Chapter One: Perplexity

  Although it is only a county government office, the scale of the county government office in this era is not small. The county government office can be said to be the center of a county, covering an area of at least tens of acres. It has everything, including the main hall, wing rooms, and prison. The buildings are arranged in a staggered manner, forming several courtyards. Important officials such as the county magistrate, chief clerk, and county commander all work within the compound of the county government office, making it a comprehensive local government. Each department has its own office within the compound, so one must pass through many corridors to reach the backyard.

  Don't look at the county government's land, it's not small, but there are many things to take care of here, from farming, litigation, taxation, education supervision, catching thieves and so on. It can be said that all aspects of life in a county are managed, so overall, although the phenomenon of redundant officials in the Song Dynasty is more serious, compared with the detailed division of labor and separate government departments in later generations, the workload of officials in this era is still not small, and the proportion of people who eat official food to ordinary people is incomparable to that of later generations.

  This is something that Gao Huairen, a man from later generations, would naturally understand. In this way, wanting to be a good official in this era, even just a county magistrate, would be very difficult. And in his view, County Magistrate Liu of Daye County, although not an extremely good official, at least was not a corrupt one either. Therefore, he would be so polite to this Magistrate Liu.

  When Gao Huaiyuan had passed several doors and arrived at the small garden behind the county government office, Liu Zhi County was already waiting in a small pavilion in the garden. He also had someone brew a pot of tea and wait for Gao Huaiyuan to arrive.

  For this young master Gao, Liu Zhi County's impression was also very good. This was not only because Gao Huaiyuan had sent him gifts from afar, but also because he had heard from Xing Bu Tou and others that Gao Huaiyuan had a good skill. Last time, Jin Hei Hu was captured, he actually knew it in his heart, Jin Hei Hu was framed by Gao Huaiyuan's hands, but this young master Gao was relatively low-key, unwilling to take the credit, so let Xing Bu Tou and others take the package and get the reward. Therefore, Liu Zhi County dared not underestimate this young Gao Huaiyuan, who knew how to handle things well. As soon as he heard that Gao Huaiyuan came to visit today, he immediately put down his work and invited him in for a chat.

  This time, Gao Huaiyuan was just visiting Liu Zhixian, so he didn't prepare any gifts. He simply bought two jars of good wine on the street and gave them to Liu Zhixian. He didn't plan to say much here, it was just a courtesy visit.

  After meeting Liu Zhi County, he also called himself a younger generation. After all, Liu Zhi County was not young anymore, and calling himself that wouldn't diminish his status. Liu Zhi County was delighted, pulling him down to sit and chat casually.

  During this time, Liu Zhi County was indeed having a headache about what the yamen in the front door had said. Originally, Daye was a place near the Yangtze River and adjacent to the Jin country. The local area was not very peaceful, and there were more refugees from the south, which also caused more banditry problems in this area. In addition, the war between Song and Jin in previous years made the relationship between the two countries very tense, making it difficult for Liu Zhi County, who was an official here, to bear a lot of pressure.

  Just as the case of the black tiger had been solved, he and his men were rewarded by the prefecture for their efforts. However, another group of ruthless bandits emerged in Daye, committing several major crimes and causing a terrible impact, making everyone in Daye County anxious. As the county's leader, Liu was responsible for resolving the issue, but despite the passing days, not a single bandit had been caught, and two of Xing's runners had mysteriously gone missing, leaving Liu with a headache.

  After seeing Gao Huaiyuan today, he suddenly remembered what Xing Boutu had said before that Gao Huaiyuan and one of his loyal servants were both skilled in martial arts. He immediately came up with an idea and pulled Gao Huaiyuan aside to discuss this matter.

