Start with acting, and you'll achieve immortality!

"Zizhi, I have an important task to attend to, and after much thought, I feel most at ease entrusting it to you."

"Please speak, sir; I will certainly do my utmost."

"In Qingxi Township, south of the city, the autumn tax has been delayed this year."

"The local gentry, Liu Dabazi, is a tough nut to crack; he even broke the legs of the constables sent by the yamen."

"He even dares to beat up the yamen runners? This Liu the Scarface has some nerve."

"That's why I'm sending you."

"Now that you are the head of the ceremonial office and are highly regarded by the prefect, I imagine that Liu the Scarface will have to give you some face."

Chen Rang sat in the armchair in the back office, holding a teacup in his hand, a gentle smile on his face.

Li Ping stood before the desk, head bowed, his expression respectful, but inwardly he was sneering.

That old fox finally couldn't resist making a move.

Qingxi Township is nestled against the Wanzhong Mountains, where the mountain roads are rugged and bandits are frequently seen.

Liu the Scarface was ostensibly a local gentry, but in reality, he was Hu Guan's informant planted outside the mountains.

He kept dozens of thugs under his command.

Chen Rang sent a newly appointed clerk to urge the delivery of grain, without even dispatching a single soldier.

They clearly wanted to use Liu Dabazi to silently eliminate this thorn in their side.

"Rest assured, sir, I will set off tomorrow and will certainly collect the autumn tax."

Li Ping cupped his hands in agreement.

"Good! Zizhi is indeed courageous. I await your good news at the county office."

Chen Rang put down his teacup, a barely perceptible glint of coldness flashing in his eyes.

After leaving the back office, Li Ping immediately returned to the document room.

"Sir, are you really going to Qingxi Township?"

Upon hearing the news, Qian Duo was so anxious that he stomped his feet.

"That Liu the Scarface is ruthless. Two years ago, there was a clerk who was in charge of collecting grain taxes."

"He tied her to a tree and left her to bake in the sun for three days and three nights; she was baked alive to death."

"The magistrate is clearly sending you to your death!"

"Sending them to their deaths?"

Li Ping sneered and sat down in the chair.

"He wanted to use someone else to do his dirty work, so I took the knife from him and plunged it into his heart."

He looked at Shi Gan sitting to the side.

"Shi Gan, take a few skilled brothers and sneak into Qingxi Township tonight."

"Find out where Liu Dabazi lives and how many men he has."

"Yes, sir."

Shi Gan clasped his hands in a fist salute, then turned and left.

Li Ping then looked at Qian Duo.

"You have plenty of money. Go to the official granary and find Uncle Zhou. Take ten shi of grain, put it in a cart, and come with me to Qingxi Township tomorrow."

Qian Duo was somewhat puzzled

"Sir, we're going to collect grain, why do we need to bring grain with us?"

This is called "testing the waters".

A glint of light flashed in Li Ping's eyes.

"Those men under Liu Da Bazi only follow him for a living."

"Bringing our own food will save us a lot of trouble."

next morning

Li Ping rode his horse, accompanied by Qian Duo and a cart loaded with grain, slowly making his way towards Qingxi Township.

Qingxi Township is located in a remote area, surrounded by barren mountains, with weeds growing on both sides of the road.

As soon as we entered the village, we saw several men with fierce expressions and wooden sticks blocking the road.

"Stop! What are you doing?"

The one-eyed man at the head of the group shouted sternly.

Li Ping dismounted, a smile spreading across his face, and clasped his hands in greeting.

"I am Li Ping, the chief clerk of the county government office. I have come to pay my respects to Lord Liu on the orders of the county magistrate."

The one-eyed man glanced at the grain on the cart, then at Li Ping's thin frame, and let out a sneer.

"An official from the county government? Haha, I just interrupted one a few days ago, and today they've sent over another delicate-skinned one."

"They even brought food? Could it be to offer it as tribute to my master?"

"Exactly."

Li Ping smiled and pointed to the cart.

"I heard that Qingxi Township suffered a disaster this year and the people are living in poverty, so I brought ten bushels of moldy grain for the villagers to try."

The one-eyed man walked over with some suspicion, used the tip of his knife to pry open the sack, grabbed a handful of grain, and examined it.

Although the grains were somewhat dark, they were indeed edible food.

"You're smart to come with us!"

The one-eyed man waved his hand and led Li Ping and his group toward the largest mansion in the village.

Inside the Liu family mansion

Liu the Scarface was sitting in the courtyard drinking tea, the long scar on his face looking somewhat ferocious in the sunlight.

Upon seeing Li Ping enter, he didn't even stand up, but merely glanced at him sideways.

"Lord Li, the county magistrate sent you here, surely not again for those few hundred bushels of autumn tax?"

"Mr. Liu is joking."

Li Ping sat down on the stone bench nearby and poured himself a cup of tea.

"I've come today not to discuss autumn taxes, but solely to discuss business."

Liu the Scarface was stunned for a moment, then sneered.

"Business? What business could a mere clerk like you possibly have with me?"

"I can ensure that Master Liu's men have a full meal every day."

Li Ping pointed to the handcart outside the courtyard.

