Chapter 26: Exemplars
June weather is when the sun is at its strongest.
Aunt Su walked around in the sun several times before finally finding an opportunity to chat with Mei Niang.
"I don't know where the child's father is." Aunt Su said blankly. "I haven't seen him for four or five days. Second sister-in-law, could you ask Qingqing to help look for him?"
If a man from an ordinary family disappears for a day or two, the woman will be extremely anxious.
Her house had been missing for five days before she came to look for it.
Mei Niang was surprised and nodded, saying, "Okay, I'll talk to Qingqing and give you an update later."
Upon hearing this, Su Qing and Gu Congsi exchanged a glance, neither of them feeling guilty whatsoever.
"When the constables and officers are on patrol, ask them about the situation and see if anyone has seen him."
The result, naturally, was that we didn't see it.
After all, this person had already been tied to the boat by Ye Shanming, and now no one knew where he was.
Su Qing was the one who instigated this; how could she not know?
After searching for two days without finding a trace of him, they reported him missing.
However, given Uncle Su's past record of running away, no one thought it was a big deal.
Maybe they ran away again!
When the message reached Aunt Su, Su Qing clearly saw a hint of relief flash across her face.
Su Xi, the seven- or eight-year-old son of Aunt Su, also breathed a sigh of relief.
He was extremely thin. Last year he traveled around with his parents, and this year his left hand was stiff from being beaten. Anyone who saw him couldn't help but sigh.
The mother and son were beaten and verbally abused by Uncle Su every day.
After that person left, life became easier.
Previously, Aunt Su had indeed cursed Su Qing and the others in secret, but now she dared not do so and thanked them repeatedly.
Su Qing thought for a moment and said, "You don't need to bring the government office out. Just save some money for Su Xi's school supplies. The county school will be recruiting students in August or September, so let him go to school."
Aunt Su's eyes were filled with excitement. Seeing that Su Qing was about to leave, she quickly said, "I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry about before."
Su Qing didn't care about such things and waved goodbye.
The news of Uncle Su's disappearance.
It still caused a stir in the government office.
The main thing is that this person is good at running away. Does he know something, so he has to run away?
But speaking of the current Nanjiang County government office...
There was only one thing that bothered them.
That's something everyone knows.
Nanjiang County is to become a logistics transit hub, a highly lucrative and desirable location.
Therefore, a new county magistrate is to take over.
"They didn't come during the post-war reconstruction, and they didn't come when there was an epidemic and no food."
"Now that the houses are beautifully built, they've come to reap the benefits."
"That's right, even the medicinal herbs have been sold. Now the government not only has no shortage of money, but also a lot of treasury silver."
"There are another 20,000 new medicinal fields in the second half of the year, which is a great achievement."
The mention of the new county magistrate was met with widespread discontent from everyone in the government office and even the common people of Nanjiang County.
But everyone knows that.
As a woman, Su's only chance disappeared after Yu's death.
The position of county magistrate was no longer within her reach.
"Why should we? Of the seventeen counties in Guangyue Prefecture, which county magistrate is better than our leader?"
After their sighs, the acting heads of the three shifts and six departments of the yamen were even more dejected.
There were so many things to do before that no one had time to think things through.
Now that the troubles have been resolved, it's inevitable to think about one's future.
Waiting for the new county magistrate to arrive.
These so-called acting officials will definitely be replaced by the new magistrate's own people.
The only one who could escape this fate was Chief Constable Wu, but even he would be demoted from Chief Constable Wu to just a regular Constable.
Even the clerks and runners in the various departments were worried about their future.
Working under Manager Su meant having a lot of tasks, but I was extremely happy doing them.
After all, every single thing they did was beneficial to the local area, and every citizen praised them.
The feeling of having actually put into practice what they read in the classics is truly indescribable.
Not to mention, things were different when the government was poor.
