Chapter Twenty-Four: The County Magistrate Who Gets Everything for Free

"The Liu family?"

"The floods in Dragon City occur every four years. Does Your Honor know who builds the water gates, including the Di Gong Sluice, each time?"

"Is it not the incumbent magistrate?"

"Yes and no."

"Oh?"

"I must first congratulate Your Honor on arriving in such a fine place as our Dragon City."

"A fine place? Finer than the Lin Terrace in Luoyang?"

"Well, that can hardly be compared, but while it may not be the best, it is certainly far from the worst. To be a magistrate here and rise in rank and fortune with such ease—is that not a fine destination?"

"A great flood every four years, yet one can still easily rise in rank and fortune? How can such a good thing be? I must ask for your guidance."

"Oh, I wouldn't dare presume to guide you... In truth, this has become the standard practice for every magistrate upon taking office. Everyone accepts it by default. Even if I didn't mention it, someone else would. It is only because I see your ambition to govern with excellence that I cannot bear to see you take a difficult and thankless detour."

"I am all ears."

"Every past magistrate, upon encountering the great flood, would immediately pay a visit to the local wealthy gentry to raise charitable funds. Once they donate, the prosperous households and middle-class farmers follow suit..."

"I understand. And once the task is done, the wealthy gentry have their money returned in full, while the funds from the common folk are split, perhaps sixty-forty?"

"Oh? So Your Honor knew all along. It seems I was worrying for nothing... However, a total split is a bit too harsh. We cannot take all the money from the commoners; we must set aside a portion for disaster relief and flood control to justify our actions. That way, no one can find fault. During the relief efforts, we can save a little here and there, and use the able-bodied among the victims directly, which saves another sum..."

"Magistrate Diao is truly... so thoughtful."

"Not at all, it is all due to your own wisdom and compassion. Besides, what you said earlier was not entirely accurate. We don't have to return every penny to the wealthy gentry. We are their local officials, not beggars kneeling for scraps. When Dragon City is in trouble, what is wrong with having them donate to help share your burden? However..."

"So my official seal as the Magistrate of Dragon City is that valuable? Everyone must give me face."

"Your Honor is joking. But there is one crucial point: if you want the wealthy gentry to donate generously and the commoners to follow suit, there must be 'one family' to lead the fundraising!"

"Who? Oh... the Liu family."

"Precisely! The Liu family on the West Bank is the premier clan of Dragon City. Only when they take the lead in donating a large sum will the other gentry follow. Otherwise, they are all like turtles retreating into their shells, and you won't get much silver... As for the money the Liu family donates, we must return it in full afterward. If they give us face, we must show sincerity. The remaining funds collected are then split thirty-seventy."

"We have to give away seventy percent?"

"Thirty percent is ours; seventy percent is theirs."

"Then aren't we just beggars kneeling for scraps? You should have said so sooner, instead of beating around the bush."

"Wait, wait, Your Honor, let me finish. Giving them seventy percent is their labor fee. They will send a team of elite craftsmen to help us rebuild the Di Gong Sluice. This is technical work; the most skilled artisans in all of Dragon City are in their Guyue Sword Shop, people you could never hire otherwise..."

"So, all we need to do is draft some able-bodied men from the disaster victims to assist the Liu craftsmen in repairing the sluice. We take thirty percent; it’s not shameful. Once the Di Gong Sluice is repaired, the flood is managed without costing the imperial court or the province a single copper. If you don't rise in rank, who will?"

"Magistrate Diao will rise in rank."

"Not at all, it all depends on Your Honor."

"Depends on me taking you along to kneel for scraps?"

"..."

"Magistrate Diao, do you know why I came here?"

"Did you inadvertently offend the Empress and the Princess?"

"No. It is simply because my spine is too stiff; I could not kneel in the imperial court, so I ended up here."

"So Your Honor really is a man of integrity."

"Not really. Begging is fine; kneeling is not."

"Then what is it that Your Honor wants? Forgive my limited understanding; I don't quite follow."

"You tell me, can't I beg for food while standing up?"

"Pfft!"

"That tea was sprayed with quite an artistic flair."

"You... *cough, cough*... aren't you just trying to get something for nothing?"

"What did you say?"

"I said... Your Honor's insight is profound."

...

"A top scholar? A seventh-rank magistrate? Isn't he just here to kneel for scraps! What's with the pretense of integrity? Pure my foot! Damn it all..."

Inside a luxurious courtyard, a group of dark-skinned Kunlun slaves knelt in a row, not daring to lift their heads. From the room in front of them came the sounds of crashing and a man's roaring.

Precious porcelain, landscape paintings, antiques, gems, and incense were smashed to the floor. A limping figure was frantically swinging a sword, hacking at the sandalwood walls and the table... he slashed at everything in sight to vent his rage.

It seemed he wanted to hack back all the face he had lost to someone.

No one in the courtyard dared to speak, as no one doubted that if Liu Zilin noticed them, the sword would be at their throats in a heartbeat, and he wouldn't even blink.

Though Liu Zilin was cruel, tyrannical, and had a terrible reputation in Dragon City—hardly living up to his name—he had two widely acclaimed, exceptional brothers.

The eldest, Liu Ziwen, and the second, Liu Zi'an.

Outsiders jokingly referred to the three as the "Three Tigers of the Liu Family": Liu Ziwen as the "Wise Tiger," Liu Zi'an as the "Sickly Tiger," and Liu Zilin as the "Mad Tiger."

At present, Liu Zilin had not yet taken over the family business; the Guyue Sword Shop and all family assets were managed by his two elder brothers.

Liu Ziwen and Liu Zi'an, one leading and one supporting, upheld the flourishing power of the "Dragon King Liu" on the west bank of Butterfly Creek.

"And that little wench who shot my eagle! So what if she's a scholar from the Academy? Does she think we don't have cultivators in the Liu family? Just wait for me, damn it!"

As Liu Zilin continued his rampage, a limping middle-aged servant walked into the courtyard, passing through the kneeling slaves.

The servant stopped in front of the door, his expression calm. "Third Young Master, the Second Young Master has a message: Get back inside, stay confined for ten days, and do not go out causing trouble. Also, do not touch that Hu girl again."

Liu Zilin fell silent instantly, though his hands under his sleeves clenched into fists.

The "Mad Tiger" growled through his teeth, "Do you think I'll just let this go after being double-crossed?"

The limping servant replied calmly, "The Second Young Master also said that if it had been the magistrate who got his leg broken today, he and the Eldest Young Master would have cleaned up the mess for you. Unfortunately, the one who got his leg broken is a piece of trash. Clean your own mess, set your own leg, and don't dirty his hands with such trivial matters."

Liu Zilin’s mouth twitched violently.

After a moment of silence, he asked, "Did the eldest brother speak?"

The servant, who was about to turn away, glanced at Liu Zilin and nodded.

"The Eldest Young Master was there at the time and said to the Second Young Master... that since the new magistrate likes justice, we shall give him justice."

"The Eldest Young Master also said that if the Third Young Master asked, I should relay a message for him, and that you should think carefully about how to mend your leg after hearing it."

"Speak," Liu Zilin dropped his sword and spat out the word.

The limping servant mimicked the tone of the young family head, his voice flat:

"The new magistrate and the lady of the Xie family cannot be killed yet."

"To kill a man is to strike at his heart."