Qiang Jin Jiu (Author : Tang Jiuqing 唐酒卿)

Chapter 140 : City Outskirts

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As Cai Yu gathered his men with great fanfare on his end, the refugees outside the city had already amassed into a horde. It took merely one night for the news that someone had set up a booth to give out porridge to spread more than ten li around. Refugees who were so starved that they were sallow and emaciated came in droves and crowded around the Cizhou’s porridge booth so closely that not even a drop of water could trickle through.    

Qiao Tianya watched as the people came swarming to them. There were no longer enough hands at the front to help maintain the queue of people who came to receive their porridge, so he signaled to Fei Sheng with his eyes. Fei Sheng backed away in understanding and led the Imperial Bodyguards to guard the wagon. He also swapped the guards from Cizhou over to help with the maintenance of the queue order. These Imperial Bodyguards were all dressed in black robes with blades on them, and every one of them looked capable and tough, thus producing a deterrent effect on the restless people all around.

“Master.” Qiao Tianya raised his arm to hold back some people and whispered to Shen Zechuan. “It’s getting dark. We’ve already been here for two days and a night. It’s almost time. You should retreat to the rear.” 

Shen Zechuan had just finished chatting with an elderly among the refugees. He did not look back upon hearing him, but he put away the blue handkerchief that he had taken out and said, “There’s no harm in staying.”

Qiao Tianya surveyed the surroundings and looked at the people around them jostling against one another. These were all emaciated refugees. Worried that there would be a conflict in a while and someone might fish in troubled water to make a grab for the grains and hurt Shen Zechuan in the process, he said, “Master, stand behind, or stay close to the wagon.” 

Shen Zechuan looked at the forest bathed in the sunset glow of red clouds that looked like torn pieces of red cotton. The setting sun was already midway in its descent; it would not be long before the sky turned dark. He had already stayed outside the city for two days and a night, and now, he withdrew his gaze and said, “There’s no hurry.”

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The sky gradually darkened, and the various stores along the streets in the cities all hung up their lanterns. Chazhou had no wine taverns and tea houses at present, but owing to the proliferation of human traffickers here, there were plenty of brothels set up at remote corners. Cai Yu wanted to rally his men, and the ones he called were all the various heads and chiefs within his own gang. These people relied on Cai Yu for a living and rarely did any proper jobs to earn their keep. Instead, they liked to bully the weak and tyrannize the city. They loved to make their way to the brothels and laze around in there all year round. When they were called out one at a time, they were still holding up their pants, looking all bleary-eyed. Many of them were dead drunk. Cai Yu’s trusted aide did not dare to offend them and had to coax and flatter them before he could get these people to step out. 
While they were taking a roll call and lining up in formation on this end, Luo Mu and Kong Ling had also started making their moves on their side. 

Kong Ling bowed to the various chiefs of the small-time gangs that Luo Mu had helped in secret and said, “As everyone knows, Cizhou is here this time to sell grains. As long as we can get through this crisis safely tonight, the price of rice tomorrow can only be even lower.” 

One of them asked, “Talk is cheap. How do you expect us to believe you with no proof or guarantee?” 

So Kong Ling turned aside and gestured to Luo Mu and said, “My words can’t be trusted, but surely you can believe His Excellency Luo’s words?”