Chapter 102: Half a Governor!

At the dinner table, Li Yun took the initiative to toast Magistrate Xue.

This was the first time the two had dined together in private. After a few drinks, Magistrate Xue set down his cup and began, "Suppressing bandits is, after all, a noble cause that benefits both the state and the people. Since you have agreed to it, you should set to work. You might start with the counties bordering Qingyang, such as Shidai."

Magistrate Xue paused, then continued, "In another month or two, the Imperial Commissioner for Pacification should arrive. This is a special appointment, and he will likely be responsible for pacification efforts across several prefectures, perhaps even an entire circuit. If you have achieved some tangible results in Xuanzhou by then, the new Commissioner will have to work with you if he wants to get anything done in the region."

Any official title containing the character "Commissioner" (shi) implies that it was not originally a permanent post—such as the Commissioner of Observation, the Commissioner for Pacification, and, as everyone knows, the Military Governor (Jiedushi).

Originally, these could be understood as temporary officials dispatched by the central government to handle special local circumstances, much like the provincial governors and governors-general of the Ming Dynasty. However, due to the declining central control over the regions, these positions became permanent decades ago; some border Military Governors have even effectively turned their posts into hereditary offices.

The Commissioner for Pacification, however, remains a temporary position, primarily tasked with suppressing or pacifying rebels and bandits to restore local order.

Magistrate Xue pondered for a moment before adding, "In the past, a Commissioner for Pacification wouldn't have been a big deal. But now, with the great chaos in Yuezhou—only a few hundred miles from Xuanzhou—the newly appointed Commissioner may well be looking to gain merit through the Yuezhou conflict. If he is anxious to build up his own strength in Xuanzhou and the surrounding areas, then..."

"He will have no choice but to use you."

Magistrate Xue said slowly, "This is a rare opportunity. Once you have some merit to your name, the Commissioner can report it to the court, and it is possible you could be promoted to a military officer rank against the usual regulations."

Li Yun refilled his cup and smiled. "The chaos in Yuezhou has only been going on for about two months, and in that short time, I hear the government troops have suffered defeat after defeat."

"Even the Commissioner of Observation for the East Jiangnan Circuit has been beaten."

Li Yun tilted his head back, downed his drink, and remarked, "As of now, I haven't seen the court take any strong measures to quell the rebellion, yet two groups of people are already scrambling to come down here and claim credit."

After finishing his drink, Li Yun continued with a smile, "If these people were heading to Yuezhou to actively suppress the rebellion, then by all means, let them claim the credit. But they aren't going to Yuezhou, nor are they going to the counties closer to the unrest; instead, they are heading to Xuanzhou. What does that mean?"

Li Yun said slowly, "In my view, first, it’s because we are relatively safe here; the rebels won't reach us for a while. Second, Yuezhou is in the East Jiangnan Circuit, while our Xuanzhou is in the West Jiangnan Circuit. We are not under the command of the Commissioner currently fighting the war; at most, we only need to provide some money and grain. We won't be suddenly deployed to the front lines by a superior officer."

Magistrate Xue slammed his cup down with a thud, looked at Li Yun, and retorted grumpily, "You think too poorly of the imperial court. For one thing, the decision to send a Commissioner for Pacification to Xuanzhou was made in the second half of last year—long before Qiu Dian’s rebellion in Yuezhou even began!"

Li Yun refilled his cup and asked with a smile, "Then, Magistrate, take a guess: will the Commissioner who arrives in a few months be the same one the court originally planned to send last year?"

Magistrate Xue was choked by the question and turned his head away, remaining silent.

Li Yun laughed, "Don't be angry, Magistrate. Just treat it as me using the heart of a petty man to measure the belly of the imperial court."

Magistrate Xue rubbed his temples, let out a long sigh, and shook his head. "Though I am loath to admit it, what you say is likely true."

"Enough, enough. Let’s not speak of this anymore. As long as the Yuezhou rebellion can be suppressed, they can carve up the credit however they please."

Chief Li lowered his head to sip his wine, his mind already churning. Once suppressing local unrest becomes a "merit" that allows a group of people to climb the ranks and get rich, then for a long time to come, regardless of whether there are actual troublemakers or not, civil unrest will likely be constant.

The evil and audacity of human nature can never be underestimated. And this, very likely, would make the old house that is the Great Zhou Dynasty even more rotten. Everything depends on whether the Emperor in the capital can maintain a basic sense of clarity.

