The world of film and television starts from the flow of money

Nanhai County, Sihui County.

Under the night sky, the moon is bright and the stars are sparse.

The cold moonlight sprinkled on the bamboo forest, like a layer of silver frost. The breeze blew, and the bamboo leaves rustled, interweaving with the crackling sound of flames coming from deep in the bamboo forest.

In the forest, Han Xin, wearing soft armor, with one hand on his sword, led hundreds of soldiers through the bamboo forest. The soldiers were agile and their footsteps were almost silent, except for the occasional clang when the scabbards touched the bamboo, but the sound was quickly drowned out by the sound of the wind and the fire.

When they were about ten meters away from the clearing, Han Xin raised his hand and everyone stopped immediately. He squatted down, gently pushed aside the grass and trees in front of him, and looked towards the clearing.

In the open space, dozens of refugees sat around a campfire. They were ragged, with holes and patches all over their clothes, their hair was tangled and messy, and their faces were covered with dirt. But their eyes showed the excitement of surviving the disaster.

Pigs, ducks, and sheep were roasting on the bonfire, with fat dripping and sparks flying. The aroma of meat and wine mixed in the air, giving the open space a lively atmosphere.

Two sturdy men, with bulging muscles on their arms, one of them raised a ceramic wine jar and shouted:

"Eat, eat with big mouthfuls!"

The sound was so loud that the surrounding bamboos shook slightly.

Another person laughed and said, "Hahaha, you haven't eaten meat for a long time, right?"

The man's teeth were yellow, and there were food residues between his teeth. He smiled brightly, his eyes narrowed, and his happiness was beyond words:
"Come on, come on! Eat! Eat as much as you want!"

Following this call, men, women, old and young all started to move. The woman's face was covered with traces of frost, and her eyes were full of desire and satisfaction for food. People tore the barbecue with their hands or simple wood chips, chewing with big mouthfuls, with oil dripping from the corners of their mouths, but they didn't care. Several skinny children had their faces covered with oil, and laughed happily from time to time. The elderly ate slowly, but the smiles on their faces were as blooming as chrysanthemums.

"Lai, kid, eat more!"

"Well! Dad, drink!"

"........."

Looking at the refugees on the open ground, Han Xin frowned slightly, his eyes were complicated, and he tightened his sword, as if he was thinking about the pros and cons. The soldiers leaned forward, their muscles tensed, ready for battle.

After a while, Han Xin glanced at Zhou Chang, drew his sword, and whispered an order: "Don't let anyone go. Capture the bandit leader Gao Jie and Huang Gang alive. Try to capture the others alive."

After saying that, he stood up and shouted: "Kill!"

The sound echoed in the bamboo forest.

The soldiers rushed towards the open space with their steps in unison and swiftness, their swords flashing coldly.

"There's an ambush!?"

"Is it the soldiers?" "Oh no!"

Everyone in the open space was suddenly panicked.

"what to do?!"

Huang Gang gritted his teeth and said, "Brother, what should we do?"

"I'm done for! Let's fight them!!"

Gao Jie threw the wine bottle at the soldier, and it broke on the shield. With a roar, he picked up a wooden stick and rushed towards the soldier, swinging the stick with a sound of wind. Huang Gang picked up the rusty knife and shouted: "Brothers, let's fight!"

Others also reacted, some picked up branches, and some rushed towards the soldiers with bare hands. For a moment, shouts and screams intertwined. A young man rushed towards the soldier, but the soldier easily dodged his attack and stabbed him in the shoulder with a sword. The young man screamed and fell, but still struggled to get up and fight again.

"Ahhh~~"

“Woooooooo~~~”

The children burst into tears, the women frantically looked for a place to hide, and the old man curled up on the ground with his arms outstretched to protect his children.

Han Xin led the charge, swinging his sword quickly among the enemies, splashing blood. He stared at Gao Jie and Huang Gang, wanting to capture them alive. Although Gao Jie was very strong and could make the soldiers retreat by waving a wooden stick, he was not a well-trained soldier after all, and his physical strength gradually declined. Huang Gang was besieged by several soldiers and was injured in many places, but he still resisted tenaciously. However, these refugees and bandits were no match for the fully armed elite soldiers, and his resistance became increasingly powerless.

The battle became more intense, the birds in the bamboo forest were startled and flew away, and the moonlight seemed to dim.

Han Xin rushed towards Gao Jie, who noticed and ran deep into the bamboo forest, with Han Xin chasing him. Gao Jie was familiar with the path and ran very fast in the bamboo forest, but Han Xin was agile and gradually closed the distance.

Zhou Chang and his soldiers forced Huang Gang into a corner. Huang Gang was panting, still holding the knife tightly in his hand, with an unyielding look in his eyes. Zhou Chang shouted with his gun: "Put down your weapons and surrender!" Huang Gang sneered and charged again.

