Chapter 286: County Magistrate Yang

Chapter 286: County Magistrate Yang

In the county government, apart from Magistrate Zheng and County Magistrate Yang, there was also a chief clerk, a registrar, and lower-ranking officials such as the head of the guards and the jailer.

At this moment, these people gathered in the main hall, each with mixed emotions.

Xin You secretly observed as County Magistrate Yang inquired of He Qingxiao.

"Lord He, how did your group encounter the leader of the Wuyun Village bandits?"

County Magistrate Yang couldn't ask too much in front of so many ordinary people, but now he couldn't feel at ease without getting a clear answer.

He was determined to suppress the bandits but was frustrated by Magistrate Zheng's inaction. As a deputy official, he had no choice but to endure. Now that Lord He and his group had arrived, he naturally wanted to see if it was an opportunity or a pitfall.

He Qingxiao coldly replied, "All thanks to Zheng Ming's actions. This morning, I ordered my men to deliver the bandits, and Zheng Ming, fearing that his collusion with the bandits would be exposed, tipped off the leader of Wuyun Village who was enjoying himself in the city. The leader sought to silence them by killing and attacked the Jinlin Guard."

Everyone listened, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief.

Especially the chief clerk, who was close to Magistrate Zheng, his face twitched, thinking how foolish the magistrate was, and how even more foolish the Wuyun Village bandits were to mess with the Jinlin Guard!

"That's the situation. It was sheer coincidence, the vast net of heaven, preventing a corrupt official like Zheng Ming from deceiving the world and harming the people any longer," He Qingxiao slowly scanned the people in the hall. "Our group has other pressing matters; we are merely passing through. Regardless of your past actions, if you cooperate fully in suppressing the bandits from now on, you will be considered meritorious."

Killing Magistrate Zheng served as a deterrent, leaving the rest leaderless and preventing reckless actions, while with insufficient manpower, these people needed to be appeased.

Indeed, upon hearing that He Qingxiao did not intend to pursue the matter, some people breathed a sigh of relief.

"What are your thoughts on Wuyun Village?"

The registrar spoke up, "The reputation of Wuyun Village has been around for seven or eight years; by the time the authorities became aware of it, it had already become a formidable force. The previous magistrate led several attempts to suppress them, losing many guards, but failed to break through."

The chief clerk, feeling guilty, rushed to speak to make an impression, "Primarily, Wuyun Mountain's natural defenses make a direct attack too costly and not worth the losses."

The jailer and others remained silent, but the head of the guards couldn't resist asking how many troops the Ning Mountain Guard could bring.

Xin You noticed that County Magistrate Yang spoke little, and the chief clerk and others stood slightly apart from him.

This subconscious behavior indicated that County Magistrate Yang's relationship with these people was rather distant.

The second-in-command of a county government having a distant relationship with his subordinates, and recalling how the chief clerk and others crowded around Magistrate Zheng when he went out to greet them, it wasn't hard to deduce that County Magistrate Yang and Magistrate Zheng didn't get along.

Magistrate Zheng was a corrupt official who exploited the people without any scruples, so the likelihood of cooperation with County Magistrate Yang, who didn't get along with him, significantly increased.

Of course, this was mere speculation; whether County Magistrate Yang was trustworthy still required further observation.

"County Magistrate Yang, where should we stay?" Xin You asked.

Since it was decided that they would stay to suppress the bandits, naturally they needed a temporary place to stay.

County Magistrate Yang, still puzzled by Xin You's identity but wisely refraining from asking, clasped his hands upon hearing this and said, "There are a few empty rooms in the county magistrate's office; please, Miss Xin and Lord He, condescend to stay there temporarily."

"County Magistrate Yang is too generous; please show us the rooms first."

County Magistrate Yang nodded and escorted Xin You and the others to his usual office.

The remaining chief clerk and others exchanged glances, each wearing a grave expression.

After a while, the chief clerk asked hoarsely, "Your Honor—have Zheng Ming's family members all been imprisoned?"

