The cold wind howled through Drum and Bell Alley.
Inside the main hall of the Embroidered Uniform Guards, Yang Ge added some oil to the lamp on the desk.
The dancing flames once again illuminated the scattered scrolls on the desk.
"Yongtai Grain Firm Luting Branch Record."
"Detailed Explanation of Fengyu Rice Firm Luting Branch."
"Preliminary Exploration of Fuhe Grain Firm Luting Branch Store."
"Details of Luting County Military Officer"...
After giving one last glance at these documents, Yang Ge stood up, removed the great cloak from his body, opened a wooden chest beside him, swept all the scrolls into the chest, locked it, and re-sealed and stamped it with his command seal.
After tidying up the desk, he sat back down on the Taishi Chair and put on his great cloak again, "Someone, call Gu Tong to see me!"
The guard on duty outside took the order and left.
Soon after, the junior officer Gu Tong, enveloped in a gust of cold air, pushed the door open and entered, "Commander."
Yang Ge raised his eyes to look at him and spoke in a calm and measured tone, "Fang Ke has returned to the capital to report on his duties, and you have been in charge at home. I just reviewed the recent reports, and you have done quite well."
Gu Tong, wary of showing too much pleasure, bowed with his hands clasped, "It’s all thanks to your cultivation, Commander!"
Yang Ge waved his hand, "Now I want to test you. Do you still remember what our duty is in the Embroidered Uniform Guards?"
Gu Tong replied without hesitation, "To share the monarch’s worries, control the imperial guards, patrol and arrest, manage the imperial decrees!"
Yang Ge suddenly raised his voice, "Louder, I can’t hear you!"
Gu Tong straightened his body and replied loudly, "Commander, we in the Embroidered Uniform Guards exist to share the monarch’s worries, control the imperial guards, patrol and arrest, manage the imperial decrees!"
Yang Ge’s expression relaxed slightly, and he nodded, "I hope you not only remember this sentence but understand these words, know what should be done, what shouldn’t, whom to help, and whom not to... We are the emperor’s personal troops, not watchdogs for some nobles!"
Upon hearing this, Gu Tong tensed up and hurriedly clasped his fists in affirmation.
Yang Ge waved his hand, "Go now, work hard, I have high hopes for you!"
Gu Tong bowed and exited.
Yang Ge sat silently for a long time before he got up, pulled a cloth bag from a dark corner, and went out.
...
"Dang dang dang dang."
"It’s the fifth watch..."
The feeble call of the watchman came from afar.
In a sheltered spot beneath the chaotic beams, Yang Ge, who had been dozing with his sword in his arms, opened his eyes at the sound.
He got up, and by the bright moonlight, he fumbled in his chest for a half-face mask which he then fixed on his face, followed by a cloth hat that he placed on his head.
Once fully dressed, he discerned the direction, leapt up, and ran agilely and smoothly over the uneven rooftops, the white bright moon hanging at the end of the city. Each of his leaps seemed as though he were jumping towards the moon...
Before long, Yang Ge reached the high walls of a storehouse.
He pulled the cloth hat back over his head, and turned around a card mask to cover the half-face mask, then leapt over the wall and jumped into the warehouse, his light movement technique causing a "thud" as the heavy object landed.
"Woof woof woof..."
"Woof woof woof..."
Several barks responded immediately.
Yang Ge, undisturbed, picked up a willow leaf saber and stood against the wall, enlarging his perception, quietly sensing the changes around him.
"Swoosh!"
"Who dares to stir up trouble here!"
The sound of something cutting through air and the shout came simultaneously.
"Bang."
Yang Ge shifted his head, and a javelin grazed his hair, embedding itself into the wall, the wooden handle still trembling.
He looked sharply and saw a dozen men in blue clothes holding torches and charging out.
Yang Ge glanced swiftly, his gaze focusing on the leader... a man in his forties, dressed in black narrow-sleeved athletic wear, with a beautifully decorated Longquan sword at his waist, his aura condensed and his stance extremely stable.
Seeing Yang Ge’s attire, a look of amusement could not help but surface on the faces of the men in blue.