As long as he had money, he would remember everyone, from the acting head of the household to the lowest-ranking errand boy, everyone would receive extra rice and cured meat.
In some places, officials even have to squeeze money out of the people.
Here, they only need to do their own jobs well.
Who is the real villain? If one can support their family without doing evil, who wouldn't want to?
The thought that with Su's departure, such days would be gone forever brought a bitter smile to everyone's faces.
However, seeing that Manager Su's expression remained unchanged, as if he didn't care about the future at all, made everyone curious.
"Master, aren't you worried at all?"
Su Qing had some inside information, so she wasn't too worried.
But the matter was not yet settled, so she would not say it directly to avoid disappointment. She only said, "Even if I don't become an official, I can do something else."
"If all else fails, I'll just open a herbal medicine shop," Su Qing joked.
She was joking, but her subordinates perked up.
OK!
If Manager Su were to open a pharmacy, could they become the manager or the shop assistant?
With his ability to manage things, he will surely become the owner of the number one herbal medicine shop in Nanjiang County within three years!
"Then I'll be your assistant."
"I'll run errands for you."
"We can settle the accounts."
Su Qing found it both amusing and helpless, and said to the clerk, "Why are you causing trouble? There will definitely be a children's examination next year. You should go and prepare for the exam."
Xiaofei immediately replied, "If I fail the exam, I'll work as your accountant."
Luo Hufang rolled his eyes: "I'm still here, it's not your turn."
This interruption finally dispelled the dark clouds that had been hanging over the government office.
The local people also noticed, and the clerks and runners no longer looked worried.
Knowing that Manager Su had already made plans, everyone around them was happy for them.
“If Manager Su opens a pharmacy, then we can sell all the medicinal herbs we grow to her, even on credit.”
"Yes, my family also has two shops facing the street, which are rented out at low prices."
"It's just being a county magistrate, we don't care about that! Steward Su will succeed at whatever he does."
Su Qing couldn't stop laughing when she heard Yun Xi's vivid description of the story.
Unexpectedly, when they returned to the inner quarters, Mei Niang also said that she and Zhu Niangzi were planning to rent a quieter house.
Once the new magistrate arrives, they will be able to move.
Su Qing scratched his head.
I wasn't that nervous.
Even if someone comes, she can find another place to live.
While everyone was excitedly discussing how to make a living, Su Qing finally received a reply from the army commander-in-chief.
From the moment the army delayed in collecting the medicinal herbs until the last time they delivered the Western telescope, Su Qing sent a total of four letters.
The general replied to each of them in his letter.
The first document explained their situation and mentioned Magistrate Su.
The general replied, "I will never forget Magistrate Su's sacrifice for the country."
The second and third petitions requested the General's assistance in getting the army to accept the medicinal herbs, and also requested an explanation of the affairs of the eunuch Yu before and after his death.
The general replied, "I received the letter too late. I am unworthy to entrust this matter to you. I apologize."
He added, "Magistrate Su can serve as a model for county officials throughout the country."
The last letter read: "The peephole is excellent. It cost a lot of money, but it will be of great use to the army. Thank you."
At the end of the letter was a line of poetry by Du Mu.
His powerful and elegant handwriting makes it even more impressive.
"The fierce wind has swept away the deep red petals, and the green leaves now provide shade, and the branches are laden with fruit."
Su Qing read it aloud and said with a smile, "Du Mu's 'Lament for Flowers'."
This surprised Gu Congsi.
Su Qing thought to herself, "I'm not a complete idiot; I do know this poem, 'Sighing Over Flowers.'"
The poem means that one should not feel that spring has passed, nor should one be sad that the fragrance has faded.
The strong wind blew the deep red flowers down, and now the branches are covered with green leaves; the harvest season will soon be here.
Hard work will surely bring rewards.
That's a really good poem.
It suits her situation perfectly.
Given this general's cautious nature, could he be implying something?
If it's an implication, it's far too subtle.
