Chapter 22

Qu Cheng summoned all the county officials, along with the gentry families from every village in Pingtao, and in a grand procession, they set off toward the tavern where Wei Jing was lodging. His action was clearly designed to assert his authority. From the moment he received the message—in less than an hour—he issued a single command that had every high-ranking person in the county assembled in perfect order. But the instant he saw Wei Jing, a chill ran down his spine.

A tall and striking young man leisurely stepped out of his guest room, exuding an indescribable aura of intimidation. His expression was calm, and a cold, electric gaze swept across Qu Cheng; in that instant, Qu Cheng even held his breath.

No words were needed, no further explanation was necessary—a mere glance was enough to reveal that this was no ordinary man. Really, how did Pingtao come to have such a county magistrate?

Qu Cheng lowered his eyes, his thoughts racing. He lifted his eyelids, and a warm smile spread across his face as he said, “I have had the honor of meeting you, Magistrate Yang.”

He bowed and said, “I did not know you had already arrived, Magistrate; I regret not coming out to welcome you from afar. Please do not take offense.”

Qu Cheng took the lead in offering greetings. The subordinate officials and the heads of the local gentry families exchanged glances and all joined in greeting him in unison.

“Everyone, please stand.”

Wei Jing smiled lightly and said, “Since the Central Plains are far from Yizhou and the journey was somewhat delayed, thank you all for waiting so long.”

“Not too late, not too late,” replied Qu Cheng. “Aren’t you not yet officially in office?”

Qu Cheng—about fifty years old, lean and wiry, with small, bright black eyes that scanned around with a gleam of quick wit—continued smiling and added some flattering words: “The rear courtyard of the county office is rather plain. Why don’t you come to my home and stay for a while? I can have my servants tidy it up for you.”

After the welcome, you are meant to assume your post formally. Under normal circumstances, a county magistrate resides in the rear courtyard of the county office, and until today, Qu Cheng has never considered preparing accommodations for a new magistrate. But times have changed.

Wei Jing smiled faintly once more and said, “I appreciate your kind gesture, but there is no need—the simplicity suits me just fine.”

He outright rejected Qu Cheng’s friendly overture, not even bothering to notice the varied expressions on the subordinate officials and the heads of the local gentry. He then led Shao Qing, Kou Xuan, and the others straight to the lodging at the county office.

The back courtyard of the county office was even more rundown than the front hall; weeds had sprouted in the corners, and a thin layer of dust had accumulated inside and outside the buildings. Whether it was the structures or the furniture, everything looked unmistakably aged.

Obviously, no one had lived there or cleaned it for months, and it hadn’t been refurbished for years.

After Wei Jing dismissed Qu Cheng and the others, Shao Qing looked around and remarked, “Unless a separate residence is arranged, it seems the previous few magistrates of Pingtao have not had an easy time.”

However, it was evident that even the preceding county magistrates possessed a certain refined taste—this back courtyard had been designed with considerable elegance.

Surrounded by the scenic mountains and waters of Pingtao, with a stream running through the city as well, a pool of fresh water had been diverted into the back courtyard. The water wound its way around a rockery, turning a waterwheel as it flowed. The gentle, trickling sound of the water, together with the clear stream that meandered past a small pavilion and clusters of flowering trees before emerging from a hidden channel, lent the scene a poetic quality.

Unfortunately, however, no one had tended to it for so long. The plants had grown wild and disorderly, mingling with the weeds, and the rockery and waterwheel were covered in moss, rendering the whole area dark, damp, and forlorn.

Shao Qing laughed and said, “This place is admittedly a bit shabby, but once cleaned up, it would have a very charming rustic appeal—living here might not be so bad.”

Even though Qu Cheng had just given an imposing display of authority, she didn’t doubt for a moment that Wei Jing could resolve the matter swiftly. Instead, it was Kou Xuan—whose face had grown grave—who stepped forward, clasped his hands, and said, “My lord, I wonder how we should proceed?”

Wei Jing glanced at him and said, “Among those who came to greet us earlier, there were plenty of local gentry.”

He did not easily trust Kou Xuan, but since the latter had performed commendably throughout the journey and Wei Jing needed to employ some extra help, Kou Xuan proved to be useful for now.

Since he needed to make use of them, he didn’t hesitate to voice his own opinion: “However, the Qu family are outsiders—they have occupied Pingtao for over a dozen years.”

Their domineering behavior was witnessed firsthand by everyone present. Yet, when it comes to interests, the matter is fixed in one spot; the Qu family takes more than its fair share, which inevitably infringes greatly upon the interests of the local gentry families. The conflict is deeply rooted and irreconcilable.

Though the Qu family wields formidable power and the local gentry bows in deference, that does not mean the conflict has disappeared. Instead, it is forced to be concealed in their hearts—and may swell like a snowball rolling downhill.

“Divide and conquer; leverage external forces to break them apart.”

