"Gu Xiaowu, the vanguard general on the left under the command of the Huang League leader who is enforcing the law on behalf of the emperor, sent the emperor a fire-free flag. The Shen family has taken the flag!"
In Doujiaqiao, the capital of Tongcheng County, the street outside the mansion of the wealthy Shen family was packed with people. Under the blazing August sun, everyone was sweating profusely, but no one was willing to leave.
The crowd formed a semicircle in front of the steps of the mansion, and inside were more than twenty core members of the rioters. Gu Xiaowu stood in the middle, with a dozen or so rioters behind him, half of whom were holding various weapons, and the other half were holding two or three yellow flags.
There were two people holding incense burners, each with three large incense sticks on them.
Pang Yu in the crowd stretched his neck and raised his chin high. He looked over the head of the person in front and got a good view. He could just see the back of Gu Xiaowu. He Xianya beside him did not have such a figure and could only
He kept turning his head this way and that, trying to look through the gaps between people.
The steward of the Shen family said politely, "General Pioneer, please wait a moment. I will burn incense and wash my hands first to greet the flag. It will be fine in a moment."
Gu Xiaowu looked arrogant and said, "There is no need to wash your hands and burn incense. I have several houses to leave. Please hurry up and ask for the fire-free flag so that I can go back and give my orders as soon as possible."
The steward wiped the sweat from his forehead, turned his head and glanced at the dense crowd of onlookers in front of the door, and said uneasily, "Master General Pioneer, is it inappropriate to deliver the goods in public here?"
Gu Xiaowu looked back and saw that the street was crowded with people. It was indeed in full view of everyone. It was a bit inconvenient to pay money. He said impatiently, "Why are you so particular? Then I will come in through your door."
The steward hurriedly responded and opened the middle door. Gu Xiaowu led five or six people and walked in holding a yellow fire-free flag.
The people watching outside were talking a lot and looking inside the gate. Everyone looked excited, as if they were collecting cash.
After a while, several people appeared at the door again. The steward came out holding a fire-free flag, and a few people behind Gu Xiaowu carried two red boxes, one large and one small. The people watching cheered loudly.
"The vanguard will be mighty!"
"Can you tell me how much the Pioneer General received for Banner Bank?"
"This salt merchant will have to pay two thousand taels to let him go. General Gu, don't be deceived by him."
Gu Xiaowu stood on the steps in front of the door, looking down at the people in the audience, seeming to enjoy the feeling of being in the spotlight. He did not answer the people's questions, and after slowly glancing around, he suddenly opened the big box.
It was filled with copper, tin and other objects, and there were countless copper coins among them.
The crowd below suddenly boiled, screams shook the sky, and everyone stretched out their arms.
Pang Yu, who was mixed in the crowd, grinned. His eardrums were almost deafened by the scream of a woman next to him. This warm atmosphere was just like watching a concert before. At this time, Gu Xiaowu was the emperor and superstar, and everything below him was dead.
Loyal fans.
Gu Xiaowu grabbed a handful of copper coins and flew them downwards, pushing the atmosphere of the concert to a climax. Countless hands were waving towards Gu Xiaowu, and there were screams everywhere. Where there were more screams, Gu Xiaowu scattered the coins.
Wherever you go, the crowd instantly gathers towards the place where the coins are concentrated. They are all rolling and scrambling on the ground to snatch the copper coins on the ground. The people outside are so anxious that the strong ones jump directly on the crowd on the ground, squeezing out a position.
Take off a real-life version of the ancient red envelope grabbing scene.
Gu Xiaowu laughed loudly, grabbed another handful and threw it to the other side, shouting, "Go this way again!"
The crowd immediately squeezed in that direction again, and those who couldn't get a seat howled loudly. Those in the crowd who were so squeezed that they couldn't move kept crying, and some who had their hands and feet stepped on kept yelling and cursing.
Pang Yu was also pushed around by the crowd, and finally found an opportunity to retreat to the end. He was already sweating profusely from the crowd. There were still some people who did not participate in the robbery at the outermost edge. Pang Yu hid among them, observing the stage.
Gu Xiaowu from above.
