Chapter 176 Encountering Du Min in Wen County
After spending their last night in Xingjiaofang, the whole family, along with their servants and money, were escorted by a caravan to Hanoi County in Huaizhou.
As the convoy was about to leave the county town, Magistrate Sun, accompanied by four constables, caught up with it.
“My lady, I have arranged for four constables to escort you to Huai Prefecture. Huai Prefecture is suffering from many disasters and there are many refugees. The journey may not be safe, so it will be safer to bring more people.” Magistrate Sun walked to the front of the carriage and spoke to Meng Qing.
"You've gone to so much trouble, Magistrate Sun," Meng Qing said.
"Please give my regards to Chief Secretary Du." Magistrate Sun took a step back. "Please get into the carriage. I won't delay your journey any longer."
Meng Qing waved, "We'll meet again another day."
Magistrate Sun nodded. When the carriage curtain was lifted, he saw Wang Zhou's face and quickly raised his hand to wave.
Wang Zhou was overjoyed. He leaned out of the car window and said, "Uncle Sun, I'll come to see you again next time I pass through Heqing County."
"Alright, alright, you must come!" Since yesterday, Magistrate Sun has suddenly taken a liking to this clever and sincere child.
Wang Zhou nodded, "They will definitely come."
"Shrink your head back and hurry up and leave." Magistrate Sun waved his hand. "Study hard and come work with me as soon as possible."
Wang Zhou smiled.
"We're leaving." Meng Qing patted Wang Zhou's back. "Sit still."
Wang Zhou shrank back, and said happily, "Magistrate Sun must have come to see me off."
"They really know how to pat themselves on the back," Du Li said.
"Should I ask him?" Wang Zhou made a move to climb out of the car window.
Meng Qing stared at him, and Wang Zhou withdrew his outstretched hand, his smile turning awkward.
"Uncle Li, we can go now," Meng Qing instructed.
The imperial bells rang, and the carriage began to move.
Du Li lent Wangchuan to Wangzhou to ease the awkwardness, and then started a conversation with Meng Qing: "Aren't you going to send a message to the third brother?"
“No need, we’ll go by ourselves.” Meng Qing shook his head. “It’s already May, but there’s not much rain. This year will probably be another drought, which will only make matters worse for Huaizhou. He has to keep an eye on the waterways of five counties. He’s probably so busy he’s barely has time to breathe. It’s uncertain whether he’ll even be in Hanoi County.”
"Call me Big Brother," Wangzhou said to Wangchuan. "Call me Brother."
"Goose." That's all Wangchuan knows how to say.
“Yes, brother,” Wang Zhou corrected. “I will definitely teach you along the way.”
Meng Qing and Du Li stopped talking and watched the two young brothers play around.
Once outside the territory of Heqing County, the road became bumpy and potholed, so we had to slow down to avoid suffering.
They traveled only thirty li a day, and it took them four days to reach Wen County, where they witnessed the spectacular sight of the river water rising above the ground.
"I'll stay in Wen County for one more day tonight. I'm going to visit Zhifang," Meng Qing said.
Upon hearing this, Du Li got out of the car to make arrangements.
Upon receiving the message, the caravan immediately set off for the post station in Wen County.
*
"Sir, a caravan has arrived from the south, including a two-horse carriage that checked into the post station an hour ago. I have learned that the head of the caravan is the Lord of Wu County. Would you like to pay him a visit?" At noon, Magistrate Guo returned to his office, and the registrar stepped forward to report in a low voice.
"Your Highness?" Du Min, with her sharp ears, immediately caught the two familiar words. "What are you saying? Speak louder."
The registrar glanced at the magistrate and bowed, saying, "Reporting to the chief clerk, the entourage of the Prince of Wu has checked into the county's post station. I am reporting this to Magistrate Guo."
"You've finally arrived." Du Min clapped his hands and asked with a smile, "Magistrate Guo, have you heard of the name of the Lady of Wu County?"
Magistrate Guo replied, "I have been preoccupied with county affairs and have been unaware of news from outside for some time. Judging from your words, is the Lady of Wu a friend of yours?"
"She is my second sister-in-law. She was the one who set up the Qingniao Paper Efficiency School, and the existence of paper effigies is also due to her." Du Min was proud of this, his words full of pride. "I'll go to the post station now. You can take care of your own lunch."
“Please wait a moment, Chief Secretary Du. I will accompany you to pay your respects to the Lady of the County,” said Magistrate Guo. “Allow me to return to my office and change my shoes. These shoes are covered in mud and are quite unsightly.”
Du Min nodded. "Go."
