Chapter 107: Pursuit Through the Night

Runzhou is today’s Zhenjiang, governing six counties including Dantu, Yanling, Jurong, Baixia, and Qu’a. It had 100,000 households and a population of 660,000, and was also classified as a high-ranking prefecture. The governor of Runzhou was Li Fudao, Li Linfu’s cousin.

Although backed by his elder brother Li Linfu, Li Fudao was highly capable. After three years in office, he had earned a good reputation. The people of Runzhou lived in peace and contentment, and the population steadily grew. The administrative seat of Runzhou was in Dantu County. That afternoon, Li Fudao was discussing the shortage of plowing oxen with Han Jinping, the magistrate of Dantu County.

Han Jinping was the exiled official who had risen through the ranks under Li Qingan at the garrison. Emperor Li Longji, moved by his story of a scholar joining the army, pardoned his exile and appointed him magistrate of Dantu County. Though more than three months had passed since his appointment, instead of benefiting from the region’s fertile land, he had grown darker and thinner. He spent almost every day inspecting villages, handling official documents in the fields, and adjudicating cases at the city gates. He accepted no bribes and abused no official power—no one valued this second chance more than he did.

In just three months, he had earned the reputation of “Han the Just.” Whether it was rural farmers or wealthy scholars, everyone spoke of Han the Just with admiration.

Li Fudao was also very satisfied with this subordinate. Despite his short tenure, Li Fudao gave him an excellent evaluation.

These past few days, Han Jinping’s biggest concern had been the shortage of plowing oxen. Due to his lack of experience, he hadn’t realized the severity of the problem during winter. Now that spring plowing was in full swing, many families were unable to start farming because they lacked oxen. The county government’s gates were crowded with farmers seeking oxen to borrow.

With no other choice, Han Jinping went to the prefectural government to ask Li Fudao for help.

“I heard yesterday that many villages in Qu’a County have already plowed their fields and have surplus oxen. Could you please intercede and arrange for us to borrow some from Qu’a County? We’re willing to offer compensation.”

Li Fudao waved his hand smilingly. “All counties face difficulties. Qu’a County will also need help from Dantu County in the future. There’s no need for compensation. I’ll write to Magistrate Zhang of Qu’a County right away to prepare oxen and send them here as soon as possible.”

Suddenly, urgent footsteps were heard outside. A court official reported, “Sir, an army of over 400 men has crossed the Yangtze River and is about to enter the city.”

“Ah!” Li Fudao stood up in shock. If it were troops dispatched by the Ministry of War, he should have received notice in advance. But he hadn’t heard anything. An army entering the city was no trivial matter.

“Which army is it? Did they say?”

“It seems to be the Jiangdu Militia Camp.”

Han Jinping’s eyes lit up as he quickly said, “Magistrate, it might be Li Qing’an who has arrived.” Hearing it was the Jiangdu Militia Camp, Li Daofu’s worried heart settled. He smiled at Han Jinping and said, “It’s your old friend. Let’s go take a look together!”
…
Outside Dantu County, the militia camp that had come from Sizhou was already quite exhausted. Their warhorses were so tired they were foaming at the mouth. After marching for three days, they finally reached Runzhou. Now they needed to capture Du Bosheng before news of Du Liangshan reached them.
Li Qing’an didn’t order his soldiers to enter the city but instead had them rest in place while waiting for the authorities to take action. He Yanming, standing nearby, could hardly contain his excitement. After three months apart, he would finally see Old Han again.
“General, what do you think Old Han will be like? Will he be fat like a pig, with three or four wives, eating for free in taverns, beating anyone who displeases him? Damn, that county magistrate really makes one envious!”
“Do you think everyone who becomes a county magistrate will be like you?”
Li Qing’an snorted disdainfully and said, “You’ll see for yourself! County Magistrate Han is here.”
Suddenly, a large group of clerks appeared at the city gate. Li Daofu and Han Jinping rode out of the city. From afar, Li Daofu raised his hands in greeting and laughed, “General Li, long time no see!”
Li Qing’an stepped forward quickly and said with a smile, “Magistrate, I didn’t expect to meet you so soon after parting in Chang’an.”
Seeing Li Qing’an again, Han Jinping’s eyes reddened. He stepped forward quickly, lifted the corner of his official robe, and knelt down, saying, “Your humble servant pays his respects to the general!”
Li Qing’an was also deeply moved. He quickly helped Han Jinping up, saying, “Old Han, don’t do this. Get up quickly!”
Seeing how emaciated Han Jinping was, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. It must not be easy being a county magistrate!
He Yanming behind them was greatly surprised. He stared at Han Jinping for a while before stammering, “Old Han, how did you end up like this?”
Han Jinping gave a bitter smile and said, “It’s a long story.”
At that moment, Li Daofu walked over, glanced at the troops, and asked Li Qing’an, “General Li, what brings you to Runzhou this time?”
Li Qing’an whispered a few words in his ear. Li Daofu was shocked. “General Li, is this true?”
Li Qing’an nodded and said in a low voice, “The information should be accurate. Prime Minister Li ordered me to handle this. It’s urgent. Please, magistrate, assist me in capturing the fugitive right away.”
“Good! I’ll arrange it right away. I’m heading to Qu’a County now.”
Li Qing’an mounted his horse swiftly, bowed to Han Jinping with a smile, and said, “Old Han, I have urgent business to attend to. We’ll meet again someday to drink heartily.”

