noveltune Chapter 37 Bullying the weak and fearing the strong
Chapter 37 Bullying the weak and fearing the strong
The city gate of Xiapi County is in sight.
The rammed earth city wall was over two zhang high, with flags erected on the crenellations. Two rows of guards stood in front of the city gate, their armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight. Clearly, the advance of the rebel army in the north had frightened the officials of Xiapi, who had even clothed these soldiers of the prefectures and kingdoms in black armor.
People entering and leaving lined up in two rows to be checked in turn.
Li Sheng sat on the oxcart, his iron halberd across his knees, followed by seven or eight brothers, including Liu Lu and Li Feng, escorting the seven bandits whose hands and feet were bound.
"Brother Sheng, there seem to be more soldiers at the city gate than last time."
Liu Lu lowered his voice and glanced toward the city gate.
Li Sheng didn't speak, but simply nodded slightly.
The oxcart slowly approached.
An officer who looked like a squad leader raised his hand and stopped the group.
He glanced at Li Sheng first, his gaze lingering for a moment on Li Sheng's iron halberd, then swept his eyes over the bound bandits behind him, his brows furrowing.
"What do you do?"
Li Sheng jumped off the carriage shaft and clasped his hands in a salute.
"Reporting to the superior, I am Li Sheng, the captain of the Dongping Village militia. I led the militia to wipe out a group of bandits who were causing trouble and captured seven ringleaders. I am here to escort them to the county government to receive a reward."
The captain's expression changed.
He unconsciously took two steps forward and carefully examined the bandits. Their mouths were stuffed with cloth, their hair was unkempt, their clothes were tattered, and some of them had injuries on their faces, making them look extremely disheveled.
But the resentful look in his eyes was still there; he was clearly not a kind person.
"These people...were arrested by you?"
The team leader's voice carried a hint of disbelief.
"Exactly."
Li Sheng remained neither humble nor arrogant.
The team leader was impressed by Li Sheng's demeanor. He glanced at Li Sheng again and saw that he was wearing a black turban and was undoubtedly an ordinary person.
His forehead was full and his eyebrows and eyes were resolute, giving him a heroic appearance.
Most importantly, the iron halberd in his hand weighed at least eight or nine pounds, and the men following behind him, though dressed in cloth, were sturdy and had steady eyes, unlike ordinary villagers.
The team leader secretly weighed the options in his mind.
These men, carrying weapons and arriving in groups, were most likely local militia organized by powerful figures. Moreover, the leader's experienced eyes and steady gait suggested he was a seasoned veteran.
If it were an ordinary person facing his questioning, they would have been trembling with fear. Besides, they were using the pretext of "receiving a reward," and if he took it seriously, he would only get himself into trouble. It would be better to do a favor and pass the buck to the county government; once they got there, it would be the clerks' problem to solve.
"Wait."
The captain uttered two words, turned around and walked to a clerk inside the city gate, whispering a few words to him.
The clerk looked over, picked up a pen and wrote something on a bamboo strip, stamped it with his seal, and handed it to the squad leader.
The team leader turned back and handed the bamboo strip to Li Sheng, his face surprisingly showing some friendliness.
"Once you reach the county government office in town, hand this bamboo strip to the gatekeeper, and someone will lead you in. Don't cause trouble on the way, keep an eye on your people, and don't wander off."
He didn't even bother to examine the halberd, nor did he question the men about their origins; he simply let them go.
Li Sheng took the bamboo strip and clasped his hands in a fist salute.
"Thank you, sir."
The captain waved his hand, signaling for them to proceed.
Two rows of guards made way, and the oxcart creaked and groaned as it rolled over the stone slabs of the city gate.
Liu Lu let out a long breath and muttered in a low voice.
"I thought they were going to make things difficult for us."
Li Sheng didn't reply. He noticed several notices posted at the city gate, still recruiting soldiers to suppress bandits.
It seems that things are not going well in Xiapi County lately.
Just then, a fierce voice came from behind.
"You! Stop right there!"
"Yes, sir!"
Li Sheng sat on the oxcart and looked back, only to see the man rigorously inspecting the next person entering the city.
Li Sheng seemed to be deep in thought, and then looked away.
……
The county government office faced south, with two majestic "Xiezhi" mythical beasts symbolizing the rule of law standing in front of the gate. Behind the screen wall were the drum tower and the gatehouse. Several bailiffs were lazily sunbathing on the steps, but when they saw Li Sheng and his party escorting the bandits over, they all straightened up.
"Where are you from?"
A minor official came forward, his gaze sweeping over the bandits.
Li Sheng handed over the bamboo slips.
The old official took it and looked at it. His eyebrows twitched, and he looked up at Li Sheng, muttered something to himself, and then turned and went inside.
Before long, a young clerk dressed in a blue robe strode out, looked Li Sheng up and down, and bowed.
"I am Wang Ru, the registrar of the county government. You have quelled the bandits? Where did you do it? How many were there?"
Li Sheng answered each question concisely and clearly.
Wang Ru listened and nodded, then pondered for a moment before speaking.
"This is no small matter; I must report it to County Magistrate Chen. You all wait here and remain silent."
After saying that, he turned and walked towards the inner office.
……
The inner courtyard of the inner palace.
County Lieutenant Chen Yuan sat upright, with a cup of tea in front of him, but the tea had already gone cold.
There was a person sitting opposite him.
The man was in his early twenties, with a handsome face, clear eyes, and a moon-white robe. He wore a jade pendant at his waist and exuded a composed and elegant demeanor in every gesture.
He didn't rush to speak, but his gaze kept sweeping over the stack of official documents on Chen Yuan's desk.
Chen Yuan looked at his cousin, who was a few years younger than him, and felt a mix of emotions.
According to the clan hierarchy, he was Chen Deng's distant cousin, and Chen Deng would address him as "cousin" whenever they met.
But what is the reality? The difference between the main family and the collateral branches is obvious. Chen Deng is the eldest son of the Chen family and has a noble status. Although he has not yet entered officialdom, his reputation has already spread among the scholars of Xuzhou. He is known as a "talented person" and his future is limitless. Chen Yuan, on the other hand, is just a minor county magistrate, and he only got this job because of the protection of his family.
"Brother Zhongyi,"
Chen Deng spoke, his voice unhurried and his address intimate and natural.
"You don't need to worry too much about the clan's affairs. My father sent me to Xiapi to check on the situation, saying that bandits have been frequently appearing here lately, and he's worried that something might go wrong. If you encounter any difficulties, just send a message back, and your master will take care of it for you."
Chen Yuan bowed slightly.
"Don't worry, Yuanlong. I've been keeping a close eye on things in Xiapi. If there's anything unusual, I'll send a message to the clan immediately."
Chen Deng listened, smiled faintly, and then suddenly changed the subject.
"Brother Zhongyi, on my way here I passed through Sishui and saw that the fishermen had caught a few fresh perch. I have already had them bought and sent to the kitchen."
Chen Yuan was taken aback for a moment, then laughed.
"Yuanlong is still the same... good at eating."
Upon hearing this, Chen Deng's eyes lit up slightly.
He leaned forward and lowered his voice.
"Brother Zhongyi, do you know that the most important things in making this sea bass sashimi are, firstly, the knife skills, and secondly, the dipping sauce? It must be sliced as thin as a cicada's wing, so thin that you can see through it, and the dipping sauce must have scallions and ginger, plus a few drops of vinegar—that's the taste..."
As he said this, he unconsciously swallowed, then quickly regained his composure and coughed lightly.
"I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Brother Zhongyi."