From the leftmost row, Xue Huan's deputy, a man named Song Wan, spoke up, "Brother, what you mean is..."
Xue Huan flicked the Mixue Ice City flyer.
"Lao Tzu's meaning is very simple."
He stood up, put his hands behind his back, and paced back and forth a couple of steps.
"How long can we keep guarding this mountain? The day the imperial court remembers, they can send troops to surround us, and we'll be sitting ducks."
"But if we go down the mountain and find a respectable leader, and use our skills in the right way, then every one of us will be a respectable person with a name, not some bandits, but..."
He paused, "According to the title in the storybook, he's the security captain."
A commotion broke out in the hall.
"Security captain?"
What is that?
"Sounds like the head of the guards?"
"Hu Qiu said, 'Security guards, security guards, keep the area safe!'"
"That's awesome! I want to be a security guard too!"
"Me too! Me too! Boss, take us to be security guards!!!"
"Our leader is wise and mighty!!!"
Xue Huan raised her hand to suppress the buzzing sound.
" The Prince Yi's Residence, the Land of Abundance Granary, the road construction site, and the new road that runs from the West Mountain all the way to the North Post —all these areas need to be guarded."
"This is called the Yi Prefecture City defense and security system. It's now clearly described in the storybooks."
Although Prince Yi has no immediate plans to harm us, it's only a matter of time. He's taking advantage of this opportunity to offer us amnesty."
Song Wan took a step forward and lowered her voice, "Big brother, when we go down the mountain, we should bring something as a token of our loyalty, right? We can't go empty-handed and be looked down upon."
Xue Huan nodded, turned around, raised her chin, and pointed in the direction of the warehouse.
"I've already planned it out. We'll bring out the two chests of silver stored in the warehouse as a token of our loyalty."
A shrewd-eyed man standing nearby immediately exclaimed, "Boss, that's what the brothers have been saving for three years!"
Xue Huan glanced at him sideways. "You're just saving them to get moldy? You guys have been reading storybooks for nothing. This is called investing, understand?"
Invest! Deposit it, and you'll receive dividends; one tael will become three.
The narrow-eyed man shut his mouth.
"And another thing," Xue Huan slammed the storybook on the table, "The surrounding hills are full of scoundrels who rob and plunder ordinary people, bullying peddlers and doing all sorts of unscrupulous things."
His tone turned colder.
"Tie them up and send them to Prince Yi's Residence; consider it our welcoming gift."
Song Wan immediately understood and gave a thumbs up. "Brother, in storybooks this is called 'a bonus for civil service exams'."
Xue Huan: "Is there such a word?"
Song Wan scratched her head. "I read it faster than you; it's written on the last page of the storybook."
The more than one hundred people in the audience erupted in uproar upon hearing this.
They all chimed in with their opinions, some delighted, thinking that going down the mountain would mean better food and softer beds;
Some hesitated, worried that once they entered the Prince's mansion, they would have no control over their own lives;
Others, with eager expressions, shouted, "Our leader is brilliant! Let's go sing 'Love the Tiger' too!"
Xue Huan pressed his hand down, and the hall fell silent once more.
He glanced at everyone one last time.
"Let me make this clear: we're not going there to sell ourselves, we're going there to serve."
"Think it through tonight."
"Tomorrow at dawn, those who know martial arts, are skilled in weapons, or have other crafts and are willing to come down the mountain, should gather at this entrance."
Those who are unwilling, take three months' worth of food and five taels of silver, and go their separate ways. I won't force them to stay.
He folded the flyer neatly, put it in his pocket, and walked towards the back room.
Song Wan called out from behind, "Big brother! What about me?"
Xue Huan didn't even turn his head. "Second brother, take some men to that hilltop, tie up those robbers' goods securely, and bring them down the mountain tomorrow."
"By the way," he pushed open the door to the back room, turning his head slightly, "Bring along their savings as well, consider it part of their investment."
The next day at dawn, outside the gate of Bluestone Ridge.
Before dawn, a thin layer of white mist rose on the mountain path, and frost clung to the pine branches, making a rustling sound when you stepped on them.
Xue Huan stood outside the mountain gate, sleeves rolled up, and glanced at the procession before him.
One hundred and eight people.
Not one was missing.
Everyone was carrying their equipment, and they were all in high spirits, standing more orderly than a regular army.
Their faces all wore expressions of longing for better days.
After all, they couldn't be bandits forever; they also wanted to live a good life, get married, and have children.
The two boxes of silver in the warehouse were wrapped in oilcloth, tied to a cart, and parked at the very end of the procession.
Another column contained the "spoils of war" that Song Wan and his men had retrieved overnight from the mountain.
The notorious bandits on the nearby hills, a total of twenty-two men, all with their wrists bound together by a long rope, stood dejectedly on the mountain path, their faces bruised and swollen, their hair disheveled.
One of them was a large, fat man with his hands tied behind his back and a note stuck to his neck. It read, in crooked handwriting, "This thief specializes in robbing peddlers and has beaten thirty-seven passing merchants from Yi Prefecture. His crimes are heinous. Please, Your Highness, decide his fate."
The characters were written by Song Wan, and they were crooked to the lower right corner, almost squeezing out of the paper.
Xue Huan the line of prisoners and tapped the note.
"You wrote this?"
Song Wan peeked out from behind and smiled ingratiatingly.
"What do you think of what I wrote, brother? Is it detailed enough?"
Xue Huan looked at him for a moment, then reattached the note and patted it.
One more is needed.
He raised his chin, gesturing for Song Wan to fetch paper and pen. He then picked up the pen and wrote a few words on another piece of paper, "Following this, paste the remaining two on top as well."
Song Wan took it and read it aloud carefully, "This thief has disrupted the water transport in Yi Prefecture. He has been taken to the Prince Yi's Residence. Please investigate and handle this matter, Your Excellency. Enclosed is the amount of silver seized."
He looked up, his face full of admiration.
"Boss, you've written this very thoroughly."
Xue Huan ignored his flattery and waved his hand dismissively.
"Set off."
The team moved.
One hundred and eight men, escorting two boxes of silver and twenty-two prisoners, came down from the Bluestone Ridge mountain path and headed towards Yi Prefecture City along the official road.
On the way, they encountered several groups of peddlers and merchants entering the city. Upon seeing this scene, they were initially startled, but gradually came to their senses after realizing that the people were being escorted and bound by ropes.
Some people whispered among themselves, while others stood and watched.
Another man recognized the faces of the habitual bandits and immediately pointed at the fat man with the note and cursed him several times, saying that this was the man who had robbed his donkey cart on the way.
Xue Huan kept walking forward, ignoring the onlookers.
He finished reading that storybook before going to bed last night.
The prince in the story appears lazy, but his wives each manage their own affairs, and every few pages someone comes to deliver benefits to them.
A judgment gradually formed in Xue Huan's mind.
This Prince Yi isn't inactive; he simply doesn't need to be.
Everyone who came to his door got things done for him.
This is true vision.
Xue Huan fought alongside the regular army for over a decade and witnessed too many who relied on force to intimidate others, only to die in the very place where they had acted so arrogantly.
Those who truly succeed are those who can leverage the strengths of others.
The prince in the storybook is somewhat similar to this.
He quickened his pace.
The guards could already be seen at the city gate.
Xue Huan said to Song Wan, who was standing on the side of the group, in a tone that was neither too loud nor too soft.
"Second brother, once we're in the city, you keep those prisoners under your control. Don't let them escape, and especially don't let them cause trouble in the streets. We're going there to properly serve our country, not to stir up trouble."