During the chase, Han Xin saw the opportunity when Gao Jie stumbled, accelerated suddenly, flew towards Gao Jie, and pinned him to the ground. Gao Jie struggled, and Han Xin pressed his knee against his back, quickly pulled out the rope and tied his hands behind his back. Gao Jie's eyes were wide open, and he kept cursing, but he couldn't break free.

On the other side, Huang Gang charged again and was hit in the wrist by Zhou Chang's spear, causing his knife to fall to the ground. The surrounding soldiers rushed forward, pinned him down, and tied him up with ropes.

Around the open space, the battle was drawing to a close. Those who resisted were gradually subdued. The soldiers remembered Han Xin's orders and tried their best to avoid killing and capture those alive. Some wounded people lay on the ground groaning, and the children's cries gradually subsided.

“Take them all back!”

Han Xin took Gao Jie and Zhou Chang took Huang Gang to a meeting place. They carefully checked the number of people to ensure that no one escaped. Then, they left the bamboo forest with the captives. Under the moonlight, the figures of the group gradually faded away, leaving only the bloodstained empty space.

………………

Sihui County.

A farm in the countryside.

Han Xin stood firmly in front of the gate, feet together, with a respectful look, and said in a loud voice: "Your Excellency Prime Minister, the bandit leaders Gao Jie and Huang Gang have been brought here."

Yi Huawei's calm voice came from inside the house: "Let them in!"

At this time, Yi Huawei was sitting behind the desk, with an upright posture. He had just finished writing a line of strong and powerful characters with a brush dipped in ink. After hearing Han Xin's report, he gently put down the brush, then raised his eyes and looked sharply at the door.

"promise!"

Han Xin took the order and waved to the guards who were escorting Gao Jie and Huang Gang behind him.

“Kneel down! Kneel down!!”

Several bodyguards received the order and used their strong arms to push Gao Jie and Huang Gang into the house.

Gao Jie and Huang Gang struggled hard, their feet firmly pressed against the ground, their eyes blazing with anger, their faces full of unwillingness. Seeing this, the guards kicked them hard in the knees, the force was so great that it seemed to break their bones.

The two men knelt down heavily with a thud, their knees colliding violently with the ground, making a dull and heavy sound, like the beating of a dull war drum. Even so, the two men still looked unconvinced, with veins bulging on their necks, stiffening their necks, and staring with eyes as round as copper bells, trying to stand up and resist again.

The guards would never let them succeed, and they quickly stepped forward and pressed them to the ground like an iron tower. Gao Jie and Huang Gang's faces were pressed against the ground, their cheeks flushed red from the force, and veins on their foreheads bulged, but they were pressed so hard that they could not move.

Yi Huawei sat in the main seat in front, glanced at Gao Jie and Huang Gang, and asked indifferently, "Who among you is Gao Jie?"

The bearded man on the left suddenly raised his head, his eyes seemed to be spitting fire, and he glared at Yi Huawei, gritting his teeth and roared: "Me!"

"You are quite courageous!"

The corners of Yi Huawei's mouth slightly raised, outlining a faint arc:

"Gathering a crowd to kill an official is a crime tantamount to rebellion. Now that you are about to die, do you have anything to say?" "Are you Zhao Gao?"

Gao Jie sneered, the corners of his mouth twitched violently with disdain, and his eyes were full of contempt for Yi Huawei, as if he was looking at the most hateful person in the world.

"I am Zhao Gao!"

Yi Huawei nodded: "Are you from Handan?"

Gao Jie nodded coldly, his nod stiffly and resolutely: "So what? We can't get close to the Prime Minister!"

"presumptuous!!"

A guard standing nearby shouted angrily, his voice like thunder. He raised the wooden stick in his hand high, drew a sharp arc in the air, and hit Gao Jie's back fiercely. The moment the stick touched his back, a crisp and loud sound was heard, echoing in the hall. Gao Jie's body trembled violently, and his muscles twitched due to the severe pain, but he managed to hold back a sound, but the hatred in his eyes became stronger, and the hatred spread like a substance.

Yi Huawei looked indifferent, his face calm as water, with a faint smile on the corner of his mouth, and then waved his hand: "Let them go."

"promise!"

Several guards received the order and released the hands of Huang Gang and Gao Jie.

"I don't think you two are ordinary farmers."

Yi Huawei's eyes were like lightning, and he scanned the two people sharply: "Do you know the laws of the Qin Dynasty? Why do you want to kill officials?"

Gao Jie sneered, his smile full of ridicule towards the so-called law: "Humph, you can't even survive, why bother with the law!"

"Can't survive?" Yi Huawei narrowed his eyes slightly, a trace of doubt flashed in his eyes: "How could this be?"

