Chapter 221: He Chief Arrives

As the head of the Zhan family was dragged out by Li family private soldiers, thrown to the ground, and left with several boot marks on his face, a large contingent of soldiers and horses came thundering from the city's south gate. Their hooves created a deafening rumble, kicking up clouds of dust, and the bystanders instinctively cleared a path.

The soldiers wore gleaming armor, and their warhorses were spirited and full of vigor.

Accompanying the army were two giant wolves, as large as lions, their crimson tongues dripping saliva, deterring anyone from approaching.

The standard-bearer at the front held a large banner aloft, displaying the bright red character "He," visible from a considerable distance.

The officials exchanged bewildered glances, a silent question passing between them: "Could it be him?"

In an instant, the army reached the Zhan residence. The handsome man at the head of the contingent simply raised his chin, and immediately, over a hundred cavalrymen, on horseback, charged into the Zhan compound to "intervene."

The two giant wolves also roared as they surged inside.

Their presence would certainly help the two families regain their senses more quickly.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the handsome man dismounted and approached the officials. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded. "Is this how Dunyu welcomes me?"

From behind him stepped out Peng Juan, the military registrar.

Peng Juan hastily informed the officials, "This is Lord He, the new Governor-General of Xiazhou, our superior."

He Chunhua subtly revealed the State Decree in his left hand, which shimmered with a bright glow.

All lingering doubts vanished, and the officials collectively bowed in deep respect.

"Rise," He Chunhua commanded, waiting for their gestures of deference to be complete. "From this moment, Peng Juan is relieved of his duties as military registrar and will be reassigned. Zeng Feixiong—"

Zeng Feixiong dismounted and strode purposefully towards him.

He Chunhua tossed him an imperial token, the very one he had just taken from Peng Juan. "I appoint you as the military registrar for the Xiazhou Governor-General's Office, responsible for all military affairs," he declared. "Serve diligently!"

Zeng Feixiong responded with a resounding "Yes!"

In mere moments, Xiazhou's military registrar had been replaced.

The officials now understood: the new Governor-General had not entered Dunyu City directly. Instead, he had first detoured to Qingping Village to reveal his identity, seizing command of over a thousand soldiers directly from Peng Juan before returning to Dunyu.

What they didn't realize was that the auxiliary forces had also stormed directly into Peng Juan's home. There, He Chunhua had presented the royal decree and various official seals, directly seizing military authority in front of the assembled Xiazhou army.

The humiliation Peng Juan felt facing He Chunhua now mirrored He Chunhua's own frustration years ago when confronted by Sun Fuping, who had arrived bearing a royal decree.

Only by securing military authority could He Chunhua gain the necessary manpower and prestige to swiftly establish his presence in Dunyu.

He Chunhua's army now numbered over 2,200 strong.

At that moment, the contingent parted, and over two hundred individuals were brought forth under guard. These included members of the Zhan family and private soldiers of the Li family, all showing signs of a struggle, with disheveled clothing and some even bleeding from head wounds.

He Chunhua's face was stern. "Some individuals were committing violence on the southern county road," he announced, "and I apprehended them and brought them here."

The auxiliary forces that stormed the Zhan residence were like wolves, even fiercer than the brawling parties themselves. While the local constables, fearing the Li family, hesitated to make arrests, He Chunhua's troops had no such reservations.

When the Li family's private soldiers, seeing red, attempted to resist, they were either slapped or kicked to the ground. He Chunhua's diverse subordinates, comprising ruffians from Blackwater City and rebels from Woling Pass, were adept at inflicting pain without causing fatalities.

The crowd grew larger, their eyes gleaming with fascination at the unfolding spectacle.

Soon, the chaos within the Zhan residence subsided, and both warring factions were brought out under guard. Li Zhi and Li Rong, who could have avoided direct involvement, now had torn clothes and had sustained minor injuries.

The Zhan family, on the other hand, was in a far worse state, with over a hundred injured and more than a dozen lying on the ground, their condition unknown.

"Outrageous!" He Chunhua thundered, gripping his horsewhip and pointing it at the Li family members. "Trespassing on private property, maintaining private armies, bullying the weak, and plundering in broad daylight—are you attempting to overturn the very heavens? Do you have any respect for the law of the land?"

The nearby officials seized the moment to quickly introduce his identity.

Witnessing the imposing presence of this unfamiliar official, both families quickly understood. Zhan Qingmao, the head of the Zhan family, was filled with a mix of shock and delight; he first spat out a broken tooth, then desperately pleaded with Governor-General He to intervene. The Li family members, fixed under the gaze of the two drooling giant wolves, felt their rage quickly subside, replaced by rapidly escalating fear.

The three hundred private soldiers brought by the Li family were disarmed and stood dejectedly to one side.

Li Rong stepped forward to defend himself. "Our venerable patriarch was murdered," he stated, "and these people are inextricably linked to his death!"

Li Zhi's lips twitched, but he remained silent.

"To preserve what little dignity you have left," He Chunhua said coldly, "come with me to the yamen for a public trial, right now. All these private soldiers who engaged in this affray are to be immediately detained. Help all the injured individuals into the Zhan residence. As for you," he directed, pointing to the Administrator, "summon doctors to the Zhan residence to treat the wounded. All expenses are to be meticulously recorded and will be borne by the Li family."

He then called the Chief Clerk forward. "And you," he instructed, "assist the Zhan family in inventorying their losses. All three hundred suspects are here; you are responsible for confiscating any ill-gotten gains found on them, to be used as evidence in court! As for the individuals, they are to be imprisoned pending trial!"

"Now, spokespersons for both the Li and Zhan families, come with me!"

His commands flowed effortlessly, arranging everything with clarity in an instant. He infused his voice with inner power, ensuring that every person present heard him loud and clear.

