Chapter 46: The Imperial Court Seeks to Offer Amnesty

The complete annihilation of the imperial army sent a profound shockwave throughout the entire Yizhou prefecture.

This marked the first time the Yishan bandits were taken seriously by the local officials.

Previously, the Yishan bandits had committed numerous major crimes, but this "magnitude" was merely at the level of ordinary commoners. In the eyes of high-ranking prefectural officials, those incidents were nothing more than trivial matters.

Furthermore, the past defeat and death of Liang Wansheng had been pinned by Magistrate Ding on the pretext of rampant tyranny leading to mutiny, bearing no connection to the Yishan bandits whatsoever.

This time, however, things were entirely different. Mo Hong, who led the troops, was a seasoned veteran tempered by countless battles and possessed supernatural martial arts. Every single soldier under his command was a blooded veteran; even if they fell slightly short of the elite imperial guards, their combat effectiveness was among the very best within the Yizhou garrison.

Had it not been for the extensive connections pulled by Yishui County, the prefectural government would never have wasted its military forces on a mere mountain stronghold!

Yet, the outcome stunned everyone.

Most importantly, according to the routed soldiers who fled back from the front lines, the leader of the Yishan bandits was an extraordinary fierce warrior, a veritable reincarnation of Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Chu. Some, eager to shirk their responsibility for the defeat, even went so far as to call him the "Star of Slaughter descended to earth."

What a joke!

There was only the Star of Literature in this world; how could there be any Star of Slaughter?

Even if these men had exaggerated, the fact that their leader, Li Gui, dared to charge enemy formations single-handedly and, amidst a sea of troops, behead Mo Hong along with multiple martial officers, proved beyond a doubt that he was an exceptional warrior.

This presented a formidable dilemma. If even Mo Hong was no match for him, it was likely that no martial officer capable of slaying this bandit could be found in all of Yizhou.

What should be done if victory was impossible?

Simple!

Give him a minor official post!

Since he killed Mo Hong, he could simply take Mo Hong's place and become their lapdog!

When the time came, they would just find an opportunity to toss him onto the Song-Liao border and let him fend for himself.

The high-ranking officials quickly reached a consensus, drafted a memorial in haste, and dispatched it via courier to the capital. They waited only for the imperial court's approval before initiating the process of pacification and amnesty.

With this matter settled, the prefectural government washed its hands of the affair.

In their view, no bandit could resist the temptation of an official pardon.

No matter how invincible a hero he might be, he was ultimately just an uncultured ruffian untouched by the teachings of the sages. Toss him a few scraps, and he would obediently wag his tail.

While the prefectural government was relieved of its worries, Yishui County was thrown into a panic.

The local gentry, who had initially resented the financial contribution extracted for the bandit suppression, had planned to settle scores with Magistrate Ding afterward.

Hiding within the county town during this period, their understanding of the threat posed by Li Gui was limited to hearsay, lacking any firsthand experience.

Moreover, the dilapidated city walls of the county seat provided them with an illusory sense of security, leading them to believe that Li Gui could never breach the town to trouble them.

However, when Li Gui had previously broken into the county town and gone on a killing spree inside the First-Class Pavilion, leaving dozens of gentry members dead or wounded that very night, it terrified everyone to the core.

They finally realized that the defenses of a mere county town were entirely useless against Li Gui—he came as he pleased, left when he wanted, and killed whomever he chose.

This left them completely stripped of any sense of security.

Earlier, Magistrate Ding had forced them to fork over money; later, they chased after Magistrate Ding, urging him to petition the court for early troop deployment to suppress the bandits.

Amidst their persistent clamoring, the imperial army had finally arrived.

Hearing this good news, the gentry had barely begun to rejoice when dreadful word reached them: the bandit-suppression army had been ambushed midway by the Yishan bandits, and from the commanding officer down, the entire force was wiped out.

How could this be tolerated?

If even the reinforcements sent by the prefectural government could not defeat the Yishan bandits, who on earth in Yishui County could stand against them?

Without any need for prior coordination, a crowd of gentry members immediately stormed the magistrate's yamen to confront Magistrate Ding.

