Chapter Thirty-Five: Ingenious Pretexts!

The Gu family was, by all accounts, the wealthiest clan in Shidai. With their considerable fortune, it was said they had tens of thousands of strings of cash on hand. Thus, the five thousand strings that Li had previously extracted from them—though by no means a trivial sum—was, for the Gu family, merely a flesh wound, nothing that could cripple them.

Now, the patriarch of the Gu family had arrived, bearing gifts of thanks for Chief Li. When a fat goose flies by, one would be remiss not to pluck a few feathers.

"Suppressing bandits?" The old master Gu was momentarily taken aback. He glanced at Magistrate Xue and asked, "Brother Yueji?" The last time Magistrate Xue had dealings with the Gu family, they had parted on sour terms. However, after seeing the bruised faces of the uncle and nephew from the Gu family, his anger had somewhat abated. Moreover, the head of the Gu family had once served as a fifth-rank official in the capital, an elder in the bureaucracy whom one could not simply slight.

After a moment’s thought, Magistrate Xue replied, "Brother Gu, the bandit scourge in Qingyang County is no new affliction. Though I have only served here for half a year, it is my duty as magistrate to bring prosperity to the people. Naturally, I wish to do something meaningful for the citizens of Qingyang."

He looked to Li Yun and continued, "This is Li Zhao, Chief Constable Li. Not only did he single-handedly rescue my daughter, but recently, with only two deputies, he captured several bandits and freed your family members from their lair. He is a rare warrior indeed. Since he wishes to rid Qingyang of bandits, I have every reason to support him."

Chief Li’s expression was grave as he addressed Master Gu. "Master Gu, Erlong Stronghold has gone too far in bullying your family. Even I could not stand by when I saw the state your young master was left in. Once the anti-bandit squad is formed, our first order of business will be to eliminate Erlong Stronghold for you!"

The days that Gu Zhang and Gu Cheng spent in Erlong Stronghold had been nothing short of hellish. Chief Li’s men, particularly Zhang Hu and Liu Bo, had tormented them without restraint, beating them and scarcely giving them anything to eat. When the two were finally rescued, their faces were still mottled with bruises.

At the mention of these events, the head of the Gu family’s expression darkened. He looked first at Xue Song, then at Li Yun, and spoke gravely, "Indeed, all of Xuanzhou is plagued by bandits, and the court sends no troops to suppress them. It is truly a disgrace." He turned to Li Yun and asked, "Chief Li, what is your plan to rid us of these mountain bandits?"

Li Yun considered for a moment, then strode to a tree in the rear courtyard. With his right hand formed into a claw, he struck the tree fiercely, causing it to shake violently and tearing away a chunk of bark with his grip. He brought the piece of bark back to Gu Wen, smiling. "Master Gu, do you think this alone is enough to suppress the bandits?"

Gu Wen stared at the bark in astonishment. This young man truly possessed monstrous strength. No wonder he had succeeded in rescuing the Gu family’s kin from Erlong Stronghold.

"Chief Li, you wield extraordinary might indeed. With such skills, it is a shame to remain a mere constable."

Master Gu scrutinized Li Yun before speaking. "In recent years, the court has waged war after war. Chief Li, have you considered joining the army? If you are willing, I can write a letter of recommendation for you."

Chief Li shook his head. "I have only just returned to my hometown of Qingyang. I wish to spend a few years serving my community first. As for joining the military—perhaps in the future," he said with a smile.

Gu Wen nodded, stroking his beard. "Very well. Though I am from Shidai, to repay your kindness, I shall contribute five hundred strings of cash to support this anti—"

"Anti-bandit squad," Li Yun prompted.

"Yes, the anti-bandit squad." Chief Li glanced at Magistrate Xue and continued, "Master Gu, though we are establishing this squad in Qingyang, should bandit troubles arise in Shidai, I will also consider it my duty to help. Your generous support of the squad will be made public; proclamations will be posted throughout Xuanzhou, so all will know of your righteous deed."

At these words, Gu Wen could not help but frown. When he looked to Magistrate Xue, the magistrate turned his gaze elsewhere, as if he had heard nothing. The Gu patriarch sighed. "Very well. For the sake of Xuanzhou’s anti-bandit campaign, I shall contribute another five hundred strings."

He looked at Li Yun and said coolly, "But Chief Li, you cannot merely take our money. The Gu family expects results."

"And what results does Master Gu wish to see?" Li Yun inquired.

"In Erlong Stronghold, there is a bandit called Fool and another named Old Peng. These two have wronged my family grievously. If you can capture them and bring them to the Gu household in Shidai, that would be best. If they are too vicious to be taken alive, then execute them, and we will still be indebted to you."

Chief Li found this amusing, but his promise was loud and clear. "Rest assured, Master Gu. Once the anti-bandit squad is formed, Erlong Stronghold will be our first target!"

Only then did Gu Wen nod in satisfaction. Turning to Magistrate Xue, he offered a bow. "Brother Yueji, owing to these wicked bandits, the marriage alliance between our families must, alas, be called off. This is my fault, and I beg your pardon."

He bowed deeply. Magistrate Xue helped him up and replied, "Brother Gu, let the matter rest. I only hope that in the future, your family will refrain from doing anything that might harm my daughter’s reputation."

"You have my word," Master Gu replied solemnly. "Though Miss Xue will not become a member of the Gu family, she is still my junior. In the future, whenever the matter is mentioned, we will say only that the marriage was annulled due to my son’s illness and nothing more."

Magistrate Xue’s expression softened somewhat, and he returned the gesture. "Thank you, Brother Gu."

After exchanging a few more polite words, Master Gu took his leave. Magistrate Xue, accompanied by Li Yun, escorted him out of the yamen. Watching Gu Wen depart, Magistrate Xue turned to Li Yun with a curious look. "Earlier, you told me the anti-bandit squad would not require county funds. So this was your plan all along?"

"If Gu Wen hadn’t come, would you have gone to the other merchants and gentry in Qingyang for money?"

"How could that be?" Chief Li replied with a straight face. "Rest assured, Your Honor, had the Gu family refused, I would have used my own savings to establish the squad."

Magistrate Xue snorted. "You—one can never tell when you’re being sincere."

Chief Li merely smiled, saying nothing, but inwardly he had answered the question: not a word of it was true.

After a long pause, Magistrate Xue asked, "When do you plan to begin the campaign against the bandits? You’re not going to wait six months, are you?"

"Impossible!" Chief Li declared earnestly. "Rest assured, Your Honor, I am already selecting men from among the constables. As soon as we have the manpower and locate the bandit hideouts, I will lead the charge myself, wipe out a few strongholds, and win glory for you!"

Magistrate Xue cast Li Yun a sidelong glance and sighed. "I hope so."

Though the bureaucracy of Great Zhou was rife with corruption, Magistrate Xue was no spotless official himself—he had his own ambitions. Should Li Yun truly manage to rid Qingyang of its bandits, then for Xue Song... his prospects in officialdom would greatly improve.

If, by chance, the bandits of all Xuanzhou were eradicated in a few years, then Magistrate Xue’s promotion would be all but assured.

With this thought, Xue Song looked back at Li Yun, his mind already calculating. Perhaps his own career would hinge upon this young man.

He paused, then added, "If you need anything, just come to me."

Chief Li cupped his fists and smiled. "Thank you, Your Honor!"

"No need to thank me," Magistrate Xue replied, hands clasped behind his back as he walked away. "I am not doing this for you, but for the people of Qingyang."