149 Anger

Li Xintian returned to Shuiwen County two days later.

However, as soon as he reached the city gate, a gate guard known as Old Oil-head hurriedly called out, "The eldest young master has returned?"

Li Xintian gave a slight nod without saying much.

Old Oil-head quickly hurried over, stealthily slipped a letter into Li Xintian's hand, and whispered, "Since the eldest young master has been away proposing marriage, you probably don't know what has been happening in the county. Chief Constable Xu told me to wait here for the eldest young master, and said to hand this letter to you the moment you returned."

"What has happened in Shuiwen County?" Li Xintian asked after taking the letter.

"This..." Old Oil-head hesitated, looking troubled as he replied, "Perhaps Chief Constable Xu's letter explains everything clearly. It's not my place to babble nonsense here."

Li Xintian frowned, opened the letter, and his expression instantly changed.

"This Magistrate Liu, going too far! Does he really take my Li family for fools molded out of clay?" The next moment, he burst out in a furious roar, filled with overwhelming anger.

He directly crushed the letter in his grip, reducing it to paper scraps that fluttered down to the ground.

From birth until now, Li Xintian had never been this enraged.

Without a second thought, he strode away in the direction of the Li estate.

"The eldest young master is truly furious this time. Shuiwen County is not going to be peaceful anymore," Old Oil-head muttered under his breath.

"What happened? Why is the eldest young master of the Li family suddenly so furious?" a rookie guard asked.

Old Oil-head gave him a peculiar look and said, "Are you truly clueless or just pretending? Just yesterday, Magistrate Liu sent bailiffs to arrest Master Li Qizong. The whole matter has already blown up across Shuiwen County. Only the eldest young master was away proposing marriage these past two days and missed it, but I didn't expect you to be completely in the dark too."

"No way! Why would the magistrate arrest Li Qizong? He hasn't committed any crime," the rookie guard said in shock and doubt.

Old Oil-head shook his head and said, "Official documents have two faces; who knows what these officials are thinking? Perhaps they've set their sights on the boundless wealth of the Li family... Hmph, it's better to talk less about this. When a passing tiger fights a local dragon, it has nothing to do with us."

Fuming with anger, Li Xintian returned to the manor.

Only to see that Steward Li, having already received word of his return, was waiting for him at the gates.

"Eldest young master, you've finally returned! Yesterday, old slave wanted to send someone to notify you, but a torrential rain broke out, and coupled with the urgency of the situation, it was delayed for a night."

Steward Li hurried forward, saying with a panicked expression, "Something terrible has happened at the manor! The master, he..."

Li Xintian waved his hand and said, "I know everything. My father was thrown into prison by that Magistrate Liu under the pretext that my father colluded with that so-called Madam Wang the spirit-medium, using sorcery to acquire wealth, and that the missing gold and silver from several affluent families in the county were all the work of our Li family... On top of that, they framed my father for harming people with dark arts, such as harvesting yin to supplement yang, causing pregnant women to miscarry, and extending his own life."

"The eldest young master knows already? What should we do now?" Steward Li asked anxiously.

"These are completely fabricated charges. Magistrate Liu harbors deep ambitions; I'm afraid he has set his sights on our Li family. Perhaps Magistrate Liu is the mastermind behind targeting us. I am going to pay this Magistrate Liu a visit right now. After I leave, stabilize the manor and all our businesses across the county, and make sure no chaos breaks out. If necessary, deploy the men from the escort agency," Li Xintian said in a deep voice.

"Yes, yes, yes, this old slave will remember," Steward Li repeatedly nodded and acknowledged.

After giving his instructions and preparing to head to the county office, Li Xintian caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye of a maidservant from the manor carrying a bundle on her back, seemingly trying to sneak away.

"Stop right there," Li Xintian immediately shouted.

The maidservant was startled so badly that she dropped her bundle onto the ground, spilling a pile of gold and silver jewelry all around it.

"E-Eldest young master," the maidservant's face instantly turned pale.

Li Xintian said coldly, "The Li family hasn't even fallen yet, and you're already in such a rush to pack up our wealth and run?"

"Eldest young master, spare my life! This humble servant was just momentarily confused," the maidservant immediately plopped to her knees, kowtowing and begging for mercy.

"Drive her out of the Li estate and send her to work in the mills for a term of twenty years," Li Xintian ordered.

"Understood, eldest young master," Steward Li nodded, then hastily instructed two guards to take the maidservant away.

Li Xintian added, "If any similar incidents happen again, deal with them all in this manner."

"Eldest young master, spare my life! This humble servant knows she was wrong. Please don't cast me out," the maidservant cried out, pleading.

