Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

No sooner had the portly village head finished speaking than the door to the side hall was pushed open.

With a creak, the door hinges clicked open, and Liu Bang strode in.

He was wearing a brand-new black robe for the Sishui Pavilion Chief, with a crisp collar but slightly wrinkled cuffs from his journey. His robe was still damp with morning dew, and his forehead was slightly wet, clearly indicating that he had been traveling.

Liu Bang still wore that carefree smile, his eyes crinkling with a hint of nonchalance. He glanced around, then met Xiao He's gaze at the head of the table. Only then did he soften his expression, step forward, and gracefully bow.

"Officer Xiao, I am truly sorry. I arrived a little late. I was halfway there when I suddenly felt the urge to relieve myself, so I found the nearest outhouse and was delayed for a moment. I apologize for keeping you all waiting."

Those inside the hall exchanged glances, seemingly somewhat surprised. The fat pavilion chief even slightly pursed his lips and let out a very soft snort, but remained silent.

Xiao He took in everything. He gently stroked the wood grain of the table with his fingertips, said nothing, and simply pointed to the empty seat at the very end of the line: "Stand still."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bang obediently stood in the empty seat at the very end of the line, still with his usual unserious demeanor, his shoulders slightly relaxed, his steps casual. As he stood there, he quickly glanced at the fat pavilion chief in the instant he turned around, a dark glint flashing in his eyes, which was then covered by a nonchalant smile before he turned back to face the person.

After Liu Bang had taken his place, Xiao He gently tapped the table and continued, "Now that everyone is here, I will speak frankly."

He raised his hand and picked up the official document from the table, slowly unfolding it so that everyone could clearly see the first line: "The Prefectural Governor of Sishui issues this edict to the Magistrate of Pei County: The Prime Minister's edict has arrived, and the edict reads..."

Xiao He put down the official document and said solemnly:

"This order is different from the previous ones. It is not an ordinary order to supervise thieves, but an imperial edict from the Prime Minister's Office, which will be sent directly to each county. The King is furious and is pressing us at every level. This is not something that we can easily deal with."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

The old village chiefs looked at each other, one of them swallowed hard, and the fat man's disdain faded, replaced by a look of seriousness.

Xiao He observed their reactions, his tone remaining calm: "This time, the higher-ups aren't just going through the motions. If you do a good job, I will report the credit truthfully, and you won't be shortchanged in the slightest. But if you botch it—"

He paused, his gaze seemingly lingering on the fat village head's face for a moment: "Dismissal and imprisonment are the least of my worries. Don't blame me for not warning you beforehand."

The portly village head blushed under his gaze, feeling somewhat embarrassed, and muttered a resentful undertone:

"We have never been perfunctory in our work; we have always done our best in everything we do."

"Oh?"

Xiao He's gaze immediately locked onto him: "What did Chief Qian say? I didn't hear you clearly. Are you willing to take the lead and accept this task?"

"No, no, no!"

The portly pavilion chief waved his hands repeatedly, and unconsciously took a half step back.

Realizing his reaction was somewhat awkward, he quickly forced a smile and tried to make amends:

"My lord Xiao, it's not that I'm unwilling to take responsibility, but I've been in the position of village head for many years. Every day, I'm surrounded by weddings, funerals, and trivial disputes in the village. The pile of work on my hands is huge, and I simply can't spare the time. If I were to rashly accept the order, it would only delay this top priority and implicate the county. Wouldn't that be a grave offense for me?"

He spoke eloquently, but in his heart he was calculating everything.

He may be greedy for credit, but he's not stupid!

He only had a few officers and soldiers under his command, which was enough to catch some petty thieves and label them as thieves in the past, but this time it was clear that they were serious.

Where was their biggest bandit stronghold in Pei County? Mangdang Mountain!

That place is mountainous and densely forested, with ravines and gullies. Once bandits disappear into the mountains, they can't even be found. If I lead people in, it's another matter whether I can wipe out the bandits. The most important thing is whether I can get out alive.

No wonder they suddenly had to send all the pavilion chiefs over. I reckon they'll also have to send county soldiers. Even if they manage to accomplish this task with all their might, Xiao He says he's not greedy for credit, and I believe him. But how many people in the court and county government are eyeing this credit?

He wouldn't do something so foolish as to claim the credit while he, the village head, would be the one to die.

No, he absolutely cannot take the lead on this task!

When the time comes, he'll bring a few of his underlings, have a little sparring, and then save his own life.

"Does Chief Qian mean... he's unwilling to take responsibility?"

Xiao He's tone suddenly turned somber, his gaze fixed on the plump village head, Qian Shi, and the atmosphere around him suddenly became tense.

"Now that things have come to this, you're just making excuses. Could it be that you see I'm not the head of a county and are deliberately trying to evade the issue, unwilling to give me, Xiao, any face?"

The last syllable was slightly drawn out, and the words were spoken slowly and deliberately, yet each word carried an invisible pressure, weighing on Qian Tingzhang's heart like a weight.

