Chapter 114: Chaotic Expansion!

It is not at all strange for local officials to be corrupt; even Magistrate Xue is not as pure as driven snow, otherwise, Xue Yun'er might not even be able to afford a maid.

However, other officials who take money usually maintain a shred of pretense. At the very least, they wait until they have targeted a specific "project" and verified its viability before taking action. Even when accepting bribes, they do so behind closed doors.

This Magistrate Luo, however, is the first official Li Yun has ever met who began discussing how to split the money the moment they met, before more than a few words had been exchanged. He was incredibly direct—direct to the point of being unsettling. It was clear that once he learned about the donations in Shidai, he was convinced that Li Yun and the magistrate there had taken a cut and made a tidy profit.

Chief Li was silent for a moment, then laughed. He was laughing out of sheer indignation. *I am a bandit myself, working hard every day, diligently robbing my peers, and you, you son of a bitch, sit there and try to do business with us bandits?*

Seeing Li Yun laugh, Magistrate Luo stroked his beard and said with a smile, "Chief Li, rest assured, I am not a greedy man. I will take exactly the same amount as Magistrate Zhang in Shidai—not a penny more."

"As for the fundraising, I will see to it in a few days." He sighed and added, "To be honest, the number of bandits in Ningguo has indeed increased in recent years. I have always wanted to deal with them, but I have truly lacked the resources."

"Now that you are here, Chief Li, I can breathe a sigh of relief. Just let me know how much money is needed for the bandit suppression, and I will ensure you are fully provided for."

Magistrate Luo meant that if Li Yun needed one thousand guan to suppress bandits in Ningguo, he would take a thirty percent cut, meaning he would raise fourteen hundred and twenty-eight guan. If he took a fifty percent cut, he would raise two thousand guan. In short, he would ensure Li Yun's needs were met, with the entire fundraising process overseen by him.

One has to admit, Magistrate Luo was quite a capable man; with just a few words, he had laid everything out clearly. Li Yun looked up at the magistrate, narrowed his eyes slightly, and then lowered his head again. Right now, he was wishing that the rebels from Yuezhou would invade Ningguo so that Magistrate Luo would "accidentally" die in the chaos, allowing him to step in and take charge of the county's affairs.

After a moment of silence, Li Yun said, "Magistrate, the magistrate of Shidai... his beloved concubine was killed by rebels, so he is driven by a desire for revenge and has not taken any of the donations."

Having said this, Li Yun changed the subject. "I have just arrived in Ningguo and am unfamiliar with the local customs. In your opinion, Magistrate, how should this money be divided?"

"Oh?" Magistrate Luo frowned. "Magistrate Zhang of Shidai did not take any?"

Li Yun shook his head. "He did not."

"Then let us do this." Magistrate Luo stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and said, "Chief Li, you just tell me how much money you need, and I will handle the fundraising to cover it. As for the rest, there is no need for you to worry. How does that sound?"

He meant that he would no longer follow a percentage split. He would raise whatever amount Li Yun asked for, and as for the total sum, the surplus, and how that surplus would be divided, it would have nothing to do with Li Yun.

A smile appeared on Li Yun's face. He looked at Magistrate Luo and asked, "How long have you been in Ningguo, Magistrate?"

Magistrate Luo, sensing something amiss, looked at Li Yun and frowned slightly. "Why does Chief Li ask? This is my fourth year here."

"Nothing, just asking." Chief Li pondered for a moment and said with a smile, "This time, Governor Cui has already allocated five hundred guan, which will keep the bandit-suppression unit going for some time. Regarding the fundraising in Ningguo, why don't you only solicit from the wealthy families? No matter how much you raise, you can keep half for yourself."

"Soliciting only from the wealthy families... I fear it will be difficult to get the money..." Magistrate Luo frowned, then relaxed. Looking at Li Yun, he realized something. This Chief Li was too young; young people often could not stomach these things. *I overestimated him,* Magistrate Luo thought to himself.

He quickly forced a smile and said, "Since that is how you feel, Chief Li, I cannot force it. We shall put the fundraising on hold for now."

