But matters like shaking someone down were the sort one could only hope to stumble upon in the county. After all, the county was only so big; how could there possibly be foolish wealthy households delivering themselves to their door every day, waiting to be fleeced?
Besides, once these rich families had been shaken down once, they would inevitably remember the lesson. In the future, the chance of catching them by the handle and extorting them again would be nearly impossible.
For the next three or four days, the county remained peaceful as ever.
Meng Xihong also went to the yamen on time each day as usual, and after work returned home to look after the child and flirt sweetly with his wife.
That day, after Meng Xihong had put on the yamen’s black livery and dressed himself properly, he kissed his son, who was still lying in Lady Bai’s soft embrace. The little round face was plump and adorable.
Just as Meng Xihong was about to leave, Lady Bai seemed to sense it and woke as well. She was about to rise and see him off, but Meng Xihong stopped her.
Meng Xihong pointed at the baby still sleeping soundly, bent down to kiss Lady Bai on the cheek, and whispered by her ear, “The child made such a fuss getting up in the night yesterday. You’ve truly had it hard. Sleep a little longer. Wait for me to come back from duty this afternoon.”
With that, Meng Xihong turned and left.
Before leaving the house, Meng Xihong cast his usual daily divination to see how his luck would be today, and whether there was anything he needed to watch out for.
【Daily Divination. Today’s Hexagram: Minor Fortune. A noble person leads the way; unexpected wealth secretly arises. Favorable to borrow momentum and profit from it, stopping when the going is good. Fortune: excellent. Unfavorable to be insatiably greedy or forcefully raise weapons.】
Ever since Meng Xihong had his son, Meng Yanqing, this daily divination had undergone a slight change. In addition to showing what was favorable and unfavorable each day, it now also displayed fortune and auspiciousness or misfortune.
But the most important change was that the hexagram’s description of his own fortune and misfortune had become more specific.
In the past, when the hexagram appeared, the wording always carried a somewhat mysterious and ancient air, like a landscape painting veiled behind a thin layer of gauze. Meng Xihong had to ponder it carefully before he could grasp the general auspiciousness or danger.
But now, the words describing specific matters had completely shed that clouded obscurity and become precise and concrete.
Seeing that his fortune today was actually the rare grade of excellent, Meng Xihong was in rather good spirits, and he faintly guessed where the money would come from.
Sure enough.
Meng Xihong had only just arrived at the yamen when he saw Wang Hai leading four constables in a great hurry, about to head out.
Wang Hai saw Meng Xihong as well. Before Meng Xihong could ask, he immediately called for him to hurry and come along.
Although Meng Xihong did not understand what was going on, seeing Wang Hai bringing men out in such a rush, it was clear something major had happened. He did not ask further and immediately followed.
The group quickly headed toward the east of the city.
On the way, Meng Xihong also inquired from his colleagues and learned that early this morning, the eldest son of the wealthy Sun family in the east of the city had openly ridden a horse through the streets of the western market, injuring many commoners along the way and overturning more than ten stalls. The people had all run to the county yamen to lodge complaints.
The Sun family was one of the county’s major taxpayers. Their household was in the tailoring business, and nearly half the tailor shops in the county were Sun family properties. It was said they also owned over a thousand mu of fertile land.
On ordinary days, the Sun family had a good relationship with the county magistrate. But right now, the magistrate’s seven-year term in Wufeng County was nearly up. According to court precedent, before his term ended this year, the prefecture above would send people to inspect the achievements he had made during his tenure.
Generally speaking, as long as they were not too poor, promotion was almost certain. Thus, what the county magistrate sought now was stability. Recently, he absolutely could not allow any evil incident that would damage his record to occur.
The Sun family’s matter had happened to strike right at the muzzle. This time, they would likely have no choice but to bleed heavily.
An incense stick’s worth of time later.
Meng Xihong and the others had already arrived before the residence of the wealthy Sun household in the east of the city.
The gates of the Sun residence were tightly shut, completely unlike their usual appearance, when the main doors were thrown wide open as if they wished everyone in the world could take a look at their home.
