Chapter 10
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The brother-in-law and sister-in-law spent the night in the wooden house and returned to the farm when the rain stopped in the morning. Surprisingly, as soon as Chu Hechao returned to the farm, he had someone quickly prepare hot water for bathing. The speed at which this was done left Yuan Li a bit puzzled.
Strange, he hadn’t even started to persuade Chu Hechao yet, but how did he leave on his own?
But this was obviously a good opportunity. Yuan Li didn’t waste any time and called Guo Lin to accompany him to meet Wang Er.
Guo Lin led him towards the residence of the farmers and whispered, “Young Master, things haven’t been peaceful in the refugee camp since you returned.”
Yuan Li frowned, “Hmm?”
“A few days ago, the relief grain distribution stopped. Following your previous instructions, the manager had the refugees work in exchange for food and wages by repairing roads and cultivating farmland. Everything was fine, but these past few days, there have been quite a few complaints in the refugee camp,” Guo Lin explained. “Some people are unhappy about having to work for food. They say that the county government is so wealthy, yet they hesitate to provide even a small portion of the grain. They even say… they say you are pretending to be kind and benevolent. If we don’t intervene soon, there might be a small riot in the refugee camp.”
Yuan Li stopped in his tracks, “Are there people intentionally inciting trouble inside?”
Guo Lin nodded, “Yesterday evening, Zhao Ying caught five people who were leading the disturbance. He asked me to inquire, how should we deal with these people?”
“Force them to reveal the mastermind,” Yuan Li’s gaze turned cold, “Once the mastermind is revealed, execute them on the spot in front of the refugee camp.”
The refugee camp was not lacking in scheming individuals. Yuan Li had witnessed many conflicts arising from the distribution of rice. If there was no absolute deterrent, the remaining hidden dangers would only grow.
It was a good opportunity to show these people that Yuan Li wasn’t a softhearted pushover without boundaries.
Wang Er had received the message from Yuan Li earlier, so he woke up early and meticulously cleaned his house. He polished the few pieces of furniture he had until they were spotlessly clean. After completing these tasks, he eagerly awaited Yuan Li’s arrival.
As soon as he saw Yuan Li, Wang Er immediately stood up, his emotions overflowing, and said, “Greetings, Young Master.”
After several days of rest and recuperation, although Wang Er still looked thin and emaciated, his spirits were much higher. His complexion was rosy, and his eyes were bright and clear, no longer showing the fierce vigilance from their first encounter.
Yuan Li smiled and said, “Wang Er, the manager said you wanted to see me?”
Wang Er nodded and cautiously looked around, closed the wooden door, and walked up to Yuan Li. He quietly revealed the whole incident of him leading a group to rob the embezzled funds from corrupt officials in Hanzhong and bribing high-ranking officials in Luoyang.
Yuan Li didn’t expect him to be so straightforward in telling everything, a hint of surprise flashed across his face, but then he calmed down and listened carefully to Wang Er’s words.
However, at that moment, the usually silent system suddenly spoke up.
【The Encyclopedia of All Things system has been activated】
【Mission: Obtain the bribe money Qian Zhongsheng, the magistrate of Hanzhong, was delivering to Zhang Siban, the eunuch superintendent of the Monitoring Bureau in Luoyang.】
【Reward: “Postnatal Care for Sows” series.】
Yuan Li: “…”
“What the heck is the ‘Postnatal Care for Sows’ series?” Yuan Li couldn’t help but make a sarcastic comment, but then he quickly refocused his attention.
The system had given him a previous task to find a master, and Yuan Li didn’t expect that the system would issue a new task before the previous one was completed. However, this question only flashed through his mind briefly as he shifted his gaze to the words in the task panel.
In this short line of text, a significant piece of information was revealed. So, the embezzled funds were intended as a bribe for Zhang Siban, the eunuch superintendent of the Monitoring Bureau?
