As the chief official of the most useless yamen in all of Dachu, Chief Justice Gui Yuanshu brought his remaining four subordinates to search the household of the Minister of Revenue — a household with over three hundred members — and to call the manpower adequate was something he could only say through gritted teeth with tears in his eyes.

The Emperor, however, had probably been so infuriated that he’d forgotten the Chief Justice’s office had virtually no one to deploy.

Gui Yuanshu had originally planned to send people to call his men back — after all, this was a major case, and it was perfectly reasonable to recall them for the work.

But he sent someone to fetch them, and not one came back.

Thirteen Gates Commander Zhou Changci said this was no major affair on your end — the Hero Assembly was the major affair. If you want to reassign those men, bring an imperial edict. Without an imperial edict, not one would be released.

Those words were galling to hear, yet for the Thirteen Gates Commander there was no real choice either.

Right now, at least seventy or eighty thousand jianghu visitors had poured into Daxing City, with more still flooding in. His combined patrol forces across the city amounted to only around three thousand — how could they possibly manage the situation?

These people arriving to participate in the Hero Assembly — jianghu wanderers, greenwood outlaws, every background imaginable — packed together, what couldn’t they do?

What the Emperor cared about was them. If the Hero Assembly descended into chaos, would Zhou Changci as Thirteen Gates Commander be any easier to execute than a Minister of Revenue? That was a proper second-rank official. The Thirteen Gates Commander was a fourth-rank post.

So the present situation was: the Minister of Revenue’s household — over three hundred people, young and old — were all confined to their rooms and not permitted to leave.

Five people trying to thoroughly search an estate this size was no easy task. All five of them sat around feeling at a loss.

After considerable deliberation, Gui Yuanshu decided to accept Cao Du’s offer to help.

After all, in Daxing City, officials covered for each other. Bringing in people from other yamens would mean who knows what would go wrong. Not to mention those fellows, once they arrived, would sweep every item of value from the Minister’s estate clean — and in the end not a single coin would find its way to the Chief Justice’s people.

But the blame would certainly land on the Chief Justice’s office. Gui Yuanshu knew them far too well.

By comparison, Cao Du, though insufferable, was insufferable in the open. And most critically, it seemed Cao Du probably had no interest in the money and possessions of a Minister of Revenue’s household.

Ah…

He genuinely couldn’t tell when he’d developed this mistaken impression, or when it would correct itself.

So roughly half an hour later, Li Chi arrived with his people — over a hundred of them, a full and formidable showing.

Zheng Shunshun watched Li Chi’s people at work, his eyes going round. It wasn’t just him — all three of the others’ eyes went round too.

He swallowed with difficulty and looked at Gui Yuanshu: “Sir… why are these fellows so professional?”

Just look at them: division of labor, seamless coordination, packing and boxing in an orderly fashion, moving with practiced ease, sorting all manner of items by category — more professional by far than the Chief Justice’s people at this kind of work.

Actually, thinking about it, it made sense. The Chief Justice’s office carried out how many household searches in a year?

Li Chi’s people…

Gui Yuanshu walked to Li Chi’s side. After a moment of silence, he ventured a tentative question: “You’re certain you want nothing — that you’re doing this out of goodwill?”

Li Chi nodded and answered earnestly: “I personally certainly want nothing. Do I care about money? But…”

Before he could finish, Gui Yuanshu immediately said, “No ‘buts’. Stop right there.”

Li Chi glanced at him sideways and said, “I personally certainly want nothing and am here to help without payment, but… my people can’t toil away for nothing. They’ll need to receive some wages.”

Gui Yuanshu said, “Do you not know that my Chief Justice’s office is poor as a temple bell — and you still want wages?”

Li Chi pointed at the packed-up goods: “Spending the Chief Justice’s money — are you dim?”

Gui Yuanshu said, “All of that has to be handed over to the imperial treasury. If you touch any of it, you’re setting me up.”

Li Chi said, “You’re personally recording the inventory? You’re personally doing the count? If you find my terms unreasonable, you’re welcome to have my people leave and I’ll stay here alone to help you.”

