"I'm not talking about bandits." Li Qian said.
"Government?" The village chief suddenly thought of something, "Didn't you say that you have documents from the government? What are you afraid of?"
"Even if there are government documents, if the court wants this salt mine, it can turn those documents into a piece of waste paper at any time." Li Qian said.
The village chief scratched his head anxiously, "Aren't you the most resourceful kid? You must have thought of some solution, otherwise such a large salt mine would be a waste of money for the court."
"The best way now is to rely on the imperial court so that this salt mine can be mined smoothly. Otherwise, if the imperial court is offended, we will be charged with treason. No matter how capable I am, I will not be able to withstand the imperial army." Li Qian said.
"Depend on the imperial court?" The village chief glanced at Li Qian, "Qian, is this what you really think?"
"Why do you ask that?" Li Qian just asked.
"Because from what I know about you, are you the kind of person who is willing to submit to the imperial court?" the village chief asked.
"Dependence is not surrender. I just want to use the power of the court to defend this salt mine. There is a saying that if you are reluctant to let go of your children, you will not be able to trap the wolf." Li Qian said.
The village chief was startled, "What does it mean to be reluctant to let go of the child but unable to trap the wolf?"
"That is to say, only by providing corresponding benefits can we obtain greater benefits. If we rely on us to guard this salt mine, there will be constant troubles. But if it is in the name of the court, do you think the troubles will be much less." Li Qian said .
The village chief thought for a while, "Although what you said makes sense, the benefits of the salt mine have been taken away by the court, so what can we gain?"
"No one knows how much salt this salt mine can produce. This is our advantage. Even if the court sends troops to garrison, the initiative is still in our hands, and it can also help us protect the village. So, you There is nothing to worry about." Li Qian said.
The village chief thought seriously for a long time, "Then will your boy leave the village in the future?"
"What? The village chief is afraid that I won't care about you anymore?" Li Qian smiled.
The village chief looked at him and sighed, "With your kid's ability, I'm afraid this village won't be able to keep you, but it is true that the outside world is more suitable for you."
"Don't worry, even if I really leave the village in the future, I will let everyone have no worries. After all, this village is the place where I was born and raised." Li Qian put his hand on the village chief's shoulder.
"You still have a conscience, but if you go outside, remember to bring Ling Ling with you," the village chief said.
"Okay, village chief, it's time for us to return to the village."
As soon as the village chief mentioned Ma Lingling again, Li Qian immediately changed the subject.
The village chief's face darkened, but he didn't say anything.
After all, he didn't believe that Li Qian really dared to leave his daughter alone.
The villagers also returned to the village one after another.
At this time, the village had been cleaned up, all the corpses had been removed, and even the blood stains on the ground had been washed away.
Except for a few collapsed houses, which told the villagers what had happened here, nothing could be seen.
It has to be said that hundreds of officers and soldiers worked very efficiently, and under the strict supervision of Li Ran, Chen Chong did not dare to be careless.
Seeing so many officers and soldiers, the villagers were a little nervous at first.
But soon after Li Ran explained with a smile, they were all relieved.
When Li Ran saw the village chief, he immediately became extremely polite.
Because he already knew from the villagers' mouths that the village chief was Ma Linling's father.
"Master Li, are you from the capital?" The village chief just kept looking at Li Ran, and then at his daughter.
Because he saw that Li Ran seemed to be particularly attentive to his daughter, something seemed wrong.
Li Ran smiled and nodded, "I came here specifically to admire Mr. Li. By the way, Mr. Li hasn't come back?"
"He has some things to deal with and will come back later. Mr. Li, our village is simple. Are you sure you want to stay for a while?" the village chief asked.
