sovbooks Chapter 21 Testing
Chapter 21 Testing
"What are you trying to do?" Choi Si asked, holding Li Chong's name card, her face full of confusion.
"The Xue family is just a grain dealer; although they're wealthy, they're nowhere near as rich as the Zhu family. Even if you want to raise funds, shouldn't you go to Old Master Zhu?"
Li Chong sat back down at the table and continued flipping through the case files, saying without looking up, "Just go when I tell you to. Why all the nonsense?"
"I'm just looking out for you," Cui Shi leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Think about it, the Zhu family is so wealthy. If they just let a little silver slip by, our bandit suppression operation would be a success, right? We might even get some other benefits in return. Why go to all that trouble to find the Xue family?"
Li Chong put down the case file in his hand and looked up at Cui Shi.
This person is greedy, cowardly, and lacks knowledge, yet he loves to talk too much.
If he had no other options, he would have sent this person away long ago.
But for now, we can only bear it.
"Do you know why the Zhu family stands out in Yanggu County and becomes the wealthiest family in the area?" Li Chong asked casually.
Cui Shi was taken aback: "This is naturally because the Zhu family runs a medicinal herb business and has been operating in the government for generations, so it's not surprising that they have a substantial fortune."
"Is that all?" Li Chong's lips curled into a cold smile. "Have you ever considered why, in all these years of rampant banditry in Dafeng Mountain, while other families have been repeatedly robbed, the Zhu family has remained unscathed?"
Choi Si-sil blinked, as if she had thought of something, but she wasn't sure.
"I heard he's one of his family's guards..."
Li Chong didn't expect him to understand, and directly interrupted Cui Shi.
"I was just looking through the county's account books and I found that every time the bandits came down from the mountain to plunder, there was a record in the account books of the Zhu family acquiring land. Once or twice could be a coincidence, but it happened every time. Don't you think there's something fishy about this?"
"You mean..." Cui Shi gasped, "The Zhu family is colluding with that gang of bandits?"
"I didn't say that," Li Chong waved his hand. "This is just my guess, there's no concrete evidence yet. But that's precisely why I need to find the Xue family first. They suffered the most from those bandits, and they must harbor resentment towards the Zhu family. If I can persuade them to contribute money to suppress the bandits, I can both establish my authority and consolidate my power—wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?"
Cui Shi suddenly realized what was going on and nodded repeatedly: "Sir, you are very thoughtful. I will go and deliver the invitation right away."
"Go," Li Chong waved his hand. "Remember, be respectful. Don't let people think I, the county magistrate, am arrogant and rude."
"I understand," Cui Shi replied, and walked away excitedly with the name card in hand.
As Li Chong watched Cui Shi leave, the smile on his face gradually faded.
He picked up his pen again, but instead of continuing to review the case files, he wrote down a few names on the paper: Zhu Binghe, Old Master Zhu, and the bandits of Dafeng Mountain.
There must be a connection between the three.
However, there is currently insufficient evidence, and taking action rashly would only alert the enemy.
Li Chong must first stabilize the situation and wait until he has raised enough money before making any further plans.
Li Chong casually tore the paper into pieces, then looked up and called out loudly, "Someone come here!"
A yamen runner entered in response: "What are your orders, magistrate?"
"Go and tell Clerk Sun to send all the case files from the past few months to the back office. I want to review them carefully."
"Yes."
The yamen runner bowed and withdrew.
Li Chong got up and walked to the window, gazing at the scenery outside while pondering his next move.
Yanggu County may seem calm on the surface, but undercurrents are surging beneath.
Yang Chengde controlled the government, Fu Shun controlled the military, and the Zhu family remained hidden behind the scenes, their role unknown.
His position as county magistrate was merely a figurehead.
But Li Chong was not willing to give up.
Since fate has transported him to this era and made him a county magistrate by sheer luck, he must forge a path to survival in this chaotic world.
Not for anything else, just to survive.
As the sun began to set, the government office gradually quieted down.
Cui Shi returned with a smile on his face: "My lord, it's done. Patriarch Xue has agreed, saying he will host a banquet at Zuiyun Tower tonight, specifically to welcome your arrival."
"Drunken Cloud Pavilion?" Li Chong raised an eyebrow. "That's a nice place."
Zuiyunlou is the largest restaurant in Yanggu County. It is a three-story wooden building with carved beams and painted rafters, and it is quite impressive.
The fact that a banquet was held there demonstrates how much Xue Tao valued this meeting.
"My lord, do you think we should go now, or..." Cui Shi asked, rubbing his hands together.
Li Chong glanced at him: "Just say what you want to say."
Cui Shi chuckled, "I was thinking, since we're going to a banquet, we can't go empty-handed, can we? How about we bring some gifts?"
"No need," Li Chong shook his head. "I am the county magistrate, and he is a commoner. My visiting him is already giving him face. Why should I bring gifts?"
Choi Si-sil nodded sheepishly, "I misunderstood."
Li Chong stood up and straightened his official robes: "Let's go, don't keep them waiting."
Zuiyunlou is located on East Street in Yanggu County. Two large red lanterns hang in front of the door, making the golden characters on the lintel shine brightly.
As soon as Li Chong arrived at the door, a servant came up to him: "Is it Magistrate Li in person? My master has been waiting for you in the private room upstairs for quite some time."
"Mm." Li Chong nodded slightly. "Lead the way."
The servant bowed and led the way, taking Li Chong and Cui Shi up to the third floor.
Pushing open the door to the private room, a middle-aged man in his forties stood up to greet me.
This man was tall and strong with a ruddy complexion, clearly someone who had been pampered and spoiled. He was none other than Xue Tao, the head of the Xue family.
"I am deeply sorry for not being able to greet you properly, Lord Li," Xue Tao said, bowing respectfully with a gesture that was both polite and dignified.
Li Chong returned the greeting: "Master Xue, you are too kind. I am the one who has troubled you."
After exchanging a few polite words, the two took their seats as host and guest, and Cui Shi tactfully stepped aside, standing with his hands at his sides.
Xue Tao personally poured a cup of wine for Li Chong: "I heard that Your Excellency, upon your arrival, you have already shown your determination to suppress the bandits and rid the people of Yanggu of this scourge. I admire you greatly. This cup of wine is my toast to Your Excellency."
Li Chong spoke frankly about the matter of suppressing bandits in the morning court session. Within half a day, all the prominent figures in the county knew about it, and Xue Tao was no exception.
Li Chong picked up his wine cup and said with a smile, "Master Xue, you flatter me. Suppressing bandits is the duty of this county. It's just that the county is currently short of funds, which is why I have shamelessly come to ask Master Xue for help."
"Not at all," Xue Tao waved his hand. "I am deeply grateful that Your Excellency thought of me. But I wonder, how does Your Excellency plan to suppress the bandits?"
Li Chong put down his wine cup, his expression turning serious: "To be honest, the reason I came here is to discuss this matter with Patriarch Xue."
Xue Tao leaned forward slightly, adopting a posture of listening attentively.
Li Chong slowly said, "The bandits of Dafeng Mountain have been causing havoc for many years, and the government has repeatedly tried to suppress them but has failed each time. In my opinion, it's not that those bandits are so powerful, but rather..."
He stopped mid-sentence, picked up his wine glass, and took a sip.
Xue Tao's heart skipped a beat, and he tentatively asked, "Does the magistrate mean that someone tipped off those bandits?"
Li Chong did not answer directly, but gave Xue Tao a meaningful look.
The atmosphere inside the private room suddenly became subtle.