The Crime of Deceiving the Monarch

After discovering the exact whereabouts of the qilin, Li San’s exhaustion from a day of running about vanished instantly. He dashed back to the Li residence and reported everything to Li Yong from start to finish. “Though the qilin soared away, it left behind a newborn. This young creature is now in the hands of an ugly hunter. However, Luan Xun found the little qilin first and intends to buy it for a hefty sum.”

Li Yong was taken aback and cried out that such an auspicious beast must not be allowed to fall into Luan Xun’s hands. The steward frowned regretfully, reminding Li Yong that the Luan family was wealthy enough to offer ten million coins, while the Li household could not afford such a price.

Li Yong scoffed and retorted, “Do I, Li Yong, need money to buy anything in Suiyang?” Without delay, he summoned dozens of servants and guards, heading straight into the mountains in search.

Yet, guided by Li San, when they finally arrived at the hidden hut in the forest, it was already deserted; not a trace of the qilin or the ugly hunter remained. Suspecting deception, Li Yong ordered his men to beat Li San severely, nearly killing him, until Li San begged desperately for mercy.

Just then, a servant reported a discovery in the hut. Li Yong entered, and following the servant’s direction, saw something golden gleaming in the corner. He picked it up and examined it closely—a leaf-shaped golden scale, adorned with delicate arcs resembling fish scales, exquisitely beautiful.

Li Yong immediately surmised it was a fallen scale from the qilin. This confirmed Li San’s story: the qilin had indeed been here. Then, the rumor that Luan Xun was spending a fortune to buy the qilin must be true as well. Schemes began to form in his mind.

Early the next morning, Li Yong ordered his servants to keep watch at all four gates, to bring the ugly hunter to the Li residence the moment he appeared.

Within an hour, the hunter was brought in, surrounded by four servants, carrying the qilin in his arms. Li Yong spoke bluntly, demanding the qilin from the hunter.

The hunter replied that he was willing to sell, but the Luan family of Yingchuan had offered ten million coins; if Li Yong could bid higher, the qilin would be his.

Li Yong’s eyes widened in fury, cursing the hunter for his insolence. He claimed he had never paid for anything he wanted. With a slap of his hand, dozens of armed servants poured into the courtyard.

The hunter, enraged but outnumbered, had no choice but to surrender the qilin and was beaten out of the Li residence by the servants.

Inside, Li Yong gazed at the lively, golden little qilin, examining it with excitement. He immediately ordered a carriage prepared, intending to personally deliver the qilin to the county office.

The carriage rolled leisurely into the county office. Before the county magistrate, Li Yong declared that the prosperity of the Han dynasty had attracted auspicious beasts—a cause for celebration. He claimed to have spent a fortune acquiring the qilin and wished to entrust it to the magistrate for presentation to the emperor.

The magistrate’s surname was Sun. At first, he was doubtful, but upon seeing the creature—strange in appearance, with a tiger-like head and golden scales—matching the records of the qilin perfectly, he became fully convinced and elated. A qilin was a rare treasure; presenting it to the emperor would surely bring great reward. Promotion was minor compared to being immortalized as the first to offer a qilin…

The more Magistrate Sun thought, the happier he became. He immediately began drafting a memorandum to submit to the governor. At that moment, a servant reported that Luan Yi and Luan Ziqi of Yingchuan had arrived.

Upon hearing their names, Magistrate Sun, recognizing their reputation, went out to greet them with Li Yong in tow.

Li Yong’s heart sank at the mention of Luan Yi, fearing the younger brother had come to claim the qilin for his elder sibling. He accompanied them cautiously, saying little.

As expected, Luan Yi entered the hall and, ignoring all else, walked straight to the little qilin. He reached out and stroked its cheeks, making it meow incessantly.

Turning to the magistrate, he remarked, “Sir Sun, you seem to have refined taste, keeping such a beautiful cat.”

“A cat?” Magistrate Sun and Li Yong were dumbfounded.

“Mr. Luan, don’t joke. This is my qilin, which I intend to present to the emperor!” Li Yong retorted angrily.

“Qilin?” Luan Yi laughed, pointing to the “little qilin.” “Where did you get that idea?” He leaned down and pulled at the golden scales on its body. “Look, these are stitched on, one by one.”

Magistrate Sun hurried over to inspect, and upon seeing the creature without its scales, he was terrified—it was nothing but a cat from the western regions!

“Just now, Lord Li claimed he would present this as a qilin to the emperor?” Luan Yi pressed Li Yong, his tone sharp. “Do you realize that is a crime of deceiving the sovereign?”

Li Yong staggered in fright.

“Even an eight-year-old like Yi can see this is a cat, not a qilin. Does Lord Li truly not recognize it? You have deliberately fabricated this, seeking to gain favor through deception, hoping for imperial reward. Such a despicable fraud—do you take all the officials for fools? Knowing it was fake, you asked Magistrate Sun to help you submit it; are you not implicating him in your crime?” Luan Yi continued his interrogation, and Li Yong broke into a cold sweat.

