Chapter 17: Teaching the Bailiffs a Lesson
Strangely enough, there were a total of twenty-eight people on the bus, but only five or six people were active in the group chat. The rest of the group members had gray avatars, much like they were offline on QQ.
Is it possible that only a few of them transmigrated?
Jiang Lili pondered for a moment and then asked the leader’s subordinate, “Hey, do you know when the eldest son of the Magistrate of Linzhou woke up after his near-drowning?”
“The morning two days ago!”
The young subordinate spoke with excitement. “The dinner to entertain the Imperial Censor was held the previous evening.”
“I have a brother who works as a chef in the Magistrate’s house in Linzhou. According to him, the second son intended to have the eldest son take the spotlight as a mere supporting figure, in order to highlight his own literary talents in front of the Imperial Censor’s daughter. He suggested using the lotus as a theme and having a drinking poetry session.”
“Unexpectedly, the second son ended up becoming the eldest’s supporting figure instead!”
Both Jiang Lili and Guan Yue couldn’t help but stifle a laugh. Comparing poems with a transmigrator was like automatically taking the supporting role. They could imagine the scene vividly.
The subordinate continued, “The second son was born from the second wife. While not particularly brilliant in military or literary skills, he was still far better compared to the eldest, who was born with intellectual disabilities.”
“Now that the eldest made a remarkable appearance, the second son grew anxious. He vowed to make an achievement to solidify his position, so he set his sights on fighting bandits.”
Jiang Lili nodded in understanding.
The eldest son of the Magistrate of Linzhou had just awakened two days ago, which meant that their arrival didn’t coincide exactly. They had arrived five days ago.
So, did this group of transmigrators come through in batches?
It’s uncertain how many classmates have not yet “awakened” or logged into the group chat, or how they might join later.
Jiang Lili and Guan Yue exchanged a glance, and Guan Yue’s expression became a bit more serious. “What if there are other transmigrators who aren’t from our class?”
“It’s hard to say right now.”
Jiang Lili glanced at the subordinate. “Why don’t we just ask what the eldest son’s name is?”
“If they really are one of us, then there’s still room to maneuver with the bandit suppression plan.”
Guan Yue slapped her thigh. “Right, you’re so smart, Lili!”
Jiang Lili gave a playful look at the carefree Guan Yue, then turned to ask the subordinate, “Hey, what’s the eldest son’s name?”
“Uhh—” The subordinate scratched his head. “The Magistrate of Linzhou’s surname is Li. The eldest son is infamous for being a fool. I only remember his nickname, Li Dasha.”
Guan Yue stared at him, then cursed aloud, “You eat melons with such relish, but you didn’t eat the most important melon!”
The subordinate scratched his head, confused. Lately, the boss had been saying all sorts of things that made no sense—what did “eating melons” mean?
“The official bandit suppression order hasn’t been issued yet. The Magistrate of Linzhou will need more time to recruit people for it. We still have time to discuss.”
Guan Yue calmed the others, “The position of Guan Village is hidden, and the terrain is easy to defend and hard to attack. The villagers here are united, and with so many bandit strongholds around Linzhou, the Magistrate won’t target us first if he starts cracking down.”
Guan Yue wasn’t worried. After graduating from university, she had stayed on as a counselor and had encountered all sorts of difficult situations. Her psychological resilience had been honed to a great level.
Besides, not having to go to work here was already better than anything else!
“You guys go ahead and eat breakfast. My sister and I will discuss things for a bit.”
Guan Yue called out to the three leaders of the stronghold, who were still preoccupied with the bandit suppression order, to have breakfast first, and then she led Jiang Lili out of the hall.
Jiang Lili followed Guan Yue to the tallest tower in Guan Village, where the view was the most expansive. It was quiet and sparsely populated, offering a panoramic view of the entire village.
Jiang Lili took a moment to recall the class roster. “The eldest son of the Magistrate of Linzhou is surnamed Li. Could it be that our classmate, the one who’s always so noticeable, Li Sicong, the Sales Champion?”
There were other classmates in their class with the surname Li, but only Li Sicong had returned to visit the teacher this time.
Jiang Lili had a strong impression of this particular Li.
Every class had one or two standout figures, the ones who were always the life of the party. They would crack jokes during class, making everyone burst into laughter.
Li Sicong, or “Sales Champion,” was exactly this kind of person.
As for why his nickname was “Sales Champion,” it wasn’t just because he became the top salesman at a real estate company in his second month on the job—
It was said that Li Sicong had been reselling limited edition Ultraman toys and charging people to copy homework since elementary school. While other kids were still playing in the mud, he was already coming up with ways to make money.
In a sense, he had 11 years of business experience, even though he’d only been in the workforce for 1 year.
“If it really is him, then things won’t be so difficult. With Li Sicong’s high emotional intelligence and silver tongue, he’ll definitely find a way to handle it.”
Guan Yue frowned. “But the problem is, there are so many people with the surname Li. How can we be sure it’s him?”
Jiang Lili came up with a bold idea. “Why don’t we go to Linzhou and check it out ourselves? Confirm it in person?”
“Great idea!” Guan Yue quickly agreed. “Madam Yang will be resting here for three or four days anyway, and we’re just idling around. I’ll take you to the city. I haven’t been there myself!”
“Although Linzhou isn’t as bustling as the cities in the Central Plains, it’s still much better than this mountain village.”
“Besides, after you continue your journey into exile, you won’t have another chance to wander around like this.”
Guan Yue spoke with a hint of worry, “I asked the second-in-command. Beyond Linzhou, you’d have to cross the Qinglin Mountain Range to reach Lingnan. Once you get to Lingnan and then to Haizhou, there won’t be any large towns. The natural environment will only get harsher.”
In this dynasty, many exiles met their end in the Qinglin Mountains, their corpses left scattered in the wilderness.
Miasma, poison, dampness, venomous creatures, and oppressive heat.
Guan Yue sighed deeply. “In any case, you need to be well-prepared.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not that easy to kill!” Jiang Lili could see that Guan Yue’s mood was sinking further, so she patted her on the shoulder to reassure her. “We’re transmigrators, after all. In novels, transmigrators are always the protagonists!”
Guan Yue nodded, a little reassured. “Right! We’re the protagonists!”
Jiang Lili and Guan Yue finalized their plan to go into the city. Jiang Lili was about to enjoy the view for a moment before heading downstairs, but as soon as she looked out, she froze.
From a distance, she saw a group of people hanging by their wrists, tied with ropes in front of the stilted house. They had been stripped of their shirts, their bodies trembling like n*ked chicks in the autumn wind.
Jiang Lili focused her eyes—those were the ten or so bailiffs who were escorting the exiles.
“What kind of t*rture is this?”
Jiang Lili felt a chill just looking at it.
“You said these bailiffs have always been targeting the Marquis family, right? Let me help you teach them a lesson!”