Chapter 8: Setting the Net (1)

Chapter 8: Setting the Net (1)

Deputy Magistrate Sun, when he truly put his mind to it, was astonishingly efficient.

In under the time it takes to burn two incense sticks, he reported back that Ge Erzi was indeed a total waste—already awake and off to Jixiang Fang to gamble.

But just as they were about to set out, the duty shift dropped the ball.

...Three men had snuck off to go drinking.

Deputy Magistrate Sun flew into a rage and sent people to find them, insisting they be found within half an hour.

Le Wuya wasn't worried at all.

He was the one holding the confession now; the one eager to get in his good graces was Sun Ru.

If he messed things up, Sun Ru would be even more anxious than he was.

While Deputy Magistrate Sun was cursing up a storm, Le Wuya changed into civilian clothes and slipped out the back gate of the county office building.

Last night, he'd pulled an all-nighter. This morning, ravenous, he'd gone out to buy food and books when he came across three beggars.

Two crippled beggars were carrying a young beggar with a bloodied head between them as they ran up to a steamed bun stall.

Grinning mischievously, they claimed their brother had been beaten within an inch of his life and begged for three steamed buns.

The stall assistant, clearly quite familiar with them, waved them away in disgust: "You two are stuck to each other like glue—where did you get a brother? Did you two give birth to him? Scram! Come back when there are fewer people. Don't scare off my fine customers."

The pair responded cheerfully, hoisted up the unconscious young beggar, and limped away.

Le Wuya was now deliberately seeking them out.

From what he knew, beggars each had their own turf and didn't infringe on one another. The three beggars' begging turf shouldn't be too far from the bun stall.

Le Wuya had made some casual inquiries this morning and learned that the former County Magistrate had ordered beggars could not sit on the main streets; if the patrol cops caught them, they'd be sentenced to hard labor.

Thus, he searched specifically the back alleys and narrow lanes.

Sure enough, Le Wuya soon spotted a young beggar with a bloodied head, leaning weakly against a wall.

He sat at the mouth of a back alley, basking in a sliver of afternoon sun.

The wound on his forehead was crudely bandaged with a dirty rag, untreated, and a thick crust of dried blood was matted in his tangled hair.

The other two beggars lurked in the shadows.

Both had obvious disabilities—one missing a lower leg, the other an arm—but they were full of energy.

They sat together in the alley's shadow, picking lice from each other's clothes.

In the afternoon, the streets were quiet.

Le Wuya approached, pointed at the young beggar, and got straight to the point: "He's a goner."

The two beggars exchanged a glance, surprised but without any sadness.

The one-armed man nodded and said flatly, "Yeah, he's on his way out."

Le Wuya asked, "Isn't he your brother?"

Both raised their eyebrows, confused about what Le Wuya was after.

"Nah, we don't know him," the legless man scratched his head and admitted. "We found this kid this morning passed out near Chen the Good's place. We picked him up—he looked really pathetic, thought having him with us might get us more handouts. Kid probably fled here from somewhere. We thought we'd take him in. If he makes it, good. If not, we'll find him a plot in the potter's field."

The armless man, seeing Le Wuya was well-dressed, eagerly appealed to his generosity: "Kind sir, have mercy. He's just hungry and scared—his wounds aren't too serious. A strapping lad like that, one bowl of hot rice porridge and he'll be good as new."

"I'll provide all the rice porridge he needs," Le Wuya said. "Do me a favor."

The two beggars' eyes lit up. They straightened up awkwardly. "Kind sir, name it."

Le Wuya asked, "You're not scared of dead bodies, are you?"

They fell silent.

Something about his words felt off.

The man with the missing leg laughed nervously. "Who isn't afraid of the dead?"

Le Wuya smiled back. "You've been soldiers—still afraid of dead men?"

"..."

The two beggars stopped smiling.

In a flash, their eyes turned sharp.

Le Wuya cast a subtle glance.

Both followed his gaze.

Three pairs of eyes focused on the legless man's one remaining good leg.

His puttees were so filthy they were almost indistinguishable from his tattered trousers, but they were tied in the standard lower-ranking soldier's style.

Soldiers wore puttees to relieve leg fatigue from long marches.

He'd lost one leg and relied all the more on the good one, so he'd kept the military habit.

Add to that their severe disabilities—a missing foot, a missing arm—and it was enough for Le Wuya to discern their identity.

...Two military household members, also two deserters.

The two beggars exchanged a glance.

Deserters reported would be executed without fail.