Qian Tingzhang's heart skipped a beat, and he panicked instantly.

Everyone knows that Xiao Yuan has deep roots and outstanding abilities in Pei County. He can navigate the officialdom and keep local forces in check. The new magistrate relies heavily on him. Who in Pei County would dare not give him face?

Chief Qian dared not argue further, and hurriedly put on a smile, cupped his hands in a bow, and said in an extremely obsequious tone: "Minister Xiao, please calm down! How could I dare to be perfunctory? It's just... it's just that I've been lacking in energy lately, and I'm afraid that if I take on this important task, I'll mess it up and fail to live up to your trust, and delay the official business of the county office!"

Having said that, his eyes darted around slyly, his gaze quickly sweeping across the hall before landing directly on Liu Bang, who stood silently behind him. A plan immediately formed in his mind, and he quickly continued, following the lead of his words:

"However, I am eager to share your burdens, and I would like to recommend an excellent candidate capable of undertaking this important task of suppressing bandits!"

After saying this, Qian Tingzhang turned sideways and walked past everyone in the hall, straight to Liu Bang. He raised his hand to pat Liu Bang's shoulder, but Liu Bang dodged it without making a sound.

He wasn't annoyed, but pretended not to notice. He turned to Xiao He at the head of the table, raised his hand, pointed directly at Liu Bang, and said loudly:

"Xiao Yuan, that's him, Liu Ji, the head of Sishui Pavilion. He's young and strong, quite capable, and new to the post, so he needs more experience. In my opinion, this leadership position is perfect for him!"

Upon hearing this, the other pavilion chiefs in the hall all breathed a sigh of relief and nodded in agreement, eager to push this hot potato to Liu Bang as soon as possible.

"A bunch of old foxes, they only think of me now?" Liu Bang cursed inwardly, but still stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said:

"Clerk Xiao, Liu Ji is willing to take on this responsibility, but he is new here and lacks manpower, so I'm afraid he... may not be able to handle it."

Qian, the pavilion chief, instantly looked pale. He was about to reprimand him for his evasiveness when Liu Bang changed the subject:

"However! If each pavilion can spare some veteran soldiers for my command, I, Liu, will devote myself wholeheartedly, even unto death, to eradicate the bandits!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao He slowly turned his gaze to the portly village head: "Village Head Qian, what do you think of this...?"

Although it was phrased as an inquiry, it carried an undeniable air of non-negotiability.

Qian, the pavilion chief, gritted his teeth, his face twitching. He cursed Liu Bang countless times in his heart, but he had no choice but to agree.

"Well... since it's for official business, it's only right that each pavilion selects a few veteran soldiers."

"Excellent!" Xiao He nodded. "Chief Qian is very understanding. Since it's for the public good, to avoid any mishaps, let Chief Liu select the men himself. What does Chief Qian think?"

Qian, the pavilion chief, nodded hurriedly, forcing a smile: "Of course, it's for official business."

Liu Bang readily bowed and thanked him, saying, "Then thank you very much, Chief Qian. For the sake of official business, I'm sure Chief Qian will be at my beck and call and provide your full assistance in the future bandit suppression campaign, right?"

Qian Tingzhang was practically grinding his teeth to powder, but he dared not retaliate. He could only force a stiff smile and mechanically nod in agreement.

"That's natural, we should cooperate, we should cooperate."

Seeing that the two had finalized their arguments, Xiao He spoke up at the opportune moment, ending the tug-of-war:

"In that case, the task is settled. All of you village chiefs may disperse and return to your posts to await orders. I have other important matters to attend to and need to discuss some details of the bandit suppression with Village Chief Liu. I will not see you off."

"You've worked hard, Clerk Xiao." "Please wait, Clerk Xiao." "We'll take our leave."

The old village chiefs, eager to escape, were overjoyed at the news and readily bowed and took their leave.

Liu Bang watched their hasty retreat with great interest, then added at the top of his lungs:

"Please wait a moment, everyone. Don't forget to call out to my brother, Liu, so I can go and learn from him!"

The footsteps of the several pavilion chiefs stopped in unison, then quickened again. Chief Qian almost tripped over the threshold, staggered, grabbed the door frame, and disappeared outside without looking back.

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The voting results are in! As expected, two candidates won. So, if there are any extra chapters in the future, it will be an extra chapter of the main text. To thank everyone for their support, I'll be adding an extra chapter of the main text today! (￣▽￣) ノ

And thank you to everyone who voted for the first chapter! I saw some people saying they were itching to finish the story, so I'm adding an extra chapter today to satisfy everyone. Then just wait for the main story to end! (〃＾∇＾)o

However, these two bonus chapters will probably be released late at night, so please don't stay up late and read them together tomorrow morning.

After the exams, my sleep schedule is all messed up again, sob sob sob~ I have to readjust it all again, it's so hard.