Gui Yuanshu said, “Since the moment you walked into this courtyard, what have you actually done? You’ve been strolling around, looking here and there. At this point you don’t even have a speck of dirt on your hands.”

Li Chi raised his hand to reveal a ruby-studded hairpin: “Nonsense — I just pocketed a hairpin.”

Gui Yuanshu: “Put it back!”

Li Chi said, “The hairpin stays with me.”

Zhao Shanying whispered to Gui Yuanshu, “Sir, let them stay. Watching these people work… it’s, well… heh, heh… ha ha ha… it’s so effortlessly efficient.”

Gui Yuanshu sighed lightly and looked at Li Chi: “Wages are acceptable. Name your price and let me see if it’s outrageous. If it’s not outrageous, let them stay.”

Li Chi said, “Ten taels of silver per person per day.”

Gui Yuanshu’s eyes went wide: “I’m a third-rank official with a monthly salary of only fifty-five taels. Your people want ten taels a day?”

Li Chi said, “Did I ask you to pay it?”

Gui Yuanshu opened his mouth.

Li Chi said, “When was the last time your fifty-five taels arrived on time? How many months in a year do you actually receive it? Never mind months — has it come even once in a year?”

Gui Yuanshu opened his mouth again.

Li Chi looked at Zheng Shunshun and the others and said with great righteousness: “Even if you, as a third-rank Chief Justice, don’t feel sorry for yourself — do you not feel sorry for your people? They — how much do they make in a month? How many months has it been since any of them were last paid?”

Zheng Shunshun and the others looked at Li Chi’s righteous expression and felt that this Cao Du seemed somehow taller and nobler than before.

“Fine…”

Gui Yuanshu said, “But let it be absolutely clear — this must never be spoken of to anyone. My people and I would lose our heads.”

Li Chi said, “Speaking of that, I have more to say.”

Gui Yuanshu: “Shut your mouth!”

Li Chi said, “Your people are also working hard. Though this is within their duties, seeing us each taking ten taels a day while they get nothing…”

Gui Yuanshu said, “They cannot take anything!”

Li Chi said, “Hmm… I hadn’t realized you were that kind of superior. Hadn’t realized you were that kind of boss.”

The four of them — Zheng Shunshun and the others — were nearly in tears.

Li Chi said, “Twenty taels a day for each of them — not a coin more. And I personally guarantee complete secrecy.”

Gui Yuanshu looked back at Zheng Shunshun and the others, who were gazing at him with tear-filled eyes.

“Fine then…”

Gui Yuanshu let out a long sigh: “How did I end up like this.”

Li Chi said, “You haven’t forgotten, have you? Money taken from scoundrels.”

Zheng Shunshun and the other three said in perfect unison: “If we don’t take it, it goes to waste!”

Li Chi continued, gently leading them further: “Taking the money of scoundrels like Zheng Tuohai and Zheng Le — letting good people live more comfortably — that is carrying out heaven’s justice!”

Gui Yuanshu’s eyes narrowed. He looked at Li Chi and asked, “Are you really Cao Du from the Cao family?”

Li Chi asked, “What makes you say that?”

Gui Yuanshu said, “I feel like you’re the most persuasive rebel chieftain there is.”

Li Chi said, “Nonsense. The most persuasive are cult leaders.”

Li Chi’s people went off to pack and collect things — and what of value could possibly escape them?

The valuable things Li Chi wanted this time were, of course, not money and possessions — but account books and correspondence of every kind.

How many secrets did a Minister of Revenue hold in his hands? Need that even be said?

With those things in hand, Li Chi could divide and conquer — making the great officials of the court dance in utter panic would be far easier.

And Li Chi’s goals naturally went beyond this. He had come to disrupt this Hero Assembly.

The Minister of Revenue had been one of the lead officials overseeing the Hero Assembly. How much silver had been siphoned from it, how many kickbacks taken — one could well imagine.

Once that information was released, the jianghu wanderers and greenwood outlaws who’d come for the Assembly could be stirred up with ease.

When Gui Yuanshu called Li Chi the most persuasive rebel chieftain, Yu Jiuling’s heart gave a lurch. *You’re guessing closer than you think,* he thought.