This decisive and efficient approach resonated deeply with the onlookers. Soon, sporadic clapping began, and the applause slowly spread through the crowd.

The common people felt that today's spectacle was perfect: the Li and Zhan families played their parts vigorously, and the new Governor-General brought the proceedings to a swift and decisive close, leaving no loose ends.

Riding on horseback, He Lingchuan smiled and glanced into the crowd. Maotao and a few subordinates, dressed in plain clothes, were subtly hidden amongst the people, serving as the "atmosphere creators"—it was they who had initiated the applause.

His father's meticulously planned public appearance had yielded even better results than anticipated. Now, the entire city knew that the new Governor-General of Xiazhou had arrived, and his very first act had been to subdue the entrenched Li and Zhan families. His presence was utterly formidable.

However, the applause was not particularly fervent, indicating the deep-seated fear many held for the Li family.

The newly appointed military registrar, Zeng Feixiong, left behind two hundred auxiliary troops. Their purpose was twofold: to assist officials like the Administrator and Chief Clerk in their duties, and to provide them with robust support. These soldiers, who had served the He family father and son the longest, were burly, shrewd, and possessed far superior discipline and execution capabilities compared to the local Xiazhou soldiers. Any issues that arose could be resolved immediately.

He Chunhua summarily took away all the influential figures from both the Li and Zhan families. With no one left to cause obstruction, the provincial officials collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

The Administrator and Chief Clerk exchanged glances. As they entered the Zhan residence, the Administrator murmured, "This Governor-General He seems very different. He just arrived and has already put both these families in their place."

"There's still a long road ahead," the Chief Clerk replied softly. "Let's wait and see. Every official who comes here inevitably clashes with the Li family. However," the Administrator added in a hushed tone, "Old Man Li dying at this critical juncture is certainly ill fortune for the Li family, and a stroke of luck for the new Governor-General He."

As the large army entered the city, He Lingchuan looked around, noticing many people pointing and whispering about him.

"Look!" a young woman exclaimed, "That man has a monkey on his shoulder—a monkey wearing a straw hat!"

Young Master He straightened his back even further.

"He's so handsome," someone murmured, a shy smile on their face. But why was it a man who said it?

He Lingchuan shivered, choosing to interpret the crowds' layered gazes as an enthusiastic welcome.

The contingent now moved northward, cutting through the city center. He Chunhua was clearly striking while the iron was hot; while ostensibly taking the Li and Zhan families to the yamen to settle accounts, his true intention was to deliver a powerful display of authority.

From He Lingchuan's observations, Dunyu's streets were quite wide; the main thoroughfare could accommodate five carriages abreast, and the side streets were somewhat narrower. However, venturing deeper, some alleys were so narrow that only one person could pass at a time, making it difficult even for a stout person or a pregnant woman.

The houses were solidly built, devoid of excessive ornamentation, but two and three-story buildings were more prevalent than in Blackwater City.

He did notice several remarkably beautiful large residences, expansive in size with impressive facades, where even the bricks in the walls were laid with exceptional precision.

He beckoned to a local Xiazhou constable and pointed ahead. "Which prominent family owns this residence?" he asked.

"Prominent family?" The constable shook his head vigorously. "Oh no, this is merely the residence of the Hu family, silk merchants. It can't compare to the estates of the four great noble families."

So, this isn't considered prominent?

After another hundred paces, a row of grand mansions appeared before them, featuring black tiles, gray walls, intricately carved bricks, and soaring arches—a blend of opulence and majesty. The contingent marched alongside its exterior wall for what felt like dozens of breaths.

*This* was a true mansion. In comparison, the silk merchant's earlier residence instantly paled into insignificance.

The constable, without waiting for He Lingchuan to ask, quickly offered the information:

"This is the Li residence."

"Indeed," He Lingchuan mused. Even having witnessed the opulence and grandeur of Shihuan City, he was still deeply impressed by the Li family's grand estate. Judging solely by the Li family's magnificence, his father's appointment as Governor-General in Xiazhou promised far greater prospects than in Qiansong County.

Or rather, more promising.

Recognizing the constable as a sharp individual, He Lingchuan took the opportunity to ask, "When did the venerable Old Master Li pass away?"

Just a few days ago, at a meeting in Ruxian County, his father had still been fretting over the difficulty of dealing with Old Man Li. Now, upon entering the city today, news of his death had arrived. Could such a convenient stroke of luck truly exist?

"Early this morning, it was very sudden," the constable replied, having already recognized He Lingchuan as the Governor-General's eldest son and speaking without reservation. "It appears the Li family believes the Zhan family was responsible, so they brought people here for revenge."

"That's quite an operation," He Lingchuan commented. This was the capital of Xiazhou, not some remote village, yet the Li family dared to mobilize over three hundred people to besiege and beat the Zhan family without a second thought. It was a textbook case of blatant disregard for the law. "Do private brawls and provocations happen often here?"

"Well…" The constable hesitated, momentarily at a loss for words. An affirmative answer would surely discredit his own work. "The locals are hot-blooded; sometimes such incidents are unavoidable, but we always do our best to mediate."

However, when confronted by the hundreds of Li family members, they dared not brandish their chains or make arrests. In the past, constables who had been injured by those instigated by these powerful families could only collect meager medical fees and consider themselves unlucky.

Being assaulted essentially went unpunished.

Having spent so much time in the unruly Blackwater City, He Lingchuan immediately grasped the unspoken meaning.

As they continued northward, the crowd following the contingent swelled, creating a festive atmosphere. Upon hearing that the new Governor-General He intended to hold a public trial, and that it involved two of Dunyu's most powerful families, the people's spirits soared. Not even the wind and snow could quell their enthusiasm.