Chapter 200 [VIP]
The rogue surnamed Ding, relying on his uncle's connections, had long been a tyrant in Sitong County, but this was the first time he had encountered trouble.
His few underlings were no match for Bai Guan and Qian Guan; they were beaten to a pulp in a single exchange.
"You, you...you don't know who I am?!"
Chen Qingyan pushed through the crowd and asked, "Who are you?"
"My uncle is the magistrate of Sitong County! If you kneel down and kowtow to me to admit your mistake, I might let you off the hook. Otherwise, I'll have the constables come and throw you all in jail!"
Chen Qingyan sneered, "Such an air of authority! Anyone who didn't know better would think your uncle was the emperor!"
In fact, in such remote and inaccessible places, the head of a county is practically an emperor. The local people depend on him for their lives, so naturally they dare not speak out against him.
Seeing that he couldn't gain any advantage, the scoundrel surnamed Ding immediately ordered his underlings to join him and leave, not forgetting to utter a harsh threat before departing: "You, you just wait!"
Wang Ying asked Tian Ju to help the man on the ground up, "Ask him how he is, if he can still walk."
The boy hissed in pain, glanced at Chen Qingyan and Wang Ying, then turned and left with his sister without even saying thank you.
The onlookers said, "Look at them, these barbarians are all ingrates. Why are you saving him? Offending Magistrate Ding will be a real problem."
Chen Qingyan hadn't expected anyone to repay his kindness. As the prefectural magistrate, he couldn't stand idly by when such a thing happened in a county under his jurisdiction. However, now wasn't the time to punish Magistrate Ding. According to regulations, he had to go to Shanzhou to hand over his duties before he had the authority to handle these matters.
"Alright, let's get going. We'll reach Shanzhou in another seven or eight days."
After the onlookers dispersed, the group boarded a carriage and continued their journey out of the city. However, when they reached the city gate, they were stopped by a group of soldiers.
"Who was it that struck our young master just now? Come out!"
Seeing that things were going badly, Old Man Li quickly stepped forward to mediate, "Sir, we are traveling merchants, new to this place..." Before he could finish speaking, the other party kicked Old Man Li to the ground.
Upon seeing this, the other servants immediately surrounded them, and Chen Qingyan and Wang Ying also got off the carriage and angrily shouted, "What are you doing!"
The young man surnamed Ding recognized Chen Qingyan at a glance, "This is the guy who just had his men beat us up!"
Upon hearing this, the officers and soldiers immediately attempted to arrest the two men without further ado.
"You know who I am, yet you dare to arrest me?!"
The young man surnamed Ding scoffed, "I don't care who you are. If you're a dragon, you'd better coil up for me; if you're a tiger, you'd better lie low for me! Even if the Heavenly King himself came here, he'd have to be skinned alive before he left if he hurt my people!"
Wang Ying's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly grabbed Chen Qingyan to stop him from continuing. Judging from the situation, if he revealed his identity, he might not be able to leave today.
Huang Baiguan and Huang Qianguan stood in front, weapons in hand, while Yuanbao cowered in the carriage, too frightened to move. It seemed an inevitable fight was about to break out.
Just at this critical moment, a soldier suddenly ran up and said, "Something terrible has happened! Hundreds of barbarians have suddenly swarmed in from outside the city!"
The leading soldier's legs went weak with fear upon hearing this. "Young Master Ding, what do you think..."
The young Ding had never seen anything like this before. "What's the use of asking me? Go find my uncle!" he said, and then ran off in a flash.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lao Li urged everyone to get on the bus and leave the city quickly, otherwise they might not be able to get out if they missed this chance!
Taking advantage of the chaos, the carriage sped out of the city and was immediately surrounded by a large group of Qiang people. They were dressed in animal skins, carrying spears and bows and arrows, looking ready to fight.
Everyone's hearts sank when they saw this; they hadn't expected to escape one danger only to fall into another.
Just when everyone was in despair, the two people who had just been rescued came over and said in broken Mandarin, "Thank you for saving me."
Wang Ying and Chen Qingyan opened the car door, and a slightly older man stepped forward. His Mandarin was much better than the two children's. He bowed to them and said, "My son is young and does not know the rules of the county. I thank you all for your help in saving my child. I know that the young man surnamed Ding is not easy to deal with and may cause trouble for you, so I brought my clansmen to meet you."
Wang Ying and Chen Qingyan exchanged a glance, feeling indescribably moved. Who said that barbarians don't know how to repay kindness?
"Thank you for helping us out of this predicament, sir. We are now safe and sound. Please take your people back as soon as possible to avoid getting into trouble."
These Qiang people also knew the implications, so they sent most of them back first, while the rest escorted the caravan forward, determined to get the caravan out of Sitong County before they felt at ease.
Seeing that the old man was quite old, Wang Ying invited him to ride with her. Through conversation, she learned that the man's name was Mai Anming (a transliteration of a Qiang word), and he was the chieftain of a nearby Qiang tribe whose people had lived there for generations.
Due to the changing times, they had to come into contact with the outside world, but language barriers often led to conflicts with the Han people.
For this reason, Elder Mai specially learned Mandarin and taught the young children in the tribe to speak Mandarin so that they could sell what they hunted in the mountains and exchange it for rice, flour and cloth, so that the tribe could gradually develop.
It must be said that this old man was very wise, and Chen Qingyan benefited greatly from his conversation.
These people escorted them for ten miles before leaving.
Chen Qingyan sighed, "Although the Qiang people are a different race, they know how to repay kindness. That Magistrate Ding, as the head of a county, condoned his sons and nephews to commit violence in the street. He is truly guilty of a heinous crime. When I arrive in Shanzhou, I will definitely deal with this matter severely!"
