Chapter 7: The Protector of the Army County Lieutenant

  Ah! The mother exclaimed, and Li's wife's eyes immediately widened. The pressure of their impoverished survival had made them yearn for money the most. Now that her son had returned safely, not only had he become an official but also brought back a huge fortune, it was simply like a dream come true.

  Her hands trembling, she picked up a gold ingot and felt its shape in her hand. Mother found it hard to believe. Suddenly, Li Shiniang exclaimed in alarm: "Madam, tell Xiaogui to put the gold away quickly, this place is too chaotic."

  Mother was shocked and hastily returned the gold ingot to Lu Qi's hand, urging: "Quickly put it away."

  Lu Qiyan smiled and put away the gold, fastening her clothes as she said: "Mother, I'll go exchange the silver now. How much silver is needed to redeem someone?"

  Her mother was taken aback, thought for a moment and said: "According to the official rules, voluntary redemption requires paying double the ransom. Xiaoyan's selling price is 300 taels of silver, you, Cheng Niangniang, are 100 taels, and you, Li Niangniang, are 200 taels. In total, we need 1,200 taels of silver."

  Lu Qi smiled and said: "Alright, I'll go exchange the silver to redeem the person right away. At the same time, I'll find my older brother and come back, so our whole family can reunite."

  The mother nodded, and Li Yiniang suddenly said in a soft voice: "Master, I haven't sent the silver from Du's family yet. If you break the agreement, you only need to compensate me with thirty taels of silver, no need to double it."

  Mother listened and suddenly smiled: "Right, right, I'll find a matchmaker to cancel the engagement and pay 30 taels of silver." After finishing, she kindly held Li Niang's hand and nodded. They had been through thick and thin together for over a decade, and their feelings for each other were even closer than those of biological sisters.

  Lu Qi smiled and said: "Mother, where are Xiaoyan and Madame Cheng in that wealthy family?"

  Mother frowned and worried: "It's the Xiao family from Dongcheng District."

  Lu Qi was stunned. He knew that the Xiao family in the East City had a high-ranking official, and they were a powerful force in Shitou County. How could Xiaoyan and Cheng Niang have become slaves in the Xiao family? This time, it would be difficult to rescue them because the Xiao family was known for being a powerful clan with a strict rule of only allowing people to enter but not leave. According to official regulations, if the Xiao family refused to release someone, even the government couldn't do anything about it.

  "Xiao Qi, the Xiao family proactively offered to buy Xiaoyan. Now Xiaoyan is a personal maid of Miss Xiao, and it's said that Miss Xiao is gentle and kind to her subordinates. You should go to the government office to handle the redemption procedures first, then negotiate with the Xiao family in a harmonious manner. Don't use force, the Xiao family has great power." Li Niang softly warned Lu Qi.

  Lu Qi is young, but has experienced many things in life. Since childhood, he has received his father's teachings on various life experiences and can be said to be mature beyond his years, even a person with deep thoughts.

  He smiled and said: "Don't worry, Aunt Li, I know that using force will only lead to trouble, so I'll be patient and gentle in our negotiations."

  Mother and Li Yiniang nodded in approval, looking at Lu Qi with affection. It had been five years since they last saw him, and not only had he grown into a man, but his temperament and demeanor had also matured. The childishness of his youth was no longer visible, and amidst her joy, Mother couldn't help but feel a tinge of melancholy.

  He left the house and strode towards the county government office, this time to go through the official procedures for redeeming a slave. Along the way, he thought about how to approach it and how much silver he should offer in order to get things done smoothly.

  Arriving at the county yamen, he saw that the two gatekeepers were still the same. As soon as they saw Lu Qi, the two gatekeepers' faces turned sour because there was no chance of getting any bribes. Lu Qi didn't want to bribe these lowly gatekeepers either.

  The officer stepped forward and said: "This official has come to see Master Wang Zhubo on business, please announce our arrival."

  Lu Qi put on an official air, dealing with this group of deceitful and cowardly dogs. Either they would offer bribes or use their official positions to bully others. The yamen runners were unhappy about it, but seeing Lu Qi's military armor and the imposing manner in which he stood with his sword, they did not dare to disobey and went inside to report. A moment later, the yamen runner returned, gesturing impatiently for Lu Qi to enter.

  Lu Qi stepped into the government office, this time he went straight to Wang Zhubao's office to handle the matter. The old county magistrate had a big appetite, and Lu Qi hoped that 50 taels of silver would settle the matter. Now he was also very frugal with his silver, after rescuing his relatives, he planned to use the remaining silver to start a business and support his family, at the very least, he wanted to buy some good land and become a landlord, the survival problem in the future had to be faced.

  Upon entering the hall, he saw Wang Zhubao, who raised an eyebrow and smiled: "Lord Lu has come to the county government again so soon, I wonder what matters need my attention."

  Lu Qi had a good impression of Wang Zhubo, but also had some reservations. Since he had come with a request, he could only grit his teeth and face it head-on. He bluntly stated his intention, and Wang Zhubo listened with a smile, saying: "This is just a small matter, I will take care of it for you, Lord Lu."

