Chapter 1385
Selling out their descendants
Chapter 1385 Selling out their descendants
Even 30% of the family fortune's profits would be discounted prices after Master Zheng and Mr. Tong's scheme failed.
If Master Zheng or Mr. Tong hadn't been exposed, these prominent Wei families would have been required to hand over half of their family fortunes, just like the semi-slave owners of powerful families like Master Qu.
The four elders of the Li clan and the chief of the Weng clan realized what was happening, and their whole bodies turned cold. They almost blurted out, "You are taking this opportunity to force the Wei people into becoming half-slaves."
But the opposing force consisted of bodyguards wielding broadswords. The elderly, weak, women, and children were no match for them, so they had no choice but to turn to the Bai family: "Elder Bai, your Bai family has officials in the capital. You must say something benevolent."
The Bai elder wiped away tears: "Even Peijian has been arrested. I'm just a lowly elder from a distant clan. I can barely protect myself, let alone have the right to speak."
This...this!
Chief Weng and his group felt as if they had been tricked and sold out by the Bai family and Chief Escort Guan.
Chief Weng had the idea of returning to the city. After all, it was only a four-day journey. If he walked quickly and had a bit of luck, he should not encounter the enemy army.
Guan, the镖头 (bodyguard), was a shrewd man who was able to be sent out by a powerful family to live as a law-abiding citizen. He saw through Chief Weng and said, "Chief Weng, how did you think Master Weng was able to build such a large business? Who do you think he relied on? Do you think he didn't hand over his family business to his master every year?"
"The path of currying favor with the powerful is laid out before us. Will you abandon 30% of your family fortune to curry favor with the powerful and give your family a backer in this chaotic world, or will you return to the city, enjoy a good life for a month or two, and then have your entire clan die in the capital city, leaving your family fortune to be picked up by the survivors?"
After saying that, he shouted towards the door, "Come on, let Wei Min see our strength!"
The whistling arrow was shot out, making a beeping sound.
The sound of galloping hooves echoed as four hundred bodyguards, swords at their sides and breastplates on their armor, rode towards the small escort agency, surrounding it and shouting from outside, "Chief Guan, we've come on orders! Please give your instructions, Chief Guan!"
They kept shouting, openly demonstrating and robbing.
Chief Weng's eyes reddened as he angrily questioned Chief Escort Guan, "Can you really guarantee our safety along the way? If we encounter enemies or bandits, will you really protect us with your lives?!"
"We would never bully our women and children?" Li Qiao, the son of the second elder of the Li clan, added.
The Li family elders were afraid that their daughters-in-law and granddaughters would follow the example of Li Gui's family, so they sent old women to keep the female relatives inside the carriage and not let them get off.
Therefore, not only Li Qiao's wife and daughters, but also the wives and children of his brothers had left the city, which made Li Qiao very afraid.
Guan, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), said, "Don't worry, our master is a noble person who would disdain such things as bullying women and children. Besides, our master is kind and generous, and we are never short of beauties. We would not look down on the plain and unattractive women from the harsh borderlands."
Then he threw out another bait: "Brothers of the Li family and brothers of the Weng family, once you leave the Northeast and arrive in Taizhou Prefecture or Jiangnan, you will know what a true peerless beauty is."
"Guan, please hurry! The brothers want to get back to the bustling city as soon as possible. They don't want to stay here in this bitter cold!" the bodyguards outside the escort agency shouted.
"Wait, it'll be ready soon!" Guan, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), responded, took out a contract, placed it on the table, and said to the clan elders of the major surnames, "Gentlemen, please sign and press your fingerprints."
Chief Weng hurriedly stepped forward, carefully examining the contract, his face deathly pale... The contract was written in a blurry manner, only stating that the entire family of this generation had received the grace of being protected, and the current chief and heads of each household promised that each generation would give 30% of their family's annual income to the benefactor as a reward for this grace.
It's an outrageous contract, but as long as you voluntarily sign and put your fingerprint on it, the government will accept it.
Don't want to admit it?
Unless you or your descendants are more powerful than the head镖师's master, you can't be in charge.
However, the alliance of powerful families isolated and besieged them, which even the Kang Rong family could hardly resist. They were just a local big family, so what could they use to fight back?
