Liang Wen looked at Xu Ming and Xu Pangda, his expression full of helplessness:
“Gentlen, Baihe County is not like an ordinary place.
Indeed, three pri ministers once served here, and even Master Fang’s hotown is in this county. Historically, Baihe County was known for its political clarity.
But things have changed.
Over the years, a few families in Baihe County have produced cultivators. These individuals, after training in their sects, returned and leveraged their networks to establish the Four Great Clans of Baihe County. These clans have grown increasingly arrogant, controlling most of the county’s industries.
Additionally, these clans maintain nurous gangs to do their bidding. Being far from Wu Capital and just a small county town, Baihe County is a place where imperial authority is thin. Who would even pay attention to this place?”
Xu Pangda chuckled coldly.
“Oh? What’s this, Lord Liang? As an official of the imperial court, are you really afraid of a few small sects? Or has Baihe County suddenly beco ho to a great sect so powerful that even the Wu Kingdom wouldn’t dare provoke it?”
“Lord Xu, your words…” Liang Wen sighed.
“It’s not a matter of provoking them or not. If it were simply a case of violence, it might be easier to handle.
The real issue is that my hands are tied.
Before , many officials were posted here. The officials may co from outside, but their subordinates are all locals. We all wanted to bring order to this place. But the problem is, our decrees can’t even be implented.
Our subordinates stall and delay. What can we do? If you dismiss the clerks, you’ll have to hire new ones from the sa local pool. If you recruit from outside, they won’t be familiar with the local customs, and no one will accept them.
To make things worse, the four clans frequently offer bribes. Over ti, almost every official who has served here has colluded with them. The county governnt has long been corrupted to the core.
As a result, the four clans have grown bolder and more entrenched, dividing their illicit gains with the county magistrate. Typically, the split is thirty-seventy.”
“Only thirty percent for them?” Xu Pangda asked.
Liang Wen chuckled.
“Lord Xu, the seventy percent is theirs. We only get thirty percent.”
Xu Pangda: “…”
“It seems Lord Liang has also received quite a few gifts,” Xu Ming sneered.
Liang Wen didn’t get angry. He simply shook his head.
“Whether you believe or not, I haven’t taken a single coin from the Four Great Clans.
As for the cases you are investigating, it’s not that I didn’t want to act. I simply had no way to proceed.
Take, for instance, the case where Sun Dequan’s daughter was publicly humiliated by a wealthy family, and her brother, seeking justice, was beaten to death in broad daylight. The perpetrators denied everything, and witnesses all claid they saw nothing. What could I do?”
“…” Xu Pangda was montarily at a loss for words.
“Lord Liang, do the case files still exist?” Xu Pangda asked.
“They do,” Liang Wen nodded.
“Though those cases are officially closed, I kept all the files. They’re stored in my residence.”
“Please bring them to us. Since I am now the magistrate of Baihe County, I cannot stand idly by,” Xu Pangda said resolutely.
Xu Ming glanced at Liang Wen and smiled.
“If we didn’t plan to reopen these cases, what would you have done with those files, Lord Liang?”
Liang Wen smiled back.
“I would have taken them with to the prefecture. One day, I will see justice served.”
Five days later, after completing the handover, Liang Wen handed the official seal to Xu Pangda and left Baihe County for the prefecture.
In the days that followed, Xu Ming observed Xu Pangda tirelessly managing the county’s affairs. While handling administrative duties, he personally investigated the old cases, determined to uncover the truth and see them reopened.
However, things were not going smoothly for Xu Pangda.
The others in the county office were well aware of what Xu Pangda intended to do. On the surface, they showed him great respect and seed to carry out his orders without question. But in reality, they delayed at every turn, using endless excuses to stall.
Every day, Xu Pangda worked tirelessly from dawn until late at night, but progress remained painfully slow.
Xu Ming, naturally, didn’t just stand by and watch. Originally, he was supposed to leave Baihe County soon to head to Qingyang Prefecture. But seeing Xu Pangda overwheld and exhausted, Xu Ming worried the young man might act recklessly in a fit of passion. So, he decided to stay and help.
Finally, on the seventh day, Xu Pangda ca rushing over, excitedly holding a dossier in his hands. He bead at Xu Ming and exclaid,
“Fifth Brother, I found a breakthrough!”
“Oh? What breakthrough?” Xu Ming asked.
“The Li family! The one who broke a scholar’s leg! After my investigation, it turns out that scholar changed his na. He’s now called—Yu Ping’an!” Xu Pangda said, his voice brimming with excitent.
“Yu Ping’an?” Xu Ming was taken aback.
If the higher-ups were to learn that Yu Ping’an, the current Imperial Scholar, had once been crippled by soone in Baihe County, the Li family and the other clans wouldn’t need Xu Pangda to deal with them—they’d be thoroughly eradicated by the court.
So matters, when kept in the dark, are as insignificant as a feather.
But once brought to light, they weigh as heavy as a thousand pounds.
“Are you planning to report this to the court now?” Xu Ming asked. “I can’t help but feel there’s sothing odd about this.”
Xu Pangda nodded.
“I feel it’s strange too. Logically speaking, such a deep grudge should have been reported by Yu Ping’an to the Emperor. Even without ntioning that the Imperial Scholar was crippled, the fact that a scholar with a degree was assaulted should have been enough to get the Li family executed.
Yet, there’s been no reaction from the Emperor. So, I wonder if this is a test from the Emperor, leaving it to to resolve. Or perhaps Yu Ping’an never reported it, seeing this as a personal humiliation.”
“So, what do you plan to do, Third Brother?” Xu Ming asked.
After thinking for a mont, Xu Pangda replied,
“I’m not sure if the Li family knows that the scholar they crippled back then is now the Imperial Scholar. If they don’t know, I’ll let them find out. If they want to survive, they’ll have to cooperate with . Once I’ve used them to deal with the other clans, I’ll turn on them too!”
Xu Ming shook his head.
“But, Third Brother, have you considered this: if the Li family already knows the scholar they crippled is now the Imperial Scholar, why haven’t they fled?”
“Hmm?” Xu Pangda looked at Xu Ming. “Fifth Brother, what are you implying?”
“This Li family might not be so simple,” Xu Ming said slowly.
“They could have soone powerful backing them, soone who won’t allow them to run.”
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