Tang Dynasty: A Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls for Li Er at the Start

Chapter 354 This official will surely bring you scoundrels to justice.
The next day at noon, the warm spring sun made everyone feel lazy.

Outside the city gate of Zheng County, a group of soldiers guarding the city leaned weakly against the city wall, carrying long swords.

Some were dozing off with their eyes half-closed, their heads nodding slightly.

Some were poking at the pebbles on the ground with their sword sheaths, humming off-key tunes.

Zheng County was already remote, and even caravans were rarely seen on ordinary days. Now, during the busy farming season, the villagers were busy in the fields, and the area inside and outside the city gates was even more deserted. The job of guarding the city was so idle that it made people sleepy.

"Sigh, if this sun keeps shining, I'm going to fall asleep."

A young soldier yawned, rubbed his reddened eyes, and spoke in a lazy tone.

"Who would come to the county town at this time? Even if there were thieves, they would choose to come at night, not when it's so sunny."

"You can't say that."

The older soldier next to him frowned and lowered his voice.

"I heard a few days ago that two scholars from a neighboring county went missing, and the government is still investigating. It's possible that those villains are hiding around here, so it's best to be vigilant."

As soon as he finished speaking, a cloud of yellow dust suddenly rose from the dirt road not far away. Then, the rapid sound of horses' hooves came from afar, growing louder and louder, as if a lot of people were rushing towards the county town.

"There's movement!"

The soldiers leaning against the city wall were instantly awakened, their drowsiness vanished, and they gripped their long swords tightly at their waists, watching the direction of the rising dust with vigilance.

The leader of the squad changed his expression and rushed to the city gate, placing his hand on the heavy bolt.

This formation doesn't look like that of ordinary people; it looks like quite a few people are riding up on horseback. If they really are bad guys, these few people simply can't stop them.

Just as the captain was hesitating whether to order the city gates closed, a fast horse suddenly galloped out of the dust. The man on horseback was dressed in coarse cloth and short clothes, but his figure was exceptionally upright. He shouted from a distance, "Brothers, don't panic! We've come to the county office to report a case, we're not criminals!"

The soldiers guarding the city looked closely and saw the man rein in his horse, dismount swiftly, and walk quickly to the front of the ranks, taking out a smooth wooden plaque from his pocket.

The wooden sign had no words engraved on it, but it had an unusual texture. He lowered his voice and said, "We are from Chang'an. We have important business to discuss with Magistrate Cui. Please do us a favor and open the door immediately."

The team leader took the wooden plaque, weighed it in his hand, and looked at the man's calm eyes. Although he had some doubts, he dared not be negligent.

Anyone who could come all the way from Chang'an and dare to head straight for the county government office at this time was certainly no ordinary person. He gave a wink to the soldier beside him and said in a deep voice, "Open the door!"

The heavy city gate creaked open, and the dust in the distance gradually drew closer.

A dozen or so fine horses galloped toward the city gate, with two teenagers, Wen He and Li Chengqian, riding on the lead horse.

Wen He held the reins firmly, her expression calm; Li Chengqian, on the other hand, grabbed Wen He's sleeve, his little face full of excitement, his eyes curiously looking at the city gate.

On a horse nearby, Meng Zhou was huddled behind a man, his face pale, his hands tightly gripping the man's clothes. His body swayed slightly with the horse's movements, and his lips were turning purple.

Although he was a student at the Imperial Academy, he spent most of his time in his study. He rarely rode a horse, let alone went on long journeys. Now, riding a horse with someone else, he felt as if his internal organs were about to be shaken out, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat.

"Slower...slower..."

Meng Zhou's voice trembled, and he spoke haltingly.

"I...I really can't take it anymore..."

"We need to hurry. The sooner we get to the county government office, the sooner we can investigate Lu Gui's matter."

Upon hearing Meng Zhou's words, Li Chengqian muttered something under his breath. He felt that the horse's speed was not fast enough and secretly hoped that it could go even faster.

As soon as he finished speaking, Wen He gently patted the back of his head.

"Don't talk nonsense, safety first."

Wen He said irritably, reaching out to support Li Chengqian's shoulder, afraid he might fall off. If it weren't for the time crunch, he wouldn't have wanted Li Chengqian to ride a horse with him at all.

This child is impulsive and unpredictable; if something were to happen to him, there would be no way to explain it.

Li Chengqian covered the back of his head, pursed his lips, but dared not refute anymore. He could only sit obediently, though the excitement in his eyes had not yet faded.

