As Li Tianchong smashed the wine jar and swore to quit drinking, Zhao Chong, the magistrate of Jiaxing, also shattered the wine bowl in his hand. He stepped over the brazier in front of the Zhejiang governor’s prison, declaring that his ordeal in jail was over.
“Hahaha, I, Zhao Chong, am back!”
Reborn and basking in the sun once more, Zhao Chong was overcome with excitement, his face beaming with smug satisfaction.
So what if he lost Jiaxing City?!
He had connections in high places, and here he was, walking out unscathed!
Li Tianchong!
You threw me in prison, so what? In the end, it’s you, Li Tianchong, who’s punished. Heh, aren’t you furious?
As for redeeming himself by recapturing Jiaxing City—hah, even the Japanese pirates were in on it with him. What difficulty was there?
If he wasn’t worried about causing a scandal, Zhao Chong would’ve donned armour himself, ridden alone to Jiaxing’s gates, and “reclaimed” the city.
“Congratulations on your release, my lord. The madam has asked us to prepare a feast to welcome you back and cleanse the dust of your ordeal.”
Li Tu, disguised as a steward, approached Zhao Chong, bowing low. With an undeniable tone, he ushered Zhao Chong to a tavern.
Inside, the tavern was packed with Japanese pirates. Zhao Chong, the once-proud Jiaxing magistrate, now sat trembling at the lowest seat.
“To celebrate your release, our commander has specially arranged a hundred personal guards for you—each one a match for ten men. From now on, you won’t need to worry about the safety of your residence or your travels.”
Li Tu sat at the head, smirking at Zhao Chong in the lowliest seat, speaking in a tone that brooked no refusal.
These hundred guards were elite pirates. Rather than protecting Zhao Chong, they were there to control him.
Sure, they had Zhao Chong’s pledge of loyalty, but wasn’t an extra layer of insurance better? With these hundred pirates, they could keep him firmly in their grasp.
“Ahem, isn’t this a bit too much trouble for you?” Zhao Chong’s face paled, and he tried to decline politely.
“Heh, we’re all on the same side. No need to talk about trouble. Don’t be so polite. Remember, Zhao, we’re family now—branded as pirates by the court, to be hunted by all. So we stick together.”
Li Tu’s smile didn’t reach his eyes as he spoke.
“Y-Yes, thank you for your kindness. I’m deeply grateful,” Zhao Chong said, not daring to refuse further. He swallowed hard and accepted.
“Now, that’s more like it. From now on, I’ll be the captain of your guard, ensuring your safety. Officially, though, I’m your chief steward.” Li Tu pointed to himself with a smile.
“You’re too kind, Leader Li,” Zhao Chong said, quickly standing.
“No trouble at all. Come, let me introduce the other key figures. Li Scholar, stand up and let Lord Zhao get a good look at you.” Li Tu gestured to a pirate dressed in a scholar’s robe, introducing him to Zhao Chong.
“Li San, at your service, Lord Zhao. I’ll be your advisor from now on. Please take good care of me,” said Li Scholar, standing with a respectful tone but an arrogant expression.
His real name was Li San. Though nicknamed Li Scholar, he was no scholar—having studied the classics for a decade without even passing the lowest exams. Mocked in his village, he felt unappreciated, and in his resentment, he joined the pirates. The next day, he led them to ravage his hometown—the blood of men, the humiliated cries of women, burning houses, and his triumphant laughter as his ambitions were unleashed.
Among the pirates, he insisted on being called a scholar to stand out, earning the nickname Li Scholar.
Privately, though, the pirates called him something else: Li Viper. Narrow-minded, petty, ungrateful, and vengeful, he was like a venomous snake.
“I look forward to your guidance, Advisor Li,” Zhao Chong said, not daring to act superior. He stood and bowed in return.
“Hahaha, mutual care, mutual care!” Seeing a magistrate he once wouldn’t dare look up to now bowing to him, Li Scholar felt a rush of satisfaction.
“Wang Bigmouth, stand up. Let Lord Zhao see you. He’ll be your cook from now on.”
Wang Bigmouth was a down-and-out villager who’d cooked for village weddings and funerals.
“Zhao, let me tell you, you’re lucky to have me. I’ve cooked for feasts of over three hundred people—everyone ate till they couldn’t close their mouths, grease all over their faces. With me as your cook, you’ll want to do nothing but eat all day.”
Wang Bigmouth had a big head, thick neck, and a white towel wrapped around his head, acting as if Zhao Chong had hit the jackpot.
“Hm, anyone who said his food wasn’t good ended up in the dish,” someone muttered from the corner.
“Ahem, then I’m truly blessed. I’ll rely on you, Chef Wang,” Zhao Chong said, his mouth twitching.
“Bald Three, Bald Four, you brothers stand up. Let Lord Zhao see you. They’ll be your personal bodyguards.”
Bald Three and Bald Four were brothers, former monks who broke every vow—drinking, gambling, and worse.
“Old man Zhao, with us brothers around, as long as you don’t court death, you won’t die,” they said with a grin.
“No courting death here, I swear. I’ll rely on you two heroes,” Zhao Chong replied, wiping sweat from his brow.
“Wang Second Lady, stand up. Let Lord Zhao see you. She’ll manage your household’s inner affairs. Heh, don’t underestimate her, Zhao. She’s fiercer than Sun Erniang of Crossroad Slope. When her husband cheated and her in-laws were cruel, she chopped up her whole family, made them into meat buns, and joined us pirates. Now she’s taken two new husbands.”
Wang Second Lady weighed at least two hundred pounds, her face full of menace, with a birthmark covering one eye and half her forehead, her gaze ferocious.
“Zhao, you’re not bad-looking. A bit old, but you’ll do as my third husband,” she said, gnawing on a pig’s elbow, her words muffled.
“Ahem, thank you for the compliment, but I’m unworthy of a heroine like you,” Zhao Chong said, sweating even more.
Again and again, Zhao Chong stood, bowed, and greeted the pirate leaders, his heart full of misery.
This table of fiends entering his household—what a disaster.
“Alright, now that we’re acquainted, let’s get to business. Zhao, tomorrow you can muster your men to ‘retake’ Jiaxing. Once you’re at the city, set up camp, take a nap, and our forces will slip away overnight. Come morning, you just lead your men to claim the city.”
After introducing the leaders to Zhao Chong, Li Tu laid out the plan to “recapture” Jiaxing.
“Good, good, good!”
Zhao Chong’s face lit up with joy. His release was conditional on redeeming himself, and only by retaking Jiaxing could he fully escape this crisis. With Li Tu’s promise, reclaiming Jiaxing was a sure thing. His career was safe. If these fiends wanted to join his household, so be it.
