I am a temporary worker in Jinyiwei, how did I become a powerful official?

Chapter 170: Saving the Town God Blood General ( Words)
Qi Jiguang rode a fast horse to Yiwu, feeling very worried.

On the one hand, he was worried about Lin Shisan's safety.

On the other hand, Yiwu people are the most suitable to form a new army. But after witnessing the fight between Wu and Chen in Yiwu last time, he went to see the two clan leaders Wu Weizhong and Chen Dacheng respectively.

The Wu and Chen clansmen had no interest in joining the Ming army.

In their eyes, being a soldier? What kind of soldier? Soldiers are there to bully the common people. They are all wicked, scumbag bastards.

We are guarding the copper mine in Wunan. Although we are doing hard labor, we earn a living by our labor. It is a solid job!

As the saying goes, good men don't join the army, and good iron is not used to make nails. This is true.

Not only the Wu and Chen families, but most of the Wunan people have the same idea.

Hu Zongxian had already submitted a memorial to the court. If the court approved the recruitment of soldiers from Yiwu, but the people of Yiwu were unwilling, then the matter would be hopeless.

Lin Shisan and his companions were traveling south when they saw a mountain in front of them.

There is a mountain name monument at the foot of the mountain, which is called "Babao Mountain". (Note: This is the real mountain name in Yiwu, please do not make random associations or comments)
Lin Shisan said, "The innkeeper on Zhupiyan Street said that Babao Mountain is where Kantou Village and Beilei Village compete for the copper mine. If we run into the locals later, we'll do what we can."

Sun Yue said calmly: "What are you afraid of? At worst, they can reveal their identities. I don't believe they have the courage to kill the imperial envoy!"

As soon as he finished speaking, more than twenty strong men holding bamboo spears suddenly jumped out from the piles of dry grass on both sides of the road.

The leading man picked up a bamboo spear and pierced the neck of the mule that Sun Yue was riding. The mule was frightened and threw Sun Yue out.

Sun Yue, who weighed more than 200 pounds, caught an old lady in bed and fell flat on his face.

The mule was bleeding profusely, and after struggling for a few times, it died of a cold.

The other men also thrust out their bamboo spears, and in an instant all four mules were killed. Lin Shisan and the others were thrown into a state of shock.

Lin Shisan thought to himself: Not good! He came up and killed the mule without saying a word. Did he encounter bandits who wanted to kidnap and rob? No, why didn't the bandits shout "I built this road and I planted this tree"?

The leading man ordered one of his men behind him: "Go back to the village and ask the women to boil water. We will eat mule meat tonight."

Lin Shisan stood up unsteadily and bowed to the man: "Good man. We have no grudges in the past or today, why do you want to kill our mule?"

"If it's a robbery, I have fifty taels of silver in my bag, five or six taels of silver in my cuffs, and five hundred taels of silver notes in my bosom. I can give them all to you."

Lin Shisan thought: As the saying goes, don't hit a smiling person. The bandits are looking for money. I will give them. They will never make things difficult for me.
"Pa!" Just as he thought of this, the leading man slapped Lin Shisan in the face without hesitation.

Lin Shisan was slapped so hard that he saw stars.

The leading man cursed: "You think we are bandits, don't you? We are honest citizens!"

After saying that, the man swung his arm again and gave Lin Shisan a big slap in the face.

The slap in the face made Lin Shisan spin on the spot.

Sun Yue shouted: "Don't hit my master, come at me if you dare!"

After shouting this, Sun Yue knelt down with his hands on his earlobes, "Don't hit people in the face. I have thick flesh on my buttocks, so hit me on the buttocks if you want to."

Li Gao was used to being rude in Beijing. He yelled, "Do you know who my sister is? My sister is..."

Before he finished speaking, a man punched Li Gao in the mouth. Li Gao vomited blood and could not utter a word.

The leading man saw that Zhang Bo was the oldest and thought he was the leader of the four. So he walked up to Zhang Bo and said, "Old man, I am Wu Weixian, the younger brother of Wu Weizhong, the chief of Kantou Village!"

"Everyone knows that Babao Mountain is a forbidden area in our Kantou Village. You must have come here with bad intentions!"

Lin Shisan was surprised: He is actually the brother of the Wu clan leader? What a guy. It is said that the people here are tough, and now I have seen it with my own eyes. The Bull Demon King has to pull the cage and plow three acres of land before leaving.

Lin Shisan said, "Mr. Wu, please don't embarrass my old butler. I am the shopkeeper."

Wu Weixian cursed, "You are the shopkeeper? Bullshit! I think you are either a spy from Beilei Village or a runner sent by the county yamen official."

Lin Shisan quickly explained: "You misunderstood, brave man! We are merchants who come to Guibaodi to buy goods."

Wu Weixian frowned: "A merchant who wants to buy goods? What goods do you want to buy? No one lives here, what goods can we sell to you?"

Lin Shisan said: "Let's buy Jinhua ham."