The Monitoring Bureau was an institution established alongside the Imperial Cabinet. The Cabinet consisted of five highly respected ministers chosen by the emperor, while the Monitoring Bureau was a group of eunuchs that the emperor used to balance and manipulate political power.
The Monitoring Bureau had a total of twelve eunuchs, also known as the Twelve Monitors, and Zhang Si, as the superintendent eunuch, was the leader of the eunuchs and the person closest to and most trusted by the emperor.
It was unexpected for corrupt officials from Hanzhong to be involved with the highest-ranking eunuch. This took Yuan Li by surprise.
While Wang Er continued to talk about intercepting the corrupt official, he ended with gritted teeth, “That despicable official used the resources of the people of Hanzhong to bribe high-ranking officials in Luoyang, attempting to conceal the extent of the disaster in Hanzhong. I can’t bear this any longer. Even if it costs me my life, I won’t let that despicable official succeed! But Young Master, rest assured, if you think we will bring you trouble, we can leave Ruyang County tonight. However, I request that you take care of the remaining victims.”
After speaking, he bowed deeply to Yuan Li with his fists clenched.
Yuan Li admired the bravery and straightforwardness of this courageous man. He helped Wang Er to his feet and said, “You’ve done a good deed, how could I drive you away?”
Wang Er looked up at him in disbelief.
Yuan Li smiled, his casual words carrying great persuasiveness. “Don’t worry, no one will trace it back to me, and no one will trace it back to you. But I want to take a look at those goods.”
Although Yuan Li was young, Wang Er couldn’t understand why he suddenly felt at ease. Moved and honest, Wang Er said, “To be honest, we intended to hand over the corrupt official’s embezzled funds to you.”
Wang Er didn’t view wealth as mere dirt. He was simply more realistic. Holding such a batch of goods as a refugee would be a double-edged sword that could cost him his life if he wasn’t careful. Moreover, Yuan Li provided them with food and livelihoods, and Wang Er didn’t want to use the corrupt official’s embezzled funds. Therefore, handing over the embezzled funds to Yuan Li was the right choice.
Yuan Li had a good heart and ambitious aspirations, and Wang Er also had some unspoken ambitions. He was unwilling to spend his whole life as a simple farmer. He wanted to work by Yuan Li’s side, and handing over the embezzled funds could be seen as his pledge of loyalty.
Yuan Li recognized Wang Er’s sincerity. He wasn’t foolish, and even without the system’s task requirement, he wouldn’t turn away from such a good opportunity. Without hesitation, he gladly accepted Wang Er’s allegiance and followed him to inspect the goods.
However, unexpectedly, after agreeing to take over the goods, the system did not prompt the success of the task. Apparently, in the system’s judgment, the goods had not truly fallen into Yuan Li’s hands yet.
Could it be because he hasn’t truly obtained the goods, Yuan Li speculated to himself.
The goods were hidden by Wang Er and the others in the dense forest on the edge of the farm, buried underground. The terrain in the forest was complex and ever-changing, and even if Yuan Li knew that there were treasures hidden inside, he wouldn’t be able to find them without Wang Er’s guidance.
After a while, Wang Er finally stopped walking. He looked around and nodded confidently, “Sir, we have arrived.”
Guo Lin joined him in digging, and soon a large box was exposed. Yuan Li opened the box and saw a dazzling display of gold!
Even though Yuan Li was not in need of money, a look of astonishment crossed his face.
Gold and grain were the hard currency of this era. Among the literati and nobility, exchanging gold was considered a sign of affluence. Gold mostly circulated among the upper class, and even the Yuan residence didn’t have much gold. However, this box of gold appeared to weigh around twenty jin, which was already a significant amount.
In the current era, even when the emperor rewarded someone, it would be only a few dozen jin of gold.
Wang Er said, “Sir, there are around ten boxes filled with gold alone.”
Yuan Li took a sharp intake of breath.
Ten boxes meant there were over two hundred jin of gold.
“Besides the gold, there are…” Before Wang Er could finish his sentence, his face suddenly changed. He swiftly pulled Yuan Li down to the ground.
