Late Song Dynasty: From Imposter Magistrate to Emperor Donning the Imperial Robe

Chapter 24 Receiving Money

Fu Shun's face was obviously ugly, his lips were tightly pressed together, and he didn't utter a word.

Yang Chengde's face was also somewhat gloomy, but when he caught a glimpse of Fu Shun's expression, his mood improved considerably.

No matter how capable Li Chong is, if he fights with Fu Shun, the county magistrate, he will still be the one who benefits.

"The magistrate is right." Yang Chengde composed himself, forcing a smile as he nodded to Xue Tao. "Having a gentry like Master Xue is truly a blessing for us!"

By the end, Yang Chengde could hardly conceal his emotions.

He could tolerate Li Chong's methods, since they weren't aimed directly at him, but Xue Tao directly giving Li Chong money made him very unhappy.

Yang Chengde secretly made a mental note of Xue Tao's actions.

Seeing this, Xue Tao was not afraid at all. Although Yang Chengde was an official and he was a commoner, he was just a clerk. If he really offended him, he could afford to pay the price.

At most, we can hold out for a few years until Yang Chengde is transferred.

The real threat was the land confiscation decree, which was a form of plunder under the guise of national law. Only by overcoming this obstacle could the family's foundation be threatened.

Helping Li Chong was an investment Xue Tao made to get through this difficult situation.

Li Chong glanced at the two of them discreetly, a smile playing on his lips, and clapped his hands, calling out loudly, "Cui Shi! Cui Shi!"

Cui Shi, who had arrived unnoticed, trotted up from behind and said, "I'm here. What are your orders, sir?"

As he spoke, his eyes kept glancing at the plate of copper coins, his expression filled with joy.

Fifty strings of cash! He had been following the original Li Chong for several years and had never seen so much money at once. Now, all he could think about was how much he could do with that money.

"Cough!" Li Chong coughed lightly and glared at him.

Cui Shi then came to her senses and quickly lowered her head to stop looking around.

Li Chong instructed, "Since Patriarch Xue is so kind, then I won't refuse. Cui Shi, take a few men and move the money inside first. We'll decide how to use it after I've made my plans. Remember, make sure you have plenty of people to move it, and don't be clumsy, okay?"

Li Chong said the last word while looking into Cui Shi's eyes.

Cui Shi immediately understood, nodded in agreement, and turned around to start calling for help.

In front of Li Chong, no one dared to directly embarrass him.

Otherwise, if Magistrate Li Chong couldn't handle Yang Chengde and Fu Shun, how could he not handle a mere clerk?

Besides, who wouldn't be envious of those gleaming copper coins? Even if you can't get them, it's still nice to look at them a few more times.

As soon as Cui Shi called out, many people rushed forward to help, and in the end, Cui Shi himself ended up empty-handed.

Looking back at Li Chong, and seeing Li Chong nod, Cui Shi smugly called out, "Let's go! Let's go back!"

A group of people carried fifty strings of copper coins toward the back office.

Xue Tao watched the copper coin enter the county government office, then cupped his hands and said, "Since the money has been donated, I will not disturb the county magistrate any longer. Farewell."

Li Chong greeted them with a smile, "Registrant Yang, County Commandant Fu, we can't be ungrateful. They paid for our political achievements, so we should give a gift to Master Xue to express our gratitude."

Yang Chengde forced a smile: "Your Excellency..."

Before he could finish speaking, Fu Shun interrupted him.

Fu Shun awkwardly clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Your Excellency, I still have some matters to attend to, so please excuse me!"

After saying that, he ignored the expressions on other people's faces and turned to leave.

Among the yamen runners nearby, a few followed him, but many others looked around, hesitated for a moment, and then stood still.

The scene was very embarrassing.

"It seems that the official duties under County Commandant Fu are quite important. I can only ask for the forgiveness of Patriarch Xue," Li Chong said to Xue Tao.

Xue Tao said he dared not, and gradually disappeared into the distance as Li Chong saw him off.

Xue Tao has left, but the impact he left behind has not yet dissipated.

Yanggu County is not large, and in such a society, even the slightest disturbance will spread throughout the entire county.

Moreover, this matter involves the county magistrate, the registrar, and local gentry, making it an even more sensational topic.

The news of Xue Tao's donation of fifty strings of cash spread throughout Yanggu County in less than half a day, and was even spreading to the subordinate villages.

Many people were discussing the new county magistrate's plan to suppress bandits, and for a time, the matter was hotly debated.

And that's exactly the effect Li Chong wanted.

Those bandits from Dafeng Mountain were so arrogant, and they even had insiders in the county. Countless people in Yanggu County had been harmed by them, and naturally, there were quite a few people who had grudges against them.

As long as suppressing bandits becomes a consensus among the people, there will always be people who stand up and agree with Li Chong.

As for contributing money, with wealthy people taking the lead, people tend to follow suit. If they can't come up with a string or two, what about a penny or two?

It's only a matter of time before we raise enough money to suppress the bandits.

The next question is, how will Li Chong spend this money?

After seeing Xue Tao off, Li Chong kept thinking about this problem on his way back to the rear office.

"Suppressing bandits isn't exactly warfare, but it still involves knives. Can my theoretical knowledge alone handle it?"

In public, Li Chong always appeared confident.

After all, he had nothing to rely on, so he could only show confidence to intimidate others.

But deep down, he couldn't help feeling uneasy.

In modern times, a few keystrokes on a keyboard can make one look down on kings and nobles, as if the figures in the Temple of Martial Arts are no match for one's own fighting prowess.

But when it comes to actual practice, only you know whether you feel guilty or not.

Upon returning to the inner office, Cui Shi greeted him with delight: "Sir, I just counted that pile of money, and it's not just fifty strings of cash, it's almost sixty strings."

Li Chong snapped out of his daze and glanced at him: "Oh."

Without stopping, Li Chong entered the room, glanced at the money, and sat down at the table without hesitation.

"Go and bring me the case files that were delivered yesterday. I want to continue reviewing them."

"Huh?" Choi Si-sil stared blankly at Lee Chong. "Then...where's the money?"

Li Chong replied directly, "Find a few more clerks to register and record who donated how much money, and deposit it in the county government's treasury first."

"Confiscated?" Choi Si-sil was heartbroken.

He leaned closer and whispered, "That's our money, and you just handed it over like that?"

Li Chong glared at him. This guy is getting bolder and bolder. There are outsiders around, yet he dares to be so presumptuous.

Suppressing his displeasure, Li Chong said sternly, "That's money used for bandit suppression, not my personal property. Are you expecting me to put it in my own pocket instead of handing it over to the treasury? You ignorant brat!"

Cui Shi's face turned red and then pale. He had no choice but to reluctantly bow and retreat, and follow Li Chong's instructions to find someone to register and make a list.

Before he had even left, another bailiff came running in with a beaming smile to deliver the news.

"Report!" A messenger rushed in, "Your Excellency, someone else has arrived at the gate. The wealthy Zhang wants to donate thirty strings of cash!"