Chapter 103: Trespassing into a Private Residence!
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When Cui Shao first arrived, he could never have guessed just how complex Li Yun’s background truly was. In his eyes, Li Yun was merely a straightforward warrior, driven by a fiery passion to eradicate bandits for the sake of his hometown. He seemed like a “by-the-book” type of man. Even though the government had granted him the authority to suppress bandits, he would simply carry out his duty honestly, with no ulterior motives.
In reality, once Li Yun received the official document, he gained the power to legally form and expand an armed force under the pretext of bandit suppression—and command all operations! While the former Chief Li had similar authority, it was limited to within the mountain stronghold, confined to the outlaw realm.
Now, Li Yun held the legal right to organize armed forces.
Imagine, with an official document from the prefecture, carrying the government’s orders to recruit local militia and pay their salaries—how many would be drawn to join his anti-bandit squad? That was far more appealing than joining mountain bandits.
After all, the Great Zhou Dynasty’s two-century legacy was deeply rooted in people’s hearts; very few would choose to become bandits when they could serve as soldiers or officials.
“Half a magistrate’s power…” Li Zheng scratched his head. “Is it really that exaggerated?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.” Li Yun smiled. “In the coming days, you’ll lead some men to Shidai first and gather intelligence on the major bandit camps there. In a few days, I’ll bring more people over.”
Li Zheng nodded. “Alright, I’ll set out for Shidai tomorrow.” Then he glanced at Zhang Hu with a smile. “Second brother, will Hu Zi come with me?”
Li Yun glanced at Zhang Hu, who was fiercely eating nearby, and chuckled softly. “If you want him to come, then let him. It’s always better to have company on the road.”
Li Zheng grinned broadly. “Then I’ll take him along.”
…
The next day, Li Zheng and Zhang Hu left Qingyang, while Li Yun returned to the Qingyang county government office to summon the local constables.
Qingyang had about thirty constables, only ten of whom were officially part of the anti-bandit squad. The remaining twenty, however, often accompanied Li Yun on various missions.
Li Yun stood before them, cleared his throat, and said, “Many of you work in the office and have good sources of information. By now, some of you must have heard certain news.”
“But there are still a few who don’t know.”
He cleared his throat again and announced, “Today, I’m here to officially tell everyone.”
“In the past half year, our brothers in Qingyang have made good progress in suppressing bandits. Now, there are few organized bandit groups left in Qingyang.”
“Because of that, a few days ago, Prefect Cui came and appointed me to lead the bandit suppression efforts throughout the entire Xuanzhou region.”
Li Yun glanced around at everyone and continued slowly, “From now on, my work won’t be limited to Qingyang alone. I may need to travel across various parts of Xuanzhou.”
“To all brothers in the anti-bandit squad and Qingyang’s constables, if you wish to stay in Qingyang, that’s perfectly fine—you will continue your duties here.”
“But if any wish to follow me out of Qingyang to fight bandits elsewhere, that option is open too.”
He looked over the group, especially at Chen Da, and smiled. “Who’s willing to join me on this journey?”
Chen Da, who had already spoken with Li Yun beforehand, immediately stood, bowed respectfully, and said, “Boss! I’m willing to go with you!”
Huang Yong stepped forward. “I’m willing too!”
Soon, nearly all seven or eight members of the anti-bandit squad expressed their willingness to go, while most of the other twenty constables hesitated.
Li Yun smiled. “Very well, that’s settled for now.”
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“It will still be the brothers from the anti-bandit squad going out with me.”
He patted Chen Da’s shoulder and grinned. “Make arrangements—we’re going to Xiangfu Pavilion tonight. My treat.”
Chen Da blinked. “Boss, is it just the anti-bandit squad, or… everyone?”
“Everyone.” Li Yun laughed. “I may not have many talents, but treating brothers to a meal is one of them.”
“But let me make one thing clear.”
Li Yun looked around and smiled. “This isn’t a farewell feast. I’m still a Qingyang native and your captain here. Once things settle down outside and I’ve reported back to Prefect Cui, I’ll return to Qingyang.”
The constables’ faces brightened with smiles.
“Today, we’re going to feast the boss till he goes bankrupt!”
Someone shouted, “Get the captain drunk! I want to challenge him to a duel!”
