Chapter 6 The county magistrate has requested to resign. I will do my utmost to fulfill my duties.
Jiang Ge paced back and forth in the study of the county government office, his brows furrowed, his heart filled with worry.
She had just finished taking stock of the original owner's belongings, and the result greatly disappointed her. A bundle and a donkey; the bundle contained only a few sets of clothes and eight taels of silver that she had secretly hidden. Although the original owner had been frugal since childhood and had saved a considerable amount of silver, under her stepmother's control, not much had been left over the years. She had spent nine taels of silver on a donkey on her way to her new post, and with the cost of provisions and lodging along the way, she now only had eight taels of silver left.
Eight taels of silver might sound like a lot, enough for an ordinary family to live on for a year or two. But Jiang Ge wasn't an ordinary person; she was the magistrate of Songyang County. If she wanted to do something, eight taels of silver would be practically useless. The situation in Songyang County was worse than she had imagined. The county government office was practically empty, lacking even the most basic office supplies, let alone major tasks like repairing the office or providing relief to disaster victims.
Django closed the door, tightened his loose bodice, and changed into clean clothes.
There was also a bronze mirror in the room, which may have been left by the previous magistrate. The bronze mirror reflected a beautiful face, a face that was both heroic and gentle, and it was hard to tell whether it was male or female.
The person in the mirror slowly tied up his loose hair again, transforming back into a handsome young man.
Django smiled at herself in the mirror, and the person in the mirror smiled back at her.
Not only do they share the same name, but they also look exactly alike.
"Knock knock knock".
A rhythmic knocking sound came from outside the door, interrupting Django's thoughts.
"Magistrate Jiang, I have prepared some food and wine tonight and cordially invite you to a banquet." The voice of Assistant Magistrate Xu came from outside the door, his tone respectful and gentle.
Jiang Ge straightened his clothes and replied, "Please wait a moment, Magistrate Xu. I will be there shortly."
He said he would arrive shortly, but Django was already getting ready to go to the banquet.
As an invited guest, it would be very impolite to keep the host waiting. She knew in her heart that Magistrate Xu must have something to discuss when he hosted the banquet.
Magistrate Xu's banquet was held in his courtyard. When Jiang Ge arrived, Xu Da, Ding Yi, Wang Wu, and Er Wang were already there. Upon seeing Jiang Ge, the four of them quickly stood up and bowed.
"No need for formalities. There are still many places I'm not familiar with, and I'll need your help a lot in the future," Jiang Ge said with a smile, his tone humble.
Xu Da was quick-witted and immediately pulled out a chair for Jiang Ge to sit down: "Sir, please have a seat."
The elderly Ding Yi stood respectfully to the side, Er Wang, though missing an arm, still looked menacing, while only Wang Wu appeared somewhat weak.
After Django sat down, the four of them took their seats in turn.
"Where did Magistrate Xu go?" Jiang Ge looked around but didn't see Magistrate Xu anywhere.
Several dishes were already laid out on the table. Although there was little meat, the presentation was exquisite, showing the chef's dedication.
“Xu, the county magistrate…” Xu Da and Ding Yi looked at each other, seemingly hesitant.
At this moment, Magistrate Xu walked in carrying the last dish, and said with a smile, "Hahaha, there's no need to cover for me, I cooked all these dishes myself."
Upon hearing this, Django's eyes widened in surprise.
She knew that this era was no different from other feudal dynasties, with a deep-seated male worship and domestic chores usually being the responsibility of women. Magistrate Xu looked quite like those pedantic scholars, and he was always quoting Confucius. Jiang Ge had assumed he was a rigid and stubborn person, but she was surprised to find that he could actually cook.
"Magistrate Jiang, please don't laugh. Last year, the county suffered a disaster and there was not much food. I arranged for all my family members to return to their hometowns, leaving only me. I have to take care of the household chores myself." Magistrate Xu said, a hint of shame on his face as he spoke of arranging for his family members to return to their hometowns.
Django nodded understandingly: "That's only human nature."
