She could manage to escape alone, but the harvest was still there; she couldn't abandon them. She caught sight of several constables closing the doors of the yamen (court hall). They were practically trapping her, determined to seize what she held! If handing it over could save her entire family's lives, she would give it to them immediately, but these men clearly wouldn't let them go so easily.
Fortunately, he had a backup plan, but why hasn't that damned Magistrate Yan arrived yet? Has Anbang gone to see Uncle Bai?
"Hurry up and grab them!" Lin Gangzi shouted from the side, taking advantage of his master's power.
In an instant, a group of constables rushed forward with knives, shouting, "Attack!"
Song Anxin got into a fighting stance, ready to start, but now she had to wait for the others to arrive. She shouted, "Fengnian, protect yourself!"
Just as the battle was about to erupt, a voice suddenly rang out from outside the yamen:
"Prefect Xu of Liuzhou has arrived! Magistrate Yan of Ningdu County has arrived! Magistrate Yan of Heyang County, why don't you quickly open the gates to welcome them?"
The magistrate, who was sitting on the chair, almost slipped off with a thud, but luckily he managed to hold on.
He quickly scrambled to his feet: "Why would the Prefect and Magistrate Yan come?! Quickly, open the door!"
The yamen gates were reopened, and a man in his fifties dressed in a blue official robe walked in front, next to him was Magistrate Yan, who was also dressed in an official robe. Behind them were Brother Lin, Sister-in-law Lin, Song Anbang, Lin Fenghe, and several other children.
Song Anxin's heart immediately settled down. Well, she had just cursed Magistrate Yan as a dog in her heart, and she apologized to him. Anbang still listened to his elder sister.
Magistrate Yan had already rolled down and knelt on the ground, saying, "Greetings, Your Excellency the Prefect."
Song Anxin and Jiang Liu's group naturally knelt down as well: "Greetings, Prefect! Greetings, Magistrate Yan!"
Prefect Xu said with a stern expression, "Get up, all of you."
Everyone bowed their heads and stood up. Magistrate Yan hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Why didn't you inform me in advance that you, Prefect and Magistrate Yan, were coming to my Yang County? I would have been able to welcome you both. Prefect, you see, I am busy with the trial of a case. Would you please go to the main hall of the yamen for a cup of tea and a rest? I will come as soon as I finish the trial."
The prefect was the official directly in charge of him, and he had to report to him every year. The magistrate of Yan County was an official from the capital with a powerful family background. He couldn't afford to offend either of them, so he had to treat them well.
Prefect Xu said, "No need. I'm here on official business. Is Lin Songshi from Linjia Village in Ningdu County here?"
Magistrate Yan was bewildered. What did the prefect's official business have to do with this peasant woman? Jiang Liu and Zhang Jing were also puzzled. They were thinking of getting rid of Lin Fengshou's mother and the others as soon as possible, and then currying favor with the prefect. If they could get on the good side of the prefect of Liuzhou, their power would extend far beyond the small county of Heyang.
Song Anxin stepped forward and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "I am Lin Song from Linjia Village, Ningdu County, and I am indeed a humble woman."
Magistrate Yan nodded slightly, confirming that it was indeed the man. Magistrate Xu nodded to the officials below, and one of them came out and handed him a yellow scroll. He solemnly announced, "Imperial edict! Everyone kneel down to receive the edict!"
In an instant, they all knelt down. Magistrate Yan and Jiang Liu were bewildered, shocked, and excited. They had never received an imperial edict before, but who was it for?!
Song Anbang knelt down, guessing that this was for his elder sister. But what had his elder sister done to make the high and mighty ruler of the capital issue an imperial edict to a woman? Suddenly, he remembered the ambition he had seen in his elder sister's eyes that night.
The solemn and authoritative voice of Prefect Xu reading the imperial edict echoed throughout the hall: "By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Since my ascension to the throne, I have always prioritized the people and kept the important matters of water and agriculture in mind... Heaven has bestowed upon our Great Yin Dynasty... Now, there is a remarkable man, Lin Songshi of Linjia Village, Ningdu County, Liuzhou, Bai Province, who first invented the threshing machine and the blower, two ingenious agricultural tools that benefit the country and the people, bringing them good fortune... These clever agricultural tools have enabled our Great Yin Dynasty to achieve a bountiful harvest soon... solving the people's problems."
Now, they have presented a water conservancy tool—the waterwheel… This waterwheel can irrigate tens of thousands of acres of farmland without requiring the slightest effort from man or animal… It is truly ingenious and clever, saving millions of acres of farmland in our Great Yin Dynasty… Lin Songshi of Linjia Village, with her extraordinary intelligence and ingenious ideas, has brought benefits to the people. She is hereby conferred the title of Seventh-Rank Lady, with the honorific title of Hui (慧). May Lady Hui continue to create ingenious ideas, bringing prosperity and benefit to our Great Yin Dynasty!
After the words were spoken, the entire courtroom remained silent for a long time. Lord Yan, kneeling at the bottom, felt as if he was about to faint. He really couldn't believe that the country woman dressed in plain clothes was the one who had invented those two strange farming tools not long ago. He remembered that when he went to report to the prefect after the bumper harvest, the prefect had specifically praised her. He never expected that this woman had even greater abilities. She had even invented this water conservancy tool, the waterwheel, and now she had actually been personally conferred the title of Seventh-Rank Lady by the Emperor, the same rank as him.
The more he thought about it, the more sweat poured down his forehead. He had just protected Jiang Liu and the others who were trying to harm her and her son. This woman was different from other ladies of the cabinet; she had a title, which proved that she was officially registered with the Emperor. Jiang Liu and the others had really brought trouble upon him.
Jiang Liuzhang and the others kneeling below looked even worse. How did this country bumpkin suddenly become a court lady, and a seventh-rank lady at that!
Song Anxin inwardly gave the emperor a big thumbs up. He was promoted to the seventh rank, the same rank as a county magistrate. Although she had planned for this title for a long time, she was still incredibly excited when the moment of promotion actually arrived. She calmed herself down.
She knelt and bowed towards the direction of the capital, saying, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your great favor. Long live the Emperor!"
"Alright, the imperial edict has been read. Everyone, please rise." Prefect Xu said, a smile appearing on Song Anxin's serious face. "Congratulations, Madam Hui. Seeing is believing. Madam Hui is clearly a wise person and truly deserves the title of 'wise'."
Song Anxin smiled and said, "You flatter me, Prefect. It is His Majesty who cares about the people and has their farming affairs on his mind. My little talent has caught His Majesty's eye and earned me the title of Lady. It is also thanks to His Majesty's grace and the light of his wisdom that I have been granted this title."
"Hehe, Madam Hui is right. The Emperor's grace is boundless. The gifts bestowed upon you by Madam Hui have already been sent to Linjia Village. Please change into Madam Hui's robes and hat before accepting this imperial decree."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com