Chapter 6, The Rude Facade of Falsehood
Am I being overly suspicious? Xu Wujiang raised his hand to strike Xu Xinan and said, "According to the rules, the patrol inspector must personally lead the soldiers every month to inspect the various villages and forts under his jurisdiction to prevent the growth of banditry. However, that scoundrel Deng Gui has been in office for more than two years, and aside from being diligent in the first two or three months, what serious work has he done since then? He has either stayed in the military camp drinking or gone to the market to boast and sleep with Sister Hua.
Xu Huai's mind has been restored for more than a month. Observing Xu Wujiang every day, apart from leading the team to patrol near Huaiyuan Town, he spends his time practicing martial arts and drinking in the military camp, gathering soldiers to gamble. My impression of him remains limited to his rugged temperament, formidable skills, and ability to command respect.
Gradually, both sides ceased hostilities and stopped fighting
Xu Huai had been muddled in the past, and many matters were not communicated to him by others. However, upon regaining his clarity of mind, he became acutely aware of what he saw and heard each day, and it was evident that Tongbai Mountain had never been peaceful.
Deng Langjun, Deng Langjun, you little rascal, are you trying to use a chicken feather as a command flag because you have your eyes on the Wang family's young lady? You should take a look at your own face in the mirror, '' Xu Wujiang laughed as he kicked Xu Xinan's backside, scolding, '' Deng Gui hurriedly ran away, what business do we have in joining the commotion? ''
The inspection officials and prominent clans will also turn a blind eye to this, and may even extort from them; as long as it is not too excessive, they will accept it, treating it as an additional tax donation for the sake of peace
Deng Gui will relinquish his responsibilities and delegate all matters to the district heads and section chiefs, effectively returning authority to local powers. He indulges in a life of excess and neglects his duties, yet manages to pass through his three-year term unscathed.
Therefore, banditry has long been a problem troubling the Tongbai Mountains; at the height of the banditry, all commercial travel along the horse path was cut off
If Xu Wujiang were to ask him along the way, he truly would not know how to respond. However, for now, he decided to keep this matter under wraps and replied in a muffled voice: "It should be so, I did not see it very clearly"
Even though there are still numerous criminals committing offenses in this day and age, the remote areas of Tongbai Mountain always have a few stubborn bandits that have not been completely eradicated. However, they do not dare to seek revenge against the prominent clans easily; engaging in robbery and theft entails significant risks.
The troop of soldiers led by Xu Wujiang was primarily composed of members of the Xu clan and non-clan tenants from Lutai Village.
She took the sweat towel from Xu Wujiang's hand and, filled with frustration at Xu Huai, swung it towards him.
Xu Wujiang resides in a separate small courtyard located to the north of the military inspection office; after his mother passed away, Xu Huai has been hanging around Xu Wujiang for the past two years, usually accompanying Xu Xinan, and they both live in that courtyard.
Xu Huai picked up his chopsticks and poked at the bottom of the bowl, uncovering a large piece of fragrant cured pork. Instantly, the hunger in his stomach awakened, clamoring desperately: I want to eat meat
Apart from Deng Gui, each of the two heads of the Inspection Department and the six captains has two or three trusted aides living and eating together with them. Over the years, these aides have been receiving military salaries from the Inspection Department, accounting for nearly one-third of the department's military personnel.
Xu Huai's father passed away shortly after returning to his hometown. For more than a decade, it was his mother who raised him, relying on the Su family for support. Two years ago, a great epidemic struck Biyang County, and both his mother and Xu Wujiang's wife succumbed to the disease. Su Di married Xu Wujiang as his second wife, thus becoming Xu Huai's "seventeenth aunt"
Observing the situation today, Xu Huaicai realized that Deng Gui had likely already grasped the circumstances of Huaiyuan Town before taking office, and was certainly not a fool
Xu Huai Le, enjoying the tranquility of reading a book, heard Di Niang calling him from behind, so he ran over first to eat something
Hearing Xu Wujiang muttering to himself while analyzing today's events, Xu Huai looked at his figure with surprise
Thirty years ago, when the inspection office was first established in Huaiyuan Town, the results of the bandit suppression were not very effective. This was mainly because the main force of the inspection office's military personnel consisted of the rotating garrison troops, who, upon arriving in the area, would only engage in extortion and demands. Whenever there was a bandit incident, they would also require wealthy households to donate money and grain to support military expenses
Deng Gui treats him very well in daily life
Xu Huai is currently not yet of age, and does not qualify as a formal soldier in the Inspection Division, yet Xu Wujiang still collects a portion of the military pay for him, saving it for his future marriage.
The perilous and remote areas of Tongbai Mountain are also the most susceptible to pollution and filth
The handkerchief struck Xu Huai's neck with a "pop" sound, and Di Niang felt a pang of sympathy for him. She grabbed his shoulder to check for a faint red mark on his neck and scolded, "You foolish boy, can't you at least dodge a little? Did it hurt?"
However, the previous remarks made Xu Huai realize that Xu Wujiang only appeared to be rough; he simply had not had the opportunity to display his subtle scheming in front of him before
The prominent clans initially did not dare to fully cooperate with the inspection office, fearing that failure to eliminate the bandits would ultimately lead to retaliation against themselves by the outlaws
After the delicate balance was established, the paths in Tongbai Mountain have remained peaceful over the past few years
Xu Wujiang's wife, Di Niang, was a strong and agile woman. While she could not be described as exceptionally beautiful or striking, she was nonetheless graceful and dignified. At that moment, she walked out of the side room, saw Xu Huai, and reproached him, saying: "You foolish boy, why did you go to mix with those Eagle's Mouth rascals again? If today you were to be harmed by those bandits, how would I explain it to your deceased parents!"
