Wei Qing had traveled this road several times; he was remarkably precocious.
"Once we cross that mountain, we'll reach Tongning County. If all goes well, we should be able to get there before dark."
He seemed to remember something and gave a slight smile: "There's a river at the foot of that mountain. It has a large volume of water, and the water is sweet and clean. It would be perfect to set up a camp there."
A river? Loxi's face lit up with joy.
Finally, I can fill up my water tank to my heart's content!
Look at this weather, it's only the beginning of spring, and it's already this hot, yet there's not a single drop of rain. The drought must be quite severe.
Moreover, no matter how serious the situation is, we must prepare plenty of water. There are no water-based superpowers here, and if we run out of water, people will really die.
“Then let’s speed up and try to arrive before dark,” Luo Xi said seriously.
"Yes, my benefactor." Wei Qing replied and quickly went to make arrangements. Before long, the convoy was moving.
He, however, rode a chestnut horse, clattering along beside the carriage.
"You can ride a horse?" Rose looked over in surprise.
Recently, Wei Qing has been riding in a carriage, and he's a civil official, so she thought he wouldn't.
But now it seems that's not the case, and it appears that his equestrian skills are quite good.
Luo Xi's question also surprised Wei Qing.
He thought his benefactor was so amazing that he knew everything.
"Although Wei Qing is a civil official, unlike those military officials who are skilled in archery and horsemanship, riding and archery are also compulsory subjects when learning from you, everyone must be able to do them."
"Moreover, it's also part of the selection process for officials, although there are exceptions..."
He seemed to remember something, and his expression gradually darkened.
“What do you mean?” Rose asked.
Since she can't leave anytime soon, it's still very necessary for her to learn more about the various rules and customs here.
Wei Qing adjusted his thoughts and said, "In this dynasty, the selection of officials usually uses the recommendation system, which means that local officials or noble families can investigate and select talents within their jurisdiction and recommend them to their superiors or the court. After a trial period and assessment, they are then appointed to official positions."
"It was with the help of the clan elders and fellow villagers that I was able to become a disciple of Mr. Bochuan after many twists and turns. He then recommended me to the prefect, and after passing through layers of selection, I finally became the county magistrate."
He was truly grateful to have been appointed magistrate, so he vowed to be a good official who would benefit the people, but... things didn't go as planned.
Wei Qing remained silent for a while before saying, "But now, another way to become an official has emerged: by donating money. As long as you have enough money, you can donate to become a minor official, even if you don't know anything."
"Although the imperial court did not have any explicit regulations, it tacitly approved them, and Rong Bai, the magistrate of Tongning County, was one of them."
"It's just another drama of corruption at the end of a dynasty," Luo Xi scoffed.
Such things are unavoidable no matter where you are.
"So, in that case, Rong Bai is even more detestable than Zhu Da, the county magistrate?"
"You also know that Magistrate Zhu is not a good official?" This time, it was Wei Qing's turn to be surprised.
"I know," Luo Xi replied perfunctorily.
She ransacked their house, how could she not know?
Wei Qing assumed she had heard it from someone else and didn't ask any further questions. Instead, he said to himself, "This Magistrate Zhu is indeed greedy and incompetent."
“However, Magistrate Rong is quite different from him.” Wei Qing was somewhat at a loss for words, unsure how to describe this person.
"Rong Bai is incredibly wealthy and an only child, so he developed a lazy and idle nature. He even boasted that..."
Wei Qing's expression grew increasingly strange, even showing a hint of disdain: "We must strive to spend all the family's money and enjoy all the pleasures of the world, so as not to... so as not to benefit future generations and waste this precious time in the world."
Rosie was astonished: "He really said that?"
This person is very insightful, even more avant-garde than her, a modern person. Interesting, I must meet her if I have the chance.
Wei Qing nodded, finding it amusing: "His remarks spread throughout the entire Nanyue Prefecture at the time, and the name Rong Bai became a joke."
Why do people busy themselves all day long, scheming and plotting against each other? Isn't it all for the sake of their descendants to be rich, powerful, and superior to others?
He's the only one thinking about his own enjoyment.
"Because Rong Bai idles away his days and does nothing productive, bandits have become as numerous as hairs on a cow in Tongning County in recent years. The road ahead for us is probably not going to be easy."
Too many to count? That's really true, even Luo Xi doesn't know how to put it.
Bandits are like having free supplies. Although she already has a lot of supplies in her space, she wouldn't mind having more.
I'm tired of riding in horse-drawn carriages lately, so I'll find an opportunity to scavenge for supplies again.
"Wei Qing, keep an eye on those bandits when you have time, and remember to let me know if you have any news."
Wei Qing: "..."
Something doesn't feel right. Is it just his imagination?
Wei Qing shook his head, quickly trying to shake off the strange thoughts that were swirling in his mind.
His benefactor must have only asked him to keep an eye on the bandits to prepare for any possible situation.
Yes, that must be it!
"Yes, I understand," Wei Qing replied absentmindedly.
While traveling and having nothing to do, Luo Xi asked Wei Qing a lot of questions about this era. Before they knew it, they had arrived at the river.
There were quite a few people by the river, some merchants and some travelers, but the largest group consisted of famine refugees who had fled with their families and were emaciated.
With more people, there will naturally be more disputes.
When they saw Rosie and the others stop, most people just glanced at them blankly and went back to their own business. But there were a few people who stared at them intently, as if they were assessing something.
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