"I'm back and waiting in the lobby."
Xu Jing said, "Have Zang Yun deliver the three letters quickly. Bring the master's red-maned horse here, and have Zang Yun bring the travel permit and travel expenses back to me for reimbursement."
Bai Shinian was stunned. "Master, what do you mean by reimbursement?"
Xu Jing rolled his eyes. "Even if he comes back, the master will pay for his travel expenses. Why don't you go now?"
"Yes." Bai Shinian packed up the three letters, memorials and a series of other things and asked Zang Yun to deliver them.
After finishing this little thing, Bai Shinian slapped his forehead and remembered that the servants were resting in the backyard, so he hurried to the study to find the master.
Xu Jing saw that he was in a hurry and asked, "What happened again?"
"Master, do you still stand by your promise yesterday to the squire's servants that if they killed a Jiannu dog, you would free them from slavery?"
"Of course I forget it. My words are golden, and never do they count." Xu Jing asked, "How many people are left?"
Bai Shinian counted the heads and concluded, "Ten left."
Only ten are left out of a hundred, the loss rate is quite high.
When the country prospers, the people suffer; when it perishes, the people suffer. The system of scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans is a joke made up by the social classes to rule the society. In fact, without status, you are nothing and can only act like a grandson.
Xu Jing rubbed his brows and asked, "Go find the gentry and tell them that these ten people belong to me. Do they have any objections?"
Bai Shinian said with an apologetic smile: "How dare they offend the master? I will go and talk to them and ask them to bring over their indentures."
"Yeah." Xu Jing said, "Shi Nian, we still have too few people. There aren't enough people in the mansion."
"What does the master mean?"
"Go and bring those ten men to me. I need to speak to them."
"yes."
The original owner brought two people with him when he took office in Muhe County: Zang Yun, his personal attendant from childhood, and Bai Shinian, the advisor chosen by the Jiang family before the original owner took office. The rest of the servants were purchased from human traffickers in Muhe County.
After Jiang Xuqing arrived, he focused on making money from Muhe County's projects and livelihoods, never considering developing his own power. Even his relations with the local gentry were extremely poor. Even if Jiang Xuqing escaped, he would surely be killed by the local tyrants.
Xu Jing wanted to build his own team before the imperial documents arrived. He also had to establish good relationships with the locals, at least to save face.
As for people's livelihood, it will not improve in a short time and we have to take it step by step.
Not to mention his political achievements, which were practically zero. If it weren't for his meritorious service in the Jiannu's surprise attack on Muhe, Xu Jing would have been torn to pieces by the local people.
Xu Jing was thinking about something when Bai Shinian came in with someone.
"I greet the magistrate."
Ten people walked in from outside the door. A bloody smell hit Xu Jing's face, making him frown. They lined up neatly and knelt down.
Xu Jing said, "Get up and look up so I can have a good look at you."
The ten people raised their eyelids at the same time. All of them were pale and thin, and few of them were good-looking.
"Come here, take them downstairs to take a shower and change clothes." Xu Jing couldn't stand the fumes anymore, so he waved his hand and asked them to leave.
"Master," the dark-faced young man in the lead spoke. "You promised us to be freed from our citizenship. Is that true?"
"Of course." Xu Jing said calmly, "You dare to question me?"
How could he dare? Wang Er just wanted to get something definite.
Wang Er knelt down and said, "Master Magistrate, I have no other wishes. I only want to be freed from my official status."
"You can be denaturalized, but you must obey my orders. Come, take him away to bathe and change clothes."
"yes."
The ten people were arranged to take a bath in the big bathhouse in the backyard, change into clean clothes and then go to the study.
At this time, the windows of the study were open, and after the smell dissipated, Xu Jing was able to handle things with ease.
The servant, who had changed his clothes, looked like a decent person. After taking a few glances at him, Xu Jing said, "Wait until Bai Shinian gets the indenture from your family, and then go to the household office to find the clerk to deal with it."
The servant knelt down and thanked him profusely. Xu Jing then said, "Don't be so busy thanking me. I'm asking if you're willing to stay by my side and serve our country as soldiers."
Everyone looked at each other in confusion, and finally pushed Wang Er out to answer the question. "Master, what do you want me to do?"
Xu Jing spoke directly. "I'm shorthanded. As you saw last night, the people I borrowed from Shi Dianshi (the official in charge of prisons, public security, and the county magistrate's subordinate) have all worn out, and I'm in dire need of a new group. If you'd like to stay, please let Shi Dianshi know. If you don't want to stay, I won't force you. Just let me know when you've made up your mind. Don't worry about anything with me. Just go ahead and ask."
To be honest, Xu Jing threw a heavyweight pie to the ten people.
Who doesn't want to be an official these days? Even a small position as a government official makes them excited, let alone anything else.
In the eyes of ordinary people, the county magistrate is the ceiling they can see. Being able to stay in the government office is a blessing accumulated over many lifetimes, and they have no reason to refuse.
But are things really as simple as they imagine?
Wang Er hesitated, but finally asked the question in his mind. "Master Magistrate, why did you take a fancy to us?"
Wang Er scratched his head, unable to think of any strengths in himself that would warrant the magistrate's attention. If he had any, it would be his courage to obey everything, a tiny bit of courage everyone possessed. So why was the magistrate offering him such a big deal? Could he have some other motive?
"You have all killed people before. It is not appropriate for you to stay anywhere else. Only by staying here can you make the most of your strengths."
Xu Jing changed the subject and continued, "Even if you guys were stripped of your citizenship, no one would want you. Just ask around and they'll know what you've done. It's even harder to find a job, let alone start a small business to support your family."
Everyone was dejected. It was indeed as the county magistrate had said, it was difficult to survive. Even if they were stripped of their official status, they were still not taken seriously. If they tried to snatch work, they would still be looked down upon and despised by others.
No one is willing to do something that only seeks momentary pleasure without caring about the life and death of his family. Li Si fell to his knees and said, "Master, please give me a way out."
The others also knelt down and begged Xu Jing to give them a chance to live.
Xu Jing said to the servant, "Go and get the stone clerk."
A moment later, Shi Dianli appeared, staggering in his official uniform. "Your humble servant greets the magistrate, magistrate..."
"Hurry up and take a seat. Someone bring tea." Xu Jing interrupted someone who was still complimenting him and pointed at the people standing in the hall. "I'll give you ten people. Do whatever you want."
Shi Dianli was a little confused. What was Jiang Xuqing trying to say? Was he deliberately looking for trouble? "I'm not short of people here. Is Master Jiang playing a joke on me?"
Does he look like he's joking?
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