Chapter 129: [Dealing a Vicious Blow] (Part 2)

Everyone hearing this was greatly shocked; looking again at Guo Shouguang, one eye had turned into a panda eye, obviously from being struck.

Hu Xiaotian, however, walked back to the dining table as if nothing had happened, feigning seven-tenths drunk: "Dog Bites Lü Dongbin, you don't know a good heart; gentlemen, if you believe him, go stand on his side; if you believe me, stand on my side." This fellow clearly is getting everyone to pick sides.

Although most people inwardly sided with Guo Shouguang, now Guo Shouguang reeked, so naturally no one wanted to go near him.

Hu Xiaotian said: "I just said, the masses' eyes are bright; as a proper county magistrate, why would I need such violent means to deal with a petty chief clerk? Guo Shouguang, you falsely accuse me; this cannot just be dropped. Produce human and material evidence; if it can be proved I hit you, I, Hu Xiaotian, will willingly accept punishment." He bowed to Xu Qinglian: "Please, Sir Xu, discern clearly."

Xu Qinglian's gaunt cheeks twitched twice; from the scene, surely Guo Shouguang had suffered a loss; emotionally he was close to Guo Shouguang, but this incident was totally unexpected; Hu Xiaotian actually struck someone, this rascal is really arrogant, but there's no evidence; to say Guo Shouguang also asked for it, he pissed and you followed to do what? Getting beaten is your own doing. At such an occasion tonight, it's not suitable to publicly pursue; Xu Qinglian coughed dryly: "Hurry and send Sir Guo back to change clothes; any matters can be discussed tomorrow."

After this incident, everyone's enthusiasm was naturally affected; although the matter of Guo Shouguang being beaten is unconfirmed, it nonetheless cast a psychological shadow on everyone; subsequently no one dared to proactively toast Hu Xiaotian, it was clear this rascal is a black-hearted, black-handed sort; offending him brings no good fruit.

No one sought Hu Xiaotian for a drink; this rascal instead turned the tables and took the initiative; aside from Xu Qinglian, everyone else were his subordinates; when this fellow drinks with others he only takes a sip, while others must finish their cups; Xu Qinglian seeing Hu Xiaotian's high spirits felt as if a five-flavor bottle had been overturned, extremely complex; soon he actively ended the banquet.

Hu Xiaotian, however, still had some lingering desire; he finally took the initiative to lift a cup for Xu Qinglian: "Sir Xu, I toast you a cup."

Xu Qinglian said: "Everything has its measure; wine can aid enjoyment but excess is not good." He now actually spoke in this tone.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Sir Xu is old, takes care of his body; you take a sip, I'll finish it!" He tilted his back and drained the cup clean.

Xu Qinglian coldly smiled at Hu Xiaotian: "Although I'm old, I'm not incapable of drinking a cup; Hu Sir's great kindness, how could I bear to refuse?" He also finished that cup. He reached out and patted Hu Xiaotian's shoulder: "Xiaotian, wait a bit before leaving."

Hu Xiaotian hearing him address him so affectionately figured this old fellow certainly had no good intentions, wondering what scheme he'd cooked up to torment himself.

After everyone left one after another, in the garden aside from the servants cleaning up, only Xu Qinglian and Hu Xiaotian remained.

Xu Qinglian said: "Xiaotian, how did today's inspection go?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Qingyun Bridge is broken, hindering public passage."

"This Qingyun Bridge concerns the travel of all city residents; it must be repaired as soon as possible."

Although Hu Xiaotian had noticed some abnormal spots, he didn't tell Xu Qinglian, thinking as a local official Xu Qinglian should know more than he; he nodded and said: "I think the same."

Xu Qinglian said: "I intend to entrust the repair of Qingyun Bridge to you."

Hu Xiaotian immediately raised the most important question: "Sir, how much funding do you plan to allocate?"

Xu Qinglian sighed: "Xiaotian, you've seen it too; our treasury is empty, we don't even have money to repair the county office, how could there be funds for Qingyun Bridge?"

"As the saying goes, even a clever woman cannot cook without rice; without funds, I too cannot repair this Qingyun Bridge."

Xu Qinglian hehe laughed: "Xiaotian, although we haven't known each other long, I see you are extremely capable; I'm uneasy entrusting others, but fully trust you; let me offer an idea. You can mobilize the people of Qingyun County to donate; with so many households in Qingyun County, if each household contributes five taels of silver, this Qingyun Bridge can be rebuilt."

Hu Xiaotian silently cursed, Xu Qinglian, Xu Qinglian, you bastard, this is trapping me, there's no worse idea. If I went door-to-door demanding silver, wouldn't I offend all the commoners of Qingyun County? I've barely been an official a few days and already earned a bad reputation; this is clearly a trap set for me to fall into. Hu Xiaotian said: "Sir, over the past two years Qingyun County has suffered constant natural disasters; the people struggle to make ends meet, even landlord families have no surplus grain; asking each household for five taels of silver, the commoners may not be able to produce it."

