Chapter 201 Nightmare Town (5)
The scholar was very brave. When he found out that the turtle he had raised since it was a child had become intelligent and could speak, he was so excited that he didn't even care about being afraid.
He told the turtle: "Books are spiritual food. It is difficult to sleep well without them."
The turtle was even more puzzled: "Food? Food? Then why aren't you eating but are always looking around?"
The scholar laughed heartily and said, "This food is not just food. It's spiritual food that helps us broaden our horizons and grow in knowledge. Books offer a glimpse into the sun, moon, mountains, and rivers, the traces of history, the structure of the universe, and the vicissitudes of life. From the ups and downs of the nine provinces to the lives of the people, everything is contained within this small space."
"Is it really that great? What's the point of reading books and knowing about the world and people's lives?"
"Of course you have to take the imperial examination! If you pass, you can become an official!"
"Official? What is an official? Why do you become an official?"
"Officials...officials are the parents of the people. They work for the welfare of the people and leave their names in history!"
The old turtle only understood half of what was said and was confused.
I only remember that the master said with great confidence: "In the future, if I want to be an official, I must be a good official who works for the benefit of the people!"
But the greatest regret in the world is to die before one’s ambitions are fulfilled.
Although his master was full of ambition, unfortunately he had no background and was not familiar with the ways of the world. He did not pass the imperial examination until he was 50 years old and died with hatred in his heart.
Before he died, the scholar clutched the book tightly, full of regret: "What a pity! I still have so many books to read, not yet..."
The scholar died just like that, leaving the world with his regrets.
During the decades that the turtle accompanied its master, it not only read thousands of books with his master, but also cultivated into a human form.
The appearance he transformed into was exactly the same as his master's. He took his master's household registration diploma and continued his studies.
A few years later, he took the imperial examination under his master's identity and actually passed it on his first try.
Even if children from poor families go to high school, they will eventually be demoted to a remote small county to serve as local officials.
He served as a seventh-rank county magistrate for 12 years.
An honest turtle without any background naturally has no chance of promotion.
Even though he had made remarkable political achievements, he not only managed a remote small county in an orderly manner, but also built a small town on the border as soon as Guifang and Fengguo ceased fighting and established diplomatic relations to receive merchants traveling between the two countries.
In just three years, the town became a prosperous place, revitalizing the entire county and giving the entire Long County a brand new look.
People from all over the county speak highly of him.
Until eleven years ago, an accident happened suddenly...
That year, the sky seemed to have a hole in it, and it rained heavily for three consecutive months.
The entire county was flooded, fertile fields turned into swamps, houses collapsed, and countless county residents were displaced and unable to feed themselves.
As a fatherly official, Lao Gui certainly couldn't stand by and watch his people starve or freeze to death.
So he rushed to the provincial capital with a small entourage and asked his superior, the county magistrate, to allocate food and money for disaster relief.
The county magistrate was very busy and it took three days before he showed up.
After listening to the old turtle's story, the county magistrate asked, "How much rice and money do you want?"
The old turtle hurriedly said, "There are over 11,200 people in our county, and each person needs at least three dan of corn per month. The entire county needs at least 33,000 dan of corn. We also need to repair houses and rebuild dams, which will cost 100,000 taels of silver."
"Three thousand dan of grain, one hundred thousand taels of silver..." The county magistrate pondered and did not say anything else, as if he was calculating something.
Fearing a refusal, the old turtle said anxiously, "Sir, if thirty thousand is too much, a slightly less amount will do. Saving lives is like putting out a fire. Please don't hesitate, open the granary in the prefecture to save the people from this dire situation!"
He kowtowed again and again, and blood came out of his forehead.
The county magistrate then spoke slowly, "Stand up! I am not the kind of official who would stand by and watch someone in danger. Besides, the grain in the treasury belongs to the state, not to any individual. It is meant to be used in times of crisis. Don't worry, I will definitely save your county."
Hearing this, the old turtle heaved a sigh of relief: "Thank you, sir, the people in my county are finally saved!"
The county magistrate stroked his beautiful black beard and said, "I was just wondering if 30,000 dan of grain would be enough. The houses need to be rebuilt after the disaster, and the dam needs to be built stronger. We can't skimp on money! Besides, don't we need to buy seeds for the fertile fields again? And we also need to have all the medicinal herbs..."
In the past, whenever Lao Gui sought an audience with the county magistrate and wanted to get some funding for construction, it was extremely difficult.
So this time, he didn't dare to hope for too much. He just wanted to get the food first and feed the victims before thinking about other things.
Unexpectedly, the county magistrate changed his temper and took the initiative to propose many follow-up disaster relief measures.
The old turtle was touched for a moment: "Sir, if there are other supplies, it would be great!"
"Of course, there must be!" The county magistrate said with a smile, "Your county has developed very well in recent years, and tax revenue has increased significantly. The several county magistrates who came here have also benefited from it and received promotions. I will certainly not watch the people of your county starve to death!"
He pondered and said, "According to my opinion, I will give you one million dan of grain and one million and two hundred thousand taels of silver. How is that?"
The old turtle was stunned for a moment, then suddenly waved his hand: "One million dan of grain is too much. If we have more money, 100,000 will be enough. As for silver, we don't need that much either. A few hundred thousand taels will be enough!"
There's too much food, and the weather is damp. What if it gets wasted? The county magistrate is so generous, so I can't be ungrateful!
"Ah, you old, pedantic thing, who would complain about having too much money or too much rice? Just follow the amount I say!"
"Sir, you are truly... truly generous and touching! On behalf of the people of this entire county, I bow to you in gratitude for your grace in giving me a new life!"
"Get up, get up. This is all for the good of the people. Why be so polite?"
"But..." the county magistrate changed the subject, adding, "...you know, I have superiors above me. If I don't make some arrangements for such a large grain payment, I'm afraid the higher-ups will hold it up. So...you should understand. Anyway, the final amount of millet that will arrive in your county is 10,000 dan."
"Ten thousand dan of grain? Sir, what about the one million dan just mentioned... and the silver for building houses after the disaster..."
The county magistrate's face turned colder. "Why can't you understand what I'm saying? No wonder you're still a seventh-rank county magistrate after more than a decade! If you don't bribe me, you won't even get a grain of rice!"
Now the old turtle understood. It turned out that the county magistrate had generously provided rice and silver in the name of disaster relief in order to enrich himself!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
