In early June, the morning sun was shining brightly.
In Tuning County, there was suddenly the sound of gongs and drums, and the atmosphere was full of joy.
Passersby on the street looked toward the commotion, curiously asking, "Wow, what a lively scene! Whose wedding is this?"
The shop assistant came out to listen to the excitement and replied with a smile, "It's not a wedding, it's just that the government's workshop has been completed."
A few passersby suddenly realized, "Oh, it's a grain workshop?"
"right!"
As they looked around, they discussed: "I passed by that place a few days ago and looked at it from a distance for a while. Wow, I found that the workshop is quite impressive!"
"It's square and spacious. Not only the main gate, but even the corner gate can accommodate two carriages side by side."
"I know. That's for tinkering with potatoes."
"I heard that other places have already made potatoes into dried vermicelli. It sounds interesting."
"I think it should be the same as grinding wheat into flour, then kneading the dough, cutting it into strips, and drying it in the sun."
“Everything is easier said than done.”
…
A woman, carrying a basket of vegetables, said hurriedly, "I'm done with my work, so I'm just stopping by to see what's going on."
"Wait, I'm going too!"
When the people nearby heard the noise, those who had free time rushed to the workshop to watch the excitement.
This Moment Workshop
Wen Xi and Li Qigong were wearing black soap suits and chatting with their hands behind their backs.
"Congratulations, brother-in-law."
"Congratulations on what?"
Li Qigong, his soap uniform straight, glanced at the workshop plaque covered with red cloth. "The workshop is complete, the tools are ready, everything is ready. We just need to wait for the grain to be harvested, and then we can start hiring people to make flour. Then, the money will roll in."
Wen Xi, with his large belly and a fear of heat, began to perspire after a short while in the sun. Smiling broadly, he whispered, "Oh, this is a government-run workshop after all, and the family name isn't 'Wen'!"
"No, of course! As long as my brother-in-law is in charge, the workshop will be called 'Wen'. Anyway, if there's anything good, don't forget to take care of me."
"Hehehe~" Wen Xi held his head high and chest out, unable to hide his smug look, "Okay, okay, okay!"
Nearby, several petty officials were busying around, ordering the gong and drum troupe, "Beat it hard! Didn't you have breakfast?"
"It should be lively and festive, understand?"
"Noisier! Lord Jiang will be here soon. Don't embarrass me."
"Yes, yes." The boss nodded and bowed, then urged his men, "Louder, louder!"
After a while, the sound of gongs clearing the way could be heard on the street.
"The magistrate is here!"
"Stop! Stop for a moment and prepare to welcome Master Jiang."
The gong and drum team stopped their movements, and the joyous music disappeared in an instant, leaving only the noisy discussions of the onlookers.
Wen Xi and Li Qigong simultaneously adjusted their hats, brushed their robe sleeves, and straightened the hem of their robes. They trotted away, dispersing the crowded crowd to welcome the sedan chair.
Inside the car
Jiang Yushu was wearing an official robe and a gauze hat on her head, with her hair tucked into the hat. She wore no makeup and was dressed very smartly. She looked calm and dignified without being angry.
Her guards and sword-wielding yamen runners, surrounded by two official sedan chairs, walked steadily towards the workshop.
After a while, the sedan stopped.
"Sir," the guard dismounted, tapped the sedan chair pole, and bowed to report, "We have arrived at the workshop."
"Yeah." Jiang Yushu calmed herself down, stood up and got out of the sedan chair, opened the curtain by herself, and when she looked up, she saw Wen Xi and Li Qigong rushing forward, each holding down the sedan chair pole:
Wen Xi was extremely respectful and said with a smile, "County Master, please be slow."
"Be careful." Li Qigong curled his thin lips. He was tall, thin, and gentle.
Jiang Yushu nodded, lifted her robe slightly, stepped out of the sedan chair, and glanced around, thinking to herself: Objectively speaking, this uncle and aunt are smart, capable, and both adept at flattery. A special celebration ceremony was held to celebrate the completion of the workshop and publicize the magistrate's achievements... Unfortunately, they are criminals and are destined not to be my right-hand men.
Faced with all kinds of compliments and flattery from male subordinates, a woman is inevitably wary and usually remains unmoved. If she flatters them too much, it will only make them feel disgusted.
