"Sir, it's not good, something happened to our caravan."
As soon as Kong Fang stepped into the county government gate, Wu Shiyue was already eager to greet him.
"Mr. Wu, don't worry, I have received the news." Kong Fang comforted.
Wu Shiyue was stunned for a moment. He rushed to the county office immediately after receiving the news. How could the adults know about it before they met?
Kong Fang didn't answer his questions and took him to the study.
"Mr. Wu, tell me about the news you received." Kong Fang said.
"I received a message from Fei Ge, the Wu family's business in Shanyang County. Our caravan was hijacked by bandits in Shanyang County last night. Ten thousand kilograms of fine salt and the escort were all detained at the tiger's mouth."
"There are more than a hundred bandits in Laohukou. The bandit leader is nicknamed the Red Heavenly King, but his real name is unknown."
"This morning, the bandits asked someone to bring a message to the store. If we want to redeem people, we have to come up with the secret recipe of fine salt. Usually bandits only want money when they robber, but they want the secret recipe. I felt that there was something fishy in it, so I came Let’s discuss this with an adult.”
Kong Fang nodded.
"The bandits are so reckless, what's the use of the secret recipe? There must be a mastermind behind it. I have already sent people to investigate, and we will take corresponding actions after the investigation is clear."
Wu Renyue felt a little relieved and said: "But be quick. The bandits only gave ten days. Once the time passes and they fail to get the secret recipe, they will kill people to vent their anger."
Kong Fang thought to himself that ten days might be enough time.
He comforted Wu Shiyue some more, then sent him back and asked him to wait for news at home.
After sending Wu Shiyue away, Kong Fang called Kong Yiji and asked him to send an official document to Shanyang County in the name of Qinghe County, stating that businessmen in this county had been robbed in Shanyang County and asked Shanyang County to help rescue the hostages and recover the hostages. Steal property.
Kong Yiji quickly handled the matter.
After he finished writing the official document and sent the official messenger to send it away, he seemed to hesitate to speak.
"Old Kong, if you have anything to say, just say it. There are no outsiders here." Kong Fang saw this and said.
Kong Yiji said: "Sir, I guess this official document may not have any effect. If I am not wrong, the best result for us is to receive a very official reply that has no practical effect at all."
"The worst result is that this official document sinks into the sea without getting any response."
"Then, if the Wu family wants to redeem the hostages and property, they have no other choice but to agree to the bandits' demands."
"I never thought that Shanyang County could help. It was just a routine matter."
"Of course, I also mean to be polite before fighting."
Kong Yiji was taken aback and asked, "Is it possible that the master wants to send troops to Shanyang to suppress the bandits? If this is the case, it must be authorized by the prefect."
"We are not familiar with Shanyang County. We are not familiar with such a cross-border suppression of bandits. Even if the prefect agrees, Shanyang County may not be happy. Without the cooperation of Shanyang County, we would have great difficulties in suppressing bandits."
Kong Fang did not respond directly directly, but asked: "Old Kong, do you know anything about Shanyang County Magistrate?"
Kong Yiji smiled bitterly, "The world is as dark as crows. Of course, sir, you are a breath of fresh air in the officialdom of Daxing Dynasty..."
Kong Fang rolled his eyes, "Old Kong, you should understand that I don't like rainbow farts."
"..."
Kong Yiji scratched his head.
"Yan Song, the magistrate of Shanyang, is a native of Shanyang. He is illiterate and his greed and stupidity are even worse than those of Zhu Dachang..."
"Wait a minute. You said Yan Song is illiterate?" Kong Fang was surprised.
"Although officials in the Daxing Dynasty are mainly recommended, isn't it stipulated that only a scholar or above can be qualified to be recommended?"
Kong Yiji smiled bitterly and shook his head.
"It is said that there are policies from above and countermeasures from below. Regulations are dead, but people are alive."
"Yan Song was born in the market and was originally a street bully. Some officials who have some dirty work in their hands are unable to do it directly, so they secretly support a few people to do the dirty work for them."
"Yan Song did the dirty work for his former magistrate Wei Zhongxian."
"Later, when Wei Zhongxian was promoted, Yan Song used tricks to get him to recommend him as the magistrate of Shanyang County."
"As for the scholar's identity, it's just a matter of getting a false certificate. In the turbulent years, if there is gold and silver to clear the way, who will verify the authenticity of the scholar's identity?"
Kong Fang sweated.
It turns out that falsifying academic qualifications was not exclusive to the previous life, and was also popular in the Daxing Dynasty.
An idea suddenly occurred to him, could the boss behind the Laohukou Bandits be Yan Song?
After all, he has a criminal record.
Kong Yiji didn't dare to draw a conclusion, although he also felt that Yan Song was quite suspicious.
Ximen Feixue came back to report that Fang Shiqing led the county soldiers to conduct field training in Litou Mountain, and he had already sent someone to inform her.
Fang Shiyi returned to Fangjiazhuang and sent someone to notify him.
Monkey once again brought intelligence. After verification by Chunyulou spies, the boss behind the Laohukou Bandits was Yan Song, the magistrate of Shanyang County.
Kong Fang and Kong Yiji looked at each other and they guessed right!
Monkey continued: Wu Shiyue had a business in Shanyang County, and the fine salt he sold caused a sensation in the local area, which naturally attracted Yan Song's greedy eyes. He tried several times to buy shares or "buy" the secret recipe for fine salt production. After failing to succeed, he secretly ordered the bandits to rob the road.
Want to use hostage to threaten Wu Shiyue to hand over the secret recipe of fine salt.
Kong Fang thought that his original decision was right. He only had a sales agent relationship with Wu Shiyue, and he knew nothing about the entire production process of fine salt.
So even if he wanted to exchange the secret recipe for the hostage, he couldn't come up with the secret recipe.
"Do you know the specific situation of the bandits?" Kong Fang asked.
The monkey nodded.
"The bandit leader Hong Tianwang, whose real name is Hong Rengan, is a refugee from Shanyang County. He once worshiped Yan Song. He has more than a hundred bandits under his command, and none of them are worth fearing."
"A few years ago, he accidentally saved the gangster Mao Laoba. Mao Laoba was grateful for his life-saving grace. Of course, the main reason was that he had committed a crime and was being hunted by both the government and his enemies. He had nowhere to go, so he stayed in Huhu. He changed his name and became the second in command of the bandits."
"This man is brave and powerful, and is good at using a twelve-foot-long sword..."
"Wait..." Kong Fang stopped.
Twelve feet long, one foot is equal to ten feet; twelve feet is one hundred and twenty feet, that is forty meters.
In previous lives, netizens used to have quarrels on the Internet and often use 40-meter swords to chop each other. In reality, you can show me how to use a 40-meter sword to chop people.
Monkey read the information again and was immediately embarrassed, "Sir, it's a machete that's one foot and two feet long."
Kong Fang glanced at him.
The one-foot-two machete is longer than Guan Yu's Qinglong Yanyue Sword.
Could it be that Mao Laoba is braver than Guan Yu?
The monkey read the information carefully again.
"Sir, this is indeed what the intelligence describes. It shouldn't be wrong. After all, we are all professionals."
Kong Fang no longer worries about the length of the opponent's knife.
No matter how high your kung fu is, you are still afraid of a kitchen knife; no matter how long your kitchen knife is, how far can it hit with a blunderbuss?
The monkey took out another topographic map of the tiger's mouth.
Although the terrain here is steep, it is indeed a geomantic treasure land for developing the business of vandalism, smashing and looting.
But compared to Plowshare Mountain, it is far behind.
