Chapter 20: Is Someone in Fine Clothes Always a Good Person?

Chapter 20: Is Someone in Fine Clothes Always a Good Person?

The poor Chen Yujie was thus heartlessly abandoned by Yang Xin…

His uncle’s official rank was too low.

Yang Xin did not believe a Junior Advisor of the Left, whom he had never even heard of, could protect him. Giving them those clay globes was thanks enough, saving them from being further fooled by the Missionaries. Xu Guangqi was in charge of revising the Chongzhen calendar, and this set of things was extremely helpful to him.

The core of calendar-making was essentially these things.

Amid Chen Yujie’s unwilling shouts, Yang Xin quickly fled. He soon determined his direction and headed straight for Tianjin. Two hours later, he saw the city of Tianjin, but Huang Zhen’s boat was at Xigu. Moreover, he saw soldiers boarding to search. This was within his expectations, after all, he had made it clear he was taking revenge when he killed Liu Qi. And after Huang Zhen arrived in Tianjin, he would certainly report to the authorities about being robbed by river bandits. Putting the two accounts together, his identity was clear. The authorities would definitely search Huang Zhen’s boat. However, they would not be implicated because of this, as they were victims of robbery and murder by bandits. The authorities only knew he was Huang Zhen’s hired hand, not that he was the fugitive slave being hunted…

As for Chen Yujie, he certainly wouldn’t inform.

Yang Xin had full confidence in this man’s character.

Then it would be easy for Huang Zhen to explain.

His hired hand, Yang Xin, upon learning that Liu Qi was the mastermind behind the scenes, was filled with rage over his companion’s death. In a moment of impulse, he left on his own to kill Liu Qi for revenge. That was all. It could only be said he was too impulsive. But Huang Zhen knew nothing about it and was not the instigator. If the Liu Family made a fuss, they could delve into the details of Liu Qi’s collusion with bandits.

As for Huang Zhen dealing in Illicit Salt…

Almost all eight maritime merchants in Gegu dealt in Illicit Salt, and they were real major salt smugglers, so powerful they became local strongmen.

No one would make a big deal over the death of a ruffian.

If such a matter were stirred up, it would be like pulling up a radish and bringing mud with it. For instance, why did the local inspectors and garrison troops sit by and let river bandits loot merchant boats? Where did those bandits go? Why weren’t they eradicated? In short, the officials would find it very troublesome. In a completely rotten system, pulling up any radish might bring out endless mud. On the contrary, by mutual understanding—Huang Zhen not pressing the bandit issue, and the Liu Family not pestering them—everyone from the officials to the families could live in peace.

In the end, people like Liu Qi deserved to die.

However, Yang Xin could not return to the boat.

Because once he went back, Huang Zhen would have to hand him over to the authorities.

“This is easy!”

Huang Zhen said.

Yang Xin hid nearby for a while. After dark, he easily slipped back onto the boat.

“You go to the capital first. Wei Jinzhong still has a rented house in the capital. Wait there. After I return, I will find a way to register you at the county office and get an extra Travel Pass. I’ll send it to you on my next trip to the capital. Then you can use that identity.”

Huang Zhen continued immediately.

“Uncle Huang, don’t you think I acted too impulsively?”

Yang Xin asked curiously.

“Impulsive? In our line of work, the most important thing is to be ruthless enough. If others don’t provoke us, we won’t provoke them. But if others do provoke us, we absolutely cannot tolerate it. We are all wolves. Tolerance will only be seen as weakness! Liu Qi had to be killed. If Liu Qi wasn’t killed, then anyone on this route could bully us in the future, because everyone would know we are weak, that we didn’t even dare to take revenge after being tricked by a ruffian. Then we wouldn’t be able to continue in this business. And you killed Liu Qi, and in this way. So now everyone knows we are ruthless, that we repay debts. In the future, anyone who wants to bully us will have to think twice. As for killing someone, it’s nothing. In our line of work, who hasn’t killed someone? Having a warrant out is also nothing. All of us brothers here have warrants.”

Huang Zhen said.

The three sailors recovering from their injuries nearby immediately revealed fierce yet honest smiles.

They were finally satisfied with Yang Xin.

This guy could fight, was loyal, ruthless, vengeful, and would stand up for his brothers. Such a person was undoubtedly the most suitable partner.

“Huh, I didn’t think of that!”

Yang Xin was taken aback.

“From Quyang, a fugitive slave who wounded his master, but now he’s using the identity of a drowned man!”

Said Si Hu, the sailor he got along with fairly well.

“Fugitive household!”

Another said bluntly.

“From Ningjin Marsh, killed someone by accident in a fight, but now registered in Baoding.”

Said the remaining one.

Yang Xin clasped his hands in salute.

This was a den of thieves!

“Take these five taels of silver. Avoid the checkpoints on the main roads. When entering the city, don’t use the Zuo’an Gate, use the Yongding Gate. That family from last time is around the Chongwen Gate area, try to avoid them. You learn languages fast, try to speak the local dialect. As long as a person speaks like a local, the gate guards won’t check the Travel Pass. Within a hundred li, no Travel Pass is needed. After entering the city, go directly to find Shopkeeper Lin. He will find Wei Jinzhong. The local headmen won’t bother with people arranged by Wei Jinzhong to stay.”

Huang Zhen said.

Yang Xin didn’t stand on ceremony and directly took the silver.