For example, at this moment, Wen Xi solemnly shouted loudly: "The magistrate has arrived, quickly pay your respects!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the pre-arranged clerks and yamen runners knelt down in response. Then, the onlookers saw this and subconsciously knelt down as well, saying in unison: "Your Excellency."
"I pay my respects to you, sir."
"Greetings."
…
It was just a completion ceremony, was there any need for such grandeur? Such was the custom in the officialdom of Tuning. Jiang Yushu had only just taken office, and it was impossible to change it for the time being. She had become accustomed to it. She smiled, nodded, raised her hands to support them, and said loudly, "Everyone, stand up. There's no need for such grand ceremony."
"Thank you, sir."
Clothes rustled and everyone stood up. The inner circle was composed of government officials, and the outer circle was composed of crowded common people.
Behind him, County Magistrate Huang Yichun also got out of the sedan chair, straightened his official robe, and quickly caught up with the magistrate.
Jiang Yushu led his subordinates and steadily approached the workshop. He looked up at the plaque covered with red cloth and was filled with emotion. He praised, "Wen Zhubu did a good job and finished the work ahead of schedule."
"Your Excellency is too kind. You have entrusted me with such an important task that I dare not fail to do my best!" Wen Xi laughed happily. He asked about the time and leaned closer to remind him, "It's the auspicious time."
Jiang Yushu nodded, and Li Qigong immediately handed her a piece of red silk. She took it and pulled it hard.
With a light "plop" sound, the red cloth fell to the ground, revealing a plaque with four large characters "Tuning Grain Shop" neatly engraved on it.
Jiang Yushu raised her head, stared at the plaque carefully, and smiled with satisfaction.
At the same time, Wen Xi gave a look, and the clerks understood. One of them ran to urge the troupe leader to play music, while the other urged the yamen runners to light firecrackers.
In a blink of an eye, gongs and drums were "dong dong clang clang ~", firecrackers were "cracking ~", and the crowd was shouting and yelling excitedly. For a moment, the atmosphere was full of joy and excitement.
The air was filled with smoke from firecrackers, and the smell was pungent. Jiang Yushu coughed a few times, waved her sleeves to disperse the smoke, and said, "Let's go in and take a look."
"yes."
"Please go slower."
Wen Xi's face was flushed, and he trotted along, leading the way attentively. "All the tools have been neatly arranged, waiting for your inspection. Be careful of the steps. Everyone, please, let's go in from this way."
So the officials visited the workshop together, walking around, stopping, having heated discussions, and enjoying a harmonious and joyful atmosphere.
The brand new workshop exuded the fragrance of wood and paint. Jiang Yushu praised it repeatedly, "Wen Zhubu's work is indeed reassuring. I didn't make the wrong choice."
Wen Xi was very proud and said modestly: "Your Excellency is too kind. As long as you don't mind, I am willing to serve you at my service!"
"Well, very good." Jiang Yushu walked forward slowly, her eyes meaningful and her smile gentle.
Unexpectedly, half an hour later, the street outside the workshop was suddenly filled with the sound of horse hooves, like thunder, shaking the ground so much that it seemed to tremble.
"drive!"
"Go!" Many people shouted, "Get out of the way, everyone get out of the way!"
Jiang Yushu was stunned for a moment, and then her heart was in her throat. "What happened?" She walked out quickly, surrounded by guards.
The followers looked at each other in confusion. Li Qigong frowned and said, "From the noise, it should be troops."
Huang Yichun followed the magistrate and asked nervously, "Where did the troops come from?"
"No, I don't know."
"With such a big commotion, how many soldiers and horses have arrived?"
…
Jiang Yushu was worried and hurried to the outside of the workshop. Sure enough, she saw a large group of soldiers riding their horses across the bluestone street. The horses' horseshoes stomped the ground, making a crisp "bang bang" sound. The crisp sounds became continuous and deafening.
After the firecrackers were set off just now, a large amount of red debris was left behind. It was trampled by countless horses' hooves, and it rolled up rapidly and flew around in a mess.
Everyone was talking about it, "It looks very strange."
"Nonsense! They are obviously the soldiers of the outer guard."
