Chinese martial arts: From being shot and killed by the armed police during a mountain search to bec

Xu Wanqing stood in the center of the hall, her gaze sweeping over everyone present.

"The first thing," she said, her voice clear and devoid of any emotion, "is that, effective immediately, the transit tax on goods imported and exported from Sanhai County will be increased by 30%. This will be implemented at all checkpoints without exception."

A buzzing sound filled the hall.

Boss Zhao's face darkened. His family was in the foreign cloth business, with goods coming in from Guangzhou in batches of several thousand bolts. With the likin tax increased by 30%, he would have to pay an extra thousand silver dollars a year.

"The second thing," Xu Wanqing continued, "is that bandits are rampant these days, and the county needs funds to suppress them. Each business will pay a security fee based on its assets. The specific amount will be announced later."

Manager Sun couldn't sit still any longer.

He ran a rice shop, which was already on thin profit margins. If he had to pay security fees on top of that, he'd be working for nothing all year. But then he glanced at the armed soldiers around him and swallowed the words he was about to say.

"The third thing is that all mines within the territory of Sanhai County shall be taken over by the county from today, and private mining is prohibited."

These words caused an uproar in the hall. Several people present owned mines—iron mines, coal mines, limestone mines—and had invested heavily in them. To take them all away with a single sentence was tantamount to taking their lives.

"The fourth thing is that, starting this month, military pay, uniforms, and ammunition will be collected monthly. The amounts will be allocated based on assets, and the specific standards will be announced later."

As each measure was announced, the faces of the wealthy changed repeatedly.

Chen Huaijin remained seated in the corner, his expression calm, sipping his tea slowly, as if none of this concerned him.

Finally, someone couldn't hold back any longer.

Boss Li, a burly man who ran the docks, had a violent temper. He slammed his hand on the table and stood up: "Xu Wanqing, who do you think you are? What right do you, a mere woman, have to give orders here? We want to see the county magistrate!"

"Yes! We want to see the county magistrate!" Boss Zhao also stood up. "What do you, a woman, know about business?"

"Where's the county magistrate? Let the county magistrate speak!"

The hall immediately descended into chaos, with everyone talking at once and cursing.

Xu Wanqing stood there, her face gradually darkening.

She waited a moment, and when no one shut up, she suddenly grabbed the teacup on the table and smashed it on the ground.

"Snapped!"

Porcelain shards scattered everywhere.

The voice wasn't loud, but it was more effective than any shouting or cursing.

The hall fell silent instantly.

Squads of armed soldiers surged forth from all directions, their dark muzzles pointed at the heads of every soldier. The sound of bolts being pulled back echoed throughout the silent hall, particularly jarring.

The wealthy men sat frozen in their seats, their faces ashen. Several of them had trembling hands and were sweating profusely.

No one dared to speak anymore.

Chen Huaijin held the teacup with unwavering composure, not even lifting his eyelids.

Xu Wanqing's gaze swept across the faces of the crowd, a slight, smug smirk playing on her lips. She had originally planned to make an example of a few, to fire one or two outspoken individuals as a warning to others. However, she hadn't expected these wealthy people to be so shrewd; not one of them dared to actually step forward.

"What? You're not making a scene anymore?" Xu Wanqing's voice was full of sarcasm. "Weren't you quite the shouter just now? Want to shout a couple more times so that everyone outside can hear how you 'philanthropists' of Sanhai County deduct wages and use inferior materials?"

No one responded.

"Alright." Xu Wanqing waved her hand dismissively. "Sit down, everyone. The county magistrate will be here when he's done."

She turned and walked to the head seat, but instead of sitting down, she stood to the side. Her gaze swept around the hall before finally settling on Chen Huaijin.

Chen Huaijin sat in the corner, holding his teacup steadily, his face revealing neither joy nor anger.

He wore a slightly worn blue long gown, not made of the finest material, but it was clean and starched. Among the wealthy family members dressed in fine clothes, he stood out somewhat.

Xu Wanqing stared at him for a few moments, then suddenly spoke up: "Mr. Chen, you're quite patient."

Chen Huaijin raised his head, glanced at her, and smiled slightly: "My legs are my own, whether I can sit still or not is none of Miss Xu's concern."

Xu Wanqing's expression changed slightly, but she quickly regained her cold and stern demeanor.

She intended to provoke Chen Huaijin with a few more sarcastic remarks, hoping to enrage him. If he dared to slam his fist on the table and hurl insults, she was ready to turn on him on the spot. Even with dozens of guns pointed at him, any death would be considered a "sudden attack and injury, killed on the spot."

But Chen Huaijin didn't take the bait.

He picked up the teacup, slowly blew away the foam, took a sip, and acted as if he were in his own living room.

Xu Wanqing gritted her teeth, about to speak again, when footsteps suddenly came from behind the screen.

Wang Yucheng came out.

He was wearing a dark blue long gown and cloth shoes with thick soles, holding two walnuts in his hand, with a broad smile on his face.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting." Wang Yucheng cupped his hands in apology. "Something urgent came up at the yamen, so I was delayed. Please forgive me."

The wealthy people looked at each other, their expressions all saying the same thing—"Delay? You were clearly hiding in the back listening, only to come out and pretend to be a good person when things got out of hand."

But no one dared to say it aloud.

Wang Yucheng walked to the head seat and sat down. He glanced at the broken porcelain shards on the ground, frowned, and said to Xu Wanqing, "Wanqing, why did you break my teacup? How many times have I told you to talk things out and not to lose your temper so easily? You're an educated person; you should be reasonable."

