I attained immortality through meditation in the Great Qian Dynasty.

"But strangely enough..."

Zhao Zian then changed the subject.

"The village paid 30% more taxes last year than in previous years."

"As far as I know, there was no drought or flood last year, and the imperial court did not impose any additional taxes."

"Where did the extra 30% go?"

The villagers whispered among themselves.

Li Gui's face was somewhat pale.

"Scholar, perhaps the subordinates have miscalculated the accounts?"

"Did you miscalculate?"

"Lord Village Head, this account book was personally stamped by you."

Zhao Zian has always had a good memory.

"Furthermore, regarding the corvée labor, before last year's autumn harvest, the county government ordered the conscription of laborers to repair the official road."

"Each household must provide one able-bodied man, or pay five qian of silver as a payment for corvée labor."

"Our village has a total of 120 households. The village head reported to the county government that 80 able-bodied men were conscripted and 40 taels of silver were collected as compensation."

What happened to the six people who went to repair the road that day?

"Where did the extra twenty taels of silver for labor service go?"

Li Gui's face was covered in sweat.

"And the village's public accounts."

Zhao Zian said.

"Every year, the ancestral hall is repaired, the clan school charges tuition fees, and the village digs wells and repairs canals, which also bring in a lot of income."

"The pond at the east end of the village broke down the year before last. According to the village rules, each household should pay 35 taels of silver based on the amount of land they owned. The village head said that he only collected 20 taels, which was not enough to repair it."

"I fixed it myself later. Where did the fifteen taels of silver go?"

The villagers were very excited.

"This is all Li Gui's doing! My family paid three hundred coins for the riverbank repairs! That heartless bastard!"

Li Gui kicked Wang the butcher in the back of the leg, who was waiting to watch the show.

"You heartless, despicable beast!"

"It's all your fault, you filthy slut! If you hadn't been unable to control what's in your pants, things wouldn't have come to this! And you dare to drag me into this!"

"Guards! What are you all standing there for! Tie this lawless wretch up! Take him to the authorities! To the county yamen!"

"Let's just say he forcibly took a woman; his crime deserves to be punished!"

Butcher Wang never expected such a turn of events.

"Village head, you...you clearly accepted my money..."

"shut up!"

Li Gui kicked him hard again.

"You dare to slander me and defame my innocence!"

He took out a few pieces of silver from his pocket.

"Look, everyone! This is the dirty money he tried to bribe me with, which I firmly refused! I, Li Gui, have lived in this village for decades, when have I ever colluded with such a rogue? Send him to the authorities! This kind of troublemaker must be severely punished!"

Several young men tied Wang the butcher up tightly with hemp rope.

Butcher Wang started cursing.

"Li Gui, you old bastard who discards his tools after they've served their purpose! That's not what you said when you took the money! You're worse than a pig or a dog!"

Zhao Zian never intended to actually do anything to Li Gui.

It's not difficult to overthrow a village head; the real challenge is creating a power vacuum in the village afterward.

The infighting among the various factions will only create more chaos.

My future is more important; I have no energy left to waste in this quagmire.

"Lord Satomasa."

Li Gui's body trembled.

"What are your orders, Zi'an?"

Zhao Zian spoke calmly.

"Lord Village Head, you flatter me."

"Butcher Wang forcibly abducted a woman, corrupting local morals; this is indeed a serious crime."

"Since there are both witnesses and physical evidence, it should naturally be handed over to the county government so that the county magistrate can punish him according to the law and serve as a warning to others."

Send to official?

Sending someone to the authorities means they will be brought to court and interrogated.

That idiot Wang the butcher has a mouth like a cotton waistband; he'll blurt out anything if you scare him.

If he were to reveal that he was taking bribes, it wouldn't be as simple as just losing his position as village head!

But when she met Zhao Zian's eyes, all the words stuck in her throat.

Zhao Zian wasn't discussing it with him.

This is an order.

"Zi'an is right! He's absolutely right!"

"Such scoundrels must not be tolerated! Men! Tie him up a couple more times! Take him to the county office right now! Tell the magistrate that Li Family Village will not tolerate such vile and despicable people!"

Several young men pushed and shoved Wang the butcher towards the village entrance.

Zhao Zian walked up to his sister-in-law.

"Sister-in-law, let's go home."

Zhao Zian supported her elbow.

Li Suqin's weak legs regained some strength.

My home is very close, just a few dozen steps away.

The door was closed by Zhao Zian's heel.

Li Suqin threw herself into his arms.

"Waaah..."

She buried her face in Zhao Zi'an's arms and let out a low sob.

Zhao Zian's body stiffened for a moment.

The person in his arms trembled incessantly, her arms tightly wrapped around his waist.

He could feel her soft, supple breasts pressed tightly against him, so elastic.

"Sister-in-law, it's alright now."

"I'm so scared..."

Li Suqin's voice has a slightly nasal quality.

"Zi'an, I'm so scared..."

Zhao Zian patted her on the back.

The baby in my arms cried out silently, with only a few soft sobs remaining.

Zhao Zian stepped back slightly and put his arm around her shoulder.

Li Suqin lowered her head, not daring to look at him. Her small face, no bigger than a palm, was streaked with tears, making her look pitiful.

"Sister-in-law, look at me."

Li Suqin obediently raised her head.

Eyes facing each other.

"We can't stay in this place any longer."

"I went to town today."

"I looked at a house in the south of the city."

Li Suqin stared at him blankly.

"The house isn't big; it's a small courtyard with two sections. In the front are the main hall and two side rooms, and in the back there's a small side courtyard with a small annex room, which can be used as a kitchen."

"Most importantly, there is a well in the yard, so it's convenient to fetch water ourselves and we don't have to squeeze with other people at the village entrance anymore."

"I've already bought it."

"You bought it?" Li Suqin stammered. "Then...how much did it cost?"

"Sister-in-law, you don't need to worry about the money."

Zhao Zian did not explain where the money came from.

"I've had the house thoroughly cleaned, and new bedding, tables, and chairs have been provided. We'll move in first thing tomorrow morning."

So fast?

"Zi'an," her voice trembled, "are we just leaving like this? The fields in the village, the things at home..."

"Just rent out the land through someone. Take only the essentials with you from home; leave the rest behind."

Li Suqin nodded.

"it is good."

Dinner consisted of two dishes and a soup: one plate of scrambled eggs, one plate of green vegetables, and a clear soup made with scallions.

"Sister-in-law, eat more." Zhao Zian picked up an egg with his chopsticks and put it in her bowl.

Li Suqin responded with a "Mm".

This feeling is strange.

In the past, she made all the decisions, big and small, for the family.

Zhao Zian was in poor health and his mind was entirely focused on his books, so he knew nothing about household affairs.

But now, it seems their positions have been reversed.

He became the backbone of the group.

Li Suqin was clearing away the dishes when Zhao Zian stood up.

"Sister-in-law, I'm going out for a bit."

"Where to?"

"Go find Li Gui."

Zhao Zian's voice came from the doorway.

"Have him rent out all the fields and houses in the house. Lock the door, I'll be back soon."

Zhao Zian walked to the door of Li Guiyuan and knocked.