Chapter 18: Killing with a Borrowed Knife

After retrieving the four treasures of the study, the county magistrate and the scholar worked together, exchanging words and refining the official report with meticulous care. It took them a full hour to polish the document until it was flawless.

In their revised account, the county magistrate was, of course, portrayed as upright and heroic; the officials who died in battle were all brave; even Li, the senior official who might have leaked information, was given the honorable title of a benevolent local gentry.

After the new magistrate took office, he laid a comprehensive trap, leaving the traitor Li with no escape. Cornered, Li sought refuge with the bandits of Yushan.

When Li and the Yushan bandits descended to the city to purchase provisions, they were spotted by Li’s steward, who secretly informed the authorities. Unfortunately, the tip-off was discovered, and the steward was brutally silenced.

Under the magistrate’s orders, officials conducted covert investigations and finally tracked Li’s whereabouts. They sent officers to arrest him, but unbeknownst to them, one of the officers was a spy for the Yushan bandits. The spy leaked their plans, resulting in the officials falling into a deadly ambush and being wiped out.

As for who the spies were? It was obvious—everyone else perished in the ambush, yet you alone survived and still claim no collusion with the bandits? Even the former magistrate’s murder was undoubtedly connected to them.

Whether they might protest their innocence? Ha! How could the words of traitors be accepted as courtroom evidence?

With the strategy decided, the magistrate began transcribing the official documents, while the scholar, accompanied by several trusted men, went to apprehend the suspects.

Those officials who had narrowly escaped death had not yet recovered from their terror before they were rounded up by the scholar and his men and thrown into prison.

After these matters were settled, the scholar went to Li’s estate with an invitation, summoning the senior official to the magistrate’s residence for a banquet.

All the officials who knew the truth were arrested, leaving only a few insiders, among whom Li was an outsider.

The campaign against the bandits was initiated by him, so it was necessary to coordinate with him in advance, ensuring no slip-ups on his part.

Li’s steward, who had originally been double-crossed by bandits during illicit dealings, was now portrayed as having been killed while secretly informing the authorities, a narrative that allowed Li to save face.

But if Li refused to cooperate, they could always shift the blame to him instead—it was no trouble to find a scapegoat.

Any official willing to clear their name would surely comply.

Though this would sow discord among local gentry and cause endless trouble down the line, with danger pressing on their doorstep, there was little time to worry about consequences.

A magistrate’s family ruined and a prefect’s household annihilated—this was no laughing matter.

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Li Yun’s family had long held the position of chief constable in Yishui County. Since the founding of the Great Song dynasty, the post had been securely in the Li family’s hands.

Thanks to this position, the Lis had become wealthy local gentry. Though none held the rank of scholar or official, the local gentry still owed them respect.

Since ancient times, imperial authority rarely extended deep into the countryside. For a county magistrate to truly control the area, support from local powerful families was essential.

The chief constable was a fixed role, while magistrates came and went. Any who tried to usurp the Li family’s position either lost their reputation and became scapegoats or mysteriously met untimely ends.

Over time, Li Yun inevitably grew arrogant.

He believed this situation would continue indefinitely—that the Li family would enjoy generations of wealth and no one could challenge them.

Then disaster struck: the magistrate was killed in the government courtyard by bandits.

As chief constable, Li Yun was held responsible for failing to protect the magistrate.

The idle gentlemen who spent their days in leisure suddenly showed unprecedented efficiency. The very next day, a squad arrived in Yishui County, arresting all involved for interrogation.

Having served as a low-ranking official for many years, Li Yun knew exactly what was happening.

The bandits who killed the magistrate had vanished without a trace—what was the point of the investigation?

It was merely a ploy to extract bribes.

To save his life, Li Yun spent every last coin his ancestors had accumulated, barely managing to survive, but he lost his position as chief constable.

He who once thought himself indispensable learned the hard way that without protection, he was just a lamb led to slaughter. All his wealth was merely for the benefit of the powerful.

The Li family, after all, had a tradition of serving as low-ranking officials, skilled only in arms and enforcement, lacking the education to pass imperial examinations. Facing the ruin of their house, fate took an unexpected turn.

Li’s senior official’s steward, long responsible for dealing with stolen goods and maintaining relations with nearby bandits, had somehow fallen out with the Yushan bandits and was hacked to death, his entire shop looted.

Pressured by these events, the magistrate summoned his officers to suppress the bandits.

Li Yun used money to secure an ordinary officer’s position, intending to enter the mountains to hunt the bandits and reclaim his post through cunning.

Yet the man who had bought his chief constable position, Qian, mistrusted him deeply and led a large force into the mountains, leaving Li Yun behind to guard the office.

Li Yun seethed with resentment but dared not act rashly, fearing dismissal.

Unexpectedly, the Yushan bandits seized many weapons and armor from Li’s shop. Instead of being crushed, they ambushed and annihilated the officers.

Qian, who had barely served as chief constable, lost his life in the wilderness. Fate’s justice was swift and unyielding.

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With so many dead, the magistrate had no officers left to command and reluctantly reinstated Li Yun as chief constable.

It was truly fate’s will.

Destined, apparently, for the Li family to hold this post, no one else could claim it.

Li Yun swore an oath to the magistrate, pledging absolute loyalty, while secretly recruiting capable men to rebuild his team and regain full control of county affairs.

That night, the senior official came to the magistrate’s residence for a banquet. Li Yun hurried to the magistrate’s home, waiting attentively in case he was summoned.

After more than an hour, he saw the magistrate personally escort the senior official out. Both wore broad smiles and spoke warmly, suggesting all was well.

Once the senior official departed, Li Yun noticed a slight sneer flicker at the magistrate’s lips before he and the scholar turned back inside. He thought he heard the magistrate murmur:

“Hmph, he knows his place.”

What they did not know was that as the senior official entered his carriage, his smile faded. Covering his mouth with both hands, he laughed silently and uncontrollably.

He was well aware of how much loot and how many weapons had been lost from his shop.

He knew the officers were no match for the Yushan bandits but said nothing, deliberately letting them march to their deaths to advance his own agenda.

Previously, the local power structure was stable. All officers and officials maintained intricate ties with the gentry families.

Thanks to these minor officials, the gentry tightly controlled county affairs. Even the magistrate had to defer to them.

But with Li’s sudden murder of the magistrate, all officers were implicated. The new officers were appointed by the new magistrate, making them less amenable to the gentry.

Rather than slowly currying favor with these men, it was better to cut the Gordian knot: let them all die at the hands of the bandits.

Then the magistrate would be left isolated, forced to rely on old retainers.

Ding’s approach suited Li perfectly: let the state forces come and eliminate Li’s enemies, allowing him to vent his anger while reclaiming lost weapons and armor.

Once again, it was a case of using a borrowed knife to kill.

Killing two birds with one stone—what could be better?