Many people had come out to watch the commotion caused by the group of officials. The sight of emaciated, ragged people made Yang Meng feel sad, not for any other reason, but because of their shared skin and hair color.

Yang Meng's thoughts were heavy, while the Yiliang County officials, from the Magistrate down to the assistants, wanted to finish the task quickly. From evening to night, a somewhat dilapidated Taoist temple became their destination.

First, the officials, then the Yang family's swordsmen, searched the temple. It was indeed a den of human traffickers, with over a hundred men and women tied up inside. No traffickers were found, suggesting they had fled as the Magistrate had said.

"Third Young Master, what should we do next?"

Since Third Young Master had shown some insight, it was time to let him gain more experience. Now that the den had been found and the trafficked people freed, Ding Baojun planned to take Third Young Master back to Kunming that night.

"Go and check if their families are here."

The trafficked people were lined up in the temple, and the county clerks were recording their origins. Torches were lit, and Yang Meng looked at the people in the light.

Most of them were children and women, indicating that the traffickers had taken a dirty path.

To get rid of the Yang family's troublemaker, Yiliang County showed efficiency. In about twenty to thirty minutes, a young clerk came to report to Yang Meng.

"Third Young Master! There are 184 trafficked people in this temple, 70 of whom are boys, and the rest are girls and women with some beauty. Most of them are from nearby villages, and they can be sent back. There are over ten people without records, who need to be taken to the authorities."

The young clerk spoke clearly, and Yang Meng understood. Since he was new, he didn't want to dig too deep.

"Have the families of those poor men been found?"

"Third Young Master, they have been found! However, Ma Qinghu has no record and needs to be taken to the authorities with the others."

The young clerk's words hinted at something. Mentioning Ma Qinghu, was there more to this?

"Uncle Ding, send someone to take care of those poor men. It will fulfill my wish. Let's go back to the county office."

Yang Meng ignored the young clerk's hint and asked Ding Baojun to take care of the poor men, giving each some money and sending them to the Yang family's estate in Yiliang.

For those with records, Yang Meng gave each some silver and let them go.

With this, the task was completed. Hundreds of people returned to the county office along the same route, but the group was now missing dozens of poor men and had gained a dozen women.

Yang Meng silently followed the group, not saying a word. The young clerk who had hinted at something had secretly been slapped by the Magistrate, and Yang Meng saw it all, but it wasn't the right time to act.

Back at the county office, the Yiliang County Magistrate, Jiang Yuanyi, was waiting at the gate. It was good that the task was completed, and he could add a point to his political achievements by sending away the Yang family's troublemaker.

"Mr. Ding! The task is done. Stay in Yiliang for the night! It's not good to travel in the dark."

Jiang Yuanyi feigned concern, but Ding Baojun insisted on returning to Kunming that night, as his brother was waiting at home.

"Leave? Not in a hurry. I want to take Ma Qinghu back to Kunming. Where is he?"

Yang Meng's words made the noisy gate quiet. The Yiliang Magistrate glared at the young clerk, but Yang Meng spoke first.

"Mr. Jiang, that young clerk is good. I need a helper. Can you let him go?"

Pointing to the young clerk who had hinted at something, Yang Meng blocked the Magistrate's words.

"Come here, state your name, and are you willing to follow Third Young Master?"

Jiang Yuanyi didn't care. There were many clerks in Yiliang, and if Yang Sanlang wanted one, he could have it.

"My name is Cen Yuying, and I am willing!"

The young clerk feared retaliation from the Magistrate. The Yang family in Kunming was a big tree, and he might have a better future.

"Also, those without records, Mr. Jiang, give them records. They are all women, and I can take them back to serve."

Yang Meng used a phrase from TV, engaging Jiang Yuanyi.

"Fine! No problem. Someone, give them records."

As long as the troublemaker could be sent away quickly, giving them records was just a matter of writing.

Yang Meng's sudden demand made the Yiliang Magistrate's face change. He hadn't expected his small plans to be foiled. It seemed Yiliang wasn't a good place to stay.

If he continued to play with the Yang family, the one-eyed hawk might retaliate. He needed to plan his next move.

With this, the task was completed. Under Ding Baojun's arrangement, Yang Meng got on a two-horse sedan chair, and the Yang family group, with the newly recorded dozen people, set off for Kunming.

"Stop!"

Not long after leaving Yiliang County, Yang Meng called for a stop, struggling to climb out of the sedan chair. It was no better than the bamboo pole, and it made him dizzy.

"Third Young Master, what's wrong?"

Ding Baojun was now very concerned about Yang Meng. He had just shown some insight and couldn't have any problems.

"Bring the trafficked people over and ask if any are from Yiliang. If they have families, send them back."

The Yiliang Magistrate had been evasive, and there was definitely something. Now outside the county, Yang Meng wanted to see what it was, to avoid being tricked by the Magistrate.

A group of girls and a few women were brought over. Seeing their faces, Yang Meng understood everything.

In the dark, he couldn't see clearly, but the leading few were quite attractive. These were valuable goods, and the traffickers didn't want to let them go, which was why the Magistrate had been evasive.

Ding Baojun asked, and except for one girl and one woman, the rest were from Yiliang. He gave them money and sent them away. The remaining two were left to Third Young Master.

"Third Young Master, there are two left without a place. What do you think?"

"Let me see."

The Yang family's swordsmen held up the torches, and Yang Meng felt a bit weak.

'What a beauty, what a cute girl.'

His mind was filled with nothing else. If he hadn't been unable to control himself, he wouldn't have ended up in prison. Blood rushed to his head, and his head injury, which had just improved, started to hurt again.

"Headache!"

To cover his embarrassment, Yang Meng shouted, which naturally frightened Old Ding. He laid out a felt mat on the ground and made Yang Meng sit down, busy for a while, and Yang Meng's awkwardness was covered up.

Sitting on the ground, with the torches providing light, Yang Meng carefully examined the two beauties. The older one was tall, about 1.7 meters, with healthy skin that glowed in the light.

The younger one was even more charming, like a delicate orchid. At such a young age, she was already so alluring. If she grew up...

This body was full of energy, and although it was injured, the injury was on the back of the head, not affecting other parts. Sitting on the felt mat, Yang Meng struggled to calm himself, but the loose clothing helped hide his embarrassment.

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