gnovel Chapter 129 Feigning Compliance
Chapter 129 Feigning Compliance
Chapter 129 Feigning Compliance
The hour of You (5-7 PM).
Dengzhou City, Li Mansion.
The Li family mansion is located in the most prosperous area of the west of the city, covering an area of three or four acres. With its blue bricks and gray tiles, flying eaves and brackets, it is magnificent. Two stone lions stand majestically in front of the gate, and a plaque hangs on the vermilion gate with the four characters "A Family of Accumulated Virtues".
Lu Yan stood in front of the door, a slight smile playing on his lips.
A family that accumulates good deeds?
Smuggling contraband, raising pirates, colluding with the Later Jin—does such a family deserve to be called "accumulating good deeds"?
"Sir, please."
Li Fu, the steward of the Li family, smiled broadly and bowed as he led the way.
Lu Yan straightened his clothes and stepped through the gate.
The main hall of the Li residence was brightly lit.
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A large table was laden with delicacies: bird's nest, shark fin, bear paw, deer tendon, and several jars of fine daughter's red wine.
Two people were sitting at the table.
A burly man with a rugged face, dressed in military officer's attire, was none other than Li Shouzhen, the commander of Dengzhou Garrison.
The other man was of medium build, with a shrewd face and dressed in fine clothes; he was none other than Li Shouyi, the richest man in Dengzhou.
The two brothers, one a scholar and the other a warrior, controlled Dengzhou for many years.
"Lord Lu has arrived!"
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Li Fu announced loudly.
Li Shouzhen and Li Shouyi stood up at the same time and greeted him with smiles on their faces.
"Lord Lu, it's an honor to meet you!" Li Shouzhen bowed respectfully, his voice booming. "I've long heard of your remarkable talent at such a young age, and seeing you today, I can confirm that your reputation is well-deserved!"
"Commander Li, you're too kind." Lu Yan returned the greeting with a cupped hand. "I'm new here and am truly humbled by the Li family's warm hospitality."
"Not at all!" Li Shouyi said with a smile. "Lord Lu is an official appointed by the imperial court, while our Li family is merely a merchant family. It is our honor to have you grace us with your presence. Come, come, please take a seat, sir!"
T
Lu Yan did not refuse and sat down in the main seat in a generous manner.
Li Shouzhen and Li Shouyi sat on either side of each other, and Li Fu personally poured the wine.
"Lord Lu, this is our local Dengzhou Daughter's Red wine, aged for twenty years. Please, sir, taste it." Li Shouyi raised his wine cup.
Lu Yan picked up his wine glass and took a small sip.
"Good wine."
"I'm glad you like it, sir," Li Shouyi said with a smile. "This wine is brewed by our Li family winery. If you like it, I'll have someone send a few jars to your residence later."
"Then thank you very much, Master Li."
The three of them toasted each other, and the atmosphere gradually warmed up.
After a few rounds of drinks, Li Shouzhen put down his wine cup and said bluntly, "Lord Lu, we are both straightforward people, so I won't beat around the bush."
"Commander Li, please speak."
"Sir, you are new to Dengzhou and unfamiliar with the place, so some inconveniences are inevitable," Li Shouzhen said. "Our Li family has been operating in Dengzhou for many years and has some connections. If you need anything, please feel free to ask, and our Li family will do our best."
Lu Yan put down his wine glass and looked at Li Shouzhen with a half-smile.
"What Commander Li means is—"
"What I mean is, you and our Li family can be friends," Li Shouzhen said. "Having more friends makes life easier. You serve as an official in Dengzhou, and our Li family does business there. We each get what we need, it's mutually beneficial, wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Lu Yan pondered for a moment, then remained silent.
Seeing this, Li Shouyi quickly took over the conversation: "Lord Lu, my brother is a rough man and speaks his mind directly. Please don't take offense."
He took out a silver note from his sleeve and gently placed it on the table.
"This is a small token of our Li family's appreciation, five thousand taels. Please accept it, sir."
Lu Yan glanced at the silver note and raised an eyebrow slightly.
Five thousand taels.
This is more than double the two thousand taels that the steward brought last time.
It seems the Li family is really in a hurry.
"Master Li, this—" Lu Yan pretended to be hesitant, "This gift is too much, I feel ashamed to accept it."
"What are you saying, sir!" Li Shouyi laughed. "This is not a formality, but the sincerity of our Li family. You are an official appointed by the imperial court, with a bright future ahead of you. It is an honor for our Li family to befriend you."
Lu Yan remained silent for a moment, seemingly hesitating.
Li Shouzhen and Li Shouyi exchanged a glance, a hint of smugness flashing in their eyes.
This newly arrived prefect seems to be a pragmatic person.
"Lord Lu," Li Shouzhen lowered his voice, "to be honest, our Li family has been operating in Dengzhou for many years and has some connections with the government and the army. If you are willing to cooperate with us, no one in Dengzhou will dare to cause you any trouble in the future."
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"Moreover," Li Shouyi continued, "our Li family is in the maritime trade business, which is very profitable. If you are interested, you can invest in a share. You can earn at least tens of thousands of taels of silver in dividends every year."
