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

Chapter 61 Tensions Rise

In Li Chong's memory, at this time of night, it was always very dark outside, if not pitch black.

When I was in school, there were occasional power outages at the streetlights after evening self-study sessions, so I had to be extra careful when walking and sometimes even had to use a flashlight.

In his mind, he had almost forgotten what the nights in the countryside were like.

Today, walking on the ridge of the field, Li Chong subconsciously recalled his childhood.

The moon hung high in the sky, and the three of them were focused on their journey without worrying about not being able to see it clearly.

The moonlight shone down, even brighter than the streetlights Li Chong remembered.

Looking at the three shadows on the ground, Li Chong clicked his tongue in amazement.

This was the first time Li Chong had ever seen such a bright night since he grew up. With Wu Song leading the way, most of Li Chong's attention was diverted to the moon in the sky.

"I'm telling you," Zhong Mei said, taking a few quick steps past Li Chong, then turning her back and walking backwards, her eyes gleaming as she looked at him. "You don't happen to be feeling poetic right now, do you? I know you literati like this, but you should pick your time."

"what?"

Li Chong looked up at Zhong Mei, a slight confusion in his eyes: "What poetic inspiration?"

After a few moments of thought, Li Chong finally understood Zhong Mei's meaning. However, there was no need for Li Chong to copy poems in front of her.

"You're overthinking it. I just think the moon is so bright tonight, it's a good omen."

Zhong Mei looked up at the sky and said, "That's true."

With a quick glance, Zhong Mei moved closer to Li Chong, her cheeks slightly flushed, a sign of excitement.

"So, wouldn't you say our long-distance raid counts as 'strategizing within the command tent and winning a victory a thousand miles away'?"

Without stopping, Li Chong chuckled: "You're trying to pick a fight with the strategist over such a small scene? There are less than a thousand people in total, and they're all a bunch of rabble. I'm too ashamed to listen to your boasting."

Zhong Mei was so disheartened by Li Chong's words that she immediately became quite deflated.

Turning around and continuing on her way, she pouted and said, "You're so arrogant. If I hadn't come to you, where would you have gotten such a good opportunity? And you're already complaining."

Li Chong drawled, "Don't forget, besides you, the Zhu family also has members who know the mountain paths. If you hadn't delivered yourself to our doorstep, I was originally planning to target them first."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Mei couldn't help but turn around and glance at Li Chong.

Is that how it is?

Zhu Zhicheng was in cahoots with Du Heng and Deng Meng, and there was always someone passing on messages. It wouldn't be surprising if someone in his family knew about the terrain in the mountains.

Now that Zhong Mei thinks about it, it seems that Li Chong really doesn't need her men.

Zhong Mei couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, but along with that, she also felt a bit of admiration.

This man was indeed intelligent. Not only was he able to pass the imperial examinations with flying colors, but he was also capable of devising strategies. This was extremely rare among the people Zhongmei had ever met in his life, and could even be described as unique.

Of course, she hadn't actually met many people.

At this moment, Wu Song's deep voice came, startling Zhong Mei awake.

"Master, something seems wrong up ahead. Judging from the noise, it sounds like someone has drawn a weapon."

"Um?"

Li Chong was startled and quickened his pace: "Be careful, let's assess the situation first!"

Ahead, there were many torches scattered about, and judging from their distribution, they represented three distinct groups of people.

The two groups glared at each other, their expressions tense and on the verge of war. Wu Dalang, with a dozen or so constables, stood between them, preventing a fight from breaking out immediately, but the atmosphere was still thick with tension.

The knife in Hu Changyong's hand gleamed, and he was extremely arrogant: "Kid, if you dare to say another word, your dad will probably have to have another son to inherit the family business."

In front of him, Jia Zhuo seemed to be trying to persuade him, but he couldn't withstand the foul language from the crowd behind him, and his group remained very irritable.

The person who clashed with Hu Changyong was a young man, Xue Ming, the son of Xue Tao whom Li Chong had met before.

Behind Xue Ming were dozens of people, cursing and swearing, showing no fear of Hu Changyong.

Xue Ming didn't curse, but his expression wasn't very pleasant either.

He ignored Hu Changyong and instead looked at Wu Dalang in the middle: "Officer Wu, is the magistrate's so-called help these bandits? If we rely on them to suppress the bandits, aren't you worried that these people, true to their thieving nature, might betray us?"

Wu Dalang was not a particularly quick-witted person, and being caught between the two of them made him feel somewhat intimidated.

Of course, this is also because he does have fewer people than the other two sides.

He smiled wryly and cupped his hands to Xue Ming, saying, "Please forgive them, Young Master Xue. These people were summoned by the Master, so there shouldn't be any trouble. When the Master arrives and reprimands them, that should calm things down."

Xue Ming frowned: "My Xue family can certainly trust the county magistrate, but these people are inherently cunning. What if the county magistrate has been deceived by them..."

"Damn it, you surnamed Xue, do you want to practice now? Your Grandpa Hu will grant your wish!"

Hu Changyong brandished his long sword, making a move to step forward.

Regardless of whether it's true or not, let's establish our momentum first.

Before Hu Changyong could make a move, a clear voice rang out: "Grandpa? When did Third Uncle become an elder? Does that mean I have another nephew?"

Zhong Mei walked out with a smile.

However, before she could finish her boasting, Li Chong shoved her head down, saying, "Don't cause me any more trouble."

Ignoring Zhong Mei's smirking expression, Li Chong stood before the crowd, his face expressionless: "What? You're already fighting amongst yourselves before even starting? Should I hand over the venue so you two can settle things with a fight to the death?"

Upon seeing Li Chong arrive, Wu Dalang felt as if he had found his pillar of support.

He breathed a sigh of relief, raised his hand to call out, and led his men to stand behind Li Chong.

"My lord." He first bowed to Li Chong, then greeted Wu Song, "Brother Wu."

Li Chong nodded slightly, his eyes fixed on the two groups of people in front of him.

Xue Mingxian reacted first, stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Excellency, I have come to assist you on my father's orders, leading the guards of my household."

Since Xue Tao wanted to suppress the bandits, he naturally couldn't just settle for a few dozen strings of cash.

Since he couldn't find anyone else in the government office, Li Chong set his sights on other wealthy households in the county.

These days, the local area is chaotic. If you're a wealthy family, which one doesn't employ a few thugs?

These people may not know how to march and fight, but their physical fitness is definitely not a problem. In small-scale operations, they are not much worse off.

Anyway, the opponents are just a bunch of bandits, so it's perfect to use them.

Therefore, Li Chong secretly contacted Xue Tao and persuaded him to send someone, which led to Xue Ming's appearance.

Xue Tao had already placed his bet on Li Chong, and with sunk costs looming, he reluctantly agreed after some hesitation.

However, he sent his son to lead the way, probably with the intention of retreating and preserving his strength should things not go smoothly.