Furious, the gentry surrounded Magistrate Ding tightly, showering him with complaints and venting their anxieties.

"How can the imperial court raise such a pack of useless cowards!"

"With the precedent of Liang Wansheng before us, why didn't Your Honor explain the situation clearly to the prefecture and request elite troops and fierce generals?"

"We all paid the bandit-suppression funds; it is entirely unacceptable if these bandits are not eliminated!"

"With reckless bandits running so rampant under Your Honor's administration, Your Honor can hardly shirk the blame. If not for my entire livelihood being rooted here, this old man would have moved my whole clan away long ago!"

"Your Honor must not lose heart; seeking reinforcements from the prefecture once more is of the utmost urgency!"

Faced with the veiled threats and enticements hurled at him from every direction, Magistrate Ding was utterly helpless.

Ever since Li Gui wreaked havoc at the First-Class Pavilion and was carried out of the pile of corpses by Li Yun, Magistrate Ding had been seized with terror, contracting a chill that refused to heal after all these days. Now, he was merely forcing his sickly body to endure the complaints of these people.

Were these people terrified? Was he not terrified as well?

In the past, he was fearless because he shared an unspoken understanding with Elder Liu, which was why Li Gui had never come to attack him.

Had they not noticed that when Li Gui engaged in massive slaughter that day, he had spared Magistrate Ding entirely?

That was the source of his confidence!

The trouble was that now that the imperial army had come again to suppress the bandits, how could Elder Liu in the prefectural city possibly remain unaware?

This meant that the tacit agreement between them had been shattered by his own actions. If the prefectural troops had indeed succeeded in wiping out the bandits, Elder Liu would naturally have had no choice but to swallow the bitter pill in silence. But who could have foreseen that the prefectural army would prove so utterly useless!

What alarmed Magistrate Ding even more was that the Yishan bandits had ambushed the prefectural reinforcements halfway. That raised a critical question.

Where had the Yishan bandits obtained their intelligence?

Could it be that Elder Liu had secretly leaked the information?

Strictly speaking, such an act constituted a capital offense punishable by the execution of one's entire clan, but the struggles among the gentry were inherently ruthless.

Though the Liu family's influence was not overwhelming, they were still part of the gentry class. As long as no one was caught in the act and no concrete evidence was found, no one could touch them!

Even if Magistrate Ding wanted to drag them down with him in mutual destruction, he had no opportunity to do so.

If Elder Liu dared to commit such a deed, what else was there that he wouldn't dare to do?

It was feared that breaching the county town to silence witnesses was only a matter of days or even hours away.

If anyone present desired Li Gui's death above all others right now, it had to be Magistrate Ding.

The Yishan bandits might spare the other gentry members, but Elder Liu would certainly never let go of a "traitor" who had betrayed their pact.

After all, Magistrate Ding was considered another insider in Elder Liu's scheme. If he remained alive and served as a witness in the future, leaving aside the imperial court's wrath, the rest of the gentry would likely tear the Liu family limb from limb and devour them raw.

"Enough, enough. My respected gentry, pray cease your urging."

Magistrate Ding pressed his hands downward in a vague gesture to cut off their complaints, fighting through a splitting headache as he signaled Secretary Song to fetch the four treasures of the study.

"This magistrate shall immediately draft an official dispatch to seek assistance from the prefecture, requesting them to dispatch a great army once more."

"This time, we shall ensure absolute success and completely annihilate those Yishan bandits!"

With Secretary Song's assistance, Magistrate Ding hastily penned the plea for help, affixed his official seal in full view of everyone, and instructed a yamen runner to deliver it by fast horse to the prefectural city. Only then did the gentry disperse with sulking expressions.

After three days of agonizing suspense, the county yamen finally received word from the prefecture—not an official reply, but a private letter.

Magistrate Ding, who had been bedridden with a cold towel placed across his forehead to bring down his fever, hastily struggled to his feet upon seeing the letter. He tore it open and read carefully. Skipping past pages of empty rhetoric, he caught sight of the two characters "Official Pardon" written at the very end. Instantly, he was wild with joy, broke out in a heavy sweat, sprang up from the couch, and let out a hearty laugh. His illness vanished without the need for medicine.