When Xu Qingjing heard the conversation between the two people, he keenly sensed there was something fishy about it. The Imperial Censors often gather information from the streets, which is then verified through investigation before proceeding with impeachment.
The local efforts to eliminate bandits are usually non-disruptive to the public. This so-called bandit eradication actually seems like a search of passing merchant caravans. It sounds more like searching for someone rather than eliminating bandits.
The key issue is that while local efforts to eliminate bandits do not require reporting, such a grand scale operation to find someone can only be undertaken following an order from the court. The local government has no authority to cause such a commotion.
Xu Qingjing, as an Imperial Censor, is well-informed, but he had never heard of the court ordering a search for anyone below.
