Old Master Li's Guilty Deeds

Judging from the grain ledgers alone, it was clear that taking charge of Xiazhou would be no easy task. Supporting the front lines was a duty Xiazhou could not refuse. With the front in dire peril, He Chunhua would have to scrape together men, horses, and provisions even if he had to dig three feet into the earth. "Old Master Zhu wrote in his letter that once Your Excellency arrived in Xiazhou, you would need to raise troops and horses?" "Yes, and quickly." He Chunhua had brought only three hundred men with him from Blackwater City; on the way, he had absorbed Wu Shaoyi's detachment, which brought his force to six hundred. That handful was hardly enough to fight a war. The moment he reached Xiazhou, he had to recruit soldiers and buy mounts. When Great Yuan was first founded, local officials had no authority to recruit soldiers; the central court handled all troop deployments. Today, however, the royal court could barely look after itself, and rebellions had broken out all over the realm. Consequently, the court tacitly permitted high-ranking local governors to raise their own troops and gather their own provisions and funds. In Qiansong Commandery, He Chunhua had built a fully organized force from nothing, so he was already thoroughly versed in the process. Coming to Xiazhou was precisely his chance to put his expertise to work. "In that case, Governor-General He must know that Dunyu and its surrounding seven counties are dominated by four major clans, their relationships intertwined and deeply rooted. They hold a tight grip over the provincial capital's lifelines, and all other households follow their lead. Among them, the Li and Shu clans took root here as early as the eighth year of Great Yuan's founding, and they even possess their own private armies. The last two Chief Administrators of Xiazhou made sure to maintain good relations with them." Manager Qian spoke with sincere earnestness. "Without their backing, it will be very difficult for you to accomplish anything in Xiazhou." He Chunhua raised an eyebrow. "Clans carved of iron, Chief Administrators who flow like water?" Manager Qian hesitated to respond to that. Instead, he went to the door and brought in several thick ledgers. "Here is the information on Dunyu and the four clans that you requested—populations, family fortunes, and networks of connections. I gathered as much as I could, though it may not be comprehensive. There are some underhanded dealings that this humble servant simply has no way of knowing." "Good. First, tell me: who is currently in Dunyu overseeing military affairs on my behalf?" "The Military Section Officer, Peng Ju'an." Manager Qian had a keen memory. "He commands about sixteen or seventeen hundred men." "Where does he live?" "Qingping Township, only about ten li from Dunyu." He Chunhua nodded, then asked, "Has word of my arrival in Xiazhou reached them?" "Everyone knows the new Governor-General is on his way, but no one knows the exact day you will arrive in Dunyu," Manager Qian answered frankly. "Still, you have lingered here for two days, so I imagine word has already spread. The four clans have properties and men in Ru County as well." "True enough. I visited the Ru County yamen both days." He Chunhua let out a breath. "Thank you. You are dependable in your work. I will ask Old Master Zhu to commend you specially." Delight showed on Manager Qian's face, but he quickly added, "Also, Xiazhou has recently seen not just commoners fleeing famine and war, but wealthy gentry slipping south as well. The difference is that while some commoners are willing to flee north into Xunzhou, the wealthy can only retreat south. The Xie and Zhan clans among the four great families have also been selling off properties and dismissing servants lately. According to their household servants, their masters are preparing to withdraw to the south." Mozhe Jingxuan shook his head. "If they take the lead in fleeing, the public mood will only become more unstable." "Indeed, who could deny it? Your Excellency has taken up this post in a time of crisis; it will not be easy in the slightest. This humble servant wishes you good fortune." Manager Qian bowed to He Chunhua and withdrew. He Lingchuan stretched lazily and pointed at the ledgers. "Dad, reading through books isn't my forte." "You don't need to read them," He Chunhua said, then addressed the whole room. "The situation in Dunyu is largely as Manager Qian described, aligning closely with the intelligence I have gathered. Our thousand-li journey is finally drawing to an end. Now, let us discuss our strategy once we enter Dunyu." In the end, the parlor doors remained shut for over an hour. Lao Mo came in once to replenish the charcoal, once to deliver a meal, and once to refill the oil lamps. When the meeting concluded, He Chunhua said to his subordinates in high spirits, "Barring any unforeseen developments, we will execute the plan as discussed." The men solemnly responded, "Understood!" and took their leave. ... Once all unrelated personnel—including the He brothers—had departed, the steward Lao Mo unexpectedly ushered Manager Qian back into the room. Only the three of them remained. Manager Qian had just dozed off in the back to recover from the exhaustion of his journey when Lao Mo handed him a ten-tael ingot of silver. Governor-General He said warmly, "It is no easy assignment. You have worked hard." "I wouldn't dare claim credit!" Though he said so, Manager Qian still accepted the ingot. "Let me confirm once more: the one who truly calls the shots in Dunyu's Li clan is still Li Zhao?" He Chunhua frowned. "He is Minister Li's uncle?" "Yes, his own flesh-and-blood second uncle," Manager Qian said. "If you can work through him, the Li clan will pose no problem." "I'm afraid he is the biggest problem of all." He Chunhua pondered for a moment. "If I recall correctly, he must be nearly seventy by now?" "He just celebrated his seventieth birthday a few days ago," Manager Qian said with a smile. "The locals all say that Old Master Li Zhao is the true number one in Dunyu. Although the Li clan lets the younger generation handle daily business, whenever major matters arise, they still turn to Old Master Li." He gave a thumbs-up. "In Dunyu, no matter how monumental the trouble, once the venerable Old Master Li steps forward, there is nothing that cannot be resolved." "Impressive," He Chunhua remarked mildly. "Does 'monumental trouble' include granaries catching fire?" "I heard that after the fire, Old Master Li flew into a