"These ten bushels of grain are merely a small gift to mark our meeting."

"From now on, the administrative office can allocate 50 shi of moldy grain to Qingxi Township every month, at half the market price."

Liu Dabazi's eye twitched.

In these desolate mountains and wilderness, grain is far more precious than silver.

Fifty shi of grain a month was enough for him to support dozens more men and become a local tyrant in Qingxi Township.

"Lord Li, this gift you've given is quite substantial; I'm afraid it won't be so easy for you to accept it?"

Liu Dabazi pressed the short knife at his waist, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes.

"Master Liu is a straightforward man."

Li Ping spoke in a soft tone

"I only need one thing—the household registration records of Qingxi Township, to be re-registered by the clerk."

"From now on, the taxes and grain levies of Qingxi Township will be collected directly by the clerk's office, without going through the registrar's office."

Liu the Scarface stared at Li Ping as if he were looking at a madman.

This kid actually wants to separate Qingxi Township from the county government's jurisdiction and turn it into his own territory.

"Lord Li, you have quite the appetite."

"But what makes you think I'd listen to you?"

Liu Dabazi suddenly stood up, and immediately more than twenty men wielding knives rushed out from all around the courtyard, surrounding Li Ping.

Qian Duo was so frightened that his face turned pale and he almost collapsed to the ground.

Li Ping remained seated on the stone bench, not even lifting his eyelids, merely tapping the tabletop lightly.

"Master Liu, do you really think your men can withstand my blade?"

The voice hasn't fallen

Several muffled thuds suddenly came from the courtyard wall.

Three men armed with crossbows fell from the wall, each with a short steel arrow lodged in their neck.

Shi Gan, leading a dozen or so men dressed in black and armed with short crossbows, scaled the courtyard wall from all sides and aimed their crossbows at Liu Dabazi and his men.

These short crossbows were purchased from the black market by Shi Gan at Li Ping's request. Although their range was short, they were extremely powerful at close range.

Liu Dabazi's face immediately changed.

He hadn't expected that this seemingly simple document would harbor so many skilled fighters, each equipped with a short crossbow from the army.

"Master Liu, I have come with sincerity."

Li Ping stood up, walked over to Liu Dabazi, and patted him on the shoulder.

"If you agree, we'll share happiness and good fortune from now on."

"If you don't agree, Qingxi Township may have to change hands today."

Liu Dabazi looked around at the cold crossbow muzzles.

Looking again at Li Ping's eerily calm eyes, a layer of cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

He knew that if he said "no" today, the house would instantly turn into ruins.

"Lord Li... your methods are brilliant, I admit defeat."

Liu Dabazi gritted his teeth and clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"From now on, in Qingxi Township, we shall obey the adults."

"good!"

Li Ping laughed and pulled Liu Dabazi's hand to sit down.

"Master Liu is indeed a wise and shrewd man who knows when to seize opportunities."

"You have plenty of money. Take out the register and help Master Liu re-register his household registration."

Half an hour later, Li Ping returned with the newly registered household register.

The tax and grain receipt, personally signed by Liu Dabazi, slowly departed from Qingxi Township.

This time, he not only survived, but also won over the rural forces of Qingxi Township, extending his influence beyond the county seat.

It was already late at night when I returned to the county government office.

In the back room, Chen Rang sat at his desk, anxiously awaiting news.

Lin Bing stood to the side, also looking puzzled.

"Sir, that boy should have arrived in Qingxi Township this afternoon, so why hasn't he sent any news yet? Could it be that..."

Just then, a light footstep sounded outside the door.

Li Ping pushed open the door and walked in, looking somewhat travel-worn, but carrying a thick stack of booklets in his hands.

"My lord, I have not failed in my mission."

Li Ping walked to the desk, placed the booklet on it, and wore a gentle smile.

"The autumn taxes of Qingxi Township have all been collected by the younger generation, and the written receipt is here."

"Furthermore, that Liu the Scarface, grateful for your kindness, specifically asked me to pass on a message to you."

Chen Rang stared at the document on the table, his eye twitching violently.

He looked at Li Ping with some disbelief.

This kid actually managed to collect the autumn tax? And without a single loss?

"What message did he bring?"

Chen Rang's voice was a little dry.

Li Ping leaned closer, lowered his voice, and whispered in Chen Rang's ear.

"Liu the Scarface said that from now on, the tax grain from Qingxi Township will definitely be delivered on time."

"However, he asked the junior to convey his message to the master."

"The roads in these mountains are slippery. When you send people to the countryside in the future, you must choose someone who is agile, lest they fall and die on the way and there is no one to collect their bodies."

Chen Rang's face turned deathly pale, and his hand holding the scissors trembled violently, nearly shredding a leaf of the spiritual herb.

He stared intently at Li Ping, but all he saw was a harmless smile on that handsome face.

This kid knows everything.

"Zizhi...you've worked hard, please go back and rest."

Chen Rang forced a smile and waved.

"This junior takes his leave."

Li Ping cupped his hands in greeting and turned to leave.

Watching Li Ping's departing figure, Chen Rang's scissors fell to the ground with a clatter, making a sharp, piercing sound on the bluestone slab.