"I am not taking your life; I am merely sending you to work in the mills, and your monthly wages will still be paid to you. This is already merciful enough. If it were my father, he would have beaten you to death with heavy staves. You were bought into the Li estate, not merely hired."

Li Xintian said coldly.

Soon enough, the maidservant was dragged away by the guards.

"The Li family hasn't even fallen yet, and people's hearts are already scattering. It seems it is time to thoroughly discipline the Li household; we keep too many freeloaders here."

The incident with the maidservant put Li Xintian in a terrible mood.

No one wants to see such an ungrateful ingrate emerge from their own household.

After all, Li Xintian always believed he treated the servants of the manor quite well. He never exploited them, never abused them, and had never beaten or killed a single servant. Instead, he made sure each servant received a generous monthly wage so they could save up, find a good match after leaving the estate, marry, have children, and carry on their family line—a deed he considered to be immensely meritorious and good.

Yet today, the moment a tiny ripple of turmoil struck the manor, a maidservant packed up valuables and prepared to flee.

If the Li estate were truly to decline, one could only imagine how many more such incidents would occur.

"Tian'er, you must rescue your father from prison! Otherwise, what will your mother do?"

Seeing Li Xintian return, Chen Shuxia felt a bit more reassured.

"Mother, rest assured. I will not let a single hair on Father's head be harmed. Mother, you must get some rest."

Li Xintian knew the household would be gripped by panic and anxiety, which was why he returned first to steady everyone's morale. After issuing a few instructions, he immediately set off for the county office.

To be honest, he rarely had dealings with government officials. After all, even in the capital, he rarely formed deep ties with officialdom.

However, the previous magistrate had been an enlightened official. Although somewhat lazy in governance, he at least managed Shuiwen County quite well, handling grievances and cases in a timely manner. The Li family and the former magistrate had maintained a boundary of non-interference—he performed his official duties, and the Li family ran their businesses.

As for imperial taxes, the Li family never shortchanged a single coin, delivering payments punctually every year.

Yet this current Magistrate Liu was a restless troublemaker.

As soon as he arrived in Shuiwen County, he imposed a city gate tax, and later Li Xintian heard that he had increased Shuiwen County's taxes beyond the legal limits set by the imperial court.

Regarding this, the Li family had not failed to respond; for the land tax of the first half of this year, Magistrate Liu hadn't even been able to collect a single grain.

The Li family had operated in Shuiwen County for three generations—four if counting Li Xintian's generation. Which of the nearby village farmlands did not belong to the Li family?

Take Lower River Village as an example: all the farmland tilled by the villagers belonged to the Li family; they were merely tenant farmers of the Li family.

Without a word from the Li family, which bailiff would dare go down to the villages to collect land taxes?

Perhaps it was this incident that served as the trigger, prompting Magistrate Liu to resort to a ruthless move: directly framing Li Xintian's father, Li Qizong, and sending men to drag him into a prison cell.

The county office of Shuiwen County faced south, flanked by two stone lions in front, alongside a massive drum for lodging grievances, with guards stationed at the main entrance.

Li Xintian walked up to the entrance and said, "Official, please be so kind as to announce my visit. Say that Li Xintian of the Li family has come to pay respects to Magistrate Liu regarding the case of my father, Li Qizong."

The guard looked at Li Xintian with some hesitation, seemingly reluctant to go inside and announce him.

"Oh? Eldest young master, what brings you to the yamen today? Doesn't the eldest young master usually never set foot in the yamen?" Suddenly, a lazy voice rang out as a dark-skinned, short-stumped man strutted out wearing the uniform of a yamen head bailiff.

"Black Third?" Li Xintian frowned.

Black Third chuckled and said, "I'm not Black Third anymore; it's Third Master now. Eldest young master, do you see this uniform of mine? From now on, who enters or leaves this yamen is up to me."

"Are you trying to block me from entering?" Li Xintian asked.

He had heard Chief Constable Xu mention before that this Black Third had switched sides to Magistrate Liu, but he hadn't expected that within just a few short days, the ruffian Black Third would become the head bailiff of the Shuiwen County office.

He was promoted fast enough.

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare! There's no place in Shuiwen County the eldest young master isn't allowed to go, and little old me wouldn't dare stop you. However, the yamen has yamen rules; the eldest young master understands that, right?" Black Third chuckled cunningly, rubbing his thumb and index finger together to hint at a bribe.

Li Xintian said coldly, "Black Third, you dare take my money?"

"Hah! Eldest young master sure is imposing! Based on those words alone, while it would cost anyone else ten taels, for the eldest young master, it'll cost a hundred taels," Black Third grinned widely. "The Li family is a household of immense wealth; surely a hundred taels is nothing in the eyes of the eldest young master?"