In less than half an hour, Li Daofu personally led over a hundred yamen officials, along with Li Qing’an’s troops, toward Qu’a County, which is today’s Danyang in Zhenjiang, less than a hundred li away from the prefectural seat in Dantu County. They had traveled less than thirty li when darkness gradually fell.

The troops marched slowly in the silent night. The training camp slowed down their horses, and Li Qing’an ordered Nan Jiyun to lead twenty men ahead.

He slowed his horse and waited for Li Daofu to catch up.

“Magistrate Li, there’s something I’d like to ask.”

“General, please speak!”

“I want to know how high-ranking officials like the prefect or the transport commissioner can be removed from office.”

Li Daofu smiled and said, “Generally, officials are removed for moral failings or dereliction of duty. Moral failings are considered more serious than dereliction of duty. But General Li, you should know that those who reach such high positions usually have backers. Minor moral failings or derelictions of duty won’t affect them, nor will they commit major ones. So, to remove them from office, special circumstances must arise.”

“What kind of special circumstances?”

“First, corruption and embezzlement on a large scale. Once exposed, the court will never tolerate it. Second, problems with their backers—when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. Other than these two, it’s hard to shake their positions.”

Li Qing’an nodded. Just as he was about to ask more, the sound of horse hooves came from afar—it was Nan Jiyun and the others returning.

“General, there’s news!”

“What news?”

Nan Jiyun stepped forward and helped an old man off his horse, saying, “General, he’s the village head of Pingdu Town and has important information.”

“What important information do you have?” Li Qing’an asked eagerly, leaning forward.

The old man hurriedly said, “General, this evening, dozens of people suddenly arrived in the town, making a lot of noise. Most of them spoke with an accent from the Sizhou area. The leader was extremely fierce and injured the innkeeper. I planned to go to Qu’a County to file a complaint that very night, but I encountered General you along the way.”

After saying this, the old man glanced fearfully at Nan Jiyun. He had tried to flee in the darkness but nearly been killed by an arrow from this officer.

Li Qing’an asked urgently, “Are you sure it was an accent from the Sizhou area?”

“Absolutely. I spent seven or eight years in Sizhou when I was young, so I can tell.”

“How far is Pingdu Town from here?”

“Reporting to the general, it’s about ten li away.”

“Pass the order—march at full speed and block all exits to Pingdu Town.”

The troops immediately sped up. The sound of horse hooves echoed in the night as the horses galloped. In the thatched cottages along the road, dogs barked loudly as countless local dogs rushed out, howling at them.

Before long, the dark silhouette of Pingdu Town in the distance could be faintly seen.
“General, it’s that inn at the north entrance of the town!” Li Zheng shouted, pointing at a three-story inn.
Lights were already on inside the inn. The sound of horse hooves alerted them, and people rushed out of the inn, running frantically.
“Block them in from both sides—don’t let a single one escape. Anyone who resists will be killed!”
The Tang army charged at the inn. Arrows flew through the air; two people were hit by arrows and collapsed in pain. In an instant, the Tang army surrounded the inn completely. Li Fei Shouyu shouted sternly, “Everyone inside, raise your hands and come out! Otherwise, we’ll launch fire arrows!”
There was no response from inside. Suddenly, a bowstring snapped, and an arrow was shot, hitting a Tang soldier in the shoulder. The soldier fell off his horse. Li Qing’an, enraged, ordered, “Launch fire arrows!”
One after another, fire arrows soared into the air, carrying blazing flames toward the inn. With the wind, the flames grew even more intense. People inside began to flee outside. Some strong ones climbed over walls to escape into the town. The Tang army fired arrows like rain, and in moments, all the dozen or so fugitives were killed.
Li Fei Shouyu shouted again, “One last chance! Raise your hands and come out, or you’ll be killed without mercy!”
“Pity us! We dare not resist! Please spare our lives!” As the fire grew worse, the people inside had nowhere to go and gathered in the courtyard. The courtyard was filled with cries and pleas, mixed with the mournful neighing of horses.
Thirty-some men with raised hands and dozens of horses emerged from the courtyard. The Tang army stepped forward to take the horses, while the thirty-some men knelt on the ground.
“General, please spare our lives! We were forced to do this.”
Li Qing’an saw a middle-aged man injured by an arrow hidden among them. Pointing with his whip, he asked, “Where is Du Boyun?”
The men exchanged glances and instinctively stepped aside, revealing the injured middle-aged man. The man grunted in pain and stood up.
“I am Du Boyun.”
After a large group of Tang soldiers appeared in Xuyi County, Du Boyun fled Duliangshan overnight in fear. They rode day and night, arriving in Pingdu Town two hours ahead of the Tang army. Both people and horses were extremely exhausted. Du Boyun thought the Tang army couldn’t catch up, so he decided to stay in Pingdu Town for the night before continuing on. Unexpectedly, they were surrounded by the arriving Tang army, suffering heavy losses.
Li Qing’an smiled coldly and pointed at him with his whip. “Seize him. Count everyone to see if anyone is missing.”
Pingdu Town was still fifty li away from Qu’a County, and it was already the first watch of the night. So, although there was chaos due to the fire here, people fifty li away would never know.

