novel-bin 75, a county-level bigwig
75, a county-level bigwig
In the Great Zhou Dynasty, officials and bureaucrats were clearly distinguished. A martial arts scholar was appointed as the "Chief Constable," which was actually a condescending position.
However, Ren Qingshan has not yet passed the martial arts examination, and besides... he doesn't feel wronged.
What's wrong with that?
A deputy county bureau chief in charge of criminal investigation!
In terms of power, including the Demon Suppression Division and the military, it ranks among the top twenty in the entire county.
In the area of public security, it is among the best.
Add to that the strength of a Jade Marrow Realm martial artist and the academic title of a martial arts scholar... he's definitely a county-level big shot; a stomp of his foot would shake the entire county.
……
"Brother Ren, congratulations!"
After the meeting adjourned and the adults had left, Yi Zhongyan was the first to offer his congratulations.
After exchanging pleasantries, he introduced Ren Qingshan to his subordinates one by one, and after everyone had left, he warmly invited them to dinner.
At this point, Yi Zhongyan had no choice but to accept it.
Ren Qingshan is a local.
Lord Fang's term of office was only three years, and now nearly a year and a half has passed. The official will leave, but the Ren family cannot.
Even if Ren Qingshan passes the martial arts examination and becomes a martial arts graduate in the future, can he not go back to his hometown? Can he ignore his poor relatives there?
It's just one more mouth to feed, what are you going to do with it?
After exchanging pleasantries, Ren Qingshan nodded in agreement, opting for courtesy before resorting to force.
……
It was evening.
The inner courtyard of the Yi family.
Yi Zhongyan personally hosted a banquet at his home to entertain Ren Qingshan.
There were more than a dozen delicious dishes on the table, all with beautiful colors, aromas, and tastes. There was no one else around, not even the maids who were supposed to serve.
Ren Qingshan had already learned about this person's background in detail from Fang Yanping.
Yi Zhongyan held the position of Chief Constable, but in reality, he was condescending to the post. Before becoming Chief Constable, he was already a martial arts scholar, and his reputation spread throughout the county.
A filial son.
A very filial son.
His family has an elderly mother who has been ill for many years, suffering from a condition similar to Alzheimer's disease, which is occasionally accompanied by mania.
In order to take care of his elderly mother, Yi Zhongyan gave up the martial arts exam and willingly stayed at home.
When people give up on one pursuit, they often pursue something else... like money.
The Yi family has supported six doctors year-round, all of whom are renowned physicians. They also frequently spend large sums of money to hire famous doctors from the prefectural city, and even invited imperial physicians from the capital twice. When Fang Yanping first took office, he wanted to win him over and also treated his mother's illness.
None of them were cured.
For now, the old lady can only hang on like this, prolonging her life while suffering from illness.
During the meal.
After chatting about various things, Yi Zhongyan finally got to the point: "I know that Lord Fang doesn't like me, but there are some things I can't do anything about. I gave up my official career to stay at home and support my mother for the past fourteen years, and I've been doing it happily ever after."
Ren Qingshan nodded and smiled, offering a couple of words of praise.
Damn it, I'm so successful now, but my mom can't see it and won't be able to enjoy the good life.
"I certainly agree with the matter of suppressing bandits. Although we can't wipe them out completely, it will at least dampen their arrogance."
"The Qian family's attitude is also that if they want to wipe them out, then so be it. What good stuff could bandits possibly have? Besides, the Qian family also has a security escort agency."
Yi Chung-yen joked that by adopting a neutral stance, he was conveying the Qian family's instructions.
This is practically an admission of defeat.
The core issue is this: if Fang Yanping is determined, he can gradually devour the Qian family and its allies, but the Qian family certainly wouldn't dare kill him, since killing an official is tantamount to rebellion—a red line. If Fang Yanping makes any mistake, the imperial court's iron fist could strike, and the Qian family's century-old legacy could be destroyed in an instant.
Thinking about all this, Ren Qingshan asked again, "Who killed Li Xiaoting?"
"I haven't found out yet, but it's definitely the Divine Dragon Cult."
"It seems that Li Xiaoting must have come into contact with some secrets of the Divine Dragon Cult while he was an undercover agent among the river bandits, or perhaps the leader of the river bandits was a member of the Divine Dragon Cult."
