Occupying land, becoming bandits

Tran Residence.

After Tran Mac left, Han An Nuong was restless in the cellar, her mind constantly racing with anxious thoughts.

However, she always remembered Tran Mac's instructions in her heart and didn't leave the cellar, lest she implicated Tran Mac.

"Sister-in-law."

At this moment, the cellar entrance above opened, and Tran Mac's voice sounded.

Han An Nuong was first stunned, then quickly climbed up.

Seeing Tran Mac covered in blood, Han An Nuong's face immediately turned pale, her eyes filled with tears as she thought, "Uncle, you... are you injured?" (Translator's Note: "Thúc thúc" / Uncle here refers to Tran Mac, her husband's younger brother.)

Tran Mac smiled comfortingly, "Sister-in-law, rest assured, this is someone else's blood."

Afterward, Tran Mac recounted to Han An Nuong what had happened outside.

Learning that her own uncle had killed government soldiers and was planning to rebel, Han An Nuong was stunned speechless. After a while, she reached out to tidy Tran Mac's collar, her face filled with tenderness: "Wherever Uncle goes, I will go. If Uncle becomes a rebel, then I am a rebel's wife. As long as Uncle is alright, I am willing to do anything."

Tran Mac wiped the tears from the corners of Han An Nuong's eyes. To prevent the atmosphere from becoming too oppressive, Tran Mac teased, "Sister-in-law hasn't even borne me a child yet, how could anything happen to me?"

"Uncle... you..." Han An Nuong's face turned crimson. However, thinking of being able to conceive a child for her uncle, a deep sense of shyness welled up in her heart. She lowered her head, her hand involuntarily touching her abdomen.

"Brother Mac, Head Constable Ngo is here."

At this moment, Truong Ha, who was keeping watch outside the room, said.

"Sister-in-law, you wait in the room, I'll go take a look."

"Mm."

...

In the courtyard, blood-stained sets of armor were being carried in one by one, piling up into a small mountain. Weapons were also all placed to one side.

Ngo Son arrived with his men. Looking at the pile of armor, the three of them nervously swallowed.

Seeing Tran Mac walk out of the house, Ngo Son was about to speak when Vuong Binh, who had finished inventorying, spoke first, "Immortal Master Tran, a total of two hundred sets of armor, of which thirty-two are damaged. There are also two hundred sabers."

As his voice fell.

Ngo Son's heart skipped a beat. The number of garrison troops dispatched by the magistrate to arrest people was precisely two hundred.

Now it seemed, this group had indeed all been killed.

Ngo Son's two subordinates had their backs drenched in cold sweat.

Tran Mac nodded lightly and instructed Truong Ha beside him, "Go find my sister-in-law and bring the money and meat."

Although Tran Mac didn't have much money at the moment, the compensation for casualties and the monthly salaries for Vuong Binh and the others still had to be paid.

"...Yes, sir." Truong Ha emulated Han Vu's manner and cupped his fist.

Afterward, Tran Mac's gaze shifted to Ngo Son. He chuckled teasingly and said, "Brother Ngo, you didn't leave, huh? Coming to find me, are you thinking of joining the gang?"

"Brother Tran, don't joke around. My... my family is still in the city," Ngo Son said with an embarrassed laugh.

Tran Mac knew he had come to find him for something and invited him into the kitchen to talk.

Entering the kitchen, Ngo Son finally breathed a sigh of relief. When he had come in just now, the gazes of those villagers made him feel as if they wanted to skin him alive.

"Brother Ngo, sit." After inviting Ngo Son to sit, Tran Mac poured him a cup of water.

Tran Mac felt grateful towards Ngo Son. For taking such a big risk to come out of the city and inform him to flee, he deserved to be called a brother.

"Brother Tran, did you kill Head Constable Banh and his group?" (Translator's Note: Assuming "Lưu bộ đầu" refers to Banh Thanh from the previous engagement, as he was the prominent Head Constable killed).

Ngo Son asked tentatively after sitting down.

"Mm, apart from you three, all were killed," Tran Mac said calmly.

