Chapter 54 One More Matter

He thought Li Yu had no idea what was on his mind, but unfortunately, Li Yu never fought a battle without preparation, and understood his thoughts as clearly as if looking at the palm of his hand.

"Wait..."

So just as Lu Qingyuan turned to leave, Li Yu immediately raised a hand to stop him, his lazy tone sending a chill down one's spine.

"I happen to know one more thing. Would Private Advisor Lu like to sit down a bit longer?"

Hearing these words, Lu Qingyuan's pupils constricted, yet he was forced to stand upright.

Feigning composure, he replied, "There is nothing more. Even if you were to tear my estate down to the foundations, you would never find another trace of anything."

He refused to believe it. He refused to believe that matter had been uncovered.

That man was merely mad, not dead; it was entirely normal for an old person's mind to become muddled. How could the new magistrate inexplicably investigate such an affair?

"As for matters concerning silver, perhaps nothing more can be found. The things you have done, even if caught, would at most merit execution for yourselves alone. But if you dare to murder an imperial official of the imperial court, that is a crime punishable by the extermination of one's entire clan.

Even if he merely went mad and did not die, your methods are still severe enough to implicate your families. Would Advisor Lu care to hear me explain in detail?"

In ancient times, hierarchical distinctions were regarded with utmost importance. The emperor desired absolute subservience between superiors and subordinates—meaning unconditional obedience and respect toward those above.

Why?

Because the emperor sat above the heads of all under heaven, and the ultimate supporting principle of feudal antiquity was that those in the upper strata granted certain privileges to those below, thereby exercising further control over everyone in the realm.

If you harm your superiors today, what is to stop you from harming the emperor himself in the future?

Divine authority, sovereign authority, paternal authority, and marital authority—put bluntly, these were merely doctrines teaching people never to commit offenses against their superiors. For the sake of those meager interests, everyone would cling tightly to that shred of power.

Therefore, regarding the matter of harming the county magistrate, while it might not extend indefinitely, at the very least, the close male relatives within the household could not escape implication.

Lu Qingyuan took a deep breath. "Your Honor, speaking requires evidence. Making unfounded accusations to wrong an innocent person is no different from murder."

Very few people knew of this affair, unless...

At this thought, his eyes widened instantly. Had Lu Liu gone mad?

He hadn't had time to think of Lu Liu just now, but upon reflection, who else could it have been if not Lu Liu? Only he had seen that ledger of his.

Damn it all to hell, he truly had raised an ingrate in vain.

Li Yu's tone grew increasingly like someone telling a story: "The year you first entered the county yamen, you were only thirty-two. In the beginning, you and the former magistrate got along harmoniously."

"You did quite a bit of good for the county, dealing with the remnants left behind by the previous magistrate and the chaotic times. Whenever disaster years struck, you even used your own grain to set up porridge kitchens for the common people."

"Other private advisors grew as wealthy as oil-dripping pots, while you were so poor your trousers let the wind right through."

Recalling the past, tears welled up in Lu Qingyuan's eyes as he remembered the day that man came to his home and invited him to take office.

"Danzhi, studying should not be merely for the sake of leisure; we must contribute our humble strength to the world, and live up to all those years of reading the sages' books."

At that time, having failed the provincial imperial examination three times, he had pulled many strings just to avoid being demoted to a mere clerk.

Already disheartened, he had entered the county yamen with a heart full of youthful idealism, offering strategies and contributing brick by brick to the magistrate's political achievements.

Yet in the end, he failed to rise step by step. He lived less comfortably than he had in his youth, and not a single ripple came from all the effort he exerted.

The good reputation belonged to that man, and the reverence of the common people belonged to that man as well.

As for him? He had nothing!

"When was it that things began to change?"

"Ah."

Li Yu first feigned deep thought, then spoke as if suddenly remembering something.

"It was the winter of the twentieth year of Qianyuan. Your eldest grandson was about to be married, but your house was far too small, so the dwelling had to be expanded.

Lacking sufficient funds, you borrowed from Magistrate Wang. Although Magistrate Wang readily lent the money to you, deep down you felt anxious about owing such a huge sum.

