Suppress Bandits?

"Notify everyone, mobilization meeting at noon," Tran Mac said.

"Yes, Brother Mac."

Truong Ha said with a serious face, but he didn't leave immediately.

"What's wrong, still something else?" Tran Mac looked at Truong Ha's appearance of wanting to speak yet hesitating, and asked.

Truong Ha rubbed his hands together and said hesitantly, "Brother Mac, I heard you let Han Vu become the... Village Head for Lieu Thon and Tieu Cao Thon, and also let him lead people to manage Dai Dong Lake?"

Tran Mac nodded lightly: "What about it?"

"Brother Mac, actually, Dai Dong Lake, I... I can manage it too," Truong Ha said, summoning his courage.

Tran Mac looked at Truong Ha, frowned, knowing his thoughts. He patted his shoulder and said, "Rest assured, I have more important matters to entrust to you. During the mobilization meeting at noon, I will announce it to everyone."

Hearing this, Truong Ha was overjoyed, and his heart relaxed. When he learned that Han Vu had gained Tran Mac's trust and was appointed Village Head, Truong Ha had felt a sense of emptiness, especially Han Vu's fawning appearance, which simply disgusted him. How could there be such a nauseating person in this world?

...

After Tran Mac bathed and finished breakfast, Vuong Binh came and reported on the matters Tran Mac had instructed.

Currently, among these villages, those willing to follow Tran Mac, excluding casualties, totaled 812 people.

Among them, Vuong Gia Trang had the most people, totaling 196.

The money collected from the government soldiers totaled 13 liang of silver.

Tran Mac nodded lightly and gave him another major task: to lead people to count everyone in these villages, including the elderly and children, to see exactly how many people there were and how many mu of farmland, and to tally it all. (Translator's note: "mu" is a unit of land area).

Afterward, Tran Mac returned to his room, took out his brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and began to write down his subsequent development plans.

...

Outside Tieu Cao Thon.

Those villagers who had agreed to follow Tran Mac packed their belongings and hurried towards Phuc Trach Village. Among them, a woman carried a bundle of clothes, holding two children by the hand, her steps unceasing, while constantly saying:

"Husband, Tran... Immortal Master promised to divide land for our family, didn't he? Why is he asking us to move to Phuc Trach Village now?"

The man said gravely, "Immortal Master Tran said it's for convenient centralized protection. Think about it, Tieu Cao Thon is so far from Phuc Trach Village. Immortal Master Tran is from Phuc Trach Village. When the authorities attack, Phuc Trach Village will definitely be the safest. We can just come back to farm when it's time."

The woman asked again, "The authorities have so many people. Immortal Master Tran... he's just a child, really. Can he protect so many of us?"

Hearing this, the man stopped, looked at the woman with a serious expression, then lowered his voice and said, "You women just have long hair and short knowledge. Do you know why everyone calls him Immortal Master Tran?"

"Why?"

"Because Immortal Master Tran, he is no mortal. He knows immortal techniques, is protected by purple light, and ordinary people can't even get close to him. Besides, you didn't see it, Immortal Master Tran just waved his saber, and those government soldiers were killed from so far away! The people who came to arrest me that night, you know them, right?"

"I know, I heard it was the Head Constable from the yamen."

"Hmph, hmph, that Head Constable was formidable, right? But just now in Phuc Trach Village, he didn't even last one exchange against Immortal Master Tran. He was killed just like that. This is someone even more formidable than the martial artist master stationed in Vuong Gia Trang."

"Hiss!" The woman sucked in a cold breath, her heart instantly settling down. Then she asked again, "Are they really not collecting taxes this year?"

"Don't talk about it for now, hurry up! Otherwise, the spots near Immortal Master Tran's house will all be snatched up by others!"

...

County Yamen.

In the main hall, Thuong Vien sat upright in an armchair, his face stern. Even just sitting so simply, he made the three men, Ngo Son and his companions, kneeling below feel an invisible pressure.