"I asked the Qian family about this matter, and they have absolutely nothing to do with it."
"The Divine Dragon Sect is a traitor. Why would the Qian family give up their good life to collude with traitors? If that's the case, Lord Li and Commander Yang will take action... Not to mention them, even I have to sever ties with the Qian family. I don't want to be executed along with my entire family. I still want to be able to fulfill my filial duty to my mother for a few more years."
Yi Zhongyan said with absolute certainty.
Ren Qingshan hadn't expected him to say that, but upon reflection, it did seem somewhat believable.
He agreed for the time being: "Alright, then let's suppress the bandits first! We'll wait for the truth to come out."
After discussing this matter...
Yi Zhongyan then brought up another core topic: the distribution of profits.
"South City has always been a place where merchants from all walks of life mingle, including many unscrupulous merchants and vendors, as well as many out-of-town businessmen. In many matters, gangs are more effective than yamen runners."
"The Flying Dragon Gang collects nearly 40,000 taels of silver every year. Of that, 20% is used to subsidize our brothers. The gang keeps 20% for themselves, I take 30%, and the remaining 30% is, according to past practice, managed by the county magistrate. However, since Magistrate Fang doesn't take any money, I can't do anything about it and can only collect it for him for now."
"Now that you are his man, you can do whatever you want with these thirty percent."
On this topic, Yi Zhongyan was even more candid and straightforward.
Even Ren Qingshan was somewhat surprised.
However, upon closer examination, it makes sense.
Officials are not supported by the imperial court and have no formal salary. They have always raised their own funds in the county. Since the funds do not come from grain taxes, they have to find other ways to make up for it. Between the two, it is better to choose the lesser of two evils. It is more appropriate for the gangs to act as black gloves and collect money from merchants, which will cause less disturbance to the people.
Fang Yanping knew about these things. Although he was unhappy about them, he had no other choice but to let Ren Qingshan handle them.
This is already a tacit acceptance.
After all, you can't get anything done without money.
Ugh, I've turned into a glove!
Ren Qingshan muttered a curse under his breath, agreeing to the 30% commission, but then said, "Flying Dragon Gang, Divine Dragon Sect... these two names are quite similar. Brother Yi, beware of what's hidden beneath your nose. How did Wang Quanxin join the Divine Dragon Sect?"
Yi Zhongyan had just breathed a sigh of relief when he heard these words, and his eyes suddenly narrowed again.
This thought had crossed his mind before, but he hadn't thought about it in detail. In reality, he was unwilling to admit that some of his subordinates had already lost control.
Moreover, apart from killing Li Xiaoting, the Divine Dragon Cult has done nothing else.
Furthermore, the Divine Dragon Cult is a traitorous organization that readily wipes out entire families, and he doesn't want to provoke them unless absolutely necessary.
At this moment, Ren Qingshan's earnest words exposed his mistake, and Yi Zhongyan sighed, waving his hand with a wry smile: "This matter is beyond my power, and I really can't find out. If you are determined to investigate, I will cooperate, but I can't do it anymore. I'm too old, and my mind can't keep up."
He's made enough money.
They also sensed that something was amiss.
He wanted to protect himself.
Ren Qingshan made a judgment in his mind, but didn't say much. Power still needed to be handed over smoothly. He simply said, "Alright, then let's investigate slowly and thoroughly, one case at a time."
……
late at night.
Ren Qingshan took 30% of the Flying Dragon Gang's profits from last year, 12,000 taels of silver, loaded it into a carriage, and left the Yi family.
Including this sum, and the sum from the bandit suppression, the total came to 33,000 taels of silver.
Fang Yanping doesn't charge money, but he always needs funds to get things done, so he put all the blame on me!
Of course, this is only temporary.
When the martial arts examination is held next year, I will set off for a new world.
As for the money right now, we'll use a portion of it to buy land and get through this difficult time as soon as possible.
Once the land rent is collected in the fall, the rice shop will have a stable income, and there will also be additional funds from bandit suppression... that will cover the shortfall.
If I can't replenish it... I'll be in the Visceral Realm!
Ren Qingshan shook his head and smiled, then sighed softly.
The taste of power is truly alluring, and when combined with strength, it's like adding wings to a tiger.
—Officer Ren, you must stay true to your original aspirations and maintain your integrity.
……
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