Chapter 21: What Does It Matter If One's Face Is Fierce?

Han Gang spoke with righteous indignation, his voice loud enough for the whole street to hear. With over a hundred people on the street, Huang Deyong’s large tumor turned from red to blue, and then from blue to red again. After seething for a long time, he ultimately did not dare to let his followers beat up the village scholar who was standing in front of him and spouting off. As the head of the county office, beating up a scholar on the street was a taboo act. In broad daylight, such a violation of the law was something Huang Deyong did not dare to do. Unless he could find a plausible excuse, then he could deal with the situation as he pleased.

"Good! Good! Good! I’ll see how long you, Han San, can be so bold!"

Huang Deyong did not know what Hengqu was, but he was so enraged by Han Gang’s provocation that he laughed in spite of himself. He did not say anything more, pushed aside the onlookers, and turned to leave.

"Huang Ban tou, have a good walk, I won’t see you off!" Han Gang called out to Huang Deyong’s back.

Liu San, seeing his master leave, hurriedly followed, but not before throwing out a threat: "Han San, remember this!"

Han Gang laughed heartily: "I have a good memory, but I can’t remember a small fry like you!"

Han Gang’s witty remarks, accompanied by Liu San’s hasty departure, drew another round of laughter from the onlookers. In Qinzhou City, Huang Deyong was clearly not well-liked. Seeing him and his followers in trouble, most people were happy, and no one came to their defense.

Hearing the laughter behind him, Huang Deyong’s face became even more fierce. He had originally planned to confine the Han family to deal with the conscription, forcing Han Qianliu to sell his children and land, and eventually have them offer themselves and their property. After all, using such a ruthless plan to seize others’ land and family was not a glorious thing. Han Gang was at least a scholar, and if the matter really escalated to the county hall, although it would not be difficult to suppress it, it would inevitably involve Chen Ju, the county clerk.

No matter what, Huang Deyong did not want to alarm the great deity Chen Ju. Today, he had heard that Han Gang had come to serve honestly, and he had thought that a few words would scare the inexperienced young man, allowing him to get the land and people without causing a big commotion. But now, with Han Gang’s antics on the street, how could Chen Ju not know? The large tumor on Huang Ban tou’s neck turned purple, showing his extreme anger. He looked fierce and said with determination: "A mere village scholar dares to speak to me with his head held high! Do you know who I am, Huang Deyong! In this Qinzhou City, if you’re a dragon, you must coil up for me, and if you’re a tiger, you must lie down for me!"

Watching Huang Deyong and his group walk away, Han Gang bowed to the cheering onlookers and turned to enter Puxiu Temple.

Stepping into the temple, Han Gang’s smile was hard to hide. Although only a hundred or so people had witnessed the scene on the street, his name would likely spread throughout Qinzhou City in two or three days.

The abbot of Puxiu Temple, however, looked worried. "Han Dan yue, why did you stand up to that big tumor, Huang Deyong?" Dao An, who was nearly seventy, was a timid and fearful person. "He is Chen Ju’s confidant. Chen Ju in Qinzhou City is all-powerful, and no one can afford to offend him!"

"I have disturbed you, Master." Han Gang bowed to Dao An and said, "But such a small man must not be allowed to get away with it. Otherwise, he will become even more arrogant and harder to control!"

The old monk shook his head and sighed. Han Gang, the third son of the Han family, was good in every way except for his fiery temper. When he was young, his arrogance was due to his lack of experience, but after hearing that he had traveled to study for the past two years, why was his temper still the same? "A young man’s fiery temper is not a good thing. It’s better to endure, yield, and ignore him. Now that things have escalated, it will be hard to resolve."

Han Gang bowed humbly, but inwardly he sneered: 'I’m afraid the matter won’t be big enough!'

He had openly confronted Huang Deyong in front of nearly a hundred people on the street, and this matter would likely spread throughout the city by tonight. The news of him being a disciple of Hengqu would also reach the ears of those who cared. Huang Deyong, with his limited knowledge, did not know who Hengqu was, but there would certainly be people in Qinzhou City who did.