On the way, Meng Zhou recovered a little and looked at Wen He, asking in a low voice, "Young Master Wen, when we interrogated those two bandit leaders this morning, did they...did they really confess? Is Lu Gui the mastermind behind it all?"

Wen He nodded, her voice low: "The leader, Black Tiger, has already confessed. It was Lu Gui who sent Li, the head constable of the county, to find them. He said that as long as they captured the traveling scholars and locked them in the bamboo forest cave, they would be given one hundred strings of cash. As for whether Magistrate Cui knew about it, neither Black Tiger nor the survivor knew."

“Lu Gui is very cautious. Apart from Chief Li, he has not allowed them to come into contact with anyone else.”

"Wouldn't it be too risky for us to go directly to the county government office to find Magistrate Cui?"

Meng Zhou was still somewhat worried.

"What if Magistrate Cui and Lu Gui are in cahoots? Wouldn't we be walking into a trap?"

"It is precisely because of the uncertainty that we need to catch them off guard."

Wen He's eyes were sharp as a blade, sweeping over the astonished faces of Meng Zhou, Zhao Lei, and Wu Sheng, and she spoke calmly yet with certainty.

"If Magistrate Cui is innocent, he will cooperate with the investigation when he sees that we have witnesses. If he is also involved, we can arrest them both to prevent the news from leaking out and Lu Gui from escaping."

Upon hearing this, Meng and the other three were stunned, their eyes filled with disbelief.

That was a county magistrate of the sixth rank, holding the reins of the county's administration. Ordinary people would find it difficult to even meet him, yet Wen He casually uttered the words "take him down."

Zhao Lei opened his mouth, wanting to remind Wen He that "the county magistrate is an official appointed by the imperial court and should not be acted upon lightly."

But seeing Wen He's calm expression, he swallowed back the words he was about to say.

From Chenjia Village to this moment, Wen He's actions have long exceeded their understanding of what a "young man" should be.

However, that statement is rather presumptuous.

However, in his heart, he did not think Wen He was such a madman.

Perhaps this young man really does have something to rely on.

The group rode their horses along the cobblestone path. Just as they passed the street corner, a furious shout suddenly came from the roadside: "Wen Jiaying!"

Wen He was startled by the sound and turned to look. She saw a middle-aged man in a dark brocade robe with a dignified face rushing over. He was tall and straight.

Before Wen He could react, the man had already run to the front of the horse, grabbed the reins with such force that even the horse snorted and stopped.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Wenxiao and the others immediately drew their short knives warily, staring sharply at the newcomers, their hands on the crossbows at their waists, ready to act at Wen He's command.

But after seeing the person's face clearly, they quickly sheathed their swords and bowed in respect.

They were very familiar with the figure of the newcomer; it was none other than Changsun Wuji.

"Teacher!"

When Li Chengqian saw Changsun Wuji on horseback, his eyes lit up, and he quickly greeted him with a smile, his previous tension instantly dissipating.

Changsun Wuji ignored Li Chengqian, his gaze fixed on Wen He, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

He learned last night that Wen He had taken Li Chengqian to Chenjia Village, and he didn't sleep well all night.

Although he knew that guards were secretly following them and that His Majesty trusted Wen He, he was still worried. So before dawn, he led his men to guard the entrance of the county town and finally waited for Wen He and his party to arrive.

But when he saw the two men tied up behind them, his heart skipped a beat, and he knew something terrible must have happened.

"What happened last night?"

Changsun Wuji pointed at Hei Hu and his companion, who were tied to the back of the horse, his voice filled with suppressed anger.

"Who are those people? What are you going to do?"

Wen He sat on horseback, smiled, and spoke in a relaxed tone as if he were talking about an ordinary matter: "Naturally, we have caught the villains. They are related to the case of the missing scholars. I am about to take them to the county government office so that Magistrate Cui can interrogate them and find out the truth."

Seeing his nonchalant demeanor, Changsun Wuji was even more furious.

This kid knew Li Chengqian had a special status, yet he still led people out to cause trouble, and he still acted like it didn't matter!

Without saying anything more, he suddenly reached out, grabbed Wen He's collar, and with a slight force, pulled Wen He off the horse.

"Chang...Sun San, let me go!"

Wen He landed on both feet, staggered a bit before regaining her balance, and reached out to pry Changsun Wuji's hand open, but couldn't pry it open no matter what she did.