Using Wei Jing’s martial might to kill them would be too easy, but such a method wouldn’t qualify as a last resort. Nearly every county official is one of Qu Cheng’s cronies; to kill them would mean eliminating them all, which would be too sensational, and Pingtao would be lost for nothing.

However, resolving the issue is not difficult—he has ample vision and strategy. In fact, at a glance, he already has a method to break the deadlock.

Kou Xuan wholeheartedly agreed, “My lord, what you say is exactly right.”

He continued, “The west wing is the study. There are many collections of documents inside; let us carefully examine them to see if we can understand the circumstances of each family.”

To employ the divide-and-conquer strategy, they must first find an entry point. At present, they are essentially in the dark, and we need to devise a way to uncover the details of each family.

Judging by the vast number of records in the west wing, Kou Xuan believed such information must exist. After all, when faced with a similar predicament, the previous county magistrates surely had to think of ways to overcome the Qu family.

“You all go ahead; we’ll take care of the cleanup.”

Shao Qing said to Wei Jing, “Rather than bothering with tidying and sweeping, bringing down the Qu family is our top priority. Sifting through the clan documents isn’t very difficult—but there’s no shortcut to it. The more people we have, the better.”

Wei Jing nodded and instructed, “Just arrange the living quarters; there’s no need to attend to the other areas right now.”

Shao Qing replied in acknowledgment. He then led Kou Xuan and Yan Ming toward the west wing, leaving only Yuan Hong among the men. Wang Mi was the first to speak up, asking Yuan Hong to help move some heavy items.

…

The rear courtyard of the county yamen was laid out just like any ordinary siheyuan. The main building had east and west wings, and at the front, one “inverted” room was built on each side.

Originally, this area was meant for the county magistrate’s family, with subordinate households arranged in two rows outside of the courtyard. However, those row houses were in even worse shape—the window screens were tattered, the door panels barely moved, and layers of dust had accumulated to an inch thick, making them utterly uninhabitable.

Moreover, given the current circumstances, splitting up to live separately wasn’t a good idea, so everyone was temporarily settled in the rear courtyard.

Naturally, the main building belonged to Wei Jing and Shao Qing, the east wing was assigned to the Kou family, and as for Yan Ming and Yuan Hong, they took up residence in one of the inverted rooms. The other inverted room couldn’t be occupied because it was actually the kitchen.

Shao Qing slightly rolled up her sleeves. “Alright, let’s start by cleaning up the houses where people live—and the kitchen, too.”

Meanwhile, on Wei Jing’s side, they were searching for a suitable breakthrough, and sure enough, some useful evidence was found in the family records.

In the neighboring Qu Mansion, Qu Cheng and his circle of trusted aides also discussed the matter.

“Lord Qu, I’m afraid we can’t let this man live.” Before anyone had even sat down, the leader, Feng Ping, spoke up in haste. The cold, steely glare that Wei Jing had just thrown made his spine still tingle with unease.

As soon as Feng Ping finished speaking, the others immediately agreed. With a grave look, Qu Cheng nodded, “Indeed, that’s exactly so.”

No one had ever made him feel such a sense of danger—even not someone as brutally murderous as that Pu Tribe’s chief. Earlier, when they had tried to win him over, Wei Jing hadn’t accepted it in the slightest; he immediately resolved to have him eliminated.

“I’m afraid this man isn’t easy to get rid of! And it’s not merely a question of whether he’s skilled in martial arts!”

This is nothing like those feeble scholars of the past—once they’d entered Pingtao, they were simply left to be butchered.

Upon hearing this, Qu Qian quickly said, “Father, that man is indeed capable in combat—he’s the one who broke my front tooth!” He had already recognized Wei Jing and his companions and then recounted the past incident. Clenching his teeth, he declared through gritted anger, “Once we take him down, I’ll make sure to knock out every single tooth in his mouth!”

Not forgetting Shao Qing, he added, “That beauty by his side should be mine—I’ve already set my eyes on her!”

Qu Qian then glanced cautiously at his father and brothers—after all, they were all of one mind. Fearing he might get preempted, after finishing his words, he hesitantly, though unwillingly, added, “If you want to use her, it isn’t that we can’t—but it’ll have to wait until later.”

“What the hell are you all talking about?” Qu Cheng raised an eyebrow and said, “After all this time, you’re still obsessing over this?”

Next to Wei Jing were Kou Yue and Wang Mi—both dressed as women. Wang Mi was the prettiest, but there was nothing extraordinary about her. She’d borne children and wasn’t exactly rare; you’d find plenty of women like her on Pingtan Street. And yet you dare to defy me over a woman like that? This kid really has some nerve!

Qu Cheng, clearly in a foul mood, launched into a string of angry curses at his youngest son. In protest, Qu Qian shouted loudly, “I wasn’t talking about that woman—I meant the one dressed in male attire, the young man standing beside Yang Ze!”

“Nonsense!”

Shao Qing’s disguise was top-notch. Everyone recalled that it was clearly a youth—there was no beauty to be found!

