Raising chickens and pigs and digging for wild vegetables, the county magistrate's promotion wa

Chapter 329 Are they here for me?

After sending the memorial out, Yang Shaofeng lingered in Ningyang County for two more days before heading to Dengzhou Prefecture once again with Lame Wu and a group of guards from the Imperial Son-in-Law's residence.

Yang Shaofeng had already planned it out. After arriving in Dengzhou Prefecture, he would first find some fishermen to fish and catch shrimp. He would then increase the fishermen's trust in the government by having the government buy fish and shrimp from them. After that, he would figure out how to develop the MSG version made from dried shrimp and mushroom powder.

Once these two steps are completed, the luncheon meat workshop and mushroom cultivation in Ningyang County can be linked with the near-shore fishing industry in Dengzhou Prefecture. The next step is to set up a salted fish drying workshop in Dengzhou Prefecture.

There's not much more to say about that. Salting and drying fish can earn money for the people, but without enough salt, they can't salt and dry fish. So the people will naturally try to get salt, and the government can take the opportunity to step forward and encourage the people to build salt fields and salt stoves.

However, as the famous decadent writer Zhang Chenglu once said: plans can't keep up with changes.

The key point is that Yang Shaofeng racked his brains but never expected that he would inexplicably run into the Taiping Dao.

No, I've traveled to the Ming Dynasty, right?

The Way of Great Peace (Taipingdao) was established during the reign of Emperor Ling of Han, right?

There's a difference of over a thousand years between them!

Looking at the unfortunate fellow in front of him, who had been captured by the guards of the Prince Consort's mansion and was trembling like a leaf, Yang Shaofeng couldn't help but ask, "Where is your great teacher? And didn't your great teacher teach you any magic to summon wind and rain?"

This is terrible... The Taoist priest named Sun Heilv stammered, "Replying to Your Excellency, the Great Master is in Yidu. This humble subject, this humble subject, this humble subject knows no magic."

Yidu?

Isn't that Qingzhou?

Yang Shaofeng pressed further, "What is your identity in the Taiping Dao? And why did you come to Linqi this time?"

Sun Heilv looked up at Yang Shaofeng, then lowered his head again and whispered, "This humble one simply believes in the Way of Peace and has no status whatsoever."

Yang Shaofeng chuckled and looked at Sun Heilv, saying, "Sun Heilv, I am the Prefect of Dengzhou. Have you heard of my reputation?"

As Yang Shaofeng finished speaking, Sun Heilv suddenly went weak in the knees and collapsed to the ground like a lump of mud, crying with snot and tears streaming down his face: "My lord, spare me! My lord, spare me! This humble subject is stupid and clumsy, and the meat is fishy and smelly. It doesn't taste good, my lord!"

Yang Shaofeng couldn't help but frown and scolded, "What nonsense are you spouting? Who said they wanted to eat you?"

Lame Five dismounted and walked straight towards Sun Black Donkey, who seemed terrified, kicking his legs and trying to back away while shouting incoherently, "My flesh doesn't taste good! It doesn't taste good! Don't eat me!"

Snapped!

Limpy Wu lashed Sun Heilv with his whip, cursing, "You dog! Answer whatever the Prince Consort asks you! If you dare to play dumb again, I'll tear you to pieces and feed you to the dogs!"

Upon hearing the words "split into pieces to feed the dogs," Sun Heilv immediately stopped howling and hurriedly said, "I am a minor leader in the Taiping Dao. This time, I have come to Linqu to visit my fellow Daoist on the orders of our leader, Yu Laohei."

Yang Shaofeng then gave a slight humph and continued to ask, "Visiting fellow Daoist? Also, you just said your flesh was fishy and smelly and didn't taste good. Have you heard that I eat people?"

Sun Heilv glanced at Yang Shaofeng again, then stammered, "Yes, sir, I've heard some unpleasant rumors. Tell me..."

Seeing that Sun Heilv was stammering and unable to give a coherent explanation, Yang Shaofeng suddenly shouted, "What did you say!"

Sun Heilv trembled, closed his eyes, and replied, "Some people say that the master eats a heart and liver with every meal, and at night he also makes soup with a child's heart!"

As soon as Sun Heilv finished speaking, Yang Shaofeng was completely dumbfounded.

"This official? You want to eat human hearts and livers and then use children's hearts to make soup?"

Yang Shaofeng pointed to himself and looked at Limpy Five with a blank expression, asking, "Brother Limpy Five, have you ever heard similar rumors?"

Limpy Wu shook his head slightly, and replied with an equally bewildered look, "I've never heard of that. I've only heard the people talk about how good the Prince Consort is, and I've never heard them say anything bad about him."

Yang Shaofeng frowned slightly, then looked at Sun Heilv and said, "Answer my questions honestly. What is the reason you came to Linqu? And what is the story behind your chieftain and the Great Teacher? Explain everything to me in detail."

After a slight pause, Yang Shaofeng continued, "You'd better tell the truth. If you tell even one lie, I'll use you as a drinking companion tonight."

Sun Heilv was startled and stammered, "The Great Teacher is named Sun Gupu, and the Chief is named Yu Laohei. I came to Linqu this time on the orders of Chief Yu Laohei to check on the preaching situation."

As Sun Laohei finished speaking, Yang Shaofeng couldn't help but shake his head slightly and instructed Limpy Wu, "This man will be in your care, Brother Limpy Wu."

Limpy Wu chuckled and cupped his hands, saying, "Don't worry, Your Highness. I know you are kind-hearted and can't stand the screams or the sight of torture. I'll take him aside for questioning right away."

After saying that, Limpy Five picked up Sun Black Donkey and walked to the back of a small mound of earth. He didn't bring Sun Black Donkey back until about half a cup of tea's time had passed.

"They confessed everything."

Limpy Wu threw the bloodied and mangled Sun Laohei aside, spat, and said, "These bastards are preparing to rebel. This Sun Heilv is a minor leader. Above him is Yu Laohei, one of the thirty-six chieftains, and above him is Sun Gupu, who calls himself the Great Teacher of Virtue."

"This trip to Linqu was not to check on the preaching, but to contact the Yellow Turban rebels in Linqu to start an uprising together."

At this point, Limpy Five's face turned extremely ugly: "Their target is Penglai County, or rather, they are here specifically for Your Highness, the Prince Consort."

Yang Shaofeng was slightly taken aback and asked, "Are you here for me?"

This is utterly ridiculous nonsense.

Yang Shaofeng would rather believe that Liu Bowen, Li Shanchang, Hu Weiyong, and Yang Xian were conspiring to frame him, and that Zhu Chongba, that old scoundrel, wanted to kill him, than believe that ordinary people would want to kill him.

Or rather, Yang Shaofeng preferred to believe the unofficial history of Gouzi rather than believe that the common people would want to kill him.

After a long silence, Yang Shaofeng finally asked, "What exactly happened?"

Limpy Five shook his head slightly and replied, "This guy is just a small leader. He doesn't know anything else. We need to catch that so-called chieftain or the Great Teacher of Virtue."