Before he finished speaking, Wu Weixian slapped him again with his big slap on the face: "I'll beat you to death, you liar. People in northern Wu smoke ham. Where can you find ham in southern Wu?"

Lin Shisan quickly explained: "Ah, in addition to ham, we also collect copper. I opened a ham shop and a copperware shop in the capital."

Wu Weixian looked at Lin Shisan suspiciously: "Buying copper privately will lead to lawsuits. Do you have an official to protect you?"

Lin Shisan replied, "Ah, right, right, right. I wonder if you have heard of the famous salt rat in Jiangnan. He has a stake in my family's copperware business."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wu Weixian slapped him in the face again: "What makes me most angry is the dogs raised by corrupt officials."

From childhood to adulthood, Lin Shisan had never experienced such a powerful fight.

His face was swollen from being slapped, and his cheeks looked like they were holding two eggs.

A man named Wang Rulong nearby reminded Wu Weixian: "Don't be fooled by him. I don't think he is a dog of a corrupt official, but a spy from Beilei Village."

"Chen Dacheng from Beilei Village has already announced that he will gather people to take back the road into the mountains this month."

"They are most likely sent by Chen Dacheng to step on the plate."

Wu Weixian said angrily: "Stop talking! Beat them to death! I don't believe they won't tell the truth!"

Wang Rulong rolled up his sleeves and said, "Brothers, don't just stand there, get started!"

Lin Shisan groaned in his heart: Damn it, the political situation is as turbulent as the sea, and I have to wade through it all.

If he gets beaten to death in the ravine this time, it would be a real disaster.

The men were about to take action when a young man shouted, "Oh no! Something terrible has happened!" and ran towards them.

Wu Weixian shouted to the young man, "What's wrong?"

The young man replied: "The Iron Crown, Golden Claws and Blood General in our ancestral hall is listless and cannot eat or drink. I'm afraid he's going to die."

"The clan leader is leading our villagers to pray in the ancestral hall. I want you to go back quickly!"

The innkeeper of the Zhupiyan Street had mentioned to Lin Shisan before that the Iron Crowned, Golden Clawed and Bloody General was regarded as a sacred chicken of the village by the Wunan people and was raised in the ancestral hall to be worshipped as a deity.

When Wu Weixian heard that General Xue was about to die, his face suddenly changed: "Don't do anything yet, let's go back to the ancestral hall. Tie up these four people and take them back to the ancestral hall as well."

There is a large village to the east of Mount Babao. There are probably one or two thousand houses. It is more like a township than a village.

This is Kantou Village. Ninety percent of the villagers are surnamed Wu, with some surnames like Wang, Ding, and Ye.

Lin Shisan and his companions were taken to the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall in Kantou Village. When he looked up, he saw the four-character plaque on the ancestral hall, which read "重本杜义" (Respecting the Roots and Loyalty).

At this moment, the villagers knelt inside and outside the ancestral hall, and their loud cries resounded through the sky.

My goodness, if you knew that the chickens they raised in the ancestral hall were dying, you would think that their parents had passed away.

Wu Weixian brought the four people to the clan leader Wu Weizhong.

Wu Weizhong was about thirty years old, seven feet tall, and his cloth clothes could barely cover his muscular body.

Wu Weixian said: "Brother, we have captured four spies sent by Beilei Village."

Wu Weizhong said: "Take them aside. If General Blood dies, use their heads to sacrifice to General Blood." Lin Shisan and others were tied up and thrown into a corner of the ancestral hall.

A child about ten years old walked to the center of the ancestral hall holding a wild pheasant with a white neck and long tail.

Lin Shisan took a quick look and saw that the wild pheasant had a purple crest and golden claws. He thought this was the Iron-Crowned and Golden-Clawed Blood General recorded in the "Cockfighting Manual".

The child put the Blood General on the ground. The Blood General staggered two steps and then fell to the ground, moaning weakly.

Wu Weizhong kowtowed to General Xue and cried, "General Xue, General Xue. Your father lived for seven years and blessed our Kantou Village for seven years."

"Why are you leaving after only three years?"

"At this critical moment when we are competing with Beilei Village for the copper mine, who will protect us if you leave?"

"Wow, wow, wow", everyone in the ancestral hall was crying.

Suddenly, a voice came from the corner of the ancestral hall: "I can save General Blood!"

Wu Weizhong looked in the direction of the voice and saw Lin Shisan, whose face was swollen like a pig.

Lin Shisan shouted, "Chief Wu, I have a way to save General Xue. Really!"

Wu Weizhong ordered Wu Weixian: "Bring him here."

Lin Shisan was pressed in front of Wu Weizhong.

Wu Weizhong asked: "Aren't you from Beilei Village? The people of Beilei Village are all evil. How could they really save our God-blood General who guards the village?"

Lin Shisan wanted to cry: "Listen to my accent, it's very authentic Beijing accent. How could I be a local of Wunan? And I can't be from Beilei Village."

