In Lingshui County, in Wanzhen Restaurant, the fat shopkeeper Song Yuqiao talked eloquently to several squires.

"As far as I know, this burning knife is all grain wine purified by a certain method, but this method is in the hands of Xiao Jiu, and the chief Li Gui is just a middleman."

"But Xiao Jiu is just a mountain bandit after all, where will he understand the value of this wine, if it is operated by me, it will definitely not be just this little profit."

Listening to the words of the shopkeeper Song, several squires were still a little puzzled, frowning tightly, only to see one of them asking, "Then what is the relationship between this winemaking and the county government to suppress bandits?" ”

The shopkeeper Song was not in a hurry when he heard this, and said slowly: "Don't panic, listen to me." ”

"I can only tell you that if you can get Xiao Jiu's brewing method, the profit will not be something that you and me, the flat-headed grass people, can eat."

"Just report to the county government, don't say that there are only dozens of thieves in Hare Mountain, even if he Xiao Jiu has three heads and six arms, he can be wiped out with a snap of his fingers."

Several squires were a little surprised when they heard this, they who were born as landlords could not imagine how valuable a single method of winemaking would be, and how much value it could impress those high-ranking officials and lords.

"Can the profit be so exaggerated?"

When the shopkeeper Song heard this, he laughed at the short-sightedness of this group of rural landowners in his heart, but he still had a warm smile on his face, and he didn't speak, just stretched out five fat fingers.

"Five hundred taels?" , a squire asked, uncertain.

"No, it's fifty percent of the tax revenue of the entire Lingshui County."

When the squires heard this, they all gasped, not that they didn't believe what the shopkeeper Song said, but the profits generated were indeed appalling.

These landlords, who depend on the land for their survival, can't imagine how much tax revenue a county will have every year, 5,000 taels? Or more? If this is the case, I really don't worry that the county government will not help to suppress bandits.

Immediately, several squires talked to the shopkeeper Song about some details, they were not short of money and food, and Xiao Jiu's previous actions had already pushed the landlords of the entire Lingshui County to the opposite side, as long as one person stood up at this time, it would be a response.

And after taking Xiao Jiu, if he can get the method of making the burning knife, Song Fatzi also promised to let them get a piece of the pie.

In this way, the matter was decided, and Song Fatzi went to persuade Liu County to send troops to suppress the bandits, and the squires contacted the landlords and wealthy households in Lingshui County to collect money and grain.

……

"Is there really so much value in it?"

Liu Hong stroked the mustache at the corner of his lips, and asked Song Yuqiao with some suspicion.

The fat man on the other side also began to tell how he bought the people of Lijia Town, and investigated the origin, cost and interests of the burning knife.

He also said that he had discovered a huge business opportunity in the process of selling alcohol in the entire Yang County, and finally led the conversation to Xiao Jiu.

"Lord Liu, this Xiao Jiu is entrenched in the township, and he has been poisoning Lingshui County for many years, and I hope that the adults will show mercy to us and other people to send troops to suppress bandits."

"Previously, there were also a lot of villagers who were hiding in trouble in my restaurant, and they were willing to donate money and food to help suppress bandits."

The shopkeeper of the Song Dynasty bent down to the county magistrate Liu Hong is bow, and the county magistrate was also smiling at this time.

If you say that the wine business that Song Yuqiao talked about before, although it sounds tempting, it is something that cannot be seen or touched after all, but it can make these squires and landlords pay money and grain, even if they can't suppress the mountain bandits, it is also a profitable business.

The county commander Liu Hong had already made up his mind at this time, and he would send a few of his men to investigate that Lijia Town later, if what Song Yuqiao said was true, then the benefits he could get from it must be amazing.

He Liu Hong asked himself that he was not lacking in intelligence, and he could also be left and right in the officialdom, but he was defeated by his background.

You must know that those big people on your head not only value the ability of your subordinates to govern, but also look at your ability to make money.

Liu Hong was born in a poor family, perhaps at the beginning, he also wanted to be a good official dedicated to the people, but he could be an official for a long time, and he wanted to really do something, and there was no money word that could be bypassed.

When the matter was finalized, Liu Hong's actions were very fast, first sending people to secretly investigate Li Gui in Lijia Town, and at the same time summoning Master Yang and County Lieutenant Zhang to discuss the suppression of bandits in the county office.

Master Yang has always been looking forward to the county order Liu Hong, and he has no objections, but after hearing this, County Lieutenant Zhang clasped his arms and was silent, as if he was pondering the pros and cons here.

In the end, it was the county order Liu Hong who made the decision, and only waited for Song Yuqiao to return from the grain collection and then began to go out of the city to suppress the bandits.

Ten days have passed, and the squires who had been drinking in Wanzhenlou have successively sent news to the landlords and wealthy households everywhere, and they have all quickly received a response, and the big landlords in the entire Lingshui County have not one hundred but eighty, and they will immediately be able to draw out a large amount of grain, which will be sent to the county government in a few days.

And in this gap, Xiao Jiu of Hare Mountain also got the news that the county government was preparing to suppress bandits.

It was an ordinary villager from the village and town under the jurisdiction who went to the cottage to deliver the letter, and Xiao Jiu had gone down the mountain to collect grain, and he had also received some grain, and he was grateful to Hare Mountain.

Therefore, when I heard the news that the rich man in my village would provide grain to suppress the bandits, I immediately thought of going to Hare Mountain to report the news.

The little grain distributed to the poor may be insignificant to Xiao Jiu, but for the vast number of poor peasants and hired farmers, it is undoubtedly a relief in the snow.

Looking at the somewhat restrained peasant in front of him, Xiao Jiu exchanged a few words with him, then asked his subordinates to arrange a full meal for him, and rewarded him with a lot of silver.

After the farmer left, Xiao Jiu frowned and thought deeply.

After killing the rich family of Sun in Clay Pot Village before, the landlords in Lingshui County have been frightened, and it is reasonable to pay money and grain to fund the county town to suppress bandits this time.

The mountain rain is about to come and the wind is full of buildings, but Hare Mountain has limited manpower after all, and its steelmaking business has not yet been launched, so it will face severe challenges.

If they leave like this, not only will their previous efforts be in vain, but the world is so big, where can their group of bandits flee to?

Several leaders in the hall, seeing Xiao Jiu's frowns, were also silent, wanting to say a few words of relief, but they didn't know what to say.

In the end, Xiao Jiu still spoke slowly and said: "Recall Zhang Ben immediately, except for leaving four or five supervisors in Wild Wolf Mountain, everything else will be handed over to the shrimp crawler to manage." ”

When the two of them heard this, they went out together and arranged for their subordinates to go to Wild Wolf Mountain to inform Zhang Ben.

At this time, let Zhang Ben come back with a large army, he must be preparing to resist the encirclement and suppression of the government, Xiao Jiu knew that this crackdown on bandits would definitely not be just talking, not only would a large number of officials and patrols participate, but also temporarily recruit a large number of young villagers and hired farmers.

The former leader of the Hare Mountain bandits, that is, Xiao Jiu's godfather, unfortunately died in the suppression of bandits, although the overall combat effectiveness of the cottage is far greater than before, but in the face of this large-scale bandit suppression, he is still the weak side.