Chapter 078: A Farce at the Magistrate’s Hall

Martial Officer Hou and his men pinned Li Dong to the ground, preparing to beat him with a board. But Li Dong was not one to submit easily; he struggled fiercely, lunging left and right. Suddenly, something fell from Li Dong’s chest, clattering onto the floor and rolling several times until it stopped just a few paces from the magistrate.

Martial Officer Hou bent to pick it up, examined it, and couldn’t quite make sense of it, so he asked Li Dong, “What is this?”

The moment it fell, Li Dong knew it was the military mobilization token Zhang Xutu, the Deputy Prefect, had given him before his journey. Now, at this critical moment, its appearance could save his life. Surely the magistrate would not dare to openly challenge the Deputy Prefect.

The magistrate saw that the token was made of metal and reached out eagerly, ordering, “Bring it here, give it to me.”

Martial Officer Hou, accustomed to the magistrate’s avaricious nature—anything gold or silver rarely escaped his grasp—handed the token to him.

But the magistrate was doomed to misfortune. At the very least, he should have looked at the token, read what was inscribed! Instead, he simply put it to his mouth and bit down, testing whether it was made of gold. The bite left his teeth aching, and he angrily tossed the token onto his desk. He barked, “You lot, why aren’t you beating him yet? Why are you dawdling?”

“Wait!” Li Dong shouted coldly, pointing at the token. “Shouldn’t you see what it is first?”

Even pinned to the ground, about to be punished, the young man showed no fear. What was this token? The magistrate looked confused and slowly raised it to his eyes, glancing at it briefly.

Instantly, the magistrate could no longer hold it, as if the token had been heated red-hot by fire, becoming a scalding potato in his hands. He passed it from left hand to right, then back again, repeating the motion a dozen times, exclaiming, “Ah, ah… this… ah, ah!”

Martial Officer Hou, still standing before him, received the token as the magistrate tossed it into his hands. “You take a look at this!” the magistrate ordered.

At that moment, the county bailiff recognized it as the Deputy Prefect’s military mobilization token, his face turning ashen. He hurriedly whispered to the magistrate, “Military mobilization token!”

Martial Officer Hou, just as he received it, heard those words and his eyes widened in terror, his hair standing on end. He tossed it from hand to hand, never daring to grip it firmly, as if the token had grown a mouth and would bite him.

“May I ask, young sir, your name and place of residence, and how you came by this military mobilization token?” The bailiff, quick to react, saw the situation and immediately shifted his attitude, bowing deeply and politely inquiring of Li Dong.

“Do you suspect I stole it, or seized it by force?” Li Dong glanced at the martial officers who had pinned him down, his meaning clear: he was still being mistreated by them, yet the token was genuine and not to be maligned.

“Scoundrels! Step aside at once!” The bailiff, realizing the gravity of the matter, grew ever more respectful, eager to clarify Li Dong’s identity and extricate himself from embarrassment. He continued respectfully, “To my knowledge, this is the Deputy Prefect of Qi County’s military mobilization token. May I ask your connection to Deputy Prefect Zhang, and why you possess the token here in Dong’e?”

Seeing the bailiff’s respectful tone toward the young man, the martial officers hurriedly released Li Dong, helped him up, and withdrew to the side.

Li Dong dusted off the dirt from his clothes and straightened his rumpled attire, remaining silent for a long moment. He slowly surveyed everyone in the hall, from the magistrate to the bailiff and martial officers, deliberately heightening the tension to psychologically overpower the magistrate, paving the way for his next strategy.

Finally, as if he had endured immense grievance, he spoke, “I don’t even know what this is! After the defeat at Zhangqiu, the sage ordered Prefect Ye Jishan to paint portraits of me and Zhang Xutu. Deputy Prefect Zhang gave me this token, saying that so long as I had it, I would be treated with respect in Dong’e. But now, it seems Deputy Prefect Zhang may have overestimated.”

The magistrate was instantly terrified, his teeth chattering, his body trembling, unable to speak for some time. Life and death hung by a thread, and that thread was held firmly in Li Dong’s hand. With but a word or a gesture, the magistrate could be sent to the executioner’s block. Li Dong’s next move was crucial.

“What’s wrong? You’re doing splendidly! No one steals, doors remain open at night, everyone feels secure. You are the very model for all county magistrates!” Li Dong retorted, deliberately emphasizing the word “secure,” inwardly satisfied to have avenged the suffering of the county’s people.

The bailiff quickly stepped forward, smiling warmly. “I understand! The Deputy Prefect must have sent you to Dong’e to help us eradicate the bandits. What a joy! To be blessed by a young hero—Dong’e is fortunate, its people are fortunate!”

Earlier, when Li Dong was pressed to the ground by martial officers, the bailiff had stood by in silence. Now, seeing Li Dong’s revealed identity, he changed his demeanor entirely—a consummate official, adept at shifting with the wind.

Li Dong’s opinion of him was never high. But he considered that the bailiff was always subordinate to the magistrate, constrained and forced to survive in the cracks, struggling for existence. Now was not the time to strike down all the officials of Dong’e; after all, even a cornered dog will leap the wall. If these men were pressed too hard, they might collude with the bandits of Ping’an Mountain, making Li Dong’s own escape from Dong’e uncertain.

It is difficult to perform a solo act—while others are drunk, he alone remains sober. So many truths are known, yet one cannot intervene fully.

This is the difference between the battlefield and officialdom: compromise for survival.

For the sake of the people of Dong’e, he had no choice but to ally himself with the bailiff first.

Li Dong replied, “What you said aligns with my thoughts. But how many elite troops can Dong’e muster, and when can we fight the bandits of Ping’an Mountain to the death?”

The bailiff had no authority to decide and looked to the magistrate.

The magistrate, his face plastered with a smile, replied eagerly, “Certainly, certainly! Today I will mobilize several thousand troops, all at your disposal!”

In truth, he was plotting how best to notify Chief Xu of Ping’an Mountain as soon as possible. The young man before him was sharp and formidable; if he saw through the magistrate’s intentions, trouble would surely follow.

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