Xu Di sighed and said, "So, when that time really comes, we will become the main target of those Japanese pirates. What will happen to us if our soldiers outside the city do not fight back? This time they only massacred a few villages. If they are given the opportunity to grow stronger, I estimate that the entire prefecture will not be enough for them to slaughter."
Upon hearing this, Magistrate Yuan's face turned extremely grim. When those Japanese pirates landed, he had made careful preparations and prepared with all his might, which should have ensured their annihilation. However, because Magistrate Li was cowardly and refused to fight back, he closed the city gates. As a result, not only did many people die in the fishing villages by the sea, but a relatively wealthy village deep inland from the county seat was also severely ravaged by those Japanese pirates.
County Magistrate Yuan remained silent, listening attentively to Xu Di's analysis. Xu Di then proceeded to glide along the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea all the way to the South China Sea, saying, "Our Great Liang has a long coastline, but its maritime transport is not well-developed. Why is that? Isn't it because the seas are not peaceful? Why are they not peaceful? One reason is because of sea pirates, and another is because of Japanese pirates. The imperial court is now determined to vigorously develop its naval forces and maritime transport. So, what we need to do is help these soldiers solve various difficulties, treat them as our own family, and win their hearts. If we treat them well, when it comes to a life-or-death situation, won't they risk their lives to protect us?"
County Magistrate Yuan cupped his hands in greeting to Xu Di and said, "I will obey Lord Xu's orders."
Xu Di nodded and said, "In that case, please tell me, Lord Yuan, whether the Zhou family, the Chen family, and the former Magistrate Li had any exchange of benefits."
Upon hearing this, Magistrate Yuan felt a sense of relief that the Zhou family had finally arrived. After thinking for a moment, he said, "The Zhou family was originally just a small landlord in our county. It seems they rose to prominence more than ten years ago. In the following years, they began to purchase land on a large scale. Their methods were, of course, somewhat shady. Now they own hundreds of acres of fertile land, making them the largest landlords in our prefecture."
Landlords hold vast amounts of land, which they then lease out to tenant farmers who cultivate it. They earn their food by collecting rent. The worst off are the tenant farmers who don't own their own land. How much grain they harvest each year depends on whether the weather is favorable. If the harvest is good, they can have more left over after paying rent. If the harvest is bad, the remaining grain is not enough for their family to eat for a year.
Upon hearing Magistrate Yuan's words, Xu Di knew that this landlord Zhou's identity was probably not clean. Land is the lifeblood of farmers, and no one would sell land unless absolutely necessary. However, he was able to acquire large tracts of land in just a few years. Xu Di did not believe there was no shady dealing involved.
Magistrate Yuan sighed and said, "Lord Xu, I have only been here for a few years. I was sent here by the court because the original magistrate retired and returned to his hometown. After I arrived, the county affairs were generally handled by Magistrate Li, his clerk, and the registrar. I was an outsider and unfamiliar with the place. Later, the registrar resigned and returned home for some reason. Registrar Tong came, and the two of us gradually came into contact with some of the county's government affairs."
Xu Di nodded and said, "As far as you know, does Magistrate Li have any dealings with Landlord Zhou?"
Yuan, the county magistrate, shook his head and said, "I really don't know about that. Magistrate Li is a coward who is afraid of death. He has been in Penglai for eight years and often stays in the back office. I have heard my wife say that Magistrate Li's wife is a very shrewd person."
Upon hearing this, Xu Di's heart skipped a beat. He had a bad feeling, but he had no evidence, so he could only suppress the thought for now and find an opportunity to investigate it properly later.
After Magistrate Li was arrested and taken to the capital, the male members of his family followed him to the capital, while the female members packed their bags and returned to their hometown.
Xu Di had read the Ministry of Personnel's records and knew about Magistrate Li. He was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) with mediocre abilities. He had served as a minor official in one of the Six Ministries in the capital for a long time. He came from an ordinary family with no background. Later, he was selected to serve as magistrate of Penglai by someone he didn't know.
For some reason, Xu Di had a strange feeling after hearing what Magistrate Yuan said. He felt that Magistrate Li was not as simple as he appeared.
Yuan, the county magistrate, used a tree branch to turn over the sweet potatoes buried in the charcoal brazier. Seeing that the fire wasn't hot enough, he buried them back in and said, "In Penglai, we don't have much arable land. Most people live by the sea and make a living by fishing, so their income is very limited."
Xu Di nodded and said, "This is something we, as their officials, should help them figure out."
Thinking of Xu Di's father, Xu Rao, Magistrate Yuan smiled and said, "The Xu family has a long and distinguished history of learning. Back then, Prefect Xu transformed a poor border town into a prosperous place. When Registrar Tong and I learned that Magistrate Xu was coming, we said that our area would definitely not be worse than Hexi in the future."
Xu Di laughed and said, "You flatter me. I don't have that much ability. But to be honest, you and Registrar Tong have been here all this time. All the officials of Dengzhou Prefecture and its four counties have been dismissed. Don't you think His Majesty's handling of this matter was a bit excessive?"
Upon hearing this, Magistrate Yuan sighed and said, "Lord Xu, the former prefect was not punished, he was merely dismissed. He might be given another opportunity to be promoted in the future. Everyone says that knowledge and skills are very important for officials, but in my opinion, luck is also very important."
When these seemingly random words were uttered, Xu Di didn't press further. There are countless things in this world, and fortunes can change in an instant. One should always leave room for maneuver so that you can meet again in the future.
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