At the end of August, the weather is clear and crisp, and the crops are about to mature. The grass and trees all over the mountains and fields on the border are gradually withering, turning from green to yellow, and the atmosphere of austerity is getting stronger.
As a newly appointed official, Jiang Yushu and her entourage hurried to the border town of Tuning, two carriages and six sword-wielding guards leading the way. Two of them were servants she had personally trained, and the remaining four were newly hired servants from the Guo residence.
"Gee!" The drivers had made several trips back and forth and were familiar with the road, so they drove the carriages steadily.
After days of traveling, Cuimei's back ached from sitting for so long. She rubbed her lower back, turned around, opened the curtain, and asked, "How far is it?"
Zou Gui, a trusted servant, rode closer and sneered, "Hahaha! We've been back and forth several times before, and you still can't remember the way!"
Cuimei said embarrassedly, "I take the bus every time, occasionally lifting the curtain to take a look. How can I remember the route? Stop talking nonsense and answer quickly!"
"All right, all right!" Zou Gui waved his whip leisurely and announced confidently, "Just now, we passed Tuning Post. It's about a hundred and fifty miles from here to the county seat. We'll stop in the small town ahead tonight. If nothing unexpected happens, we'll be able to stay at the back of the county government office tomorrow night."
Cuimei nodded, "I understand."
Jiang Yushu leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and said softly, "Let's not go to the county government office yet."
"Ah? Where else to go if not to the county government office?" Cuimei was stunned and asked in confusion: "Aren't you in a hurry to take up your post?"
Jiang Yushu smiled and replied, "The court stipulates that we must take office before September. Calculating the dates, we can definitely make it. After we enter the city tomorrow, let's go to the other courtyard to rest for a few days and calm our minds. I'll take a look at the situation and then decide when to move into the county government office."
"Great!" Cuimei said happily, "The courtyard is always cleaned and can be occupied anytime. It's definitely more convenient and comfortable than the back hall!"
The group traveled non-stop, and in the evening, they were exhausted and stayed overnight in an inn in the small town. After a simple meal and a quick wash, they went to bed early.
Meanwhile, Tuning County
The county magistrate's name was Li Qigong, and he was over thirty years old.
The Li family has lived in the local area for generations and has a large population. Although they experienced the massacre of the city by the Northern Qiong, some people escaped in time. After the court recovered Yongzhou, refugees returned home one after another, and the population still seemed large. In addition, there were many brutal bullies, and they could be called local tyrants.
At night, the banquet hall of Li Mansion was brightly lit, with sumptuous dishes and fragrant wine on the table.
There were no servants serving at the banquet, only two men drinking together.
"Qi Gong, come, come, drink!" A middle-aged man with a big belly, drunk and flushed, held a pot and poured wine.
Li Qigong hadn't drunk much, and was slightly tipsy. With thick eyebrows, large eyes, thin lips, and a hooked nose, he looked handsome. He leaned his left elbow on the table, watching the other man pour the wine, and said lazily, "Brother-in-law, have a few less drinks. You're drunk again. Be careful if you get home and get scolded by my sister."
"What are you afraid of? I'm here to discuss serious matters with my brother-in-law, not to get drunk. If that tigress dares to act up, don't blame me for being rude. I'll show her who's the boss in this family!" The middle-aged man, reeking of alcohol, cursed loudly. His name was Wen Xi, the chief clerk of the Tuning County government.
Li Qigong frowned and warned, "Sun Jie is gone, and Jiang Yushu will be in soon. You can't hold your liquor well, so drink less in the future to avoid getting into trouble."
"Jiang, Jiang what?" Wen Xi's eyes lit up, and he slammed his arms across the table, his double chins trembling.
"Yushu, Jiang Yushu." Li Qigong took a sip of wine, held it in his mouth, and gargled slowly. His left cheek bulged, and then his right cheek bulged.
"Hey? Is her real name 'Yushu'?"
