Chapter 77: Not Ruthless Enough, Not Cruel Enough!

Just as Philanthropist Xue was frantically busy, Li Yuanjing and his companions had already loaded up their carts with large quantities of meat and goods purchased from the county town. Taking advantage of the snow still not fully melted, they left the county, skirted Tieniu Town, and were nearly at Spring Village.

By this time, Li Yuanjing had received word from Zhao Bingchun, who informed him that Xue had been thoroughly dealt with. Zhao didn’t specify why yesterday’s difficult matter became so simple today, but Li Yuanjing had his suspicions.

Most likely, it was because of the two pairs of couplets. After Zhao Bingchun showed the “Wind and Rain” couplet to the heads of the county office’s third division, they reached a consensus. After all, the artistic and commercial value of the Slender Gold Script was beyond dispute, and those couplets had proven their depth through history. If Zhao Bingchun could see their significance, how could those shrewd heads of the county office not? Naturally, they all wanted to cultivate goodwill with Li Yuanjing, hoping to request some calligraphy.

Moreover, winning Li Yuanjing’s favor might even link them, however slightly, to the renowned Murong family. Thus, this was a “multi-win” affair, and the only loser was Xue and his household.

Given that, what did a mere local gentry like Xue amount to? As for the spread of the Slender Gold Script, Li Yuanjing was not only unafraid, he was quite delighted. The more widely it circulated, the more it would highlight Li Yuanjing’s status as its “founder.” Even without copyright laws, this would elevate his influence among scholars and increase his commercial value.

In other words, expanding the market would make his future writings even more valuable. Yet, despite the ripples stirred by his trip to the county, Li Yuanjing was not the least bit proud or complacent—he was more composed than ever. With his keen perception, he sensed subtle changes in the county’s dynamics, though lacking channels for information and unable to contact Murong Kai, he could not yet discern their specifics.

At times like these, it was wise to keep a low profile, quietly amass wealth, and observe events coldly.

…

Upon returning to Spring Village, Li Yuanjing recounted the story of the third lord and the county to the old village chief, who gripped Li Yuanjing’s hand tightly, trembling with excitement.

“Yuanjing, Yuanjing, I knew it, I knew it! You’re someone with a bright future, a truly promising young man!”

But as he spoke, the old chief suddenly recalled something and whispered anxiously to Li Yuanjing, “Yuanjing, what about that scoundrel, the third lord?”

Li Yuanjing smiled, “Uncle, you needn’t worry too much. I already have a plan. Still, I’ll need your help.”

The old chief, having come to understand Li Yuanjing, nodded firmly, “Yuanjing, rest assured. Though we’re not all from one family in Spring Village, most folks will follow instructions. If anyone dares disrupt our affairs, I’ll never forgive them!”

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Just as father and son quickly agreed and prepared to solidify their internal unity, Lotus suddenly ran up, breathless.

“Brother Yuanjing, Dad, something’s wrong! Philanthropist Xue is here again, and he’s brought twenty or thirty servants—looks like trouble!”

“What?”

“That scoundrel dares come to our Spring Village?”

“Someone, go call everyone! Bring your weapons! If that scoundrel causes trouble in Spring Village today, I’ll chop him up myself!”

The old chief exploded at the news, and before Li Yuanjing could speak, he was already outside gathering people. Seeing this, Li Yuanjing shook his head, amused, but quickly composed himself and went out as well.

His experience across two lifetimes taught him: at times like these, he must remain calm, let others take the stage, and simply control the rhythm.

…

“You filthy Xue! What are you doing in our Spring Village? Get out of here!”

“Xue, you son of a dog, if you step forward, I’ll cut you down right now!”

“That’s right!”

“Now that Scholar Li is the master of Spring Village, Xue, you scoundrel, if you misbehave, be careful you won’t make it back!”

Soon, near the north gate of Spring Village, over a hundred able-bodied men had gathered, along with nearly two hundred women and youths. Led by the old chief, each wielded a long wooden staff, fierce as cocks and hens, glaring at Xue and his thirty-odd men like wolves and tigers.

It seemed a single wrong word could trigger a massacre.

“Lu Big Pipe, are you insane?”

“I’m not here to cause trouble, I’m here to visit Scholar Li. Can’t you see the generous gifts I’ve brought?”

