Chapter 60 060 Promoted to the fifth rank of Director of the Censorate!
Loujiang County.
At the end of September, Xiao Yu was having lunch in the back courtyard of the county government office when a local yamen runner shouted loudly from outside the front gate in a dialect that people from the capital could barely understand: "Sir, the messenger is here again!"
Just as Xiao Yu was about to move, he glanced at the three dishes on the table and said to Chao Sheng, "Go and invite him in to eat with me."
Chao Sheng muttered something under his breath and ran off. Xiao Yu instructed another clerk to prepare an extra set of bowls and chopsticks and an extra portion of rice in the kitchen, and also to have Chef Yang quickly stir-fry two meat dishes.
As the local people's livelihood has gradually improved over the past two years, the market is now selling more chicken, duck, fish, and meat than when Xiao Yu first arrived. Sometimes, even Chef Yang doesn't need to procure them; the people who have benefited from Xiao Yu's care will eagerly send seasonal fresh produce to the county government office, fearing that this busy official might go hungry. Unable to refuse the people's gifts, Xiao Yu has Chef Yang buy them, ensuring that the county government's small kitchen is almost always stocked with live chickens and ducks, slaughtered as needed.
New bowls and chopsticks were prepared, and the weary messenger followed Chao Sheng in.
There were four postmen traveling between Loujiang County and Lin County. Xiao Yu, who often went out to collect the luggage himself, was very familiar with them and could call them all by name.
"Greetings, sir," the thirty-year-old courier said with a simple and honest smile.
Xiao Yu nodded, glanced at the letters and bundles that Chao Sheng had delivered to the next room, and invited the messenger to sit down and have a meal first.
The courier knew that Lord Xiao was approachable and didn't care much about rules and hierarchy. He wolfed down his food, occasionally dropping a grain or two of rice. Xiao Yu, sitting opposite him, just ate his own food silently, without saying a word as he would at home when trying to correct the eating habits of his nephews, nieces, parents, and brothers.
After the meal, the courier took his reward and left. Only then did Xiao Yu wash his hands and take advantage of the short lunch break to go to the side room to read letters from home.
He only wrote one letter home, from his wife. His mother felt that he didn't miss her enough, so she gradually stopped writing to him and would at most send him some clothes and shoes.
Xiao Yu opened the letter, which still contained only two pages. This was because his wife's days in the capital were unremarkable, and she did not want to elaborate, not because she missed him.
"...There wasn't much to do this month. I took advantage of the good sunshine to air out your box of family letters. Two or three hundred pages exhausted me. Don't be so long-winded next time... The envoy from the Western Regions sent a batch of tribute horses. The Emperor probably couldn't bear to see Father mistreating his poor old horse, so he rewarded Father with a new fine steed, worth about seven or eight hundred taels. Father was overjoyed and treasured it far more than you... I heard some relatively reliable news that you can probably be transferred back to the capital next year. Don't cause any trouble in these last few months. If I can't return to the capital smoothly because of your problems, I will never wait for you again... I don't miss you."
Xiao Yu smiled. His "missing his wife" was from the bottom of his heart, while his wife's "not wanting to" was just a lie.
After reading it again and smelling the ink on the letter, Xiao Yu finally put the letter away and went to check on the package.
The bundle contained a set of winter clothes given to him by his mother, two packs of mooncakes, and a scroll painting.
Xiao Yu's heart raced. He closed his eyes and slowly unfurled the scroll. When it was fully unfurled, he opened his eyes again, and there he saw his wife, whom he hadn't seen for almost two years. In his memory, his wife had rosy cheeks and watery eyes, but the person in the painting only captured two or three parts of her beauty and charm. In his memory, his wife was voluptuous in every way, while the person in the painting was just a thin sheet of paper...
Nevertheless, Xiao Yu carefully examined the painting for a long time.
He knew it wasn't the painter Pei Xingshu's fault, but rather that he missed his wife too much. He realized that no painting, no matter how lifelike, could satisfy him unless he saw her in person.
.