Murderous intent flared in them. The armless man tightened his grip on his staff, which had a thick iron tip at the lower end.

But silencing Le Wuya in broad daylight was no easy task.

As they hesitated, Le Wuya spoke.

"I don't care who you fled from. You're mine now," Le Wuya said bluntly. "Do me this favor. I'll save this kid, and I'll also sort out your household registration."

The two: "..."

Things too good to be true spelled trouble.

The legless man pulled his good leg in, crossed his legs, and said warily, "Why help us?" Le Wuya replied honestly, "Because I can see you've still got some honor."

They had only met the little beggar by chance and, sure, they intended to use him, but when begging, they remembered to get a share for the little beggar, and they were willing to let him soak up some sun before he died, and willing to bury him afterwards...

For outlaws, that's pretty decent of them.

Moreover, Le Wuya had just arrived and didn't have many options, so he had to keep his eyes peeled and recruit whatever help he could.

From his brief observations this morning, although Deputy Magistrate Sun was well-connected all over Nan Ting County, at least the clerks of the Works and Revenue departments were not eager to get involved in power plays.

They did not side with Deputy Magistrate Sun, nor with him; they merely stood on the sidelines, arms crossed, polite.

For those who played it safe, Le Wuya had no leverage to win them over, so he had to go about it differently and find people he could pay off.

Fortunately, the tactic of finding something to hold over someone and then promising generous rewards worked on everyone from princes to beggars.

After instructing them on what to do, Le Wuya strolled back to the county office.

Because Wenren Yue usually lacked authority, no one even noticed that the Magistrate had been gone for a bit.

At this point, Deputy Magistrate Sun had gathered the men—five constables on duty stood in a crooked line, three of them older, still smelling of booze.

When Deputy Magistrate Sun saw Le Wuya arrive, he trotted over: "Master, everyone's here."

Le Wuya showed no reaction, but the five constables all gave a start.

The three pretending to be drunk barely opened their heavy eyelids, exchanging surprised and suspicious glances.

What's gotten into Deputy Magistrate Sun today?

Le Wuya waved his hand nonchalantly, in high spirits: "Let's go. Bring plenty of shackles. We're going on patrol."

Le Wuya was quite pleased with himself.

In his previous life, he had been so frustrated when he realized his eyesight was failing and he could no longer draw a bow; now he was just as smug.

The five constables followed on foot behind his horse, totally confused.

The Master was a civil official; when he occasionally went on patrol, he did so lightly, checking on public mood and prices. Why was he now all decked out?

On the streets there were always some bystanders who wanted to follow and watch the excitement, following close behind.

The constables wanted to shoo them away, but Le Wuya wouldn't allow it.

So along the way, the crowd grew larger, until they stopped at the back door of Jixiang Gambling House.

Under the pretext of patrol, Le Wuya had already scouted out the locations of both the front and back doors.

He reached into his saddlebag, pulled out a large brass lock with a clatter, and quickly locked the back door from the outside.

The five constables: "..."

Le Wuya pointed at two of them: "You two, keep watch here."

He waved again: "The rest of you, follow me."

The onlookers could tell who Le Wuya was after, let alone these constables.

...Was the Master drunk, or were they drunk?

The oldest constable, trotting behind the mounted Le Wuya, spoke breathlessly: "Master... you're going to raid this place?"

Le Wuya glanced down at him from his height and joked: "Or should I raid your house instead?"

The constable broke out in a sweat, deeply regretting taking this assignment.

They had often taken favors from Li Asi, and now to rush in and seize his property like this was really...

He didn't dare speak too plainly, and hinted quietly: "Master, this... this is against the rules."

Le Wuya: "A higher official can crush a lower one. How many ranks above you am I?"

He rode forward without looking back: "Or do you not mind losing your job? You think Li the rich man will be kind enough to take you in as a guard?"

The constable cursed inwardly, but had no retort.

The Master was right.

Li Asi curried favor with them precisely because of their official positions, which could offer him some protection.

If he lost his job, he would become an ordinary villager, with no ties or relation to Li Asi—then Li wouldn't spare him a second glance!

Though they were constables, having worked in the yamen so long, they had learned to read the room.

Master Wenren had previously wanted to raid the gambling house, but Deputy Magistrate Sun refused to provide men, so no one paid him any mind, and he had to drop it.

This time, Deputy Magistrate Sun had acted out of character, hastily gathering them and urging them to go with the Master—he must have worked something out with the Master.