  After listening to Liu Zhi County's grievances, Gao Huaiyuan was angry at the gang of bandits for their actions. In his opinion, there is a code among thieves, and seeking wealth does not mean taking lives. After robbing the family, they should not have killed anyone, but this gang of bandits not only killed people but also took advantage of the young woman in the family, raped her, and then killed her and threw her body by the roadside. This was simply going too far. What's even more infuriating is that these bandits didn't just target wealthy families; they even targeted ordinary civilians. Two households with beautiful wives were said to have been broken into at midnight, their families killed, the women raped, and then murdered. They were truly a group of scoundrels without any moral principles.

  But after hearing this, although he also felt indignant, it was after all an official matter, and it wasn't worth his while to take the lead in finding trouble with those hoodlums. Moreover, vaguely, he seemed to have heard some hidden meaning in Liu Zhi County's words. So after listening, he only sighed and said a few words of blame towards those hoodlums, but didn't pick up where Liu Zhi County left off, stand up straight, and offer to help Liu Zhi County solve this trouble.

  Liu Zhi County felt slightly disappointed after hearing Gao Huaiyuan's words, and said that after talking for half a day, the other party was not led astray by his own words. It seems that if he wants to ask Gao Huaiyuan for help, it won't work unless he makes it clear.

  "As the parent official of a county, capturing bandits should be an official duty, but Master Gao also knows that in our Daye County, there are only those few dozen archers and runners. Such a large area, what can these people do? Moreover, this time the number of fierce bandits seems to be quite large, relying solely on Captain Xing and his men doesn't seem feasible!"

  I heard that Young Master Gao and one of your loyal servants have impressive martial arts skills. Since Young Master Gao arrived in this county, he has gained a good reputation. I wonder if he can help me with this matter?

  Besides, as far as I know, Master Gao and Captain Xing have a pretty good relationship, so he won't just sit back and watch Captain Xing lose out, will he? If this matter can't be resolved quickly, then not only will I, but also Captain Xing and County Magistrate Wang, all be held responsible. It's possible that we'll even be reprimanded by our superiors!

  Besides, there are not many capable people in this county. If Master Gao can help me with this matter, then from now on, whenever Master Gao needs my assistance, just speak up and I will guarantee to help without hesitation. I hope Master Gao can spare some time to come and help our county get rid of this scourge for the sake of our citizens!

  Liu Zhixian moved by emotions and enlightened by reason said to Gao Huaiyuan, now he is also ill and seeking medical treatment everywhere. Since Gao Huaiyuan has skills, why not let him make an effort for himself? If he can really solve the problem of these bandits, it may be of great help to his own future career!

  After listening to Liu Zhi County's words, Gao Huaiyuan hesitated for a moment. Although he considered himself an upright person who hated evil, doing this task seemed to go against his original intention of keeping a low profile for the time being. Moreover, it was not a pleasant thing to do. If they found the bandits, it would be a matter of life and death. If he wasn't careful, he would have to pay the price himself. Even if they solved the case, he wouldn't gain any benefits or advantages, so it didn't seem like a worthwhile endeavor.

  However, if he makes excuses and doesn't do it, he will inevitably have a falling out with Liu Zhi County, which will hinder his future work in this area. What to do?

  Gao Huaiyan lowered his head and fell silent, his mind began to turn rapidly, carefully weighing the matter, blaming himself in his heart, why did he have to come to the county government office today! It's really frustrating, as a result, he found trouble for himself!

  "Actually, Master Gao, if you think about it carefully, this matter is also good for the Gao family. After all, the Gao family is a well-known large household in our Daye County. If those bandits linger around here, they will inevitably hear about the Gao family's affairs. If one day they really harbor evil intentions towards the Gao family, it's hard to guarantee that the Gao family won't be affected. How can there be intact eggs under a destroyed nest? In fact, Master Gao is helping our county, but in essence, he is also helping himself!" County Magistrate Liu saw Gao Huaiyuan lower his head and remain silent, knowing that he was thinking about this issue, so he took the opportunity to add.

