#87 - I'm good at suppressing bandits.

The next day.

Because of the commotion the previous night, Liang Zhen decided to rest in Zhongling County for another day.

Wei Changtian didn't care about this. After getting up in the morning, he ran around the county town and only prepared to return to the inn at lunchtime.

Sitting in the carriage, he looked at the scar on Zhang San's face and asked listlessly:

"Zhang San, what did you do before?"

The members of the Freemasons were all awaiting trial prisoners from the Dali Temple, so Zhang San must have had a crime on his back before.

"Young Master, are you asking about everything I've done? Or just those written on the files?" Zhang San asked without changing his expression.

"Oh? From the sound of it, you've done quite a few things."

"The second time was when I was eleven years old."

Half an hour later.

"...The thirty-sixth time I committed a crime was at the age of twenty-five. At that time, I had reached the seventh rank and joined a small gang..."

"Stop!"

Wei Changtian interrupted Zhang San's rambling, his head aching: "How many of these things are recorded in your files?"

"None."

"What?"

Wei Changtian was stunned: "Then what crime were you arrested for?"

Zhang San answered truthfully: "There are a total of twelve charges, the first is..."

"Stop, stop, stop! Don't say anymore!"

Wei Changtian looked up and down at this "outlaw" and said with emotion: "No wonder you are called Zhang San."

Zhang San looked puzzled: "What does the Young Master mean by this?"

"It doesn't mean anything... Is Zhang San your real name or a pseudonym?"

"Pseudonym."

"Then what is your real name?"

"Zhang Quandan."

"...I'll just keep calling you Zhang San."

Wei Changtian was speechless for a while before he came back to his senses and changed the subject: "By the way, how do you remember what happened in the past so clearly?"

"Young Master, I'm not good at anything else, but my memory is particularly good."

Zhang San said seriously: "I can basically remember everything I see and hear."

Wei Changtian was a little surprised: "Is this true?"

"I dare not deceive the Young Master."

"Then that's a skill..."

Wei Changtian stroked his chin and thought for a while, his expression gradually becoming serious.

"Zhang San, although I don't know why Wang Er wanted you to follow me, since I trust him, then I also trust you."

"This time we are going to Shu Prefecture, I may ask you to do a lot of things... Do you know what to do?"

"I know."

Zhang San immediately replied: "Just do it, don't ask."

"What if I ask you to do something you can't do?" Wei Changtian asked again.

"I will do my best."

"Wrong."

Wei Changtian shook his head and corrected: "No matter what, if you feel you can't do it, you should tell me in time, and never try to be brave..."

"And don't act on your own initiative."

"Avoid being careless in everything, especially in a place like Shu Prefecture where you don't know anyone."

"Only caution can lead to great things, remember?"

Zhang San nodded seriously: "I remember, Young Master."

Wei Changtian glanced at him and suddenly asked again: "What are the first words of the four sentences I just said?"

"Wu (无), Yi (亦), Fan (凡), Xiao (小)."

Zhang San blurted out without any hesitation, word for word.

"Not bad!"

Wei Changtian nodded with satisfaction.

"You do have some skills!"

...

It was noon when the carriage returned to the inn.

Yuan'er had been waiting at the door, saying that the skinny county magistrate had come again and set up a table at the inn, and everyone was waiting for him to come back to start the banquet.

As soon as Wei Changtian heard this, he hurried into the hall. Sure enough, the dishes were on the table, and Liang Zhen and others were waiting for him to come back while drinking tea and chatting.

"Nephew! You're just in time, come to the table and eat!"

Liang Zhen put down his teacup and greeted him. Wei Changtian quickly cupped his hands to everyone and apologized, "Everyone, I'm really sorry."

"I didn't know that Lord Wang was hosting a banquet, so I went to the city for a walk and came back a little late."

"Hahaha, it's not late, it's not late."

Liang Zhen laughed twice and sat down in the first seat, casually asking: "Nephew, what do you think of this Zhongling County?"

"This... the streets are wide and spotless."

Wei Changtian really had nothing to praise, so he just found two words at random.

However, these words sounded a bit sarcastic to the skinny county magistrate.

The people have all run away, isn't the city spacious?

His old face flushed, and he lowered his head and cupped his hands: "This official is incompetent, making the Young Master laugh."

"Lord Wang..."

Wei Changtian was too lazy to explain, so he simply followed his words and comforted him: "You don't have to blame yourself too much. As long as the banditry can be quelled, Zhongling will definitely reappear in prosperity in the future."

"I appreciate the Young Master's kind words..."

The skinny county magistrate forced a smile, but anyone could see the bitterness in the smile.

Although they killed a group of bandits yesterday, this was just the tip of the iceberg of the banditry in Zhongling County.

The other bandits may not be controlled by monsters, and their actions will not be so extreme, but robbing villages is definitely commonplace.

So the problem of banditry has not been solved at all.

"Dad..."

Perhaps seeing that the skinny county magistrate and the people of Zhongling were too pitiful, Liang Qin suddenly suggested: "Why don't you write a letter to the governor of Tanzhou and talk about Zhongling..."

Tanzhou is not a border area, so there is no general soldier position, and the military and political power is concentrated in the hands of the governor alone.

In terms of rank, the governor of Tanzhou and the general soldier of Shu Prefecture are both of the third rank. If such a letter is really written, the other party will definitely do him a favor and send troops to suppress the bandits.

But how could Liang Zhen be willing to owe such a favor for a small Zhongling.

"Cough, I don't know Lord Feng, so I'm afraid it's not appropriate to write a letter rashly..."

"Dad! How do you know the governor of Tanzhou's surname is Feng if you don't know him?"

"I..."

Liang Zhen was going crazy, wishing he could shut Liang Qin's mouth.

But at this time, he couldn't get angry, so he could only make the words a little clearer: "Qin'er, this is Tanzhou's business after all. We are just passing by and shouldn't interfere."

"How is this interfering?"

Liang Qin earnestly persuaded: "A letter from you can save countless people in Zhongling from fire and water. Why not do it?"

"This..."

Liang Zhen was speechless by such righteous reasons, and for a while, he didn't know how to make his silly daughter understand the key points.

Fortunately, Wei Changtian spoke up at this time to relieve the siege.

"Qin'er, actually, there is a way to get the state government to send troops to suppress the bandits without Uncle Liang writing a letter."

"Ah?"

Liang Qin quickly asked: "Brother Changtian, what other way is there?"

Wei Changtian smiled: "It's what I said yesterday, just need the rich merchants of Zhongling to be willing to donate money."

"But..."

Liang Qin glanced at the skinny county magistrate and hesitated: "Didn't Lord Wang say they were unwilling to donate money?"

"That was before."

Wei Changtian played with his wine glass and said softly under the curious gazes of everyone: "I have a way to make them obediently go to the county government early tomorrow morning and offer the silver with both hands."

"Young Master!"

The skinny county magistrate asked anxiously before Liang Qin could: "May I ask what method?"

"This matter is very simple, just need Lord Wang and Uncle Liang to cooperate a little..."

Wei Changtian smiled, raised his head, and drank the wine in his glass in one gulp.

"Plus, a few unruly people need to die."