So even if the sky fell, Deputy Magistrate Sun would bear the brunt; it was none of their damn business.

As if sensing their discomfort, Le Wuya reassured them: "Listen, I brought you out here to be my backup; I don't need you to do any fighting. This is a good assignment—if it goes well, you'll get a reward. So cheer up, all right?"

The constables: "..." But they truly had no other choice.

Seeing that they had already circled to the front door of Jixiang, the constables exchanged glances, realized they were all thinking the same thing, and then one of them stepped forward, steeled himself, and banged on the door: "Open up! Official raid!"

Li Asi's gambling house usually kept a few thugs on hand. Hearing someone banging on the door and shouting in broad daylight, several muscular men came out cursing, holding clubs.

But when they saw the official uniforms, they immediately backed down.

They didn't dare to openly defy the authorities.

Le Wuya nimbly dismounted: "Where's the person in charge?"

The person in charge came out quickly.

He was a thin, genial-looking man with a pale face and beard, about thirty years old—not Li Asi, who was a butcher by trade.

The man wiped his sweat, knelt and bowed, then rose, and smiled before speaking: "Master Wenren, what brings you here today?"

Le Wuya asked: "And you are?"

"I am Li Qing." The man spoke with a smile that was disarming. "My uncle put me in charge of the place. I never expected to meet Master Wenren today—I'm truly honored."

Le Wuya just said, "Oh."

In that brief contact, Le Wuya had already taken his measure.

A man who could single-handedly manage an entire gambling house's operation was no pushover.

Le Wuya smiled faintly. "You're celebrating too soon. Seeing me today, your luck has run out."

Seeing that this frail magistrate meant trouble, Li Qing's eyes darted around. Noticing there were too many onlookers, making it inconvenient to conduct business or talk, he bowed slightly and said, "Your Honor, it's cold outside. Please step inside to warm yourself."

"Are you cold?" Le Wuya didn't take the bait. "By the way, can you read?"

Unsure of Le Wuya's intentions, Li Qing replied humbly, "I can read a little."

Le Wuya pulled a letter from his sleeve. "Read this. It'll warm you up."

Li Qing: "...Here?"

The tea shop owner next to them, sharp-eyed, quickly fetched a small stool and invited Le Wuya to sit.

Le Wuya sat down calmly and nodded. "Yes, here."

Li Qing unfolded the letter. Not daring to read it out loud right away, he skimmed the contents with his eyes—and his expression drastically changed.

Someone had reported the Auspicious Hall... for harboring banned books?

On any other day, Li Qing might have talked his way out with his silver tongue. But now, the Scholar Ming case was known to all and still unresolved. Once he stepped into this quagmire, it could mean the whole family being wiped out and property seized!

This was too big to brush off.

Every second he delayed defending himself made him look more suspicious!

Forgetting the crowd of onlookers, Li Qing hastily dropped to his knees. But he dared not admit, in front of so many curious eyes, that the gambling den was involved in treason. Stammering, he said, "Your Honor, please be clear! I... we..."

Within moments, he was drenched in sweat from head to toe—truly 'warmed up.'

"At first, when I heard of this, since I'd never dealt with you before, I thought it might be true. It was Deputy Magistrate Sun who vouched for you, so I didn't send the runners to raid the place and make a big fuss. I was afraid of overstepping, so I came to see for myself," Le Wuya said softly, mimicking Wenren Yue's tone. "But since the county has received this accusation, I cannot ignore it. How about this: you inventory everything in the Auspicious Hall and send it to the yamen. That way, I don't have to barge in and cause a loss of dignity."

Upon hearing this, Li Qing let out a sudden sigh of relief.

The magistrate was giving them a way out!

Li Qing was an expert at reading between the lines.

In his understanding, after the yamen received that lethal letter of accusation, knowing it carried the penalty of extermination for the entire clan, and out of past courtesies, they really didn't want to blow things up. So they had left this escape route.

Using the pretense of a gambling raid, the magistrate had given them time to clean up their own things!

Even if there were some dirty items, they could still destroy them in time.

However, the magistrate coming in person probably meant they would have to pay a heavier price.

But that was no big deal.

A disaster that could be avoided by spending money wasn't a real disaster!

Sure enough, the next moment, Le Wuya said in a gentle tone, "From now on, the Auspicious Hall should be closed. His Imperial Majesty detests gambling above all. It ruins people's lives and destroys families—it's hardly a proper livelihood."