Half an incense stick later, Du Min brought Magistrate Guo to the post station. He had been staying there for almost half a month, and the post station had been deserted for the past two weeks. But now it was bustling with people.
Du Li was helping Wang Chuan learn to walk in the corridor when he caught a glimpse of a red figure out of the corner of his eye. Before he could react, he was punched in the back.
That punch was all too familiar. Before Du Li could even turn around, he recognized who it was. "Third brother? What are you doing here?"
"You saw me?" Du Min peered into the house. "Second sister-in-law, I'm here."
Du Li picked up Wang Chuan and turned around, only to find another unfamiliar figure. Seeing that the person was wearing an official robe, he guessed their identity and said, "Greetings, Your Excellency."
"This is the magistrate of Wen County, surnamed Guo," Du Min introduced. "Magistrate Guo, this is my second brother."
Magistrate Guo hesitated, unsure whether he should perform the ceremony.
"Third brother?" Meng Qing came out. "What are you doing here?"
Upon seeing that the man was dressed in a light pink ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) and had a gold hairpin in his hair, Magistrate Guo immediately bowed and said, "Guo Congyang, Magistrate of Wen County, pays his respects to the Lady of the County."
"Lord Guo, you may rise." Meng Qing stopped him before he bowed. "I was passing through your esteemed place and wished to stay at the inn for the night. I did not mean to disturb you, sir."
"You're too kind, Your Excellency," said Magistrate Guo.
"Come inside and talk, it's quite hot outside," Meng Qing said to Du Min. "You've just come back from patrolling the river? You're covered in mud and sand. Haven't eaten yet? Shall we eat together? I'll have the courier bring a few more dishes."
"I just got back to the county office when the registrar told me that the Lady of Wu County was staying at the post station. Lord Guo and I didn't even have time to eat before rushing over to pay our respects," Du Min joked, then complained, "Why did you take so long to arrive?"
"I just returned to Heqing County from Luoyang five days ago," Meng Qing replied. "And you?"
“I came to Wen County to inspect the canals about half a month ago. In recent years, the Yellow River has changed its course, and Wen County has been the most severely affected. More than 300 mu of fertile land has been flooded, and the soon-to-dry riverbed will cause more than 400 mu of fertile land to become inferior land due to the loss of water source.” Du Min sighed, “This year it is dry and there is not much rain. The remaining water in the old course of the Yellow River is about to be dried up. I am still discussing with Magistrate Guo whether to convert the old course of the Yellow River into farmland or to dredge the silt and divert water to turn it into canals.”
"Let's eat first." Du Li led the courier in to bring in the dishes.
"Let's eat first," Meng Qing suggested.
Du Min snapped out of his daze and saw Wang Zhou. He patted the seat next to him and said, "Sit here. It's been a while since I've seen you, and you haven't even written me a letter. You're really heartless."
Wang Zhou was speechless.
"You had a good month, didn't you?" Du Min asked resentfully.
Wang Zhou didn't answer. He picked up his chopsticks and put a few pieces of chicken into his third uncle's bowl.
Du Min clicked his tongue a few times, then spread his hands out and compared them with Wang Zhou's. "Damn it, how can I look like a scholar? Even a warrior's hands aren't as rough as mine."
Magistrate Guo shifted uncomfortably, suddenly realizing he shouldn't be there.
"Third Uncle, you've worked hard." Wang Zhou put another duck leg on his plate. "Eat up, eat more. You've lost weight."
"She has indeed lost weight," Du Min sighed.
Meng Qing greeted Magistrate Guo, "Lord Guo, please eat too, don't be shy."
Magistrate Guo nodded.
"How old is Magistrate Guo this year? He doesn't look very old," Meng Qing asked. "How many years have you been an official?"
“I am thirty-six years old and have been an official for eight years,” Magistrate Guo replied.
Meng Qing calculated that he was appointed to an official position at the age of twenty-eight, and had to wait at least three years during the selection process, so he would have passed the imperial examination at the latest at the age of twenty-five.
"Lord Guo is also a promising young man." Meng Qing admired him.
Magistrate Guo smiled and said modestly, "I am far inferior to Chief Clerk Du."
"Don't compare yourself to him. There aren't many people who are luckier than him." Meng Qing glanced at Du Min and continued, "If you work wholeheartedly with him and the two of you work together to govern Wen County well, you will definitely be promoted. By the way, Third Brother, Magistrate Sun also arranged for four yamen runners to escort us on this trip."
Du Min's eyes flickered, and he asked thoughtfully, "Has the irrigation canal in Heqing County been repaired?"
