Chapter 19

Liu Jun did not stop Old Zhang San from leaving, allowing him to go out. However, he did not let the butcher Zhang leave. The group of people who had witnessed the events earlier were also retained by Liu Jun at his home. Although Liu Jun did not use force, everyone saw that the situation was somewhat unexpected and found it amusing, so they all stayed.

"Baor, bring tea for everyone," Liu Jun shouted to Baor, who was crouching under the eaves. The little girl had never seen such a grand scene and was already scared stiff by the tense atmosphere, her face pale.

As the tea was served, everyone sat drinking tea, their eyes frequently glancing at Li Chunjiang. Liu Er, who was usually a simpleton, had dared to deal with Butcher Zhang in such a manner, clearly relying on the support of this person, but no one knew who he was. Although Li Chunjiang was from Macheng and had passed the provincial examination in the previous year, he spent most of his time either at the academy or in the capital. The people in Liu Jun's house were just the head of the militia in the small market of Xibay, and no one recognized him at first, only guessing in their hearts.

Everyone waited for a full hour, and as the sun began to set, they finally heard the sound of hooves outside the door.

At the sound, Butcher Zhang immediately perked up. He had been like a frost-bitten eggplant earlier, but now he jumped up as if injected with adrenaline.

"Ha ha ha, boy, let's see how you get out of this!"

Liu Jun, however, sat calmly drinking tea, occasionally whispering to Li Chunjiang, completely ignoring Butcher Zhang's threatening words.

A series of chaotic footsteps sounded, and Old Zhang San returned with a large group of people.

"Father, I've brought my brother-in-law," Zhang San shouted from the courtyard.

"Father-in-law, which rule-breaking scoundrel has the nerve to provoke you? I'll flay his skin and tear out his tendons," a short, fat, and dark man led the group in.

"Who is it?"

"It's me," Liu Jun slowly stood up and replied.

The short, fat county magistrate glared at Liu Jun with his triangular eyes, "You little brat, you've lost all sense of propriety. Come, lock him up."

"Yes," a few strong men immediately responded, holding iron rulers and chains, and moved towards Liu Jun.

"A mere county magistrate, you have such great authority, but I wonder who gave you the nerve!"

"Who's talking nonsense!" The short, fat county magistrate roared in anger upon hearing the insult.

"It's me!" Li Chunjiang responded without even standing up.

The short, fat man glared over, his mouth already open to order his men to tie him up as well. But as he looked, he felt the person seemed familiar, and then he seemed to remember something, looking at Li Chunjiang more closely.

Suddenly, the short, fat man's face changed completely.

He examined Li Chunjiang again, his face turning very ugly, a hint of panic flashing in his eyes.

Others might not recognize this young talent from Macheng, but he did. In 1636, Li Chunjiang passed the provincial examination and became the top scholar. At that time, he had accompanied the county magistrate to the Li family in Basha to congratulate and present gifts.

He immediately put away his arrogant demeanor, smiling and slightly bending his back, walking a few steps to Li Chunjiang and carefully said, "Oh, isn't this Scholar Li?"

Li Chunjiang did not even give him a proper look. A mere county magistrate was not worth his attention, especially after the man had shown such an ugly face upon entering. "It is I."

"I didn't expect Scholar Li to be here," the short, fat man wiped his hands, his dark face showing a flattering smile, like a chrysanthemum.

"Why I am here, you can ask your father-in-law," Li Chunjiang said coldly, maintaining a distant demeanor. If the county magistrate had come, he might have shown some courtesy, but this county magistrate, who had risen from a minor official, was not worth his attention.

"Oh, right, your father-in-law still owes me 540 taels of silver. Ask him when he plans to pay."

The short, fat man felt as if the sky was falling. How could this ancestor be here, and why did his father-in-law owe him money? Wasn't it said that Liu's second son was unruly and needed to be disciplined? How did the situation turn out like this?

Seeing that the other party did not even want to look at him, the short, fat man had to suppress his fear and anger, turning to Butcher Zhang. At this moment, Butcher Zhang was already dumbfounded. He thought that once his county magistrate son-in-law arrived, the Liu family would immediately kneel and beg for mercy, and he could easily take over the remaining 40 acres of land, finalize the previous 90 acres, and teach Liu Er a lesson to keep him in line.

But why was his high-and-mighty son-in-law suddenly so respectful to that boy, even calling him Scholar Li? Wait, Scholar Li, Scholar Li, this age, surnamed Li, and a top scholar, and his son-in-law was so respectful. Could it be the great talent of Macheng, Li Chunjiang, the favorite nephew of the Minister of the Four Departments, Li Changgeng?

Butcher Zhang's brain exploded.

Basha Li! Minister of the Four Departments, Li Changgeng! Scholar Li Chunjiang!

These words kept flashing in his mind, his teeth chattering, his legs trembling, feeling extremely cold, and finally, he slid off his chair and fainted.

Before fainting, his last thought was that he had not offended the Jinghu noble family, the Lock River Liu family, and did not have to worry about the reprisal from the Jinyiwei commander, Liu Jinwu. But he had offended one of the four major families in Macheng, the Basha Li family, and he had seriously offended the favorite nephew of the Minister of the Four Departments, Scholar Li Chunjiang.

Oh, how could this happen?

The short, fat county magistrate saw his father-in-law faint and wished he were dead, as he was now entangled in such an awkward and difficult situation.

Oh, he had offended Scholar Li Chunjiang, how could he stand in Macheng from now on?

The short, fat man also wanted to faint, but he knew he could not. He had to control the situation, turn it around, and improve his relationship with Scholar Li Chunjiang.

On the way, he had basically learned the situation from his brother-in-law. Now, his mind was rapidly working, and he understood the situation. His father-in-law had bullied the honest Liu family, but this time, he had kicked a hard stone. The son of the Liu family, though just a martial student, was actually a good friend of Scholar Li Chunjiang.

Well, he had to admit defeat, and there was nothing more to say.

"Scholar Li Chunjiang, Scholar Li Jiyeh, a gentleman does not hold grudges against a small person. Please be magnanimous and spare the Zhang family this time."

"What are you talking about? There's nothing to forgive. The Liu family is just doing business with the Zhang family, buying and selling land. Look, the land sale contract is already signed, and we are just waiting for Mr. Zhang to pay."

"Pay, pay, definitely pay, right now, immediately. How much? I'll send someone to get the silver right away," the short, fat man said hurriedly.

Liu Jun coldly snorted, "A total of 1,463 taels, exactly!"

The short, fat man turned and shouted at Old Zhang San, "What are you standing there for? Go get the silver, bring 1,500 taels, a round number. Remember, it must be of good quality, and go quickly."

Old Zhang San was stunned for a moment before running home to gather the silver.

Liu Jun watched all this calmly, his face serene, with no intention of showing mercy.

(Thank you for your support!)