That clarity would mean that once a civil uprising occurs in a region, there must be a serious investigation to hold people accountable, to get to the bottom of it, and no matter how much resistance there is, those who deserve punishment must be punished—every single one of them!

While Li Yun was lost in thought, he heard Magistrate Xue continue, "There is one more thing I must remind you of."

Li Yun snapped out of his reverie and said with a smile, "Please, Magistrate, instruct me."

"Since the Prefecture has tasked you with suppressing bandits, they ought to provide you with money and grain. You cannot afford to ignore this issue; you must go to Xuanzhou often and press Cui Shao for it."

Li Yun curled his lip and shook his head. "Knowing that man’s character, I have no expectation of squeezing a single copper out of him. I will find my own way to handle the bandit suppression. As long as the Prefecture doesn't interfere and cause trouble, I shall be satisfied."

Magistrate Xue tapped the table and said slowly, "That is where you are wrong."

"Whether the Prefecture gives it or not is one thing, but whether you ask for it is another."

"It is a simple principle: if you send someone to ask for funds and they provide them, that is fine. But if they refuse, then they are in the wrong."

"Once they are in the wrong, it becomes harder for them to interfere with you or your bandit-hunting squad."

Magistrate Xue said softly, "By doing this, not only will you be free from the Prefecture’s meddling, but once you have wiped out some mountain bandits, you can demand conditions from Xuanzhou every now and then, and Cui Shao will have to agree through gritted teeth."

"After all, he owes you money and grain."

Li Yun’s eyes brightened. He slapped his thigh and couldn't help but applaud, praising, "That is why you are the official, Magistrate! If you hadn't mentioned these twists and turns, I wouldn't have thought of them for a long time."

"The Magistrate is right," Li Yun said with a smile. "I must go ask them for money often, just to make them feel guilty and in the wrong!"

"There are many more twists and turns in officialdom than just these," Magistrate Xue said, not drinking this time but sipping his tea as he looked at Li Yun. "You should learn; there is much you need to learn."

Li Yun smiled and said, "Though I have no intention of becoming an official, I will certainly have to ask you for guidance on these matters when I have the time."

Magistrate Xue was only human, and after being flattered so subtly by Li Yun, his face beamed with smiles. He took the initiative to toast Li Yun once more, then chuckled.

"This old... old man didn't serve as an official all these years for nothing." His speech was already becoming slurred.

Just then, Miss Xue entered with a plate of vegetables. Seeing the swaying Magistrate, she exclaimed, looking at Li Yun, "Oh my, why did you let him drink so much?"

Xue Yun'er glared at Li Yun. "No more drinking!"

Li Yun raised both hands and smiled. "I didn't drink much; it was all the Magistrate."

Miss Xue’s delicate brows furrowed. "No one is allowed to drink anymore!"

***

For once, the efficiency of the yamen was surprisingly high. Three days after the commotion in Qingyang caused by the Prefect, the official document regarding bandit suppression in Xuanzhou was formally delivered to Li Yun.

After receiving the document, Li Yun, fearing that the pig-headed Cui might be playing a trick on him, specifically showed it to Magistrate Xue. Only after confirming that the document truly bore the genuine seal of the Prefect did Li Yun finally relax and rejoice.

He thanked Magistrate Xue and headed home in high spirits.

When he arrived in the courtyard, Zhang Hu was fast asleep, while Li Zheng was flipping through a book. Seeing Li Yun return, he stood up and closed the book. It was a serious book this time—a collection of poetry, judging by the title.

He closed the book and smiled, "Second Brother is back."

Li Yun glanced at the title of the poetry collection, strode into the room, patted Zhang Hu awake, and then grabbed Li Zheng by the sleeve, laughing, "Come on, the three of us are going out for a drink!"

As he dragged the two of them out of the courtyard, Li Zheng asked with a smile, "Second Brother, what has you so happy?"

"The Prefecture's bandit suppression order has come down." Li patted his chest and laughed, "This is a good thing; let's go out and celebrate."

Li Zheng scratched his head, "How is this a good thing? Didn't you say you hated that Prefect surnamed Cui?"

"Hating him is one thing, but that doesn't stop this from being a good thing," Li Yun said with a chuckle. "The Prefecture has no soldiers to suppress bandits, and we have the manpower but lacked the official standing. With that one piece of paper, that pig-headed man has essentially handed over half the Prefecture's authority for me to wield."

He looked out toward the horizon and said slowly, "Once our influence grows a bit more, in Xuanzhou, if we say someone is a bandit..."

"Then they are a bandit."