Yuan Li reacted quickly, drawing his steel blade from his waist and scanning the surroundings.
Three or four menacing figures dressed in coarse clothes lurked behind the trees, their gaze sinister. They held stone axes or large knives in their hands, while the person in front wielded a bow and arrow, aiming directly at Yuan Li.
These individuals seemed somewhat familiar to Yuan Li, and relying on his exceptional memory, he recalled who they were. “Wang Er, are they the ones who intercepted the goods with you back then?”
Wang Er nodded with a grave expression and shouted loudly at the group, “What are you trying to do?”
The person with the bow and arrow had a malicious expression. “Wang Er, we risked our lives to seize this batch of goods. Why should we give it to him just because you say so?”
Wang Er’s temples pulsed visibly. “We agreed on this from the beginning, to hand over this batch of goods to Yuan Li as funds for assisting the disaster-stricken people. Li Hong, you all agreed to it back then!”
His sharp gaze scanned each of the individuals, and the three people behind Li Hong couldn’t help but show signs of unease.
Li Hong sneered, “But I’ve changed my mind! Wang Er, I can’t understand what you’re thinking. Do you know how wealthy the Yuan family is? They have power and influence. Providing relief to the disaster victims is effortless for them. You still believe that the young master of the Yuan family is benevolent? Bah! After just a few days of eating their food, they made us start working and treated us like their servants. Are you willing to give him so much money? We’re not! Who in the world would give money to someone and then become their servant? With what we’ve looted, even a single piece of gold would grant us wealth and luxury for a long time. Are you willing to give away our belongings? We’re not.”
Wang Er clenched his fists, his neck veins bulging with anger.
Yuan Li stood up cautiously and spoke coldly, “Did you instigate the unrest in the refugee camp?”
“Exactly,” Li Hong said with a resentful expression, pulling back the bowstring aimed at Yuan Li. “Fortunately, there are only a few of you. Once we kill you, we’ll take the goods and run. That way, no one will know that the corrupt official’s goods were robbed by us.”
“Don’t get agitated,” Yuan Li spoke calmly, making a soothing gesture with his right hand. Then his expression suddenly changed as he stared straight behind Li Hong and the others. “Are those people you brought with you?”
Li Hong instinctively turned his head to look behind him, and Yuan Li took the opportunity to swiftly step forward, grabbing hold of Li Hong’s hands and forcefully twisting them backward. The sound of bones breaking echoed as Li Hong’s hands immediately snapped.
Li Hong screamed in agony, writhing on the ground. The other three individuals became horrified and rushed forward, wielding their stone axes and large knives, aiming to attack Yuan Li.
Yuan Li thrust his steel blade fiercely into one of the men, then yanked it out without hesitation, swiftly severing the arm of another person.
The sensation of the blade piercing through flesh and skin felt undeniably real, and blood spurted, splattering Yuan Li’s face. Two out of the three men quickly fell to the ground, while the remaining one stared at Yuan Li in terror, stumbling backward with weak legs, attempting to escape.
Yuan Li’s hand trembled slightly.
He clenched his fist tightly, and with the steel blade, he pierced through Li Hong’s shoulder, pinning him to the ground. Then, he picked up the fallen bow and arrow nearby and aimed it at the last fleeing individual.
The arrowhead was aimed at the person’s knee.
!
“After a swift ‘swoosh’ sound broke the silence, the fleeing man screamed in agony as he fell to the ground.
All of these events had happened in an extremely rapid manner, almost in the blink of an eye. Wang Er and Guo Lin’s hearts were pounding heavily as they watched Yuan Li, covered in blood. Amidst the lingering fear and shock, they felt a profound sense of submission and admiration.
Yuan Li was only eighteen years old this year, not yet having donned the ceremonial hat, yet he had decisively and swiftly killed four people.
No, it wouldn’t be accurate to say he killed them, because each of the four individuals still held onto a breath of life.
