Chapter 413: Recruitment, an unexpected surprise
"Just this!"
Ning Fan smiled, took out a jade talisman from his waist, and threw it towards Qu Linjiang. The latter glanced at it, his face was horrified, and he hurried forward to kneel down.
"I, Qu Linjiang, pay my respects to His Royal Highness Prince Yong!"
"Prince Yong?"
The burly man was also stunned, looking at Ning Fan with disbelief in his eyes. The laughter of the pirates around him also stopped abruptly, and they looked at Ning Fan with a dull face.
"Your Highness, are you okay?"
Li Luo's figure also landed lightly on Ning Fan's body, and his shoes were soaked. Obviously, his lightness skills were three points inferior to those of Ning Fan and Xiao Longnu.
"Pay your respects to His Royal Highness Prince Yong!"
After the thieves around reacted, they also knelt down to pay their respects.
Ning Fan had a gentle smile on his face, and looked at Qu Linjiang and said, "I have heard about you white sail pirates for a long time. You have been entrenched here for many years, robbing caravans. The Jinyiwei has presented your information to my desk several times."
"So, I know you very well."
Hearing Ning Fan's words, the thieves around him all looked panicked, with a bit of fear on their faces.
Qu Linjiang, on the other hand, was calm and composed, showing a respectful look on his face. He said sincerely, "We have admired His Royal Highness Prince Yong for a long time. His Royal Highness conquered the southern barbarians in the south and retreated to Dayan in the east. His reputation shocked the world." "I didn't expect that I would have the honor to see His Royal Highness's face today. I am so terrified." "Hehe!" Ning Fan looked around and said lightly, "Get up. If you didn't kill innocent people on weekdays, and I happened to meet you today, it would not be me who came, but the army of the court." "You think that you have been wandering on the Huai River for many years, and the local government can do nothing about it. "I can't do anything to you?"
"The reason why I haven't touched you so far is because you have never crossed the bottom line. Otherwise, let alone a few thousand of you, even if there are tens of thousands of bandits, how can you resist the army of the court?"
"Today, I came here to recruit you!"
Hearing Ning Fan mention the word "recruitment" again, Qu Linjiang couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, but showed a bit of embarrassment: "Your Highness, can you come in and talk with me?"
"Yes!"
Qu Linjiang waved his hand to let the people around him withdraw, respectfully invited Ning Fan and the other two to enter the cabin, and ordered someone to serve tea.
After sitting down, there was a sigh on his face.
"Your Highness, our Baifan pirates were built by the village owner eight years ago. Over the years, we have been entrenched in the Huaihe River area. From a small fishing boat, we now have twelve large ships in the village, one tower ship, and four thousand people under our command."
"For eight years, we have robbed caravans, but never attacked ordinary people. Moreover, after the robbery, we will definitely ensure the safety of the caravans. Therefore, the passing caravans know that our Baifan Water Village is entrenched in the Huaihe River area, but the number of people passing by is also increasing!"
"My Baifan Water Village, more than four thousand brothers, have never done anything unjust."
Qu Linjiang said while observing Ning Fan's expression, and said softly: "Today, Your Highness came to recruit you. I am inexplicably excited, but also extremely terrified."
"I dare to ask, I don't know if Your Highness has done anything wrong this time. "Amnesty, does it represent the imperial court or the local county government?"
"What's the difference?"
Ning Fan asked back, and Qu Linjiang also smiled bitterly: "Your Highness, you don't know that the owner of my village was once a merchant family in Jiangnan, with a privileged family background, but because he offended the county governor, he ended up with his family broken up and all the more than 100 members of his family were imprisoned."
"The owner of the village escaped by chance, and had no choice but to become a bandit here!"
"Therefore, if the county government offers amnesty, the owner of the village is afraid..."
As soon as Qu Linjiang finished speaking, Ning Fan understood it instantly and nodded slightly: "Such a blood feud is reasonable, but the county governor eight years ago is probably no longer in office here now, right?"
"Your Highness, the county governor of Nanliang eight years ago is still in office now."
"Oh?"
Ning Fan looked at Li Luo in confusion: "Why?"
"The governor of Nanliang County is from the Nanliang family. Nanliang County was once a vassal state. Later, it was destroyed by my Dayu. The first emperor allowed the Nanliang family to rule Nanliang County forever."
"Do you have any information about Nanliang?"
"There is an archive in my Jinyiwei government office. I will present it when I go back."
"Yes!"
Ning Fan nodded and looked at Qu Linjiang and said, "Where is your village chief now?"
"Your Highness, the village chief is now in charge of the village. We went south this time to wipe out a group of bandits!"
"Wipe out bandits?"
"That's right!" Qu Linjiang showed a bitter smile on his face: "Seventeen miles south of here, a group of bandits gathered not long ago. They did all kinds of evil, robbed houses, and slaughtered passing caravans!"
"The village chief heard this and went to the village to wipe out the bandits!"
"Warm up the bandits?"
"That's right!" Qu Linjiang smiled bitterly ...."
"Warm up the bandits?"
"That's right!" Qu Linjiang smiled bitterly: " "If you want to investigate the matter, I will send you there!"
"Li Luo!"
"I am here."
"Go check, check the Nanliang family, check if there is any evil bandit in the 17 miles south of here, and check the Baifan Water Village to see if anyone has done evil in the past eight years!"
"Yes!"
"By the way!" Ning Fan looked at Qu Linjiang and asked softly: "What is the name of your village chief and where does he live?"
"The village chief's name is Bai Qingyu. He used to live in Nanliang County and is quite famous in the local area. It's a pity that more than a hundred people in the bloody case eight years ago are now..."
Qu Linjiang sighed, and Ning Fan's voice sounded again: "Take my order and dispatch the Jiangnan Jinyiwei to thoroughly investigate the Bai family eight years ago. The cause and effect, all the evidence and witnesses must be verified."
"I'm waiting for your news at Baifan Water Village!"
"Yes!"
After Li Luo saluted respectfully, he boarded a small boat and quickly went ashore. Ning Fan looked at Qu Linjiang and said, "Don't suppress the bandits yet. Go back to the village. I want to see your village chief!"
"Yes!"
Qu Linjiang saluted respectfully and immediately ordered the eight large boats to turn around and sail against the current all the way to Baifan Water Village.
...
"Village chief!"
"The second in command is back. He said that a distinguished guest is visiting!"
"Oh?"
Bai Qingyu put down the chess piece in his hand and asked in confusion, "How long have you been out? How come you're back so soon?"
"Who is the distinguished guest?"
"I don't know!"
Bai Qingyu stood up and walked towards the village gate. From a distance, he saw Qu Linjiang respectfully leading a young man with gorgeous clothes and extraordinary demeanor to stride in.
"Village leader!"
"Who is this?"
Bai Qingyu's eyes fell on Ning Fan, with a puzzled look on his face. Qu Linjiang hurried forward and whispered: "This is His Royal Highness Prince Yong in person!"
"Prince Yong?"
Bai Qingyu's expression suddenly changed. He stayed on Ning Fan for a moment and saluted: "I am a commoner, meeting His Royal Highness Prince Yong."
"No need to be polite!"
Ning Fan smiled and stepped forward, silently shutting down the system, with a look of satisfaction on his face. He didn't expect that he could meet two great talents while traveling!
...