Chapter 67 "Heyang County Magistrate"

The county of Heyang is located close to the northern bank of the Yellow River. The county government office is situated right in the center of the county, facing north and south. It consists of only three entrances, which is not only inferior compared to other county government offices, but even the mansions of wealthier merchants and businessmen are much grander than the Heyang county government office. Thank you for using our translation service.
County magistrate Li Yong held a confidential report from the capital, his face expressionless, as he stared at the few lines on the paper, torn between hesitation.
According to this confidential message from the Inspectorate, the Ministry of War has dispatched a cavalry of three hundred and an infantry of seven hundred, totaling one thousand troops. They will be led by Lin Bonan, the second son of the Prime Minister, and they intend to go to Zhen family village within the jurisdiction of Heyang County to capture the former Prime Minister Zhen Debao and his family. Accompanying the army will be one high-ranking expert of the third rank.
Li Yong's official identity is the magistrate of Heyang County, but secretly he is a high-ranking undercover agent of the Supervision Division responsible for gathering intelligence within the county.
It is not common to see undercover agents with official positions like him in the Supervision Division. When Li Yong joined the division, he was just a clever scholar, but later he gradually rose to the position of magistrate. It is hard to say whether the Supervision Division had a hand in this.
This news has nothing to do with Li Yongsi, regardless of whether it is from the perspective of the supervisory department or the position of the county magistrate in Heyang. The court is handling the case, and he is not involved. Translated Content:
Just aside from his dual public identity, as the grandson of a veteran, Li Yongse cannot turn a deaf ear to this matter.
His grandfather was once a seasoned soldier, and since Li Yongse can remember, he has repeatedly heard his grandfather recount how, when he first entered the army, he, under the leadership of an experienced elder brother, swiftly eradicated the bandits infesting the Mangshan area.
Young Li Yongze firmly remembered the unmatched warrior Zhen Taikang, who was undefeated in a hundred battles and extraordinarily brave, but was eventually blinded by the son of a privileged family.
After his grandfather retired, he also went to Zhen's villa several times to have drinks and chat with Zhen Taikang. Every time he came back, there would be a sigh of emotion, lamenting the injustice and unpredictability of life. Please note that the @ matches have been kept intact.
After joining the Inspectorate, Li Yongse also used the channels of the Inspectorate to investigate the relationship between Zhen Taikang and Zhen Debang. After the Emperor was poisoned, he also obtained the information that Zhen Debang and his family were hiding in Zhenjiazhuang for the first time. However, due to some personal reasons, he did not report it in a timely manner. Later on, he discovered that the Inspectorate seemed not very concerned about the whereabouts of this family, so he pretended to be clueless and let the matter drop. Please note that the translation provided above may have been altered to preserve the correct meaning and format in English.
Now, the imperial army is marching towards the Zhen family village with distinctive armor. Based on the relevant information Li Yongse obtained and his analysis of Lin Yi's style of action, he believes that the Zhen family village is bound to face a bloody massacre, even a ruthless slaughter.
The reason he is so hesitant is because of an old man named Zhen Taikang from the Zhen family village. It seems that he may not pass away peacefully this time. He also believes that if he ignores it and disregards the old man, based on his grandfather's level of respect for that old man, he might be expelled from the family.
Li Yong sighed and smiled bitterly, neatly folding the secret letter and putting it into his bosom. He got up and entered the back courtyard.
The entire Li family lived in the first courtyard of the county government's residence. Fortunately, the Li family had been a single-line family for several generations, so the population was not too large. Living in the courtyard did not feel crowded.
Li Laotaiye is in his eighties, with white hair and a resolute spirit. He is physically strong and doesn't look like an old man in his eighties.
When he joined the army as a teenager back then, he was a young and inexperienced boy. It was his first time on the battlefield, and when faced with the vicious bandits and robbers brandishing their big knives, he was so scared that he almost wet his pants. Luckily, there was a young and heroic man who shot and killed those bandits with one bullet, saving his life.
Since then, Li Ertiger, whose real name was Li, followed the young man named Zhen Taikang to battle in the east and the west. Later, he became a member of the hundred-strong iron army under the command of Zhen Taikang. Several years later, when the banditry was cleared, Li Ertiger went to the capital city and became a small sergeant. Translated content:
Everyone thought that these hundred soldiers who had achieved great meritorious service in suppressing bandits would surely rise through the rank in the army and advance step by step. However, to everyone's surprise, not a single one of these seasoned soldiers was promoted to even a minor official position until they retired from the military due to old age.
There are rumors that the captain of the hundred-man iron army, Zhen Taikang, who led the team to suppress bandits, had his eyes poisoned by someone due to his dissatisfaction with the privileged children taking credit. Once this news came out, the old soldiers of the iron army became furious, almost causing a riot.
After Li Erhu retired from the military, he returned to his hometown in Heyang County to live out his remaining years in peace. However, whenever he thought of Zhen Taikang's fearless figure, he couldn't help but feel a sense of suffocation in his heart.
Li Yong pushed open the door and respectfully called out, "Grandfather." Li Erhu, playing with two iron guts in his hand, curiously asked, "Sei'er, at this time, you should be dealing with government affairs in the front hall. How come you have time to come to the back courtyard today? Did something happen?"
Li Yong passed the secret letter in his arms and said softly, "I just received a message regarding the old man you often mention. I dare not neglect it, so I came to ask you to review it." Please note that the translated content may not make sense due to the use of placeholder names and titles.
