Chapter 838 – What if I Kill You? (Part 5)
Cheng Jing’s team continued forward, only to find even more refugees ahead.
The tall man’s expression darkened as he raised his hand, commanding the guards to encircle the convoy, preventing Cheng Jing from being overwhelmed by the refugees.
He initially thought that reaching the checkpoint would bring some improvement, but to his surprise, the area outside the gate was packed with refugees.
In an instant, the man’s face turned completely grim.
“Mr. Cheng, it appears we won’t be able to pass through ahead.”
Feeling the carriage come to a stop, Cheng Jing frowned, raising the bamboo curtain to inquire with the mounted man outside.
“Yuan Chong, what’s happening?”
The horseman, Yuan Chong, whose courtesy name was Heng Shu, was a capable military general under Huang Song and had been assigned to escort Cheng Jing.
Upon hearing Cheng Jing’s question, Yuan Chong quickly spurred his horse forward a few steps, coming level with the carriage window.
With respect, he replied, “Mr. Cheng, there are refugees gathering at the checkpoint, and it seems we won’t be able to enter for the time being.”
Cheng Jing didn’t make the rude move of sticking his head out of the window; instead, he ordered the driver to stop, stood up, and got out of the carriage.
Seeing the scene before him, he was taken aback.
He knew the common people fleeing from Wolong County had gone to Wanzhou but had never imagined there would be so many!
Just from what he could see, the number of refugees was easily over a thousand!
Yuan Chong dismounted and walked over to Cheng Jing’s side. “Liu Xi is being quite careless, allowing so many refugees to gather outside the Wanzhou gate.”
With more refugees, trouble was likely to brew.
If these refugees were incited by someone, who knows what might happen?
Yuan Chong saw the throng of refugees gathering outside Wanzhou’s gate, with more still approaching, and his sharp brows couldn’t help but furrow.
The sun overhead blazed like a furnace, causing a mist to rise from the ground.
No matter who it is, simply wiping one’s face results in hands slick with perspiration, leaving one feeling irritable and drained.
“Yes… all refugees…”
Cheng Jing seemed lost in thought and replied absently.
Yuan Chong didn’t interrupt him; instead, he beckoned to a nearby guard. The guard understood immediately, leaping from another carriage and retrieving a paper umbrella to hand to Yuan Chong. Yuan Chong accepted the umbrella and opened it, shielding Cheng Jing from the sun.
General Yuan may be robust and tough, but scholars always dressed in their elegant robes, delicate and refined, needing careful attendance.
Feeling the shadow cast overhead, Cheng Jing merely raised his gaze slightly, neither rejecting nor thanking him.
“Mr. Cheng, should I send someone to gather more information on the situation?”
Yuan Chong proactively suggested, and Cheng Jing nodded in agreement.
“Hmm, it’s a good idea to ask around for clarity.”
He was curious about how Wanzhou planned to accommodate these refugees; if not managed well, they could become a thorny issue.
“Then I’ll take care of it now.”
In terms of rank, Cheng Jing and Yuan Chong were on par, so the latter didn’t need to humble himself with titles.
However, even the esteemed Huang Song treated several strategists with great respect, causing their subordinates to follow suit and not dare to slack off.
Yuan Chong was among the better-tempered generals; in his youth, he enjoyed reading and didn’t possess the typical boorish traits of most warriors. If someone else were in his place, they might complain about the delicacy of scholars, citing their frequent stops and slow pace, but Yuan Chong wasn’t like that; on the contrary, he respected Cheng Jing.
Before long, the soldier sent out to gather information returned.
Cheng Jing signaled for the soldier to approach and asked him carefully.
“What’s the situation at the checkpoint?”
The soldier reported truthfully, and with each question and answer, Cheng Jing’s expression grew increasingly grave, catching Yuan Chong’s attention.
“Sir, is there something amiss?”
Yuan Chong racked his brain to recall the soldier’s words but couldn’t figure out what would cause Cheng Jing to take this matter so seriously.
Cheng Jing, irritated by the heat, had his own way of doing things; regardless of the weather, he wore his scholar’s robe tightly, the cuffs hiding half his fingers. Even now, outside the carriage, although there was a paper umbrella providing shade, he was still sweating profusely.
“There’s a serious issue.”
Cheng Jing’s voice was somewhat strained, laced with gravity.
Yuan Chong was puzzled; he felt like a monk who couldn’t grasp the situation, and no amount of pondering could reveal where the problem lay.
Although his intellect could best ordinary warriors, he found himself struggling to keep pace with someone as clever as Cheng Jing.
Yuan Chong said, “I’m being foolish and can’t figure it out; please enlighten me, sir.”
Cheng Jing explained, “The soldier mentioned that Wanzhou has people stationed at the checkpoint registering the refugees, inquiring in detail about their backgrounds, origins, ages, and families. They are selecting them based on family units, men and women, old and young, grouping them by hundreds for entry into the gate.”
Yuan Chong nodded and said, “I just think this method is rather clumsy; it wastes time and is exhausting.”
Cheng Jing shook his head. “Wasting time? Not necessarily. As for whether it’s exhausting, that’s hard to say. Registering the refugees is indeed beneficial for management. With so many refugees gathered, trouble is easy to provoke; if some were to stir up unrest, it would certainly bring complications to Wanzhou. Wanzhou isn’t ignoring the refugees; rather, they’re taking the initiative to register them at the checkpoint, then systematically letting them in. Isn’t that a form of surveillance? …Right now, Wanzhou is in desperate need of manpower, and these refugees arrive just in time.”
Bringing refugees to places where they were needed meant they could be put to work.
However, Yuan Chong had a different thought. He associated it with labor, his face revealing a look of reluctance.
The refugees were fleeing from the ravages of war, seeking to save their families.
But labor could be grueling, often life-threatening; it was far worse than the horrors of war.
Yuan Chong truly couldn’t understand why these refugees would flock to Wanzhou.
He voiced his confusion, but Cheng Jing merely smiled wryly.
“You’re mistaken; the labor in Wanzhou is unlike that anywhere else.”
Cheng Jing had developed a friendship with Feng Zhen during their meetings, transitioning from pen pals to real friends.
Though their positions differed, they could maintain a private friendship as long as they didn’t discuss official matters.
Through Feng Zhen’s casual remarks, Cheng Jing learned that the labor in Wanzhou wasn’t gratuitous but more akin to an employer-employee relationship.
You provide effort, and we provide wages and rations, an exchange of equals.
Once refugees leave their homes, they become rootless drifters.
Wanzhou could not only provide a safe haven but jobs and food; it was akin to a paradise for refugees.
Yuan Chong was taken aback by this revelation.
“If the common people are given wages and provisions for their labor, how much wealth would that consume?”
Cheng Jing lowered his gaze. “Liu Xi is not lacking in funds.”
Yuan Chong nodded in agreement. “Indeed, Liu Zhi’s father, Liu Zhi, secretly manages Hujun, so money is not an issue.”
Cheng Jing gazed into the slowly moving crowd of refugees; they gathered tightly, appearing like an ominous mass of dark seaweed.
Though the task of registering the refugees was monumental, the ensuing benefits were boundless.
The most direct benefit was reducing the risk of a refugee uprising; another advantage lay in rationally utilizing the labor of these refugees.
Yuan Chong then added, “But… even so, sir, there’s no need for you to look so pale…”
Cheng Jing let out a bitter laugh. “Heng Shu, haven’t you realized? Almost all these refugees are from Wolong County.”