"Humph!"

Huang Gang looked at Yi Huawei with grief and indignation, his lips trembling slightly with excitement: "More than a thousand of us built the city, and more than a hundred of us starved to death! Every brother was starved to the point of skin and bones, and finally collapsed and never got up again. There were also more than a hundred people who died of illness. In this situation, what else can we do? Can we just watch our brothers die one by one?"

After a moment of silence, Yi Huawei asked, "Don't laborers get food and wages?"

Gao Jie sneered, and the laughter was particularly harsh in the lobby:
"Food? They withheld half of the four-month food. After we ate the little food, we could only buy food with the money we brought with us. Those who didn't bring money had to work on an empty stomach. We were so hungry that we had no choice but to go to the city wall to dig grass and pick leaves to eat. The grass was bitter and astringent, and the leaves were hard to swallow, but we ate everything to survive. But after the money was gone, we still had nothing to eat. We asked them for food, but not only did they not give it to us, they also beat our two leaders to death. Do you think we can still survive like this?!"

Yi Huawei asked again: "Then why don't you sue the authorities?"

Huang Gang responded coldly: "Sue the officials? What's the use? We went there, but the officials didn't listen to us at all and drove us out. We know that they are all in the same group, and they protect each other. What can we do?"

Yi Huawei nodded: "Who withheld your food and wages?"

Gao Jie sneered, with a hint of determination in his laughter, "Zhao Tuo's younger brother, Zhao Guang!"

"I see!"

Yi Huawei's eyes were deep: "Take them away and detain them temporarily. Also, send them some food."

"Yes!" Several guards took the order and escorted Huang Gang and Gao Jie away. The hall returned to calm.

"Haha~"

Yi Huawei said coldly: "It seems that Zhao Guang really regards Nanhai County as his own. He even dares to withhold the food and wages of the conscripted civilians from the imperial court...Han Xin!"

"My subordinate is here!"

Seeing Yi Huawei's expressionless face, Han Xin lowered his head and bowed in response.

"Notify Xiao He that we can start the action tonight!"

Yi Huawei nodded: "Be careful to move quickly and not cause a mutiny!"

"promise!"

Han Xin said solemnly: "I know!"

After saying this, he bowed again, turned around and walked out of the room.

After Han Xin left, Yi Huawei disguised himself and walked out of the room.

………………

Sihui County is named after the four rivers that converge here, which also creates its unique water transportation advantage. The rivers are crisscrossed, the docks extend along the coast, and ships of various sizes are docked on the shore.

At the dock, boatmen were shouting as they loaded and unloaded goods. Boxes and bags of supplies were piled up like mountains. There were spices from Lingnan, bronze ware from the Central Plains, and salted fish from the coast. These goods would be shipped from here to various places in Nanhai County.

On the shore, the pier was a little slippery due to frequent use, and there were still seaweed and water stains.

The coolies who were carrying the goods had their dark and strong arms exposed, the heavy cargo pressed on their shoulders, and the wooden bridge made a creaking sound under their feet.

The streets were bustling with people and noisy sounds were heard one after another.

Yi Huawei was wearing ordinary cloth and a bamboo hat with the brim pulled down to cover his face. He walked slowly and alone on the street.

"Look, come and have a look! They're so cheap! Hens are only four cents a pound, big hens! ... They can't be any cheaper, eggs are only one cent for two!"

The chicken stall owner was a lean man. His eyes were shrewd as he watched the customers who were picking up and putting down the hens with their rough hands and arguing about the quality and price of the hens.

"Walk slowly!"

Next to them, an old man selling bamboo slips was sorting them with his eyes narrowed, classifying and placing the slips with different contents. He was muttering to himself, as if he was checking the number.

Not far away, two big men were carrying a jar of wine together. The jar was very large, and their steps were a little heavy. Veins popped out on their foreheads, and they cursed the rugged road under their mouths.

"Sir, would you like to buy some cloth?"

A woman brought her child to buy cloth at a stall. The woman held the cloth on her child and bargained with the stall owner. Her eyes were full of consideration of the price, while the child was curiously touching the texture of the cloth.

"Look, what a beautiful color this is, it's perfect for children!"

The stall owner was a thin young man. He looked at the woman eagerly and said with a smile: "Fifteen cents a foot, very good!"

"So expensive?!"

When the woman heard this, she put down the cloth in her hand, took the child and walked away, muttering, "It's only ten cents a foot in He County, and you're charging fifteen?! It's not even embroidered!"

"Hey~ I'll sell it to you at a lower price, Fourteen, okay? It's the same price here, and it's the same price if you go to the store!"

Seeing the woman walking away without even turning her head, the stall owner sighed, smiled bitterly and shook his head.

(End of this chapter)