A Show of Force

The proposal to work together and negotiate a joint effort against the bandits had burst like a thunderclap in early spring, giving the wealthy households of Yan Prefecture City a good jolt, only to lose its momentum afterward.

A few more days passed, and not even a trace of its lingering force remained.

To the common people of Yan Prefecture, the military governor from the capital might not understand, but the local gentlemen, great and small, all saw things perfectly clearly.

However ruthless Scarface and his ilk might be, they would never turn their ruthlessness against silver.

Every year, the wealthy households of Yan Prefecture City sent silver to the bandits' lair right on schedule, without so much as batting an eye.

For the sake of that silver, the bandits had hardly troubled the city's rich merchants over the years.

Thus, regarding the proposal Yang Qing had made that day, everyone felt that showing up at the prefectural offices and putting in an appearance, out of consideration for his recent appointment, had already given him more than enough face.

As for anything else, he could forget about dragging them into it.

At most, stamping out the bandits was a thorn in the old emperor's heart. But Yan Prefecture was remote, with mountains high and the emperor far away. These native-born locals still depended on this patch of land to fill their bellies.

If things went wrong and they ended up like the previous military governor, Lord Jiang, lying dead in the street, the price would be far too high.

Dai Sheng, the county magistrate of Yan Prefecture, understood all these petty calculations and private schemes. Yang Qing understood them even better.

So after every proposal he had made that day was rejected, he never mentioned the matter again.

It was as though it had never happened at all.

Time flowed past like running water. Several months had already passed since Yang Qing had arrived in Yan Prefecture to take up his post.

At first, County Magistrate Dai Sheng had constantly worried that the new military governor would insist on dragging him into some grand bandit-suppression campaign merely to keep up appearances.

Now, seeing how Yang Qing was behaving, he could finally let the great stone weighing on his heart drop most of the way.

Without realizing it, he became much friendlier toward Yang Qing. Even Bu Er, whom he had always found displeasing, began to look more and more like a young nephew of his own family. From time to time, he even assumed the air of an elder and asked after his well-being.

Dai Sheng thought these calm, untroubled days would go on forever.

The wealthy households of Yan Prefecture City thought the same.

Unfortunately, on that rainy night, a piercing cry for help shattered it all.

That rainy night, every household in Yan Prefecture City had already shut and barred its doors. Even the prefectural soldiers guarding the city gates were leaning in corners atop the walls, drowsy with sleep.

Then a desperate cry, forced from the depths of someone's lungs with every ounce of strength they possessed, cut through the thick curtains of rain and shattered the soldiers' sweet dreams.

"Help! Something terrible has happened!"

As the scream died away, a soldier on the wall staggered to his feet, tugged at his straw rain cape, and thrust his head through a gap in the battlements.

A lone figure stood outside the gate, drenched from head to toe and looking like a wandering ghost.

"What are you howling about in the dead of night? Even if the sky falls, you'll have to wait until the gates open tomorrow! Stay put and wait over there!"

With that, the soldier pulled his head back from the battlements, intending to curl up in his corner and resume his nap.

"Sir, people have been killed! Those vicious bandits, they—they robbed our caravan and killed so many people! They took every last valuable we were transporting!"

After saying this, the person standing outside the gate collapsed into the rain.

"What? Bandits robbed a caravan? And killed almost everyone in it?"

Hearing this, the soldier began trembling uncontrollably. "Quick! Hurry, hurry! Go report this to the county magistrate!"

Soon, a black horse was racing toward the prefectural offices, carrying a rider who was shaking so badly he could barely hold the reins.

The crack of a whip striking the horse's rump and the frantic clatter of hooves against paving stones rang out all along the way. Startled, many residents lit candles, pushed open their windows, and peered outside uneasily.

It had been a long time since Yan Prefecture City had seen a prefectural soldier rushing so desperately toward the county offices in the middle of the night.

The last time had been ten years ago, when the entire Yang Family of Little Willow Lane had been slaughtered.

And this time, what was it for?

No one answered them. Only the rain grew heavier, driven by the wild wind.

Dawn gradually broke, and the early risers opened their doors, preparing to go out.

The rain was still falling, leaving the streets wet everywhere, as though the whole of Yan Prefecture City had been submerged in water.

"Have you heard? Apparently something happened outside the city gate last night?"

"Yes, yes. With all that wind and rain, I didn't dare go out to look."

People gathered in twos and threes, discussing the unusual commotion from the night before.

Just then, a squad of fully armed prefectural soldiers approached from the distance, swords at their waists and a rolled sheet of paper in their hands, though no one knew what was written on it.

"Everyone, listen! No one may leave the city today. You may only move about within the walls."

No one may leave the city?

Those words happened to reach Yang Qing's ears as he passed by.

Watching the soldiers walk past, he stopped one of them. "Why aren't people allowed to leave the city today?"

"L-Lord Yang? Well, these are Lord Dai's orders. I wouldn't dare say."

When the soldier he had stopped realized the man before him was Yang Qing, he began to stammer.

"You wouldn't dare say? What happened that you wouldn't dare speak of?" Yang Qing's sword-like brows slowly drew together.

"Bu Er, go look into it."

When Yang Qing reached the prefectural offices, he saw Dai Sheng pacing in circles in the main hall, his hands clasped behind his back and his wits scattered.

"Lord Dai!"

That quiet call from Yang Qing made Dai Sheng's whole body jolt.

Only after a long moment did he slowly turn around and give Yang Qing a smile uglier than a crying face. "Lord Yang, you're here so early today?"

"The wind and rain were fierce last night. I wonder whether you slept well, Lord Dai?"

Yang Qing took a seat in the hall at an unhurried pace, never taking his eyes off Dai Sheng.

At the mention of last night's rain, Dai Sheng's plump body gave an involuntary shiver.

"Well, Lord Yang, this is what happened..."

Whenever Dai Sheng met Yang Qing's calm, unruffled eyes, waves of unease rose within him.

"I'm waiting for your explanation." Yang Qing rested his hand on the teacup lid, tapping it lightly, again and again.

"Yes..."

Trembling with fear, Dai Sheng recounted the information he had received the night before.

When he finished, he added, "My lord, in all my years serving as county magistrate of Yan Prefecture, I truly have never encountered bandits acting so viciously!"

"Have you only discovered the nature of bandits today, Lord Dai?" Yang Qing glanced at him.

"Yes, yes, my lord, you are absolutely right. But what should we do now?"