I was a conman in the Ming Dynasty.

Chapter 399 The Rich and Powerful Live at the Foot of the House

Chapter 399 The Rich and Powerful Live at the Gates

That evening, shortly after Wang Wenzhou's army entered the city, they posted notices everywhere to reassure the people, saying that the banditry in Gaoling had been quelled and that the villagers should not be afraid, as order in the county had been restored.

At that moment, Wang Wenzhou was enjoying drinks with Yu Tao and Li Lin.

Liu Rushi and Qi Siyan sat on either side of Wang Wenzhou, serving him food and drinks. After their initial surprise, Yu Tao and Li Lin also began to accept that Wang Wenzhou was not serious.

Although the atmosphere at the dinner table seemed harmonious, a dozen or so bandits stood around it, their swords drawn and their expressions tense. Their attention was all on Wang Wenzhou, and they would hack him to death with a flurry of blows as soon as Yu Tao gave the order.

The bandits were so nervous because they were completely surrounded by Wang Wenzhou's men. Wang Wenzhou had made an agreement with Yu Tao and Li Lin that he would use the pretext of pursuing the bandits to send Yu Tao and the others to join Gao Yingxiang. During this time, Wang Wenzhou would have to be under the control of Yu Tao and the others.

Wang Wenzhou reached inside Liu Rushi's clothes, took a sip of wine from Qi Siyan's mouth, and asked, "Old Li, why didn't you become a bandit soldier with such a promising future? Why did you run off to Gaoling County to be a squad leader?"

Li Lin picked up his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp. He smiled bitterly and said, "Lord Wang is too kind. I once followed Cao Cao (Luo Rucai). Two years ago, Gaoling was captured. Shen Zizhen disguised himself as a commoner and fled with his family. I happened to meet him there. Shen Zizhen persuaded me to abandon the darkness and embrace the light."

Li Lin thought of the deceased Shen Zizhen and felt sorry for him. He was a very good person, but Wang Wenzhou beheaded him without any regard for right or wrong.

Li Lin said with some sadness, "I also felt that being a rebel was not a long-term solution, so I persuaded my brothers to follow Shen Zizhen. After the rebel army retreated, we escorted Shen Zizhen back to Gaoling, and then I was appointed as the squad leader."

"Old Yu, how did you two get together?" Wang Wenzhou asked, looking at Yu Tao.

Yu Tao said with a smile, "I knew Brother Li when we were in the rebel army. Later, we both served as officials in Gaoling. We saw each other all the time, and as we spent more and more time together, we got along better and better."

Wang Wenzhou took a sip of wine from Liu Rushi's mouth and muttered, "Old Yu, stop talking about the righteous army. What a load of rubbish! If the righteous army were really for the people, why would they rebel? Don't think I don't know that the so-called righteous army is just a bunch of vagrants and bandits who rob wherever they go."

Yu Tao smiled awkwardly and said, "I am ashamed, as I have also done some heinous things. But we became bandits because the court forced us to. Lord Wang, you are not an ordinary citizen, you don't know what it's like to go hungry."

As Yu Tao spoke, he suddenly became saddened. He looked ahead and said with deep emotion, "Three years ago, my hometown suffered a great disaster. My son, who was only three months old, starved to death. His mother was starving and couldn't get enough to eat, so where did she get the milk to feed the child?"

Yu Tao didn't want to bring up painful memories anymore. He asked sternly, "Lord Wang, I want to ask you, why do you powerful and wealthy people live in luxury while we ordinary people starve to death? Shouldn't the officials who let the people starve to death be executed? Shouldn't the court that lets the people starve to death be rebelled against?"

"Behind the red gates, meat and wine go to waste, while on the roads, the frozen dead lie scattered. This kind of situation will occur in any era. I don't think you're wrong to rebel, but you're targeting the poor. You were just like them before, so why don't you have any pity for them? Why should the poor make things difficult for each other?" Wang Wenzhou questioned.

Yu Tao nodded and said solemnly, "There are indeed all kinds of people in the rebel army, and some of them are utterly wicked. That's why Brother Li and I abandoned our allegiance to the rebels. This time, we were forced by Lord Wang to join the rebel army again, so we wanted to seek refuge with the well-regarded King Chuang."

Wang Wenzhou said with a smile, "Brothers, you don't need to become thieves anymore! I've said it before, as long as you release me, Brother Li will still be the head of Gaoling County, and Brother Yu will still be the commander of Gaoling Garrison. What's wrong with that!"

"Hehe!" Yu Tao chuckled awkwardly and said, "Lord Wang, it's not that we brothers don't trust you. After all, so many things have happened and so many people have died. How can we still have the face to stay in Gaoling? If fate allows, we brothers will definitely follow you. Your manners are just so suited to our temperament."

Li Lin quickly chimed in, "Indeed! Lord Wang is exceptionally talented and acts in unconventional ways. If we have the opportunity to serve under Lord Wang, it would be a great fortune for my brother and me."

Wang Wenzhou said with a smile, "Of course, my women's guard is short two captains. Would you two gentlemen do me the honor?"

Although Wang Wenzhou tried his best to recruit him, Yu Tao and Li Lin dared not agree. In their view, Wang Wenzhou had killed Shen Zizhen without saying a word. Although the county magistrate's official position was not high, he was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). The Ming Dynasty's regulations stipulated that scholars should not be killed. "Scholars" referred to those who had passed the imperial examinations.

Moreover, Yu Tao and Li Lin weren't exactly clean either. They were genuinely afraid that once Wang Wenzhou escaped, he would turn his back on them and kill them on some fabricated charge.

After a hearty meal, Wang Wenzhou and his two babies were led into a room.

After the bandits left the room, Wang Wenzhou said helplessly, "Ru Ru, I'm sorry to have wronged you by risking your life to be a hostage with me."

Liu Rushi smiled slightly and comforted him, "What happened today was all my fault. If I hadn't forced you to kill Shen Zizhen, Yu Tao and the others wouldn't have rebelled."

Wang Wenzhou shook his head slightly and said, "Shen Zizhen did deserve to die. The reason I killed him was to play the role of Wang Qingtian in front of the people of Gaoling. I didn't expect that the play would backfire. It has nothing to do with you."

Liu Rushi nodded with relief. Although her nemesis was shameless and irresponsible, he was very considerate and took all the blame upon himself, not wanting her to feel guilty.

Wang Wenzhou pondered for a moment and then said, "Ruru, when you change people tomorrow, tell Gao Guilan to go find her father, Gao Yingxiang, before we do. Also, please write me a letter and have Gao Guilan give it to Gao Yingxiang about the imperial amnesty. Tell Gao Yingxiang to think it over carefully. We'll discuss the details when I see him."

Wang Wenzhou insisted that two babies be brought to keep him company every day. Yu Tao knew that Wang Wenzhou was a womanizer, so he didn't think much of it and agreed. This also allowed Wang Wenzhou to exchange information with Yu Tao while the babies were being changed.

Liu Rushi nodded and said, "I understand. Xiaoqiang and Zhang Jiao asked me to ask you if it's possible to launch a direct assault. They have already prepared manpower, and as long as you agree, they should be able to rescue you safely."

Wang Wenzhou shook his head and said, "Ruru, it's better to be safe than sorry. What if I'm not successfully rescued during the attack and lose my life? Anyway, Yu Tao is going to join Gao Yingxiang. I'll talk to Gao Yingxiang about the amnesty. Even if we can't reach an agreement, his father is my father-in-law, so he won't hurt me."

Liu Rushi nodded, agreeing with her friend's point.