Chapter 46 The Arrival of Shi Kefa

When Li Yi approached, Yan Zibin, the magistrate of Mizhi County who had come along, let out a cold snort. He had nursed resentment ever since Li Yi had caused him to lose face last time.

"Li Yi, you’ve been organizing the militia in Ganquan, winning people over—what is your intention?" Yan Zibin demanded.

Li Yi was taken aback for a moment. So the magistrate from Xi’an Prefecture hadn’t come because of the incident with the Ai family’s caravan.

"Organizing the militia is for the protection and reassurance of the people. Mizhi County lies on the border, and it’s long been common practice here. In recent years, bandits have been rampant and the villagers are anxious. That’s why they hope for the militia’s protection."

Yan Zibin cared nothing for whether the militia protected the people; he only cared about Li Yi’s real purpose.

"The militia is to be organized by the authorities. You have no official approval—where did you get the audacity to set it up on your own?"

"Has the magistrate come today solely to hold me accountable for the militia?" Li Yi looked at him coldly.

Yan Zibin shouted furiously, "How bold! How dare you show such disrespect to an official!"

Li Yi gazed at Yan Zibin, sneering. "Bandits murder and rob, the villagers are afraid, so they organized the militia themselves. We thought surely the wise magistrate would give his approval."

"You glib-tongued wretch! Are you trying to use public sentiment to force my hand?" Yan Zibin snapped.

He then barked at the yamen runners behind him, "What are you waiting for? Arrest this criminal and bring him to justice!"

The yamen runners exchanged glances, lowered their heads, and pretended not to hear.

Yan Zibin was even more incensed.

The young civil official watched Yan Zibin’s impotent fury and shook his head slightly. No wonder people said the Mizhi magistrate was like a clay idol—always currying favor with the gentry, harsh with his subordinates, utterly incompetent, and no one took him seriously. He had insisted on tagging along during this investigation just to quarrel with a country youth—hardly the conduct or bearing of an official.

"Magistrate Yan," the young official said, "I have come on the orders of Lord Hong to visit each village in Mizhi County for the purpose of understanding local conditions, not to hold anyone to account."

Yan Zibin was momentarily taken aback. He glanced at the unmoved yamen runners, then at the calm young official, and fell silent.

The young man smiled at Li Yi. "Magistrate Yan is a parent-official of this county, an imperial appointee. You ought to show respect and not speak so recklessly."

Before Li Yi could reply, Li Zicheng beside him quietly reminded him, "This is Lord Shi Kefa. He currently serves under Lord Hong Chengchou."

Shi Kefa?

Li Yi was momentarily stunned as he looked at the gentle-featured, refined young official before him. So this was the same Shi Kefa who would one day resist the Qing army in Yangzhou, refuse to surrender after capture, and die a martyr’s death.

"Commoner Li Yi admits his fault and thanks Your Excellency for your guidance," Li Yi said with a cupped-fist salute.

Shi Kefa nodded, then pointed to the children in the village schoolhouse. "I just heard from your village head that you provide three meals a day for these children, and even have your betrothed instruct them in their studies."

Li Yi smiled. "The winters are harsh, and harvests have been poor in recent years. Life is hard for these children. I thought if they could learn to read and hear the teachings of the sages, they might also gain some skills to survive."

Shi Kefa clapped his hands in approval. "Though you have privately established a charitable school, your compassion and generosity are truly rare."

He cast a glance at Yan Zibin and continued, "I’ve visited several villages, and many families lack food and clothing, suffering from cold and hunger. Children go unfed, drinking melted snow and eating wheat husks, with no one to care for them. That you thought to gather these children for warmth, food, and study in winter is truly remarkable."

Li Zicheng laughed heartily and pointed at a nearby granary. "My lord, you don’t know the half of it! Brother Yi has done far more than this."

Shi Kefa made a soft sound of surprise.

Li Zicheng opened the granary, pride in his voice. "Brother Yi led the villagers in forming an agricultural association. They pooled their silver to buy grain and establish this granary. Any family in Ganquan that runs out of food can borrow grain here interest-free."

Shi Kefa’s expression grew serious as he stepped inside, noting the sacks of grain and accepting the ledger Li Zicheng handed him. The records detailed who had borrowed grain and bore the seals of the village chief, the borrower, and Li Yi. Glancing through it, he saw that over fifty households had borrowed grain in recent days. So the granary was no pretense—it truly lent out grain.

With bandits everywhere, wars breaking out, and the bitter cold of winter, what was most precious? Grain. Why did farmers flee their fields, why did refugees become bandits? Because they had nothing to eat.

Li Yi had used his own silver to lend grain to the common people. Shi Kefa knew at once that this single measure would let fifty households in Ganquan survive the winter without fleeing in desperation or joining the bandits.

He turned to Li Yi, moved. "If all the wealthy households in the land acted as you do, how could Mizhi County have so many refugees?"

Yan Zibin stood by, his face flushed with embarrassment. Though Shi Kefa praised Li Yi, it was also an implicit criticism of his own governance.

Li Yi smiled. "I am a son of Ganquan. Naturally, I must do what little I can."

Shi Kefa nodded and left the ancestral hall. Gazing at the snow-covered world outside, he fell silent for a moment before departing with his retinue of yamen runners.

This visit had truly seemed like an inspection of local affairs, and Gao Jie, Liu Dayong, and the others nearby breathed a collective sigh of relief. Yet Li Yi remained uneasy. Shi Kefa was a seventh-rank official, yet had come personally to the villages. Though he claimed to be acting under Hong Chengchou’s orders to inspect Mizhi County in preparation for forming a new battalion, Li Yi doubted it was so simple.

After some thought, Li Yi said to Gao Jie, "Divide your men into teams and spread out to watch the main roads. If anything unusual happens, we’ll know at once."

"Squad leader, has something happened?"

Li Yi shook his head. "Just be vigilant these next few days. I have a feeling something is about to happen."

Elsewhere, Shi Kefa returned to Mizhi County just as Hong Chengchou’s procession entered the city. The townspeople lined the streets to witness the spectacle.

Yan Zibin hurried to lead the county officials in greeting him, as they had received no prior notice. At the yamen gate, Hong Chengchou emerged—a stocky man with a square face, thick brows, a mustache, and piercing eyes.

Seeing Shi Kefa, Hong Chengchou greeted him in a booming voice, "Xianzhi, you’ve worked hard these past days."

Shi Kefa bowed. "Your servant would not dare disgrace his mission."

Yan Zibin quickly interjected, "My lord, I received no notice and failed to go out to meet you. Please forgive my lapse."

Hong Chengchou smiled. "Magistrate Yan, I come by imperial order to supervise rations for the front. In the coming days, I hope we will work together in full cooperation."

Yan Zibin immediately replied with fearful deference, "Your humble servant will give his utmost support."

Hong Chengchou then met with the three county officials before attending a banquet. When he returned to his quarters, he dismissed his servants and summoned Shi Kefa to his study.

"Xianzhi, you arrived ahead of time. Has the matter of the Ai family been investigated?"

Shi Kefa replied, "There’s already some progress regarding the silver lost by the Ai family. Ai Yingjia’s son claims Li Yi of Lijia Village was the culprit, so I took the opportunity of my local inspection to visit him."