Go to the government office to plead your case? Even His Majesty is wary of powerful clans; the previous Emperor Ningkang even partnered with them. Waaaaah!
Chief Weng knelt down and wept bitterly, and Elder Li Si also wanted to cry... He had lived a whole life, shrewdly calculating his way through life, but in his old age, he saw the deepest evil hidden in this world, which he was completely powerless to resist.
Click!
Guan, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), chopped off the armrest of the armchair with a single stroke and roared, "What are you crying for? Sign it now!"
"Sign it. Are we really going back to the capital? As long as we survive, we can take advantage of our status as residents of the capital to seize the property of those who died in battle. Their property will increase five or ten times over. Even if we hand over 30%, we will still make a huge profit. Sign it!" The second clan leader of the Li clan was unwilling to return to the capital in disgrace, so he signed and pressed his fingerprint.
Li Wuzu and Li Gui are both very smart and felt that this deal was indeed worthwhile: "My family will sign it too!"
The elders of the Bai, Yun, and Chen families also signed... They weren't afraid, because once they were safe, they could ask their relatives who were officials to talk to the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) and get them to sign a different contract with less profit to be handed over, or a contract that only required one generation to hand over profits, so that every generation wouldn't have to hand over profits.
The elders of the Weng clan also signed.
"Clan leader, sign it. We envy the Weng family so much, but doesn't his family also have to pay benefits to their powerful backers? It's all the same."
Chief Weng had no choice but to sign and press his fingerprint, but he was in great pain because he had sold out his descendants!
He cried out, "I want to go back to the city, to make a name for myself in battle, so that I can protect my descendants!"
After much commotion, it took half an hour for the heads of more than a thousand households to finally sign and affix their fingerprints.
That's right, that's exactly how many people there are.
They carried out the robbery arrogantly, without showing any fear.
After all, their masters would be fine; even if they encountered an honest official, only the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) and his men would die.
"Alright, let's assemble by striking the gong and set off now so we can get to Taizhou Prefecture sooner!" Guan, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), told them something else: "There's also a war in the Northwest, and a rat plague has broken out. Many people from the Northwest and Central Plains are fleeing to Taizhou Prefecture. If you arrive late, Taizhou Prefecture won't be able to accommodate so many people, and you'll be stopped outside the city!"
The geographical order of the Great Wei Dynasty is: Northwest Province – Central Plains Province – Tai Zhou Prefecture.
Between Northwest Prefecture and Taizhou Prefecture lies Qin Xiaomi's hometown, Zhongyuan Prefecture.
However, the Northeast Prefecture is directly connected to the Tai Zhou Prefecture.
Taizhou Prefecture was a junction of highways leading to the capital region, Jianghuai Prefecture, and Jiangnan Prefecture.
"What?! There's war in the Northwest Prefecture too? And a rat plague has broken out there too?!" Li Gui and the others were shocked, frightened, and also secretly pleased...
Hahaha, those idiots in the capital city were laughing at us for leaving the city to find a way to survive, saying it was suicide. Listen to this: it's not just us who are fleeing to Taizhou Prefecture, it's people from the Northwest Prefecture and the Central Plains Prefecture fleeing to Taizhou Prefecture!
"Wife, wife, fighting has broken out in the Northwest Prefecture, and a rat plague has broken out, killing many people. People from the Northwest Prefecture and the Central Plains Prefecture are all fleeing to Tai Zhou Prefecture! We are incredibly lucky to have gotten in touch with Guan Biao's master and be escorted to Tai Zhou Prefecture!"
"Hey, let's hurry up and gather for roll call and set off! Everyone's fleeing to Tai Zhou Prefecture. If we're late, Tai Zhou Prefecture will be full of people from the Northwest and Central Plains, and we won't be able to get into the city!"
As soon as the men stepped out of the escort agency street, they shouted to their families waiting nearby, overjoyed as if they had found a treasure. They said, "We will pay respects to our ancestors in our hometown during the Qingming and Winter Solstice festivals. We won't let them die without offerings."
To our brothers and relatives who stayed in the city: Thank you so much, we're still alive!