Han Ji

"Who should I look for?"

"Xianhe and Zijing," Liu Bei began writing, "they are in Zhuojun; it's time for them to go out and see the world."

The two letters were sent out that same day.

A letter was sent to Jian Yong, urging him to come to Luoyang immediately. Jian Yong was adept at social maneuvering and well-versed in the ways of the common people, making him suitable for handling civil disputes.

A letter was sent to Qian Zhao, urging him to come at all costs. Qian Zhao was highly skilled in martial arts, upright in character, and capable of managing public order and arrests.

After sending the letter, Liu Bei began preparations for taking office.

He changed into civilian clothes, took Zhang Wu with him, and toured all the wards in the north. From the most bustling East Market to the most chaotic foot of Beiman Mountain, he observed the various aspects of life in the city and listened to the people's discussions.

After ten days, I had a better understanding of the situation.

On October 15th, Liu Bei officially took office.

The Northern Commandant's Office was located in Yonghe Lane in the north of the city, and it was a three-courtyard complex. Two newly painted flagstones stood in front of the gate, and the copper rings on the gate were as bright as gold.

When Liu Bei led Zhang Wu inside, the courtyard was quiet. Several clerks were sunbathing under the eaves. When they saw them enter in their official robes, they quickly stood up and bowed.

"Liu, the Commandant." An old official with a goatee stepped forward. "My surname is Li, and I am the Chief Clerk here. Commandant Guo... After Commandant Guo left, there has been no one in charge here."

"Summon everyone." Liu Bei looked around the courtyard. "Assemble in the front hall."

Li Gongcao hesitated for a moment, but still went.

A quarter of an hour later, more than twenty clerks and runners gathered in the front hall. They stood crookedly, their eyes revealing indifference.

Liu Bei stood in front of the hall, his gaze sweeping over everyone.

"From this day forward, I, Liu Bei, shall be the Northern Commandant." His voice was not loud, but clear. "I care not about the past. But from now on, everything shall be done according to the law and the rules."

Someone scoffed.

Looking over, Liu Bei saw a burly head constable.

"What are you laughing at?"

The head constable said nonchalantly, "Liu, you're new here and don't know the rules. In the north, just talking about the law doesn't work."

"Oh?" Liu Bei walked up to him. "Then tell me, what should we do?"

"It depends on the person," the head constable grinned. "There are some people you can't touch; there are some things you can't control. If you just turn a blind eye, everyone can live in peace, isn't that better?"

A few laughs echoed in the hall.

Liu Bei looked at him and suddenly asked, "What's your name?"

"Wang Kui, everyone calls me Boss Wang."

"Wang Kui," Liu Bei nodded, "From today onwards, you are no longer the head of the errands. Go to the Registrar's office to collect your salary for this month, and you don't need to come in tomorrow."

The hall fell silent instantly.

Wang Kui's eyes widened: "You... what gives you the right?"

"Because I am the Northern Commandant," Liu Bei turned to the others, "who else thinks that the rules here shouldn't be followed according to the law? Step forward now, and I'll deal with them all."

Nobody moved.

Wang Kui's face flushed red as he pointed at Liu Bei: "You...you dare! Do you know who my brother-in-law is? He is..."

"I don't care who he is," Liu Bei interrupted him. "Here, I am the Commandant. My word is law."

He looked at Li Gongcao and said, "Li Gongcao, do as instructed."

Li Gongcao's forehead was beaded with sweat as he nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes..."

Wang Kui was about to cause trouble when Zhang Wu stepped forward and placed his hand on the hilt of his knife. Wang Kui glanced at Zhang Wu's muscular physique, swallowed hard, and walked away grumbling.

The hall was deathly silent.

Liu Bei walked back to the front of the hall and looked at the remaining people: "Is anyone else leaving?"

No one spoke.

"Alright." Liu Bei nodded. "Since you're staying, correct all your old bad habits. From today onwards, report for duty at 5:00 AM every day. Those who are late will have their salary deducted; those who drink alcohol or gamble while on duty will be dismissed; those who accept bribes or abuse their power will be severely punished according to the law."