Li Qigong swallowed his wine, glanced at him and replied, "I asked someone to find out, how could it be false?"
Wen Xi smiled and leaned closer to ask, "You specifically asked about the woman's maiden name? Could it be... hehehe, she is a married woman——"
"What are you thinking about?"
Li Qigong showed no respect at all. He elbowed his brother-in-law and cursed, "You drank wine last night and your mind was on a woman's belly? The new magistrate is about to take office. How can we deal with it if we don't find out what she likes in advance?"
Wen Xi was attacked and fell flat on the table. His forehead hit the ground with a sharp pain. His drunkenness instantly dissipated by half, but he was not annoyed at all. He replied with a playful smile: "It was just a joke, don't be angry."
"snort."
"Come, come, I'll drink a glass as a punishment!" Wen Xi tilted his head back, drank it all in one gulp, then refilled it. Holding the glass with both hands, he said with a flattering smile, "County magistrates may come and go, but Lijiabao remains forever! No matter who comes, whether it's a man or a woman, there's no need to be afraid. As brothers and uncles, we are united in purpose and can overcome any obstacle!"
"Qi Gong, from now on, let's continue to take care of each other."
Li Qigong's lips curled slightly, and he slowly clinked glasses with the other party, but did not drink. He sneered: "Stop getting into trouble and bothering me to clean up your mess. That's considered taking care of me."
"Hehehe, don't worry, I will definitely change!" Wen Xi smiled apologetically, his face flushed and greasy, and he was so fat that his eyes narrowed into slits.
Li Qigong was too lazy to reprimand. He frowned and pondered, sighing, "My Li family has lived in Tuning for generations. We are a large and prosperous family. We have produced four Dianshi (prefectural historians) in succession, and I am the fourth. In the past seven years, we have seen off four county magistrates and are about to welcome the fifth. Oh, and a woman is here? Strange, really strange."
"And she's a beauty!" Wen Xi poked his chopsticks into the dish and said excitedly, "When Lord Sun was in office, he often went out in a mysterious way. I was curious, so I secretly checked and found out that he and his wife were going to visit Mrs. Guo."
"At that time, Madam Guo was already an official, a special envoy for the military warehouse." Li Qigong was well aware of the latest happenings in the county. "Her husband was Captain Guo, a captain of the Tuning Guard. Her son was once seriously ill, and he traveled thousands of miles to seek treatment from a conscripted imperial physician—"
"I know!" Wen Xi interrupted, slapping his thigh. He continued, his breath reeking of alcohol, "Captain Guo bought a small house in the north of the city. His wife and children have lived there on and off for the past six months. Lord Sun and his wife always visit there."
Li Qigong sneered, "Sun Jie is trying to climb the social ladder, and he's determined to marry his daughter to Captain Guo. But he doesn't even consider Captain Guo's background. His father is a marquis, a son of a distinguished family. Before his misfortune, he enjoyed all the glory and wealth. He has high standards and wouldn't even look at the daughter of a lowly official."
"Hahaha, Lord Sun has no self-awareness at all. He deserves it!" Wen Xi picked up the meat with his chopsticks, stuffed it into his mouth, and ate it with relish.
Li Qigong said, "That's not true. Although he didn't become Captain Guo's father-in-law, he did gain the guidance of Madam Guo and persuaded General Song to share in the achievements of the Runhe River. As he wished, he left Tu Ning and was transferred to Qinzhou. All in all, he gained quite a bit."
"Just leave, and replace the county magistrate. The brothers can still enjoy the good life as usual!"
Wen Xi sipped his wine and ate his meat, feeling very dissatisfied. He complained, "Alas, at first, Lord Sun trusted us very much, but later he gradually became wary. No matter what he did, he always tried to leave us out. It was so boring."
Li Qigong frowned, slammed his wine glass down, and gritted his teeth: "Who should I blame? It's you!"
