Chapter 136: I'll Give You a Soft Slap

"You are bandits, the Zhenbei Army are soldiers, and you dare to compare them?" Feng Chunsheng sneered without cease.

Jiang Jinshi had a blank expression: "Soldiers before joining the Zhenbei Army are civilians; bandits before taking to the mountains are also civilians—why can't they be compared?"

"Soldiers act for righteousness, you act for selfish desire—their essences differ."

"Oh? Then why does the Zhenbei Army have no grain or monthly pay, to the point it can't even conscript?" Jiang Jinshi continued: "To be frank, my father was a Zhenbei Army soldier; he joined only so that my younger sister and I could have enough to eat—nothing more."

"Everyone has selfish desires; the Zhenbei Army are people, and the bandits of my Yangguangzhai are people too—what's wrong with comparing them?"

Feng Chunsheng shook his head: "You're quibbling; how could what they do be the same?"

"Soldiers kill, earn monthly pay to support their families and children; bandits kill, likewise to feed and clothe their families—there's no difference."

"The Zhenbei Army kills foreign tribes, while you harm fellow countrymen!" Feng Chunsheng's emotions gradually grew agitated, his voice unconsciously rising considerably.

Jiang Jinshi wouldn't let himself be overwhelmed in aura; he narrowed his eyes and raised his voice: "The reek of wine and meat from noble gates, while frozen corpses lie on the road! What difference is there between what corrupt officials do and sucking the blood of the people? And how are they any different from foreign tribes?"

As the saying goes, one knows one's own affairs; Feng Chunsheng certainly knew those matters in the officialdom, just as he had repeatedly hit walls.

Jiang Jinshi's words hit a point Feng Chunsheng couldn't refute; just as Feng Chunsheng was pondering how to reply, Jiang Jinshi gave him no chance to counterattack.

"Old Man Feng, what do you think is most important for a nation?"

"Of course it's the people! As an old man who puts the people first, how could I not know?" Feng Chunsheng blurted this out almost without thought; this had always been his guiding principle.

Jiang Jinshi clapped and said, "Well said, but you're just talking! In practice you're no different from those dog officials."

Feng Chunsheng could otherwise respond well, but this remark he could not tolerate at all; since entering officialdom his whole life has been spent worrying for the country and the people—without seeking fame in history, how could he be lumped together with those dog officials?

Jiang Jinshi's words were more unbearable than killing him; he jumped to his feet, face red, pointing at Jiang Jinshi to retort.

"Nonsense! You, a bandit who does endless evil, dare to insult me so? In my life I've never been corrupt, with no wrongful cases for decades—yet in your eyes I'm no different from those dog officials?"

Jiang Jinshi wouldn't take that; he immediately put his hands on his hips and shouted back.

"You old fool! My Yangguangzhai entered Jiangcheng without harming a single ordinary civilian, selling grain at harvest-year prices to save the people, using labor in lieu of relief so refugees could eat their fill—these deeds far surpass what you, a County Magistrate, have done; in your eyes aren't we still evil bandits?"

Feng Chunsheng stared, doubting his ears had malfunctioned.

"What did you just say?"

Jiang Jinshi felt this old stubborn fool not only had a bad temper but also faulty ears, so he could only repeat what he'd just said.

This time Feng Chunsheng heard clearly; selling grain at harvest-year prices alone was enough to move him—in Qingcheng his biggest headache had been grain prices.

Grain is the root of people's survival; soaring grain prices squeeze the people's blood—no matter how he flails his fists, he can't lower the price, let alone bring it down to harvest-year levels.

"How did you manage that?" Feng Chunsheng wondered.

"Want to learn?" Jiang Jinshi raised an eyebrow.

Feng Chunsheng nodded repeatedly; this could save the people, so of course he wanted to learn.

"I won't tell you!" Jiang Jinshi chuckled; this old man was truly interesting, changing his face so quickly.

"Then what is that method you mentioned that can let refugees eat their fill?" Feng Chunsheng refused to give up, continuing to press Jiang Jinshi.

"You mean labor in lieu of relief?"

"That earlier thing can't be said, after all only Li Xinyue knows about buying grain from the system worldwide, and it must not be leaked at all; but this question Jiang Jinshi can answer."

Jiang Jinshi explained the detailed process of labor in lieu of relief to Feng Chunsheng, whose eyes lit up as he listened.

"This really is a good method! It's a pity Qingcheng has no grain; otherwise we could fully emulate it."

"How do these things my Yangguangzhai has done compare to you, Feng Chunsheng?" Jiang Jinshi looked at Feng Chunsheng smugly.

"If these are all true, then naturally they surpass me by far." Feng Chunsheng's face showed some embarrassment; then he thought, having never seen it himself, what if these bandits are deceiving him?

Jiang Jinshi also understood his meaning; he immediately rose and walked outward: "Old man, today I must give you a soft slap—come with me!"

"Where to?"

"I'll take you to Jiangcheng to see how the people live in peace and prosperity."

Upon hearing that, Feng Chunsheng hurriedly rose and followed behind Jiang Jinshi; he too wanted to know whether these were true.

The two traveled in silence; Jiang Jinshi knew this old man wouldn't yield without seeing it himself, so he said nothing, waiting to slap him in the face upon reaching Jiangcheng.

Seeing Jiang Jinshi silent, Feng Chunsheng also stopped arguing.

Arriving at Jiangcheng's gate, Feng Chunsheng saw bandits burning corpses.

Jiang Jinshi greeted Luo Feng: "How much more is left?"

"Boss, this will probably take until tonight," Luo Feng replied, wiping sweat from his forehead.

"You've all worked hard!"

Having said that, Jiang Jinshi brought Feng Chunsheng into the city, leaving the diligent bandits behind.

"Just now I saw there were still many refugees at the city gate!" Feng Chunsheng spoke up, wondering whether the labor-in-lieu-of-relief scheme would really work.

Jiang Jinshi knew Feng Chunsheng's thought, and without turning said: "My grain isn't free; for others to save you, you must first be able to save yourself."

Feng Chunsheng said nothing more; he had understood Jiang Jinshi's meaning—he truly wanted to do something real for the people, but that didn't mean he didn't understand human nature.

Arriving near the rice shop, Jiang Jinshi stopped and gestured for Feng Chunsheng to look himself.

This rice shop is where Yangguangzhai sells grain; at the moment a long line stretches from the street head to the tail.

These people hold newly issued household contracts from Yangguangzhai, slowly queuing under the management of over a dozen bandits.

Efficiency is low, after all each contract must be checked to see if grain has already been bought, to prevent anyone from cutting corners.

Feng Chunsheng carefully observed the price and purchase rules, then was so surprised he couldn't utter a word.

"How about it, Old Man Feng, still doubting me?" Jiang Jinshi exhaled deeply; "Now your mouth ought to be stiff, right?!"

The next moment Feng Chunsheng bowed with clasped hands: "It is I who was foolish, sir—this deed of yours is great kindness!"