Then hearing Li Chi’s words, Yu Jiuling sighed inwardly and thought: *Chief, your methods of winning hearts and minds put any cult to shame…*

By that same night, Li Chi’s people had all but finished sorting through the sealed estate’s belongings.

After all… they were all, genuinely, professionals.

In the courtyard, Gui Yuanshu raised his head to look at the bright moon hanging in the night sky, his heart a tangle of feelings.

When Prince Wu had recommended him for Chief Justice, it had been a decision born of necessity on Prince Wu’s part. Prince Wu’s original intention had been to place him in the Ministry of War, but Prince Wu couldn’t do exactly as he pleased in every matter.

Even if he were placed in the Ministry of War, would he become the Ministry’s head official?

Prince Wu didn’t want to see someone of his caliber truly wasted, so he’d first put him in the Chief Justice’s office with the plan to find a way later to move him into the Ministry of War.

But ah — even though the Ministry of War had no more profitable dealings, those old noble families had no intention of easily relinquishing power.

For Gui Yuanshu, watching these do-nothing placeholders appear before his eyes each day, there was a kind of hatred in his heart.

Yet this Dachu that he loved — he was growing too weary to keep loving it.

Li Chi walked slowly to stand beside him, raised his eyes to that bright moon, and said, “You look at the moon, the moon looks at you. You look at the moon like it’s a freshly baked golden-brown crispy-outside tender-inside meat pastry. The moon looks at you like…”

Gui Yuanshu narrowed his eyes: “If you say anything worthless, I’m going to start throwing punches.”

Li Chi shrugged: “Hungry for moon-cakes?”

Gui Yuanshu looked sideways and found Li Chi was genuinely holding a plate of meat pastries that looked golden-crisp on the outside and surely soft and fragrant within.

“Where did those come from?!”

Gui Yuanshu asked with genuine curiosity.

Li Chi said, “Courtesy of this Lord Minister of Revenue Zheng.”

Gui Yuanshu said, “Impossible!”

Li Chi said, “There were quite a few fighting cocks in the rear courtyard, so apparently this Lord Minister of Revenue had a fondness for them… Chicken’s a bit inferior to pork, but…”

Gui Yuanshu gave a long sigh: “Those are seized goods.”

Li Chi said, “Not entered into the inventory.”

Gui Yuanshu said, “Roast the rest.”

Li Chi said, “Already roasting.”

Gui Yuanshu: “…”

He turned around to find his four subordinates and several of Cao Du’s people gathered in a circle, tending to a roast.

Gui Yuanshu thought to himself — *scoundrel’s food, free to eat* — the scoundrel in question certainly not being himself or Cao Du, but the Zheng family.

So he picked up a meat pastry and bit into it, nearly bowled over by how good it was.

Li Chi also picked one up, took a bite, and raised his eyes to the moon: “The moon looks at you like a pitiful soul.”

Gui Yuanshu was briefly taken aback.

Li Chi sighed: “Our Cao family — to survive, we must offer up our family’s wealth. And you — what must you offer up for this Dachu? We sacrifice silver. You and yours sacrifice… your souls.”

Gui Yuanshu looked sideways at Li Chi — this young man’s profile, at this angle, had an almost unsettling quality to it.

Li Chi said slowly, “Truthfully, I had no wish to come to the capital. It’s just that family obligation left me no choice… and yet I thought to myself — I’ve never been here before. Come if we must come, then… and speaking an outrageous thing, I wanted to see this capital for myself before Dachu falls.”

Gui Yuanshu: “You bold thing.”

Li Chi said, “I’ve always been quite bold — you’ll come to know that.”

He finished the meat pastry in two or three bites, then wiped his hands on Gui Yuanshu.

Gui Yuanshu: “…?!!”

Li Chi smiled: “There’ll be a new set of clothes for you — better-looking than this Chief Justice’s official robes.”

He turned to look at Zheng Shunshun and the others, murmuring half to himself: “All of them — real pillars of the state. What a waste…”

Gui Yuanshu turned to face Li Chi: “What exactly are you trying to say? What exactly did you come to the capital to do? And who exactly are you?”

Li Chi said, “Me?”

He picked up another meat pastry and raised it: “I might be a thief.”