"Back then, I repeatedly urged you to keep your accounts properly prepared, but you actually produced a book showing 'potato yields less than 1,000 kilograms per mu'. When you compare it to the surrounding counties, how could Sun Jie not be suspicious?"
Wen Xi smacked his lips and blinked hard, his drunkenness dissipating a little. He said awkwardly, "It's my fault. It's really my fault! Well, at the time, my subordinates made the account books, and I didn't review them carefully. I handed them in hastily, and Lord Sun almost caught me."
Li Qigong recalled the past, his anger still lingering. He said with a dark face, "If I hadn't tried my best to make amends, and if Sun Jie hadn't been deaf and dumb, otherwise, we would have been finished long ago."
"Calm down, calm down, calm down!" Wen Xi stood up, staggered a few times, bent down to pour wine, and said attentively: "It was a close call that time. Thanks to your cleverness, you covered it up in time. From now on, brother-in-law will follow your instructions!"
Li Qigong regained his composure and said, "Hmph, if you don't repent, please find another job. I'll find someone else to help you."
"No, no!" Wen Xi said humbly, "We are brother-in-law and uncle, sharing glory and sorrow. How can our friendship be compared with that of outsiders? Come, let's drink!"
Li Qigong pushed his wine glass away, stood up and stretched, pursed his lips, and smiled wickedly, "No more drinking, let's talk about this tonight. You should do as I just taught you. Until you understand the character of the new magistrate, you must behave yourself! There is a long time to come, and there are plenty of opportunities to make a fortune. Don't make stupid mistakes again, and don't let me get into trouble."
"Don't worry, I swear I won't make the same mistake again." Wen Xi was too drunk to stand steadily. The alcohol was hot and exciting, and his steps were staggering. He patted his brother-in-law's shoulder, changed the subject, and said teasingly:
"If, if I accidentally offend the female magistrate, Qi Gong, you can't just stand by and watch me die. Then, please use the 'beauty trap' again, just like you did to the unfortunate Han Zhongping, sleep with his wife, and coax that stupid woman into abandoning her husband and children, or even murdering her own husband—"
"Shut up!"
Li Qigong's expression suddenly changed. He slashed his brother-in-law's neck hard with his knife and said in disgust, "When you're drunk, you talk nonsense. I really want to cut off your tongue!"
"Ah--" The middle-aged man only screamed halfway before his eyes went dark and he collapsed into unconsciousness. His fat body knocked over the chair with a loud "bang".
There was a strange noise in the hall, but the servant outside the door said nothing and did not move, as if he heard nothing.
Li Qigong brushed off his sleeves, raised his voice slightly, and called out, "Someone come here."
The hall door was immediately pushed open, and the servant ran over, bowed and asked, "What are your instructions, Master Wu?"
Li Qigong slowly ordered: "Alas, my brother-in-law is drunk again. Help him to the guest room to rest. Remember to send a message to the Wen family so that my aunt won't worry."
"Yes!" Several servants worked together to lift Wen Xi up and took him to the guest room.
Inside the hall, Li Qigong pondered silently. He picked up the wine glass, lowered his head and sniffed for a while, then murmured, "Yushu, Jiang Yushu...it's a nice name, and she's pretty, but it's a pity that she's already taken. What a pity, what a pity..."
Three Days Later: Guo Mansion Villa
Jiang Yushu settled into her familiar bedroom and rested for two days to recuperate. She woke up early, feeling refreshed. Just as she was about to go out, she heard the maid report:
"Madam, there is a guest outside the door asking to see you. He claims to be a minor official in the county government and has come to pay a visit to the new magistrate." After she finished speaking, she presented several titles.
"Oh?" Jiang Yushu was startled, then took the job title and said as she flipped through it, "I was just about to go to the government office, and they got here first."
"The county magistrate, the chief clerk, the registrar... they're all here." Jiang Yushu smiled and ordered, "Please invite them in! I want to meet them and get to know them."
The author has something to say: When a new official takes office, it is not certain who will give whom a show of authority...
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