Chapter 46: The He Family's Young Scoundrel

Jiang Jiang Mingyu dealt with those five local gentry, yet felt no joy in his heart.

He summoned Wu Xiaoer and said, "Walk with me."

The two strolled down the street, and Jiang Jiang Mingyu asked casually, "How has the coal mine been lately?"

Wu Xiaoer smiled and said, "My lord, rest assured. Lord Lord Murong and Lord Tu supervise it very well; all is well. Now many poor families are using coal, and the streets are much livelier."

Indeed, Jiang Jiang Mingyu looked up and saw that many passersby wore joyful expressions on their faces.

"Old brother, you look in great spirits."

"Thanks to the coal the lord sent, our family is finally warm!"

"Yes, now my wife and children are much more spirited. The lord is truly a virtuous official to us!"

"..."

Wu Xiaoer laughed and said, "My lord, did you hear? The common people are praising you."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu gazed into the distance: "The common people are easily satisfied; having enough to eat and wear is enough. But to make them wealthy and resolve external threats is the right path."

As a local, Wu Xiaoer was naturally very happy; his face beamed with a smile as he eagerly said, "Imperial Envoy, when do we start selling coal?"

Seeing that he seemed to have something to say, Jiang Jiang Mingyu smiled kindly and said, "That is exactly my intention. I wonder if you, Xiaoer, have any high opinions on this?"

"To sell the coal, I fear the Imperial Envoy must personally take the lead."

Wu Xiaoer's eyes sparkled, and he said excitedly, "The Longteng County nearby has a population of nearly one hundred thousand. Most crucially, the people there are prosperous and money flows like a river. But because it is the Emperor's hometown, trees cannot be cut for firewood for heating, so they must purchase from outside. Our precious coal is much warmer than firewood; it is simply an excellent product for Longteng!"

He looked around mysteriously, then crouched down and whispered, "The fortune teller said this year will be colder than usual; it is a great time to sell coal! Don't you agree, my lord?"

"If you can connect with Longteng County, do you still worry about not being able to sell our coal?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu laughed heartily after hearing this; he enthusiastically patted Wu Xiaoer's back and said, "Good! Xiaoer, your proposal truly solves my pressing problem! This official was just worrying about the sales channel!"

Wu Xiaoer proudly scratched his small head and continued, "By the way, my lord, Lord Lord Murong asked Lord Tu to train some laborers in martial arts to accumulate reserve strength for you, to guard against external enemies. He said that if we had done this back then, we would not have been defeated so miserably. What do you think of this proposal?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "Great idea! Not only must the laborers be trained, but you and Gou Dan must also learn some skills well; this official will need you very soon!"

Hearing that he had to practice martial arts, Wu Xiaoer's face first showed confusion.

Just then, an old man with gray hair walked over and said with a smile, "Isn't this our Imperial Envoy? You are the savior of us poor common people!"

The old man urged loudly, "Hurry up, neighbors, kowtow to the lord!"

After his shout, the common people on the street gathered around and knelt down before Jiang Jiang Mingyu together.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu hurriedly helped these common people up; as a modern person, he simply could not bear such extreme courtesy.

After the crowd dispersed, Jiang Jiang Mingyu was in high spirits, and the knot in his heart, which had been ruined by He He Dachuan earlier, also dissipated.

Just as Jiang Jiang Mingyu was humming a little tune and continuing to stroll with Wu Xiaoer, a rather shrill voice suddenly came.

A woman was seen in a panic, dodging and shouting, "Let go, what are you doing?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu looked up and immediately flew into a rage.

He saw a young woman dressed simply with a beautiful face, surrounded by several men who were spouting various ugly words.

"Little wench, come with us. Our Young Master has taken a fancy to you; this is the fortune you cultivated!"

"Oh ho, what purity are you pretending? Come with us quickly; in a moment, I'll let you enjoy yourself thoroughly, hehe?"

"..."

Seeing the other side rush at her again, the panicked woman, now with a crying voice, said, "Don't, don't come over."

"Oh my... what are you doing, let go..."

"Doing this in broad daylight, aren't you afraid the authorities will arrest you?"

Hearing her say this, the man dressed as a young master outside the crowd burst out laughing.

This person was less than six feet tall, yet covered in greasy fat; from a distance, he looked like a water vat that had become a spirit.

Under his broom-like eyebrows were slanted eyes, a wine-lees nose, and thick lips, with a black mole the size of a copper coin at the corner of his mouth.

A tuft of black hair grew above it.

He stared unblinkingly at the woman's chest, took two steps forward, and used his fat fingers to hook the woman's chin: "The authorities? You might not yet know who this Young Master is?"

"Do you know I am He He Muchen, son of He He Dachuan! The authorities must still show my Laozi respect!"

"Little sister, come with this Young Master; I guarantee you will eat well and drink well, and even buy pretty clothes!"

"If you are ungrateful, with one word from this Young Master, your whole family can be sent to prison."

"Scared? Then come back with the Young Master to the bridal chamber, ah... you damn well dare to bite me..."

Just as he grabbed the woman's arm, preparing to go back and have a good time, the woman, enraged by his lecherous appearance, suddenly bit his hand.

"Sss—" He He Muchen cursed in pain, and a sinister look instantly appeared on his face; he swung his arm and delivered a slap that landed heavily on the woman's round cheek.

"You ungrateful wretch, watch how this Young Master punishes you!"

He smiled sinisterly: "You dare bite me! After this Young Master has had my fill of you, I will give you to my subordinates! Watch how I deal with you!"

On his greasy face hung a sinister smile; he was clearly felled into genuine rage by that bite from the woman.

He He Muchen's retainers immediately, like jackals smelling meat, revealed greedy and cruel expressions and called out to beat the woman.

The woman who had received a slap, with her wheat-colored face, instantly swelled up.

The woman retreated a few steps in terror, covering her red, swollen, and burning face, her body trembling uncontrollably.

"Stop!" Jiang Jiang Mingyu's command echoed through the entire street.

He He Muchen's liver-colored face instantly turned gloomy; he glared at Jiang Jiang Mingyu and said, "Who are you, the blind one, to dare act presumptuously before this Young Master!" While speaking, Jiang Jiang Mingyu and Wu Xiaoer strode quickly to He He Muchen's front; Jiang Jiang Mingyu's eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and anger was hidden in his tone: "Forcibly snatching a virtuous woman in broad daylight, do you dare act so presumptuously? Is there still any Wang Fa in your eyes!"

He He Muchen's fleshy cheeks trembled slightly, and a ruthlessness flashed in his eyes: "Wang Fa? It does not exist before me! Who are you? Do you dare to meddle in this Young Master's business?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu could not help but sneer: "Meddling in others' business? Release this Miss, or you will regret it!"

"Meddling in others' business?" He He Muchen turned red all over, his thin eyes bulging round, and he said viciously, "I tell you, on Shangmu's turf, no one has dared to meddle in my He He Muchen's business!"

"Little beast, seeing you have some courage, this Young Master admires you, so I will give you a chance to live."

"Break both legs and crawl out of Shangmu, or else crawl under this Young Master's crotch; this matter will be settled. Choose one."

He He Muchen looked like a pig-badger, his whole body radiating a thick miasma of malice, a terrifying look as though he might explode at any moment.

Seeing Jiang Jiang Mingyu smirk coldly without a word, his fat face twitched and his drooping, upturned eyes bulged: "You cur, what are you still thinking? Get in here, now!"

"If you delay this Young Master's return to his pleasures, I'll cripple you, damn it."