  Lu Qi was stunned, and he looked at Wang Zhubo who had easily opened the proof and handed it to him. He took the slave redemption document with a great sense of unexpectedness. He heard Wang Zhubo say in a gentle voice: "Lord Lu, the Xiao family is a powerful and influential official family. The current Minister of Works, Xiao Zhi Li, is also from the Xiao family. As for the saying 'the relatives of the prime minister are seventh-grade officials', the Xiao family's slaves are divided into three grades: upper, middle, and lower. The lower grade consists of miscellaneous servants, and with this slave redemption document, it would be easy to redeem them. However, most of the middle and upper-grade slaves serve their masters, and if the master likes them and is unwilling to let them go, Lord Lu's possession of this document may not be effective. If the Xiao family refuses to release them, then Lord Lu can only try to persuade them gently or find someone with influence to mediate, such as a military officer with the rank of 'duwei'."

  Lu Qi couldn't help but understand what was being said so clearly and bowed in gratitude: "Thank you, Lord Wang, for your guidance."

  Wang Zhubo smiled and said: "It's a small matter, no need to thank me. Actually, I have something to ask you to help with."

  Lu Qi heard it and also put down the doubts in his heart. As long as he knew Wang Zhubo's intention to help, he was not afraid of Wang Zhubo's secret calculations.

  "Please speak, Lord Wang." Lu Qi also said readily.

  Wang Zhubo smiled and said: "I would like to ask Lord Lu to take up the post of county lieutenant in Shitai County, I wonder if Lord Lu is willing to condescend?"

  Lu Qi was taken aback and exclaimed: "Doesn't Shitou County have a county commander?"

  King Zhu Bao smiled and said: "At present, Shitou County has two county guards on the left and right, each in charge of the security and defense of the two districts. However, recently there have been many bandits gathering to commit crimes, and some have even become notorious. The bandits do not dare to cause trouble in the county seat, but often block and rob the main roads, making it impossible for commercial routes to pass through. The imperial court has strictly ordered that grain taxes cannot be transported out, so I know that Lord Lu's martial arts are powerful, and he is a seasoned general who has experienced many battles. Therefore, I ask Lord Lu to condescend to protect the county guards and ensure peace on one side."

  Lu Qi listened and understood that this was a task that would cost him his life. The county lieutenant inside the city was afraid of death and did not dare to suppress bandits and transport grain taxes, so he had to find someone who dared to suppress bandits as the new county lieutenant.

  He thought for a moment, if he refused, there would be endless trouble later. Anyway, he had nothing to do, so he might as well pretend to be the county magistrate for a few days to satisfy his craving for officialdom. If things didn't go well, he could just say that he received an order from the army and leave after making a round of visits.

  Lu Qi naturally couldn't bear the responsibility, hesitated for a moment and said in a conciliatory tone: "Lord Wang, there are many bandits who are fierce and stubborn. If it's just escorting grain taxes, I can still handle it, but going to quell them is beyond my capabilities."

  Wang Zhubo and Sheng Dao said: "The bandits are indeed not easy to eliminate, as long as Lord Lu can guarantee the safety of the grain tax and the main personnel, it will not be considered a dereliction of duty."

  Lu Qi nodded and said: "I will definitely try my best, but fighting against the stubborn bandits is too dangerous. Shouldn't my treatment be higher than that of other county officials?"

  Wang Zhuobo was taken aback, and Lu Qi added: "Your Honor Wang, what I mean is that in the city, I should receive the salary of a county lieutenant, but every time I go out of the city to risk my life, shouldn't I get some extra allowance?"

  Wang Zhubo smiled and said in a harmonious tone, "Lord Lu is indeed astute. How about this: while serving in the city, your monthly salary will be one hundred taels, and each time you go out of the city, you'll receive an additional thirty taels as travel allowance. For particularly important escort missions, there will be an extra fifty to one hundred taels as a special allowance. What do you think, Lord?"

  Lu Qi understood the principle of "seeing good and collecting" and said with a smile: "Okay, from now on I will listen to Master Wang's instructions."

  Wang Zhu hurriedly said: "I don't dare, I don't dare, in the future if there's anything, I will ask for your help."

  Lu Qi thought for a moment and said seriously: "Since Master Wang is willing to use me, I have some necessary requirements to mention. How many soldiers are there in Shizhen County?"

  Wang Zhubo was taken aback and replied in a deep voice, "There are 500 government soldiers in Shizhen County, and another 800 militiamen temporarily recruited to suppress bandits."

  Lu Qi nodded and said seriously: "General Wang, if we are to carry out the escort mission, it must be a unified army. I would like to request that you allocate 100 soldiers for me to train strictly, and their military pay and supplies should be the same as those of the official army. If they die in battle, they should also receive the same compensation as the official army."

  Wang Zhu Bo was taken aback and frowned, saying: "This probably won't work, privately raising an army is a serious crime."

  "Your Excellency, 100 soldiers are not an army, in fact they are still temporary recruits for bandit suppression. If I were to lead a motley crew to escort the grain tax, it would be better not to go at all."