Chapter 12 The son, disheartened, checks into a shady inn…
County Magistrate Niu felt that Zhang Ting was young, talented, and from the same school as him, making him a very rare investment candidate.
If she rises to prominence and becomes successful in her official career in the future, she may be able to help herself or her daughter in some way.
Her current situation is precarious, making it the perfect time to win her over.
“Junior sister, your daughter was unruly and I have failed to entertain her properly. I will have her come to apologize to you later.”
Zhang Ting said that the child was lively and straightforward, and she didn't mind. She told Magistrate Niu not to make a big fuss, as it would only hurt the harmony.
When Magistrate Niu saw that she had no dissatisfaction whatsoever, he thought she was such a magnanimous person that he appreciated her even more.
As the two chatted, County Magistrate Niu and Zhang Ting discussed a tax-related problem that was causing her a great deal of trouble.
"A local tyrant colluded with the previous clerk to harbor people and evade the poll tax. However, the number of people harbored is large. If the tyrant is punished according to the law, the people will lose their livelihoods, which may cause public resentment. Do you have a good solution, Junior Sister?"
Zhang Ting remained silent for a moment, feeling that given Magistrate Niu's qualifications and character, this matter should not have been left unresolved for so long.
She then asked who the clerk was.
This was the predicament of County Magistrate Niu. She looked at Zhang Ting with appreciation and said, "This person has now been transferred back to this prefecture to serve as the principal of the Ministry of Revenue." She had inquired and learned that this person was the younger sister of the Vice Prefect of Zhangzhou Prefecture.
Zhang Ting thought to himself that it was not easy for clerks to get promoted, and this person was directly promoted to the eighth rank, only one rank lower than County Magistrate Niu, which showed that he had connections everywhere and was very influential.
If this matter is to be dismissed, the person's political record will be questionable, and he will not only offend his relatives by marriage, but also the officials who handled his promotion.
If left unresolved for too long, it will not only amplify the ambitions of powerful figures, but also leave them with a reputation for incompetence in front of their superiors.
Moreover, since Magistrate Niu has only recently been transferred here and his position is not yet stable, rashly dealing with powerful local figures would lead to difficulties in future administration.
Zhang Ting, being weak himself, didn't want to offend anyone, so he offered two suggestions to Magistrate Niu:
The first approach is to use the people to launch this matter, and then punish the powerful and wealthy according to the law to set an example for others. Then, use incentives to discuss with other local powerful families how to distribute these people. The matter of taking office can be reported to the prefecture and state for handling. This way, one's reputation will not be damaged and one will not suffer from public resentment.
The second provision is to address the issue of high-ranking officials starting strong and low-ranking officials in a lenient manner, requiring powerful families to make up for the population tax, compiling new household registers, and forgiving past offenses, while severely punishing any repeat offenders.
After pondering for a long time, Magistrate Niu took Zhang Ting's hand and exclaimed, "The young phoenix's voice is clearer than the old phoenix's; Junior Sister, you far surpass me."
Both were good strategies, and she understood Zhang Ting's unspoken intentions.
"Junior sister, you have treated me with such sincerity, so I should reciprocate. If you ever encounter any difficulties in the future, I will definitely lend you a helping hand."
Zhang Ting nodded in agreement.
As noon approached, the two took their seats. County Magistrate Niu and Zhang Ting exchanged toasts and even played drinking games. Before long, they became as familiar as sisters.
After the meal, Madam Yu entered with a servant boy, who was carrying a pear wood box.
County Magistrate Niu smiled and said, "Junior Sister, I recently acquired a set of tea utensils. They are exquisite and elegant. I know you are also a tea lover and connoisseur. It's rare to find someone who shares the same taste, so I'm giving them to you."
However, Magistrate Niu misunderstood Zhang Ting. The tea given as a gift was a deliberate attempt by Zhang Ting to present something she didn't know much about tea and wine culture, and she didn't enjoy drinking tea or wine.
"Thank you for your kind offer, Senior Sister, but how can a gentleman take away what another loves?"
“Porcelain is exquisite, but it is ultimately an inanimate object and not worth mentioning.”
Zhang Ting accepted it anyway, saying, "Thank you for your kindness. Such a generous gift is something I, your junior sister, will certainly cherish."
Therefore, when Zhang Ting came to pick up the fur coat, she brought with her a box of exquisitely packaged tea sets.
Business in front of Manager Lü's shop remained sluggish; today, Zhang Ting was the only customer.