Xu Wanqing lowered her head, her lips twitching slightly: "It was Wanqing's rudeness, please forgive me, County Magistrate Wang."

Wang Yucheng waved his hand and laughed, "It's nothing, it's nothing. Young people are hot-tempered. Please don't take offense. What she said just now was all a joke. I never agreed to anything about adding likin or buying up mines. She's just being silly and joking."

The wealthy families looked at each other in bewilderment.

Are you kidding me?

Boss Zhao opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.

Wang Yucheng put the walnuts on the table and clapped his hands: "Alright, alright, enough joking around, let's get down to business."

When he said the words "serious business," his tone was relaxed, but the atmosphere in the room suddenly became heavy.

"The bandit problem has been serious lately, and the county is trying to suppress them, but we don't have enough manpower or weapons," Wang Yucheng sighed. "It's tough being the county head. The higher-ups want achievements, and the lower-ups want security. I'm caught in the middle, suffering from both sides."

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and continued, "So, I'd like to ask you all for a favor. It's nothing big, just some money and grain. Not much, just a token amount from each family based on their assets."

Mr. Zhao asked cautiously, "May I ask, County Magistrate... how much is this 'little something'?"

Wang Yucheng smiled, pulled a piece of paper from his sleeve, and handed it to the clerk beside him. The clerk unfolded the paper, which was covered with dense writing.

Boss Zhao glanced at it, and his expression changed.

It's not that there aren't many, it's that there are a lot.

Although the conditions were somewhat "milder" than those Xu Wanqing had mentioned, they were still enough to severely damage every household. The tax was increased by 15%, the mines required a 50% share, and a 1% cut of assets would be paid to the military each month.

It's certainly better than Xu Wanqing's proposal. But it's not by much.

But among all the wealthy families in the hall, not a single one dared to say "no."

The previous options were like a knife to their throats, forcing them to choose between poison and arsenic. Now that Wang Yucheng had replaced the poison with arsenic, they actually felt "much better."

Wang Yucheng smiled slightly as he observed the reactions of the crowd.

Chen Huaijin observed this and sneered inwardly. This was a common tactic in officialdom—first, propose a condition that no one could accept, stirring up resistance. Then, present the real solution, which, although also harsh, seemed "fair" due to the contrast.

Wang Yucheng put the note away and smiled, "Since everyone has no objections, then it's settled. We'll have our staff handle the specific amounts later."

No one dared to say "no".

Wang Yucheng changed the subject, saying, "There's one more thing. My son and Miss Xu are getting married on the eighth day of next month. I would like to invite you all to join us for a celebratory drink."

The wealthy people's expressions changed again.

They call it a wedding banquet, but it's clearly just a pretext to make money. You'll have to give gifts and donate money, which will cost you a fortune.

But having learned their lesson, no one dared to utter a word this time.

"I'll definitely be there, I'll definitely be there." Boss Zhao took the lead, clasping his hands in a fist salute and forcing a smile.

"Congratulations, County Magistrate Wang! Congratulations, Miss Xu!" Shopkeeper Sun chimed in.

Everyone echoed their agreement, and the room was filled with compliments, as if nothing had happened.

Wang Yucheng nodded in satisfaction, picked up his teacup, and said, "Then it's settled. Take care, everyone. I won't see you off."

The wealthy households felt as if they had been granted a pardon and rose to take their leave.

Chen Huaijin was the last to stand up. He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture to Wang Yucheng, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

Xu Wanqing stood to the side, watching his back, a cold smile on her lips.

"Mr. Chen, take care." Her voice came from behind, tinged with a hint of smugness.

Chen Huaijin did not stop walking.

As they exited the county government gate, Boss Zhao caught up from behind: "Brother Chen, shall we go together?"

Chen Huaijin shook his head: "No, I have something to do. Let's get together another day."

Boss Zhao didn't insist. He sighed, shook his head, and got into his own carriage.

Several other wealthy households also emerged one after another; some boarded carriages, some sat in sedan chairs, and some walked.

No one will sit idly by and wait to die after being cut in the flesh.

Chen Huaijin stood at the entrance of the county government office, watching the people disperse in twos and threes, his face calm.

He got into his car and drove back to the Chen family home. As he entered the gate, the butler greeted him, but he waved him off, saying, "Don't follow me."

Chen Huaijin locked himself in his room and bolted the door from the inside.

He stayed in the room for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, and when he came out, he had changed his clothes. He wore a short blue cloth jacket, black cloth trousers, an old felt hat, and a fake beard pasted on his face.

He lowered his head, slipped out from a corner of the Chen family mansion, passed through several dark alleys, and made several turns before quickening his pace after confirming that no one was following him.

It was completely dark, and there were few pedestrians on the street. He walked into a quiet alley, at the end of which was a bookstore that had already closed. The door was locked, and the windows were dark, indicating that it had been closed for a long time.

Chen Huaijin walked to the door, raised his right hand, and tapped the door panel with his fingers in a special rhythm.

Three fast, two slow, one pause, one quick.

Slight footsteps came from behind the door. The door was opened a crack, revealing the face of a middle-aged man.

The man's eyes lit up when he saw Chen Huaijin, and a smile appeared on his lips. He opened the door and stepped aside to let Chen Huaijin in.

"Brother Chen, you've finally made up your mind." The middle-aged man closed the door, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of joy.

There were no books in the bookstore, only a kerosene lamp, a few chairs, and a long table. On the table were several maps and a letter.

Chen Huaijin took off his felt hat, exhaled a long breath, and his gaze fell on the letter.

"Speak," he said, pulling out a chair and sitting down. "What terms can you offer me?"