Su Qing stopped thinking about it and simply instructed Gong Bingfang and the others to properly settle the newly arrived wounded soldiers.
They were in chaos in Nanjiang County.
Several tough battles have been fought on the front lines, and now there are a great many wounded.
Fortunately, they were all victories, which was very encouraging.
At this time, Commander Zhou was extremely grateful to Steward Su for providing the wounded soldiers with a place to rest and arranging for people to take care of them.
Commander Zhou believed that the soldiers, especially the General, would be even more grateful.
To say what the yamen runners were like.
This was also the concern of these soldiers. A new county magistrate had been appointed.
Will they still take care of them like this?
They would also occasionally send various kinds of meat and eggs to help the wounded recover faster.
Zhou Qianhu smiled bitterly.
In short, Nanjiang County needs Su Qing far too many people!
No one wanted her to leave her position.
If we could submit a joint petition, we could send out hundreds of "umbrellas for the people"!
Just as everyone was preparing for Steward Su's departure, news finally arrived from the capital.
The new prefect and the new education commissioner of Guangyue Prefecture are hereby appointed to fill various vacancies and will take office before July.
They would take on all sorts of errands, such as autumn tax collection and autumn examinations.
This will allow officials in the surrounding counties and students preparing for the exams to make the best possible preparations.
Since March of last year, Guangyue Prefecture has been without a prefect.
Now we finally have someone in charge!
For magistrates in Nanjiang County, and even other counties, another issue is of concern.
What should Su Qing do?
The locals were worried, while the other county magistrates were just watching the show.
After all, for more than a year, people from all over the country have been comparing them to a woman.
Now look what happened, nothing lasts forever.
You're a woman after all. Even if you're capable, you should be removed from your position. Replace you with a respectable man, the kind who has passed the imperial examinations.
Ability is never the most important thing for an official.
But the news from the capital took everyone by surprise.
"By special permission of the Emperor, Su Qing, daughter of the former Magistrate Su of Nanjiang County, shall be appointed as the magistrate of this county."
"Magistrate Su sacrificed his life for the country, dying a loyal death. His eldest daughter, Su Qing, took over as the head of Nanjiang County. She was quite capable, caring for the people and looking after the wounded soldiers, inheriting the spirit of her late father."
"It is hoped that all officials in the world will take this as an example. This is hereby decreed."
In short, the Emperor's edict can be summarized as these words.
What happened to the former magistrate of Su County?
They defended the granary to the death, and the city gates to the death.
He was stabbed to death by the rebels and his body was hung on the city wall.
Not to mention how Su Qing took over the administration of Nanjiang County.
Compared to other places in Guangyue Prefecture, and even the prefect of Guangyue Prefecture, this father and daughter are undoubtedly a model for the world.
It would be wrong not to commend them and set them up as role models!
woman?
What happened to the woman?
Such a critical moment.
This is a model for all scholars and officials!
The goal is to make her, this woman, the first female county magistrate of this dynasty!
Su Qing and Gu Congsi both thought of the General's reply.
It turns out that not only the last line of poetry was a hint.
The whole thing is hinting at her!
Huge good news came to the people of Nanjiang County and to the local officials.
Everyone was at a loss, wishing they could pinch themselves.
Really?
Really? !
Their Chief Su has become the new Magistrate Su!
Am I dreaming?!
The eunuch who came to deliver the imperial decree said with a smile, "It's true, it's true! We've all heard of Magistrate Su's good reputation in the capital. The Empress Dowager has praised him repeatedly."
The people of Nanjiang County wanted to burst into laughter.
Very good!
There's finally hope!
Some have even gone to buy firecrackers to celebrate.
But the firecracker shop owner set off a string of firecrackers himself first.
From the docks to the streets, from shops to small stores, to the wounded soldiers' quarters.
Then they went to various villages.
The people were even more excited than Su Qing.
A new magistrate, Su, has arrived!
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