"To be precise, as long as you can do it, I will never go back on my word and will give the Guo family a big gift at the end of the year!" Pan Rui was wearing the green official robe of a seventh-rank county magistrate, with a egret pattern on his chest, and had a kind face.
Jiang Yushu watched the county official beaming at her, feeling a strange sense of unease. She felt as if he were a smiling fox... She remained on guard, her thoughts racing. Then, her eyes flickered, and she smiled and asked, "What kind of gift is this? Tell me about it!"
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"Don't worry, I will tell you."
Pan Rui was confident and unhurried, not answering immediately. Instead, he spoke seriously, "The son of the Marquis of Jingyang was implicated in a corruption case. The rest of the culprits were executed as a warning to others. However, His Majesty, mindful of the founding heroes, made a special exception and pardoned the death penalty for everyone in the Marquis of Jingyang's household. He ordered them to be stripped of their titles, their property confiscated, and exiled to Xicang to work as soldiers and cultivate the land."
"Yes." The passage of time had calmed Jiang Yushu's spirits. As she brought up the subject, she tactfully stated, "The Emperor is merciful and forgiving. The Guo family has always been grateful. We have devoted ourselves to farming and serving as soldiers, sincerely reflecting on our sins and atonement."
"Well, that's right." Pan Rui changed the subject and explained, "As an exile, you're exempt from the death penalty, but you can't escape punishment for life, and you're subject to restrictions everywhere. However, the court has a rule that if an exile can work peacefully for three years, they will be thoroughly evaluated the first time. If they are rated as 'diligent' by the government, they will be evaluated again every three years. If they pass all three evaluations and are rated 'diligent', their exile charge can be erased and they can be registered as commoners, free from all restrictions."
Getting rid of the status of a criminal is the dream of all fugitives in the world!
The exiles were well aware of Pan Rui's proposed path, but none of them relied on it. Instead, they all hoped day and night for the emperor to grant amnesty. The reason was simple: the exams were held every three years, three times in a row, and each one took ten years to complete. Living to seventy was rare, and exiles lived through hardship. How many decades could they possibly endure?
Whenever Jiang Yushu imagined herself facing the possibility of having to live a life of exile, she felt a wave of fear and anxiety. But in the current situation, panic was futile; she could only calmly try to make plans. She patiently nodded and said, "I generally understand what you're talking about. The Guo family was convicted early last year, and it's only been two years now. They must continue to work for three full years before they're eligible for assessment." After a pause, she stood up, knelt, and bowed.
"I am a sinner, and I beg for your mercy and care."
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"Shu, cousin!" Pei Wenfeng saw this, how could he sit still? Heartbroken, he couldn't help but stand up, almost showing pity on the spot, and said with restraint: "Sit down and listen to what Master Pan has to say."
Pan Rui raised his hand to signal him to sit down, "Sit down. Don't worry, as long as the Guo family is truly 'diligent', then they are 'diligent'. The government will handle this impartially."
Jiang Yushu sat down again, "Thank you, sir."
"Ahem." Pan Rui took a sip of tea and solemnly promised, "Jiang, by the time of the autumn harvest, if you can manage to increase the total grain output to 15 million jin, this county will make an exception and assess the Guo family in advance, guaranteeing a rating of 'diligent' and reporting your achievements in a letter. That way, when the general amnesty is granted, the Guo family will stand out among the exiled prisoners and should be able to be pardoned smoothly."
Guaranteeing excellence? Asking for merit?
"This..." Jiang Yushu's eyes lit up instantly, and her mind was active, but she did not speak rashly and remained silent.
"Since I've made this promise in front of everyone, I'll definitely keep it!" Pan Rui declared, firmly silencing the convict's eagerness to evade the charge. "Actually, you don't have to worry at all. Consider this: if you accept this assignment and work diligently, regardless of whether the harvest is good or not, this county will guarantee that the Guo family will be recognized as 'diligent' in advance, a title well-deserved. We have the final say."
"But if there is no good harvest, it is not appropriate to submit a petition."
"An important event must occur within the jurisdiction before an official can submit a formal petition. In other words, you must give the county a reason to submit a petition."
As the sun sets and dusk falls, the cicadas' chirping gradually dies down, but the heat is still scorching.
Jiang Yushu's temples were covered in sweat. She unconsciously pulled out her handkerchief and wiped it absentmindedly, choosing her words carefully: "I understand what you mean, sir. To be honest, those two rewards are really tempting."
Everything was as expected. Pan Rui, confident of victory, smiled and asked bluntly, "You're a smart person, you should do smart things. Don't beat around the bush, just say it straight. Will you take this job?"
Jiang Yushu lowered her eyes, thought about it several times quickly, frowned, and answered frankly: "To be honest, I really want to accept it, but I don't dare to accept it."
"Why?"
Jiang Yushu sighed and said slowly, "Earning tens of millions of grains is not difficult at all in the land of fish and rice. If we can give it a year or two, it will be easy in Xicang. The problem is that the existing grain varieties are too few, and you have limited the autumn harvest to just over 700,000 kilograms of grain. The hope of turning it into 15 million is slim." She clutched her handkerchief and said with a wry smile:
"Well, I'd like to agree to it regardless, but I'm afraid the harvest will be too poor, the county will be extremely disappointed, and the officials will be angry—well, anyway, this is a serious matter, so could you please give me some time to think about it?"
Pei Wenfeng turned his head and said comfortingly, "You don't have to be afraid. The officials of Heqin are not unreasonable people. They naturally know that farming is not easy. If God doesn't bless you with good weather and good harvests, no one can do anything about it."