The shopkeeper unfolded the fur coat and let Zhang Ting check it carefully for any flaws. He also had her try it on to see if it fit. Only then did he wrap it up and hand it to Zhang Ting.
After paying the money, Manager Lü said with a wry smile, "If it weren't for the large amount of things you've bought these past two days, I would have lost money on the shop rent this month."
Zhang Ting asked him, "Manager Lü, do you have no better ideas? Are you just going to let Boss Mi suppress you like this?"
Manager Lü snorted, "What do you mean there isn't? Damn it, we're not easily intimidated. She can lower the price, but we can't?"
Zhang Ting was shocked to hear that he wanted to wage a price war with Mr. Mi. "Then all the clothes I've bought these days..." wouldn't I have overpaid?
Shopkeeper Lü was an honest man, and he laughed heartily: "The clothes you bought are exquisite, and my craftsmanship is among the best in the county. I won't make much profit off you at the price I'm charging you. If I win the fight with that rice turtle, I'll make you another cotton robe."
Zhang Ting was overjoyed to receive his promise, thanked him, and wished him an early victory.
Shopkeeper Lü leaned closer to probe her: "Scholar Zhang, we have some mutual respect, so tell me honestly, why did you suddenly buy so many fine clothes?"
After the last time, Manager Lü inquired around and learned that Zhang Ting's status had risen significantly, and he had even gotten involved with the two ladies of the Zou family.
Zhang Ting suddenly noticed the curtain opposite him swaying. He frowned slightly and said calmly, "I will be setting off for the capital soon. Prices are high in the capital. Buying things in the county will at least save some money."
Manager Lü teased her, "I didn't realize that Scholar Zhang was about to make it big. You'll have to help out this old acquaintance in the future."
Zhang Ting quickly said that she only had a little money and dared not show off her skills in front of Manager Lü. She should be the one who needed Manager Lü's guidance.
Manager Lü waved his hand dismissively.
That evening, Manager Lü said to his son, "You should forget about him from now on. Not to mention that he doesn't care about you, his heart is also wild and we can't control him."
During the day, he hid behind the curtain and listened to their conversation. He realized that Zhang Ting was no longer the same person he used to be and that he could no longer reach her. He nodded in disappointment.
Shopkeeper Lü patted his son's head tenderly, "I'll find you a good match another day."
......
Before Zhang Ting even arrived home, he saw the Xu family's maids waiting at the door from afar.
The maid helped Zhang Ting carry her things into the house and told her that the mansion would send a carriage to pick her up at Chenshi (7-9 AM) tomorrow.
Zhang Ting thanked her and gave her a tip.
That night, Zhang Ting packed her things, checked them repeatedly, and only went to sleep peacefully after confirming that everything was in order.
The next day, he got up at dawn, dressed, washed, and ate a hot meal.
Before long, the Xu family's carriage arrived.
The coachman smiled and told her not to worry, as long as they could arrive at the Xu residence before 9:00 AM.
The carriages of the Xu and Zou families were quite different in style, and the Xu family's carriage was larger than the Zou family's. The interior was luxurious and solemn, with the curtains shimmering with gold. It had a table, a hidden compartment, and a small couch, just like a comfortable bedroom.
Upon arriving at the Xu residence, Zhang Ting alighted from the carriage and paid his respects to Xu's parents at the gate before getting into the carriage with Xu You.
Besides Xu You's two personal servants, Xu's mother also prepared eight guards for him, all of whom were strong, brave and exceptionally skilled women.
The entire procession consisted of: Xu You and Zhang Ting sitting opposite each other in the carriage, two servants kneeling on the ground to serve them, a coachman driving the horses behind the curtain, and four women on horseback guarding each side of the carriage.
Zhang Ting felt incredibly safe on her first long trip, thanks to Xu You's help.
The two chatted for a while on the way, and Xu You couldn't help but lean back on the couch to rest. A servant skillfully came over to massage her head, while another brought her a pill and fed it to her. They were clearly very experienced.
"Sister Xu, are you carsick?"
Xu You replied weakly, "Yes, heaven is blind, making someone like me who enjoys outdoor activities suffer from motion sickness."
Zhang Ting was speechless. She told her to rest well and then picked up a book to pass the time.
Two days passed in this way. After leaving Lütian County and entering the territory of Yinzhou Prefecture, the mountains and forests became more abundant, but the fallen leaves were desolate and covered with the snow from the previous night.
Before nightfall, the group finally arrived at the first inn in Yinzhou where they would be staying overnight.