The task of arresting the wealthy Sun household’s eldest son belonged to Head Constable Wang Hai. Meng Xihong was very sensible and merely stood behind to lend support. Matters requiring someone to step forward were not yet his place.
After Wang Hai personally stepped forward and knocked on the door, the gate was soon opened a crack. When the steward inside saw Wang Hai and the yamen black livery worn by the several men standing behind him, he already knew everyone’s identities.
The steward hurriedly led Wang Hai and the others into the residence, carefully guiding the way from the front.
Wang Hai straightened his back, his face showing not the slightest hint of joy or anger.
Meng Xihong and the others were the same, assuming an air of handling official business by the book.
Soon, Meng Xihong and the others were led to the rear courtyard, where they saw the wealthy Master Sun and the Sun family’s eldest son, who had ridden a horse through the western market and injured people that day.
“You rebellious son! Who gave you the nerve to actually dare ride a horse through the western market and injure people?!”
Master Sun was so furious that the veins on his forehead bulged. The whip in his hand rose high and came down fiercely on the back of the eldest Sun son, who was currently kneeling on the ground.
The next instant.
“Hiss!”
The moment the whip fell, the flesh on the eldest Sun son’s back was instantly torn and mangled, blood staining the whip.
“Ah!”
The eldest Sun son let out a pained wail. Immediately afterward, without the slightest warning, he collapsed to the ground and fainted dead away.
Seeing this, the steward waiting at the side turned pale with fright. He hurriedly led the servants rushing forward, quickly carrying the young master away for treatment.
As for Master Sun, he threw away the whip and hid his hand behind his back, though it still could not help trembling slightly.
Master Sun strode quickly toward Wang Hai and said with an embarrassed smile, “I have made a fool of myself before Head Constable Wang.”
“Not at all. Master Sun handled your family affairs impartially. I am truly impressed. When I return to the yamen, I will certainly report the matter truthfully to His Honor.”
“Then I will trouble Head Constable Wang.”
As the words fell,
Master Sun raised a hand and tugged at Wang Hai’s hand, slipping some silver into his sleeve without leaving a trace.
This scene fell entirely into the eyes of Meng Xihong, who had already entered the martial path and, having learned Mingjin, could be considered a third-rate expert. However, he did not expose it either, only acting as if he had seen absolutely nothing.
Master Sun and Wang Hai went elsewhere and chatted idly for a while. By the time Wang Hai returned, a satisfied smile was already hanging on his face. He shouted to Meng Xihong and the others that they were finished, and with that, the matter of specially coming today to arrest the Sun family’s eldest son was considered over.
Only, when Meng Xihong and the others were about to leave the Sun residence, they were stopped by the Sun residence’s steward, who had brought servants with him.
Immediately afterward, the steward of the Sun residence smiled as he stuffed silver into everyone’s sleeves, then watched them depart.
Meng Xihong felt the weight in his sleeve and estimated it to be about twenty taels of silver.
Just by making this trip, twenty taels of silver had entered his sleeve. That was almost equal to nearly two years of his regular allowance.
Meng Xihong knew that if Wang Hai had not called him along, a lowly constable like him would never have been able to get his hands on this money.
Taking advantage of a moment when no one was paying attention, Meng Xihong reached into his sleeve, took out roughly ten taels of silver, and quietly slipped it into Wang Hai’s sleeve. Lowering his voice, he said gratefully, “Many thanks to Head Constable for bringing me along to make a fortune.”
Wang Hai was first taken aback, then a smile appeared on his face, and he nodded in satisfaction.
If even a minor constable like Meng Xihong could receive twenty taels of silver, Wang Hai’s share was naturally much more than that—at least starting from a hundred taels. Ten taels of silver was not really something he took seriously.
But very few newcomers could be as enlightened and grateful as Meng Xihong. In the future, if such a thing happened again, Wang Hai would naturally first think of this sensible fellow by his side.
After they returned to the yamen, Wang Hai went to report completion of the task to the county magistrate, while Meng Xihong and the others, as usual, went through the motions of patrolling and maintaining public order.