Magistrate Sun slapped his forehead, suddenly realizing the truth. He pointed a trembling finger at Li Yong, cursing, “Villain! If not for Mr. Ziqi, I would have been ruined by you.”

“No, it’s not like that! Sir Sun, let me explain…” Li Yong gesticulated wildly, recounting how he heard of the qilin from Luan Xun and subsequently searched the county for it.

Before he finished, Luan Yi interrupted, “You wretch! Now you would smear my name. My elder brother Luan Xun has been dead for some time; all of Yingchuan can attest to this. How could he come to your residence in search of a qilin? Did you see a ghost?”

Li Yong’s mind went blank. He truly felt as though he had seen a ghost.

“Sir Sun,” Luan Yi bowed deeply to the magistrate, “this Lord Li has damaged the reputation of my family; I ask you to uphold justice for Ziqi. Moreover, Lord Li’s attempt to present a fake qilin to the emperor is clear in its intent. Had I not discovered it in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable!”

“Unimaginable, indeed!” Magistrate Sun shuddered. As Luan Yi said, had he not arrived, and if the memorandum had been submitted along with the qilin, once the emperor discovered the fraud… losing his position or life would be minor, but the crime of deceiving the sovereign warranted execution of nine generations—a dreadful fate!

“All because of Li Yong, blinded by greed, daring to commit such evil. Li Yong, I nearly fell into your trap. Guards, seize him!”

“Magistrate, magistrate…” Li Yong pleaded, but seeing it was useless, he revealed his ferocious side, cursing, “Sun Zhi, you old fool, I’ve broken no law, what right have you to arrest me?”

Luan Yi advanced menacingly, declaring, “No crime? You may not have succeeded, but the act is already done. Magistrate Sun will report this to the court and you will be sentenced for deceiving the sovereign. Otherwise, how could public outrage be appeased? Magistrate Sun, do you agree?”

“Ah? Ah, yes, he must be punished for deceiving the sovereign!” Magistrate Sun nodded vigorously. He waved his hand, and the bailiffs carried the still-cursing Li Yong away. In his mind, he replayed the events, feeling increasingly unsettled, though he couldn’t pinpoint why.

Luan Yi stepped forward to rouse the magistrate from his thoughts, smiling broadly. “Sir, congratulations!”

“Hm?” Magistrate Sun was puzzled. “Sir, what is there to celebrate?”

Luan Yi grinned, sprawling in the chair. “The case of Li Yong’s deception is unusual. Reporting it to the court will surely draw attention, propelling you into the public eye. Your reputation will rise, and success will be inevitable. May I ask, is this not something to celebrate?”

“Ah?” Indeed, Luan Yi was right—Magistrate Sun hadn’t considered this. He immediately beamed, “It is! Such great news. I will draft the memorial at once!” Magistrate Sun was overjoyed.

Luan Yi was equally delighted. Seeing the greedy look in Magistrate Sun’s eyes, he knew there was nothing more he needed to say; Li Yong was doomed for deceiving the sovereign. He and his nine generations of kin would one day be led to the execution grounds.

On the road back to Yingchuan, Luan Yi, Guo Jia, Shan Fu, Xi Zhicai, Mao Jie, Xun Yu, Xun You, Cheng Yu, Cai Zhao, Dian Wei, Luan Fu, and Little Cui were in high spirits. Cheng Yu and Xi Zhicai argued endlessly over who had acted best in the recent drama. Cheng Yu believed that, as the lead playing Luan Xun, he carried the entire plot and deftly manipulated Li Yong, earning top honors.

Xi Zhicai argued that though his role as the nobleman was brief, it was pivotal. Most importantly, he performed flawlessly—neither affected nor artificial, indistinguishable from the real thing.

Little Guo Jia chimed in, “My performance was the best…”

“Come on, you only had one line!” Shan Fu rolled his eyes.

“You didn’t even have a line! All you did was join in the commotion at the hut…” Guo Jia protested.

Mao Jie was the most aggrieved. He had no role in the entire scheme, yet was the most exhausted, trailing Li San alongside Luan Fu, constantly reporting Li San’s whereabouts to ensure the plot unfolded at the right moment. Li San could really run—nearly broke his legs. In the end, everyone boasted while he could only howl in frustration.

Dian Wei watched the children’s antics and smiled. He glanced at Luan Yi, who was chatting happily with Cai Zhao, and marveled inwardly: this… was also a child. Yet, it was this eight-year-old who wielded a power that made him tremble—not a strength of the body, but of the mind. For the first time, he realized that one could kill without a blade, and not just one, but wipe out nine generations… leaving not a single survivor.

“Brother Liu! Your vengeance has been taken for you, did you see?”