Xu You ran out to get some fresh air. She remembered this inn, but she had stayed in inns in the county on both her trips to and from the capital and had never rested here before. Today, however, she had the chance to visit.
Seeing their magnificent carriages and elegant attire, the second young lady warmly greeted them and led the carriage away for them.
"Please come in, sir! Our restaurant has wine and dishes, eat to your heart's content."
Zhang Ting looked around the inn. It was clean, tidy, and incredibly quiet, but something felt off. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, and wondered if she was just being overly anxious.
Several fine, spirited horses were still tied up in the stable, so it seemed they weren't the first group to arrive.
Sure enough, I found her in the lobby. Four women were sitting around a table. The woman in the lead was dressed in coarse linen clothes, with a cold expression and sharp eyes like an eagle.
Some of the guards recognized her and said she was from Luchuan County. She was skilled in martial arts and used to work as a guard for the Yu family. However, she was fired for harassing the master's son, and no powerful family dared to hire her after that. Now she helps out by running escort missions to earn some money. They even laughed at her for loving horses so much that she couldn't even feed herself but kept the animals plump and strong.
Zhang Ting was taken aback: "She doesn't look like a lecherous person?"
The guards laughed and teased her, "Miss Zhang, how can you tell if a woman is good-looking or not just by looking at her? Hehe."
"You haven't experienced the goodness of a man yet; you'll know once you do!"
"Exactly, hahaha..."
Zhang Ting was embarrassed and ignored the group of women with such a perverse sense of humor.
Two servants, having arranged the lodgings, came over and, seeing the guards laughing, asked in confusion, "What are you laughing at?"
The personal servants chosen by the Xu family for their young lady were all handsome young men, with slender figures and gentle, pleasant voices.
The guards who had just been joking with Zhang Ting blushed, their eyes darting around, avoiding the two men's gazes, and they stammered that they hadn't.
Zhang Ting scoffed at this. How dare these people laugh at her?
After that, he went outside to find Xu You to hide away and have some peace and quiet.
Xu You stood under a camphor tree, letting the cool breeze refresh her. The trek of the past two days had left her feeling utterly miserable.
Zhang Ting sighed at her distress: "If you had known this would happen, you should have stayed in Kyoto to avoid the suffering of motion sickness." Some people cannot avoid or alleviate motion sickness, let alone the bumpy roads and poorly cushioned carriages of ancient times.
Xu You shook his head, "My parents are far away at home, how can I go back to visit them? Even if it's hard, it's worth it."
Zhang Ting said nothing more, turned to the side and patted her shoulder, but a hint of coldness couldn't help but show in her eyes.
Soon, the inn's meal was ready.
The entire table of food was covered in charred spots, making it impossible to identify the original ingredients. The knife work was a mess, and it was so bad that it made people lose their appetite. The people next door were so angry that they overturned the table, and everyone was shouting for a refund.
"Shopkeeper, is what you're making pig feed?"
"Pah! I wouldn't eat it even if a dog came!"
"Refund! Refund!"
The shopkeeper ran out from the kitchen, paused for a moment, and then said, "Dear customers, our dishes may not look very appealing, but they are actually delicious!"
Everyone stared at the table full of charred food, refusing to believe that the shopkeeper had to eat it himself.
The innkeeper gritted his teeth, picked up his chopsticks, and tasted it. He thought he had to swallow it no matter what, but the food was salty, raw, and burnt. As soon as the food reached his throat, he couldn't help but vomit, his face contorted. He quickly smiled apologetically and said to everyone, "Our small shop has not been hospitable. Please forgive us, esteemed guests! The cost of this meal will be refunded to everyone tomorrow morning!"
Upon hearing this, the crowd, not wanting to cause trouble, let her go.
Fortunately, Zhang Ting had brought some emergency rations, which she distributed to everyone before resupplying in the next town.
After distributing the leftovers, Zhang Ting decided to do a favor and give them to the table next door.
The four men thanked Zhang Ting, and the woman in the lead counted out a few copper coins and handed them to her.
After some initial refusal, seeing that the other party still insisted, Zhang Ting had no choice but to accept it.
In the kitchen, the manager was berating the cook: "What kind of rubbish did you make? How are they supposed to eat this?"
The rough-looking cook threw the dishcloth on the ground and said matter-of-factly, "I'm a woman, I've never cooked before, it's good enough if it's passable."
He sneered, "We'll kill them tonight, what good food do we want then?"
The shopkeeper pointed at her, too angry to speak.
A note from the author:
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