They laid in a pool of blood, convulsing and crawling away, clutching their severed limbs and wailing, desperately trying to distance themselves from Yuan Li.
A gust of wind blew, carrying the thick scent of blood that made people nauseous. Wang Er, having been someone who had killed henchmen of corrupt officials before, managed to hold himself together. But Guo Lin’s face turned pale, and he collapsed on the ground, vomiting.
Yuan Li appeared composed on the surface. He stood up, withdrew the steel blade from Li Hong’s body, causing Li Hong to scream in agony once more before fainting. Yuan Li paid him no mind and turned his gaze to Wang Er and Guo Lin. “Bury the gold. Guo Lin, go fetch some people.”
Guo Lin wiped his mouth with an unpleasant expression and reluctantly responded, “Yes.”
After Chu Hechao finished bathing, he realized that Yuan Li was nowhere to be found.
Standing at the door of the bathhouse was Yuan Li’s servant, Lintian, who spoke respectfully, “General, Young Master instructed this humble servant to show you around the farm.”
Chu Hechao raised an eyebrow, smiling without warmth in his eyes. “Not interested.”
Lintian lowered his head even further and said, “The Young Master said that he had something to discuss with the General, something he didn’t finish talking about yesterday, it is hiding within the farm.”
Chu Hechao finally looked directly at Lintian. He stared at him for a few moments, making Lintian sweat profusely, before saying, “Lead the way.”
Initially, Chu Hechao had no interest in farming and animal husbandry. When he first glanced at Yuan Li’s farm, he did so casually. However, the more he looked, the more waves surged in Chu Hechao’s heart.
Yuan Li’s farm was unlike any ordinary farm.
The farming tools were unheard of, the land unusually fertile, and the seedlings grew taller and more vigorous than in ordinary fields, displaying remarkable growth. Even the pigs in the pigsty were unusually fat, tender, and robust.
At first glance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but upon closer inspection, everything was different. Chu Hechao pursed his lips, his eyes gleaming.
Just then, he noticed a group of people hastily emerging from the forest.
Leading the group was none other than his sister-in-law, whom he didn’t know had gone somewhere.
Chu Hechao squinted his eyes and strode forward. As he got closer, he noticed that one of Yuan Li’s servants was carrying several bloody individuals.
Chu Hechao stopped in his tracks, waiting for Yuan Li to approach. He asked, “What’s happening, sister-in-law—”
He swallowed the rest of his words as he lowered his head slightly, looking at the bloodstains on Yuan Li’s body.
In addition to the bloodstains, there was a strong scent of blood in the air.
Chu Hechao scrutinized Yuan Li from head to toe, his expression becoming peculiar.
“Killed someone?” Chu Hechao asked.
Yuan Li tilted his head and smiled, his lips pursed.
It was still his usual gentle and amiable smile, and his eyes remained clear and bright. However, the splatters of crimson blood on his face added a touch of dangerous allure to his handsome and gentle countenance.
Yuan Li patiently replied, “General, please don’t make baseless accusations. I didn’t kill anyone.”
Guo Lin interjected, “Young Master is compassionate. He only inflicted severe injuries on these bandits.”
Yuan Li smiled and turned to Lintian, saying, “I’ll go ahead and change my clothes. Take good care of the General.”
Lintian respectfully nodded.
The group bypassed Chu Hechao, and the heavily injured individuals were carried past him. One of them had a neatly severed arm, and just by looking at the clean wound, one could tell how decisive the attacker had been.
Chu Hechao turned his gaze towards Yuan Li’s figure. The slender fingers wrapped in black gloves were itching to touch the hilt of a knife.
He had initially thought Yuan Li was a harmless rabbit, but it turned out he was a thorny thistle.
This sister-in-law of his was truly remarkable.
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Vaya! Me enamoré!
yeah, with such a sharp and neat cut. be careful of the Yang stick between your legs in the future when you offend your sister-in-law. it might disappear in the meantime.