Chapter 61

A group of elderly, weak, and women and children, though determined to resist, found the garrison soldiers, supported by tiger-squat cannons, muskets, and longbows, had changed from their previous cowardice and timidness, and now burst forth to beat the fallen dogs.

The gate of the stronghold was breached, and the garrison soldiers, shouting and brandishing knives and guns, rushed in under the lead of the servants, killing and slashing anyone they saw.

When the order to kill without mercy from the military commissioner Zhao Cheng reached the battlefield, the garrison soldiers became even more enthusiastic in their killing.

Liu Jun, however, did not allow the Nine-Headed Bird team to join in this revenge and slaughter. Such post-battle massacres would bring no benefit to the team members and could instead cause some negative psychological changes.

The servants and garrison households of Huangzhou were now madly hacking people, even fighting over heads and looting the bandits' money and clothes. Some had even dragged several bandit women, who were at least forty years old, into a corner.

Liu Jun did not let the team members participate in this bloody scene, but he did not try to stop it either.

Killing on the battlefield and killing after the battle are two different things, and Liu Jun hoped the team members would understand. Killing enemies on the battlefield is called bravery, but killing after the battle has nothing to do with bravery; it is just slaughter.

However, since they were the first to enter the stronghold, Liu Jun did not intend to just stand by and watch.

He led his team past the servants and garrison households of Huangzhou and headed straight for the center of the stronghold.

Along the way, some elderly and weak bandits who had already collapsed were fleeing in all directions. Liu Jun ignored the women and children, only instructing the team members to capture some old men, especially those with better clothing.

"Where is the warehouse?" Liu Jun shouted at the captured old men, then without waiting for them to turn around, he swiftly beheaded one of them, an old man whose eyes were darting around. "You can choose not to speak, but this will be your fate."

The old bandits were immediately intimidated by Liu Jun.

"Over there!" They all pointed to a wooden house not far away.

It was the largest building in the stronghold, entirely made of wood. It was either the place where the bandits usually gathered or the residence of the bandit leaders. The old bandits vied to inform Liu Jun of the situation, hoping to escape death. The wooden house was both the meeting hall and the residence of the three leaders, and it also stored the loot they had plundered.

The old bandits were all veteran members of the bandits, with some status, but due to their age, they no longer went out to rob. Instead, they managed internal affairs of the stronghold, such as money and supplies. One of the most elaborately dressed old men was the third leader, who had tried to hide his identity but was betrayed by the other old men, who were the accountants and secretaries.

"How much money and supplies does the stronghold have?" Liu Jun asked.

The third leader, his identity exposed, looked pale. "About ten thousand taels of silver."

Liu Jun was surprised by this number, not expecting the bandits to have robbed so much. "Ten thousand taels, exactly how much?" He maintained a cold expression.

"Eighteen thousand taels!" The third leader answered honestly. "All in that warehouse."

Liu Jun had the third leader lead the way to open the warehouse. Inside, there were indeed many items. There were several large chests of silver, all melted and recast into fifty-tael ingots, filling several chests. In total, there were eighteen thousand taels, plus a few chests of loose silver, estimated to be a few hundred taels.

Of course, the warehouse contained more than just silver.

There were also many boxes of gold, silver, and jade, which were not as easy to use or melt and recast as silver. The bandits, being thieves, found it difficult to sell these items, so they were left in the warehouse, accumulating over time.

Additionally, there were many bolts of silk and cloth, and various goods, ranging from all sorts of items, likely taken from caravans or shops and warehouses.

Liu Jun glanced around and knew this bandit den was indeed very profitable, but he did not show any joy. Instead, he glared and shouted, "Bring this old bandit out and behead him."

The third leader, already half-gray-haired, had only reached his position due to his relationship with the first and second leaders and his ability to read and calculate. He was in charge of money and supplies but was actually very timid. Hearing that he was to be killed, his legs gave out, and he fell to his knees.

"Sir, spare my life, I have told you everything I know."

Liu Jun sneered. "Do you really think I am foolish or stupid? You have silver, jewelry, and stolen goods, but not a single tael of gold or copper coins? Since you treat me as a fool, I have no reason to spare you."

The third leader quickly said, "I forgot, I forgot. There is gold and copper coins, but they are in a different cellar, stored with the grain. They are not valuable, so I forgot to mention them. I did not mean to hide anything, I really forgot."

"Lead the way!" Liu Jun coldly said.

The cellar where the gold was hidden was under the floor of the meeting hall. It was a secret cellar known only to the three leaders. Inside were the most valuable gold and some antiques and paintings.

When the local militia opened the cellar and carried out eight large chests, Liu Jun's eyes gleamed.

"Large and small gold bars, so many." Liu Jun exclaimed in surprise. The bandits often went out to rob, especially on the important commercial route of Guanghuang Avenue, and had never failed in their long-term operations. They had melted all the gold they had stolen and cast it into bars, storing them in the cellar. The large bars were ten taels each, and the small ones were one tael each, filling several chests.