Wang Ying said, "Magistrate Ding should indeed be punished properly, but you said the Qiang people are a foreign race. What does it mean to be a foreign race? Does it mean they are foreign just because they don't speak the same language? They live and grow up in the Wu Dynasty. What's the difference between them and the local villagers? They are all subjects of the Wu Dynasty."
Chen Qingyan was stunned, and after a long while said, "Aying is right. They are also subjects of the Wu Dynasty. Sooner or later, I will unite the people of Shanzhou and stop distinguishing between Qiang, Rong and Han people!"
This is a long and arduous task, but Wang Ying knows he can definitely do it. Qingyan is the kind of person who, once he sets his mind on something, will do it to the best of his ability. He will surely be a good official.
*
On October 23, the group finally arrived in Shanzhou.
Shanzhou truly lived up to its reputation as the prefecture capital; it was far more prosperous than any of the county towns we had passed through along the way, with vendors selling all sorts of things everywhere in the city.
Having entered the city, their mission was considered complete. Wang Ying and Chen Qingyan solemnly thanked Old Li, for their safe arrival was made possible by their guidance.
The porters still had business to deliver, and Chen Qingyan also had to report to the government office, so the group parted ways.
They first found an inn to settle down, and then sent Chen Zhandong to inquire about the location of the government office. The next day, Chen Qingyan went there alone with his servants.
The carriage stopped in front of the government office. Chen Zhandong went up to report, and after waiting for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, two middle-aged men came out. "Is the person in the carriage Chen Qingyan, Lord Chen?"
Chen Qingyan got out of the carriage. "I am here. May I ask how you two gentlemen are addressed?"
"I dare not accept such praise. I am Zhang Song, the registrar of Shanzhou, and this is Cao Dehai, the magistrate."
Chen Qingyan bowed to the two men and was welcomed into the mansion.
The Shanzhou Prefectural Government Office was not large, consisting of three courtyards, front and back. The front courtyard was where the prefect and officials from various departments usually worked, and major criminal cases were also tried here.
The central courtyard houses the county annals of various counties, as well as rooms and halls for officials to rest. The rear courtyard is where the prefect resides, but the current prefect does not live there, so the rear courtyard is empty.
The two men led them directly to the main hall in the courtyard. "Lord Chen, please wait here for a moment. I have already sent word to the Prefect and several other officials. They will be here shortly."
Chen Qingyan nodded. "Thank you for your trouble, gentlemen."
A servant brought in hot tea, and the three began to chat. Chen Qingyan's experience at the Hanlin Academy over the past few years had taught him many speaking skills. He didn't immediately inquire about the government affairs of the various counties, but instead started by asking about the local customs and traditions.
"On the way here, I saw many people of different races. They seem to have gotten used to living here."
The official surnamed Cao said, "Your Excellency is unaware of the fact that Shanzhou has many Qiang and Rong people left over from historical reasons. During the previous dynasty, the court carried out a large-scale expulsion, which resulted in a very serious conflict."
Chen Qingyan had seen it in historical records. According to historical records, that conflict led the Qiang and Rong peoples and several other ethnic groups to attack Shanzhou and other nearby prefectures, almost invading the Central Plains.
"Although the conflict was eventually suppressed by the army sent by the imperial court, the local people suffered heavy casualties. In addition, many foreigners had already intermarried with the local people and had long been integrated into the community, so how could they be expelled? In the end, the matter was left unresolved."
Zhang Song continued, "There are now about 27,000 Qiang and Rong people in Shanzhou. Most of them make a living by doing business and hunting. They can live peacefully with people from other places, so they no longer have any concerns."
Chen Qingyan said, "Now that we have submitted to the Wu Dynasty, we should treat everyone equally."
"Your Excellency is absolutely right." The two officials exchanged a glance, and they understood somewhat that Chen Qingyan was not the kind of person who would act recklessly just because of his status.
After chatting for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the prefect and governor arrived at the same time.
(Note: The prefect and the governor were of equal rank, one in charge of civil affairs and the other in charge of military affairs. However, the governor did not lead troops into battle; he was usually responsible for issuing orders from the imperial court, so the position could also be held by a civil official.)
The prefect, surnamed Xu, was named Xu Mao and was a thin old man. The governor next to him was the same Lord Feng that Madam Qin had mentioned.
This man was both a scholar and a warrior, but also a man with a short temper. He was nearly nine feet tall, with a beard on his face, and although he was dressed simply, he gave people a strong sense of oppression.
Upon seeing the visitor, Chen Qingyan quickly stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "This humble official, Chen Qingyan, greets the Prefect and Governor."
Prefect Xu waved his hand and said, "No need for formalities, please sit down."
Feng Zhien said, "I heard that Lord Chen was the top scholar in the imperial examination. How come he came to this godforsaken place?"
Chen Qingyan was not angry. He had heard about this man's rough and unconventional personality before he came, so he spoke frankly: "Although Shanzhou is poor, it is a good place to gain experience. Although Jiangnan is nice, I'm afraid that he will become too indulgent and forget his goals."
Feng Zhien couldn't stand these flowery words and waved his hand, saying, "No matter what the reason, once you're here, do your job well. I heard Chen Jing is your fourth uncle."
"Exactly."
"That old fellow is quite capable; he's managed to bring Shanzhou to a decent state over the past few years, much better than this old geezer."
Xu Mao coughed twice, clenching his fist. He was already nearing retirement age, and being transferred to Shanzhou as prefect was just an emergency measure. Naturally, he didn't have the energy to deal with those troublesome official duties anymore. Perhaps before long, someone would be sent to replace him from somewhere else.
A note from the author:
Two hundred chapters already!
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