Chapter 373 Is the County Magistrate a Persona?
Sheng Sheng found it extremely strange. A strong intuition told her that this magistrate of Jinzhou City was definitely not simple.
But……
"Miss, the medicine is ready!"
Zijuan returned carrying several doses of medicine and a pile of external medicine, muttering with considerable curiosity, "I never thought that small animals could eat Chinese medicine meant for humans, how amazing! But the doctor said that the tolerance of foxes and humans is different, so there's only a small amount of internal medicine, and most of it is external medicine."
"Ah, okay." Sheng Sheng snapped back to reality.
Just having doubts isn't enough; we need to investigate the situation on-site to find out the specifics.
Sheng Sheng glanced again in the direction the county magistrate's steward had left, then returned to the carriage without saying anything more.
Let's go back to Putuo Temple first. They'll probably stay there for a few days. There will be plenty of opportunities to go to the county magistrate's office and find out what's going on. No rush.
She planned to find an opportunity to bring this up with Xie Yunyang that evening and see what he had to say.
However, before that...
As the carriage drove out of the city and approached the foot of Mount Putuo, it became increasingly deserted, prompting repeated calls for it to stop.
"Chasing the Moon".
Zhu Yue immediately appeared before her.
Sheng Sheng gave Zhu Yue a few instructions, and then Zhu Yue's figure disappeared again.
Zijuan asked in confusion, "Miss, what did you send Zhuyue to do?"
"Hmm... I guess it's about having Zhu Yue go and pick up some high-quality tonics?"
"ah?"
Zijuan became increasingly puzzled.
Back at Putuo Temple, Sheng Sheng keenly noticed that in just one hour, the atmosphere between the Empress Dowager and Xie Yun had subtly changed.
For example, the Empress Dowager's gaze towards Xie Yunyang held a hint of heartache and helplessness.
For example, in addition to the initial goodwill, the Empress Dowager's gaze towards her inexplicably began to show some appreciation.
Despite not understanding what was going on, Sheng Sheng smiled and released the little fox, who had regained some of its energy, in front of the two of them, saying with a smile, "Grandmother, Crown Prince, look! The little fox can stand on its own now!"
The fluffy little creature indeed perked up its ears, its amber eyes sparkling. Its little paws gently scratched at Sheng Sheng's palm, causing the Empress Dowager to laugh out loud. She reached out and lightly tapped its forehead: "It's quite intelligent. With its red fur, it's no ordinary fox."
Xie Yun nodded, her gaze sweeping over the little fox before returning to Xie Yun's smiling eyes. Her tone softened slightly: "Little Fox, is that the name you gave her?"
"Mmm!" Sheng Sheng's eyes lit up. "Sheng Sheng kept Little Fox here. From today onwards, Little Fox is one of us too."
"good."
Xie Yunyang affectionately rubbed her head, thinking to himself: He used to like animals, but Empress Zheng disliked his closeness with them, which meant he always had to sneak off to Yunshan Farm with his second brother.
Now, countless people and all sorts of small animals have come together because of this sound.
The little ones are all adorable, and Sheng Sheng always manages to create a lively and joyful atmosphere with them.
As warm as it was, Xie Yunyang sometimes felt like she wasn't just taking care of one child, Sheng Sheng, but a whole group of children, and that she had become a wet nurse herself.
Xie Yunyang chuckled, amused by her own statement.
The Empress Dowager silently observed Xie Yun's reaction and nodded to herself.
"Since we are going to the State of Jin, there is no need to rush these few days, even though the mountains are high and the road is long. Putuo Temple has recently put up a new incense burner that has been blessed for peace. Tomorrow, you two will come with me to pray for a safe journey. Also, the vegetarian food at the temple is delicious and refreshing, which will help you dispel the gloom of the past few days."
The Empress Dowager's frustration likely stemmed from her feeling that the events that had occurred in the palace were truly undeserved misfortunes for the children.
"Yes, Grandmother."
As night fell, after the group settled into the courtyard arranged by the monks, Shengsheng secretly took Shitou out to walk the tiger under the cover of darkness.
The monks at Putuo Temple go to bed early, and the entire temple becomes quiet almost as soon as it reaches the hour of Xu (7-9 PM).
Stone had been hiding in the carriage all day, so he had to take advantage of this break to get some fresh air.
The Empress Dowager had been practicing meditation at Putuo Temple for a long time, and she was quite happy to see her two grandsons today. She planned to keep them at Putuo Temple for five days.
It was partly so that the grandfather and grandson could have a good chat and get to know each other, and partly because I secretly wanted the two of them to receive the "blessing" of Buddha's light in this temple.
Originally, Xie Yun had only planned to stay for about three days at most, but since the Empress Dowager had already spoken, she followed her instructions and stayed.
Xie Yun-yang was originally planning to stay in her room tonight and think about her upcoming schedule, but Sheng Sheng dragged her out to walk the tiger with her.
Stone was feeling a bit tired after eating, so he took a leisurely stroll.
After thinking for a moment and organizing her thoughts, Sheng Sheng told Xie Yun-yang what she had seen that day.
Xie Yun frowned: "If I remember correctly, the county magistrate here is surnamed Nong and comes from a poor family."
When Xie Yun first planned to come to Jinzhou to see the Empress Dowager, he had done a brief investigation of the place.
The prefect of Jinzhou City was surnamed Nong, and his ancestors were all genuine farmers. Only when he came to the city did a scholar emerge, and the entire village mobilized to send him on the path of learning.
The county magistrate lived up to expectations. Although he did not pass the imperial examination, he did become a successful candidate in the provincial examination. Later, based on his political achievements, he rose step by step to become the county magistrate of Jinzhou, becoming the pride of the whole village.
He must understand best the hardships of ordinary people farming and weaving, and it is probably because of this that the scene we witnessed today occurred.
Can……
Xie Yunyang lowered his eyes to look at the ground, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the moss in the cracks of the stone steps. His tone was colder: "The whole village has been supporting you, but you've forgotten your roots? If it were just ordinary extravagance, that would be one thing, but illegally harvesting bear paws and exceeding the prescribed limits for spending, this is not something an ordinary county magistrate could do with the money."
Sheng Sheng nodded hurriedly: "That's what I think too! Brother, do you think there might be some misunderstanding? Because this county magistrate did indeed pay back the money for that couple."
After saying that, Sheng Sheng herself felt it was impossible. "That's not right either. Since he can afford bear paws, a dozen taels of silver is nothing to him. Maybe this is just a deliberate move he made to create a persona for himself?"
An official who was supported by the people to leave the countryside will only have a smoother career in the officialdom if he can gain a reputation for "being considerate of the people's plight and paying off their debts out of his own pocket".
Moreover, once this persona is deeply ingrained in people's minds, naturally no one will believe that such a renowned county magistrate is actually a hypocrite.
Xie Yunyang pondered for a moment and instructed her, "Don't worry about this for now. I'll send Taying to the county magistrate's office to investigate."
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