"The number one gang in Baoan, the 'Hong Gang', I heard that the leader of the Hong Gang is Li Jingshan's younger brother?"
Hou Yao lowered his head and began to think deeply. Through this period of time, he secretly learned about the Yamen.
I found that Li Jingshan had an unexpectedly good reputation and was dedicated to the affairs of the yamen.
A big reason why he doesn't easily interfere in any affairs is that the yamen runs very smoothly in the hands of Li Jingshan.
Under such circumstances, if he intervenes rashly, it is easy to cause trouble.
As for his new official, his eyesight turned dark when he took office, so he must be as steady as an old dog.
Since the white one doesn't work, why not try the black one?
If Li Jingshan is really behind the Hong Gang, it may be a good breakthrough.
Hou Yao thought for a moment, looked at Yu Xiuer and Zhou Tiesheng and said:
"Is there any master in our gang? At least someone with similar skills as Lao Zhou."
Yu Xiuer shook her head:
"Among the trustworthy members of the gang, Uncle Shan is the only one with fifth-grade skills, but he is old, and he is probably only around the sixth-grade level if he really fights."
Zhou Tiesheng thought for a while and said:
"Guo Ming, the new member of the team, is quite skilled. I have fought with him and can only be slightly better than him.
But I have successfully practiced the Guangfeng Sword Technique, and now I estimate that I can reach the mid-level level of the fourth level, and he is at least the first level of the fourth level."
Hou Yao was stunned and asked in shock:
"Guo Ming? The head of Bai'an Village? If I remember correctly, he seems to have a big secret, right?
Didn’t I say we’d wait until we’re strong enough to find them?”
Yu Xiuer lowered her head and said:
"I'm sorry, sir. After I hurt Guo Ming that time, I saw that life in Bai'an Village was miserable. I couldn't bear to see the children in their village starve to death.
I sent some food and other things to them privately with Uncle Shan.
Their village couldn't pay this year's summer tax, so Guo Ming wanted to bring the whole village to join us.
I didn't promise them, but I gave them some money to help pay the summer tax.
Later, Guo Ming kept following us shamelessly.
They also helped us move the goods when we were transporting them, so I had no choice but to let them join us."
Hou Yao touched his chin and asked:
"Do they know about Bai Tao?"
Yu Xiuer shook her head:
"I don't know yet. I only let them participate in the work of pledging the goods, and I didn't dare to let them participate in anything else."
Hou Yao thought for a while and said:
"How many of the small gangs we beat before have joined the gang?"
Yu Xiuer thought for a while and said:
"In addition to Guo Ming, there are two others."
Hou Yao's eyes flashed fiercely and he said fiercely:
"These people can't stay. Lao Zhou, you go back and show them off about Bai Tao.
Kill all those who are dissatisfied, those who hold grudges, and those with bad intentions, and the remaining honest ones will develop into the core gang.
If this Guo Ming survives, you can bring him back to see me.
He must be brought secretly so that no one can see him.”
Zhou Tiesheng smiled sinisterly:
"Don't worry, sir, I will handle it properly."
Hou Yao warned again:
"Also, let me tell Lao Dan that Captain Tiegou should go out for some activities and don't sit still too much."
…
On the way back to Yamen from Dasha River, Hou Yao kept thinking about a question.
The registered population of Baoan County is only 100,700 households, which means there is less than 500,000 people.
But in fact, according to surveys during this period, the actual population of Baoan County should be no less than one million.
This does not include the population on the surrounding islands. With such a huge population, there is not much arable land in the county.
While walking all the way from Hong Kong, he discovered a strange phenomenon.
In the many nameless villages we passed, there were basically only old, weak, women and children in them, with no young or strong people in sight.
Take the villages around the Dasha River in the Yaochang section as an example.
In the county's household registration book, only two villages and several hundred acres of land can be found.
In fact, there are only a few hundred acres of land here, but there are eight villages, six of which have almost no young people.
Where have the young people from these villages gone?
This problem is simply spine-chilling. The water in Baoan County is much deeper than previously expected.
I'm afraid the story behind the farce of siege and suppression of Bao'an County ten years ago is far more exciting than imagined.
When Yu Xiuer saw Hou Yao's frown, she thought he was worried about Guo Ming:
"Ms. sir, did I make you unhappy by letting Guo Ming join the gang?"
Hou Yao was stunned for a moment, then reacted and said:
"What are you thinking? It is right to let Guo Ming join the gang. Even I will let him join the gang."
"Then...why are you frowning and looking unhappy all the way?"
"I'm thinking about something. The situation in Bao'an County is more complicated than I thought before.
For such an important economically important county, the emperor left it alone, which is a suspicious thing in itself.
I ignored this before, but now it seems that things are not that simple."
When Yu Xiuer heard this, she immediately panicked and said:
"My lord, that's not right. A place where the emperor doesn't care is just like the sea."
This is too dangerous. Otherwise, if this official is wronged, let’s go back to Haixing Island.”
Hou Yao pinched Yu Xiuer's little face:
"Don't be so nervous. Don't worry. Things are strictly enforced. I will run away. It's not so serious yet.
I’m just thinking of ways to force out the evil spirits and ghosts behind them.”