"These large and small gold bars really look like yellow fish. How much gold is there in total?" Li Chunjiang also smiled, unable to contain his excitement.

It was said that in times of peace, antiques were valued, but in times of chaos, gold was valued. After the Ming Dynasty opened its seas, a large amount of silver flowed in, making silver the most important currency. Originally, one tael of silver was worth about one guan of copper coins. But by this time, the quality of the official copper coins had deteriorated, and more inferior privately minted copper coins had flooded the market.

The good copper coins minted by the government were stored by the people and no longer used, while the market was filled with inferior copper coins. One tael of silver could now be exchanged for five to six thousand copper coins, and in some cases, twelve to thirteen guan of inferior copper coins were needed to exchange for one tael of silver.

As copper coins continuously depreciated, silver appreciated, and during the Chongzhen era, gold appreciated even more.

Now, it took about twelve to thirteen guan of inferior copper coins to exchange for one tael of silver, while one tael of gold could be exchanged for thirteen taels of silver, a significant increase from the stable ratio of one tael of gold to eight taels of silver a few decades ago.

Because of this, the bandits had melted all the gold they had stolen into bars and stored them carefully. They even demanded gold as ransom when kidnapping and tried to exchange their loot for gold whenever possible.

These bandits only took in gold and never let it out, storing it securely. Now, Liu Jun had seized it all in one fell swoop.

The third leader, looking at the chests of gold bars, said helplessly, "There are one hundred large gold bars and one hundred and sixty small gold bars." After accumulating for so long, it all now belonged to others.

Liu Jun quickly calculated in his mind: one large gold bar was ten taels, and one small gold bar was one tael. So, there were a total of one thousand one hundred and sixty taels of gold. If converted to silver at a ratio of one to thirteen, the total value of the gold was fifteen thousand and eighty taels of silver. Moreover, given the current situation, gold would only become more valuable.

A huge sum of money, not less than the silver outside.

"Is there anything else you haven't told me?" Liu Jun asked the third leader.

The third leader pointed to a few other chests. "Those are some paintings and calligraphy, also worth a lot."

"Nothing else?"

"Nothing else, really nothing else," the third leader answered honestly.

Liu Jun nodded. "Very good. Since you have told me everything, you can go in peace. Your other two brothers are already waiting for you." With that, Liu Jun stabbed him in the chest.

The third leader, with a look of surprise and pain, slowly fell to the ground. "You... you didn't keep your word."

"I only said I would kill you if you didn't tell the truth, not that I wouldn't kill you if you did. In your next life, remember not to be a thief."

"Put the gold and antiques and paintings back in the cellar, and we will send someone to retrieve them later," Liu Jun said to Li Chunjiang, who was surprised. This was a fortune known only to the three leaders, and now that they were all dead, Liu Jun had no reason to let it go.

"Take a few dozen large and small gold bars to the warehouse, and bring some silver over," Liu Jun instructed Zhang Shan. He needed to be thorough; if he didn't put some gold bars outside, the loot would be collected, and he would be exposed. Moreover, Liu Jun had a big appetite. He planned to keep most of the over one thousand taels of gold and a significant portion of the eighteen thousand taels of silver.

In the end, Liu Jun took one hundred and sixty taels of gold to the warehouse and left only three thousand taels of silver, moving fifteen thousand taels of silver into the cellar.

"Is this right?" Li Chunjiang was hesitant.

"All this is stolen goods. We can use it to support the Nine-Headed Bird. We can't keep relying on your money to support us. How much money do you have? It's not enough to be used like this. Besides, we take from the people and will use it for the people," Liu Jun explained to Li Chunjiang.

Li Chunjiang did not want to keep the money, but Liu Jun had a point. Most of the expenses for the Nine-Headed Bird were paid by him. He had already taken out all his private savings, ten thousand taels, and had received several thousand taels in donations, leaving him with a good amount. But at the current rate of spending, that money would not last long.

When his private savings were exhausted, where would he get the money? The Li family had money, but it was not easy to get it for the local militia. If they now took this one thousand taels of gold and fifteen thousand taels of silver, it would be equivalent to twenty-eight thousand taels of silver, a huge sum that would ensure the Nine-Headed Bird would not have to worry about money and supplies for a long time.

Especially Liu Jun's words about taking from the people and using it for the people made him more willing.

"Public Ji, if we don't take this money, it will end up in the hands of the government. Do you think it will be used for the people? When bandits strike, the government will still have to raise funds from the people."

"Alright, but this must be kept secret," Li Chunjiang finally agreed to take the money.

"Rest assured, only a few of us know, and we are not fools," Liu Jun smiled. "But let's move quickly, don't let the meat in our mouths fly away."

The cellar, though in the meeting hall, was very secret. If not known, it would be hard to discover even during a search. Liu Jun planned to hide the money there temporarily and retrieve it secretly later, ensuring no one would know.

"Let's go outside and put on a show. We'll wait for Zhao Bingxian and Mr. Mei to arrive."

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