Han Gang had studied under Zhang Zai for two years and had met many officials’ children. He knew very well what kind of prestige his teacher had in Guanzhong. Compared to Zhang Zai’s disciples, what was Huang Deyong? Han Gang did not even need to deliberately provoke Huang Deyong; he just needed to spread the word about his identity, and there would likely be a few officials who would help him out of his current predicament for Zhang Zai’s sake.

But the biggest problem was the word 'likely'! Han Gang did not like to rely on others. What if no one helped him? What if the help came too late, and the Han family was already forced to sell their land and children? Therefore, Han Gang had to choose to make a big fuss. The more noise he made, the faster and wider his identity as a disciple of Hengqu would spread. Huang Deyong was just a small fry, and if the matter really escalated, he might even back down. Perhaps even Chen Ju would hesitate and turn against Huang Deyong and Li Laizi.

Thinking of this, Han Gang could not help but sigh. If he were in Chang’an, there would be no such trouble. Which scholar would stand by and watch their classmate be humiliated by a small man? Even if they were not close, they were still classmates! And young people were easily roused; a few words could stir them up to stand up for justice. Dealing with the likes of Huang Deyong and Li Laizi would be too easy.

Returning to the side room, Han Gang lay down, feeling somewhat tired. He had already taken action; now he just had to wait and see the results.

"Who would have thought this bookworm would be so tough. In my opinion, it would be better to assign him to the military arsenal in De Xian Fang."

"Liu Xian! What kind of job is supervising the military arsenal in De Xian Fang? Are you helping me or mocking me?"

In a side courtyard of the Chengji County office, two people were sitting opposite each other. But now, Huang Deyong, in a fit of rage, jumped up, almost ready to curse at Liu Xian, the household clerk. Liu Xian ignored him, calmly sipping his tea. When Han Gang went to the household office to return the conscription document earlier, he had appeared like a bookworm who only knew 'zhi hu zhe ye.' Huang Deyong’s anger at such a poor scholar amused Liu Xian.

Seeing Liu Xian’s calm demeanor, Huang Deyong gradually calmed down. The lean, middle-aged scholar in front of him was Chen Ju’s strategist, capable of silently bringing someone to their death. Otherwise, he would not have sought his advice. "What exactly happened?"

Liu Xian put down his teacup, leaned in, and whispered mysteriously, "Do you know that the Chief Secretary of the Military Commission, Wang Jiyi, has proposed to re-inspect the military equipment of all the military prefectures in the Qin-Feng Road?"

"Wang Jiyi? Minister Li would not agree, right?" Huang Deyong did not know the phrase 'overstepping one’s bounds,' but he could see that Wang Jiyi’s proposal was a potential infringement on the authority of the Military Commissioner.

"No, Minister Li has already agreed."

Huang Deyong was surprised and asked, "Didn’t I hear that Minister Li and Wang Jiyi don’t get along? Why did he agree to Wang Jiyi’s proposal?"

Liu Xian smiled, "A new official starts with three fires. Minister Li has been in Qinzhou for half a year, and this is only natural. Besides, as the Prefect of Qinzhou, he has the opportunity to meddle in the affairs of the other four prefectures and one military prefecture. Why would he not want to? Moreover, even if there are complaints, they will be directed at Wang Jiyi, not Minister Li."

The Prefect of Qinzhou, by custom, also held the position of Military Commissioner of the Qin-Feng Road, giving him the authority to command the military prefectures under the Qin-Feng Road, including Feng Prefecture. Therefore, the official rank of the Prefect of Qinzhou was often several levels higher than that of an ordinary prefect, and he was often respectfully called 'Military Commissioner.' In the Song Dynasty, the term 'Minister' was the most prestigious, and in formal official settings, only the Chancellor could be addressed as such. However, in local areas, the highest officials at the road level could sometimes enjoy this title. However, in daily life, the other four prefectures and one military prefecture under the Qin-Feng Road often ignored the orders of Li Shizhong, the Prefect of Qinzhou. Having the opportunity to find trouble with some disobedient colleagues, how could Li Shizhong not be willing?