Chapter Seventeen: Hiring an Assassin!

“Father, mother... oh, it hurts so much... owww!”
“Be gentle... be gentle... hmph!”
Late at night, in the ancestral bedroom of the Li family.
Li Chong and Li Fei, brothers, lay shirtless on the couch, resembling two hairless, pale pigs. Nearby, an elderly physician with white hair and beard was intently resetting their dislocated joints.
The process was excruciatingly painful, and the cries of the two hefty brothers never ceased. Their wails were louder than the slaughter of pigs during New Year’s celebrations—so much so that every pig in Qianlong Hill lost sleep that night, terrified and moved by the misery of their kin.
After more than an hour of such toil, the old doctor was drenched in sweat, but finally managed to set the brothers right. Li De and Lady Zheng hurried over to check on them, their hearts aching for their own sons.
“Dr. Liu, how are my sons’ injuries?”
“All joints have been restored; there’s no immediate danger. However—”
“However what?”
“Their joints were dislocated with extreme brutality, causing severe damage to the tendons. From now on, whenever the weather turns damp or rainy, they’ll suffer from intense soreness and pain. They must never engage in strenuous activity again, or their joints will easily dislocate.”
“Oh... it hurts... save me!”
After their joints were reset, Li Chong and Li Fei tried to stand. Upon learning that the rest of their lives would be plagued by endless pain, their emotions surged and they moved too forcefully. As a result, one dislocated his left leg again, the other his right, both collapsing to the floor and suffering further dislocations, crying out for their parents as they rolled on the ground in agony.
Such suffering would accompany them for life. Not only would strenuous activity be impossible—even carrying something heavy, walking briskly, or sneezing could cause their joints to dislocate.
In short, the two brothers were ruined.
Dr. Liu worked for another while, once again restoring their joints, and urged them to rest in bed, not to move for the short term. He left some herbal poultices to promote blood flow and reduce bruising, then took his leave.
After sending off the old doctor, Li De and Lady Zheng returned to the main hall with grim faces, ready to interrogate their unfortunate sons.
“Speak. Who injured you?”
“Well... we don’t know.”
“What? You don’t know?”
“Father, we truly don’t know. It happened so suddenly... sob!”
“Two useless fools. No crying. Tell me everything from the start!”
...
Faced with their parents’ questioning, neither dared to hide anything. They recounted, in detail, how they lured Li Zhao to the Caotang Temple, intending to break his limbs, but ended up being knocked unconscious and having all their joints dislocated.
After listening carefully, Li De and Lady Zheng exchanged shocked glances. Though lacking direct evidence, they sensed that Li Zhao was likely involved, for their sons’ injuries were strikingly similar to what happened to Steward Huang—all joints disassembled.
Once could be coincidence.
Twice—inevitable.
For years, the couple’s greatest concern had been how to eliminate Li Zhao and seize the family estate forever.
Previously, seeing Li Zhao bedridden and near death, they thought he wouldn’t last much longer. So they relaxed, taking their two hefty sons to the county town for pleasure, expecting to return and collect Li Zhao’s corpse.
Unexpectedly, months passed and Li Zhao did not die. Instead, he became lively and underwent a remarkable transformation.
First, he inexplicably ruined Steward Huang, disgracing the couple before their guests, making them unable to hold their heads high. Now, he had thoroughly ruined Li Chong and Li Fei, condemning them to a life of pain and uselessness.

A person so dull could not suddenly become clever; there was only one explanation: Li Zhao was never foolish. He had been feigning stupidity to protect himself, his performance so flawless it deceived everyone.
At such a young age, to possess such cunning—if allowed to grow, would he not become monstrous, devouring others alive?
“Husband, that boy is a wolf cub. He must be eliminated quickly or there will be endless trouble!”
“My dear, you’re right. But how to rid ourselves of this menace?”
“What about poisoning his food? A small packet of arsenic would send him straight to the underworld!”
“That won’t do. Too obvious, and it could backfire.”
Lady Zheng suggested poisoning, but Li De shook his head—not out of mercy, but because it was impractical.
The events at the birthday banquet had already stirred much gossip, leaving the couple disgraced. If Li Zhao suddenly died of poisoning, it would attract immense attention. Should the Court of Nobles (Tang Dynasty office overseeing imperial relatives) investigate, it would be troublesome. Who could guarantee not slipping up?
Tang law: Killers are executed without mercy!
To kill Li Zhao at the cost of their own family’s lives was far too reckless.
They needed a plan that would make Li Zhao’s death appear natural, preferably with no body left behind, so the Court of Nobles could not pursue the matter.
“What has that little brat been up to lately?”
“Servants say Li Zhao often goes out these months, sometimes to Wuan County, sometimes to Zhongnan Mountain, but no one knows what he does.”
“Oh, to Zhongnan Mountain—that’s the perfect opportunity!”
Li De, cunning as ever, quickly devised a wicked plan: send someone to kill Li Zhao while he’s in the mountain. In the wilderness, with no witnesses, there would be no fear of discovery.
