Lu Fang, Lu Liang, Chen Youxi, Zhu'er, Lao Xiao and Lao He were eating in the backyard.
Jiang Zimo has been arranged by Lu Fang to go out to inquire for information.
After dinner, Chen Youxi and Zhuer took a walk in the county government office. Lao Xiao and Lao He went back to their rooms.
Only brothers Lu Fang and Lu Liang were left sitting in the dining room.
Lu Fang asked: "Have you read the county government's account books? How do they feel?"
"well……"
Lu Liang sighed, shook his head and said: "I don't see any problem. This Youxian County is really poor, and the tax is less than a quarter of Ningyuan. In these years of recruiting troops and suppressing bandits, there is almost no money in the account. This time
Due to the flood, even the wages of the handymen could not be paid."
"Conscription and suppression of bandits?"
Lu Fang said: "But they didn't achieve much in suppressing the bandits!"
"Who says it isn't?"
Lu Liang said angrily: "But recruiting and training militiamen, salaries, and pensions are all real expenses. Of course, it is possible that the accounts are falsified."
Lu Fang pouted, "I think this You County is rotten from the inside out."
"well……"
Lu Liang just sighed again.
I really have a headache now.
With no money, no one, and the wealthy gentry in the county still refused to cooperate, he really felt like he didn't know what to do.
Maybe the only option is to spend your own money to recruit troops and suppress bandits, as Lu Fang said?
"Master!"
At this moment, Jiang Zimo came back.
Go to the dining room.
Lu Fang asked: "How's the inquiry going?"
"That's almost it."
Jiang Zimo nodded, with a look of dissatisfaction on his face, "These wealthy gentry in You County are all extremely rich. I just went to the market and chatted with the vendors for a while, and what they said was that the Chamber of Commerce
The president of the association, surnamed Lu, has six maids to serve him at home. There are dozens of others, large and small. There are even thousands of acres of farmland outside the county. This Youxian County
Most of the surrounding land is controlled by people from their chamber of commerce."
Lu Fang looked at Lu Liang, and then asked: "What about their relationship with those bandits?"
"I can't say for sure."
Jiang Zimo said: "I only heard that their goods have been robbed, but... only three or two times a month. It seems to be an agreement to give special benefits to the bandits. And some people said that their goods
Those maids are the women who were robbed by bandits. The young and beautiful ones are given to them, and the rest are sold to unmarried men in the surrounding villages."
"It doesn't make sense."
Lu Liang couldn't help but hummed as he listened.
Nothing comes out of nowhere.
I'm afraid the butts of Lu Deye and those people are really dirty.
Lu Fang frowned, "Have you heard any news about the bandits?"
Jiang Zimo nodded again, "There must be more than ten bands of bandits around Youxian County, among which there are three largest families. The leaders are called Lao Qiufeng, Hong Niangzi, and the other one is called... Brachiosaurus, yes, that's the nickname.
No. They have hundreds of people under their command, and the rest of the mountains have to look at their eyes and can only pick up scraps."
"Old Qiufeng heard that he used to be the head catcher of Youxian County Government, but later he fell into disgrace for some unknown reason. He was the earliest bandit in Youxian."
"The Brahminus is about forty years old and is very good at fighting. It suddenly jumped up a few years ago and almost rivaled Lao Qiufeng."
"The most powerful one is this Red Lady, a woman who suddenly appeared overnight two years ago and even consolidated several mountaintops. I heard that she almost wiped out the mountains of Lao Qiufeng and Brachiosaurus. I don't know what happened later.
Why did it suddenly stop? I guess some agreement was reached."
Jiang Zimo talked a lot.
After saying that, he poured himself a bowl of tea and drank it all in one go.
Old Autumn Wind, Brachion, Red Lady...
Lu Fang chewed on these three nicknames and looked at Lu Liang.
Then he waved his hand and let Jiang Zimo go out.
"Oh shit!"
Lu Liang cursed in a low voice, "It seems that there are really more than 2,000 bandits in You County!"
This is what Liang Siqi told Lu Fang before.
Lu Fang nodded, "But fortunately it's not a bandit."
As long as it's not one group, it's always easier to deal with.
As Liang Siqi said, they can be allowed to fight among themselves or even kill each other. But they won't have to go straight up the mountain to fight with real swords and guns.
If there were really more than 2,000 people on the mountain, even the Chaling Army might not be able to wipe them out easily.
"Do you have any ideas?"
Lu Liang asked.
Lu Fang said without thinking: "Go to Chaling Army to borrow troops first! Only with people can we find a solution."
The mere county magistrate doesn't have much say. If you go to those bandits, no one will pay attention.
"OK."
Lu Liang nodded and said, "I will meet with the officials tomorrow, and then I will leave for the Chaling Army."
"I'll go too."
Lu Fang said.
Lu Liang said blankly: "What are you going to do? Aren't you afraid that Yang Chengyi will detain you?"
"hehe."
Lu Fang chuckled and said, "I'm worried that you won't be able to handle them."
As for being detained by Yang Chengyi, he was not worried at all.
Does Yang Chengyi have the courage?
And as long as he takes Lao Xiao with him, can Yang Chengyi hold him back?
Lu Liang laughed, "It's up to you."
…
Time flies to the next day.
Lu Liang summoned the officials under the county government at the county government office.
In fact, there were only about twenty people.
Lu Fang was reading in his room.
As soon as he arrived, Lu Liang came over and said, "Go to the Chaling Army!"
Lu Fang nodded, put down the books in his hands, and followed Lu Liang out.
He didn't take anyone else with him, and just let Lao Xiao drive the carriage directly to the Chaling Army.
The Chaling Army is located to the north of Chaling County, and Chaling County and You County border on the south. So the distance is not very far.
Even if you take a horse-drawn carriage, you can get there in half a day.
In the car, Lu Fang asked Lu Liang: "How are those officials?"
Lu Liang snorted softly and said: "The attitude is similar to that of those wealthy gentry. They are not enthusiastic about suppressing bandits. They are all pouring out their bitterness to me. They don't care if I ask for money."
"Is there no one who supports you in suppressing bandits?"
Lu Fang was a little surprised.
Lu Liang said: "You County has been plagued by bandits for so many years. Even those who originally had ideas have probably died down now!"
Lu Fang raised his eyebrows and fell silent.
Too.
When most people don't think about suppressing bandits, who else can take the initiative to suppress bandits?
Furthermore, this is not the responsibility of these officials in the first place.
For things like suppressing bandits, the county lieutenant should be really responsible. But all the county lieutenants in You County have now been punished.
Luliang, the polished county magistrate, is really polished.
I just hope that these guys won't help, just don't hold Lu Liang back.
If they are still causing trouble within the county government during the period of suppressing bandits, Luliang will really be in dire straits.