Gu Xiaowu and others on the steps were so excited that their faces turned red, and they kept throwing copper coins into the crowd. Almost all the people in the scene joined in the fight. They followed Huang Wending to rob several gentry houses in the past few days, but no matter where there was gold, silver, etc.
All the items were confiscated by Huang Wending and his gang, and they were only allowed to plunder the items. Many of the items they snatched back were of little use and difficult to convert into cash.
In the past two days, people in the city were holding incense flags. As long as the wealthy families paid for the fire-free flags, they could not rob, and everyone lost their enthusiasm. Therefore, Wang Guohua considered everyone carefully and asked each family to pay in addition to money when inviting flags.
Copper coins are required, and the core members collect the coins, while the copper coins are used to continue uniting the masses.
Copper coins are hard currency after all, and they are even rare items today, so there was a fierce scramble for them. People all over the place were crawling around on the ground, not caring about their manners at all.
After a while, He Xianya walked out with his hands covered. He turned around twice and came to Pang Yu's side.
"Second brother, why don't you go grab some."
Pang Yu continued to look at the stage and replied, "I don't like copper coins, so why don't you continue to grab them?"
"My hand was stepped on."
Pang Yu turned to look at him and saw the red ball on the back of He Xianya's left hand. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "Don't hurt your muscles and bones. The few copper coins you grabbed won't be enough for the medicine."
He Xianya shook a money bag in his hand, "I have robbed more than a hundred copper coins today, which can be exchanged for a few cents of silver. Copper coins can also be used to buy and sell things. Second brother, if you don't like copper coins, what do you like?"
Pang Yu put his head close to He Xianya's ear, "Look what's on the ox cart they brought?"
He Xianya didn't even look at it, "Who doesn't know about the five boxes of silver they collected today?"
After he finished speaking, he suddenly froze, stared at Pang Yu and said, "Second brother means..."
The steward of the Shen family set up a ladder and respectfully hung the emperor's fire-free flag above the door. Pang Yu squinted at him for a while, and then said to He Xianya in a deep voice, "Count how many fire-free flags they sent out.
"
He Xianya lowered his head and recalled, "Yesterday there were two routes. Let's see that one route had seven sides. Today there are two routes. Five sides have been distributed on this route. I estimate that there should be twenty or thirty noodles."
"According to my inquiry, it should be thirty-one." Pang Yu stared at He Xianya, "Look at the way they carry the box. How much money is in it?"
"Why bother looking? Yesterday, people everywhere said that the family of a living member has one thousand taels, the gentry has two thousand taels, the rich have two thousand three hundred taels, and the small rich have one thousand three hundred taels." (Note 1)
Pang Yu stared at He Xianya, "Thirty-one households, at least 40,000 taels of silver, there will be more in the future."
When He Xianya heard this number, he suddenly felt that his throat was a little dry. He didn't know whether it was because of excitement or fear.
"But, second brother..."
"Third brother, can you see if they have the ability to be big thieves?"
He Xianya turned around and saw Gu Xiaowu and his group of four people, struggling to lift the red box. Because there was already a layer on the bullock cart, the four people couldn't lift it up. They had to call three more people to help.
After loading onto the bullock cart, three of them were so tired that they leaned against the cart and panted.
Pang Yu's eyes flashed, and he looked at the ox cart seriously, "This box is more than 2,000 taels, or more than a hundred kilograms at most. It took seven people to lift it onto the carriage, and three of them were panting. Look at them holding spears and knives.
They are just pretending and don't know what the purpose is. Calling them a rabble is only flattering them."
He Xianya also looked at the bullock cart and licked his tongue, "Second brother is right about this. I have seen half of this group. Most of them are cunning people from various villages. Among the hundreds of people they gathered, that is,
Huang Wending and Wang Guohua are capable, and there are about ten more people who have some brute strength, and the rest are all such green-skinned scoundrels, with neither power nor courage."
"But this group of people who have neither power nor courage has forty thousand taels of silver."
"Perhaps they have been divided and scattered in various families."
"Maybe it's stored in one place, waiting for someone to pick it up. Who knows?"
The two of them were talking in low voices on the crowded street, both staring at the bullock cart opposite. On the street between the bullock cart and the two of them, there were people who were still rolling and fighting on the ground.
He Xianya's hands were shaking violently. It was only when such thoughts didn't exist. Once someone brought them up, the thoughts kept floating in his mind.
