Chapter 23: The County Magistrate's Compromise

  "County Master! County Master! Something's gone terribly wrong!" Seeing his own teacher hastily rushing into the back hall, Zhao Dehou frowned and waved his hand to let the nearby maid go. Only then did he adjust his clothes and stand up calmly.

  "What's the panic? The sky isn't falling!"

  The teacher ran too quickly and was a bit out of breath, so he picked up the tea next to him and took a big sip. After taking a deep breath, he said: "County Master! Just received news that the bandits in our county not only didn't leave but have also occupied Fu'an, Fuding, and Tuorong three counties!"

  "What?" Zhao Dehou was shocked upon hearing it, and involuntarily shouted loudly. At this time, the scene of the Taiping Army sweeping across the land more than a decade ago involuntarily emerged in his mind.

  "This... does this mean they're going to attack the county town?!" Zhao Dehou asked with a trembling voice.

  "This road doesn't have them, they seem to be active only in the lower towns and villages!" The teacher thought for a moment and shook his head, unable to understand why this group of bandits didn't attack the county town but instead occupied those poor towns!

  "What are you still standing here for? Hurry up and order the Green Camp to close the city gate! If the bandits break into the county, I'll behead you first!" Zhao Dehou kicked the teacher's buttocks with a huff and shouted loudly.

  "Yes! Yes! I'm going right away, I'm going right away!"

  Watching Master Zhao's rolling and crawling figure, Zhao Dehou was anxiously pacing back and forth in the living room, unable to think of a good solution!

  "This county magistrate was bought by my old man with 10,000 taels of silver, and he's just leaving like this, it's really not reconciled!"

  After the city gate was closed, for three consecutive days, there wasn't even a ghostly figure outside the city, let alone large groups of bandits and rebels!

  Because of the prolonged closure of the city gate, the people inside the city also began to become restless and rumors spread. In short, all sorts of things were being said. However, most people knew that bandits had arrived outside the city, and many elderly people said they were the remnants of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom who had come back to seek revenge on the Qing dynasty.

  "King Shoubei, is there any movement outside the city?" For three consecutive days, although it was calm and peaceful outside the city, Zhao Dehou still couldn't sleep at night, fearing that bandits would rush into the city and behead him.

  "Sir, it's just like the other day, there isn't a single soul in sight!"

  Wang Shoubei, also known as Wang Youcai, was originally a rascal in the city of Xiapu County. Later, through unknown connections, he became the Green Camp Guard of Xiapu, with 300 soldiers under his command. However, now that the old, weak, sick and disabled are added together, there are only about 200 left, and the rest of the troops have been embezzled by him for empty wages. Of course, County Magistrate Zhao Dehou also has a share in this.

  Lying on the city wall over three meters high, Zhao Dehou stretched his neck to look out and saw that the usual busy official road into the city was now empty, without even a single person in sight.

  It was already very hot in Fuzhou in May, and the crowd standing on the city wall was also suffering from the scorching sun. Sweat dripped through their pores down their cheeks into their mouths, bitter and salty!

  Zhao Dehou, who was used to being pampered and spoiled, really couldn't take the sweltering heat. He took out his handkerchief and wiped away the sweat on his forehead, looked around, and then prepared to leave!

  But just as he turned his head, a glare of glass reflected from the trees outside the city shot into his eyes.

  "Bang!" Just as he was puzzled and about to take another look, a crisp gunshot sound came from far away into his ears.

  Hearing the gunshot, Zhao Dehou was greatly shocked in his heart. Subconsciously, he quickly fell to the ground. A warm feeling came from his right side. Looking at his hands full of blood, our county magistrate fainted directly.

  Looking at the chaotic scene on the city wall, Cheng Bing disdainfully curled his lip, "Compared to our own comrades, these Green Camp soldiers are not even a real army!"

  He put away his beloved Type 80 sniper rifle, attached the scope and crawled out of his carefully set up sniping position. As a professional sniper for the Leopard Special Forces, shooting at stationary targets was just too easy for him!

  Zhao Dehou slowly opened his eyes, and under the bright candlelight, he found himself lying on the bed in his bedroom.

  "Master, you're awake!" The teacher standing not far from the bedside came over and asked softly.

  "Master, have the enemy troops entered the city?" Zhao Dehou asked hastily.

  "No! But this noon Wang Shoubei was shot in the head and his brains were blown out!"