Xiao Yu did not reveal the news that he was expected to return to the capital after the New Year to anyone. He continued to travel between the city and the countryside, among the local ethnic groups and the remote mountains. Every month, he would send a thick letter home to the capital. From time to time, he would negotiate with the magistrate of Xining County in the Dian Kingdom across the border through official documents. He would also report to the imperial court when necessary.
Three months have passed in a flash, and it's New Year's Eve again.
Pang Xin's family went to the Abao tribe for the New Year as usual. Since marrying a girl from the Abao tribe, Pang Xin's Mandarin has become better and better. In addition, with his strong physique, when he changed into Mandarin clothes and mingled with the Abao tribe, it was difficult for outsiders to tell that he was actually a Han Chinese.
Although Xiao Yu often teased Pang Xin in his letters to his wife, he actually greatly admired Pang Xin.
Pang Xin was a scholar in his youth, but he had to give up his studies due to the successive deaths of his parents and poverty. He made a living by selling his labor. After the emperor's second failed campaign against Yin, he was selected as a new recruit in the Eastern Camp. He also entered the Imperial Guard by passing both the civil and military exams. He was straightforward and disliked his superiors. In fact, he was a man of both literary and military talent.
When Xiao Yu first arrived in Loujiang, he treated Pang Xin the same as Qingchuan and Chaosheng, sending them around to everything from reviewing old county records to encouraging farming and land reclamation. Chaosheng was not as physically strong as the other two, so he spent more time working in the county office. Qingchuan was skilled in martial arts, but he was tongue-tied and still couldn't speak the local dialect. Only Pang Xin could assist him in both accounting and case-solving, and in training troops and patrolling the border.
Based on the Empress Gao's attitude towards his family revealed in his wife's letters, Xiao Yu anticipated that he would not stay in Loujiang for long. Therefore, every time he submitted a memorial to the court, he would mention Pang Xin's various achievements in assisting him, thinking that the Ministry of Personnel, the two prime ministers, and the emperor should understand his meaning.
In any case, Pang Xin has the intention to stay in Loujiang for a long time. With Pang Xin here, Xiao Yu does not need to worry about Loujiang becoming chaotic after he leaves. So now he feels more reluctant to leave Loujiang and its people.
After New Year's Eve, Xiao Yu began to frequently leave the city, just like when he first arrived, visiting all the villages near and far in the county, including the Abao tribe, which required him to cross mountains and valleys to reach.
"Why have you come, sir? Is there some urgent business in the city?" Pang Xin, who was visiting the chieftain's house with his wife and children, asked in surprise, speaking in a barbarian language.
Xiao Yu first greeted the leader of the Abao tribe, and then explained in the same barbarian language: "Everything is fine in the city. I have a feeling that the imperial court's document to recall me to the capital may be coming soon, so I came to say goodbye to the leader in advance."
"Abao" means brave in the barbarian language, and the forty-year-old leader of the Abao tribe was indeed a hot-tempered man. Upon hearing this, he glared and said, "I will send men to ambush the imperial officials in the mountains, kill them, and destroy the official document. You can pretend you didn't receive it, and that way you can stay in Loujiang forever and be our friend forever!"
Xiao Yu said frankly, "I appreciate your kindness, but my parents and wife are in the capital. I miss them very much. If I can't go back to reunite with my family, I will be restless in Loujiang."
The chieftain looked at his wife and children in the distance, snorted heavily, and, unable to stop him, pointed in the direction of Loujiang County and said, "Suit yourself. I only like listening to you talk. If the court sends a new magistrate, I won't pay any attention to him. At most, I won't go down the mountain to steal other people's grain! Also, my clansmen must continue to study medicine in the city. If the new magistrate dares to send them back, I'll lead men to chop off his head!"
Xiao Yu glanced at Pang Xin and smiled, "Perhaps you and the new magistrate will get along better."
The leader didn't believe it.
It was not easy to go into the mountains. Xiao Yu stayed overnight at A Bao's tribe. The next day, Pang Xin's family was going to come down the mountain with him.
Before leaving, Xiao Yu looked at the chief's sheep pen and said that he wanted to buy ten sheep to take back to the county government. If he received an official document to return to the city, he would bring the sheep with him: "Madam heard that the goats here taste extremely delicious and has repeatedly told me to bring them back for her to try."
