Chapter 7: Doctor Hu and Magistrate Hu
Xiao Si went to the county government office with his credentials and gift list, assuming that Magistrate Hu would receive him because of his reputation. However, after waiting for a long time, no one summoned him. Xiao Si became anxious and wanted to rush in immediately. Most of the men in the county government knew Xiao Si, so they were too embarrassed to take action, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go to the county magistrate.
A moment later, County Magistrate Hu asked in the back hall with a cold face, "Xiao Si! Didn't you find a new master? How come you have time to come to me?" Xiao Si was very upset about quitting his job as a constable at the county yamen. The county yamen was currently busy with epidemic prevention and was understaffed. Wouldn't quitting now be embarrassing for him? So, of course, County Magistrate Hu was not in a good mood.
"Sir! I'm here to discuss official business!" Xiao Si said while kneeling.
"What official business can you have?" County Magistrate Hu said with a look of disdain on his face.
Xiao Si said nothing more, but handed the letter of credence, the gift list and the letter of authorization to Magistrate Hu. Magistrate Hu took the letter of credence with suspicion and took a closer look, and he was so scared that he almost fell to the ground.
He asked sharply, "Where did you get it? Where is the man?"
"Don't be impatient, sir! Please listen to me and I will explain it to you slowly!" Xiao Si then repeated what Zhao Xiaofei had said to him to County Magistrate Hu. County Magistrate Hu was relieved after hearing this. If the tribute was lost in his jurisdiction, losing his official position would be a small matter, and it might even bring disaster to his entire family.
"You and the second prince have agreed to meet tomorrow?" asked County Magistrate Hu.
"Yes!"
"Very well! I'll go with you tomorrow morning!" Magistrate Hu said. He believed the letter was genuine, but he was worried someone might have picked it up and impersonated the envoy. So he planned to go and see for himself.
The next day, Zhao Xiaofei pretended to go to work and called Jiang Xiaomei again, saying he was on a business trip and might not have a signal. Then he drove to the Marco Polo Bridge crossing point, carrying a dressing mirror, five pounds of sugar cubes, ten sets of glassware, and the materials he had printed that night.
After traveling back in time, I changed into Hanfu. This time, I wore a black, cross-collared Confucian robe with a four-clawed dragon pattern, and a dark red waist-length skirt. Over that, I wore a red, cross-collared Qilin-shaped robe. I looked like a prince! All I needed was long hair, a bun, and a jewel-encrusted gold crown. I guess I looked even more impressive than a Ming Dynasty prince.
As soon as Zhao Xiaofei opened the door, he saw Xiao Si waiting at the door. Xiao Si stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, you are up! I informed Lord Hu yesterday, and he said he would come to the door in person shortly."
"Okay! Go and invite him! I'll be waiting at the door!" said Zhao Xiaofei.
"I'll go and invite him right away!" Xiao Si turned around and went to the yamen to invite County Magistrate Hu.
What? How could a prince like Zhao Xiaofei wait at the door for a county magistrate? Didn't you see in the history books that the King of Korea bowed and saluted when he met the county magistrate of the Ming Dynasty? The King of Korea also bowed when he met the eunuchs sent to his country. If the money he gave was too little, the eunuchs would be embarrassed and humiliate him.
Magistrate Hu soon arrived at Zhao Xiaofei's house in a sedan chair. As soon as Magistrate Hu got out of the sedan chair, Zhao Xiaofei stepped forward and bowed, saying, "The envoy from a small country greets Lord Hu."
When Magistrate Hu saw Zhao Xiaofei bow, he also bowed in return. He said, "Your Excellency is new to our Ming Dynasty. I hope you will forgive me for not welcoming you in person!"
"No, no! This is not a place to talk. Please come in, Lord Hu," said Zhao Xiaofei.
"Okay!" Lord Hu followed Zhao Xiaofei into the yard and into the house without hesitation, followed by the yamen runners. Since there was no servant here without Zhao Xiaofei, Xiao Si acted as a servant to serve tea to County Magistrate Hu and Zhao Xiaofei.
After tea was served, Magistrate Hu asked, "Forgive my ignorance, but I don't know where this Nan'ao Kingdom is. Could Master Zhao explain it to me?"
"Of course! My Nan'ao country is thousands of miles away from Ming Dynasty, but its area is almost the same as Ming Dynasty. However, its population is less than one-tenth of Ming Dynasty. My Nan'ao country is surrounded by the sea, one-third of the land is desert, one-third is grassland, and one-third is plains."
"Oh! What a pity! There is so much land and so few people. Can your country produce enough food?" asked County Magistrate Hu.
"Just barely maintaining it!" Zhao Xiaofei made up a story.
"What is your country rich in?" asked County Magistrate Hu.
"This small country is rich in glass and sugar. I originally brought a lot, but they all fell into the sea. However, there are still some left. Please wait a moment, I will show them to the adults." After saying that, he stood up and went into the house, took out the dressing mirror, and brought out a set of glass tableware.
Magistrate Hu's eyes widened, and the yamen runners and clerks behind him gasped. It was the first time they had seen themselves so clearly, and they had never seen such transparent glass bowls and plates. These items would have been worth tens of thousands of taels of silver in the Ming Dynasty.
"Sir Hu, this is a gift from our dynasty to His Majesty the current emperor. Please check it!" said Zhao Xiaofei.
If Magistrate Hu had previously suspected Zhao Xiaofei might be a fake envoy, he was now completely convinced. No one would impersonate an envoy with items worth tens of thousands of taels. With these items, one could live a prosperous life in Jiangnan.
"Okay, okay! Sanbao, you send someone to guard these tributes! No one can lose them! If something goes wrong, you will lose your head!" County Magistrate Hu said to a yamen runner behind him.
"Yes! Sir! I understand!" Sanbao agreed.
County Magistrate Hu said to Zhao Xiaofei, "Young Master Zhao! We have government affairs to attend to! It's inconvenient for me to stay for long. I'll send someone to report your case to the Ministry of Rites. I should receive a reply soon. Please wait a moment, Young Master Zhao!"
"Thank you, Lord Hu! I'll see you off!" Zhao Xiaofei politely escorted Magistrate Hu out the door. When they reached the gate, Zhao Xiaofei secretly slipped a small glass to Magistrate Hu and said to him, "Mr. Hu! Please take care of me!"
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