The Song Dynasty on the Sand Table

Chapter 82 I am the only thief

Wu Jialiang had a strange aura about him. As soon as he started talking, Gao Jin felt close to him. He always felt that just chatting with this person made him want to become brothers with him...

He didn't know where this feeling came from, but he just wanted to chat with Wu Jialiang for a few more words: "Brother Wu Yong, you want to get to know a wealthy family in Laiyang County? That's no problem! I happen to know a wealthy family. He is very famous in both Laiyang and Muping counties. I'll set up a table and drink, and then we can have a good chat about this person."

Wu Jialiang was immediately delighted: "That's great! Oh, I'm the host here, I should be the one to treat Brother Gao Jin to a drink, but I came in such a hurry..."

Gao Jin laughed: "It doesn't matter who invites whom, right?"

He turned and waved to the sailors on the ship: "Bring down some good wine and good meat."

Madam Gong Er stepped forward and said, "Who are you looking down on? You've come here and I'm the one hosting the banquet. If anyone else does, you're just being disrespectful to me."

Wu Jialiang and Gao Jin both laughed and decided that they could only let Madam Gong Er host the party.

After a while, the rebels set up the table, served the food, and the three of them sat around the table.

They were obviously the daughters of an official, a businessman, and a soldier, but all three of them were full of banditry. They drank several bowls of rice wine in the blink of an eye. Gao Jin then slowly talked about his connections in Laiyang County.

It turned out that after the last time the Jin soldiers came to cause trouble, Laiyang County was also severely damaged. The county town was breached and all the officials were killed. However, the Ma family, the largest gentry family in Laiyang County, fled in advance and hid in the home of relatives in Dengzhou next door. Only the Jin soldiers burned their manor and fortress, and some property was lost, but no one in the family was killed.

After the Jin soldiers retreated, the Ma family returned to Laiyang and used their powerful influence to control the entire county.

Later, the imperial court reappointed officials, and new county magistrates and county lieutenants came to Laiyang County to take office. However, the new officials had no foundation, and their orders could not be carried out outside the government. Laiyang County is still controlled by the Ma family.

Gao Jin often uses this sea route to purchase salt and has a long-standing friendship with the Ma family.

He took a sip of rice wine and said with a smile, "The Ma family is descended from General Ma Yuan of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Due to the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, their ancestors migrated from the foot of Mount Chao'e in Yunyang County to Jiaodong. They split into four branches and lived in Caiyang, Huangxian, Muping, and Wendeng counties respectively. It has been over three hundred years since then. The branch in Laiyang County is not very powerful. The branch in Muping County, Dengzhou, is the truly powerful one. Half of Dengzhou belongs to their family, nicknamed Ma Banzhou."

Wu Jialiang was delighted: "The descendant of a famous general of the Han Dynasty! He must be a good man. I must get to know him."

Huh? Mouping County? Mabanzhou? Yue Wenxuan, watching the show outside the sandbox, felt a strange feeling when he heard this. He felt like he had heard these words put together somewhere before. But where exactly? He couldn't recall for a moment.

Gao Jin ordered someone to bring down paper and pen from the boat, and quickly wrote a letter. In it, he explained that Wu Jialiang and Madam Gong Er were his new acquaintances, and that he wanted to meet the Ma family. After finishing, he handed the letter to Wu Jialiang and said with a smile, "Brother Wu Yong, take this letter. The Ma family and I have been doing business for many years, and we have a good relationship. After seeing this letter, I'm sure they would be willing to meet you. With your generous spirit, you will definitely become their friend at first sight."

Wu Jialiang was overjoyed and kept the letter close to his body. "I've made the acquaintance of Brother Gao Jin today. It's worth my life. Come, have a drink..."

The two of them drank one bowl each and finished several bowls of rice wine.

They unconsciously started a drinking contest. They didn't know how long they had been drinking before Madam Gong Er gave up first and stopped drinking. After a while, Gao Jin fell to the ground after drinking so much. Wu Jialiang laughed heartily: "You guys are no match for me. I've only finished half of my drink. Hahaha..."

The sailors on the ship came down, apologized, and carried Gao Jin, who was drunk and unconscious, onto the ship. Then the ship filled with salt set sail.

After he left, Wu Jialiang waved the letter in his hand and said to Madam Gong, whose face was flushed from drinking, "Lord Gong, I'm planning to go to Laiyang County. Wait for good news from me. Once I convince the Ma family, we can join forces to attack the Laiyang bandits. We'll definitely wipe out every last one of them." Madam Gong said, "County Lieutenant Wu, you're an official from Jimo. Is it really okay for you to go to Laiyang County to meet with the local gentry? If the higher-ups find out, they'll definitely accuse you of colluding with the locals."

Wu Jialiang laughed: "I dare to come to the den of thieves and even call pirates brothers. Is there any place I can't go?"

Madam Gong Er: "I am not a thief, I am a righteous soldier. Mr. Gao is not a pirate, he is a merchant."

Wu Jialiang laughed: "Yes, yes, you are neither thieves nor pirates, you are all good people! Only I am not a good person, I am a real thief, hahahaha, I can go wherever I want, tens of thousands of soldiers can't surround me, how can I be trapped by a mere Jimo County."

Madam Gong Er: "County Magistrate Wu, you've had too much to drink."

Wu Jialiang didn't explain. He jumped up and walked out. Luo Tuimao brought his horse over. Wu Jialiang jumped on the horse and shouted, "Let's go to the Ma family in Laiyang."

He brought four trusted aides, Master Ye and Bruce Lee, a group of seven people, and galloped towards the northeast.

Yue Wenxuan watched him run out of the salt field...

Since Madam Gong Er was still in the salt field, the field of view of the sand table did not move. Wu Jialiang and his group quickly ran out of the edge of the sand table and disappeared in an instant.

Can't see it anymore!

Yue Wenxuan still wanted to continue gossiping, so he became aware of everything and possessed Master Ye.

They continued to run with Wu Jialiang. This time they ran from noon to dusk. The group of seven had already run out of Jimo County and arrived in Laiyang County.

If you ask anyone here, you will know the name of the Lai Yang Ma family. Following the instructions of passers-by, you will continue to move towards the Ma family.

I ran until evening, the sun was setting, and I could finally see the wall of the Laiyang Ma family in front of me.

Yue Wenxuan looked at the Ma family from afar. This was a very old family castle with hundreds of years of history. The castle was high and had thick walls, giving it a sense of timelessness and heaviness.

But the castle had recently suffered a disaster, and the walls were burned black, and there was no time to repaint them.

A large number of migrant workers were entering and exiting the gate of the fortress, carrying in stones, soil, wood and other building materials, and carrying out some scraps and waste materials...

Wu Jialiang pointed at the Ma family's gate and said, "Gao Jin said that the Ma family's house was burned down by the Jin thieves a few months ago. It seems to be true. The Ma family is rebuilding their house."

Luo Tuimao whispered, "Brother, if we ask them to send troops at this time, I'm afraid the Ma family won't be able to handle it, right?"

Wu Jialiang shook his head: "One thing is one thing! The village fortress needs to be rebuilt, and the bandits must be eliminated. Otherwise, if Laiyang County becomes chaotic, his Ma family will suffer as well."

(End of this chapter)