terrible rage. In the end, the grain official and two unlucky scapegoats from the local yamen were sent to the capital. Word is they have already been tried and await execution after autumn." "Having the audacity to send them there means they are certain those men wouldn't dare open their mouths." He Chunhua nodded. "Naturally—there is Minister Li in the royal capital to watch over things. I only wish they possessed such skill when facing Nian Zanli's armies." Manager Qian sighed. "When it comes to waging war, they have no talent for it." "Which is to say, Li Zhao is the backbone and anchor of the entire Li clan." "Precisely." He Chunhua smiled. "How is the old master's health?" "Hale and hearty. His eyesight isn't blurred, his back isn't hunched, and he takes meticulous care of himself." Manager Qian gave a wry smile. "I suspect he will outlive me." "Good. Then I need you to handle two more matters for me." He Chunhua held up a finger. "First, inquire whether Old Master Li has ever done anything with a guilty conscience—specifically, past deeds that left him unable to eat or sleep, unforgettable for a lifetime." "Unable to eat or sleep, unforgettable for a lifetime?" Manager Qian wracked his memory. "Hiss—actually, it seems there really is something!" He Chunhua reminded him, "An old man grows cunning as a spirit. He must have done plenty of wicked things, but he probably never took most of them to heart." Too many lice don't itch; when one has committed enough sins, one ceases to care. "The first matter is something I heard from the elders in Dunyu. When Old Master Li was in his forties, his third son insisted on marrying a commoner woman. Somehow or other, Li Zhao ended up sleeping with his future third daughter-in-law and got her pregnant. Left with no choice, the prospective daughter-in-law became his seventh concubine." Speaking of such gossip, Manager Qian couldn't help winking. "Not long after, that concubine suddenly died of illness. She was seven months pregnant at the time—two lives lost in one body. "Gradually, rumors began spreading through the streets and alleys. They said the concubine hadn't died of illness at all, because the child in her belly wasn't Old Master Li's seed either. How could Old Master Li endure being cuckolded like that? He ordered men to drag her away and bury her alive, announcing to the world only that she had died of illness and received a lavish funeral. Before she died, the woman screamed shrilly, cursing the old master to die a gruesome death." He Chunhua's brows knitted and stayed furrowed. "Quite vivid and detailed. How credible is this?" "A few days later, wild dogs dragged a woman's corpse out of the mass graves. There were marks from ropes on her body and dirt in her throat—she was almost certainly buried alive," Manager Qian said. "Going by the timing, it matches up perfectly." He Chunhua grunted in acknowledgment. "Is there anything else?" "Old Master Li originally had a twin brother. The two had an exceptionally close bond and were inseparable. When they were in their early teens, they went swimming in the river one summer, and a sudden flash flood broke out in the mountains. Both were in mortal danger, with only a small sapling in the water to cling to. Old Master Li seized the chance—or rather, snatched it away. He stepped on his brother's shoulders to leap upward and was hauled ashore by adults. As a result, the tree snapped, and his brother was swept away by the torrent." He Chunhua remained cautious. "Where did you hear this? Li Zhao himself is already seventy. How many people could possibly know about something from back then?" The average lifespan in Great Yuan was only thirty-three years; for a commoner, reaching fifty was a stroke of heavenly luck. "This was revealed by Old Master Li's third son. Yes—the very son whose bride was stolen by him. In his misery, he let it slip while drinking with someone, and even said the whole clan knows about it—it's hardly a secret." "Good!" He Chunhua smoothly produced an ingot of gold and placed it on the table. "I have one more matter to trouble you with. Once it is done, there will be another gold ingot as your reward." Manager Qian hurriedly said, "Your Excellency is a benefactor and honored guest of the Zhu clan! It is only right that this humble servant exerts himself to the utmost for you!" Zhu Xiyan had judged that He Chunhua would be able to break new ground in Xiazhou, and had specifically instructed Manager Qian in his letter to cooperate with all his might. Then He Chunhua whispered his instructions. Manager Qian listened, stunned. "Can it be done?" "This humble servant will do his best to try. Please be patient and wait a few days, Governor-General." ... The next day, the Auxiliary Army did not continue northward as originally planned, because Governor-General He had fallen ill. When a passing dignitary fell ill, the Magistrate of Ru County rushed over to pay his respects upon receiving the news. He Chunhua received him lying in bed, his complexion sallow and waxy, claiming that the fatigue of travel combined with an infection of wind-cold required him to rest for a few days. Naturally, the Magistrate of Ru County readily agreed, ordering his people to provide the most attentive and thoughtful service. As for He Lingchuan and the others, they heard that He Chunhua had dispatched scouts to Dunyu, and the round trip would take some time. They never fought unprepared battles. It was just a few days; what was so hard about waiting? During the day, He Lingchuan either regulated his breath with the Ziwu Formula or paraded around the county town with his medicine ape and rock wolf, putting on quite a show. At night, he entered his dreams as usual, continuing to practice martial arts in the Panlong dreamscape, serving as a patrol guard, racking up military merits, and basking in people's praise. Grand battles like the one in the Ghost Needle Stone Forest were rare; his days in the dreamscape were largely routine as well. Next door, Sun Fuling was never home, and he had no idea where she had gone. At dusk on the fourth day, a guest arrived at the Li residence in Dunyu. The visitor was Shu Qian, the younger brother of the Shu clan head. After exchanging pleasantries with the head of the Li clan and presenting his gifts, he brushed the remaining flakes of snow from his neck. "Pardon the intrusion, Old Master. My elder brother sent me to pass along a message: He Chunhua, the newly appointed Chief Administrator of Xiazhou, has fallen ill at the post station in Ru County."