Chapter 20 of 100

Chapter 20

15 min read3,708 words

Zhang Laosan had gathered 1,500 taels of silver, and Liu Jun unceremoniously accepted it. He had no qualms about taking it, nor did he fear to take it. After all, Zhang Butcher was merely a local bully, who at first relied on his height and strength from slaughtering pigs, and a few assistants.

Later, he relied on his daughter marrying the county magistrate as a concubine, thus connecting with the officials. With a powerful backer in the county, he could do anything. In Xibay, having a son-in-law who was a county magistrate was enough to make him proud. He monopolized the slaughter business and quickly made a lot of money. He then bought a supervisory student title for his son and hired teachers to teach him the classics, eventually producing a scholar who passed the imperial examination.

In Xibay, with officials in the county office, money at home, people in the shops, and a supervisory student and a scholar son, he could get whatever he wanted. Compared to the honest and simple Liu family, he was far superior.

But the Liu family was no longer the same. Even if Liu Jun only befriended Li Chunjiang, a single word or even a look from Li Chunjiang could make Zhang Butcher tremble and faint.

Liu Jun was now truly relying on the power of a tiger to intimidate. With Li Chunjiang's support, even if he took 1,500 taels of silver from Zhang Butcher, almost like a robbery, Zhang Butcher and County Magistrate Zhao could only swallow their anger and tears. How could a mere county magistrate dare to oppose one of the four major families in Macheng, the Li family of Basha?

The Li family was not just a local tycoon in Macheng; they had influence throughout Huguang and even the entire Ming Dynasty.

1,500 taels of silver was not a small amount. Even with Zhang Butcher's monopoly on the slaughter business in Xibay, this was a significant loss. Much of the 1,500 taels of silver might have come from County Magistrate Zhao's family to help out, or even from loans.

But Liu Jun didn't care about these details. He was determined to take advantage of Zhang Butcher.

The world never believed in tears.

When Zhang Butcher bullied the Liu family, he never imagined he would end up like this. If not for unexpectedly meeting Li Chunjiang, and if the Liu family had refused to recognize Liu Jun as a relative, and Zhang Butcher had found out, the Liu family would have faced more than just selling 90 acres of land to the Zhang family.

Zhang Butcher would have become a vampire, sucking the Liu family dry and letting them fend for themselves, showing no sympathy.

1,500 taels of silver was a large sum, and Liu Jun needed it.

He was about to go out and make a living, even if it was with Li Chunjiang. He needed money in his hands. Without money, how could he have followers, relationships, or connections?

Liu Jun took out 450 taels of silver from the box, which was the money he had extorted in Li Chunjiang's name.

"There's no need for this."

Li Chunjiang refused without hesitation. He wasn't short of money. As a young master of the prestigious Li family of Basha and a 20-year-old scholar, would he lack 450 taels of silver? He had only spoken up because he couldn't stand the butcher's arrogance.

Liu Jun smiled slightly and didn't insist. He wasn't the type to be overly sentimental. If Li Chunjiang didn't need it, it didn't matter, but the money was still useful to him. There was no need to make a fuss over the silver that Li Chunjiang didn't care about.

In the end, Liu Jun still took out 500 taels of silver and gave it to his father.

"We'll consider this land as a living sale to the Zhang family. We usually lease it to tenants anyway. Now it's just leased to the Zhang family, and we still collect rent, just a bit less. But this time, we didn't lose out," Liu Jun said.

Liu's father was still immersed in the dramatic turn of events. They had been forced to sell their ancestral land to the Zhang family, but now his son had returned and forced the Zhang family to pay 1,500 taels of silver, not only preventing them from getting away with nothing but also making them bleed heavily.

If you counted the previous 100 taels, the Zhang family had paid 1,600 taels of silver for the 90 acres of land and 30 years of lease rights. How could this be considered a loss? The Zhang family, who no longer dared to speak up, was the one who had lost.

But the father still felt a bit regretful, "That land was passed down from your grandfather, and now it's sold."

"It's just a living sale. We can redeem it later," Liu Jun comforted his father, though in his heart, he knew that in five years, the world would belong to the wild boar skin, and it was uncertain who would own the land then.

"The tenants who farmed our land will have no land to farm now. They are all long-term tenants," the father worried about their former tenants.

"That's not a problem. The Zhang family won't farm the land themselves. I'll talk to Zhang Butcher and have him continue to lease the land to the original tenants. They might have to pay a bit more rent, though."

"Keep 500 taels for household expenses. If there's an opportunity, we can buy some more land. I want to keep the remaining 1,000 taels," Liu Jun mentioned his plan to join Li Chunjiang's patrol horse team. "Prince Chunjiang has helped us so much. I have to repay his favor. He's going to the local militia for training and will go to the capital at the end of the year to prepare for the imperial examination in February next year."

