novelaction Chapter 1047 Last Words
Chapter 1047 Last Words
"Uncle, so many silver notes, so much money! We're rich!!" The others accompanying him couldn't help but exclaim excitedly.
"Yes, yes, I've never seen so many silver notes in my life! Even if there are a dozen of us dividing them, we'll never have to worry about food and drink for the rest of our lives!"
The old man didn't rush to answer. He roughly felt the thickness of the notes and knew that they were worth at least three million taels of silver.
What does three million taels mean? It's equivalent to ten years' worth of tax revenue for a medium-sized county in the Central Plains. And that's under the condition of good weather. Now, with years of disasters, some medium-sized counties may not even reach that level.
Therefore, the old man asserted, "These people are definitely not ordinary peddlers or merchants! They might even have murder on their hands, and this money may not be clean either."
“We’re almost in the capital. Shouldn’t we report this to the authorities as soon as possible? Otherwise, it’s hard to explain the origin of such a large sum of money,” Jiang Yaozu said, frowning.
"No," the old man shook his head, his face shrewd.
"In this situation, I think we shouldn't report it to the authorities. If we do, things will get complicated, and we might even get ourselves implicated. Money can be a powerful motivator, especially with so much money involved. You never know if you'll run into a good official or a corrupt one when you go to the yamen."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yaozu fell silent, realizing that his uncle's words made sense.
Even if he was completely clueless about social dynamics, he knew that there were many unspoken rules and regulations in the government offices, and that they weren't as fair and just as ordinary people imagined. Otherwise, he wouldn't have left the government office because he couldn't stand the chaotic and corrupt atmosphere there.
"Then what can we do? We can't just leave him like this, can we? It's a human life, after all. Whether he's guilty or not, it has to be decided by the imperial law."
"How much rice a person eats, how many roads they walk, and how old they live in this life are all predetermined. As I just said, it's fate that we met him today. We've done our best to treat him and have a clear conscience. Whether he lives or dies depends on his fate. Let's go, we can't stay here any longer!"
As he spoke, the old man quickly stuffed the silver notes into his pocket, turned around, and beckoned his nephews and the porters who were pushing the goods to leave.
He didn't forget to promise everyone a share of the good news, "After we leave safely and arrive at the inn, I will distribute the silver among you. Everyone will get a share, so don't worry, I won't treat you unfairly. However, we'll discuss how to divide it in the end. We certainly can't treat everyone equally, since I was the one who spearheaded this trade and I provided the bulk of the money."
One of the nephews, being quite shrewd, quickly chimed in, flattering him with a beaming smile: "Uncle is right, you'll definitely get the lion's share. Even if we get a smaller share, we'll be satisfied. We can hold our heads high when we go back to our hometown and won't have to live a hard life anymore. Why would we need to do business anymore? We can just buy more land and become landlords and gentry, hehe!"
As if envisioning a bright future, the man chuckled as he spoke.
Jiang Yaozu raised his hand as if to say something, but was interrupted by the old man, whose words contained a hidden threat: "Yaozu, let me make this clear: I won't stop you from being a good person, but you have to think about it. Your parents, wife, children, and grandchildren back home are all waiting for you to come back. Also, I've treated you well along the way, haven't I? Don't do anything foolish and drag us down with you."
“That’s right, Yaozu, don’t be silly. When you came out of the government office, the clan was already very dissatisfied with you. If you miss out on this huge fortune again because of you, how will you face the other clan members when you return to the clan?”
"Yes, yes, this amount of money is enough for the whole clan to live a good life. We can't be so selfish. Good people don't always get good rewards. Besides, we have a clear conscience towards him."
Seeing Jiang Yaozu standing still, his eyes softened a bit. The old man softened his tone, not wanting to push him too far, and advised, "Let's go. This man is probably beyond saving. At worst, we can build him a cenotaph when we get back, and burn lots of paper money for him during the Qingming Festival so he can be a rich and noble ghost in the afterlife."
Faced with the urging gazes of everyone, Jiang Yaozu sighed and ultimately swallowed his words.
He was nearing forty, and no matter how naive he was, he was no longer at an age where he could act recklessly, especially since it concerned the lives of his clansmen.
"Don't worry, everyone, I won't act impulsively and implicate you."
After saying that, he went to the mule cart and took two thin blankets down to put under the man, which was better than nothing.
During the movement, the person on the ground suddenly moved, spat out blood, and opened his eyes, startling everyone.
"Uncle, he's awake!" someone shouted quickly.
The old man spat inwardly, thinking, "Why did he wake up at this time of year? Why now?" A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.
At the same time, he touched the silver note in his chest. Once he had this silver note in his hands, he would never give it up.
Unless he dies!
The expression on everyone's face was clearly seen by the man on the ground. He wasn't completely unaware when he was unconscious; he was just too badly injured to wake up. After scanning the area, his eyes quickly settled on Jiang Yaozu, who was half-squatting beside him.
This person is somewhat reliable in terms of character.
Then, clutching his chest, he pleaded weakly, "Cough cough, thank you so much, uncle. I know my injuries. I'm... I'm not going to live. I can give you all the silver notes I have. I just... I just ask you to do one thing for me and fulfill my last wish."
"What is it? Tell me," Jiang Yaozu quickly helped the man up, feeling embarrassed about the silver notes, even though he hadn't taken them.
"I...I have...I have a key here. My master asked me to deliver it back to the main family. Please...please, Uncle, make sure you deliver it back for me. The main family will reward you handsomely. Also...please pass on a message for me, just say...say that the Cui family has discovered it..."
As he spoke, the man took out a key from his pocket. The key looked unremarkable on the surface, but it was finely crafted. The old man had just thought it was a key to this house and hadn't paid much attention to it. Now, upon closer inspection, he realized it was unusual. "What does this open? Ordinary locksmiths can't make this."
The man on the ground didn't answer, but handed the key to Jiang Yaozu, staring straight at him, and instructed, "The address... the address is the Qian Taishi Mansion in the capital. You must, you must deliver it to me!"
After saying that, the man on the ground coughed up several more mouthfuls of black blood and died.
Blood splattered all over Jiang Yaozu.
"Hey, wake up, wake up!" Jiang Yaozu was stunned for a moment, then quickly bent down and patted the person, but there was no response.
The old man breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this. "Stop filming! The person is dead. What a waste of those two blankets! Let's go!"
He then winked at the others and forcefully pulled Jiang Yaozu back.
"Uncle, shouldn't we at least bury him?"
"What are you burying? It's pointless. You've gone stupid from reading too much. Get out of here! This is a dangerous place!"