The Great Ming in the Box

Chapter 418: A Benevolent Coercion

Xing Honglang exchanged a few brief words with the people from Sun Family Village before getting down to business. There was no time for some village reunion meeting. She cast a glance over the situation at Pujiao Temple and could roughly tell that the common folks gathered here came from villages all around ten to eight leagues away.

It seemed many nearby villages had been plundered by rogue bandits. The commoners, left with no choice, had huddled together for warmth inside Pujiao Temple.

If she could recruit this whole group to work at the ancient ferry dock, it would be quite beneficial. However, communicating with so many people would be troublesome. Inevitably, there would be those who distrusted her. She needed to find someone who could take charge.

Xing Honglang asked, “Who is in charge here at Pujiao Temple now?”

“Amitabha.” A middle-aged monk holding a staff stepped before Xing Honglang. “This poor monk’s monastic name is Zhan Sheng. Esteemed lady benefactor, you may speak with this poor monk.”

“War Monk?” Xing Honglang hesitated. “That monastic name…”

The monk revealed some small embarrassment. “This poor monk had a fiery temper in his youth and was fond of fighting and conflict. Hence, the monastic name Zhan Sheng (War Monk) was adopted. Now that I am older, I wish to change it. But everyone is so used to it, I… could no longer change it.”

Xing Honglang said, “Very well, Master Zhan Sheng. The villagers gathered in this temple, do they all heed your word now?”

Zhan Sheng sighed. “The villagers have met with grave misery. They are utterly lost right now and desperately need guidance. This poor monk has no choice but to brazenly issue commands… Kindly manage the situation! Kindly manage the situation!”

Xing Honglang asked, “How many people are in the temple now?”Zhan Sheng answered, “Approximately eight to nine hundred people.”

Xing Honglang pressed, “Can your temple sustain so many people?”

Zhan Sheng’s expression turned awkward. “That… is naturally impossible.”

Xing Honglang inquired, “Then, Venerable Master, what do you plan to do?”

Zhan Sheng admitted, “This poor monk has not yet thought about this matter. The villagers suddenly surged here from all directions. They had hardly arrived when the bandit troops immediately followed. This poor monk was only concerned with how to defend against the bandit army. I completely forgot about the problem of sustenance… Esteemed lady benefactor, your question truly…”

Sweat trickled down his large, bald head. Eight to nine hundred people! What would they eat?

This was terrible!

Could it turn into a gruesome scene of cannibalism right in my temple? That truly would require some ‘kind management’!

Xing Honglang declared, “Master Zhan Sheng, please help me relay this message to the villagers. I have a way to sustain them. The ancient ferry dock urgently requires a large number of laborers to move grain and build a wooden stockade. Those willing to work will be provided ample food. Additionally, they will earn a daily wage of three jin of flour.”

Upon hearing this, Zhan Sheng’s eyes instantly lit up.

However, he quickly thought of something else. He clasped his hands together. “Amitabha! Kindly manage the situation! Kindly manage the situation! Esteemed lady benefactor, though your plan has merit, what about the elderly and weak, women and children whose households have no able-bodied men? They are incapable of heavy porter work or building the stockade.”

“Those without able-bodied men will be responsible for cooking for the workers!” Xing Honglang stated firmly. “Cooking duties also come with ample daily food.”

Zhan Sheng’s brows rose slightly. “This matter is no laughing matter. These eight to nine hundred people are already frightened, hungry, and exhausted. If they walk ten leagues without getting any food, it would be extremely arduous for them. Furthermore, if you have such large quantities of grain stored at your location, rogue bandits will inevitably set their sights on you. Isn’t that incredibly dangerous?”

Xing Honglang declared with authority, “I, Xing Honglang from Yongji, am a notorious salt smuggler within the rivers and lakes community. My word is my bond. What I say, I mean. At the dock, we have vast stores of grain. Feeding these eight to nine hundred people poses no problem at all; I even have surplus grain to sell. As for safety concerns, I also have soldiers stationed at the dock capable of fending off rogue bandits.”