Wu Weixian said on the side: "Brother, even if they are not locals, they are outsiders hired by Beilei Village to step on the plates."

Lin Shisan said: "God and heaven are my conscience! I am really a merchant who came to your precious land to buy copper."

"Chief Wu, we come to buy copper, which is equivalent to giving you money. How can we tie up and beat up those who give money?"

"As for this Blood General, I really have a way to save him. He looks so weak and dying. Why don't you give him a try and let me have a try?"

Wu Weizhong pondered for a long time and then asked, "Do you really have a way to save it?"

Lin Shisan nodded repeatedly.

Wu Weizhong said, "Well, I'll let you try. If you can't save it, I'll kill you and bury it with you. Come on, untie this man."

Two strong men stepped forward and untied the ropes on Lin Shisan.

Lin Shisan said: "Please prepare four things for me. A head of garlic, a cup of white wine, a cup of ginger water, a basin of white vinegar, ten pieces of charcoal, a funnel, and a gourd ladle..."

Wu Weizhong ordered someone to get what Lin Shisan wanted.

Lin Shisan crushed the garlic, put it in a gourd ladle, and poured in ginger water and white wine and mixed well.

Then he said to Wu Weixian, "Brave man, help pry open General Blood's mouth."

Wu Weixian frowned: "Pry its mouth open? I dare not, for fear of being struck by lightning."

Lin Shisan was a little anxious: "You are saving it, not harming it. Even if you can't save it, I will be the one struck by the thunder. What are you afraid of?"

Wu Weizhong said: "Second brother, listen to him."

Wu Weixian squatted down and pried open the chicken's beak.

Lin Shisan ordered again: "Let it lie on its back."

Lin Shisan put the funnel into the chicken's mouth and poured the garlic and ginger wine in the gourd ladle into it.

Then Lin Shisan lit the charcoal and placed the copper basin of white vinegar on top to heat it. He then carried General Xue to a place two feet away from the copper basin.

Soon, the whole ancestral hall was filled with the smell of vinegar.

A moment later, a magical scene happened.

General Blood stood up from the ground, with his head held high, and a loud rooster crowed.

The method Lin Shisan used just now was a secret method of curing chicken plague by using fighting cocks.

This secret method is not a guaranteed cure. If you use this method to treat ten fighting cocks that have fowl plague, at most two or three can be saved.

Maybe God didn't want to see Lin Shisan die in the poor mountain valley of Yiwu, so he appeared and blessed him to successfully cure General Xue.

General Xue suddenly spread his wings and flew high, flew a circle in the ancestral hall, and then landed steadily.

Wu Weizhong was extremely surprised: "Is General Xue all right?"

Lin Shisan said, "It's healed, but not completely. You have to fumigate it with white vinegar three times a day for three days, and it will be healed."

Wu Weizhong turned his head and looked at all the clansmen, shouting: "The ancestors appeared and blessed General Xue! Kowtow!"

All the clansmen kowtowed to the ancestral tablets.

Wu Weizhong then bowed to Lin Shisan and said, "Thank you, brother. But, are you really not a spy sent by Beilei Village?"

Lin Shisan looked miserable: "I really am not."

Wu Weizhong asked back: "How to prove it?"

The government offices of every dynasty had a unique way to make prisoners never to turn over a new leaf: the officials ordered the prisoners to prove their innocence.

Self-affirmation has always been a trap.

You say you didn't do anything evil, so how do you prove that you didn't do anything evil?

As long as the criminal falls into the trap of self-incrimination, even if he is innocent, he cannot clear his name even if he jumps into the Yellow River.

Although Lin Shisan was not an old hand at criminal law, he had been in the Imperial Guard for several years. How could he not know the power of the self-evidence trap?
Lin Shisan bravely refuted Wu Weizhong loudly: "Then how can you prove that I am a spy from Beilei Village?"

"The three characters 'Chong Ben Du Yi' are inscribed on the plaque of your ancestral hall."

"Is it right to arrest people and accuse them without any evidence? Is it right to beat them without any reason?"

"We are just merchants who come to collect copper!"

After saying this, Lin Shisan took out some change from his sleeve, two silver ingots from his bag, and a dozen silver bills from his arms.

Lin Shisan said, "Did you see that? This time we came here, we brought more than 500 taels of silver notes, silver ingots, and small change."

"It's not that I look down on the Beilei Village. How much money does their village have to bribe a wealthy businessman like me to be a spy?"

Wu Weixian said, "Brother, don't listen to his nonsense. I will tear his mouth apart."

Wu Weizhong said, "No, he has a point. If there were spies who wanted to harm our Kantou Village, they wouldn't have brought so much money into Babao Mountain."

Lin Shisan let out a long sigh: "That's right! Okay, Chief Wu, now that the misunderstanding has been resolved, let's talk about the copper business?"

Wu Weizhong waved his hand and said, "Come on, take a seat."

(End of this chapter)