Xu Xinian inquired: "Uncle Seventeen, what you say does seem a bit strange and puzzling, but Old Master Wang has already settled in the post station. Before Lord Deng left, he instructed Uncle Seventeen to attend to them. Should we still go over?"
As Xu Huai followed Xu Xinan back to their residence, Xu Wujiang, who had taken off his armor, was standing in the corridor wiping his face with a sweat towel
He had previously been muddled and had only a superficial understanding of the people around him. However, he did not expect that the usually rough and rude Uncle Xu Wujiang had, just moments ago in front of Wang Bing and others, appeared to be unrestrained, yet had already discerned many points of suspicion.
Xu Wujiang summoned Xu Huai and Xu Xinan to the east wing to ask them questions
The interests of all are closely intertwined, which is why the prominent clans have wholeheartedly supported the suppression of banditry. They have fought several hard battles and captured many strong bandits, exiling them to serve in the military.
Xu Wujiang took him in primarily because Su Di was concerned that he was clumsy and could not sustain himself relying on just three to five acres of thin farmland
Xu Huai had previously been in a state of confusion, knowing little about his own family's affairs. He only knew that his father, Xu Wuxuan, had been a military officer in the Imperial Guard in his early years. Fifteen years ago, he left the military camp and encountered the Su Di family, who were fleeing from famine, on his way back to the south. He assisted them in settling down at Yuhuangling, where the Xu clan resided.
He couldn't even make a sound with three sticks, yet Uncle Seventeen kept him by his side, feeling increasingly restless. The tasks assigned by Xu Wujiang required a sharp mind, and Xu Xinan also believed that only he was capable of handling them, so he agreed to all of them
"Nuo! Hurry and eat, look at how hungry you are, you've lost quite a bit of weight these past two days!" Di Niang said as Xu Huai ran over, shoving a bowl of just-heated coarse grain rice into his hands, along with a piece of pickled cucumber.
Mr. Deng does not need you, this fool, to worry about him. Why can't you learn from Xu Huai and keep your mouth shut while working instead of chattering incessantly? Xu Wujiang glared at him.
You should inquire at the market about which horse team is going to the county tomorrow. You and Xu Huai will accompany them on the trip, and after sending them to the county, return overnight without delay
He cannot figure out what exactly has happened, can all of this be explained clearly
Alright, I understand all of this! As for Lord Deng, I cannot guarantee anything!" Xu Xinan said
There is a dining table in the kitchen, but the room is too dim, so he squats in front of the corridor, eating while contemplating matters
Xu Huai practiced martial arts but made little progress; however, his body was covered in tough, hardened flesh, resembling bronze and iron. Even if you struck him with an iron rod, he might not even cry out in pain, Xu Wujiang said with a laugh
Deng Gui has been appointed to Huaiyuan for more than two years, spending his days either drinking in the military camp or indulging in pleasures with prostitutes in the marketplace, hardly attending to any matters. Xu Huai even thought of him as an incompetent and foolish official
Certainly, the cost of bandits no longer descending from the mountains to plunder at will is that they will occasionally extort food and valuables from nearby villages.
Tangzhou later revised its military and political system, allowing the Huaiyuan Inspection Office to recruit local soldiers.
Xu Wujiang, as a recommended official of the local clan, is a minor figure in the inspection office, holding a lowly position. However, apart from the fact that the Xu family is a prominent and powerful clan in the Tongbai Mountains, he himself is exceptionally skilled and well-known in the local area
This is certainly not an easy situation to handle
Hmm! Xu Xinian replied
Could it be that he recognized that the three horse bandits were actually assassins pursuing Wang Bing while he was at the Eagle's Mouth?
In this world, there has never been a shortage of criminals, and with the exploitation by the authorities and wealthy clans, it is by no means a novelty for impoverished villagers to take to banditry in order to survive
Even if there are a few newly emerged bandits who do not understand the rules and cause trouble near Huaiyuan Town, and even if they do not engage with the patrol office, those several mountain strongholds may secretly send heads over.
Today is indeed as the esteemed Wang Lao Xiang Gong described, a few bandits with poor vision have come to the vicinity of Huaiyuan Town to rob wealth
"He is not a bandit after money; could he possibly be an assassin chasing after that old man Wang Bing? I think Uncle Seventeen, you are just being overly cautious." Xu Xinan said nonchalantly.
Even if one is selected, it will not hurt, and Xu Huai will not evade it
Oh, by the way, go find Xu Sihu and the others, and tell them to keep their mouths shut. Do not let today's events be spoken of carelessly—regardless of the peculiarities of this matter, there are bandits lurking near Yingzi's place. The accusation of 'banditry' can be serious or trivial, and if it reaches the county, it will not be a good thing. Don't go looking for trouble for yourself.
Wang Bing must have offended someone in the court to be demoted to Tangzhou, but it is unnecessary for Deng Gui to avoid Wang Bing so hastily; it is not like he has to keep his distance! This situation is truly suspicious! Moreover, the groups at Hutou Ridge and Xiemashan have been quite well-behaved in recent years, and they usually receive tributes from the nearby villages in secret. They should not target an inconspicuous old horse cart—if they were bandits from elsewhere eyeing a fat sheep, they wouldn't choose to strike near Yingzi Mouth, would they
Xu Huai felt that if there was anyone in this world who truly cared about him, it would be Su Di
Could it be that these three assassins were likely sent by the current Chief Minister Cai Teng?
Xu Wujiang saw Xu Huai being foolish and dazed again, so he walked to the window and muttered to himself
Is it to be said that he had long anticipated that Wang Bing would encounter difficulties today at Eagle's Mouth Cliff?
What about the escorting matter for tomorrow? Xu Xinan asked
"Have you not eaten yet?" Di Niang asked, then ran to the kitchen to prepare food for Xu Huai.