Late Ming Dynasty: The Counterattack Begins with Sea Pirates

After bringing this group of people back to Hong Kong Island, Mr. Chi first divided them into two groups.

The inspector and some of his men, and the county magistrate and his yamen runners.

Chi Honghai instructed the island's residents to cook a feast.

After the banquet began, the inspectors and their men were all invited to eat and drink at the banquet.

Just when they thought this was their last meal before leaving.

Chi Honghai walked up to the two inspectors, raised his wine bowl to them, and said, "Gentlemen, please forgive me for what happened today. Consider this feast a reward for all the brothers."

As he spoke, he turned to Ai Si and instructed, "Ai Si, when the brothers leave later, give each of them ten taels of silver, and give each of the two inspectors fifty taels."

After listening to the master's words, Ai Si turned around to handle the matter, leaving only two bewildered inspectors.

"Hero... what are you doing...?"

"Hey, Inspector, no need for further words. Let's drink, let's drink! Once we've had our fill, I'll have the brothers take you back by boat. If there's anything you want to eat here, just tell me, and I'll order them to make it."

The inspectors wouldn't make any demands. Not only had they escaped with their lives, but they had also been treated to good food and drink and made a sum of money. They were already grateful for some kind of blessing.

This combination of kindness and severity successfully won over the group of inspectors.

But the county officials had a much easier time; they had an even more important task—the parade.

After everyone finished eating, Master Chi asked them to line up in a long queue.

The county magistrate and his henchmen, who usually bullied the villagers by abusing their power, had their shoes removed, their hands tied behind their backs, and were herded along the road like ducks, stumbling forward.

All sorts of wild grass, pebbles, rotten vegetable leaves, rotten eggs, and the like were thrown on top of it, without holding back at all.

The stench of blood emanated from them, and waves of angry curses, cries, and swears surged up. If it weren't for the protection of those outside, this group would likely have been trampled to death by the islanders.

The county magistrate, who was over fifty years old, had never suffered such humiliation.

He tried to straighten his back and maintain the last bit of his official dignity, shouting something like "Insolence!" But as soon as he opened his mouth, rotten vegetable leaves and rotten eggs burrowed into it. The sticky, foul-smelling egg liquid mixed with the pungent vegetable leaves smeared his mouth, forcing him to bend over and vomit.

By the end, the county magistrate was exhausted and had to be dragged along. For some reason, the places he passed by were wet and smelled foul.

Although the position of county magistrate was given by the emperor, the title of "local official" was given by the people.

When the people do not recognize you, you are neither an official nor a parent.

When the procession reached the shore, the magistrate and his entourage seemed to have rolled out of a swill bucket, their spirits completely broken. They slumped to the ground like mud, too weak to even cry.

Chi Honghai had them dragged onto a boat, transported to a beach on the north shore, and left to go back on their own.

The inspectors and the hundred or so soldiers who witnessed the whole process felt nothing but secret relief that they weren't the ones who suffered. They felt no sympathy for the county magistrate and his gang; instead, they were filled with curiosity and ridicule, completely forgetting that not long ago they had been on the same side.

After watching the group of people being humiliated and driven away, he turned to the inspector and said, "Gentlemen, brothers, now that we've eaten and drunk our fill, shall we get on the boat and head back home?"

There was no reason to refuse, and I didn't want to stay here any longer.

A group of people lined up to board the ship without crowding. The reason for the line was that Ai Si was handing out silver coins to each person below deck.

Upon reaching the deck, the two inspectors looked at Chi Honghai and clasped their hands in a fist salute: "Hero, thank you for today!"

Chi Honghai waved his hand: "I hope you two gentlemen will not forget what happened to us today."

Of course, I can't forget it; the magistrate's actions today were truly remarkable.

But what they should remember more clearly is that, no matter what, they watched the magistrate's play with this group of "bandits," and they even chatted, laughed, ate, and drank together.

After a long and arduous journey, the county magistrate fled back to the county town in a sorry state. Apart from the official robes he was wearing that confirmed his identity, he looked like a wild man.

Reaching the well, he panted heavily as he drew water from it. After drinking a mouthful to quench his thirst, he scooped up water with both hands and vigorously washed his face, as if using a little more force would remove the fishy stench from his body.

When he slumped to the side again, the constables behind him swarmed to the well and began to fight over the water, even hurling insults and beatings.

"Enough!" the county magistrate roared. "Don't you have any semblance of being an official?!"

Those people were taken aback at first by the magistrate's reprimand, but then pretended not to hear and continued to scramble.

This situation only disappeared after everyone had struggled back to the county government office, as if they had come back to life.

Since officials below the fourth rank usually only had one official robe that could be worn in both winter and summer, after the county magistrate finished washing himself, he could only sit in the high hall wearing a casual robe.

Whether it was due to exhaustion or the absence of his official robes, he no longer possessed the same radiant spirit as before.

After sitting on the table for a long time, he gritted his teeth, picked up the gavel, and slammed it down hard, making a "smack" sound!

The exhausted bailiffs below were jolted awake by the sound of the gavel.

"To occupy a mountain stronghold and insult an official of the imperial court! These two heinous crimes deserve my utmost punishment! Utterly unforgivable punishment!"

The constables below seemed to have realized the situation: not only did the enemy outnumber them, but they also had guns and cannons. These few brothers were just show-offs with broken blades. They could bully ordinary people, but if they really fought, they would fall down before they even touched the enemy.

Everyone advised the county magistrate not to act impulsively, because his impulsiveness could cost him his life. He had just escaped death and didn't want to be the subject of news reports.

"Sir, we can't fight them. Please turn a blind eye. Anyway, we haven't bothered with that piece of land to the south before. Just let it rot there!"

That's obviously not going to work. Chi Honghai knows exactly what kind of dirty tricks he's been up to. How can the county magistrate be at ease if he doesn't die?

"No way! We didn't manage that area in the south before, but it's still part of Xin'an County's territory, and now we have to manage it! If Xin'an County can't manage it, surely Guangzhou Prefecture can!"

The county magistrate's logic was not wrong at all. If there were any young bandits or outlaws, the county's soldiers would usually deal with them if they could handle them. However, if they encountered someone with more power, then it was indeed appropriate to call one's superiors to clean up the mess.

Even if the people from Guangzhou Prefecture were sent, the men below didn't really want the county magistrate to cause trouble for the brothers again.

However, once an official loses face, he must try to regain it. Besides, this is his own territory. If he doesn't regain his face, how can he continue to work in the officialdom, and how can he maintain his official authority in front of the people?

"Someone, prepare the carriage! I need to go to Guangzhou Prefecture to see Lord Chen!"