One was given to the lady, one was shared with the whole family, one was given to the father-in-law and mother-in-law, one was given to the wife, sister and brother-in-law, one was presented to the emperor and empress, and the other five were kept in case any sheep died or were injured on the road.
The chief readily sold him and even arranged for his clansmen to help deliver the ten sheep to the county government.
.
On the seventeenth day of the first month, Xiao Yu and Pang Xin each received an official document from the Ministry of Personnel from the post station messengers.
Xiao Yu's document was a transfer order, promoting him from an eighth-rank county magistrate to a fifth-rank position as the head of the Censorate. He was instructed to return to the capital as soon as possible after handing over his duties to the new magistrate.
Pang Xin received the official document appointing him as the new magistrate of Loujiang County.
It was not uncommon for officials in this dynasty to be transferred from civil to military positions, as some civil officials were well-versed in military strategy and more adept at troop deployment. However, there were very few who were transferred from military to civil positions. Therefore, Emperor Yongcheng made an exception and promoted Pang Xin, who came from the Imperial Guard.
Pang Xin's hand, clutching the document, trembled slightly. After calming down, he first kowtowed in the direction of the capital to express his gratitude, then rose and bowed deeply to Xiao Yu: "Pang Xin owes his success today entirely to your guidance and support, sir. I will never forget your kindness. If you ever need me in the future, I will trust you to serve me!"
Xiao Yu lifted him up with both hands and said solemnly, "The fact that the people of Loujiang can live in peace and prosperity and that all ethnic groups live in harmony today is the result of the concerted efforts of you, me and all the officials and people of the county. The only thing I ask of you is that you be a good official in Loujiang, bringing benefits and peace to the people, proclaiming the benevolence of the Great Zhou Emperor and enhancing the prestige of the Great Zhou Dynasty."
Pang Xin: "Don't worry, sir, I know what to do."
The handover between the old and new county magistrates was very simple. The difficulty lay in the fact that the people of Loujiang, upon learning of Lord Xiao's departure, spread the word from inside the city to outside, and waves of people came to see him off. Even the leader of the Abao tribe, who lived the furthest away, came with a group of his people. Xiao Yu did not want to leave without saying goodbye, so he stayed until late January. When no more villagers came in groups, Xiao Yu, along with Qingchuan, Chaosheng, ten black goats, and a dozen or so young and strong guards arranged by the Abao tribe leader, waved goodbye to the people who came to see him off and left the city.
As the small city of Loujiang completely disappeared from sight, Xiao Yu's sorrow at parting was replaced by the joy of returning to the capital. When he came, he found it tiring to climb mountains and valleys by himself, but now he was willing and had no complaints when he carried the black goat that refused to climb the mountain.
The journey was smooth; they encountered no bandits and it didn't rain. On February 14th, the group and the sheep arrived safely in Chenyang. Next, they would travel by boat to Wuling in Jingzhou.
The able-bodied men of the Abao tribe stopped there, their light steps disappearing on the mountain road back home. Xiao Yu had to use a lot of persuasion to convince the boatman to allow them to bring sheep onto the boat.
They traveled upstream on their way there and downstream on their way back. The boat moved quickly, and Xiao Yu was in a good mood. He stayed in the boat awning all day and applied face cream every morning and evening after washing up.
Chao Sheng teased him in front of him, "Is Third Master afraid that Madam will dislike his dark complexion? You didn't apply any makeup for the past two years, and now you're scrambling to fix it at the last minute. Isn't it too late?"
Xiao Yu paused, then suddenly walked to the washstand, wet a cloth and wiped off the face cream. He no longer stayed cooped up in the boat awning during the day, but instead went out to bask in the sun when it was strong.
Chao Sheng and Qing Chuan were both dumbfounded.
Xiao Yu naturally wouldn't tell them that rather than applying tanning cream all the way without getting much whiter, it would be better to get even darker so that his wife would feel sorry for him when she saw him!
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Author's Note: Here it is! 100 little red envelopes. See you tomorrow for the family reunion!
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