Incorruptible Official 05

Word quickly spread throughout the region.

Fang Huatian's son had recently been "roaming between prefectures and committing crimes."

He led a group of soldiers who looked more like bandits than actual bandits, demanding money wherever they went. If refused, they would smash property. The strange thing was that local patrols remained inactive, as if they had received some kind of order.

The extorted officials soon realized one thing—Fang Zhiyi and Fang Huatian had reconciled. After pulling many strings, they learned that father and son had been exchanging letters frequently.

Now, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and swallow their anger. What could they do? Who could blame them for having such a powerful father?

Fang Zhiyi himself was baffled by the original owner’s actions. With such an influential father, why had he insisted on relying on himself? Was he insane?

He understood perfectly well that those people were smiling and trembling not because of him, but because of the shadow behind him. So, he played the role of a spoiled, arrogant nobleman to perfection.

The amounts Fang Zhiyi extorted weren’t excessive, and he always had a justifiable excuse. Everyone knew banditry was rampant—how could anyone refuse if he asked to borrow troops? Or money? Of course, Fang Zhiyi had no intention of paying anything back, so he kept the demands within a range that these officials could reluctantly endure.

Moreover, most of his letters had been addressed to military officers—many of whom were either his father’s protégés or loyalists. Thus, when Fang Zhiyi swaggered into cities with hundreds or even thousands of soldiers to "dine at the expense of the wealthy," the patrol garrisons simply turned a blind eye.

Fang Zhiyi was having the time of his life.

But Wang Jia was restless. At the moment, he was being watched by two soldiers—Qin Li had ordered them to keep an eye on him.

He had no idea what the young master had written in that letter. After reading it, Qin Li had first laughed, then smashed a tea table in fury. It was terrifying.

Counting the days, over a month had passed. Wang Jia hadn’t been eating or sleeping well, and even when he went to the latrine, two men followed him. He was starting to feel dazed.

But that very night, chaos erupted in the military camp. Someone rushed in and urged Wang Jia to head to the commander’s tent immediately.

Trembling, Wang Jia entered to find Qin Li seated at the head of the tent, clad in full armor. Below him knelt a short, black-clad man with a pair of thin, mouse-like whiskers and a face full of defiance.

Qin Li glanced at Wang Jia and gestured to a stool nearby. Wang Jia sat down, and a soldier promptly handed him a letter.

Hesitantly, Wang Jia skimmed through it—then his eyes widened in shock.

"Brother Qin Li, you may not know me well, but I’ve long admired you..." A pile of meaningless flattery, then the real point: Qin Li’s military provisions would be stolen, and the thieves would forge letters using his seal and handwriting to frame him for "colluding with bandits." A sinister plot.

"If you don’t believe me, feel free to detain my messenger as a hostage. He’s my most trusted man."

Wang Jia didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

In the original plot, Qin Li had been framed by the schemes of Panlong Stronghold. His entire family was exiled, and during an ambush by the bandits to "rescue" them, his wife, children, and elders all perished in the chaos. Consumed by hatred for the imperial court and gratitude toward Panlong Stronghold, Qin Li had joined their ranks.

The military had many interrogation methods. In just one hour, the black-clad man went from stubborn silence to confessing everything.

As the man laid out the entire plan, Qin Li’s smile grew increasingly twisted.

"Treacherous scum!"

Two days later, Qin Li personally escorted Wang Jia out of the camp, even giving him a generous "compensation fee." As Wang Jia departed, he saw Qin Li’s soldiers hauling back carts of provisions.

"Recovered from the thieves. Hahaha!" Qin Li explained. "Tell your master this—from now on, Qin Li considers him a brother! If he ever needs anything, just say the word!"

Wang Jia was still in a daze when he returned to Qingping County.

And when he saw the military camp, now expanded more than tenfold, he was even more stunned.

He went to report to Fang Zhiyi in bewilderment, only to be immediately assigned another task.

Looking at the letter thrust into his hands, Wang Jia nearly wept.

"My lord, can’t you send someone else?"

Fang Zhiyi shook his head seriously. "No, I think you’re perfect for this. Go on, hurry!" After a pause, he added, "Actually, you shouldn’t go alone. Take some men with you." He immediately selected twenty burly soldiers to accompany him.

Wang Jia suddenly felt much safer.

Meanwhile, in Panlong Stronghold, Xiaotian Hu’s face turned ashen when he learned that the stolen provisions had been reclaimed and many of his men slaughtered by government troops. The strategist Xue Qi muttered in disbelief, "How? Such a flawless plan… how?"

"Enough with the ‘how,’ strategist!" Xiaotian Hu sighed. "We’ve lost men, provisions, and even Brother Night-Rat. Now Qin Li holds a grudge against us. What do we do?" Originally, he had hoped to recruit the formidable Qin Li, but the plan had backfired spectacularly.

Song Yunfan, watching them, suddenly thought of someone. Since joining the stronghold, he had been looking for a chance to prove himself—now was the time. "Brother, are you seeking talent?"

Xiaotian Hu nodded. "The strategist read the heavens—the empire is on the brink of chaos. We’ve gathered here to achieve greatness! But… alas!"

Song Yunfan mused, "I know of a man named Shen Xun from Zecheng. He’s surrounded by scholars and poets. If he were to write a manifesto denouncing the corrupt regime, the entire realm would know of Panlong Stronghold’s righteousness!" A flash of resentment crossed his eyes as he recalled his own humiliation.

But given the heavy losses Panlong Stronghold had suffered rescuing him, he couldn’t bring himself to ask for troops just yet.

Just wait, Fang Zhiyi.

Following the same old script, Shen Xun skeptically examined the letter in his hand, then looked up at Wang Jia. He chuckled. "What honor is this, that someone would go to such lengths to plot against me?"

Wang Jia could only offer an awkward smile.

Fortunately, Shen Xun was relatively reasonable—after all, he was a scholar of some renown. That night, he dismissed his disciples as instructed in the letter and had Wang Jia’s soldiers hide in his quarters.

In the original plot, to force Shen Xun into joining them, Panlong Stronghold had sent men to kill his disciples and scrawl "Murderer: Shen Xun" on the walls, coercing him to become their official propagandist.

For three nights in a row, assassins indeed came—but they were in for a surprise.

Creeping into the room, a killer quietly drew his dagger, eyes gleaming with malice. The strategist’s orders were absolute—this mission must succeed!

He moved toward the bed—only for the oil lamp behind him to suddenly flare to life.

Turning around, he found himself staring at a room full of burly soldiers, all glaring at him with sleep-deprived irritation. Because of this fool, they hadn’t slept properly in three days!