Chapter 13: The Courtesan's Daughter These civil servants have dirty hearts. ...
The Hongmen Banquet was finally held in Yaoyue Tower.
In order to congratulate Magistrate Ma on his removal, a banquet was specially prepared with wine and food.
Silk flowers of various colors decorated the handrails of the pavilion, the aroma of wine filled the air, laughter filled the air, and even the opera on the stage had a lingering feel.
"You black-hearted corrupt official, even if you have all the connections and influence, you can't get away with it in this governor's hands. If you dare not confess, you yamen runners, beat me!"
He has a pair of peach blossom eyes, full of spring colors. The young ladies watching him tightly grasp the sachets in their hands, their hearts aroused.
It is true that "Beheading the Corrupt Official" was performed as a play about a talented man and a beautiful woman.
The executioner sharpened his knife and tapped the golden disc-shaped gong. The drumbeats became more and more frequent.
"If everyone is like you, with civil officials greedy for money and military officers afraid of death, how can Daliang ever pacify the Central Plains?"
The governor shouted loudly and sang in a high-pitched voice, his voice was crisp and bright.
"Good!" Cheers erupted, shaking the roof and rattling the tiles.
The most enthusiastic among them was Magistrate Ma. The nomadic robbers had retreated, and he and his staff calmly returned to their villa in the prefectural city.
The memorial requesting credit for eradicating the bandit problem was being sent to the capital at full speed.
As for the follow-up?
Since he has already handed over the power, it is natural for the new prefect to take over. Whether he lives or dies is none of his business.
Magistrate Ma picked up a piece of pork ribs marinated in red yeast rice with chopsticks and squinted his eyes in satisfaction.
"To be honest, I've been in office in Zhenbei Prefecture for less than a year, and what I miss most, besides the common people of this northern border, are the braised food from Guiji and the flowers, flowers, and storybooks from Yaoyue Tower!"
Yaoyue Tower was a brothel in a brothel.
Daliang forbids prostitutes from staying overnight, so prostitutes and young men gather here to make a living by writing plays that touch upon red lines.
The curtain rises, the curtain falls.
The Supervisor removed her stage costume and came to thank the guests. Her waist-length black hair was adorned with a golden hairpin, her waist was slender, and her mouth was as pretty as a cherry.
When she bends slightly, her skirt opens up, as charming as the tender willows in early spring.
She is actually a beautiful lady!
The courtesan's stage name was Liu Qianjin, but the lonely actor took the title of a boudoir lady, which was bound to be ridiculed.
But ever since she became a master, she attracted many wealthy men to spend lavishly on her, and her reputation became more and more famous.
"I greet you, sir. My humble home is so beautiful tonight. I hope you will come and visit us again in the future."
Liu Qianjin's voice is soft, and every word she says is like jade polished by a skilled craftsman, gentle and mellow.
She is gorgeous but not coquettish. Perhaps she can see that the new prefect is not a man who is obsessed with beauty, so she knows the right measure.
"What's wrong with our courtesan? She only sees the new ones laughing, but never hears the old ones crying." Magistrate Ma touched the oily surface of his thick lips with a handkerchief and moved closer.
"Sir, you're joking again." Liu Qianjin half-hid her face with a round fan and said coquettishly, "If Yaoyue Tower ever opens in the capital, you must come and visit."
Liu Shanyuan sat aside, his features increasingly blurred in the light, his eyes calm and gentle. He watched the two of them flirt and banter, neither agreeing nor rejecting them.
"Tsk tsk, these civil servants have dirty hearts."
The rib juice from the pig's chest is rich in flavor, oily and tender, and paired with a sip of rice wine with a mild alcohol content, it is delicious.
Guizhier used the money she earned from the food delivery to generously book a nearby room.
Such a good show doesn't come every day.
She thinks it's worth it to add a little spice to her boring life.
Through the gap in the inner window, I could vaguely see Liu Qianjin leaving.
Liu Shanyuan's housekeeper walked into the room carrying a wooden box, nodding repeatedly with a humble attitude.
Guizhier pricked up her ears and keenly caught the conversation between several people amid the noisy background noise.
"Brother Liu, what do you mean by this?" Magistrate Ma drunkenly opened the box. "Oh, yes, I know!"
He happily grabbed the account book in the box. Although the accounts of Zhenbei Prefecture were a little poor, they could withstand verification. There must be a coming and going, and the coming and going must be equal.
"Being an official is hard, and being an official in the northern border is even harder," Magistrate Ma said frankly. "Spring floods, wars, extreme cold—just being on guard against thousands of starving people in years of famine is a huge test."
"Of course I understand your difficulty." Liu Shanyuan bowed, "It's just that it's tradition for a new official to settle old accounts."
He picked out the accounts of rent and taxes collected in spring and autumn over the years and flipped through them casually, making the papers rustle.
His fingers suddenly paused, and Liu Shanyuan frowned and pondered on the land deed registration page.
Magistrate Ma was so drunk that his eyes were blurry and his mouth was slightly open with his tongue sticking out, making intermittent and unclear sounds.