After Li Qing's tense expression relaxed slightly, Le Wuya added casually, "Oh, and the gamblers here—we'll take them too. According to the Dayu Law, gambling is strictly prohibited. Participants are to be stripped of all money on them, cangued for three days, and then redeemed by their families. Since we're short-handed, I'll trouble you to round them up and send them over."

With things having come this far, Li Qing had no care left for worldly possessions. He quickly agreed.

After giving his consent, Li Qing turned decisively to the burly men behind him, who were still dumbfounded, and waved his hand. "What are you standing there for? Help the magistrate catch them!"

The men dared not disobey. They turned and went into the gambling den.

A moment later, chaos erupted inside.

The onlookers didn't know what was in the letter Le Wuya had handed Li Qing. All they saw was the magistrate, with just three men and a few words, crushing Li Qing—the usually overbearing boss of the Auspicious Hall—so thoroughly that he didn't even dare to breathe loudly.

What authority the magistrate wielded!

Some people hated the Auspicious Hall for having ruined countless families; others envied its money-making. Seeing the magistrate actually shut down the gambling den in one fell swoop, cheers erupted from the crowd.

Le Wuya whispered to the stunned runners behind him, "See? I told you, no need for you to lift a finger."

Before they could respond, he continued, "Whatever is confiscated today, you five keep ten percent. Is that enough?"

With that, he turned away, not bothering to look at their expressions of mixed shock and joy.

The remaining ninety percent...

Le Wuya glanced at the dirt road he was standing on.

This was a disgrace. The road needed repairs.

He would have to remind Wenren Yue not to forget.

As Le Wuya stood lost in thought, a sudden change occurred.

A man slammed headfirst through the bolted front door, stumbling out so violently that he nearly knocked over Li Qing, who had his back to the door.

The man was short, with a sharp glint in his eyes, clutching a heap of silver coins to his chest, mixed with seven or eight gambling chips.

A thunderous roar came from inside: "Ge Erzi! Have you lost your damn mind?! Stealing from the Auspicious Hall?!"

Ge Erzi didn't look back. He found a gap in the crowd and slipped through like a fish.

The three runners had just been promised a hefty reward and were burning with enthusiasm. The eldest called out an order, and the other two took off in long strides after the man, leaving only one to guard Le Wuya.

The older runner looked at Le Wuya. "Don't worry, he won't get—"

His words caught in his throat.

Le Wuya had somehow risen, bow in hand, arrow nocked. He tilted his head slightly, taking aim in the direction of Ge Erzi.

Just as the crowd realized what was happening and screamed, scattering in all directions, a clear arrow whistled through the air, carrying a force that could pierce clouds and split stones, flying straight toward Ge Erzi.

Ge Erzi was running straight ahead when suddenly his right leg gave way. His body pitched forward uncontrollably, and he crashed face-first to the ground, coins and silver scattering everywhere.

Agony and panic hit him at once. Clutching his bleeding leg, he wailed and screamed.

"Ow... help! Murder!"

The older runner had watched Le Wuya's every move.

Today's magistrate was acting completely out of character—like a mischievous young master, full of energy and excitement.

But the moment he had the bow and arrow in hand, all traces of mirth vanished from his face.

The runner had trained in archery himself. He could tell that when the magistrate first drew his bow, he was aiming straight for Ge Erzi's heart—deadly accurate.

He adjusted his aim for a moment, then changed his aim to shoot the leg.

And after that arrow was released, his smile returned.

The yamen runner, having witnessed his entire transformation, felt a chill run down his spine.

He felt the magistrate's smile was so fake it looked genuine, like a mask pasted on his face.

Le Wuya turned and smiled, asking the runner, "According to the laws of Dayu, how many years for robbery?"

The runner lowered his head sharply, not daring to meet the eyes of this seemingly frail scholar: "...It is up to you, Magistrate, to decide."

Among the crowd of onlookers, one person adjusted the brim of his hood and turned to leave.

Within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the two princes, who were on an imperial inspection tour, learned of everything that had happened in front of the Lucky Fortune.

"The county magistrate made an arrest in the street?" the Seventh Prince raised an eyebrow, looking at the Sixth Prince. "Sixth Brother, that sounds quite interesting."

The Sixth Prince was savoring his tea, and upon hearing this, nodded, "Mm, yes."

The Seventh Prince: "..."

Having gotten nowhere with that blockhead, he turned to his attendant: "We don't need to go to the yamen just yet. Sixth Brother and I want to see what kind of person this County Magistrate really is."