At that moment, Xiao Yunzhou stepped forward, mocking you for possessing great talent yet living in such a stifling and aggrieved manner, mocking you for working so hard for Magistrate Wang while still having to repay borrowed silver.

Using both silver and beauty, he seduced you and Chief Clerk Jiang. From then on, the three of you began to work hand in glove. Truly lamentable and pathetic."

With that, Li Yu walked slowly toward Jiang Yuan and flashed him a benign smile.

"That woman's name was Shen Yueyi, wasn't it? The son whom your wife gave birth to at an advanced age... was actually fathered by this woman, wasn't he?"

The rule that one could only take a concubine if one reached forty without a son was written into the Dayong Code. Although many people paid little attention to it—as long as they didn't go to the yamen to register the certificate, it wasn't considered a crime—Jiang Yuan was someone who loved most of all to put on airs and proclaim his devotion to the laws. Yet he was hypocritical; inwardly, he possessed an extreme fondness for beauty while desperately needing to pass down the family lineage.

Moreover, his wife came from a good family and was a jealous woman.

Consequently, Xiao Yunzhou used both money and allure to bind this man firmly to his own faction.

"Bang!"

Startled, Jiang Yuan stepped back step by step and accidentally knocked over a stool.

Li Yu continued, turning back to Lu Qingyuan: "Aside from the magistrate, nearly all the key figures were dragged into the water. The misdeeds you committed in collusion had already begun to show signs that the magistrate was catching on."

"Having known him for many years, you understood his character thoroughly. You knew he wouldn't turn traitorous for a mere pittance, but you also knew that Magistrate Wang trusted ghosts and spirits."

"Furthermore, you knew that in his youth, to curry favor with the previous provincial administration commissioner, he had acted against his conscience and caused the destruction of Zhou Haixiong's entire family."

That had been an unlucky family whose daughter caught the eye of the provincial administration commissioner's son.

The son forced himself upon her, and the daughter threw herself into the river.

Before they could even leave the county town to seek justice, they were dragged back by men from the yamen and vanished quietly that very night.

To this day, no one dared to discuss the matter.

"You had people put on a show of gods and ghosts, directly frightening Magistrate Wang out of his wits."

Whether he was truly mad or falsely mad, no one could tell, but this long-sealed scandal was dug back up, and Magistrate Wang no longer dared to manage affairs whatsoever.

If this magistrate were to continue serving, he could neither turn a blind eye nor continue investigating without uncovering his own misdeeds.

"You originally thought that by forcing Magistrate Wang out, you would be able to elevate the county vice-magistrate, Xiao Yunzhou, into his position."

Who could have known that the imperial court would play outside the rules, parachuting a jinshi directly down from the capital?

"What do you know?"

Not expecting Li Yu to view the situation with such superficiality, Lu Qingyuan felt his mental defenses crack. He looked at the youthful and successful Li Yu and sneered mockingly.

"Magistrate Wang toiled like an old ox, plowing the fields bitterly for his entire life, but what did he ultimately get out of it?"

"Or perhaps Your Honor the Magistrate is wiser, knowing right at the start of your official career what truly matters. It is simply a pity that Magistrate Wang and villains like us realized it all too late."

If he had understood this principle a few years earlier, his household would have been a mountain of gold and silver by now, and he wouldn't be standing here being blackmailed by some wet-behind-the-ears punk!

"You know how grave this matter is. I am not an unreasonable person either."

Li Yu tapped his fingers lightly on the official desk, finding the inscription 'Eating the ruler's salary, sharing his worries' in the yamen's main hall all the more ironic, while also feeling a trace of sympathy.

"Lu Liu and his accomplice brothers have already confessed completely."

"If you offer too little, it will make things very difficult for this magistrate."

Those individuals had continuously attempted to poison Lu Liu, but the guards sent by his brother-in-law were each more troublesome than the last, so naturally things had not gone according to those two's wishes.

Lu Qingyuan knew what he meant by this, and straightaway cupped his hands in salute.

"Please name your price, Your Honor."

No matter how much money he demanded, he absolutely could not let this brat continue to live.