"It's all repaired. Water has been diverted into the canal, and the dug river channel is already in use. The Yellow River water is being directly diverted to the fields. This year's harvest in Heqing County has not been greatly affected by the drought," Meng Qing replied. "I heard that the people of Heqing County, regardless of age or gender, are all helping to dig the river channel so that the water can flow to their fields as quickly as possible."
Du Min took a deep breath and said, half-jokingly, "I'm so envious. I handed over the foundation I dug to Magistrate Sun. He built the house and got promoted without lifting a finger. With this project, he can probably be promoted from County Assistant to Sima within five years."
"This Lord Sun... was once a subordinate of the Chief Secretary?" Magistrate Guo inquired.
“Yes, Lord Sun served as the county magistrate of Heqing County for seven years, while your Lord Du was promoted after only two years as county magistrate. Before leaving, he recommended him to succeed him as county magistrate of Heqing County,” Meng Qing replied. “That’s why I told you to work hard with Chief Secretary Du and get some of his good fortune. You might just be the next Sima to be promoted.”
Magistrate Guo understood and laughed, "You've gone to so much trouble, Your Excellency. I have been cooperating fully with the Chief Secretary's actions."
"Then I congratulate Chief Secretary Du on acquiring such a capable general." Meng Qing raised his cup.
Du Min held the teacup with both hands, and he eagerly raised his cup in celebration.
Meng Qing took a sip of tea and then said to Magistrate Guo, "Prefect Du comes from a farming family and is not afraid of hardship. He insists on doing everything himself, so those who work for him will not enjoy any benefits. But he does have one advantage: he does not covet the credit of his subordinates. No matter how much you do or how much you achieve, it is all yours. With a superior like him, you should just bury yourself in hard work."
"Yes." Magistrate Guo nodded, picked up his teacup, and said, "Your Highness, I would like to offer you tea instead of wine. I came here suddenly today and was not prepared. If you are not in a hurry to leave, I will prepare a banquet for you tomorrow. I hope you will do me the honor of attending."
Meng Qing waved her hand, "There's no need for a welcome feast. Although I've never been to Wen County, I've already become familiar with its customs and traditions. I'm in charge of managing the free school in Wen County, and the Meng family paper mill is my maternal family's business. Wen County is my second home, and I'll come back often in the future. Right now, the people of Wen County are struggling, so I shouldn't throw a big banquet. How about this, once the disaster situation in Wen County improves, I'll throw a celebratory banquet for you two."
"I thank you in advance." Magistrate Guo stood up. "Your Highness, let me offer you another toast."
Meng Qing raised his glass, "Please sit down, no need for formalities."
Du Min picked up his teacup and drank the tea in one gulp. He was so happy that he couldn't stop smiling. The long-lost feeling of being in his element had finally returned. With his second sister-in-law by his side, he had the confidence to win.
"What is the current situation of the old course of the Yellow River? What are your plans?" Meng Qing asked Du Min.
“The remaining water in the low-lying areas of the riverbed is less than half an arm’s length deep, but because the underground river replenishes it, the water never dries up. The higher sections of the riverbed have dried up, but the silt is thick and heavy, the surface is cracked, and the inside is a swamp, only able to withstand birds walking. The middle section has become a marsh, and people who go down will sink.” Du Min recounted, “Magistrate Guo’s idea is to let the riverbed dry for another year, and then use the fertile soil to grow crops next year. But I think the soil layer of the old Yellow River channel is too loose and absorbs water very easily. As long as there is continuous heavy rain, the soil will absorb water and turn into a swamp again. People who go down to harvest crops are likely to get trapped or even lose their lives. So I want to dredge the silt and rebuild the irrigation canals. This way, we can save the fields on both sides of the river, harvest the winter wheat, and then draw water to plant autumn rice. The dredged silt can also fertilize the fields and turn inferior land into good land.”
“There are two old sections of the Yellow River in Wen County, totaling seventy li in length, with the widest part of the river being three li wide,” Magistrate Guo continued. “Your Highness, please consider this: what a massive undertaking this is! Relying on corvée labor, it might take more than ten years to clear a single canal.”
"It's really not easy. The silt in the swamp is thick and sticky, making it even harder than opening up a mountain," Meng Qing agreed.
“The irrigation canals in Heqing County are next to the Yellow River, and the mud is similar in texture to the mud at the bottom of the river, so it’s not difficult to dig them,” Du Min argued.
“But the Yellow River has changed its course and taken over farmland. Farmers have lost their land and can hardly make a living. If we don’t compensate them with land, they will become displaced people.” Magistrate Guo said heavily. “Lord Du, I know you are thinking long-term, but if the people are displaced and starve to death, how can we talk about benefiting the present generation?”
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