Li Yun laughed and scolded them softly, telling them to get going. As he prepared to leave the office to prepare some things, Chen Da poked him mysteriously in the arm.
“Boss, look over there…”
Following his gaze, Li Yun saw a young woman behind a stone window, staring at him intently.
Chen Da chuckled, “She’s been looking for you, boss.”
Li Yun gave him a sidelong glance. “Noisy.”
Still, he left the others and approached the young woman. Tall and confident, he soon stood before her, bowed slightly, and smiled. “Miss Xue, what brings you here?”
Xue Yun’er fiddled with the edge of her garment, glanced at Li Yun, then looked away. “Are you… really leaving tomorrow?”
Li Yun thought for a moment, smiling. “Maybe not tomorrow. Perhaps the day after.”
Miss Xue looked toward a nearby pavilion and whispered, “Let’s talk there.”
“Alright.”
They entered the pavilion, sitting down. She gazed at the pond and spoke softly, “Why… why did you accept Prefect Cui’s appointment?”
Li Yun smiled thoughtfully. “Firstly, it’s not a bad thing. Suppressing bandits in Xuanzhou is truly serving the people and eliminating harm.”
“Secondly, since that Prefect Cui has been troubling the county magistrate, and I’ve received much care from him recently, I want to do my part.”
Miss Xue glanced at Li Yun, then turned her head away.
“You always have a reason.”
Lowering her head, her eyes reddened. “You never come to see me.”
Li Yun scratched his head and sighed. “Miss Xue, I once made a grave mistake unintentionally…”
“I asked Li Zheng.”
Xue Yun’er wiped her tears. “Before you took me up the mountain, you came to the city. You weren’t careless…”
“Did you… did you…”
She bit her lip. “Did you set your eyes on some prettier girl?”
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That was something Li Yun had said casually on the mountain, yet she still remembered it vividly.
Why did that skinny monkey say everything?
Li Yun cursed silently in his heart. Seeing the girl before him crying with tears streaming down her face, his heart twitched. He moved closer, reached out, and gently took her delicate hand.
Her palm was small, almost swallowed by Li Yun’s large hand.
“Ah!” Startled by the sudden touch, Miss Xue exclaimed, her face flushing bright red. “What are you doing?”
The bandit chief, thick-skinned as ever, smiled and said, “It’s been over half a year, and I still haven’t found anyone more beautiful than you.”
Xue Yun’er blushed deeply, suddenly stood up, and turned to leave. As she stepped out of the pavilion, she glared fiercely at Li Yun and cursed, “Thief! Scoundrel!”
With that, she hurried away.
Li Yun watched her retreating figure and smiled.
This feeling…it was truly nice.
But the tasks ahead were vast and complicated; he needed to plan carefully.
After standing in the pavilion lost in thought for a while, he rose and went to make preparations.
That evening, he treated his Qingyang colleagues to a feast, drinking until the room spun. Even with his good tolerance, he was half-drunk. Upon returning to his room, he noticed a book mysteriously placed on his desk.
“Strategies for Bandit Suppression.”
Li Yun flipped through a few pages, burped softly, and muttered, “That girl…”
“Breaking and entering, huh.”
…
Two days later, after bidding farewell to the Xue family, Li Yun led seven or eight men from the anti-bandit squad toward Shidai.
Upon arrival, he settled them in a guesthouse, then cheerfully approached the Gu family mansion—the grandest residence in the Shidai county seat. Without hesitation, he knocked on the door.
Soon, the gatekeeper recognized his face.
The last time, Li Yun had stayed in the Gu household with an imperial inspector, so the gatekeeper was startled but quickly said, “Captain Li, what brings you here?”
“I’m here to see Master Gu about some matters.”
Li Yun frowned slightly and looked at the gatekeeper. “What’s the matter? Won’t you open the door?”
The gatekeeper hurriedly shook his head. “N-no, I must first inform them.”
Li Yun gave a gentle push, and the gatekeeper was powerless to resist as Li Yun strode inside. Li Yun patted the gatekeeper’s shoulder with a smile.
“Gu family and I go way back. What is there to report? Come on, take me to see Master Gu.”
“Captain Li…” The gatekeeper followed reluctantly, wearing a troubled expression.
“You’re breaking and entering…”
(The chapter ends)