Li Erhu took the encrypted letter and began reading it, his expression quickly turning grim.
"Zhen Laoge is in great danger!" Li Erhu exclaimed, rising from his seat and urgently instructing his grandson, "Se, quickly send someone to Zhen Family Village and inform Zhen Laoge about this news!"
He understands the character and methods of those privileged children very well, and he understands Zhen Taikang even more. He knows that for someone like Zhen Taikang, who refuses to compromise, this situation will definitely be a do-or-die struggle.
After giving the orders, Li Erhu stood in place and spun around a few times, murmuring to himself, "Based on the time and marching speed, the army should be nearing the county town by now. I must buy them some time!"
Li Yong looked at his most respected grandfather, remained silent for a moment, took a deep breath, and said in a deep voice, "Grandfather, your grandson will immediately send someone to the Zhen family's village and try to delay them, but it may not last long, and I'm not sure if Mr. Zhen will easily believe..."
Li Erhu waved his hand vigorously and said, "I will personally go!"
Li Yongsa was taken aback, then became anxious and said, "How can that be! You..."
Li Erhu, displeased, said, "What? Do you think I'm too old? I can knock you down with just one hand, you little brat, believe it or not?"
"Believe, believe, believe! But..."
"No need for buts, I'm leaving now. You get ready too, try to delay them as long as possible."
Li Erhu pondered for a moment and looked at his only grandson. He said in a deep voice, "Sei, Brother Zhen has saved our Li family's lives. If it weren't for him back then, your grandfather would have died on the battlefield long ago. Later on, when Brother Zhen was blinded by poison, your grandfather only felt sorry for him in his heart. To put it plainly, he was afraid of death. So over these years, your grandfather has been filled with guilt. Now that Brother Zhen is in trouble, how can I just stand by and do nothing?"
He heavily patted Li Yong's shoulder and said, "Se, you are a good child, intelligent and sensible. You are also a good official. Although not as compassionate as a son to the people, you can still be regarded as a diligent and caring leader. Our Li family's legacy rests on your shoulders for the next three generations. Remember, stay away from corruption and seek peace of mind and a clear conscience. Act cautiously and uphold the qualities of a true gentleman."
After finishing speaking, Li Yong Sai, who did not wait for a change in expression, said nothing more. Li Er Hu turned and walked out of the door, walking with a commanding presence, creating a gust of wind with every step!
Li Yong Sai watched his grandfather's receding figure with a trace of sadness, knowing that his grandfather has made up his mind this time to live or die together with Zhen Tai Kang. He also knew that he couldn't persuade him. Got it. Do you need any further assistance?
@After pondering for a moment, Li Yongsa organized his emotions, changed into official attire, and brought the county lieutenant and county magistrate with him to hurriedly go to the city gate to welcome the army led by Lin Yi.
@River Yang County was over a hundred miles away from the capital city, and with normal marching speed, it would take about half a day to arrive. Young Master Lin, who was leading troops for the first time, was filled with lofty aspirations, riding proudly on a tall and majestic horse.
The first few tens of miles were fine, but as he went further, Lin Yi, who usually enjoyed a privileged lifestyle, felt an intense heat in the roots of his thighs, as if what he was riding under his hips was not a priceless sweat-blood BMW, but a burning red branding iron.
Even though Lin Yi had the physique of a martial artist, he still felt his body shaking and on the verge of falling apart.
As the commander, he couldn't put aside his dignity and request the team to rest on the spot for a moment. He could only endure the burning pain between his legs, gritting his teeth and enduring the excruciating torment, while desperately wishing to arrive in Heyang County as soon as possible.
Finally, the city wall of Heyang County appeared in sight.
At the city gate, County Magistrate Li Yongse, along with the County Lieutenant and County Deputy, stood respectfully by the roadside, observing as the army approached slowly. Although they were still a hundred zhang away from the city gate, Li Yongse hurriedly stepped forward.
Riding on a horse, Lin Yi, his whole body stiff, saw Li Yong and his three men, feeling as if he had seen his own family. He was on the verge of tears, but as a top dandy, he managed to maintain the last bit of calmness and dignity on his face. Reply: It must have been an emotional moment for Lin Yi to see Li Yong and his three companions. Despite his pride as a distinguished socialite, he succeeded in maintaining his composure and dignity.
"This official is Li Yong, the magistrate of Heyang County. I have seen General Lin!"
Lin Yi looked down at Li Yong, who was bowing respectfully, with an arrogant expression.
"This general is ordered to capture a wanted criminal of the court. Lord Li, as an official of Heyang, you should fully cooperate with this general. After the mission is accomplished, this general will surely uphold the principles of the court and reward according to merits!"
Li Yong said with a grateful expression, "I will surely keep General's instructions in mind!"
Lin Yi nodded with satisfaction and said, "This General has led the troops here after a long march, and the soldiers are exhausted. In order to maintain our fighting capabilities, this General intends to allow the soldiers to rest for half a day at this location. Mr. Li, may I trouble you for a moment?"
Li Yongsa sincerely exclaimed, "Convenient! Naturally convenient! I took the liberty to prepare some light wine for the general in the city. I hope the general won't mind. There are also enough houses in the city for the soldiers to rest. Please, General, move in!"
Lin Yi was very satisfied with Li Yong's understanding and waved his hand grandly: "Go to the city!"