Although he had learned some martial arts from Zhang Wenxiao, his strength was far inferior to that of a general like Changsun Wuji, who had been on the battlefield and could wield a spear to kill enemies.

He was both angry and anxious, and gritted his teeth inwardly.

That old bastard, wait until I'm a few years older, and I'll find a chance to beat him up!
Changsun Wuji glared at Wen He, his eyes full of displeasure, but he knew that arguing in the street was inappropriate and would easily attract attention and reveal his identity. He released his grip and said in a deep voice, "Let's go to the inn first. We can talk about it when we get there!" After saying that, he turned to look at Li Chengqian on horseback, his expression softening slightly, but still serious: "Gao Ming, you get off too."

Looking at Changsun Wuji's gloomy face, Li Chengqian felt a little scared. He chuckled twice and was about to explain when he heard Changsun Wuji instruct Zhang Wenxiao, "Zhang Wenxiao, help the young master down from his horse."

Zhang Wenxiao stood still, without making any immediate move.

He was Wen He's bodyguard and only obeyed Wen He's orders.

Until Wen He nodded slightly at him.

He stepped forward and carefully helped Li Chengqian down from the horse.

After Li Chengqian came down, he quickly went to Changsun Wuji's side, tugged at his sleeve, and whispered, "Teacher, Wen Da was just investigating the case. We didn't cause any trouble..."

"Didn't cause any trouble?"

Changsun Wuji interrupted him irritably.

"You led a group to arrest a criminal, and then you went to the county government office. Is that what you call not causing trouble?"

"Didn't you say you were just here for study abroad?"

He turned to look at Wen He, his tone carrying a warning.

"The young master sent you to accompany the young master to protect him, not to cause trouble with him. Now come with me to the inn immediately. I'll handle things at the county office!"

Wen He rubbed the wrinkles in her clothes, unconcerned.

He glanced at the two bound men, Hei Hu and his companion, and instructed the guards beside him, "Keep an eye on these two and take them to the courtyard near the inn to guard them. Don't let them escape."

"Yes!" the guards responded in unison, escorting Black Tiger and his companion behind them.

Meng Zhou, Zhao Lei, and Wu Sheng stood aside, looking at each other, their hearts filled with doubt.

They stared at the man in plain clothes for a long time.

His clothes were made of the most ordinary gray cloth, without even a decent accessory. He looked even more plainly dressed than the village head.

But when he spoke, even a skilled guard like Zhang Wenxiao treated him with utmost respect.

What's even more remarkable is his demeanor. Standing in a crowd, even though he's dressed like a servant, he commands respect.

Zhao Lei quietly tugged at Meng Zhou's sleeve and asked in a low voice, "Brother Meng, is this young man... a servant of Young Master Li's household? But he seems more like an elder."

Meng Zhou frowned and shook his head, his eyes full of confusion: "He doesn't seem like a servant. Look at the way he speaks, and look at the calluses on his hands. They don't look like the result of rough work. They look like he's used to holding a pen and a weapon. Maybe he's an elder of Young Master Li's family, dressed like this on purpose to follow him."

Wu Sheng leaned over and whispered, "Regardless of his identity, this person seems capable; he might be some important figure."

The three whispered amongst themselves, but their steps didn't falter as they followed Wen He, Li Chengqian, and Changsun Wuji toward the inn.

The people on the street, seeing that there was nothing exciting to see, gradually dispersed, with only a few curious onlookers still following from a distance, not daring to get too close.

Upon arriving at the inn, Wen He first had someone lead Meng Zhou, Zhao Lei, and Wu Sheng to the next room to rest, and then instructed the innkeeper to prepare hot food before turning around and following Changsun Wuji upstairs.

After walking a few steps, we came to a side room. We opened the door and went in. Inside, we saw a middle-aged man sitting, holding a book and reading it. There was a pot of hot tea beside him, and he looked relaxed.

"My lord." Changsun Wuji stepped forward, bowed, and spoke in a much gentler tone than when they were on the street.

Wen He nodded in agreement and casually greeted, "Greetings, Young Master Li."

Li Chengqian also smiled and bowed.

The man was none other than Li Shimin. He put down his book, looked up at the three of them, and glanced at Li Chengqian. Seeing that his son was in good spirits and had not suffered any injuries, his tense expression instantly relaxed, and he simply asked a question.

"came back?"

"Ah, I'm back."

Wen He accepted it casually, and even reached out to rub her legs, which were a little sore from walking.