At this time, it was customary that when one person rises, his entire family benefits. Similarly, when one person is convicted, the whole family is implicated.

The head of the guards nodded with a grim expression: "County Magistrate Yang had already given the order when he came in."

"That was fast!" the chief clerk gritted his teeth.

He couldn't help feeling panicked. If the Jinlin Guard found out that he had also taken many benefits, his fate would be grim—

The others remained silent, their hearts sank.

Meanwhile, County Magistrate Yang escorted Miss Xin and Lord He to the county magistrate's office. Lord He asked, "County Magistrate Yang, what do you think about suppressing the bandits?"

County Magistrate Yang paused for a moment, staring intently at Lord He: "Lord He, you were just passing through this place. Are you truly intent on suppressing the bandits?"

This question bordered on disrespect, but County Magistrate Yang had no choice but to probe.

Lord He glanced at the young man standing quietly beside him: "My mission on this trip is to escort Miss Xin. Miss Xin cannot bear to see the ordinary people here suffer from bandit troubles and wishes to suppress the bandits. Naturally, I will support her."

Hearing this, County Magistrate Yang gave Miss Xin a deep look, his expression shifting.

So, it was Miss Xin who was the driving force behind the bandit suppression.

"On behalf of the people of Ling County, I thank Miss Xin and Lord He for your noble efforts," County Magistrate Yang bowed deeply to Miss Xin.

Miss Xin stepped aside to avoid the bow: "County Magistrate Yang, there's no need for such formalities. To eliminate the bandits, we will need your full cooperation."

Miss Xin did not refuse the good reputation that Lord He had pushed onto her.

As Lord He had said, these things meant nothing to the Jinlin Guard. Gaining fame outside the capital might not be a good thing if it reached the emperor's ears.

But Miss Xin was different.

For her, fame could sometimes be a weapon to fend off enemies.

"Take a look," County Magistrate Yang unfolded a map and spread it on the table. "This is a map of the terrain around Wuyun Mountain. Wuyun Village is easy to defend and hard to attack because the only path for an offensive is narrow, and large siege equipment cannot pass through. One side is a steep slope, and the other is a cliff. A few bandits stationed here can repel attackers who far outnumber them."

From County Magistrate Yang's detailed explanation of Wuyun Mountain's situation, it was clear he was determined to suppress the bandits.

"That's the situation. Miss Xin, Lord He, how many troops can the Ning Mountain Guard provide?" After finishing, County Magistrate Yang looked at them eagerly.

Miss Xin silently looked at Lord He.

Lord He, having seen many disappointed faces, spoke without hesitation: "We haven't sent a message to the Ning Mountain Guard yet."

County Magistrate Yang's eyes widened in surprise.

"Lord He, are you joking?" After a moment, County Magistrate Yang asked in a trembling voice.

Without the support of the Ning Mountain Guard, could they rely on the two to three hundred guards the county office could mobilize?

Even if they could mobilize two to three hundred guards, a small portion would shirk their duties, and another small portion would flee upon learning there was no support. In the end, only about seventy or eighty people would genuinely put in effort.

"Although I have the military token, mobilizing local troops must be done with caution. Moreover, the roads to the Ning Mountain Guard are flooded and difficult to traverse. Waiting for their support would take too much time."

As County Magistrate Yang listened, his face grew paler, eventually filled with disappointment.

"If that's the case, to be honest, relying solely on the county office's strength, bandit suppression is hopeless."

"County Magistrate Yang, do you have the determination to suppress the bandits?" Miss Xin asked.

County Magistrate Yang's expression turned serious: "I have the determination, but even a skilled housewife cannot cook without rice."

"I have a plan. If County Magistrate Yang can select a hundred reliable guards, there is at least an eighty percent chance of solving the bandit problem."

Eighty percent?

County Magistrate Yang's eyes lit up: "If there's truly such a high chance, mobilizing a hundred people won't be a problem!"

"Good," Miss Xin and Lord He exchanged a glance and began to explain the plan.