Zhan Sheng’s expression turned solemn. “Esteemed lady benefactor is a salt smuggler. Your subordinates are certainly not government officials, then?”

Xing Honglang retorted sharply, “Are officials more reliable than I am?”

Zhan Sheng countered, “These commoners sought refuge in this poor monk’s temple specifically because they wish to avoid joining the bandits. If they go with you, even though it would mean living among bandits, how is that acceptable?”

Xing Honglang reasoned, “Ordinary bandits do not provide sustenance; they force their followers to plunder for food. I provide sustenance. I do not require their hands to be stained with blood. They need only work. For such ‘bandits,’ they will assuredly be willing to follow.”

Zhan Sheng pressed further, “And what happens when government troops come to suppress you? What then for these common folk?”

Xing Honglang stated confidently, “The imperial court always pursues the chief culprit while sparing the coerced followers. Once the officials kill me, these common folk will be allowed to return to their hometowns and original residences. They will be unharmed.”

Zhan Sheng stared deeply into her eyes for several seconds. “This poor monk believes he has seen countless faces. Esteemed lady benefactor does not appear to be lying. Very well, then I shall trust you this once. This poor monk will relay your words immediately.”

He gathered the villagers together and conveyed the message.

With a monk helping to spread the word, the effect was remarkably potent. They might not trust Xing Honglang, but trusting a venerable master of Pujiao Temple came incredibly easily. Soon, the atmosphere within the entire temple improved drastically.

The common folk who had just suffered the destruction of their homes and the loss of their kin began to lift their spirits once more, prepared to set out for the ancient ferry dock.

Outside was the chaos of war and chaos. Leaving truly required a certain measure of courage.

Cautiously, the villagers peeped out from the temple gates, trying to see if any rogue bandits lurked outside.

Thankfully, there were none!

Zao Ying’s cavalry unit returned from the north, laughing heartily. “I chased that group of bandits far away! Ha! I pursued them, raining arrows upon their backs, sending them fleeing in panic!”

The people breathed sighs of relief.

Zhan Sheng slung a small bundle onto his back, gripped his staff tightly, and called out loudly, “All right everyone, start walking! Walk even if you have no strength! We abandon the temple! Make haste to reach the ancient ferry dock before dark!”

The vast crowd began to move.

Once the majority had started walking, the few villagers who felt some reluctance at the idea of ‘working for a salt smuggler’ dared not stay behind at the temple any longer. They had no choice but to follow the moving crowd.

This, in fact, was also a form of coercion!

Zhan Sheng understood this approach wasn’t ideal. But benevolent coercion was always preferable to malicious coercion. Better for these common folk to be swept along by a salt smuggler than be forcibly recruited by rogue bandits.

The commoners moved slowly. Zao Ying’s cavalry dispersed, guarding the flanks of the procession as they advanced steadily forward.

Fortunately, they encountered no rogue bandits at all along this journey.

It took the elderly and weak, women and children a full one to two hours to cover the ten-league distance. By late afternoon, their stomachs were rumbling fiercely with hunger, but finally, they spotted the run-down thatched grass houses of the ancient ferry dock…

And…

An enormous ship!

A warship. A cargo ship.

(Another cargo ship, which hadn’t transported grain but had only carried Zao Ying’s cavalry, had become empty once the cavalry disembarked. It had already returned ahead of time to Qiachuan Port.)

As soon as Zhan Sheng laid eyes on that huge cannon boat, his heart darkened with shock: How can a mere salt smuggler possess such formidable strength? No! This is surely more than just a salt smuggler. There must be some other power behind this person, merely using the salt smuggler as a facade.

The common folk, however, saw something entirely different. What they saw were sacks of grain. Vast quantities of grain sacks, piled high upon the cargo ship. They saw a group of Dock Workers, busy unloading goods from the vessel. It was clear they had been at it for a long time, yet half the grain onboard remained unloaded…

After a fleeting moment of stunned bewilderment, the crowd of eight to nine hundred commoners burst out in exuberant cheers.