Chapter 348: 348 begging for mercy Chapter 348: 348 begging for mercy The crowd pleaded for mercy, their voices overlapping in desperation. A shadow of darkness flickered and then vanished from Dongzi’s eyes as he mustered his strength, dragging the rattling chains, and knelt on the ground, “Chief Escort Head, we truly acknowledge our mistakes. We were momentarily blinded by greed for those benefits. Dongzi begs you, please, for the sake of the many years of brotherhood we’ve shared, give us another chance. If we are truly sent to the government office, charged with robbery and murder, our lives will be doomed!”

Seeing that the Chief Escort Head did not respond, another man pleaded, “Chief Escort Head, you are the only one who can save us now. It is right for brothers who have done wrong to be punished, but we just can’t bear to leave our families behind–our elderly and our children. Please, have mercy on us for the sake of our brotherhood, and give us a way to live…”

The Chief Escort Head indeed hesitated.

Ye Jiu’s and Ye Wenzheng’s high regard and appreciation for him filled him with joy. However, looking back at his brothers with whom he had once had life-and-death ties, could he really watch them being sent to the government office?

Could he really witness their families living in endless gloom?

One must know, what would a family face if it lost its main breadwinner?

What would people say about a young widow who has lost her husband?

What would a child be called for not having a father?

The Chief Escort Head’s heart ached.

He was torn by a choice akin to a battle between heaven and man in his heart. Saving these brothers would unmistakably be a betrayal to Young Master Dong and Wenzheng. But if he did not save them, how could he face the families of these brothers?

Even if the Escort Agency had disbanded and they could have simply lived peacefully farming at home, it was his own greedy desire to revive the Escort Agency that had driven him to rally them all together.

Now, he had led the men out, but had not brought them back. On returning, how was he to face their families who were eagerly awaiting the return of their men, fathers, or sons?

Seeing the Chief Escort Head’s expression softening slightly, several astute brothers sensed an opportunity to escape, and the pleas for mercy became even more heartfelt.

Especially Dongzi, who was already tearfully kneeling on the ground, “Chief Escort Head, you know the kind of people we brothers are. We are not greedy. People say we are terrified of poverty! That year, after what happened to the Escort Agency, I wanted to go back home and farm to support my family, but then my mother suddenly fell sick, and I didn’t even have money to treat her illness.

Even after selling all of the few acres of land we had, I couldn’t afford a single ginseng root, and could only watch my mother waste away and die on her bed.

Now my home doesn’t have a single acre of land, the house is dilapidated, my wife complains every day because we are poor, and my children can’t eat their fill or wear warm clothes. We brothers were forced into this!

Chief Escort Head, I beg you to save us this once. We brothers will forever be grateful for your great kindness and will lead good lives from now on, never again straying onto these crooked paths…”

The Chief Escort Head’s heart grew even heavier upon mentioning the past.

Many brothers knew of Dongzi’s family’s situation back then, but with no money at hand, even though they knew, they could do nothing and lived on with a sense of guilt.

Over the years, the Chief Escort Head had also felt he owed Dongzi. As the Chief of the Escort Agency, he had not been able to help him back then. So this time, when he got business, the first ones he thought of were Dongzi and the other brothers whose families were in tough circumstances.

He hadn’t expected that too many hard days had worn away their spirit, leading things to develop to this point!