In a short while, the Tang army obtained from Du Boyun’s son the exact address they were going to—Sunjia Alley in Qu’a County, the home of the maternal uncles of the three Du brothers. Du Bosheng, a prominent and wealthy salt smuggler in Qu’a County, was hiding there. With their target identified, the Tang army set off again. This time, the yamen officials led the way, with Li Daofu at the forefront. Around the fourth watch of the night, as the sky turned blue, the army that had marched all night finally arrived at Qu’a County town. It was a medium-sized town with small walls and only two gates, north and south. It was not yet time to open the gates, but the outside was already crowded with farmers ready to sell their vegetables inside. Seeing the large group approaching, they scattered in fear. The guards on the walls noticed the commotion below and asked, “Who’s down there?” “Open the gates quickly! I’m Governor Li Daofu.” After a moment, the gates creaked open slightly, and a guard came out to check. Seeing that it indeed was Governor Li, he quickly pulled the gates wide open. This time, the Tang army did not ride horses; they rushed toward Sunjia Alley with the yamen officials. Soon they found their target—the large mansion of the Mei family in Qu’a County. It was a vast estate covering fifty acres. The yamen officials and 200 soldiers surrounded the mansion, while the rest climbed over the walls to enter. Suddenly, screams filled the air inside. The owner of the mansion, Mei Fanghe, had served as the governor of Changzhou during the Kaiyuan era. He retired ten years ago to live out his days at home. His sister was the mother of the three Du brothers. The Du family was extremely wealthy and would send large sums of money and gifts during festivals, making Mei Fanghe not only highly respected but also one of the richest men in the area. He built this mansion, even larger than the county yamen, in Qu’a County town. Mei Fanghe was nearly eighty years old and suffered from poor sleep. The screams of his family immediately woke him from his sleep. Hearing that soldiers had entered the mansion, he became panicked and fearful. With the help of his two grandsons, he staggered out. “We are an honest family. Why do you break into our home at night?” The main hall was filled with Mei’s sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren, all trembling in fear, unsure of what disaster had befallen their family. Outside in the courtyard, hundreds of Tang soldiers stood in a dense crowd, holding their swords with murderous intent. Li Qingan, the leader, said coldly, “You’ve hidden the fugitive Du Bosheng, violating the laws of the Tang Dynasty. You are equally guilty as the fugitive. Do you still want to deny it?”

“This general, I too was once a governor of a province and head of the Imperial Kitchen. Though I’ve retired for ten years, the imperial purple gold fish bag bestowed upon me still exists. I know the laws of the Tang Dynasty better than you do. You accuse me of hiding a fugitive—what evidence do you have? If there’s no evidence, then please present an imperial edict; otherwise, you have no right to search my residence.”

“Hmph! You want evidence? That’s easy.”

Li Qing’an turned and gave Li Fei Shouyu a few instructions. Li Fei Shouyu immediately took a few men and rushed off. Li Qing’an remained silent, standing in the courtyard and glancing at Mei Fanghe.

Mei Fanghe had no idea what he intended to do and was extremely anxious. Old and weak, he could no longer stand. One of his sons brought him a cushion for him to sit on. Mei Fanghe frantically thought of ways to deal with these soldiers.

Having served as a provincial official for years, he knew that shielding salt smugglers was a serious crime. Yet he couldn’t resist the temptation of the silver and money brought by the Du family, and eventually agreed to hide his nephew Du Bosheng there. Unluckily, the soldiers discovered him anyway. He was filled with regret. If he couldn’t survive this night, it would be a disaster for his Mei family.