He paused for a moment: "But if you do your jobs diligently, I won't treat you unfairly. Your salaries will be paid on time, and you'll be rewarded for your contributions. Do you all understand?"

"Understood..." The voices were uneven.

"Speak louder!"

"Understood!" This time it was more orderly.

"Disperse," Liu Bei waved his hand. "Li Gongcao, stay."

After everyone left, only Liu Bei, Zhang Wu, and Li Gongcao remained in the hall.

Li Gongcao wiped his sweat: "Commander, you... you're too hasty. Wang Kui's brother-in-law is a eunuch in the Western Garden. Although his official rank isn't high, he's still someone from the palace..."

"I know." Liu Bei sat down. "That's why we have to make an example of him first. We'll kill him to warn others, to let them know that here, I don't recognize relationships, I only recognize the law."

Li Gongcao smiled wryly: "Commander, that's true, but the north is a place with very complex relationships. If you mess with Wang Kui today, someone might come looking for trouble tomorrow."

"Let them come." Liu Bei looked at him. "Li Gongcao, I've checked your resume. You've worked in the Northern Commandery for twelve years, going through six different commanders. Yet you've managed to stay in the position of Gongcao all this time, which shows you understand the rules and know how to survive in the cracks."

Li Gongcao's expression changed.

"I don't ask you to fight on the front lines for me," Liu Bei said, his tone softening. "I only ask that you do your job well and manage what you're supposed to manage. I'll handle the rest."

Li Gongcao remained silent for a long time before finally bowing and saying, "This humble servant... obeys."

"Alright." Liu Bei stood up. "Bring me the files from the past few years; I want to see them."

"Yes."

After Li Gongcao left, Zhang Wu whispered, "Doctor, is this old man reliable?"

"He's unreliable." Liu Bei walked to the window and looked at the courtyard. "But he's familiar with this place, so we'll have to use him for now. Once Xianhe and Zijing arrive, we'll gradually replace him."

Outside the window, autumn leaves are falling.

He has now secured the position of Northern Commandant.

How long they can stay in this position depends on what they do next.

Trouble started on his third day in office.

It's a land dispute. There's a piece of land in Yongping Lane in the north of the city, which was originally a vegetable garden for a few poor families. A few days ago, a merchant surnamed Zheng took a liking to it and wanted to buy it to build a warehouse. The poor families refused to sell, so Mr. Zheng hired a group of thugs to bulldoze the vegetable garden in the middle of the night.

The poor people filed a complaint with the Commandant's Office.

Li Gongcao, holding the petition, looked troubled: "Commander, this Zheng merchant is the nephew of Zhang Changshi of the Western Garden. You know Zhang Changshi, right? A favorite of His Majesty..."

"I accept the petition." Liu Bei took the petition. "Summon the plaintiff and defendant. Court will be held tomorrow."

"Commander, please think it over!" Li Gongcao urged. "These kinds of cases have always been handled by appeasement. If you really insist on handling this, you'll offend Zhang Changshi, and then..."

"We'll talk about the future later," Liu Bei interrupted him. "Go and summon someone."

Li Gongcao sighed and left.

Zhang Wu asked with some concern, "Doctor, should we speak to Master Lu first?"

"No need." Liu Bei flipped through the files. "My teacher sent me to the north to handle some business. If I have to ask for instructions on everything, what's the point of getting anything done?"

The court session was held the following day.

The plaintiffs were three elderly farmers who knelt below the court, weeping and lamenting the destruction of their vegetable garden and their loss of livelihood. The defendant, a businessman named Zheng, did not come; he only sent a steward.

The steward held his head high and handed over a land deed: "Captain, please take a look. My master bought this land a long time ago, and there is a land deed to prove it."

Liu Bei took the land deed and examined it carefully. The date was three months prior, and the seller's signature... was three completely unfamiliar names.

"Plaintiff," he looked at the old farmer, "are you the seller listed on this land deed?"

"No, Commandant!" the old farmer kowtowed repeatedly. "Our ancestors have lived there for generations, and we've never sold our land! This land deed is fake!"