"My lord, these people can't even control the emperor. Wouldn't it be too dangerous if you force them out?"
"Who says the emperor can't control them? It's not that the emperor can't control them, but he has no excuse to control them.
But what I’m more worried about is that the emperor is unwilling to take care of it.”
Yu Xiuer's brain was obviously running out of energy, and a look of confusion gradually appeared on her face.
Just as Hou Yao was about to explain it to her in detail, the mule cart suddenly stopped, and Zhou Tiesheng's message came through.
"Sir, there are some strong men in front of you, beating a mother and her son. Do we need to take care of them?"
"Go and ask what happened."
"good."
Zhou Tiesheng jumped off the mule cart and shouted to the front:
"Hey, you guys stop, what's going on with a few grown men bullying women and children?"
The three strong men who were beating up looked back at Zhou Tiesheng, and the strongest man among them replied contemptuously:
"Who are you to interfere with our Salt Gang's affairs?"
Zhou Tiesheng smiled miserably, and then reported his family background:
"I am from the county government, and I am in charge of all local affairs in Bao'an County."
I thought that these people would become more honest if they moved out of the yamen, but unexpectedly the three strong men suddenly burst into laughter:
"In the Yamen? Hahaha, I'm really laughing to death. When did such a weak-sighted person like you appear in the Yamen?
When will it be the turn of the Yamen people to make irresponsible remarks about the Yan Gang?"
At this time another man said:
"I heard that a new magistrate came to the Yamen. This guy is probably from that new magistrate. I'm afraid I still don't know who has the final say in Bao'an County."
Hou Yao and Yu Xiuer happened to hear this when they came out, and immediately snorted:
"Get them."
Zhou Tiesheng pinched his knuckles so loudly that they made a crackling sound, and walked towards the three of them with a sinister smile on his face.
The three of them wanted to resist when they saw this, but they were no match for Zhou Tiesheng. One of them was knocked down in just two rounds.
Seeing how powerful Zhou Tiesheng was, the other two knew that they would be no match for each other if they joined forces. They also saw scholar Hou Yao dressed up, so they immediately pestered Zhou Tiesheng.
Another person rushed towards Hou Yao. Yu Xiuer stepped forward and knocked the person down with two punches and one kick.
Zhou Tiesheng also dealt with another person:
"Sir, what should I do with these three people?"
Hou Yao looked at the three strong men and asked in a cold voice:
"Who are you? You commit violence against women and children in broad daylight. How dare you be so lawless."
Although the strong man at the head was restrained, he looked indifferent and sneered:
"Scholar, you are not the new magistrate of the county. Let me tell you, I am the third snake of the Salt Gang.
This bitch's man is dead, but she still owes us two taels of silver. The debt will not be paid off even after death, so she has to repay the debt.
Those of you who are sensible should stay out of our business. Even if I give you face today, I won’t care.
If you don't know how to behave, the previous magistrates will be your fate."
Hou Yao suppressed the anger in his heart, then helped the beaten woman and child and asked softly:
"Sister-in-law, are they telling the truth?"
The woman looked at Hou Yao fearfully, then at the three strong men, and finally nodded lightly:
"He...they took a note and said it was an IOU. I...I can't read and I don't know what it said.
But the fingerprints on it seem to belong to my family."
Hou Yao turned around and said coldly:
"Take out their IOUs and show them to me."
The strong man hesitated for a moment, then took out the IOU.
I took the IOU and looked at it. Sure enough, it said I borrowed eight yuan of silver. There was no name underneath, just a fingerprint.
Hou Yao didn't say much. He took out two taels of silver from his arms and threw it to the leading strong man, and then cursed:
"roll."
The strong man took the silver, glanced at Zhou Tiesheng provocatively, then at Hou Yao, and finally glared at his daughter and child and shouted:
"You bitch, you're lucky, otherwise I would have to take care of your business."
After saying that, he walked away.
A thug dared to provoke the authority of the county magistrate in this way, which shows that the Yamen has no deterrent effect in the eyes of these people.
Zhou Tiesheng almost exploded with anger:
"Sir, these people are so arrogant, why don't you let me kill them with a knife?"
Yu Xiuer also clenched her fists and looked at Hou Yao with a puzzled expression. Even she had murderous intentions just now.
After Hou Yao took several deep breaths, he calmed down the anger in his heart:
"They are just other people's dogs. What is really scary is the people behind them,
Killing a dog is easy, but killing a dog means alerting the people behind them in advance.
It will be even more difficult to deal with it then.”
After thinking for a while, he added:
"Don't worry, I will wipe out all these gangsters who harm the people. Today's shame will be repaid a hundredfold."
Yu Xiuer walked to her daughter and child and asked softly:
"Sister, where is your home? Let us take you home."
The woman just held the child and cried silently. At this time, the child in his arms spoke:
"Mom, our house is burned down, where will we stay tonight?"
The woman looked at the child, then at Hou Yao and Yu Xiuer, and then suddenly fell to her knees on the ground with a 'plop' and kept kowtowing:
"Please sir, please take in my child. The daughter of the people is willing to be a slave, or you can sell me."
I just ask you to give my child a way to survive. The women really can’t support him on their own.”