"Where did the roving bandits co from?" Chu Xun asked.
Li Shoutian sighed and said, "Aren't they forced out by those great lords."
The Kingdom of Jing has been established for so many years, and there are many rewarded Dukes and Marquises.
Decades of peaceful days have made these important figures increasingly arrogant and willful. I heard that the evil servants of a certain Marquis's family have forcibly occupied thousands of acres of fertile land in their hotown, and even the County Magistrate doesn't dare to manage this matter.
Many people encountered unjust matters in their hotowns. Either their farmlands were forcibly annexed, or they were forced by exorbitant taxes and levies to the point of not having enough to eat, and so even had their wives and daughters snatched away.
Their families were ruined and perished, and they had no choice but to leave their hotowns and flee for their lives.
With many people gathered and nowhere to eat, when they got desperate from hunger, they started stealing and robbing.
"The suffering of the common people, could it be that His Majesty the Emperor can't see it at all?" Li Shoutian had a look of incomprehension.
Doesn't everyone say that deceiving the monarch is a great cri punishable by the execution of nine familial exterminations? Could there still be people who dare to conceal it?
"Who knows, perhaps he really can't see it," Chu Xun said.
This matter is not rare. With power and influence, how many people can suppress the increasingly swelling desires in their hearts?
What he heard might just be the tip of the iceberg. In places further away, it might be even more severe.
If he rembered correctly, the current Son of Heaven should be over sixty years old.
Although he could live longer than ordinary commoners, he didn't have many years left.
Once such chaos is discovered, how could he tolerate leaving such a hidden danger for the succeeding monarch?
Chu Xun sighed lightly, thinking in his heart that if this matter blew up, in a few days, who knows how many people would lose their heads.
The commoners praised the Emperor as a sage monarch of the current age, the founding Great Ancestor, kind-hearted and benevolent, with the world in his heart.
But it seed many people forgot that this person was also a ruthless man who forcefully killed his way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood to end the chaotic tis!
Chu Xun's eyes silently beca much sharper.
He didn't yet have the ability to manage whether the world was stable or not, but in this one-acre-three-fen land around Pinecone Village, no one should even think about causing trouble!
Li Shoutian coming over was exactly to have Chu Xun organize the strong young n in the village to patrol in turns, so as not to let the roving bandits exploit a loophole.
The young people in the village all grew up playing behind Chu Xun's butt.
If told to go east, they would absolutely not go west. Even Li Shoutian's words weren't this effective.
Chu Xun nodded, "I'll handle this matter, you just recuperate well at ho."
Li Shoutian tried to move his injured right leg and could still feel a slight pain. He couldn't help but sigh, "I'm old, no longer useful. Fortunately, with you in the village, I can also rest assured."
Not long after, Zhang Anxiu called Li Guangmao over and prepared so dishes to go with the wine.
After the father and son ate and drank their fill and left, Chu Xun helped clear the table while saying, "Go to the town tomorrow and tell Older Brother to close the shop first, and wait until the matter of the roving bandits passes before talking about it."
"Isn't Huan'er going to participate in the prefectural examination next year? Just treat it as accompanying him to study and relaxing for a few days."
The already fifteen-year-old Huan'er not only had a good-looking appearance, but was also clever and quick-witted.
He even got the County Magistrate Zheng Xiuwen's guarantee to enter the public school to study, and smoothly passed the child examination.
Just waiting until after the beginning of spring next year, he could go participate in the prefectural examination.
This also had to thank Tang Shijun, who had now been promoted to Prefect. With his help, Zhang Sanchun's family was changed back from the lowly register to the agricultural register.
Among this, there was also the reason of Zheng Xiuwen praising Huan'er's intelligence, believing that with proper training, he might beco a pillar of talent in the future.
Next year's prefectural examination would probably be personally invigilated by Tang Shijun.
Chu Xun also thought about accompanying his nephew to Fenggu City when the ti ca.
Towards this Lord Tang, who had grand ambitions in his heart and very strong abilities and thods, Chu Xun was quite looking forward to it.
He wanted to see exactly how far he could go.
Whether he could truly realize his grand plans, reach the pinnacle of officialdom, and beco the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, under one person and above ten thousand.
The next day, Zhang Anxiu went to Pingshui Town to persuade Zhang Sanchun to close the shop.
Lin Qiaoxi was still a bit doubtful. She had heard about the roving bandits, but they hadn't co to Zhangnan County yet, was it necessary to be so nervous?
