Chapter Twenty-Eight: With the County Magistrate Here, Justice Will Prevail

Huang Shurong remained silent, and the silence in the hall was deafening.

"Sweeping away the bandits is a great cause that benefits both the country and the people. For years, the gentry, commoners, and merchants of Wuren have suffered long enough at the hands of those brigands. That the Magistrate has shown such resolve immediately upon taking office is something I, Huang, deeply admire! The Huang family is willing to donate ten thousand taels to assist the Magistrate in clearing the dens and wiping out the thieves!"

Huang Shurong’s words were like a sudden clap of thunder in the silence, leaving everyone present with their heads spinning. They looked up at the Magistrate sitting in the high seat; his piercing gaze, deep as an abyss, made it increasingly difficult for anyone to meet his eyes.

The once-impenetrable wall of the Wuren gentry had been breached. The leading Huang family had defected on the spot, taking the lead to submit, leaving the other gentry stunned and unable to mount a collective opposition. They exchanged awkward glances, and the atmosphere in the hall turned strange.

"Jingliang, I recall that half a year ago, on the Baling official road, a shipment of silk belonging to your family was plundered by bandits, resulting in a loss of over seven thousand taels, was it not?" Huang Shurong suddenly turned his gaze to Qian Jingliang, the head of the Qian family, who was seated below him.

Qian was a silk manufacturer in Wuren County. By collaborating with the Imperial Weaving Bureau, he was practically a semi-official merchant with significant wealth and influence.

"That is correct," Qian Jingliang nodded. "Ever since then, the silk from my workshops has only traveled by water."

Huang Shurong advised, "Transporting goods north and south is inconvenient regardless. If the bandits are wiped out and the trade routes are cleared, your business will thrive. You ought to contribute more silver toward this cause."

Hearing Huang urge him to donate, Qian Jingliang couldn't help but rub his partially bald forehead, at a loss for words.

"What Master Huang says is true," An Xin spoke up. "And what everyone else says is also true."

He rose, slowly walked down the steps, and stood before the door, gazing at the blue sky and white clouds above the courtyard. "Three hundred constables alone cannot defeat these bandits. They have grown into a formidable force—with money and men, they are not mere thugs, but rebels! If this county is to deal with them, we must train an army, and to train an army, we must spend money. Without your assistance, this will be impossible to achieve."

From his words, some of the gentry caught a hint of genuine sincerity. Suppressing the bandits did not seem to be just a new ploy by the Magistrate to extort money as they had initially suspected.

"Could it be that Wuren County has truly received an official willing to do real work?" The crowd remained skeptical.

"Jingliang," Huang Shurong called out to Qian Jingliang again, who was deep in thought.

Seeing everyone looking at him, Qian pondered for a moment before saying, "I deeply understand the Magistrate's position! Half a year ago, my eldest son was escorting a caravan on that very Baling mountain road; he was singing and eating hotpot when he was suddenly ambushed by bandits!

Not only did we lose fourteen entire carts of silk, but I also had to pay a massive ransom to get my son back. Since the Magistrate intends to suppress the bandits, I, Qian Jingliang, am willing to donate two thousand taels!"

Seeing the expression on Qian Jingliang’s face, a smile finally appeared on An Xin’s face. This was the real income. As for Huang Shurong, he was merely there to put on a show; the ten thousand taels were just "claimed," not actually given. Even so, An Xin still had to thank him. Without Qin Shiyue mediating, not only would the money not be pledged, but any silver actually collected would likely have been split sixty-forty with the Huang family. After all, the Huangs had kin serving as officials in the imperial court.

"My Lu family is willing to contribute two thousand taels."
"My Su family will provide fifteen hundred taels."
"My Liu family donates one thousand taels."
"My Wang family of the docks will donate eight hundred taels."

With others now taking the lead, the rest could no longer withstand the pressure. In the current situation, the Magistrate might not necessarily remember who donated, but if others donated and they did not, they would certainly be marked by him. The local tyrants had been divided, and a magistrate who could break a family was not a force to be trifled with.

"My Zhao family will donate two hundred... no, five hundred taels!" The Zhao family, seated at the end, had initially called out two hundred, but seeing the Magistrate frown as he looked at them, their hearts skipped a beat. They immediately raised the amount to five hundred, only relaxing when they saw the Magistrate’s brow smooth out and a smile return to his face.

"I remember your family is also a scholarly household, with a government student studying in the county academy. Cultivate him well, and strive to pass the next provincial examination," An Xin smiled.

"Thank you for your high regard, Magistrate," the head of the Zhao family said, standing up to bow.

While they were known as a scholarly family, their wealth actually came from a porcelain kiln. The Zhao family had built their reputation on a family-inherited technique of wire-inlay enamel, earning good money, though not enough to be considered ultra-wealthy. When Huang Shurong took the stage, the Zhao head knew that he would have to pay up regardless. His family relied on the Huangs for survival—whether shipping porcelain or trading by sea, everything went through the Huang family. Since the Huangs had already reached an agreement with the Magistrate, he could only lie flat and follow suit.

"Hahaha, for years, the bandits have been a chronic illness for Wuren County. We have suffered long enough! Now, thanks to the Magistrate’s arrival, the clear skies have returned, and Wuren County shall finally have peace!" Huang Shurong said with a hearty laugh.

"Master Huang is absolutely right!"
"The Magistrate is brilliant; the good days for us, the people of Wuren, are yet to come."

Whether they wanted to or not, they had come, donated, and committed to the task. They all played their parts in this performance, showering the Magistrate with praise.

"I thank you all, wise gentry, once more. Now that the autumn harvest is mostly in the granaries, the people have time. Once this donation is received, I shall begin recruiting archers tomorrow. Once training is complete, we shall suppress the bandits!"

An Xin’s face was filled with warmth, but inwardly, he was calculating that this round of donations already exceeded fifteen thousand taels. Furthermore, having secured the support of the Wuren gentry class, the remaining wealthy merchants and local squires would be even easier to manage.

The meeting concluded successfully. As they dispersed, An Xin called out to Su Daoran, who was about to leave: "Master Su, please stay a moment."

Su Daoran froze, stopping his departure. Hearing this, many of the others cast envious glances in his direction. After the groundwork laid during that night's banquet, they clearly assumed that the head of the Su family was being kept behind to discuss profound matters and would henceforth become a "favorite" in the Magistrate’s eyes.

Outside the yamen, a dozen or so gentry members filed out. These were the most prestigious and wealthy households in the county; ordinary rich merchants would not have received an invitation from An Xin.

At the entrance, Wu Damou and several other prominent local merchants were craning their necks, looking eagerly at the gates. Seeing the gentry emerge, Wu Damou searched for Su Daoran among them, but could not find him. Other merchants had already flocked to the gentry they were familiar with.

Anxious, Wu Damou finally saw someone he recognized and hurried over to greet him: "Hey, Scholar Liu, why didn't Master Su come out?"

"Master Su has been kept behind by the Magistrate to discuss philosophy..." Before the head of the Liu family could finish, someone else approached him, and he merely nodded at Wu Damou before hurrying away.

Listening to others discuss the meeting as they left, Wu Damou felt as restless as an ant on a hot pan. For merchants like them, every piece of news about the county's affairs was crucial; being one step behind could mean missing the opportunity entirely. This was a lesson he had learned over many years, and he was certainly not the only one with such experience.