"Brother Tran, you've caused a huge disaster this time!" Ngo Son slapped his thigh hard. "You killed so many government soldiers. Magistrate Thuong will not let you off, especially Head Constable Banh. He was General Ton's disciple. The garrison troops will not give up either."

"General Ton?" Tran Mac's eyes lit up.

"General Ton is the commander of the city's garrison troops," Ngo Son said.

Tran Mac thought of the general he had seen outside the yamen before, then chuckled softly, "Did I have a choice? The yamen wasn't planning on letting me go anyway."

"You could have fled! I informed you yesterday precisely because I wanted you to flee."

"In such chaotic times, where can I flee? As long as the imperial court still stands, my crime remains."

Ngo Son: "..."

"Brother Tran, then aren't you afraid Magistrate Thuong will mobilize all the garrison troops to come out of the city and annihilate you?" Ngo Son said.

"He won't," Tran Mac said.

"Why?"

"Magistrate Thuong's term of office is about to expire."

Tran Mac had also thought of this point when he returned from the county seat last time. The term of office for a County Magistrate in the Great Song Dynasty was three years. After three years, they could be promoted, transferred, or reappointed based on their achievements.

Thuong Vien had been in Binh Dinh County for over two years. As someone who had achieved the rank of third-rank Jinshi, and with connections above him, his chances of promotion were very high. Moreover, the rebels were about to attack soon, and the entire Thanh Chau region wasn't very safe. He couldn't possibly stay in Binh Dinh County forever.

Putting himself in Thuong Vien's shoes, if he were Thuong Vien, before his term ended, he would absolutely not waste effort stirring up trouble. Instead, he would block information, absolutely not letting what happened within his jurisdiction leak out and delay his promotion, and then seize the time to make money.

Finally, when leaving office, he would take his achievements and money to his new post.

The reason Tran Mac thought this way was mainly because recent events in the county seat seemed too similar.

Collecting city entry fees, ignoring affairs outside the city.

This way, not only would court cases decrease, but as long as the common folk within the city were fine and no major disturbances occurred, it would mean the administrator of the jurisdiction governed well, and the people lived and worked in peace.

As for whether problems might erupt later, "Well, I'll be gone by then. Let my successor worry about that."

If the rebels attacked after he left office, that would be even better. If anything happened, all blame could be shifted onto the rebels.

And judging from Thuong Vien's actions, he was not the type of responsible official willing to think for the people.

The so-called "one less problem is better than one more." If he were to go out of the city to suppress bandits and the garrison troops suffered heavy losses, he wouldn't be able to answer to his superiors.

Of course, these were all just Tran Mac's speculations. If Thuong Vien acted irrationally and wanted to dispatch garrison troops to annihilate him, it wasn't entirely impossible.

However, regarding this point, Tran Mac had already made preparations.

Phuc Trach Village was closest to Dai Trach Mountain. If Thuong Vien really ordered the suppression of bandits, he also had enough strategic depth; he just needed to hide in the mountains.

Hearing this, Ngo Son was suddenly startled. He had once coincidentally heard the yamen's registrar mention that the magistrate's term was almost up.

"Brother Tran, how did you know?" Ngo Son said.

"It's recorded in books: a County Magistrate's term is three years, and Magistrate Thuong has been in our county for over two years. I deduced it from that."

Tran Mac said, his gaze shifting to Ngo Son, "Brother Ngo, you came to find me because you don't know how to report back, and want me to give you an idea, right?"

Ngo Son gave Tran Mac a thumbs up; he was truly impressed.

"I do have a way, it's just that this way requires Brother Ngo's cooperation."

"Brother Tran, just say it. Your brother will definitely cooperate."

...

Watching Ngo Son and his two men leave, Truong Ha finally couldn't hold back his doubts: "Brother Mac, we have so many people now, shouldn't it be better to become bandits in the mountains? That way, we wouldn't be afraid of government soldiers attacking. Why stay in the village?"

"The authorities don't fear scattered mountain bandits; what they fear is our kind, right here."

"???" Truong Ha couldn't understand.

"Notify everyone, we'll hold a mobilization meeting at noon." ...