Actually, he still had some private money. Miss Fang’s money pouch that hit him still had six Spanish silver coins. He spent one on the road, gave two to Miao Er, and originally meant to give him the remaining three, but Miao Er ran off. He certainly wasn’t going to make a special trip to deliver them.

He glanced at Huang Ying.

She seemed to want to say something but stopped herself. However, she couldn’t go with him, as Huang Zhen was still injured.

Yang Xin didn’t say anything more and promptly left the boat.

The rest was simple.

Relying on his strong body and good eyesight, he traveled at night directly along the official road on the west bank of the Grand Canal. When he encountered government ferry crossings, he swam across. When he came upon villages, he detoured around them. He walked forward freely, like a traveling backpacker. In fact, it was equivalent to a forced march speed. Given his current condition, his forced march speed was basically his fast march, and his fast march speed was like his leisurely stroll. Just like this, he reached Yangcun at dawn. However, he did not enter Yangcun, as there was an inspection office there. Instead, he found a small village on the outskirts and walked up to the gate of the most upscale residence in this village…

“Esteemed Sir!”

In the morning mist, accompanied by the barking of dogs all around, he said with an enthusiastic face to a middle-aged man in a brocade robe who was enjoying the view at the gate.

“What is it?”

The latter said absentmindedly.

He was still playing with two iron balls in his hand, looking like the perfect local tyrant.

“Could you invite me to your home as a guest, provide a simple meal, and then offer some travel money?”

Yang Xin said with a sincere expression.

The latter was stunned for a moment.

“Haha, how amusing. Someone actually dares to cause trouble at my doorstep. Boy, do you know where this is?”

Then he said, not angry but laughing.

The next moment, Yang Xin’s right hand shot out like lightning. The man reacted quickly too, instinctively stepping back, but he was ultimately a bit slower than Yang Xin in speed. Immediately, one iron ball was in Yang Xin’s hand. The man let out a cry of alarm and hurriedly took big steps back, adopting a defensive stance. However, at the same time, the iron ball in Yang Xin’s hand flew out with a faint whistling sound, striking the base of the stone lion at the gate. There was a crisp impact sound, accompanied by flying stone chips. Half of the small lion under the mother lion’s foot was gone…

“Can we do it now?”

Yang Xin continued to ask with a sincere face.

The man swallowed.

“Please!”

He said without hesitation.

“I knew it! We people of Shuntian Prefecture are all hospitable!”

Yang Xin said with a smile.

The man gave an awkward smile. At this moment, two Household Servants with knives rushed out from inside, but he quickly stopped them with a look. After Yang Xin walked past, one of the servants looked towards the direction of Yangcun, giving him a questioning look.

The man hesitated.

But ultimately shook his head.

An hour later, Yang Xin, full of food and drink, burped contentedly as he left, carrying a freshly roasted lamb leg in his hand. His money pouch also gained an additional ten taels of silver for travel expenses. Throughout, this obvious local magnate did not make any unusual moves. He neither gathered people to capture Yang Xin nor reported to the nearby Yangcun inspection office. Instead, he drank merrily with Yang Xin, quite happily, even calling each other brothers by the end.

This was a smart man.

He knew that when dealing with such a desperado, especially a lone wolf, the best way was to send him off as quickly as possible. Spending a bit on food, drink, and silver was nothing. If a fuss were made, there was no guarantee people wouldn’t die.

Yang Xin liked such smart people.

That very evening, once again full of food and drink, he walked out from the residence of a local magnate near Hexiwu, a leather bedding roll gifted by the host slung over his shoulder.

The latter even saw him off with a smiling face!

Then Yang Xin found a grove nearby, climbed to the top of a tree over twenty meters high, made a hammock among the branches with the leather bedding, tied a safety rope around his waist, and lay there suspended in mid-air, sleeping until daybreak. After getting up, he went to bother a local gentry family near Shahedian. However, he encountered some trouble here, but fortunately, he still moved the latter with practical action.

He managed to get a full fifty taels of travel money from him.

Just like a Great Qing donation-seeker going around seeking contributions, he ended his journey to the capital in Huoxian County, transforming back into a law-abiding commoner. He honestly paid to enter the city, found an inn to stay, commissioned the innkeeper to help buy an expensive set of moon-white crepe silk Taoist robes at a high price, put on a black square scarf, and wore vermilion cloud-patterned shoes. Instantly, he looked quite elegant and refined…

This was called disguise.

Xu Xiake, wearing a scholar’s blue robe, traveled all over the land and only encountered one person checking his Travel Pass.

Even though he was a fake—he only took the children’s exam once, far from taking the Xiucai exam—with this outfit, he could blend in all over the region south of the Yangtze River and beyond. The Great Ming’s respect for scholars had reached its peak. Anyone dressed as a scholar was immediately regarded highly.

Regardless of being real or fake.

“What if it’s fake? Does fake mean one isn’t learned and erudite?”

Yang Xin’s Folding Fan snapped open, and he gently fanned himself in front of his chest, talking to himself. The moon-white crepe silk Taoist robes fluttered lightly in the wind, revealing the bright red cloud-patterned shoes on his feet…

“What place is this?”

He asked the coachman behind him.

Alright, he had even hired a carriage.

“In reply to you, young master, this is Fang Village. Originally, we should have taken the Zuo’an Gate, but you specified the Yongding Gate, so we need to pass through Fang Village.”

The coachman said with an ingratiating smile.

“Fang Village!”

Yang Xin drawled the words.