Lin Qiaoxi still wanted to say sothing, but Zhang Sanchun already said, "Then listen to Ah Xun. If he says to close the shop, it definitely isn't wrong."
Zhang Sanchun had always been convinced by Chu Xun. Whatever he said or did, there was never a second word.
Although Lin Qiaoxi felt it might be making a mountain out of a molehill, thinking about resting for a few days and accompanying Huan'er to study wasn't bad either.
There weren't many who could listen to persuasion like them.
The rchants in the town almost all did what they were supposed to do, not feeling that any major event would happen.
With refugees causing trouble, if it didn't fall on their own heads, no one could feel that wretchedness.
Even if it really blew up, wasn't there still Constable Jiang Baiye? Could they let the refugees turn the sky upside down?
——————————
In a few days, it was just as Chu Xun had expected.
The refugees caused chaos, robbing everywhere, and it spread to Zhangnan County.
Except for Zhangnan County Town, which had martial arts halls and the county office holding the fort and didn't have too much chaos, the surrounding villages and towns all encountered "roving bandits".
Pingshui Town was also not spared. Fortunately, Zhang Sanchun listened to Chu Xun's idea and closed the business early, only losing so roasted goods.
Those shops that stubbornly refused to close were miserable. Not only were their goods and silver robbed, but they were also beaten by the refugees.
If they resisted fiercely, they even lost their lives.
Even the offerings enshrined by the villagers in the Songliu Water God Temple were robbed clean.
Chu Xun led people every day, patrolling the village day and night to prevent any contingencies.
Night fell. Chu Xun, who had just finished a round of patrol, was about to go back when his trouser leg was pulled.
Looking down, he saw a foot-long weasel, not knowing when it had co before him, forcefully pawing with its claws.
"Eh, it's a Yellow Immortal. Brother Xun, be careful, don't let it bite you."
The young villager only cared that Chu Xun didn't get bitten, but Chu Xun knew clearly in his heart that the little fellow coming to find him definitely ant sothing was about to happen.
He imdiately said to Zhang Erzhu, who had just spoken, "Go back and call people!"
The dark-faced, sturdily built Zhang Erzhu sensed sothing slightly amiss from his tone, and subconsciously lowered his voice, "Is sothing going to happen?"
"Not sure, but it's better to be prepared," Chu Xun said.
Although he had personally buried a few scoundrels before, that was with the help of the two large pythons.
Now in the village, Chu Xun couldn't possibly call the two large pythons from the Songliu River. At most, he could only call the crows to assist in battle.
The refugees were nurous, like wolves desperate from hunger. Who knew what they would do.
Although Chu Xun knew spells, he deeply knew he didn't yet have the ability to overturn mountains and empty seas, and had to act cautiously.
Zhang Erzhu didn't ask anymore, turned his head and ran towards the village.
Chu Xun then led the remaining few people, under the guidance of the weasel, heading towards the west side of Pinecone Village.
Not long after, the weasel stopped and cried out twice towards the front.
Chu Xun looked up. Ahead was a small grove of trees, and not far away were farmlands.
If people were to hide, it could only be over there.
He didn't act rashly, but squatted down and patted the weasel's head, "Go find a place to hide well, I'm here."
The weasel cried out again, then turned its head and ran away.
The few young villagers behind watched in astonishnt, "Brother Xun, how co you're so familiar with the Yellow Immortal?"
They all knew that crows gathered on Chu Xun's roof all year round, but they didn't expect that even weasels seed very familiar with him.
"Keep quiet!" Chu Xun said in a low voice.
The few young villagers didn't dare to speak anymore and hurriedly lay down.
Chu Xun then looked at the small grove not far away, his vision condensing, vaguely seeing figures moving under the moonlight.
From the corner of his eye, he glanced at the few young villagers. Seeing that they all focused their attention ahead, Chu Xun then secretly ford a hand seal.
Spiritual Soil Spell 1
Although the moonlight could illuminate figures, it was not dayti.
No one noticed that the dirt road from the grove to the village entrance began to tremble slightly.
The soil continuously churned, quickly becoming full of potholes.
The walls of the potholes were even harder, covered with earth spikes less than half an inch long.
If it weren't for not wanting people to know his true background, Chu Xun could even directly use the Spiritual Soil Spell to create a large pit two zhang deep.
Whoever jumped in would have to be buried alive!
[End of Chapter]
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