"What are you doing in Tunin?"
"You have to ask them. Outsiders can't guess the military's secrets."
…
Jiang Yushu clenched her fists worriedly within her wide robe sleeves. "What on earth has happened? Is war going to start again?"
Huang Yichun was worried. "Most likely. Otherwise, why would they march so quickly?"
The next moment, the gate clerk, leading two of his men, rode out of the alley on horseback, dismounted at the alley entrance, and galloped closer, breathlessly announcing, "Sir, the prefect, the prefect is here!"
"Prefect?"
"Where are we?" The followers were stunned and looked at the magistrate.
The gatekeeper was sweating profusely. "We should be almost at the South Gate by now!"
Jiang Yushu was surprised and said, "Calculating the date, they've arrived early." When the prefect arrived, she took a deep breath, concealing her doubts and worries. She calmly called a few of her subordinates and said, "The rest of you, go back to the yamen with Master Wen and prepare to receive Prefect Ji according to the prearranged arrangements. The rest of you, follow me out of the city to welcome him."
"Yes!" Wen Xi accepted the order respectfully and happily, thinking to himself: The county magistrate really trusts me more and more, and it's worth it for me to work hard to flatter her.
Afterwards, the officials took action separately.
As the streets were occupied by soldiers, Jiang Yushu abandoned her sedan chair and rode horses instead, going through winding alleys until the army had passed. Then the group took the main road, hurrying as fast as they could. When they reached the south gate, the prefect's carriage was already in sight.
"Whoa!" Jiang Yushu reined in her horse, dismounted and walked to greet him, tidying up her appearance as she walked.
Outside the city gate
Upon seeing this, the government guards rode their horses to the carriage window and bowed to report, "Sir, Magistrate Tuning is here to greet you."
"Oh?" Ji Xuelian, who had been resting with his eyes closed in the car, opened his eyes and ordered, "Stop the car."
"Yes!" The follower accepted the order and raised his hand, and the carriages and horses slowly stopped.
The father-in-law and son-in-law were not in the same carriage. Pei Wenfeng was in the back. When he heard the magistrate coming out of the city to greet them, he lifted the door curtain without hesitation. Without waiting for the attendants to put out the stepping stool, he jumped out of the carriage and stood still to look:
Jiang Yushu was wearing a seventh-rank blue official robe. Her face was pale, and she was tall and thin, making the robe look particularly loose and flowing. Her eyes were calm, not looking sideways. She walked straight towards the prefect's carriage, saluted, and apologized:
"I didn't know Lord Ji would arrive early. I apologize for not coming to greet you. I hope you will forgive me for any impoliteness."
Ji Xuelian was helped out of the carriage. He was wearing the crimson robes of a fourth-rank official, and his demeanor was graceful and dignified. He raised his hand to support him and said gently, "County Magistrate Jiang, please stand up. No need for formalities. The weather has been sunny these past few days, and the journey has been smooth, so I arrived two days early. I'm sorry to have surprised you."
Jiang Yushu looked at the old man whom she had known for many years and said with emotion: "It's been a long time since we last met. My Lord, you look stronger than before."
"Hahaha, is that so? I feel that I can't stand the bumps anymore. After sitting in a carriage for a few days, my back and waist are sore." Ji Xuelian said with a pleasant expression, thinking to himself: You look much thinner than before.
Jiang Yushu comforted him, "Sitting in a carriage for a long time will inevitably cause back pain. You will be fine after a few days of rest."
At this time, Pei Wenfeng strode closer. The cousins met after a long time, and he was overwhelmed with emotions and hesitated to speak.
Jiang Yushu caught sight of him, bowed hastily, and said with a smile, "Master Pei."
In public, Pei Wenfeng quickly calmed himself, returned the greeting, and called out dryly, "County Magistrate Jiang."
Ji Xuelian accepted the greetings from the Tu Ning officials and watched coldly, satisfied that his cousins were observing etiquette.
The two sides greeted each other and exchanged greetings, and the city gate was quite lively for a while.
Jiang Yushu looked at the sky and said respectfully, "It's almost noon and it's hot. My Lord, please get in the car and go to the county government office to rest."
