It didn't start well.
For a moment, the entire forest was filled with the sounds of bandits refusing to accept the amnesty and driving Zhu Ping'an away.
Zhu Pingan was not surprised by this, and it could even be said that this scene was within Zhu Pingan's expectations. Zhu Pingan remained calm and observed the bandits in front of him leisurely amid the hustle and bustle.
The big boss, Ruonan's father, is not so much disgusted or resisting the amnesty as it is disgusted and resisting himself.
This shouldn't be the case. This doesn't make sense. Zhu Ping'an couldn't help but think carefully. This was our first meeting. He had no grudge against Ruonan's father. Although Ruonan failed to rob him on the way to the exam, he also saved Ruonan's life in Anqing Prefecture. So, his kindness to Ruonan was greater than his grudge. Shouldn't her father be so disgusted and resist him? !
While thinking, Zhu Ping'an caught a glimpse of the enchanting woman Ruonan, and an idea suddenly appeared in his mind, like an epiphany.
The evil woman Ruonan always said "All scholars are bad" and "All officials are bad", and she was extremely disgusted and hateful towards scholars and officials. When you think about it, the reason why the evil woman Ruonan was on the verge of death in Anqing Prefecture was because she was seriously injured in the assassination of that Lu Tongzhi.
Well, yes, probably the witch's family has a blood feud with the family of Lu Tongzhi. That's why their family hates scholars and officials so much. This makes sense.
Thinking of this, Zhu Ping'an couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth. Now that he has found the cause of the disease, it will be easier to prescribe the right medicine.
In this way, I will be more confident.
At this moment, a group of bandits were still talking excitedly. In their mouths, banditry was the most awesome and promising profession in the world, and recruiting them was self-degradation, asking for trouble and suffering... ...
"Boss, all the heroes, roaring in the mountains, eating meat with big mouthfuls, drinking wine with big bowls, it is really happy and comfortable... To be honest, I envy this kind of life, and even my heart is moved..."
Zhu Ping'an bowed slightly to Ruonan's father and the group of bandits, then spoke with a smile.
"You admit that you envy our freedom and happiness, right? Haha, then you still have the nerve to come and ask us for amnesty. Beg us, maybe we will consider letting you join our group..." The group of bandits suddenly burst into laughter.
"However, are the lives of you heroes really so comfortable and carefree? Why did you become refugees and flee to Jingnan?!"
Zhu Ping'an curled the corner of his mouth and said lightly.
Suddenly, the bandits' noisy laughter stopped abruptly, as if they were a drake with fate strangling its throat.
Everyone couldn't help but blush. They really couldn't make ends meet at the beginning, so they had to come to Jingnan as refugees. Of course, even if there were no floods, their lives were not easy, far from being as carefree as they said, eating meat with big mouthfuls and drinking wine with big bowls, which they only had a few times a year... ... The conditions in the mountains were harsh, and they didn't do anything productive. They made a living by robbing, and often had no food to eat. Not to mention being looked down upon and cursed by the common people, the risks were also great. There were fights for territory among the bandits, and robbing fat sheep also had risks, not to mention the encirclement and suppression by the government from time to time. How could they be so carefree? They were like street rats and sewer rats... ...
"Ahem, none of this matters!" The bandits started coughing with red faces.
"Yes, these are not important." Zhu Ping'an nodded. "As the saying goes, there are top talents in every profession. Being a bandit is one of the three hundred and sixty professions. If you do well, you will have a bright future..."
Huh? Speak for us?!
The bandits were a little confused.
Zhu Pingan continued, looking at them in astonishment, "However, there is a major prerequisite for the bandits to do well..."
"What's the big premise?" The bandits couldn't help but let Zhu Ping'an lead their thoughts and asked in unison.
"The prerequisite is that there must be a favorable environment for the development of bandits." Zhu Ping'an said slowly.
"What's the general environment?" the bandits couldn't help but ask.
"That's the troubled times! As the saying goes, heroes emerge in troubled times. Troubled times are the right time for bandits to develop, and the more chaotic the world is, the better. The more chaotic the world is, the more bandits there are. The court is overwhelmed, its ruling power is weak, and it is unable to suppress the bandits. The more it suppresses them, the more they appear... Such troubled times are the right time for bandits to develop. As the saying goes, 'Those who steal a hook will be put to death, and those who steal a country will be made marquises.' As a bandit, you can occupy the mountain and become the king, dominate one side. You can attack cities and seize land, plot to rule the world, and become a hero; you can retreat and serve a wise lord, display your skills, and gain the credit of following the dragon. It is not a fantasy to ennoble your wife and children, be made marquises, and become a prime minister..."
Zhu Ping'an walked slowly with his hands behind his back and talked freely.
After hearing the prospects described by Zhu Ping'an, the bandits couldn't help but feel their blood boiling.
People who read books are really amazing.
Look at what they say, those who steal a hook will be punished, those who steal a country will be made a marquis, heroes emerge in troubled times, it sounds really exciting...
"To be honest, if it were a chaotic world now, I might have taken off my official hat, gathered a group of people and occupied the mountains as the king. However, my fellow heroes, open your eyes and take a look. Now is a peaceful and prosperous world, not a chaotic world. If the chaotic world is the prosperous world for bandits, then the prosperous world now is the doomsday for bandits. In a peaceful and prosperous world, the imperial court is powerful and supported by the people. There is enough energy to suppress bandits. Wherever there are bandits causing chaos, the local government will send troops to suppress them. You heroes must have experienced this many times. Don't think that you can be complacent and think that everything is fine just because you have escaped the local government's suppression of bandits a few times. You are wrong, very wrong. If the local government fails to suppress the bandits, the higher-level government will come forward and mobilize more troops to suppress them. If it still doesn't work, the central court will mobilize a large army to suppress them."
Zhu Ping'an glanced at the bandits with a burning gaze, and his voice was as deafening as the sound of a huge bell.
Zhu Ping'an's words were like a storm and hail that crushed the boiling blood of the bandits, making them wilted like eggplants hit by frost. Over the years, the local government had suppressed bandits many times, causing them to be worried and devastated all day long. Every time they encountered a bandit suppression campaign, they would be injured.
"So what if we're fighting bandits? We're still standing in front of you, telling you that we're not afraid..."
Hu Laosan and several other bandits were not convinced and shouted with their necks stiff.
"Well, yes, you are lucky, but what about the others? How many brothers around you have changed?! Before I came, I counted the situation of bandits in Dahou Mountain in the past fifty years based on the county annals and other materials. In the past fifty years, Dahou Mountain has successively seen the rise of a total of eighty-six gangs of bandits of all sizes. The short ones were wiped out in two or three years, and the longest ones lasted for more than ten years, but no gang of bandits could persist for more than fifteen years. Sixteen gangs were wiped out by other bandits, and fifty-seven gangs were wiped out by the government. Now there are still thirteen gangs of bandits in Dahou Mountain, among which your stronghold is considered to be the oldest, with nine years of history. Yes, there are still three and a half years before the stronghold with the longest lifespan recorded in the county annals... No county official dares to let you exceed this record, otherwise they will be recorded in the county annals, and they will lose their official hats..."
Zhu Ping'an curled the corner of his mouth slightly, took out a piece of paper from his arms, stared at Hu Laosan and others with burning eyes, and said slowly.
Well... ...
After hearing what he said and thinking about it carefully, it seems that there really is no village in Dahou Mountain that can last for fifteen years...
At this moment, even Hu Laosan was depressed.