"Black Third, some money can be taken, but some money must never be touched," Li Xintian stared at Black Third and said.

Black Third replied, "Eldest young master, little old me doesn't understand that logic. Money is just money; how can there be money that can or cannot be touched? If the eldest young master isn't willing to pay up, then don't blame me for not showing you any respect. As for announcing your visit, you'll have to forgive me for being powerless to help."

"I took you for a smart man, but it turns out you're just a fool. Can that Magistrate Liu protect you for a lifetime? Or do you think my Li family is that easy to deal with?" Li Xintian said.

"Go on, go on! If you didn't bring any money with you, hurry back and fetch some. Don't linger here dawdling with me; I'm busy." Black Third waved his hand impatiently.

"Black Third, considering that you used to work for my Li family, I'll give you a chance: go make the announcement for me, and I won't hold you accountable. If you remain stubbornly blind, don't blame me for being ruthless."

"Oh? The eldest young master knows how to make threats now too. But Third Master really isn't scared. Do you see this?" Black Third pointed at his uniform. "Proper government service! But since the eldest young master's words carried such flavor, if you want to step foot into this yamen now, the price is this much: Ten thousand taels."

At that moment, Li Xintian didn't get angry; instead, he let out a soft chuckle. "Interesting. A man who wants money more than his life."

With that, he turned and walked away. Li Xintian had never been this angry before, yet Black Third kept courting death, throwing himself right into the line of fire.

"Black Third, you shouldn't push it like this. He is the eldest young master of the Li family; offending him will spell trouble," a nearby bailiff said with lingering fear.

"Bah! What is there to bird-brainedly fear? Didn't you see how Li Xintian tucked his tail and left? What eldest young master of the Li family? What provincial imperial examination scholar? I only call him eldest young master out of respect; without respect, he's nothing more than a merchant's spawn! Daring to go against the yamen is courting death," Black Third spat out a glob of thick phlegm, speaking with utmost disdain.

Yet seeing that he had chased Li Xintian away, he felt a sudden surge of inflated ego.

That was the eldest young master of the Li family! A prominent figure in Shuiwen County! Yet right here in front of this official uniform of his, he still had to lower his head. If Li Xintian held an official rank, Black Third would have to bow his head to him, but right now...

Li Xintian didn't leave completely; instead, he walked over to one of his family's shops near the county office and gave a brief instruction.

Soon enough, a servant bolted out of the shop and vanished into the streets.

Before long, a burly man arrived before the yamen gates and shouted loudly, "Where is Black Third? Get your ass out here!"

"Who's bellowing? Your Third Master is right here," Black Third walked out of the entrance, yawning lazily.

The burly man immediately whipped out his waist-saber and slashed straight down at Black Third.

Black Third let out a miserable shriek as a deep gash was instantly torn across his leg, blood gushing forth in a torrent.

"Eldest young master, is this enough?" The burly man dragged Black Third out from the yamen gates by his collar and turned to ask.

Li Xintian stepped out from somewhere nearby and said indifferently, "His hands are too filthy. Chop off one of his hands."

"Will do." The big man planted a foot on Black Third's arm, swept his saber downward, and lopped off a palm right on the spot.

"Ah—!" Black Third let out another agonizing shriek as fresh blood sprayed wildly.

Li Xintian gave a slight nod and said, "That'll do. Go turn yourself in."

"Understood." The burly man cupped his fists, casually tossed aside his saber, and muttered loudly, "I am Han Meng. I got into a brawl with Black Third, sliced open his leg, and chopped off his hand. I've come to the yamen to turn myself in."

The other bailiffs standing at the entrance stared at one another in utter bewilderment, shock written all over their faces.

"Well? What are you standing around dazed for? Aren't you going to arrest me? How are you even doing your jobs?" Han Meng barked.

"E-Eldest young master, what is the meaning of this?" a bailiff asked nervously and respectfully.

Li Xintian glanced at Black Third, who was still wailing on the ground, and said, "Nothing much. My temper flared up, and I was a bit impulsive. I should probably exercise more restraint next time."

Impulsive?

This was practically coming close to slaughtering Black Third!

The bailiffs felt a cold shiver run through their hearts.

They truly hadn't expected the Li family to wield such ruthless methods, disabling Black Third within mere moments.

No, rather, it was the eldest young master of the Li family whose methods were terrifyingly ruthless.

In Shuiwen County, everyone always said the eldest young master of the Li family had a kind heart and was a good person. Never in their wildest dreams did they imagine he possessed such a dark and merciless side.