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Tens of thousands of taels?
Lu Yan sneered inwardly.
The Li family's maritime trade business was worth far more than tens of thousands of taels a year. Smuggling contraband and colluding with the Later Jin dynasty were the real sources of exorbitant profits.
However, he certainly wouldn't say these words aloud.
"Commander Li, Mr. Li," Lu Yan finally spoke, "I appreciate your kindness."
He reached out and picked up the silver note, weighing it in his hand.
"I, Lu, will accept this banknote."
Li Shouzhen and Li Shouyi both smiled at the same time.
"As for the cooperation—" Lu Yan paused, "I am new here and not very familiar with the situation in Dengzhou. Let me familiarize myself with it first, and then we can discuss it in detail in a few days, shall we?"
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"Of course, of course!" Li Shouzhen laughed heartily. "You are a cautious man, sir, that's a good thing. No rush, no rush, we have plenty of time!"
"Come on, sir, let's have another drink!" Li Shouyi raised his wine glass.
Lu Yan raised his glass to clink glasses with Lu Yan's and drank it all in one gulp.
The banquet lasted until 9 PM.
Lu Yan had drunk quite a bit of alcohol; his face was flushed, and he was walking unsteadily.
Li Shouzhen personally saw him off, showing concern and attentiveness along the way.
"Lord Lu, it's late, please be careful on the road."
"Thank you very much, Commander Li." Lu Yan bowed and took his leave, "Let's talk again another day."
"Of course, of course! Please take care, sir!"
'
Lu Yan got into the sedan chair, and the curtain was lowered.
Li Shouzhen stood at the door, watching the sedan chair disappear into the distance, his smile gradually fading.
"Second brother, what do you think of this Lu Yan?"
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Li Shouyi walked to his side and pondered, "This person—is not simple."
"How so?"
"He drank so much, yet his eyes remained clear," Li Shouyi said. "Moreover, he spoke so tactlessly, neither refusing nor agreeing, clearly stalling for time."
Li Shouzhen frowned.
"You mean, he's testing us?"
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"Possibly," Li Shouyi said, "but it doesn't matter. He's taken our money, so he's on our side. Even if he wants to turn against us later, he'll have to think twice."
"That's true." Li Shouzhen nodded. "A mere prefect can't cause much trouble. As long as he knows what's good for him, we'll cooperate with him. If he doesn't—"
'
A cold smile appeared on his lips.
"Then don't blame us for being impolite."
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at the same time.
Inside the sedan chair, Lu Yan leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes to rest.
The effects of the alcohol had completely worn off his face, replaced by a cold and stern expression.
"Boss, are you alright?"
'
Beside the sedan chair, Shen Qing asked in a low voice.
"It's nothing." Lu Yan opened his eyes. "The Li brothers are even more arrogant than I imagined."
.
"They thought that by bribing me, they could rest easy."
Little did they know, I took their money only to lull them into a false sense of security.
A slight smile played on his lips, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
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"I'll settle accounts with them once I'm ready."
"What does the employer plan to do?"
"First, mobilize troops," Lu Yan said. "There are still over a hundred personal guards and a large number of firearms in Jinan, which must be transferred here as soon as possible. Without military support, everything is just empty talk."
"Understood," Shen Qing said. "I will make the arrangements immediately."
"No rush," Lu Yan said. "The troop deployment must be carried out in secret, without letting the Li family find out. Send someone to Jinan first to contact Zhao Changying and tell him to make preparations."
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"yes.
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The sedan chair moved slowly through the night, disappearing into the depths of the streets and alleys of Dengzhou City.
Three days later.
November 11th.
The magistrate's office, the study in the backyard.
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Lu Yan sat behind the desk, with a map of Dengzhou in front of him.
Shen Qing stood aside and reported in a low voice: "Master, there's some movement from the Li family."
"What's that noise?"
"Li Shouzhen sent someone to the garrison and mobilized a group of soldiers, saying it was to 'strengthen the city's defenses,'" Shen Qing said. "I suspect he's wary of us."
.
Lu Yan nodded, not surprised.
"The Li family has been operating in Dengzhou for many years, so it's impossible for them to be unprepared. Although they have been lulled into a false sense of security by my 'cooperative' attitude, they will not completely let their guard down."
"So what do we do?"
"Proceed according to plan," Lu Yan said. "The troop deployment can't be delayed any longer. Send someone to Jinan today to have Zhao Changying lead the troops."
Which road to take?
'
"Let's take the land route," Lu Yan said. "Starting from Jinan, we'll go through Qingzhou and Laizhou, then detour to Dengzhou. Although this route is long, it will allow us to avoid the Li family's spies at sea."
.
"Understood."
"Also," Lu Yan paused, "have Zhao Changying bring all the firearms. Flintlock muskets, breech-loading cannons, not a single one can be missing."
"Yes."
Shen Qing accepted the order and left.
Lu Yan looked at the map, his gaze falling on the location of Dengzhou City.
The Li family, your good days are coming to an end.