"You say that Tran Mac killed Head Constable Banh, occupied Phuc Trach Village, Vuong Gia Trang, Tieu Cao Thon, and other villages?"

Ngo Son said respectfully, "Reporting to Your Excellency, it is indeed so. He also said that Dai Dong Lake on this side of Binh Dinh County is also under his management."

"Hmph, such big talk!"

Thuong Vien slammed his palm heavily on the table beside him. With a "bang," spiderweb-like cracks immediately appeared on the tabletop. He shouted, "Truly, gall as big as the sky, actually daring to disregard the authorities!"

Killing two hundred garrison troops and also killing Head Constable Banh was simply challenging his authority.

In this one-mu-three-fen plot of land that was Binh Dinh County, he had always had the final say, but now someone had slapped him in the face. (Translator's note: "one-mu-three-fen plot" is used idiomatically to mean "his turf/domain").

How could this not anger Thuong Vien?

He said, "He let you three return unharmed, but did he have a message for me, the magistrate, to hear?"

"Your Excellency is as perceptive as a god. Tran Mac indeed has a message for this lowly one to convey to Your Excellency."

"Speak."

"Tran Mac said, he has gathered villagers from Phuc Trach Village, Tieu Vuong Trang, and other villages, totaling over five thousand people, with nearly a thousand able-bodied men..." (Translator's Note: "Tieu Vuong Trang" seems to be a typo or misremembering by Ngo Son/author, as Vuong Gia Trang was the prominent one).

"Bang!" Before Ngo Son could finish speaking, Thuong Vien slammed his palm on the table beside him again. The already nearly collapsed table immediately shattered into pieces. He said:

"Is he threatening me, the magistrate? Over five thousand people? Does he think I, the magistrate, don't understand the situation outside the city? Those few villages combined only have just over two thousand people. Over five thousand people, it's simply talking nonsense!"

"Your Excellency, calm your anger!" Ngo Son wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, feeling his heart was about to jump out of his throat. He said, "He also said, they only seek a way to survive. As long as Your Excellency... turns a blind eye, he can ensure the people outside the city don't cause trouble, and live in peace with Your Excellency, like well water not interfering with river water."

"Such audacity!" Thuong Vien shouted coldly, his beard almost standing on end from anger. This rebel not only threatened him but also wanted to negotiate terms with him!

As the dignified County Magistrate of Binh Dinh County, how could he yield to a traitorous rebel?

Suppress bandits...

This thought had just risen in his mind when he pressed it down again.

Although the other party didn't have over five thousand people, they should still have over five hundred able-bodied young men, plus that Tran Mac who could kill Head Constable Banh. To suppress these bandits, he would need to dispatch at least a thousand men, and General Ton would have to lead them.

The other party was still outside the city. Now that the weather had warmed up, if they fled into the mountains and forests, it would be time-consuming and laborious, not to mention that no matter how many more men he sent, it wouldn't be enough to fill the mountains.

If there were more casualties then...

Not good, not good.

His term was almost up; he couldn't afford any more disturbances at this time.

Let the next official worry about this problem.

"Pass down the order, lock down the entire city! Only entry allowed, no exit! Strengthen defenses!" Thuong Vien ordered.

"Yes, sir!"

...

Phuc Trach Village, in the village center.

It was a time of bright sunshine. The spring sunlight shone on their bodies, warm and very comfortable.

The villagers gathered together, heads together, whispering.

"Why did Immortal Master Tran call us here? My house isn't even built yet."

"Don't know, seems like he has something to say."

"Didn't sleep all night, really want to sleep."

"..."

"Quiet down, everyone quiet down! Brother Mac is here!" Truong Ha trotted over, putting on the air of a number one lackey, and said to the villagers.

When Tran Mac walked into the village center, the crowd had already quieted down.

Tran Mac scanned the surroundings once. Initial unity had been achieved. Next, it was time to give them some peace of mind...