Chapter 204: Family Reunion, Chen and Zhang's First Meeting...
Having experience in Zhangzhou and Yinzhou prefectures, Zhang Ting quickly clarified the people's livelihood and integrated the administration after taking office in Yingzhou prefecture.
Her methods were skillful and adaptable, as gentle as water yet as sharp as a knife. She easily gained the support of local powerful families and officials, winning their sincere respect.
She was kind and gentle in managing her subordinates and treated people with gentleness. Except for keeping a special distance from the local richest man, she maintained a moderate relationship with other prominent families.
As for her relatives, she maintained a certain distance, keeping to herself. However, somewhat surprisingly, although the members of the clan did not take the initiative to visit her, they were very polite to her, and the elders of the clan were also very friendly towards her.
This was different from her initial plan. She thought about it for a long time before it came to her mind by chance. Perhaps it was because she had accepted a member of the imperial clan and thus preserved the face of the imperial clan?
That's fine too.
Yingzhou Prefecture, being the ancestral home of the imperial family, was rich in products and had a thriving trade. All kinds of precious treasures and silks circulated in the market, making it a very prosperous place.
The agricultural economy was extremely developed, so there was nothing for Zhang Ting to worry about. The magistrate under his jurisdiction was also quite capable, and he was very discerning in handling cases, which earned him the praise of the people.
Zhang Ting then focused on infrastructure and education, improving major thoroughfares, promoting economic and trade development, revitalizing county and prefectural schools, and rectifying the cultural atmosphere of the prefecture.
The officials who had been in charge of the economy and agriculture breathed a sigh of relief. It is said that a new official makes a big splash when he takes office, but little did they know that this fire tends to burn wildly. Fortunately, their prefect was not such a corrupt official who disrupted the normal operation of the system and... stripped them of their power.
The powerful families breathed a sigh of relief. They had been worried when they heard that she had killed more than a hundred people in Yinzhou Prefecture, fearing that Zhang Ting would use them as scapegoats. Now, the sword hanging over their heads had been lowered.
Thus, with almost no disturbance, power was smoothly transferred to her hands, and Zhang Ting firmly secured her position as the head of the prefecture, truly wielding supreme power.
The days passed uneventfully, without any major disturbances.
Yingzhou Prefecture was on the right track. The secret agents sent by the emperor had been watching for many days but could not find any clues. They gradually lost patience. Thinking about it, it made sense. Why would a promising and young prefect risk his head to associate with a useless person?
Moreover, this person is of excellent character and reputation; how could he possibly collude with a traitor?
As usual, the spies made their rounds this morning and then left. Recently, a new form of entertainment called Pai Gow has emerged in Yingzhou Prefecture. It's played by four people at a table and is very popular. The spies are playing it with great enthusiasm, so much so that they're not even sleeping with their husbands.
She walked to her job, but she ran to play cards.
Once you sit down in the mahjong room, you forget all about imperial power and wealth.
"Oops! Sorry, I ate them all again! Everyone, please pay up, hahaha..."
Willows sway along the embankment outside the window, their green leaves rippling.
In a dilapidated old courtyard, bare and bare, a thin chicken pecked at the ground. The only greenery was a fenced-off vegetable patch next to it, where the bok choy grew lush and vibrant. Two figures dressed as yamen runners hurried past the bushes, looking quite inconspicuous.
The chicken clucked and flew into the fence, opening its beak to peck at the vegetables. It pecked quickly and accurately, looking like it was wolfing them down.
The slightly taller yamen runners ran over and chased the chickens away.
The shorter constable followed her with small steps and said softly, "Why are you chasing it away?"
Gao, the constable, had just finished a fierce battle with the skinny chicken, and a chicken feather was stuck in his hair. "I can't let the beast ruin the vegetables."
vegetable?
The young clerk paused for a moment, his eyes dimming, and he lowered his head, muttering to himself, "I thought it was fodder specifically for the chickens." Looking around the entire courtyard, there was only this small vegetable patch.
Although he had made up his mind, he still couldn't help but feel heartbroken when he saw that his two elders were not doing well.
Zhang Ting took the young constable's hand and shook it. "Let's go, let's take it one step at a time."
The young clerk, his eyes red-rimmed, softly replied, "Mm."
The commotion in the courtyard prompted a middle-aged man to rush out, holding a wooden stick as if he were chasing chickens. He had a sallow complexion, graying temples, and thin cheeks. He was dressed in patched burlap clothes that let in a gust of wind.
Before he even arrived, he was already cursing, "That damned rooster! It's pecking at my vegetable patch again!"
As I turned the corner, I saw a man and a woman standing in front of me. Although they were dressed in coarse cloth, they had beautiful faces and were young and pretty, like a perfect couple, and must be rich and noble.
The man, in particular, was tall and slender with a pert bottom and a slim waist. His skin was fair and smooth like jade, and his brows were furrowed with worry. Instead of making him look old and bitter, it made him appear weak and pitiful. It was clear that he had been well cared for and protected by women and had never seen the darkness and cruelty of the world.
Chen Lanshan stopped and looked on, involuntarily covering his cheeks, reminiscing about the past. He too had once been such a beauty, but in just nine short years, he had gone from a handsome young man to a white-haired old man...
He cowered behind a pillar, looking timid. "Who are you two looking for? What brings you here?" Before the New Year, a group of people had come to vandalize the courtyard again and even beat him up. Chen Lanshan was truly terrified of these people.
Zhang Ting glanced at Zong Suyi and saw him shake his head.
She stood in front of Zong Suyi, saying, "You are here to inspect the common people as ordered by the government. Now disperse immediately!"