  This sentence woke up Gao Huaiyuan, now he is in Daye, the Gao family is actually his home, and the Gao family is a wealthy household in the local area. If those bandits really have their eyes on his house, it's possible that they will take action against the Gao family. Now that he has Wotou Village, he is not afraid of bandits going there to plunder, but this old mansion only has some servants, if something happens, it may cause big trouble.

  So Gao Hua Yuan's mind began to move, but he still didn't immediately nod in agreement. He had gradually formed a habitual way of thinking: if he was going to do something, he would have to maximize the benefits. If he were to help the government catch this group of bandits, what good would it bring him?

  Gao Huaiyuan's little abacus in his heart began to clickety-clack, and gradually a plan took shape in his mind!

  "Governor Liu is being polite, such a thing has happened in the county, by rights we should not stand idly by, even if you didn't say anything, I would have to take care of it!" Gao Hua Yuan said.

  Liu Zhixian was delighted in his heart, and regardless of whether Gao Huairen could help with this matter or not, at least this sentence had been spoken, and it added a bit of strength. It was indeed very beneficial for capturing these bandits. He opened his mouth to thank him, but before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Gao Huairen again.

  "Wait, don't thank me yet. Although it's within my duty to do so, I must confess that in my household, due to having offended some petty people in the past, I had to gather a few capable individuals to protect our home and maintain its safety. Indeed, there are several skilled persons in my family. If I were to rely solely on my own abilities to capture those thieves, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to do so. However, if this time I can bring along those guards to assist Captain Xing in apprehending the thieves, then we would have a much greater chance of success!" Gao Huaiyuan said to Magistrate Liu.

  Liu Zhixian was overjoyed and hastily said, "So there's such a good thing! In that case, please hurry up and bring the guards from your household to help Xing Captains catch the thieves!"

  "Sir, please listen to me for a moment. Although I also want to do this, there is a problem. As a mere commoner, it would be unseemly and awkward for me to take the lead in capturing the thief. Moreover, if we were to encounter the thief, we would have no choice but to use guns and knives, which would require us to carry weapons and arrows on our persons. If someone were to investigate this matter and report back to my father, I would undoubtedly be severely reprimanded. And if someone with ulterior motives were to accuse me of secretly hoarding weapons or harboring private soldiers, the situation would become even more complicated. Therefore, if you want me to capture the thief, please give us a legitimate title, so that we can act with a clear conscience and avoid any potential problems."

  Liu Zhi County listened and it seemed that Gao Huaiyuan's words also made some sense. He had such concerns, which showed that this young man was quite thoughtful in considering problems. So he thought for a moment and said: "Then, in your opinion, Mr. Gao, what title should be used to make an appearance?"

  Gao Huaiyuan pretended to think for a moment, then opened his mouth and said: "This matter is easy to handle if you say it's easy to handle, but it's also difficult to handle if you say it's difficult to handle. It all depends on the adult!"

  "Master Gao, you might as well speak your mind. With our friendship, what's there to hide?" Liu Zhi County was now anxious to resolve the matter and no longer cared about other things, so he hastily tried to get closer to Gao Huaiyuan.

  "It's easy to say, but coming to Daye, it's not too far from Jin country. Recently, the bandits have been rampant in this area. If the adults can imitate other places and organize an archery club within Daye, recruiting civilians to join the club and learn archery, they can solve these troubles!"

  Forming this archery association will bring numerous benefits to our Daye County. Once established, it can allow the common people to practice martial arts and improve their physical fitness. In times of need, they can also contribute to local defense efforts. As residents of this land, we have a responsibility to defend our territory. With the establishment of the archery association, if bandits were to appear, we could collectively eliminate them. This way, the county government would not need to spend money on maintaining troops, yet still have people available for use in times of need - isn't that a perfect solution? This approach can provide both peacetime defense and, in the event of another war with the Jin people, safeguard our borders and defend against enemies. It's truly a case of killing two birds with one stone!

