sbdcsierra Chapter 363 The New Pretty Boy?
Chapter 363 The New Pretty Boy?
Jiang Zhiyi brought only a few dozen people, but they were all elites, far superior to the garrison troops stationed at the salt mine year-round. In addition, the token in Jiang Zhiyi's hand was enough to intimidate these garrison troops for a time.
However, if the troops stationed in front, who were confronting Chief Luo and his men, were to turn around and launch a counterattack, their small force simply wouldn't be able to withstand it.
Worried about further accidents, Jiang Zhiyi said to Lu Yangyang, "Miss, it's too dangerous here. Let's leave first!"
Lu Yangyang hadn't forgotten her collaboration with Sheng Junyi and the promise she had made to him.
And then there's Chief Luo. Since she suspects that Chief Luo might be involved in the Chenzhou case from back then, she can't just walk away and watch him go astray again.
He used to lead a group of bandits in the mountains, living a life of constant danger. Now he is leading a group of salt workers in a rebellion. Even if he manages to escape the salt mine today, unless he is lucky enough to leave the territory of Da Zhao, he will surely die if he is tracked down by the navy stationed at sea.
Lu Yangyang glanced at Liu Xiang and the other girls, then instructed Jiang Zhiyi: "Take them away first and find a safe place to wait for me. I need to go back and find evidence of the salt mine's smuggling of salt, and hand it over to Governor Jiang. He must handle this salt worker incident impartially. If we let them leave like this, they will surely die. Some of them may deserve to die, but some are just unlucky and have suffered. You should send a message to Jiang Xun, telling him to bring more people over and take control of the salt mine. This matter must be handled by Governor Jiang."
Most of the salt workers were convicts sent from various places. Some of them were genuinely guilty and deserved their punishment, but many, like Lian Sheng, were wrongly accused and brought here to serve in lieu of imprisonment, only to find themselves unable to leave. The magistrate of Ning County colluded with the salt mines, fabricating countless wrongful convictions and deceiving countless innocent laborers into coming here. Months of imprisonment turned into life imprisonment, and hope turned into despair. That's why the salt workers were so easily incited to risk their lives; staying here meant a hopeless wait for death.
Reform of the salt mines is imperative. Your Highness abolished the salt-making household system against all odds back then, precisely to ensure that the salt workers who had been oppressed for generations also had human rights. But it should never be like this, where corrupt officials exploit loopholes, substitute criminals for laborers, and use their power to fabricate false cases and then disregard human life with a high-sounding facade.
Jiang Zhiyi immediately understood Lu Yangyang's meaning. She looked at her with some concern and nodded, saying, "I know. Be careful. Qingqing is taking the western route by the sea. Go and meet up with her first. I'll go settle these girls first and leave some people to guard this exit. We'll come to meet you as soon as my brother arrives."
Although Lu Yangyang and Jiang Zhiyi had only known each other for a short time, their collaborations were always seamless and smooth, so she had no worries or doubts whatsoever. She nodded to Jiang Zhiyi, turned around and called out to Lian Sheng, "Lian Sheng, let's go!"
Lian Sheng immediately followed.
By this time, the salt mine was in complete chaos. The salt workers scattered in various places had not all gone to the seaside. Even the junior managers of the salt mine were not thinking about how to solve the problems of the salt mine. Instead, they were seizing the opportunity to hide, loot money, or take advantage of the chaos to humiliate the women.
When Lu Yangyang finally found her way to the room of Fifth Master, the man who had given her permission to enter the salt mine earlier that day, he was still playing hide-and-seek with several girls. A dozen soldiers guarded the door, but despite the commotion outside, the room was filled with the aroma of wine and laughter. Lu Yangyang wasn't used to the long swords the soldiers used, so on her way there, she had passed the kitchen and grabbed a cleaver. She quickly dealt with the soldiers guarding Fifth Master's room and pushed open the door to go inside.
The girls were terrified when they saw Lu Yangyang suddenly appear, and they screamed.
Fifth Master, his eyes blindfolded and wearing only an undergarment, chuckled lewdly upon hearing the girls' cries, groping forward: "What are you yelling for? Just wait until I catch you, then you'll have your turn to yell! Hey, little beauties, where do you think you're going!"
He pounced on Lu Yangyang.
With a single, precise stroke, Lu Yangyang cleaver sliced the red blindfold in two. The blindfold fell to the ground, and Fifth Master, seeing Lu Yangyang suddenly appear before him, froze for a moment before realizing, "You're that new pretty boy who came in today?"
Lu Yangyang moved the knife down and pressed it against his neck. "I'm here to take your dog's life."
"Hmph, pretty boy, you'd better see if you have the ability to take my life!" Fifth Master sneered and flicked a handful of powder at Lu Yangyang's face.
Before he could even feel smug, Lu Yangyang appeared behind him in the next instant, her cleaver already pressed against his neck: "Looks like you prefer this position. What other tricks do you have up your sleeve? Want to try them?"
Fifth Master's eyelids twitched violently. Just as he was about to move his hand, a dark cobra, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, began to crawl up his leg. He caught a glimpse of the snake out of the corner of his eye and trembled violently, his voice becoming weak and trembling: "Please, good sir, spare my life..."
When Lu Yangyang saw the snake, the corners of her lips curled up.
He patted Fifth Master's face with the knife in his hand: "Can you talk properly now?"
Fifth Master replied in a trembling voice, "Yes, yes..."
"Okay, tell me, where is the evidence that your salt mine is selling smuggled salt?" Lu Yangyang asked.
Fifth Master immediately forgot his fear, his eyes widening in disbelief, "You, you..."
"Stop talking nonsense and speak!" Lu Yangyang slapped him on the face with a cleaver.
"I don't know, I really don't know..." Fifth Master hurriedly said.
Lu Yangyang chuckled lightly, pinched his neck with her fingers, and lightly chopped down with the cleaver in her hand.
A bloodcurdling scream, like a pig being slaughtered, echoed through the sky.
Fifth Master's eyes rolled back, and he was about to faint when Lu Yangyang pressed an acupoint on his head. Before he could even pass out, the pain jolted him awake. "You, you're not human! What, what do you want to do?!"
"Still not going to confess?" Lu Yangyang beckoned to Xiao Guai, who had crawled away in disgust from the smell of blood, and said, "Xiao Guai, come here and bite him... in the eye. Aren't you a cobra? Use your own instincts to gouge his eyeballs out."
Little Guai raised its little head, and then, as if it understood, crawled towards the spot where Lu Yangyang's finger was pressing.
The fine, cool snake scales slid across his skin, and the snake's head had already slithered past his chin, crawling towards Fifth Master's face.
"I, I'll talk, I'll talk..." Fifth Master couldn't hold on for even a second and shouted out like a madman.
Lu Yangyang tapped Xiao Guai's head, which had leaned closer, with her fingertip.
Little Guai then climbed onto her wrist.
Lu Yangyang patted Fifth Master's shoulder with her cleaver: "Speak properly. You only have one chance. If you dare to lie to me, I'll chop you up piece by piece and let you watch yourself die!"
Fifth Master was completely terrified and stammered, "I, I'm only responsible for recruiting, recruiting people, so, I only have the personnel list of the salt mine. Selling, selling is not my responsibility. It's with Manager Yang. Manager Yang said, said he would come tonight, but, but perhaps he received, received the news, so, so he didn't come..."
"Where is the list?" Lu Yangyang asked.
Fifth Master pointed to the bed: "Under the pillow, there is, there is a hidden compartment."