“Er… consider it my own summary.”
Jin Feng scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed.
“If you were willing to lead troops, sir, I believe your achievements would surpass even my brother’s!”
Qing Mulian said with open admiration.
Jin Feng smiled but did not reply.
Qing Mulian quickly realised and gave a slight sigh.
At the Wei Family Restaurant, Jin Feng ushered Guan Xiaorou, Tang Xiaobei, Qing Mulian, and the others into a private room. The veterans and female soldiers all piled in too.
Though spacious, the room felt cramped with so many people.
“Your Lordship, this… is it necessary?”
County Lieutenant Zhao said, “I have some private matters to discuss with Your Lordship. Might the ladies and others step out for a moment? I…”
“No.”
Jin Feng shook his head before he could finish.
The county seat was the lieutenant’s turf, and with bandits growing desperate, who knew if this meal was a trap?
If Zhao smashed a cup and burly men rushed in, Jin Feng could not fight them off.
Without people close by, he truly felt uneasy.
“This…”
The trio exchanged glances, looking troubled.
Secretly backing bandits was common among the gentry, but it was hardly something to proclaim openly.
Speaking it before so many, who knew if it would spread?
“Speak your business quickly, or forget it. We still need to eat.”
Jin Feng urged, growing impatient.
“Here is the matter. We were entrusted by others to plead on their behalf. We hope Your Lordship will spare Heishuigou, Hutou Mountain, and Shuangtuofeng.”
County Lieutenant Zhao thought for a moment and said, “They offer compensation as grain for your training exercises.”
He reacted swiftly. If questioned later, he could claim he acted on request, untouchable.
“What compensation?”
Seeing the real talk begin, Jin Feng pulled a chair and sat boldly.
“Silver, maidservants, grain. Name anything, Your Lordship. If they can provide it, they will.” Zhao replied.
“I lack neither silver nor maidservants nor grain. I want one thing only.”
Jin Feng said, “Have all three bandit groups surrender unconditionally and accept my arrangements. Then I will spare them.”
“Unconditional surrender?!”
The trio looked at each other, faces turning grim.
The three groups still had numbers, and their lairs held grain. They had a sliver of fight left.
Unconditional surrender meant becoming fish on the chopping board, at Jin Feng’s mercy.
“Your Lordship, this demand is too harsh.”
Seeing Jin Feng unwilling to name terms, Zhao bowed and said, “How about this? From next year, for each group’s annual tribute, one tenth goes to Your Lordship as sincerity. Does that suit?”
Bandits gave each family only three tenths annually. One tenth to Jin Feng meant another sharing the pie.
It showed real sincerity.
Peng and Zhu had agonised over it during talks.
But Jin Feng wanted a stable rear base, a Jinchuan that would back him if trouble arose later.
Not ill-gotten gains scraped from the people.
So he firmly shook his head.
“Sir, one tenth is substantial. Enough to feed all Xihe Bay for months…”
Zhao said with a bitter face.
Seeing Jin Feng still shake his head, he gritted his teeth, “Two tenths per group. That is their absolute limit!”
The more Zhao pushed, the darker Jin Feng’s expression grew.
In a way, tribute resembled court taxes, ultimately burdening the common folk.
People already gasped under the weight. If Jin Feng demanded more, how could they live?
Thinking Jin Feng unsatisfied, Zhao struggled inwardly, then slowly raised three fingers, “Your Lordship, three tenths per group. Satisfied?”
“My lord, three tenths per group. How do we survive?”
Peng and Zhu forgot decorum and leapt to protest.
Three tenths meant, annually, one of the three groups worked almost entirely for Jin Feng.
“Shut up!”
Zhao snarled at them, then fixed Jin Feng with a fierce stare.
“I lack silver and grain. I stated my terms. Discuss among yourselves. When decided, send word to Xihe Bay.”
Jin Feng rose and left, then had the manager open two more rooms.
He, Guan Xiaorou, Tang Xiaobei, and Qing Mulian took one. Veterans and female soldiers rotated meals in the other.
“My lord, we agreed at most two tenths. How could you promise three without consulting us?”
In the original room, Master Zhu complained.
“My lord, three tenths is indeed too much. Give Jin Feng that, and we have nothing left?”
Master Peng echoed.
“Then you negotiate!”
Zhao hurled a plate to the floor, “Are you blind? Three tenths dissatisfied him. You think two would suffice?”
“My lord, calm down,” Peng said, “I think Jin Feng wants neither silver, maidservants, nor grain.”
“Then what does he want?” Zhu asked.
“Jin Feng likely wants hearts.”
Zhao said, “I underestimated him before, thinking he only bought those fleeing to Xihe Bay. Now I see he aims to win all Jinchuan’s hearts.”
“My lord, what do you mean?” Zhu asked puzzled.
“Old Zhu, if bandits stopped collecting tribute forever, would Jinchuan’s people not gratefully adore Jin Feng from their souls?”
Peng grasped Zhao’s meaning.
“No wonder Jin Feng wants nothing but insists on destroying the bandits. It is for this.”
Zhu nodded in sudden realisation, “Why win hearts? Does he plan rebellion?”
“That, only he knows…”
Peng suddenly looked at Zhao, “My lord, could you not report him for this?”
In feudal times, bestowing favours on the people was the emperor’s prerogative. Ministers doing so risked rebellion charges.
History abounded with officials beheaded for it.
“You think I can petition the court?”
Zhao glanced at them, “If I accuse Jin Feng, my memorial might not leave Jinchuan County! Besides, bandit suppression is the Supreme Emperor’s eternal decree. No one can touch him.”
Though a local tyrant in Jinchuan, he was nothing in greater Dakang. By law, a county lieutenant reported only to the magistrate, then to the prefect, then the Xichuan governor, then the cabinet, and only if deemed necessary to the emperor.
With the Jinchuan magistrate, free of Zhou the clerk’s hold, now manoeuvring to control the yamen, he would never offend Jin Feng at this juncture.
“Then what? Must we watch Jin Feng destroy the forces we nurtured so painstakingly?” Zhu asked.
“For now, only one path remains.”
Zhao sighed, “Old Peng, fetch that Mr Feng under your command.”