With a resounding “smack” on the desk, Qu Cheng banged it hard and declared, “I think you’ve gotten so muddled from sleeping with women that you can’t tell the difference!”

“Father, our third brother is young and naive. You should teach him instead of getting angry—he’s even hurt. Let him go back and rest for a while.”

The three Qu brothers weren’t even born to the same mother, so as they grew up, naturally, they would quarrel. Not surprisingly, Qu Qian’s elder brother, without a change in expression, gave him a look meant to set his eyes straight.

“Scram! Get out! Don’t stand here and block my view!”

Qu Qian’s eldest brother secretly rejoiced, though his expression was grave. “Father, I wonder how long Yang Ze has been staying in Pingtao—shouldn’t we go and quietly inquire about the situation first?”

“Know your enemy and know yourself; you will never be defeated.” Qu Cheng nodded. “Alright.”

Their father’s anger quickly gave way to satisfaction, and the older brother broke into a smile. As for Qu Qian—who had been driven out—he was extremely indignant. Yet he didn’t dare even tug at his father’s whiskers, so he could only storm back to the courtyard in a fit of fury.

The pain in his front tooth area was excruciating, and the bruises on his body ached as well. The more he brooded, the angrier he became. He hadn’t even managed to eat dinner; tossing and turning on his bed, he suddenly sat up and gazed toward the west window, where a silvery moonlight streamed in. His courtyard abutted the western wall, and just a narrow alley separated it from the rear yard of the county yamen.

Why they didn’t believe him?

That’s a woman!

With a sharp flicker in his eyes, Qu Qian promptly rose, threw on his coat, and quietly opened the door as he slipped toward the west.

The Pingtao County Yamen was no different from his own back courtyard—even if it were secured with ten or eight heavy locks, nothing would hinder his free comings and goings.

---

Although she claimed she was only tidying up the sleeping quarters, once she got started, the work turned out to be far from trivial. Shao Qing merely instructed Yuan Hong to help her move some tables, chairs, and other heavy items, leaving the rest—scrubbing and cleaning—for her to handle personally.

The sisters-in-law from the Kou family were all eager to help her organize the space, but she declined their offers. There was simply no way around it—with tasks piling up and not enough hands to help, Wang Mi and Kou Yue still had to scrub the kitchen. Even cleaning those few rusty, oversized iron pots was laborious enough on its own.

From mid-afternoon until complete darkness fell, everyone was so exhausted that they could hardly stand up straight. Dinner was purchased from outside, and they even added essentials like bedding, pillows, oil lamps, and other daily necessities.

Qu Cheng had even arranged to have some items delivered, but they turned out to be of no use.

When Shao Qing brought the oil lamps and dinner over to Wei Jing and his companions, she noticed the three of them unrolling their ancestral scrolls and examining them carefully. Kou Xuan sifted through the documents first, and whenever he thought something might be useful, he passed it over to Wei Jing’s desk.

Clearly, progress was being made.

She smiled as Wei Jing advised, “You should get some rest early; don’t wait on me.”

“Mm.”

Shao Qing’s back ached and her legs were in pain—she longed to lie down immediately—but she laughed and remarked, “But don’t I still have to wash up?”

She patted her temple hair, and surprisingly, a good deal of dust fluttered down.

After leaving the study, Shao Qing quickly ordered Yuan Hong to fetch some water and pour it into the large, thoroughly scrubbed bathtub in the room. Yuan Hong, proving just as ineffective as ever, managed only two buckets of water before he was left panting like an ox, prompting Kou Yue to roll up her sleeves and jump in to help.

She was speechless. She helped Kou Yue carry things for a while, and when the water reached about seventy or eighty percent full, she locked the door. Being in an unfamiliar place, Shao Qing was very cautious. She carefully inspected the walls, doors, and windows in the room. Although they were a bit old, everything was intact. Only then did she feel at ease to undress and take a bath.

Accompanied by the gentle sound of water flowing outside, after washing her hair, she sat in the spacious tub. Hot water covering her shoulders and neck eased the aches and fatigue that had plagued her. Satisfied, she soaked for a while before beginning to lather up and wash.

While she was bathing, the long hair she had arranged on her head came loose, splashing water onto her face. Shao Qing wiped her face with one hand and then raised her hand to re-tie her hair. Once her hair was secured again, she looked up. Unconsciously, she moved her neck, and her gaze drifted restlessly. At that moment, as her eyes swept past the rear window, she suddenly froze.

Shao Qing found herself staring straight into an eye.

Someone from outside had poked a hole in the window netting, and immediately, an eye peered in. The hole was small; there were no eyelashes or eyelids visible at all, only a round, bulging, black pupil encircled by a ring of white.

“Ah!!”

Her heart skipped a beat as terror struck her. She let out a short, sharp scream and threw a water scooper at it.

At the same time that the scream pierced the night sky, Wei Jing had already rushed from the west wing. His face turned cold as frost as he kicked open the main door.