The leader glanced at the javelin near Yang Ge, the seriousness in his eyes suppressing the amusement, and he stepped forward with hands clasped in a formal greeting, "May I ask which school does this ’Number Nine’ friend belong to?"
Yang Ge spoke, in a thick Bashu accent, "I’m just starting out, I have no school."
The leader, "Then what brings you to our Yongtai Grain Firm!"
Yang Ge, "To see injustice on the road and to aid the poor by punishing the rich!"
Hearing this, the leader knew he was a true novice, and struggled to keep a straight face as he clasped his hands, "Killing the rich will not stop the rich, aiding the poor will not leave the poor. How about I offer some travel expenses, and we share a pot of wine and discuss heroes, make friends perhaps?"
Yang Ge, "Before leaving home, my master admonished me: Do not neglect to do a good deed, however small, and do not commit a misdeed, however small. This javelin, was it you who threw it?"
The leader frowned and dropped his hands, "Indeed, it was me!"
Yang Ge, "I took your javelin, how about you take one of my knife strikes?"
The leader hesitated for a moment, his hand touching the hilt of his sword at his waist, "I dare not disobey!"
Yang Ge silently stared at him.
The leader slowly tensed his body.
"Clang..."
The willow leaf saber suddenly unsheathed, transforming into a line of snow, flashing past.
On the other side, the burly leader also drew his sword in a swift motion, sending forth a sword light.
"Boom."
Yang Ge remained motionless, slowly sheathing his sword.
The leader’s long sword fell to the ground, his wrist tore open, and his body slid backward several feet before stabilizing. When he raised his head again, his face was filled with shock... Such powerful inner Qi, such strong swordsmanship!
The scene fell silent for a moment, as the many men in green surrounding Yang Ge quietly stepped back a few steps... The firelight trembled even more.
The leader took a deep breath, stepped forward to pick up his own sword, held it in his hand and performed a sword salute, earnestly saying, "Thank you for your mercy, Sir. With your martial skills, the Yongtai branch can take and ask for whatever it wants, why do you need to hide your face?"
Yang Ge: "Why don’t you think about it from another angle? I hide my face not to protect myself, but to protect you."
The leader was stunned for a moment, then regaining his composure, he gave a bitter smile and cupped his fist, saying, "Sir, your nobility is like the long wind of Jiangzuo... I respectfully acknowledge the lesson!"
Yang Ge stared at him for a few moments, then suddenly asked, "How much is your life worth?"
Hearing this, Ling Guan’s heart tightened. His rich experience in the jianghu told him that his answer would determine his fate...
He carefully pondered for a long while, then tentatively replied, "Three hundred... three hundred taels?"
Yang Ge gripped the handle of his sword: "You might want to think again."
Ling Guan immediately corrected himself, "Five hundred taels!"
Yang Ge released his hand: "Long have I heard that the Yongtai pawnbroking business spreads across Jiangzuo, famous for its ’nine out of thirteen’ policy. Let me test you with a math question: If 500 taels are pawned, to be redeemed in three months, how much interest would be payable at maturity?"
Ling Guan suddenly widened his eyes, spoke sharply, "Sir, isn’t this taking things too far?"
Yang Ge: "I am twenty-three this year and have always loathed evil, making it a point to repay what is owed."
Ling Guan instantly turned compliant: "Back to your Excellency, if using five hundred taels as the collateral, by the end of the term, besides the principal of five hundred taels, an additional interest of two hundred twenty-two taels and two hundred twenty-two wen should also be returned."
Yang Ge nodded: "Good, another math question. With the current price of millet in the capital being twenty-eight wen per bucket, how many kilograms of millet can two hundred twenty-two taels and two hundred twenty-two wen buy?"
After figuring for a while and sweating profusely, Ling Guan replied, "It can buy approximately one hundred fourteen thousand two hundred sixty-six kilograms and four liang of millet!"
Yang Ge gave him a thumbs up: "Impressive, I couldn’t even figure it out... You are straightforward, so I’ll be generous as well. We’ll round down the four liang, and let’s call it one hundred fourteen thousand two hundred sixty-six kilograms of millet!"
