Chapter 171: Chen Wa

“Magistrate Chen should know.” Hensheng paused, a faint smile appearing on his face. “We are heading south to help with the locust plague. I wonder if Fenglin County has been affected?”

Because of his height, if Chen Wa sits directly on a chair with his feet dangling in the air, it looks extremely undignified. However, if he stands, he will be a head taller than the seated person, which is also quite disrespectful.

Therefore, Chen Wa specially prepared a low stool for himself. When talking to people, he would kneel on the low stool, so that everyone's line of sight would be at the same level.

But now he didn't care about being dignified or impolite. Chen Wa straightened up and immediately showed the aura of a superior.

His standard beady eyes gleamed with a cold light, his once-plump face now looked quite fierce, and even his words carried a businesslike tone.

"Has Your Highness already found a way to avert the disaster?"

Hensheng remained calm and smiled gently, "If I had no way to quell the disaster, how could I dare to go south alone? Please rest assured, Magistrate Chen."

Chen Wa began to complain without any attempt to hide his grievances. “Natural disasters are constant in the south. One day there’s flood, the next a drought. There’s never been a peaceful day. Take this locust plague, for example. These plague-ridden insects fly away and then come back again. The people don’t dare to farm. From the moment I took office as the magistrate of Fenglin County, I used my connections to buy grain everywhere, buying low and selling high, and then using the profit to buy more grain. In the eyes of the people of Fenglin County, I’m a greedy official who’s obsessed with money. But during my tenure, not a single person starved to death.”

Su Zhenzhen was quite curious. Having food but no money to buy it is useless, isn't it? She hadn't forgotten that the old lady couldn't even get credit.

"Are you sure no one starved to death in Fenglin County? What did those poor families use to buy food?"

Chen Wa sneered, "In chaotic times, human life is the cheapest thing, but sometimes people are the most valuable. Men who have no money sell their labor, and women who have no money sell their bodies. I buy all of these things and give them food at a different price."

Su Zhenzhen was shocked. She glanced at the person opposite her from head to toe. "No, what use are a man's strength and a woman's body to you?"

Judging from Chen Wa's physique, he doesn't look like someone who does this several times a night.

Chen Wa placed his hands on the table, his face flushed, whether from embarrassment or anger, it was hard to tell. “Nonsense! Superficial! I can use men’s strength to build city walls. Haven’t you noticed that the city walls of Fenglin County are much stronger? I can also have them cut down trees and move stones in nearby cities. If they’re afraid of being chased and beaten by people from other cities, they can become my private army.”

Su Zhenzhen took another sip of water. "Your private army is probably just a title, isn't it?"

The imperial army has salaries, but the imperial court can't even afford to pay the salaries of its officials. Where does Chen Wa get the money to support these soldiers?

“That’s right.” Chen Wa’s eyes gleamed with a hint of smugness. “They call them private soldiers, but they’re really my slaves. As long as they sign indentures to me, they’ll be outwardly imposing county yamen runners, and I’ll even provide for their families’ food. Over time, they’ll naturally become absolutely loyal to me.”

As for women, there are plenty of bachelors among the yamen runners. If they're willing to serve these men, I can provide them with food. I give them money, status, food, and women to sleep with; which yamen runner in Fenglin County would dare to be disloyal to me? Everything they possess is given to them by me, and only I can give it to them.”

Su Zhenzhen seemed to have figured out the secret behind it all, and concluded, "And what you've done has never forced anyone; it's all based on the people's willingness. Therefore, although the people have some complaints about you, they can't bring themselves to rebel. But I'm more curious, what was the capital you used to rise to power? Where did the grain you initially had, and the troops who initially helped you guard the granary, come from?"

Chen Wa touched his nose somewhat guiltily, "I have some connections with Marquis Enyi."

Before Su Zhenzhen could ask a question, Chen Wa continued, "Song Anbang asked me to be his backer, and he provided me with a way to buy grain."

This time, Hen Sheng was shocked. Given the current situation of the Jiang Dynasty, there was simply no surplus grain. Even the capital city could not sell its grain reserves. "Where did you buy the grain from?"

"overseas."

Hensheng and Su Zhenzhen exchanged a glance. This Song Anbang really had some skills; he actually managed to make trouble overseas.

Chen Wa was somewhat disgruntled. "Although according to the laws of the Jiang Dynasty, its people are not allowed to associate with foreign tribes, we can make do in times of emergency. There is indeed no grain trade within the territory of the Jiang Dynasty, and Song Anbang has acted as a go-between, so I just went along with it."

Hensheng looked solemn. He had been familiar with the laws of the Jiang Dynasty since childhood and knew that associating with foreign tribes was considered treason, a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family.

When did Song Anbang begin to have contact with foreign tribes? Did he already harbor rebellious intentions before the rebel army besieged the capital?

Su Zhenzhen asked directly, "What's your relationship with Song Anbang? He would never easily tell others about something as important as grain. And he asked you to be his backer, what kind of backer?"

Having said all that, Chen Wa had nothing to hide anymore. "To be honest, I am Song Anbang's maternal uncle, one generation younger than him, which is five degrees of kinship."

Great-grandparents are the first generation of kinship, grandparents are the second generation, parents are the third generation, oneself is the fourth generation, and children are the fifth generation.

It has to be said that Chen Wa and Song Anbang are already quite distant relatives.

But so what? Song Anbang and Empress Song were still siblings beyond the fifth degree of kinship, yet they still managed to go to the capital and catch the emperor's eye thanks to her influence.

"So, Song Anbang got you this magistrate position?" Su Zhenzhen looked Chen Wa up and down, left and right, but couldn't see anything outstanding about him. Although he was indeed capable, given the flaws of the Jiang Dynasty, judging people by their appearance when selecting talent was highly likely.

Speaking of this, Chen Wa immediately became indignant, "Back when the last emperor, Jiang Yichun, was still the crown prince, he created an imperial examination system, and I passed it. But on the day I was to be appointed as an official, the magistrate expelled me because of my ugly appearance and attributed my results to a lecherous man who looked like a beautiful woman. I was indignant, but since I had no family connections, I could only temporarily avoid the limelight. Fortunately, heaven had eyes. There was a flood in the south, and all the crops were submerged. That magistrate not only embezzled disaster relief grain but also took the opportunity to extort money from the people. He was beheaded by the rioting refugees."

Chen Wa put on a smug expression again. "At that time, the south was in chaos, and the young and strong all went north in groups. I seized the opportunity to curry favor with the villagers, helped them repair their houses, and led the old and weak to beg from wealthy families. That's how I got the position of village head."

Su Zhenzhen suddenly realized something, "So your position as county magistrate wasn't arranged by Song Anbang. Rather, it was Jiang Yichun who came to the south to provide disaster relief and saw how well you managed to appease the victims, so he promoted you exceptionally."