Xu Qinglian said: "Think it over well, you'll surely come up with a solution; I have confidence in you." After saying that, he patted Hu Xiaotian's shoulder again, rose and returned to his residence to rest.

For Hu Xiaotian, repairing Qingyun Bridge isn't difficult; after all, there's still Wan Boping behind him; just apply a little pressure to that old fellow and Wan Boping will surely willingly produce the funds. But Hu Xiaotian isn't that obedient; Xu Qinglian designed difficulties for himself—how could he comply?

Hu Xiaotian also didn't leave immediately; he went to the jail and had the guards bring Zhou Batian to the interrogation room.

Zhou Batian, summoned for late-night interrogation, was visibly impatient; seeing it was again the newly appointed county magistrate, he couldn't help sighing: "Magistrate Sir, it's so late; why aren't you resting and instead coming to see me?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "These past two days you've lost outside news; are you feeling uneasy inside?"

Zhou Batian coldly stared at Hu Xiaotian: "Sir, what do you mean?"

Hu Xiaotian took from his bosom the telescope snatched from Jia Liu's hand, slowly placed it on the table, and smiled: "You recognize this thing, right?"

Zhou Batian narrowed his eyes at the telescope: "I don't recognize it, nor have I ever seen it."

"You've surely heard the name of the battalion, right?"

Zhou Batian suddenly rose like an enraged male lion, lunged forward, grabbed Hu Xiaotian's collar with both hands, his tiger eyes wide open as if to tear him apart.

Hu Xiaotian showed no fear at his aura, his expression calm as an ancient well, his eyes steadily on Zhou Batian: "If you want to talk, sit down; if not, go ahead and strike me—but before you strike, think first of your brothers outside."

Zhou Batian stared for a moment, then unexpectedly yielded under Hu Xiaotian's gaze, slowly sat down, and whispered: "What do you want?"

Hu Xiaotian tidied his clothes, then softly said: "I should be the one asking this; why are you hiding in Qingyun Prison? You could clearly leave here and flee far away."

Zhou Batian placed both big hands on the table, brows furrowed, thought a moment then said: "I was ordered to go to Tianlang Mountain to suppress bandits, but I never expected to be framed; on the way I encountered an ambush, my subordinates suffered heavy casualties—two hundred lost, only a dozen or so escaped."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Are you worried about facing military punishment?"

Zhou Batian shook his head: "I'm not afraid of death, but I cannot die ignominiously; I must uncover who is behind my harm."

"So you stayed in Qingyun."

Zhou Batian said: "Those who harmed me think I'm dead; after thinking it over, only this place is the safest."

Hu Xiaotian nodded; the more dangerous the place, the safer it often is; indeed, those who framed Zhou Batian would never imagine he'd honestly sit in Qingyun Prison.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Why not go to Xizhou and personally report this to Sir Li?"

A muscle twitched on Zhou Batian's face; obviously the question hit a sore spot.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Today I saw Qingyun Bridge broken; following the Tongji He upstream, I also found traces of dam construction on the upper reaches of the Tongji He; only then did I realize Qingyun Bridge wasn't washed out by a flood, but deliberately damaged."

Zhou Batian said: "Qingyun Bridge is the shortest route from here to the east; after its damage, caravans usually head south, passing through Yongji Qiao in Honggu Xian."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Could it be bandits? They might want to ambush caravans en route."

Zhou Batian said: "Since the bridge broke, there hasn't been a single robbery incident on this road."

Hu Xiaotian furrowed his brow, low voice: "Could it be the timing hasn't arrived yet?"

Zhou Batian looked at the young man before him with a hint of admiration; his mind extremely sharp, he quickly grasped the crux from my few words; Zhou Batian said: "I'm not entirely sure either, but I know Qingyun Bridge's break is suspicious; within a few days something major will surely happen."

Hu Xiaotian fell silent.

Zhou Batian said: "You've just taken office; if a heaven-shaking major case occurs within Qingyun County's jurisdiction, I'm afraid you won't be able to keep your official hat."

Hu Xiaotian heard Zhou Batian launching a psychological offensive against him, and lightly laughed: "Worst case, I'll return to being a commoner; what's there to fear?"

Zhou Batian laughed heartily: "That also depends on the case; if it's grave, not only would you lose your post, but likely your head would roll as well!"

Hu Xiaotian's heart sank; he knew Zhou Batian wasn't just alarmist—such precedents abound in Dakang's history; he whispered: "You're hiding here precisely for this matter, right?"

Zhou Batian said: "I will surely kill Yan Kui!" He clenched his fists; the knotted muscles on his arms stood out, his bearing fierce like a heavenly deity. Yan Kui is precisely the bandit chief of Tianlang Mountain; it was his ambush that caused Zhou Batian to lose over a hundred brothers.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Killing Yan Kui and exterminating the Tianlang Mountain bandits would certainly be a great merit."

Zhou Batian leaned forward: "I don't want credit; I want Yan Kui's life. If you're willing, all the credit can be yours." After several rounds of mutual testing, Zhou Batian finally proactively proposed cooperation to Hu Xiaotian.

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