Zhao Erlang and Qiu Wu were fast. Not just the bailiffs and soldiers, but every single one of the merchants who had run off first were all rounded up by them.

This resulted in them busying themselves here with conversations and collecting taxes for passage, while Xi’e County, not very far away, still knew nothing.

In such freezing weather, unless necessary, who would come out?

Especially to a place so far from the city gate.

Zhao Hanzhang also noticed this place was quite a distance from the city gate, so she called over a bailiff to question. “Generally, commercial taxes are collected at city gates, docks, checkpoints, and such places. Why did you run out to the main road to collect?”

The bailiff’s forehead broke out in sweat again. After moving his mouth twice, he said, “These merchants are crafty—they took side roads to bypass the county seat.”

Zhao Hanzhang said, “…Since they can bypass Xi’e County, that means they don’t necessarily have to pass through Xi’e County. How can you collect commercial taxes from them?”

After all this fuss, the commercial taxes she’d just collected shouldn’t have been collected at all.

The bailiff said quietly, “They privately opened small roads and trampled quite a bit of good farmland. That all belongs to our Xi’e County.”

Zhao Hanzhang looked him up and down, then after a moment sighed, “I now have a rough idea what County Magistrate Gao is like.”

They say servants reflect their masters. It seemed Xi’e County’s Magistrate Gao was probably much like this bailiff.

Hmph, trampling farmland?

What visiting merchant would dare trample the local people’s good farmland?

Zhao Hanzhang narrowed her eyes in thought, then turned to Fu Tinghan. “We’ll go ahead first. You bring up the rear with the people.”

Fu Tinghan nodded.

Zhao Hanzhang said to Qiu Wu, “You stay behind to protect Tinghan.”

With that, she took Zhao Erlang and her personal guards and urged the bailiffs and soldiers to run ahead.

Some of the bailiffs and soldiers had horses, some didn’t. Zhao Hanzhang was straightforward—she directly confiscated all the horses. Now they all had to rely on their two legs to run.

When Zhao Hanzhang kicked her horse’s belly, they could only follow by running on foot.

By the time they ran to the sparsely populated city gate, the gate guards recognized them from afar and raised their hands in greeting. “Old Zhang! Back so early today? Who’s that person on the horse?”

Old Zhang, running at the front, couldn’t answer. Zhao Hanzhang rode forward. Her gaze swept over them and she directly told her personal guards, “Take control of the city gate.”

“Yes.”

The gate guards sensed something wrong. They immediately lowered their spears horizontally and called out, “Who are you people? What do you want to do?”

With one strike of his spear, Zhao Erlang knocked away the spear in his hand. Fan Ying on Zhao Hanzhang’s other side immediately called out, “How dare you! This is the Governor of Yu Province. Seeing the Governor, why don’t you kneel quickly?”

The person froze, glanced at Old Zhang, and seeing them with lowered heads panting, knew there was no mistake. He quickly knelt.

With one kneeling, the soldiers who had just heard the commotion and run down from atop the city gate hesitated, then dropped their weapons and knelt one after another as Zhao Hanzhang’s gaze swept over them.

Zhao Hanzhang nodded with satisfaction and waved her hand. “Guard the city gate. Without my order, no one is permitted to leave the city.”

“Yes.”

Four personal guards remained. Zhao Hanzhang took the rest toward the county yamen.

County Magistrate Gao was drinking wine at home, beautiful concubines embracing him on both sides. The sky was somewhat overcast—it looked like it might snow.

He was extremely comfortable, leaning back and stretching out his feet. Immediately a beautiful concubine gently took them and tucked them into her bosom to warm them. He nodded his finger with satisfaction. “Have the musicians come play a tune. Looking at this sky, there should be a heavy snow tonight. Go invite Elder Du and the guest scholars. Tonight we’ll have a fireside gathering.”

The servant bowed in acknowledgment and rose to leave. Suddenly there was a loud bang—the courtyard gate was kicked open, half the door instantly toppling askew to one side.

Gao Cheng was startled. He immediately pulled in his legs and sat up straight, turning to look outside. “What’s all this commotion?”

The servant rushed out to look, just in time to see Zhao Erlang kick open the door and step aside as Zhao Hanzhang lifted her foot and stepped inside. With one glance she saw Gao Cheng sitting on the mat wearing only socks. The mat was spread with obviously soft fox fur. He was looking at Zhao Hanzhang with a face full of astonishment.

Seeing them armed, his heart trembled a bit. Not recognizing her identity, he said with feigned severity, “How dare you! Do you know where this is?”

Zhao Hanzhang placed one foot on the edge of the mat, looking down at him with a smile. “Where is this?”

“This is the rear courtyard of Xi’e County’s county yamen!” Gao Cheng did his utmost to suppress his trembling voice, trying to sound as calm as possible. “If you’re after money, name an amount and I’ll naturally present it. But if you harm anyone, the constables, bailiffs, and soldiers of Xi’e County are no pushovers either.”

Zhao Hanzhang circled halfway around him and found his room quite boring—not even a single chair.

She simply swept everything off the low table, dragged it over with one hand and placed it in front of him, then gathered her robe and sat down, smiling as she conversed with him. “I don’t want money. As for fighting and killing, I’m not interested in that either, so I won’t resort to violence without cause.”

That Zhao Hanzhang was so easy to talk to made Gao Cheng even more nervous. As bandits, they sought neither money nor life—this was far too abnormal.

The thought flashed through his mind, and only then did Gao Cheng realize something was wrong. His gaze stiffly fell on Zhao Hanzhang’s sleeve, then bit by bit moved upward toward her face.

Zhao Hanzhang smiled at him, encouraging him to continue looking.

Gao Cheng’s face turned deathly pale. He saw the orderly personal guards behind her. Most importantly, standing beside her were two women—one wore water-red Shu brocade with exquisite embroidered threads outlining large round flowers, clearly from a wealthy background, not some country bandit.

The other wore a blue vest in the style of a maid from a prominent household, holding a gleaming spear in her arms. Without even looking at the person, just seeing this spear, he knew who was sitting before him.

His vision swam. Numerous rumors instantly flashed through his mind, the first to arrive being about the former Biyang County magistrate. He’d heard that Magistrate Hu had been caught by Zhao Hanzhang breaking into his home and was dragged away and beheaded before he could react at all.

His arms trembling, he tried to use the fox fur to support himself and stand, but the fox fur that had been steadily adhering to the mat suddenly slipped. He pitched forward violently…

His body shook even more violently. Trembling, he drew his legs back and knelt properly, pressing his head tightly against the fox fur, begging forgiveness. “Not, not knowing the Governor had arrived, this official failed to welcome you from afar. I beg the Governor to spare my life.”

The beautiful concubines and servants in the room were shocked upon hearing this and all knelt down kowtowing. But their spirits relaxed considerably. The servants even thought with relief—not bandits, so they probably won’t die. They’d heard the new Governor was very gentle with ordinary people.

They relaxed, but Gao Cheng broke out in cold sweat, not knowing why Zhao Hanzhang would suddenly break into the county yamen. Even if she was out inspecting, she should notify them first, shouldn’t she?

He gathered his courage. “Governor, shall this official escort you to the front hall?”

“No need,” Zhao Hanzhang said. “It’s still office hours. Since County Magistrate Gao is in the rear courtyard, clearly you often conduct official business in the rear courtyard. If that’s the case, let’s meet here.”

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t let him rise. She picked up the wine pot emitting fragrance from the brazier and sighed. “A brazier, fox fur mat, fine wine, ah, and beautiful companions. County Magistrate Gao conducts his office most pleasantly indeed.”