Moreover, after the deed, even destroying the body would be unnecessary. Wild beasts in the forest would quickly devour everything, leaving not even a bone. If questioned, they could claim Li Zhao met a wild beast in the mountain—a classic case of seeking death, with no blame to others.
But a new problem arose: who would be the executioner?
The four members of the Li family looked at each other. They all had the heart for murder, but lacked the skill. Besides, the risk was too great to act personally; it was best to have someone else do it.
The people of Guanzhong were famously fierce, with swordsmen and wanderers everywhere. As long as money was paid, hiring killers was no problem.
“Hou Si, come in.”
“Your humble servant greets the master and mistress. What are your orders?”
“Hou Si, how many years have you served our family?”
“To answer the master, it’s been twelve years now.”
“Oh? And how have I treated you these twelve years?”
Hou Si was shrewd. Seeing the Li family gather late at night and summon him, he knew something big—and risky—was afoot, and it would surely be something illicit. Still, he couldn’t show hesitation now.
“I was a destitute wretch, with neither house nor land, barely surviving from one meal to the next—almost starved on the street. Master and mistress took pity, gave me shelter and food, and now promoted me to head steward. This is a kindness as vast as heaven. I have long vowed to serve master, mistress, and the young lords faithfully. Whatever you command, I will brave fire and water without hesitation!”
Hou Si knelt, his face full of devotion, reciting his pledge with practiced ease—no doubt rehearsed many times.
“Good. I knew I could trust you. Come closer...”
Li De whispered the murder plan in Hou Si’s ear, telling him everything. Hou Si’s expression changed dramatically.
He knew it would be nothing good, but never imagined he’d be asked to hire killers—to murder an imperial relative, a crime punishable by death. If the authorities found out, he’d lose his head.
What to do? Refuse—and lose his steward position.
Moreover, now he knew the murder plot. With the couple’s ruthless nature, they might kill him to silence him.
No choice. He had to accept.
“Master and mistress, rest assured. I will ensure everything is handled flawlessly, leaving not a single trace.”
“Good. If you succeed, I will reward you handsomely—buy you a small house, a hundred acres of good land, and find you a wife. I’ll never break my word. But you must keep this secret, never tell anyone. Understood?”
“Master and mistress, I understand completely.”
After more discussion, Hou Si withdrew to find the best candidates for the task.
Li Chong and Li Fei, exhausted in body and mind, returned to their rooms to rest.
Only Li De and Lady Zheng remained in the hall, unable to sleep, continuing to deliberate, scrutinizing every detail for possible flaws.
“Husband, murder is a grave secret. The fewer who know, the better.”
“What do you mean?”
“Our own family won’t betray us, but outsiders might. I think, after Hou Si eliminates Li Zhao, for the sake of secrecy, shouldn’t we also eliminate Hou Si?”
“Hmm, you’re right. We can’t leave him alive. Once it’s done, we’ll find an opportunity to silence him.”
Startled at first, Li De nodded in agreement. As the saying goes, a true man must be ruthless. For the safety of their family, Hou Si would have to be sacrificed.
As for how to do it, that was no trouble. In Tang times, the custom of keeping slaves prevailed; the status gap between master and servant was vast. According to Tang law: ‘Servants are treated as livestock.’
In other words, slaves and livestock were the master’s private property, to be disposed of at will. Beatings were common; even if a master killed a slave, the authorities rarely intervened.
At most, the master would be fined a few strings of coins—not even as severe as killing an ox!
At the right time, they could claim ‘wicked servant defies master’ and beat Hou Si to death, ending the matter.
The couple rejoiced in their scheme, unaware that someone was eavesdropping outside the door—the very Hou Si they planned to silence!
Hou Si had suddenly remembered, from his days as a rogue, four ruthless swordsmen—brothers known as the ‘Four Tigers of Guanzhong’—who lived near Wuan County. They were perfect for this job, but would need a generous ‘meeting gift’ to act.
He had come back to request a deposit from Li De and Lady Zheng, hoping to skim some extra for himself. But overhearing their conversation, he learned that instead of a reward, he’d be silenced after the job. He was furious.
He wanted to burst into the hall and curse the heartless couple, but knew the timing was wrong. Otherwise, he’d get nothing.
After all, they were masters; he was a servant.
Hou Si could only swallow his anger and quietly leave, determined to prepare an escape plan—but first, he’d make sure to pocket a hefty sum.
...
Two days later, the deal was struck. The ‘Four Tigers of Guanzhong’ agreed to take the job for two hundred taels of gold, half paid upfront, half upon completion (with Hou Si taking a share).
Two hundred taels was no small sum, but after consideration, Li De and Lady Zheng gritted their teeth and agreed, handing the deposit to Hou Si and instructing the Four Tigers to strike when the chance arose. Thus, all was ready—only the final step remained.
Meanwhile, what was Li Zhao busy with?