"What about you? What are your plans? Will you participate in the military examination this year?" Liu's father looked at Liu Jun with earnestness. After the Zhang family's bullying, he was more eager for the Liu family to produce an official, even a scholar. The eldest son had no hope, and the youngest was still young, but now it seemed the second son might have a chance to become a military scholar.

Liu Jun hadn't thought that far ahead, but he didn't want to disappoint his father, so he nodded, "I do have that plan, but it depends on the situation. Even if I take the exam, there's no guarantee I'll pass. There's also the preliminary exam before the provincial exam."

"Even if you don't pass this time, you can try again next time. Prince Chunjiang is a good person. Take care of him more. We owe him a great favor."

"Understood."

That night's dinner was very lively. After resolving the long-standing threat from the Zhang family, the Liu family was filled with joy. Liu's father even sent Bao'er's father, Liu An, to buy a large amount of fresh chicken, duck, fish, and meat, and dug up a jar of aged wine. Later, Zhang Butcher brought his son and personally delivered a large piece of freshly slaughtered pork to the Liu family's door. His attitude was now very cautious and polite, saying many flattering words. Liu Jun accepted the pork and reassured him, sending him away.

When the food and drinks were almost ready, County Magistrate Zhao and a group of officials from the county office, including the chief clerk and the registrar, arrived, each bringing a generous gift.

People said that being a county magistrate in a county adjacent to the capital was difficult, but even in Macheng, which was not adjacent to the capital, being a county magistrate was still challenging. Macheng had many scholars and officials, many of whom were of high rank, such as scholars, ministers, vice-ministers, governors, and provincial governors. Therefore, the county magistrate often had to navigate the relationships with the local gentry and prominent families.

Upon hearing that Prince Chunjiang had a conflict with the county magistrate in Xibay, he hurried over, fearing that the scholar might involve him in the matter.

The dinner party expanded, with nearly ten tables set up in the Liu family's hall. Liu Jun took the opportunity to invite more people, including the scholars, literati, retired officials, and wealthy merchants of Xibay, as well as the village head, the head of the neighborhood, and the tax collector. He even invited Zhang Butcher, sending Liu An to fetch him.

Taking so much money from him, inviting him to dinner was a way to reassure him and show that he had no immediate plans to move against him, calming his fears and preventing him from panicking.

Although the county officials were there for Li Chunjiang, they were still guests in the Liu family, so County Magistrate Lu and the others made a show of talking to Liu Jun. Initially, it was just a casual conversation, but they were surprised to find that this young martial scholar from the Liu family was well-spoken and knowledgeable, able to discuss a wide range of topics, from astronomy and geography to national and local affairs.

"Since the imperial examination is still far off, I have requested from my uncle to join the local militia in Shen Zhuang Baosheng Fort for training. I have decided to personally establish a patrol horse team to prevent theft and banditry and protect the people. Brother Jiye will be my deputy," Li Chunjiang said proudly to County Magistrate Lu and his entourage. "I hope you will all support us."

"Wow, I didn't expect Scholar Chunjiang to be so remarkable. You can be the top scholar in the province and also lead a horse team to fight bandits. You are truly a model for us scholars," the county magistrate flattered Li Chunjiang. "And Prince Jiye is also remarkable. At such a young age, he is already skilled in martial arts. I just learned that when the bandits suddenly attacked and no one noticed, it was Prince Jiye who, with his quick wit, used a gift to trick the bandits into thinking the county had prepared for them, making them leave in disgrace. I didn't know who this brave and intelligent hero was until now, and it turns out he is your deputy."

"Prince Chunjiang has a keen eye for talent, choosing a brave and intelligent deputy. I admire your judgment," the county magistrate added.

County Magistrate Zhao also took the opportunity to flatter Liu Jun, suggesting to County Magistrate Lu, "Prince Jiye's actions were truly brave and intelligent. Though it was just a clever trick to repel the bandits, it saved the tens of thousands of people in Macheng from suffering. Such actions deserve praise and reward. Moreover, Prince Jiye spent hundreds of taels of silver on the gift to repel the bandits. How can we let a hero both exert himself and bear the cost?"

"I think Prince Jiye should be heavily rewarded, and there should be a substantial bonus," he added.

County Magistrate Lu nodded, "That's right, that's right. I will handle it immediately upon returning. I will also report this heroic deed to the prefecture, the provincial government, and the court, so that the court can reward him." After all, it was a common practice to praise and reward, and County Magistrate Lu was an expert at it, making many promises without hesitation.

Liu Jun only smiled and thanked them with a slight bow, but he didn't take it to heart. Even if they reported it, it was uncertain whether the higher-ups would pay attention. There was no need to worry too much.

He was now thinking that joining Li Chunjiang's horse team might be a good choice. With a chaotic era approaching, having been a soldier for seven years in his previous life and now a martial scholar, why should he go into business instead of joining the military?

Even if he couldn't rule in a chaotic era, at least he could have a better chance of protecting himself.

---