According to the Daliang rent and tax system, farmers who received land had to pay two stone of good rice and two pieces of cotton or silk every year, and adult males had to bear certain corvee labor and military service.
Of course, if you have a lot of silver, many things can be negotiated.
"Sir, I'm supposed to stamp this general ledger, but look—these officials are deceiving their superiors and embezzling taxes!" Liu Shanyuan angrily threw the ledger down. "They should be severely punished. You must not return to the capital with a stain on your reputation."
Wonderful and exciting!
Guizhier was listening with great interest next door.
The discrepancy between land deeds and actual land area had long been a tacit practice among local officials. The gentry's taxes were fully repaid, while the common people's taxes were split 70% and 30% of the total.
He then had his staff do the accounting and transferred the money to his own treasury without anyone noticing.
Magistrate Ma was very drunk and staggered: "Brother Liu, this wine from Yaoyue Tower is really good, very tasty."
"You invited me to drink today. When you come to Beijing in the future, you will naturally be the old prime minister's guest." He patted Liu Shanyuan's shoulder.
Liu Shanyuan did not stand up, but glanced at the butler calmly: "Master Ma is drunk, help him sober up."
A bucket of cold water was poured over his head, and the water droplets hit the top of Magistrate Ma's head hard, chilling him to the heart.
Time seemed to stand still, only the water flowed down the cheeks to the round chin, and then dripped to the ground, making a crisp sound.
"How outrageous!"
Magistrate Ma was furious, his face turned ashen, his brows were furrowed, and his eyes were dancing with flames of anger.
"Forgive me for the offense," Liu Shanyuan said calmly, unmoved. "Your departure and handover cannot be sloppy. As long as the verification is confirmed to be correct, I will stamp it immediately."
"It seems that there is not much time left for you to report to the capital. What if the court investigates..."
Magistrate Ma laughed in anger, slamming his arm and slamming the table. "Who's more afraid of the court investigating me, you or me?"
Immediately, he realized that he had said too much, and his nails dug into his flesh, and he calmed down.
Guizhier took a sip of rice wine.
The brain starts working at high speed in the distinct layers of sweet and sour taste.
He is afraid of the imperial court, but also has his own men. Is this "Master Liu" a member of the Chuhuai boat gang or a Xiangxi horse bandit?
But it is unlikely that the gangsters would take over a provincial capital with a population of over ten thousand in an orderly manner and point out the falsification of accounts.
Guizhier held her chin with her hand and organized her thoughts.
In the end, it was Liu Shanyuan who broke the silence.
"Sir, you've served here for a year, and you have some feelings for this place," he said frankly. "Before you leave, if you are willing to provide financial support for repairing the city defenses and forging weapons, the people of the North will remember your kindness."
He slowed down his tone, with a faint smile on his lips, creating a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere.
"What are you fighting for? Fight, fight with weapons!" Magistrate Ma's expression was chapped, as if the sky was falling.
You don’t want to pretend anymore, right? You don’t want to act anymore, right? You’re even eyeing the weapons, so how can your private soldiers be far behind?
"In my life, I have strictly followed the laws of Daliang and would never dare to overstep the bounds!" Magistrate Ma stumbled as he discussed, "I'm willing to support you, but I don't need to leave my name in the family!"
"Well, a gentleman is indifferent to fame and gain. I admire him."
"Cough cough." Guizhier almost choked and tried hard to hold back the cough.
His throat was itchy. Seeing that Magistrate Ma was forced to compromise, he realized that the real master of making money was far away and right in front of him.
A drama of gangs robbing each other came to an end.
After seeing off Magistrate Ma, the steward leaned forward slightly and respectfully reported to Liu Shanyuan, "Master, we have discovered that Ma Lu once entered the capital in the thirteenth year of Tianyou, under the pretext of delivering festival gifts."
"Ha." Liu Shanyuan sneered, "Did the memorial get intercepted?"
"My Lord, I was only seeking credit for eradicating the banditry and reward. I didn't say anything I shouldn't have."
Liu Shanyuan nodded: "Keep a close eye on him. He's a fence-sitter, cowardly and greedy, playing both sides."
After saying this, he walked to the bronze mirror and dipped his slender fingers in the water of the bronze fish washbasin.
The water in the basin rippled as he lifted a layer of skin as thin as a cicada's wing from the area covered by his hair beside his ears.
With a casual wipe, it turned out to be a human skin mask.
Inside was an exceptionally fair and delicate face, perhaps because it had not seen the sun for a long time, it looked like Ru kiln white porcelain, as warm and smooth as snow.
The butler lowered his head, politely avoided the situation and left the room.
Guizhier couldn't see clearly through the gap, so she couldn't help but tiptoe and move closer.
The man had his hair loose, his clothes fluttering with his steps, and his movements were graceful and calm, like clouds emerging from a mountain.
The noble temperament and handsome appearance he exudes definitely do not indicate that he is an official over forty years old.
"My dear lady, it's getting late. Aren't you ready to rest?"
“Pah.”
Guizhi'er's finger joints made a cracking sound when she pinched them.
I was careless and forgot that the new prefect is also a martial artist.
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