After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times-Chapter 608 - 602: Achievements in Suppressing Bandits

Chapter 608: Chapter 602: Achievements in Suppressing Bandits

Fu Tinghan frowned silently.

Gao Hui noticed and paused before whispering, "Young master, a cunning rabbit has three burrows, and he’s placed some treasure outside Hai’er Ridge. He is willing to exchange those treasures for a safe identity."

Fu Tinghan looked up at him, "Being a guard for a caravan isn’t exactly safe."

Gao Hui replied, "But right now he’s being hunted by Beigong Chun and Zhao Yong, facing a catastrophe. If you can save him, he’d be willing to be not just a guard, but even a coachman."

Fu Tinghan remained silent, turning to look out the window, where Qiao Sheng and Zhao Chang were locked in an even match, neither able to gain the upper hand.

But he knew, this round was actually won by Qiao Sheng, because he’d just gone through a major battle and escape, and had fought someone before, seemingly carrying injuries, yet Zhao Chang couldn’t defeat him even by resting and attacking at leisure, proving Qiao Sheng’s prowess.

The guards in the courtyard could naturally see what he did, but their faces showed little anger, instead bursting out with cheers, some even looking at Qiao Sheng with admiration.

"Qiao Sheng and his men killed the guards in the caravan, aren’t the guards resentful?"

Gao Hui was stunned for a moment, confusedly asking, "Why should they be?"

He said confidently, "Us being robbed wasn’t part of a conspiracy, at that time they were bandits, we were civilians, bandits robbing civilians, civilians resisting bandits, all for profit, all within reason. They did kill several of our men, but we also killed quite a few bandits."

"If he wants to join us, then we’re on the same side, living and dying together, how could there be resentment?"

That answer was unexpected for Fu Tinghan, wondering if Hanzhang also thought the same.

He realized he had been short-sighted, caught up in small loyalties; indeed, this era was beyond his expectations.

Fu Tinghan smiled lightly, nodding, "If you’re confident in winning him over, then keep him, with just one condition, the caravan guard leader must be Zhao Chang."

Gao Hui bowed his head in agreement, promising to keep a close watch on Qiao Sheng and his men, ensuring they cause no further trouble.

"As for that place by Hai’er Ridge..."

"I’ll handle it," Fu Tinghan said, "Second Son is easier to convince, but General Beigong isn’t easily fooled. Make sure they don’t go out and keep a low profile recently."

Gao Hui nodded. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Only then did Fu Tinghan say, "List out their names for me, note their ages and physical characteristics."

"Yes."

Fu Tinghan donned his gauze hat and left. As he passed by, he noticed Qiao Sheng noticing him emerging from the adjacent room and stiffened, watching closely, though with the hat obscuring, Qiao Sheng couldn’t see much.

Fu Tinghan merely glanced in their direction before leading his men out of the courtyard and leaving by car.

Gao Hui escorted them to the gate, watching as Fu Tinghan’s guards took him away before turning back around.

Qiao Sheng looked at Gao Hui with piercing eyes, and Gao Hui, meeting his gaze, smiled slightly; look, such smart people, he loved dealing with smart people.

Gao Hui stepped forward, announcing to everyone, "From now on, Qiao Sheng is also a guard for our caravan, we’re all one family, and let bygones be bygones. Let’s look forward!"

The people acknowledged, looking at Qiao Sheng and his men not with too much closeness, but not as they did before as if eager to swallow each other whole.

In this era, gratitude is hard to earn, enmity easy to foster, so they’d remember gratitude and forget grudges; all licking blood off a knife’s edge, who knew when they’d breathe their last?

Fu Tinghan left, and the sky gradually darkened, while Beigong Chun and Zhao Erlang were still up on Hai’er Ridge.

They were ransacking the treasures in the mountain hideout: copper coins, gold, silver, textiles, porcelain, various ornaments, even tung oil.

Zhao Erlang, a bit naive, found a room full of tung oil, surprised beyond measure, and immediately ordered people to move it, shouting loudly, "This is my find, it’s all ours."

The soldiers’ gazes drifted to the other side; they wanted to seize the money.

But Zhao Erlang felt there was so much tung oil, not quite knowing its value, so he called everyone to move it quickly.

Lv Hu approached quietly and said, "Young master, these will be divided later, we might as well grab the money first, the soldiers can pocket a bit."

"Huh?"

Lv Hu, "You forgot, you and General Beigong agreed to divide evenly, and these barrels of tung oil are too big to hide, they won’t count as yours."

Only then did Zhao Erlang realize, quickly ordering everyone to scramble for the money.

The captured bandits squatted in the open space, the soldiers frisked them thoroughly, not leaving a single coin.

Zhao Erlang was quite taken with this treasure-hunting game too, so he ran over, scanning the group quickly and pulling aside one who seemed high-ranking to ask, "Tell me, besides these few places, where else is your hideout’s treasure hidden?"

The man remained silent.

Zhao Erlang wouldn’t relent, rolling up his sleeves and punching.

The man didn’t expect Zhao Erlang to hit the moment he spoke, quickly saying, "Our boss has some hidden money too, I know it’s stashed inside his bed."

Zhao Erlang clenched his fist and asked, "What else?"

"N-no more."

"Liar, do you think I believe that?" Zhao Erlang thought the money was probably already seized by the soldiers, everyone knew that good stuff was hidden under the bed. But Sister had said, cunning rabbits make three burrows, and that bandit leader was so crafty, he must have many hideouts, "Tell me, where’s your other hideout?"

The bandit trembled all over, Zhao Erlang’s punches hurt, he quickly added, "I truly don’t know; I’ve never heard we have a second hideout. General, you can go check, they must have missed it. Our leader hid things in the bed."

He gestured earnestly, "Inside the bed, lift the bed board up, it’s hollow inside."

This was Zhao Erlang’s first time seeing such a thing; he immediately led a group, excitedly heading over.

Qiao Sheng’s room had already been searched twice, and still, some soldiers reluctantly continued looking, one even snatching a pearl fallen under a shelf and quickly pocketing it.

Seeing Zhao Erlang burst in, he immediately lowered his head and stepped aside.

Zhao Erlang paid him no mind, heading straight to rummage through Qiao Sheng’s bed.

The bed lay bare; the soldiers, quite frugal, had even taken away the quilt and pillows, leaving nothing wasted.

This cumbersome bed, made of ordinary wood, held no appeal to anyone, thus it was left alone.

At this point, aside from the low table and seating mat, even the wooden screen had been taken by others.

A soldier from the Xiliang army thought, "My parents just arrived, we lack so much at home, taking this stuff back saves us from buying it."

A Zhao Family Army soldier thought, "Taking this stuff to the pawnshop might fetch something, even if just a few hundred wén, it’s enough to eat well several times, haul it along!"

Therefore, the room was thoroughly looted.

Qiao Sheng’s bed was indeed cumbersome, stuck close to the wall as if glued, and there were marks of attempts to move it, unsure whether someone tried to take it away.

Zhao Erlang fiddled a bit, finding himself unable to pry open the bed board or the bed, in frustration he turned, glaring at the bandit.

The bandit quickly said, "I-I also don’t know how to open it; all I know is the boss hid things inside."

Zhao Erlang frowned at the bed, finally taking off his shoes and stomping hard on it. He stomped for a good while, just about to haul in a big rock to smash it when one of his stomps broke through, creating a big hole in the bed.

Everyone: ...