Mei Fanghe hoped that Li Daofu or County Magistrate Zhang would step in to intercede on his family’s behalf, so everyone could find a way out. But no local officials showed up.

After about half an hour, hurried footsteps were heard outside the courtyard wall. Li Fei Shouyu and over a dozen soldiers entered, carrying Du Boyun’s son, Du Xi, in their hands. Li Fei Shouyu threw Du Xi to the ground and handed over a confession to Li Qing’an. Li Qing’an showed the confession to Mei Fanghe and said, “Here are the confessions of Du Boyun and his son. They’ve admitted that you hid Du Bosheng. With this confession, I have the right to search your house.”

Mei Fanghe suddenly saw Du Xi and was shocked. Before he could speak, Li Qing’an waved his hand and ordered, “Search him!”

The soldiers immediately obeyed and scattered to search the house. They rummaged through everything with aggression, and from time to time, cries of fear and pleas came from the family members. Mei Fanghe’s face turned pale. He knew Du Bosheng would eventually be found. Suddenly, he said, “General, how about we make a deal?”

Li Qing’an glanced at him and sneered, “You’re thinking of making a deal with me now? What were you doing just now?”

Mei Fanghe, supporting his grandson, slowly walked over and pleaded in a low voice, “General, if you spare my Mei family this time, I’ll not only hand over Du Bosheng to you but also the 200,000 taels of money he’s hiding elsewhere, along with all his confidential documents. I’ll agree to any other conditions you have as well.”

Li Qing’an smiled slightly. “Are you serious?”

“As long as the general spares my Mei family this time, I’ll keep my word.”
“Very well. Then write me a written guarantee admitting that you’re hiding Du Boseng, and I’ll discuss the terms with you.”
Mei Fanghe didn’t understand Li Qingan’s intentions, but since the soldiers had already searched the inner courtyard, he realized the situation was extremely critical. He could only nod and say, “Okay! I agree.”
Mei Fanghe returned to the main hall, wrote a guarantee, signed it, and handed it to Li Qingan, admitting that he was hiding the fugitive Du Boseng. After receiving the guarantee, Li Qingan immediately ordered, “Stop the search!”
The Tang soldiers halted their search. Mei Fanghe breathed a deep sigh of relief and said to Li Qingan, “General, please go ahead! What terms do you want?”
“I have only two conditions.”
Li Qingan raised two fingers. “First, secretly hand Du Boseng over to me. No matter who asks you later, you must not say that I’ve captured him, and I certainly won’t admit that you’re hiding him either.”
Mei Fanghe was overjoyed. As long as he could get rid of the charge of hiding Du Boseng, he certainly wouldn’t admit it. He knew Li Qingan wanted to use Du Boseng for his own purposes, but it no longer concerned him. He immediately said, “General, rest assured. No matter how foolish I am, I won’t admit to hiding a criminal wanted by the court. I’ll also keep my family members quiet to ensure no one leaks anything.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Li Qingan smiled and added, “My second condition is that you hand over all materials and possessions related to Du Boseng. That’s it—these two conditions will ensure you and Du Boseng are completely separated.”
Mei Fanghe agreed without hesitation. Even if Li Qingan didn’t want them, he would destroy everything anyway. Now, as long as his Mei family could be saved, he didn’t care about anything else.
“General, I agree to everything. I’ll hand Du Boseng over to you right now.”
Li Qingan followed Mei Fanghe to a pavilion in the back courtyard. The Tang soldiers had already searched there thoroughly—all the rockeries were smashed, walls were dug open, and every stable and cellar was checked. This pavilion hadn’t been searched yet when Li Qingan ordered them to stop.
Mei Fanghe sighed and pointed at the pavilion with his walking stick. “The passage is inside the pavilion. Move the stone table above, and you’ll see it.”
Li Qingan waved his hand, and immediately, over a dozen Tang soldiers went up and moved the stone table. Beneath it was indeed a dark passage. A voice came from inside, asking softly, “Uncle, is that you?”
Li Qingan gave Mei Fanghe a glance, and Mei Fanghe stepped forward and said, “Boseng, come out! Your second and third brothers have arrived.”

A moment later, a middle-aged man emerged from the tunnel, his hair disheveled and his face pale. He was the key figure in the Yangzhou salt scandal—the notorious salt smuggler Du Boseng. As soon as he appeared, the Tang soldiers rushed at him, pinned him to the ground, tied him up, and covered his mouth. Du Boseng glared angrily at Mei Fanghe; if looks could kill, Mei Fanghe would have died countless times already. Mei Fanghe turned away in shame, not daring to meet his nephew’s gaze. Li Qingan stepped forward, sized him up, and said with a slight smile, “So you’re Du Boseng. You’ve almost brought down the entire Tang Dynasty.”