Ji Xuelian put his left hand behind his back, twirling his beard with his right, and looked around. He said, "It's a long journey, and it's not easy to come to Tuning. I won't take the car, but walk to the county government office, stroll through the streets, and stretch my muscles."
The prefect was originally here to inspect the border counties, so Jiang Yushu had no reason to object. She happily stepped aside and raised her hand to invite him, "Very well, please come in. Sir Pei, please."
Pei Wenfeng nodded, followed a few steps behind, and quietly looked at his cousin's back: she was wearing a green official robe, a black gauze hat, her hair was tucked into the hat, the back of her neck was long and white, so thin that it seemed as if he could hold it in one hand, so thin... that he couldn't help but feel distressed.
At the same time, Northern Grassland
"drive!"
"withdraw!"
"Quick, retreat!"
The enemy soldiers were in hot pursuit. Tong Jing led his men and rode away at full speed, cursing loudly: "Damn it, damn it, damn it! They are just a bunch of mad dogs. Once they bite, they won't let go! If this is a big fight, I will never retreat. I must teach them a lesson!"
"drive!"
"Follow me, follow me closely!"
Tong Jing was an excellent rider. He leaned firmly on his horse's back, lowered his voice, glanced at him, and asked angrily, "Boy, do you remember clearly? I've been looking for you for several days and can't find a trace of you. If we're going in the wrong direction, you'll be the one to blame!"
Peng Changrong followed closely, scratching his head anxiously. He strained his eyes to identify his surroundings and replied nervously, "Yes, that's right. According to the original agreement, it should be around here."
"So, where are the people? Where are they?"
"I, I don't know." Peng Changrong had a sad face and was worried.
Tong Jing gritted his teeth and turned to look at the pursuers, his heart sinking. "Could it be that they... were completely wiped out?"
Peng Changrong blurted out: "Impossible, impossible, I don't believe it!"
"Alas." Tong Jing slapped his horse hard. "Don't believe it? What's the point of not believing it? Maybe, not only will we make a wasted trip, but we'll also lose our lives in Beiqi."
As soon as he finished speaking, the soldier at the front hurriedly reined in his horse and reported fearfully: "Sir, there is an ambush behind the slope ahead!"
"What?"
Pursued from behind, intercepted from the front? Oh no, is it fate that wants us to die?
Tong Jing was extremely anxious and looked around: on the vast grassland, about seven or eight miles away, behind a gentle slope, there really was a group of soldiers - soldiers?
"Huh?"
"Look, they're dressed just like us!"
"Is it Captain Guo and the others?"
Instantly, morale soared. Peng Changrong gazed into the distance and shouted excitedly, "Hey, brothers, is that you?"
The next moment, a sharp whistle came from the other side, following the wind, mixed with mock angry laughter and curses: "Too slow?"
"Why don't you just come back in winter?"
"We're getting tired of waiting."
…
Then, the enemy soldiers suddenly realized that a large group of reinforcements had quietly arrived from the rear. Without saying a word, they drew their swords and killed them. The enemy soldiers hurriedly stopped to receive the attack.
At the top of the gentle slope ahead, Guo Honglei overlooked the battlefield below and gave orders.
Zuo Zhen watched for a moment, his face beaming with joy as he said, "Oh, hahahaha, Old Tong is in our Tuning Guard. He refuses to submit to anyone except the general, and he's always so arrogant. It's so rare to see him being chased by enemy soldiers and fleeing in a panic!"
After enduring for over a month, finally the clouds parted and the moon appeared, and reinforcements finally arrived, Guo Honglei felt relieved and breathed a sigh of relief. His eyes were full of smiles, and he said happily, "Don't say I didn't warn you. If Master Tong heard these words, it would be terrible. He would probably pester you and fight you every day until you admit defeat."
"Hmph, let's compete. Am I really afraid of him?" Zuo Zhen spurred his horse and left with his guards, shouting excitedly, "This opportunity is rare. You keep an eye on the situation. I'm going to make fun of Old Tong to his face!"
Guo Honglei smiled and watched his comrades rush to the battlefield, calm and composed. "If you're not afraid of being entangled by him, then go ahead."
The author has something to say: Tong Jing: Provocation! Your behavior is pure provocation, I don't accept it!
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