Ling Guan, with a twitching corner of his mouth, bowed and said, "Thank you very much for your graciousness, Sir!"
Yang Ge: "One last question, one hundred fourteen thousand two hundred sixty-six kilograms of millet, I will retrieve it over three months, coming every three days to take some, how much each time?"
Ling Guan immediately answered: "Three thousand eight hundred eight kilograms eight liang six qian!"
Yang Ge, smiling, praised him: "Congratulations, you’re quick on the draw now!"
Ling Guan: ...
Yang Ge put down his sword, and said softly, "Now that we’ve settled the account, go fetch the grain; I will wait here for you!"
As soon as Ling Guan heard this, he turned around, gave a stern look at his dumbfounded subordinates, shouted, "What are you dawdling for? Hurry up and go!"
The throng of men in green came to their senses and hurriedly ran towards the storeroom inside.
Ling Guan heaved a sigh of relief, and looked Yang Ge up and down with both wariness and curiosity.
Frankly, three thousand eight hundred kilograms of millet sounded like a lot.
But it really wasn’t worth much money.
The price of grain?
Of course, the price of grain was for outsiders. People like Ling Guan, an insider at the Yongtai Grain Firm, could certainly get a cheaper price than the capital’s grain price.
Even if he had to fetch one hundred fourteen thousand kilograms of millet all at once, it wouldn’t be a big deal for Ling Guan.
At least, it certainly wasn’t as important as his own life!
Therefore, if this amount of grain could send this highly skilled young novice in the jianghu on his way...
Ling Guan would be only too willing!
Yang Ge let him scrutinize freely until the men in green collectively pushed out five carriage carts from the storeroom, then he spoke again, "In the next three months, every three days I will come here to fetch some grain. How you use this grain afterward, you will soon find out!"
"If you or the Wang Family feel resentful, feel free to use whatever means you have!"
"Whether it be open attacks or concealed schemes, poisoning or using smoke, or even if you appeal to the authorities to issue warrants… you can try it all!"
"That includes the grain you provide me, as well as in the process of how I use this grain, feel free to interfere!"
"But I must ask you to remember, you only have one chance!"
"After one time..."
"If I survive, whether it’s the Jiangzuo’s wind, the Wang Family of Yongtai, or those big shots behind you…"
"There will be no peace!"
After listening to his words, Ling Guan’s facial muscles stiffened again, then he waved his hand and said, "You can rest assured, Sir. This matter is an agreement between the two of us, unrelated to Yongtai or the Wang Family. They have no reason to interfere!"
Yang Ge laughed lightly and shook his head: "I am not here just for you... You must deliver my words exactly as they are to the Wang Family, no matter what they try, I will face it!"
The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.
Ling Guan replied with a bitter smile, "Why must you do this, Sir? Once you achieve your goal, isn’t that enough? Why deliberately make powerful enemies? Although Luting is the gateway to the capital, it is not that crucial among the fifteen provinces of Great Han. Although Ling here never undervalues himself, I am just a mere manager at Luting."
Yang Ge shook his head: "Yes, that’s because you aren’t bad enough or strong enough, so you aren’t qualified!"
Ling Guan had no words, only sighed deeply as he said, "Youth... "
Yang Ge bowed: "Thank you for tonight!"
Ling Guan waived his hand: "Ling here knows his own pettiness; I do not deserve your thanks, Sir. It’s merely these times... what good is three thousand eight hundred eight kilograms eight liang six qian of millet?"
Yang Ge: "Do what can be done, and if it’s not enough, I’ll also fetch from Fengyu and Fuhe!"
Ling Guan suddenly widened his eyes, he then realized why the young man would come here every three days for grain.
It turns out, the other two days were reserved for the Li Family and the Zhao Family!
For a moment, he was both shocked and admiring, and a bit schadenfreude.
Yang Ge, unaware of Ling Guan’s thoughts, directed the men pushing the carts out.
Just as Yang Ge was about to step out of the courtyard, Ling Guan suddenly asked loudly, "Dare I ask Big Brother Nine Cakes, what is your distinguished name?"
Yang Ge stopped in his tracks and with a wicked sense of humor replied, "I am Zhang Mazi!"