“Look—”

“There’s a whole fat pig and half a deer here!”

Xue was nearly bursting with rage, shouting at the old chief. How could he have expected that coming to apologize to Li Yuanjing would be met with such a display?

What irked him even more was that Spring Village was now constructing earthen walls on such a scale—how could he control the village in the future?

“Get out, you filthy scoundrel!”

“Our people have been cheated enough by you, Xue! Leave now! Spring Village doesn’t welcome you!”

The old chief gave Xue no quarter, cursing him thoroughly. With Xue about to lose control and both sides at the brink of conflict, Li Yuanjing knew the moment was ripe. He stepped forward and called out:

“Everyone, calm down. I’ll go see what Philanthropist Xue wants. With all of us here, I’m not afraid of him!”

With that, Li Yuanjing walked toward Xue.

“Be careful, master!”

“Scholar Li, be careful!”

The crowd grew restless, their nerves taut, gripping their sticks tightly. Should Xue make any threatening move toward Li Yuanjing, the villagers would tear him apart in an instant.

“Scholar Li, you’re quite capable! In just a few days, you’ve stirred up such a scene here in Spring Village!”

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Seeing Li Yuanjing approach, even Xue, who had been struggling to quell his anger, could not help but sneer, gritting his teeth as he stared at Li Yuanjing.

Li Yuanjing smiled, “Philanthropist Xue, what are you saying? You live behind the high walls of Tieniu Town and have nothing to fear from bandits, but here in Spring Village, we don’t even have a wall, and we’re always anxious.”

Xue looked at Li Yuanjing’s calm demeanor and finally cooled down a bit.

“Scholar Li, you’re a wise man, so I’ve come to see you today. The matter of the third lord truly isn’t my fault—I’m a victim too.

“Think about it.

“With someone like that in my house, I had to entertain him properly. Just these few days have cost me nearly ten taels of silver.

“Of course, Scholar Li, I admit that as your colleague, I should have warned you, and that was my mistake.

“But now that you have your own home and business, surely you can understand my difficulties? There are so many things beyond our control.

“That’s why I’ve come in person, to have a proper talk with you, to clear the air.

“In the end, distant relatives aren’t as reliable as close neighbors. We must look after each other—that’s the only way for lasting peace.”

By the end, Xue seemed genuinely sincere, treating Li Yuanjing as one of his own.

Seeing Xue’s “heartfelt” performance, Li Yuanjing could not help but sigh inwardly.

He had truly underestimated the heroes of the world!

For Xue to control Tieniu Town and dominate the region for years, it was no accident. His skills, especially in deception, were impressive.

Li Yuanjing understood now why the old chief could not contend with Xue. The chief was too kind, too soft-hearted—how could he match Xue, a ruthless “old actor”?

“Since Philanthropist Xue has spoken so frankly, let me also be honest with you.”

Li Yuanjing thought for a moment.

“Philanthropist Xue, you know I only wish to study the classics and pursue official rank. My future isn’t confined to Spring Village.

“If you can coexist peacefully with me, perhaps we can become friends. Who knows, we might cooperate someday…”

Li Yuanjing smiled at Xue.

Since Xue was so adept at acting, Li Yuanjing would not be outdone. Who couldn’t steer the conversation and mislead?

“Hmm…”

Hearing Li Yuanjing’s words, Xue’s expression remained unchanged, but his heart skipped a beat.

He suddenly realized he had been too hasty.

After all, Li Yuanjing had made his intentions clear—he wasn’t focused on the village. Xue could simply wait until Li Yuanjing left, then deal with him and the village separately, so why rush now?

He quickly laughed, “Since you say so, Scholar Li, I’m relieved. Here, this is a small gift from me, a token of my sincerity.”

Xue handed over the gift list to Li Yuanjing and continued with a smile, “Frankly, I’ve had grievances with Cold Mountain for a long time. I never dared speak out before, but this time, with so many big figures involved, I think they’ll have to show some respect.

“I’ve already sent people to negotiate with the third lord. I’m sure good news will come soon. Perhaps Spring Village will even be exempted from protection fees this time. Scholar Li, you can rest easy!”

“Hmm?”

Li Yuanjing kept a calm face, though his heart was alert. He clasped his hands and smiled, “Thank you, Philanthropist Xue, for your kind intentions.”

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