"I have other matters to attend to. As for the bandit situation in Ningguo, I will have the county clerk come to discuss it with you later." With that, he stood up and walked away with his hands behind his back, never looking back.

Li Yun did not stand up. He watched the magistrate's retreating figure, drank his tea, and after setting down the cup, wore a benign smile.

After waiting for a while, the county clerk finally arrived at a leisurely pace. Because Li Yun held the official bandit-suppression documents from Governor Cui, this low-ranking official did not dare to put on airs. However, he clearly had no contact with bandits and knew very little. Li Yun asked a few questions, gained no useful information, and did not waste any more time, rising to take his leave and departing the Ningguo county office.

He stayed in the city for a day with Li Zheng and the others, then returned to the village on the outskirts. They bought a pig and two sheep, slaughtered them right at the village entrance, and spent the entire day busy. By evening, the wolf-like bandits of the suppression unit finally had meat to eat.

Li Yun sat on a tree stump, tore into a lamb leg, wiped the grease from his mouth, and said, "The officials in Ningguo are not to be trusted."

"We won't count on them. We'll do it ourselves."

Zhou Liang was much more refined. Holding a bowl, he finished a large piece of meat and asked, "What does the Chief intend to do?"

"Rest for two days, wait for Thin Monkey to bring word back."

As he spoke, Li Yun looked at his subordinates, chewing his meat as he mumbled, "Third Uncle, where did those tents come from? I want to get some tents so that when we go out in the future, we don't have to borrow lodging from villages. It would be much more convenient."

Zhou Liang gave a bitter smile. "Chief, are you really planning to build an army?"

Li Yun let out a "heh" and said, "And what if I am?"

Zhou Liang shook his head. "Military tents are hard to come by for civilians, and you can't use ordinary fabric."

"Small tents are easy to get, but they don't sleep many people."

Li Yun nodded, tossed the lamb bone aside, leaned back against the large tree, and looked up at the night sky, whispering, "We lack too many things."

Zhou Liang sat beside him and said with a smile, "Chief, if you want things, just rob an army, and you will have everything you need."

Li Yun was stunned and looked back at Zhou Liang.

Zhou Liang's expression shifted slightly as he looked at Li Yun. "Chief, I was just speaking... please, do not take it seriously!"

Li Yun grinned. "In the future, maybe we will find such an opportunity."

...

The next evening, Li Zheng, who had been gone for several days, returned in a hurry. Following the unique markers of the bandit-suppression unit, he quickly found Li Yun's location. After dismounting, he ran directly to Li Yun, who was practicing with his spear.

Seeing Li Zheng running over, panting, Li Yun tossed his spear into the ground and looked at him, asking with a smile, "I thought it would take you another two or three days. Why are you back so soon?"

"Did you not make it to Yuezhou?"

Li Zheng caught his breath, looked at Li Yun, and said, "Second Brother, I did not make it to Yuezhou. As soon as I left Ningguo, I encountered some scattered Yuezhou troops."

Li Yun was stunned, then frowned. "After leaving Ningguo, you haven't reached Yuezhou yet, have you? That should be Qiantang Commandery?"

"Yes, it is Qiantang Commandery."

Li Zheng took a deep breath, his expression serious, and whispered, "Second Brother, the rebel army from Yuezhou has already left Yuezhou and begun attacking Qiantang. At this moment, they should have already surrounded Qiantang Commandery!"

Li Yun was momentarily stunned, then muttered, "They move fast."

"What about the imperial army? Did they have no response?"

Li Zheng shook his head. "I did not see any. They must have retreated to defend Qiantang City."

Li Yun pondered for a moment. Qiantang Commandery was adjacent to Ningguo. This meant that once the rebels took Qiantang, they could attack Ningguo at any time, or even the entire Xuanzhou!

Li Yun thought for a moment and his mind went to the Tianmu Mountains between Ningguo and Qiantang Commandery.

He stood up and said slowly, "Pass on my order: we move out tomorrow morning."

"We are attacking the Tianmu Mountains!"