  And then join the Bow and Arrow Society in Xia Dai's courtyard, follow Xing to capture the thieves, it would be perfectly justified, no one could blame us for our actions! I wonder what your intention is, sir?"

  Gao Huaiyuan finally spoke out his mind. After coming to this era, he learned from many people that the Song Dynasty actually had a strong martial arts culture among the people. During the Northern Song Dynasty, there were many organizations such as archery clubs and horse-buying societies in the folk. At that time, when resisting the invasion of the Jin people, they played a considerable role. Many famous generals in the early years of Southern Song Dynasty came from such groups. However, later on, after the Southern Song Dynasty stabilized its rule in Jiangnan, the court was worried that local armed forces would threaten their rule, so they gradually took back the weapons from the folk and disbanded these societies. As a result, many places cancelled such organizations.

  However, in some places, such organizations still exist and have not completely disappeared. Gao Huairen heard about this and decided to focus on the archery club. In his opinion, if a nation wants to be strong, it must maintain its martial spirit, especially during this era. If the people are brave and fierce, it will be difficult for other nations to conquer them, even if they want to. Therefore, he took this opportunity to persuade Liu Zhixian to establish an archery club in Daye, so that he could join the club and legally own bows and arrows. This would also allow the local people to gradually develop a martial spirit, which would be beneficial for the Song Dynasty with no drawbacks.

  After listening to Gao Huaiyuan's words, Liu Zhixian was somewhat hesitant. The matter of the archery club was not something he hadn't thought about before, and Wang Xianwei from the county government had also mentioned it several times, wanting to set up such a thing in Daye to defend the countryside. However, although he knew that such an archery club would be very beneficial for maintaining local security, sometimes if this kind of organization were to grow too powerful, it could lead to some trouble with the local customs being too bold and fierce. Moreover, although the imperial court had not explicitly forbidden such organizations, it did not encourage their spread either. If he were to set up an archery club in Daye County, who knows if it would displease those above, which wouldn't be a good thing!

  "This...! Although Mr. Gao's words are reasonable, the Bow and Arrow Society is a company that has been around since our dynasty was established, but nowadays the imperial court does not encourage such things. Moreover, with the current urgency of events, hastily organizing something may be too late!" Liu Zhixian couldn't help but want to shirk responsibility.

  "Magistrate Liu's concern is not unfounded, but this matter cannot be rushed. However, there is a temporary solution that can be used to respond to the situation. In our county, there are many large households, and as far as I know, many of these households have their own guards. This group of bandits is quite brazen, and relying solely on Captain Xing and my own strength will not be enough to deal with them. Moreover, they hide among the people, making it difficult to find them. It would be better for you, Magistrate Liu, to order each township's large households to temporarily dispatch personnel, equipped with their own weapons, to maintain the safety of their local villages and strictly defend against these bandits. This can also serve to quell the arrogance of those thieves! As it happens, my family is also considered a large household in this area, so if each township has people searching for the bandits, even if I take charge, no one will say anything about it!" High Hua-yuan saw Magistrate Liu's hesitation and did not rush him to agree to establish an archery club. Instead, he took a step back and asked him to first agree to have the large households in each township organize some personnel into a temporary militia or civil defense force. At least with this, he could bring a group of people along and use it as a cover for his actions.

  Liu Zhi County heard this and thought it was a good idea. It didn't require organizing an archery club, but could serve the purpose of defending the countryside and capturing bandits. Moreover, the wealthy households would be the ones to bear the expenses, so the county government wouldn't have to spend any money. This wasn't a bad temporary solution, so he agreed on the spot, saying that he would discuss it with County Lieutenant and County Captain before immediately implementing Gao Huaiyuan's plan.

  Everyone, please note that the updates will be changed to one chapter per day from now on. However, I've replaced small chapters with big ones, so the word count won't decrease much. Please forgive me and continue supporting me. Also, don't forget to leave your precious red tickets! Thank you all for your support!