After a long while, He Xianya clasped his arms with strength and stabilized his mind before saying, "No matter how bluffing the scoundrels they are, they still have hundreds of people and thousands of dependents. Huang Wending and Wang Guohua have both boxing courage and strategy.
He is also vicious, it depends on me whether the two of you are too whimsical."
Pang Yu snorted softly and said: "In the past two days, it seems that they are indeed a rabble. No matter how brave Huang Wending is, no matter how powerful Wang Guohua's strategy is, it is impossible to use this group of people to achieve great things. Sooner or later, they will be defeated by the Yamen. Wait for them
When we are wrestling with the Yamen, this is our opportunity."
He Xianya gasped, "Second brother, why did you suddenly mention it today?"
Pang Yu said coldly, "Because they only have 40,000 taels of silver today, otherwise they would like to be chaotic. We can just keep them safe. But after today, it will be different from the past."
"But if you are not careful, you and I will die without a burial place."
Pang Yu smiled and said, "Yin Deng asked me that day whether my life is worth ten thousand taels. I answered in my heart that it is not worth it. This is the truth. Even if I manage two or three silver cabinets every year, it will only cost three hundred taels at most.
It's only a hundred taels after moisturizing, but a life is not worth ten thousand taels. Today there are forty thousand or even more, why don't I risk this life that is not worth ten thousand taels."
He Xianya felt his mouth was dry. They had been grabbing things everywhere in the past few days. Pang Yu was like child's play. He grabbed things without any rules and seemed to just think it was fun. He couldn't compare to an ordinary citizen who had some knowledge. And this
At that moment, Pang Yu's eyes shone, showing that he was definitely not joking.
He Xianya had never thought that his second brother could be so single. When Huang Wending and his gang were at their peak, he would even think of robbing the robbers. His heart was beating hard, "They might also recruit people, so wouldn't our work be in vain?"
"Then let's take it one step at a time. If there is an opportunity and we are unprepared, wouldn't it be a missed opportunity?"
He Xianya couldn't refuse the temptation of 40,000 taels, and said cruelly, "What do you think we should do now, second brother?"
The rioters holding weapons on the steps came down and drove away the people on the ground. The procession continued to the next house, with Gu Xiaowu strutting behind the bullock cart.
Pang Yu did not answer He Xianya's words. Under He Xianya's surprised gaze, Pang Yu squeezed through the crowd in front and came to Gu Xiaowu's side.
"Brother Xiao Wu." Pang Yu had a warm and sunny smile on his face.
When Gu Xiaowu saw it was Pang Yu, he immediately grinned, and then said calmly, "It turns out to be Brother Yu!"
"That day you said that you were going to avoid other places. My brother has been worried about you. Just now you suddenly saw Brother Xiao Wu. It was so majestic. My brother was both happy and envious. If Brother Xiao Wu doesn't dislike it, can you also give me some support?
If it can be done, I will definitely work hard for Brother Xiao Wu and Leader Huang, and I can even help you find out about the Yamen."
Gu Xiaowu laughed and patted Pang Yu on the shoulder with a sense of superiority, "I have always been on good terms with Brother Yu and should be supported. I have often thought of Brother Yu in the past two days, but I just didn't have time to look for him. It happened that Leader Huang
Suppose the general is looking for heroes, he can recommend Brother Yu to Alliance Leader Huang and ask him to send Brother Yu to a suitable place. To be honest with Brother Yu, our Alliance Leader Huang and Military Advisor Wang are both the best among ten thousand.
They have great talents and generals, Brother Yu can rest assured to follow them, and he will have hope for a career in making money and becoming an official in the future."
Tears filled Pang Yu's eyes, and she looked at Gu Xiaowu with emotion, "Thank you to Brother Gu for not forgetting the friendship between the poor and the humble. I will definitely repay Brother Gu for his great kindness in the future."
…
Note 1: "Tongbian Rilu": (Tongcheng) The gentry of the city made a fortune, and when the thieves arrived, they moved in. They painted the paintings and presented them with a thousand gold coins, and the thieves raised the money to replace the emperor's fire flag, and built it at the gate...
The village elders are all fighting over each other, fearing that they will lose, and no one among the soldiers or the people will be spared.