"Master Pei is right." Liu Tong leaned back in his chair. "Our Master Pan is reasonable. Even if the harvest is poor, he won't get angry with you." @Infinite good articles, all in Jinjiang Literature City
Pan Rui remained affable as he briefly explained, "First, it's rare, rare, rare. Rare is precious. If we had to wait a year or two to harvest tens of millions of catties of grain, compared to this year, it wouldn't be 'new' at all; it would be par for the course. Second, it's not over 700,000 catties of grain, but 1.2 million. While 35% of that belongs to the Liu villagers, the production belongs to Heqin, so it can be estimated together."
"Oh? If you can add that 35%, we'll have a better chance."
Jiang Yushu's eyes lit up again, her mind racing, her mind concentrating on calculating. After a while, she stood up and asked sternly, "Forgive my cowardice, but I'd like to ask for a definite answer: If the autumn harvest is poor, will the government punish the Guo family?"
"As long as you do your best, the government will not blame you!" Pan Rui said clearly.
Opportunity is fleeting, once lost, it will never come back.
Today, Liu Tong and his cousin are both witnesses. Even if the goal is not achieved, the county magistrate should not be angry and blame him. After all, it is a military farm, so he might as well take the job and give it a try!
Jiang Yushu raised her head, made a prompt decision, and said respectfully, "I am grateful for your trust, my Lord. How dare I not do my best? I boldly accept this mission."
"Good!" Pan Rui breathed a sigh of relief and praised happily, "You really are a straightforward and smart person!"
Jiang Yushu wiped the sweat off her face with a handkerchief, made up her mind, and immediately began to prepare. Frowning, she asked, "Let's calculate. We'll need several thousand acres of land. I'm afraid the entire Yuehu Town won't be enough. The farming season doesn't wait for anyone, so we must find another place as soon as possible."
"It's okay. You can discuss these matters carefully with County Magistrate Liu. You can choose any arable land in the county!" Pan Rui waved his sleeves, feeling relieved.
At this time, Liu Tong stood up and said, "There's no time to lose. Let's go. I'll take you to the side hall and call Zhuang Song. We'll discuss this."
Strange, it seems like they had already discussed it?
Jiang Yushu was stunned for a moment, with no time to think deeply. She obediently took her leave. Because she was preoccupied, she did not pay attention to her cousin.
"Let's go." Liu Tong led the way, his feet moving quickly.
Jiang Yushu followed, her steps hurried, her mind full of thoughts: this autumn's production, 15 million catties, seeking meritorious service, and escaping the charges...
Pei Wenfeng sat upright, watching his cousin step out of the door with his peripheral vision, feeling depressed and helpless.
"Brother Wenfeng," Pan Rui stood up, adjusted his black hat, and urged, "There are still a few doubts about the family annihilation case. Let's think about it and make a judgment as soon as possible."
Pei Wenfeng had no choice but to cheer up and followed, "I was just thinking of inviting Brother Pan to discuss this with me. Please."
The two men had known each other for a short time, but they hit it off quite well, calling each other brothers, and went to look through the case files side by side.
It was already late at night when I finished my official business.
Heqin had suffered from wars and people's livelihood was in decline, but the county government office was built early. Although it was dilapidated, it was spacious at the back and had many side rooms.
"Sir, watch your step."
"Several steps are broken and no one has repaired them. People trip at night." Cai Chun and Wu Liang accompanied him, one on each side, holding lanterns.
Pei Wenfeng walked hurriedly and asked in a low voice, "What is she doing?"
Cai Chun understood and leaned in to whisper, "My cousin discussed this with County Magistrate Liu and Chief Clerk Zhuang for an entire hour. After dinner, Lord Gong invited her to tea and chat for about two quarters of an hour."
"Then, my cousin went back to her room. She's rested after the long journey." Wu Liang continued, revealing, "I heard that she'll go shopping tomorrow and return to Yuehu Town early the day after tomorrow."
"Are you in such a hurry?" Pei Wenfeng frowned.
Get away, the sooner the better! Before you get carried away!
Cai Chun and Wu Liang looked at each other and reluctantly agreed, "Yes, we are indeed anxious."
The next morning, Liu Tong learned that the Guo family wanted to go out, so he specially arranged a small carriage for them.
"Gee!" Zou Gui and a yamen runner drove the carriage together.
Jiang Yushu and Cuimei sat in the car and talked quietly:
"So Zhuang Zhubu's home is in the county town." Cuimei sympathized. "He has to follow us back to Liu Village tomorrow morning and continue to monitor the prisoners and cultivate the land. How pitiful."
Jiang Yushu couldn't help laughing. "What's there to be pitied about? Only those who endure the most hardships can become the best. If he can endure another year or two, he will be eligible to enter the Sixth Chamber and compete for the position of Master."
"Oh." Cuimei opened the curtain and looked out, forgetting Zhuang Song in an instant. She said excitedly, "It's a rare trip to the city. Let's go buy some herbs first, then go to the bookstore, then browse the grocery store, and finally the cloth shop. How about it?"
Jiang Yushu nodded, "Okay! Let's take this opportunity to buy whatever we need in town and bring it back home."
at the same time
Pei Wenfeng, dressed in casual clothes and waving a folding fan, walked towards the largest pharmacy in Heqin. He could not hide his anticipation and excitement, and ordered, "I will accompany my cousin for a while. You should quickly go to Heyi Tower and book a private room. The food must be of the highest quality. Be sure to arrange everything!"
"Also, prepare some cakes. We are going to Nanpu Temple to burn incense this afternoon."
"Young Master—"
Pei Wenfeng's face darkened, "Go quickly!"
The author has something to say:
Jiang Yushu: If it takes ten, even twenty years... to get rid of the charges... [terrified]
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