Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Li Qing looked at Advisor Liu mockingly.
Advisor Liu widened his eyes and looked at Li Qing in fear. âLord Li, how can you slander us? Youâ¦â
Li Qing raised his hand to stop him. âAdvisor Liu, you should go back and tell your master what I said. Letâs see what he says.â
âGoodbye.â Advisor Liu cupped his hands at Li Qing and left resentfully.
Seeing that Advisor Liu had left, Hu Zhong went in and reported to Li Qing, âMaster, they planned to burn the warehouse again, but I caught them. One of them is called Wang Chun, and the other is called Wang He. Theyâre from the same clan as Magistrate Wang. Magistrate Wang was the one who came up with the idea to burn the warehouse.â
Li Qing sighed and said, âHow bold! The two people in charge of the warehouse are actually also members of the Wang family. Le County has become the Wang familyâs world. â
Hu Zhong nodded and looked at Li Qing. âAre we bringing those two back?â
Li Qing shook his head. âIf we bring them back and lock them in jail, we wonât know we died! Find a place outside to lock them up and interrogate them until I come over.â
âAlright, Iâll go find a quiet place.â Hu Zhong bowed and left.
Advisor Liu returned to the inn. After showing the contract to County Magistrate Liu, he told him what Li Qing had said.
âHe knows!â County Magistrate Liu looked at him and exclaimed.
âYes, what do you think we should do? If we sign this thing, we wonât be able to escape. If we donât sign it, he wonât do the handover.â Advisor Liu looked at him awkwardly. âWhat do you think we should do?â
County Magistrate Liu felt that he was in a dilemma. He said angrily, âIâm really unlucky to have come to this godforsaken place. Not only was I
suppressed by a magistrate, but the person who is taking over is also unreasonable.â
Advisor Liu looked at him and said, âNo matter what, we have to come up with an idea! Theyâre still waiting for you to check the warehouse.â n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
County Magistrate Liu lowered his head and thought for a moment.
âThen what do you think?â Advisor Liu asked.
County Magistrate Liu looked at Advisor Liu and said in a heavy tone, âUncle, Iâm in a difficult position too. Look, heâs just a small county magistrate like me. He definitely doesnât have much foundation to be brought to this godforsaken place. Do you think we have a high chance of winning if we cooperate with him?â
Advisor Liu thought for a moment. âHeâs a Third Honors Scholar and has been in the Hanlin Academy for three years. He should still have some connections. Go and talk to him. Tell him something and sound him out.â
When County Magistrate Liu heard this, he thought about it and felt that this was the only way. He nodded and said, âAlright, Iâll test him and see if he has the guts to go against the people behind Wang Ping.â
When Mr. Cheng arrived outside the north city, he followed the stone steps to Emerald Bamboo Mountain. The Wenchang Pavilion was built surrounded by ancient trees and green bamboo. The pavilion was surrounded by high courtyard walls, and there were pools, flowers, pines, and green bamboo in the courtyard.
A well-built man was sweeping the fallen leaves on the ground in the courtyard. Seeing Mr. Chengâs hurried footsteps, he asked curiously, âSir, why are you here so early?â
Mr. Cheng nodded. âChu Yun, is Second Master up?
Chu Yun nodded and said, âIâm up. Iâm practicing boxing in the backyard.â
Mr. Cheng nodded and walked towards the backyard. Seeing that Second Master was still boxing, he stood at the side and waited for him to end before going forward and saying, âSecond Master, the person who was sent to burn the warehouse hasnât returned.â
Second Masterâs face darkened. âI understand. I didnât see the fire last night. Did you receive any news from the capital?â
âNo, Iâm worried that our people will be exposed.â Mr. Cheng looked at him carefully. âThe new county magistrate is a real piece of work. What do you think we should do next?â
âGet someone to kill him and find someone to replace him. It will be more convenient for us to do things moving forward.â
Mr. Cheng thought to himself that if he could get someone to replace him after killing him, County Magistrate Liu would have long gone to see the King of Hell. There was no need to worry about County Magistrate Li.
âSecond Master, with the people from the Four Seas Bank watching over there, will it work?â
Second Master was so angry that he kicked the wooden basin under his feet over. âWho would have thought that Old Master would have handed the bank to him long ago? No wonder after the Elderâs accident, he said that we were the whetstones Old Master prepared for Third Brother.â
Mr. Cheng agreed. What was the use of the Cheng family having money? In this world, one still had to have people and troops in their hands. It was precisely because the Third Prince had the support of troops that he could sit in that position.
Mr. Cheng suddenly felt a little desperate. How could those people in the mountains resist the army of the Imperial Court? When would the days of hiding end?
âSecond Master, letâs get Wang Ping to try and rope him in. What do you think?â
âGo and tell Wang Ping that to watch his head if this matter isnât done well!â Mr. Cheng bowed and left.
Second Master stood quietly for a while and said to Chu Yun, âGo and prepare. Weâll go out and take a look.â
Chu Yun hesitated for a moment. Under Second Masterâs gaze, he could only nod. âYes, Iâll prepare it now.â
An hour later, Second Master and Chu Yun, who had disguised themselves, rode towards the capital with three strong men.
When County Magistrate Liu arrived at the county office, he cupped his hands at Li Qing and complained, âLord Li, youâre too much! Weâre all officials of the Imperial Court. Why are you operating like weâre merchants? Do we still have to sign a contract to settle the handover procedures?
Li Qing looked at him indifferently. âLord Liu, I donât have to tell you whatâs at stake. Since weâre here, letâs go see the food.â
âYou already know the situation, so whatâs there to look at?!â County Magistrate Liu cursed in his heart and walked up to Li Qing. He looked at him and said, âLord Li, I wonât hide it from you. Itâs the same as what you said. Thereâs no food stored. Have you really made up your mind to investigate this matter? Arenât you afraid of the person behind Wang Ping?â
âThe person behind Wang Ping!â Li Qing looked up at him. âWhat extraordinary person is hiding behind Wang Ping to make you so afraid?â
County Magistrate Liu hesitated for a moment before pointing at the roof. Then, he extended two fingers at Li Qing and said softly, âA person who was originally dead! Do people like us dare to touch him?â
Li Qing looked at County Magistrate Liu and recalled that the Second Prince had sent someone to kidnap his sister. He looked at him curiously. âHow do you know itâs him? Are you sure you didnât get the wrong person?â
County Magistrate Liu saw that Li Qing was only curious if he had mistaken him for someone else but did not ask what he meant. He felt that Li Qing must know about that Second Master.
He looked at him and smiled bitterly. âWhen the late emperor was in power, I entered the capital to take the exam. I took a few exams before I could enter high school, so I, unfortunately, met that person.â
Only then did Li Qing understand why he knew the Second Prince. âSince Lord Liu knows that heâs supposed to be a dead person, why didnât he report it when he discovered him?â
County Magistrate Liu looked at Li Qing listlessly. âIs he someone people like us can provoke? Iâm a nobody and donât have a backer in the capital. Who do you want me to report to? Who will believe my words? Ever since I accidentally met him and felt that there must be something wrong with him hiding here, Iâve become more afraid the more I think about it.â
Li Qing looked at him and analyzed silently, âI donât know how many benefits heâs gotten in Le County in the past few years. No wonder heâs doing so well and isnât willing to work anymore.â
County Magistrate Liu looked at Li Qing. âLord Li, Iâve told you all my secrets..
Look, you should be magnanimous and settle the handover procedures!â
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