Traveling on horseback is indeed tiring.

Li Shimin originally wanted to ask a few more questions about the study tour, but when he glanced up and saw that Changsun Wuji's face was still calm and his brows were furrowed, clearly still angry, he changed his question and asked, "Sun San, what did those two do to make you so angry?"

"Uncle Li, do you know they almost got into danger last night?!"

Upon hearing this, Changsun Wuji's tone immediately rose again, and his eyes were fixed on Wen He.

"The original plan was to travel and study with the scholars, but instead, we went directly to investigate the case of the missing scholar, and even went to the remote Chenjia Village to confront the villains! If it weren't for the guards with us, the consequences would have been unimaginable!"

He dared not vent his anger on Li Chengqian, so he could only take it out on Wen He.

After all, Wen He was the one who spearheaded this matter. If he hadn't been investigating the case, he wouldn't have let Li Chengqian take the risk.

Wen He smiled helplessly and spread his hands to explain, "It really wasn't intentional. It was just a coincidence. We had just arrived in Chenjia Village when we heard about the missing scholars, and we also ran into the village head acting strangely. We couldn't just stand by and do nothing, could we? Besides, those three scholars were lucky to have run into us."

"Otherwise, three more lives would be lost."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin put down the book in his hand and looked Wen He and Li Chengqian up and down with his eyes.

Wen He remained calm and composed, showing no sign of panic.

Li Chengqian shrank back, clearly knowing that he had "caused trouble".

He pondered for a moment, then finally sighed helplessly: "Well, it's good that you're back safe and sound. Studying abroad is meant to broaden one's horizons and be able to handle things when they happen; it's a kind of experience in itself."

These words helped Wen He out of her predicament. Changsun Wuji opened his mouth, wanting to say something more, but Li Shimin raised his hand to interrupt him: "Alright, you don't need to say anything more. But judging from your appearance, the case must have some progress?"

Upon seeing this, Wen He quickly dropped his joking expression and said seriously, "We have a lead. The kidnappers have been caught. They confessed that the mastermind behind it is Lu Gui, the county magistrate of Zheng County."

“This Lu Gui is from the Lu family of Fanyang. I suspect that this matter involves the Five Clans and Seven Noble Families. They are unwilling to see scholars traveling to various places to teach the common people. It may also be because of the Xun Jue incident that they are retaliating against me.”

He paused, then added, "However, this is just my guess. There is no conclusive evidence yet, so we can only start by investigating Lu Gui."

It's too early to draw conclusions about this matter.

Changsun Wuji immediately responded, his tone serious.

"Although the Lu family of Fanyang belongs to the five surnames and seven prominent families, we cannot easily attribute this matter to the aristocratic family based solely on Lu Gui without concrete evidence, lest we alert the enemy and cause controversy in the court."

Hearing the two discussing this, Li Chengqian couldn't help but interject, "Since we already know that Lu Gui was behind it, why don't we just go and arrest him? That strongman we encountered before, Hu Da, might have been sent by him too! As long as we catch Lu Gui and interrogate him properly, we're sure to get the truth out of him!"

Li Shimin looked at his son with a hint of approval in his eyes.

It seems this trip has yielded some results.

"This matter..."

Changsun Wuji, however, hesitated.

at this time!

Suddenly a commotion arose outside.

The four people inside immediately stopped their discussion.

A moment later, there was a loud "bang" as the door to the side room was kicked open.

An official dressed in a light green round-necked robe barged in, looking fierce.

Behind him stood several thugs, including Zhang Daguang, an acquaintance of Wen He and his group.

"Sir, it was them! They were the ones who escorted Xiao, the village head of Chenjia Village, into the city!"

Suddenly, a man with a pointed mouth and monkey-like face appeared from behind and pointed at Wen He and Li Chengqian.

The official's eyes widened immediately, and he shouted at Wen He and the others, "You audacious scoundrels, how dare you forcibly bind the village head in broad daylight! I will definitely bring you scoundrels to justice!"

Li Shimin and Changsun Wuji inside the room stopped what they were doing.

Wen He looked at the newcomer, blinked, and asked with a smile, "Are you Lu Gui?"

The newcomer was taken aback, then put on a stern face, snorted, and said, "I am Lu Gui!"

Wen He raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Li Shimin, whose face was gradually darkening. He shouted in his heart.

'Come on, Emperor Armor, combine!'

(End of this chapter)