  "Hmmph!" Upon hearing his words, Zhao Dehou couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief. As long as the city was safe, who died had nothing to do with him! Moreover, this king had some ability, relying on his powerful backing to bully others, and hadn't spared him from humiliation in the past. Now that he's dead, it's even better! One less person to share the silver with!

  He lay down softly after receiving the news that the city was safe, and he also put down the big stone in his heart.

  "Sir, look at this?" said the teacher, picking up a letter from the nearby Eight Immortals table and handing it to him.

  "What is this? Who sent it?"

  "When I came in, this letter was already on Master's bedside!" replied Shi Ye with a tense expression.

  "What?"

  Upon hearing his words, Zhao Dehou suddenly sat up, and involuntarily broke out in a cold sweat. If the enemy could secretly put the letter on his bedside without him knowing, then taking his head would also be easy as pie.

  With trembling hands, he slowly opened the envelope and pulled out the letter inside. Under the bright candlelight, Zhao Dehou lifted his eyes to read it.

  "Xiapu County Magistrate Zhao Dehou, Honorable Sir Zhao, we are the Chinese People's Army. Your actions in recent days have left us very dissatisfied. We do not wish to attack the county seat, but we will also not permit your soldiers to appear in any town or village of Xiapu County. Both sides should guard their own territory and not infringe on each other. Otherwise, next time we come, it won't be to deliver a message, but to take away Sir Zhao's head! Of course, if Sir Zhao wants to report our matter to the imperial court, I will be extremely enraged. Although I don't know whether I can withstand the imperial court's siege troops, before that happens, I will definitely make sure that your entire family accompanies us in death! We hope you seriously consider our suggestion and do not bring calamity upon yourself." The letter is signed by the Political Department of the 1st Regiment of the Chinese People's Army.

  "Sir, can we trust what this People's Army is saying?" asked the teacher who had been reading the letter on the side with some surprise.

  Since ancient times, peasant uprisings have always been about occupying county towns and enjoying the pleasures of the world, but never before has there been a case where they didn't want the county town, only wanting those poor villages!

  "What can believing do, and what can not believing do? Now, is there any good way out?" Zhao Dehou said with a bad feeling in his heart. No one would like the feeling of being on the cutting board while others are holding the knife.

  "Alas, I hope these people are telling the truth!" Zhao Dehou thought to himself in his heart. As long as he could keep the county town safe, everything would be fine, and those poor and remote villages that didn't bring in much tax revenue could be lost without any great loss.

  For over ten days, no one came to attack the county town, and Zhao Dehou finally began to believe what those people said. Moreover, people need to eat, and the grain in the city was almost depleted, with prices soaring. If they didn't open the city gate soon, the starving people inside would rise up in revolt before anyone else could attack.

  As a result, the city gate that had been closed for over ten days finally opened. Zhao Dehou, who had been restless and uneasy every day, also put his mind at ease after a month of peace and quiet, and once again became engrossed in his extravagant and indulgent lifestyle.

  Moreover, he never discovered that outside his county town, the world had undergone earth-shaking changes.

  "Old Zhao, these officials really don't have the guts, I just scared them a bit and they retreated with their tails between their legs. What a waste!" Huo Hu complained discontentedly, having not gotten into a fight.

  "Haha, isn't this great? Everything is going according to our plan! We can also develop our own base with peace of mind! I believe that when we control all the towns and villages in Fujian, it will be when we unify the country. So, for Young Master's plan, you must not mess up, Old Tiger!" Zhao Guang said somewhat nervously. He kept reminding his old partner because he was afraid that he would get carried away and do something irrational!

  "Never mind, let that dog official off for now. I'll take a gun and shoot him myself in the future!" Huo Hu said viciously.

  "Hmm! As long as we buy off the official positions of these few counties, you can deal with those people however you want!" Zhao Guang said with a smile.

  In this era of the Qing dynasty, donating to become an official had already become a more convenient way to advance than the imperial examination! In the over 1,300 counties of the Qing dynasty, those who could become county magistrates through the imperial examination were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. However, those who became officials through donations accounted for more than 95%! Therefore, Huo Shan had already set out a two-pronged plan when formulating his continental policy! He would use the military to eliminate local landlords and gentry who supported Qing rule! Then he would spend money to buy up official positions in these areas one by one! By then, even if they stirred up trouble in these places, nothing would happen! And it wouldn't attract the attention of the Qing court! Although this "rural encirclement of cities" policy was very slow, it could guarantee the vitality of the Chinese land to the greatest extent! He didn't want another Taiping Heavenly Kingdom uprising like 10 or more years ago, which had directly caused the loss of over 100 million lives!