Upon hearing the name of the government office, Chen Lanshan breathed a sigh of relief. Apart from withholding their food rations, they were relatively easy to get along with.
He stepped aside, speaking with utmost respect: "Please, sir. I am currently inside pounding rice, and I guarantee that I will complete the task on time and in the required quantity." He didn't even dare to ask why the other party had brought a man with him.
Zhang Ting led the person in as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. The outside was dilapidated and desolate, and the inside was not much better, but it was much cleaner and tidier.
Chen Lanshan watched the two figures walk away, feeling a mix of envy, jealousy, and confusion. This man actually bore a striking resemblance to him.
In the inner courtyard, a thin, withered old man came out carrying bowls and plates. He looked up and suddenly froze, his feet seemingly glued to the ground.
His eyes welled up with tears instantly. "Little..." His lips trembled with excitement, and he could not speak clearly. "Little Little Yi..." His hands lost strength, and the bowls and plates crashed to the ground with a crash, sharp shards covering the floor. But he had no time to care and rushed straight over, not even noticing that his foot was cut and bleeding.
“I am your maternal grandfather… It’s been nine years. Xiaoyi, my grandson, how have you been? Have you been lacking food or clothing outside?” He reached out to touch Zong Suyi’s face, but quickly withdrew his hand, afraid of soiling him.
Zong Suyi stared blankly at the old and withered man in front of her. He was her maternal grandfather. He was actually her maternal grandfather? In her memory, her maternal grandfather was gentle and proud, with a noble temperament. He was the eldest son of the Cui family, one of the most powerful clans in the country. He was the husband of the Crown Princess, who held the power of life and death in the Eastern Palace. He was the most noble man in the future.
The man who once dominated the world is now disheveled and old, as if his past and present are worlds apart. He is now just a slovenly old villager.
Zong Suyi rushed forward and hugged him, tears streaming down her face like broken beads. "Grandpa... I don't have a father anymore." Her cries were filled with crushed pain and despair, and her whole body trembled with grief.
The resentment of the past vanished without a trace at this moment, and all that remained was the memory of the person in front of him who was his blood relative.
Zhang Ting lowered her head and silently withdrew, giving the grandmother and grandson space to be together.
She wandered around, but the yard was very small, barely a small plot of land, even smaller than the dilapidated house where she had first lived.
She heard the sound of a wooden mallet being struck ahead. She turned the corner and slowly walked over. In the thatched courtyard, an old man and a young man were pounding rice. They were wearing rough undershirts and sweating profusely. They were thin and sallow.
The older man had a sharp edge between his brows and was full of energy, while the younger one was listless with droopy eyes and looked very weak, which was quite strange.
She stood still, watching silently, like a silent overseer.
This must be her great-mother-in-law or aunt-in-law. She's not doing a very good job; she's slow and clumsy and is obviously trying to cheat.
This is extremely egregious. If she were the supervisor, she would definitely...
The little girl stopped wiping her sweat and caught a glimpse of her expression out of the corner of her eye. Her pupils contracted sharply, and she shuddered. "Mother... this can't be from the capital again, can it..." Her body trembled uncontrollably. The repeated scolding and beatings over the years had long terrified Chen Yannian. She was filled with fear whenever she saw someone wearing this outfit, not to mention that this person's eyes were cold and terrifying.
Chen Jue stopped what she was doing, looked ahead, her gaze falling on the other person, but she didn't say anything.
Zhang Ting's gaze met hers, and it was as if two armies were facing off, the air itself seemed to freeze.
In a fleeting moment, an absurd thought popped into her head—she knew who she was.
Zhang Ting strode over, bowed deeply, and said with a gentle expression, "Ting greets Great-Mother-in-law and Aunt Yue." This was a frank and open declaration of his identity.
Chen Yannian stared with his mouth slightly agape, unable to understand for a long time how he had become a relative of a yamen runner.
"No need for formalities..." After saying these two words for so long, she realized what she was doing, her face turned pale, and she looked at her mother with unease.
Zhang Ting straightened up, her eyes slightly lowered.
A glint of "I knew it" flashed in Chen Jue's eyes, along with a serious scrutiny. "You are Zhang Ting." Her tone was firm and left no room for argument.
"It is indeed I, the junior. I have been away from home for a long time and have not had the opportunity to pay my respects. May I inquire about the well-being of my great-mother-in-law?"
Chen Jue took two steps back, looked her up and down, and nodded. "A gentleman is like jade, refined and polished, very good indeed." His gaze was unfamiliar, but the way he looked at her was like looking at a long-lost old friend, both familiar and strange.
She asked in a deep voice, "Why have you come to Yingzhou Prefecture? What is your official rank?"
Chen Yannian also stared at Zhang Ting. So she was Xiao Yi's wife. He never expected her to be an official in the court.
Zhang Ting answered honestly, "I came to this prefecture to take up my post and have risen to the rank of prefect."
Chen Jue: "..."
Chen Yannian: "..."
The air suddenly became quiet.
Chen Jue suspected there was something wrong with his ears. He couldn't deny that he had been out of contact with the outside world for some time, but just a few months ago Zhang Ting was a prefect, and in such a short time he had been promoted to governor.
Were the middle three tiers eaten? I've never heard of such a speed of advancement before; it's truly astonishing.
She frowned, and asked suspiciously again, "You've been promoted to prefect?"
"Exactly."
Chen Yannian looked at the rice-pounding tools in his hand, then at Zhang Ting, and slapped himself hard. Ouch! That hurt. This wasn't a dream!
Chen Jue remained silent for a long time, then suddenly looked at her and sighed, "Very kind."
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