Be a proper Taoist priest in The Condor Heroes

Chapter 56 The Prefect Inspects the Troops

The night was as dark as ink. The vermilion gate of the Xiangyang Prefectural Government was tightly closed, and two red lanterns swayed in the wind in front of the gate, casting a half-light and half-dark light on the plaque above the gate that read "Prefectural Government Office".

Su Yan and Su Ye, dressed in tight-fitting nighttime outfits, stood quietly outside the mansion wall, their auras concealed to the extreme, like shadows blending into the darkness.

"A visit late at night would likely make a direct meeting difficult."

Su Ye whispered, his gaze sweeping over the high walls of the mansion and the soldiers on duty, pondering a way to infiltrate.

He knew that if he rashly sneaked in, it would only arouse the suspicion of the prefect. It would be better to use the reputation of the Quanzhen Sect as a stepping stone, and then supplement it with irrefutable evidence, so as to achieve twice the result with half the effort.

After saying that, he took two steps forward and bowed to the gatekeepers.

"Please inform the Prefect of Xiangyang that Su Yan, a disciple of Qiu Chuji of the Quanzhen School, has urgent business to discuss with the Prefect of Xiangyang. It concerns the safety of the people of Xiangyang, and we hope that Your Excellency will grant me an audience as soon as possible."

The guards saw that although the two were dressed in night clothes, they had an extraordinary demeanor. In particular, Su Yan spoke with composure, and when he mentioned Qiu Chuji, he spoke with great conviction. They dared not be negligent and quickly turned around to go inside and report.

Before long, the gates of the mansion slowly opened, and a staff member dressed in a blue official robe came out to greet them, his expression somewhat scrutinizing.

"Master Su, please come with me. The Prefect is waiting in his study."

Su Yan and Su Ye followed closely behind, passing through the courtyard and corridors, and walked all the way to the study. The study was brightly lit by candlelight, and Lin Wenyan, the prefect of Xiangyang, was sitting upright at his desk. He was about forty years old, with a square face, a short beard, and sharp eyes that revealed the prudence and authority of an official.

"Are you a disciple of the Quanzhen Sect?"

Lin Wenyan looked up and sized up the two men, his tone flat and lacking enthusiasm, clearly still wary of these uninvited guests who had come late at night.

"What brings you here so late at night?"

Su Yan spoke frankly.

"My lord, we have come tonight to discuss the kidnapping of Miss Wang. This case involves the Xu family of Xiangyang and the bandits of Black Wind Ridge, and there are also officials who have colluded to accept bribes. Every single matter concerns the safety of the people and we need your immediate decision."

Lin Wenyan frowned slightly, his expression dismissive.

"I have heard about the Wang family's report. The county magistrate has already reported to me that it was an ordinary robbery and is under investigation. The Xu family is a prominent family in Xiangyang. Although the bandits of Black Wind Ridge are rampant, we need evidence to support the claim that the two are colluding. You should not make a hasty judgment, Daoist."

He had his own considerations. The Xu family had deep-rooted influence in Xiangyang and was connected with officials in the court. Without solid evidence, he would not easily provoke them.

Seeing this, Su Yan didn't waste any words and gestured to Su Ye.

Su Ye stepped forward, placed the sealed sandalwood box on the table, opened the hidden clasp, and took out the account book, Zhou Cheng's handwritten confession, the Black Wolf Order, and the deeds to the money and land, arranging them one by one in front of Lin Wenyan.

"My lord, please look, this is County Magistrate Zhou Cheng's bribery ledger, which records all the details of his collusion with the Xu family over the past ten years, from tax evasion to covering up bandits' robberies, every single one is recorded; this is Zhou Cheng's handwritten confession, with his fingerprint, confessing to accepting the Xu family's gold land deeds and suppressing the Wang family's report; this Black Wolf Token is the communication certificate between the Xu family and Black Wind Ridge; as for these gold land deeds, they are the bribe that the Xu family head just gave to Zhou Cheng tonight."

Lin Wenyan's gaze fell on the ledger, and his expression grew darker as he looked at it. His fingertips twirled the yellowed pages, on which dense handwriting clearly recorded the Xu family's misdeeds over the years and Zhou Cheng's bribery details. The time, place, and amount were all clearly visible, and it was definitely not a forgery.

He picked up the confession again and examined it closely. Although Zhou Cheng's handwriting was crooked, it corroborated the contents of the account book. Coupled with the Black Wolf Order and the heavy gold land deeds, the evidence was irrefutable and left him no choice but to believe it.

"This...this is actually real!"

Lin Wenyan suddenly stood up, his face ashen, his eyes filled with shock and rage.

During his three years in Xiangyang, he was well aware of the suffering caused by the bandits in Black Wind Ridge and the power of the Xu family. However, he never imagined that the two had colluded for ten years, with the county magistrate interfering and working together to harm the people.

Taking the opportunity, Su Yan stepped forward and clearly outlined the facts of the case.

"Three months ago, Xu Chengye, the second young master of the Xu family, wanted to take Wang Xingyi, the young lady of the Wang family, as a concubine, but the Wang family refused. Xu Chengye held a grudge and took advantage of the young lady of the Wang family leaving the mansion without permission to collude with the bandits of Black Wind Ridge to ambush her at Shili Slope outside the city. Sixteen guards of the Wang family died tragically while protecting the young lady of the Wang family, and only one person managed to escape."