Everyone has their own selfish motives, and at least Magistrate Xu realized that his behavior was inappropriate. Neither of them delved deeper into the topic, and Magistrate Xu quickly changed the subject.
"Magistrate Jiang, why isn't that constable patrolling the streets here?" County Assistant Xu asked. He had heard that the constable had an extraordinary aura and a murderous presence, but unfortunately, he had never had the chance to see him.
Jiang Ge remained calm and said in a low voice, "Oh, you mean that yamen runner? He's not in the city, and he doesn't like living in the yamen's quarters, so he's not at the county office at night."
"I wonder where Magistrate Jiang found this person?" Magistrate Xu asked curiously.
Jiang Ge smiled mysteriously and said in a low voice, "She came from that mountain." He couldn't very well tell Magistrate Xu that she had been recruited from the Qin Dynasty, so he had to make up a story.
"That mountain?" Magistrate Xu was taken aback.
“That’s the mountain!” Jiang Ge blinked, his tone slightly teasing.
Magistrate Xu suddenly realized, a complicated expression on his face: "Ah, it's that mountain!"
I don't know whether I believed it or not.
"Let's have a meal. Magistrate Jiang, please try my cooking," Magistrate Xu said with a smile. "It's just some simple food and wine, please don't mind."
Django politely declined, saying, "How could I?"
She picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks, put it in her mouth, and her eyes lit up. Magistrate Xu's cooking skills were truly excellent; although the dish was simple, it was delicious, and the cooking time was just right.
She had originally intended to ask Magistrate Xu some questions about Songyang County, but the moment she tasted the food, she changed her mind and decided to eat her fill first.
After several rounds of drinks, Magistrate Xu's expression gradually became serious.
He put down his wine cup, sighed, and slowly said, "Magistrate Jiang has seen the situation in Songyang County. There's no money or servants in the county government. Logically, collecting taxes should be the most important thing, but..."
He hesitated, looking troubled.
Jiang Ge put down his chopsticks and looked at Magistrate Xu seriously: "Have you encountered some difficulties?"
She knew in her heart that since she took office as county magistrate, several village heads had come to her to complain, their purpose being to avoid paying taxes or to pay less taxes.
Magistrate Xu shook his head, his tone heavy: "It's difficult. The taxes have been delayed for so long, and the people have neither grain nor silver. How can I keep chasing after them?"
After he finished speaking, two lines of clear tears streamed down his cheeks, and he murmured to himself, "As a county magistrate, I eat the emperor's food and receive an official salary, but I can only watch helplessly as the people under my jurisdiction suffer from hunger. It is my incompetence."
Although ancient wines were not very strong, they could not withstand the drinking of Magistrate Xu, who kept drinking one cup after another.
Seeing this, Jiang Ge quickly advised, "County Magistrate Xu, don't underestimate yourself. The disaster was a natural one, beyond human control. You have already done your best."
As he drank, Magistrate Xu raised his cup to Jiang Ge and said, "I know that it is a dereliction of duty for an official to leave the people without food. You should return to your hometown as soon as possible. The position of magistrate should be filled by someone more capable. Magistrate Jiang, I entrust Songyang County to you from now on."
The county government office was already short-staffed, and when Magistrate Xu offered his resignation, Ding Yi, who was standing nearby, was also tempted. He was getting old and his body couldn't handle the work of a yamen runner. If it weren't for the fact that he had a young granddaughter to support, he would have resigned as well. Forcing himself to stay at the county government office was also a form of torture for him.
Xu, the county magistrate, had wasted over thirty years in his post in Songyang County, achieving neither merit nor demerit, and could only watch helplessly as the people suffered from hunger and cold. This was enough to break a good official who cared for the people; perhaps retiring to his hometown would have been a relief for him.
As the magistrate of Songyang County, I should naturally shoulder this responsibility.
Jiang Ge took a deep breath and said solemnly, "County Magistrate Xu, there is no need to be modest. Now that I have become the magistrate of Songyang County, I will do my best."
She stood up, her gaze sweeping firmly over everyone present: "From this day forward, we will ensure that the people of Songyang County no longer suffer from hunger and cold, and we will revitalize this land!"
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