"When the Wang family reported the case, Zhou accepted bribes from the Xu family, deliberately made excuses, blocked the news, and prevented the government from intervening. Now, Miss Wang is imprisoned in the back village of Black Wind Ridge, and her fate is unknown. The Xu family has been raising bandits in Black Wind Ridge for many years, robbing merchants, suppressing their peers, and abducting women. The people are full of resentment, but they dare not speak out because of the Xu family's power and the protection of the government."

Su Yan's words were firm and resonant, carrying the compassion and righteousness of a monk.

"My lord, bandits have been a problem in Xiangyang for a long time. The Xu family has been abusing their power to bully the people, and now they are even colluding with officials to kill people. If this is not dealt with, not only will the people suffer, but the laws of the court will also be completely destroyed!"

Lin Wenyan remained silent, quickly weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

He knew that this case had far-reaching implications, and that the Xu family had the backing of officials in the imperial court. He feared that taking any rash action would only bring trouble upon himself.

However, if he ignored it, firstly, public resentment would boil over, and he might not be able to hold onto his position as prefect; secondly, Su Yan was a disciple of Qiu Chuji, and the Quanzhen Sect was renowned far and wide. If he could take this opportunity to befriend the Quanzhen Sect, it would greatly benefit his future career; thirdly, the bandits of Black Wind Ridge were a major threat to the imperial court. If he could take this opportunity to wipe them out, it would be a significant achievement.

Moreover, the evidence is irrefutable, and even if the Xu family has powerful connections, they cannot distort the truth.

If this case can be handled well, it will not only eliminate bandits and appease public grievances, but also demonstrate one's official conduct. Why not do it?

Thinking of this, a resolute glint flashed in Lin Wenyan's eyes, and he slammed his hand on the table.

"Outrageous! The Xu family is incredibly audacious, colluding with bandits and bribing officials—they are utterly lawless! Zhou Cheng, as an official of the imperial court, is corrupt and perverts the law, aiding and abetting evil—his crimes are even more heinous!"

He looked at Su Yan, his tone solemn.

"Rest assured, Master Su, I will handle this matter impartially! Immediately dispatch three hundred soldiers to Black Wind Ridge at dawn tomorrow to block all routes down the mountain and surround the mountain to suppress the bandits! As for the Xu family, I will send people to secretly monitor them to prevent them from tipping off the bandits or taking the opportunity to escape. After the bandits are wiped out, we will settle accounts with the Xu family for their crimes!"

He was already certain that Lin Wenyan, as the prefect, despite his concerns about officialdom, would make the right choice in the face of irrefutable evidence and the pros and cons.

Without hesitation, he revealed his plan: the official forces would surround Black Wind Ridge, completely cutting off the bandits' retreat and preventing them from scattering and escaping. He and Su Ye could go up the mountain first, sneak into the stronghold before dawn, rescue Wang Xingyi and her maid, and then restrain the bandit leader One-Eyed Dragon. Once the government troops arrived, they could attack from both sides and wipe out the bandits in one fell swoop.

"Very well, then I'll trouble Master Su to oversee this operation. You are familiar with the case and the defenses of Black Wind Ridge, so the garrison troops are at your disposal. You must rescue Miss Wang and wipe out the bandits in one fell swoop!"

Lin Wenyan immediately agreed. This Master Su must have some skills and a background in the Quanzhen Sect to dare to participate in this matter. With him in charge, the chances of winning would be greater.

Su Yan felt relieved and quickly clasped his hands in thanks.

"Thank you so much, Your Excellency, for your keen insight and for upholding justice for the people!"

In this way, there is no need to worry about the government troops attacking and harming innocent people, and the bandits have nowhere to escape, which can be described as foolproof.

Lin Wenyan immediately summoned his trusted military advisor and gave the order.

"Immediately dispatch three hundred soldiers, prepare bows and arrows, siege ladders and other siege equipment. Assemble outside the city at dawn tomorrow and head to Black Wind Ridge to block all routes down the mountain. Await Master Su's command to encircle and annihilate the bandits! In addition, send twenty elite constables to secretly monitor the Xu residence. If anyone makes any unusual movements, arrest them immediately!"

"Yes, sir!"

He dared not delay in joining the army and immediately accepted the order and left.

Lin Wenyan then looked at Su Yan, his tone earnest.

"Master Su, Black Wind Ridge is a treacherous place, and the bandits are fierce. We hope you will be extra careful. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask, and the government will do its best to cooperate."

"Don't worry, sir."

Su Yan spoke calmly, his eyes filled with certainty.

"This time, we must wipe out all the bandits of Black Wind Ridge and restore peace to the people of Xiangyang."

Su Ye also stepped forward, her tone clear and resolute.

"Sir, just instruct the soldiers to carry out the plan. Leave the rescue and bandit elimination to us."

Lin Wenyan nodded, feeling a growing respect for the two men. He knew the dangers of Black Wind Ridge well, but he hadn't expected these two to have such courage to infiltrate the bandit's lair first.

Without further ado, Su Yan and Su Ye took their leave, bowing respectfully.

"My lord, the two of us will head to Black Wind Ridge immediately and meet up with the soldiers at dawn tomorrow."

Take care on your journey!

Lin Wenyan personally escorted the two to the door of the study, watching their figures disappear into the night, secretly hoping that this encirclement would be successful in one fell swoop.

Leaving the prefect's residence, Su Yan and Su Ye moved like two wisps of smoke, speeding towards Black Wind Ridge outside the city.

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