Chapter 104: The Secret Passage in the County Office

Chapter 104: The Secret Passage in the County Office

When Fu Jiaze returned to the county office, he still found the events that had just transpired absurdly amusing.

He was merely a minor county magistrate, and he had already made it clear that he had a wife who was his equal in every way, yet Old Master Gan still hinted that his granddaughter could be a concubine.

Gan Tian'er, upon seeing Fu Jiaze's appearance, had initially sparkled with admiration, but when he mentioned having a wife, her eyes immediately shifted away, and she withdrew, though not with the coquettishness of her first retreat, but with a blank expression.

Old Master Gan left his granddaughter behind and then expressed his willingness to have her become a concubine. Gan Tian'er's face immediately turned green, and she showed an expression of disdain.

Fu Jiaze understood the meaning behind her expression: a mere county magistrate, and he thought he was worthy of having her as a concubine?

Thinking of Gan Tian'er's expression, Fu Jiaze felt a bit amused, but remembering Old Master Gan's intentions, his smile faded.

What intrigued him was Old Master Gan himself.

As the saying goes, old age brings cunning. Even if Tongwu County was just a small border town, anyone who could settle here stably was certainly no ordinary person. Why would he consider marrying his cherished and pampered daughter to him as a concubine?

Gan Tian'er was well-read, beautiful, and dressed in finery, all of which cost a fortune. Such a lady would not be out of place even in the capital city. Why would she agree to be a concubine to a minor county magistrate?

Fu Jiaze lowered his eyes, stretched out his legs on the bed, and stared at the new embroidered curtain depicting a hundred children, lost in thought.

Fu Jiaze soon shifted his attention, finding the curtain rather amusing. Without his wife by his side, where would these hundred children come from?

Thinking of Lin Yingxue, his heart softened, and he even considered getting up to write about what had happened to her.

But then he thought, given the distance between them, if she misunderstood and thought he really intended to take a concubine, what would happen?

Worn out from the journey, Fu Jiaze soon drifted off to sleep in the newly prepared room, lost in his thoughts.

Meanwhile, the Gan family was holding a family meeting.

Gan Tian'er said to her grandfather, "So what if he is a top scholar? Coming to this small Tongwu County as a county magistrate must mean he has fallen out of favor with the emperor. If he didn't have a wife, it might be different, but now that he does, even if his wife were to die, I refuse to be his second wife."

"You don't understand. Did you notice his bodyguards? They are all retired imperial guards, skilled in martial arts. According to my sources, do you know who his uncle is? It's none other than Fu Bin, once known as the Ninth Thousand Years."

The second master of the Gan family sneered, "Father, you said it yourself, Fu Bin is a thing of the past. Isn't it common knowledge now that the most influential person is Eunuch Chen, promoted by Concubine Chen?"

Old Master Gan shook his head, "You don't understand."

The head of the Gan family spoke succinctly, "Whatever Father says goes. If you want Tian'er to be a concubine, then she will be a concubine!"

Gan Tian'er's eyes welled up with tears, and she stood up abruptly, "Why should I? I refuse! If I have to be a concubine to a minor county magistrate, I'd rather enter the palace through the imperial selection and become a consort. At least being a concubine to the emperor is better than being a minor official's concubine!"

Hearing this, Gan Tian'er's father, the head of the Gan family, scolded her, "Nonsense! Our family is ruled by the father!"

The second master of the Gan family rolled his eyes. In his mind, his elder brother was nothing special; he was only good at following orders.

As Gan Tian'er's tears flowed, Old Master Gan said, "Enough. We can force her into other matters, but not this one. Tian'er, do you truly wish to be a consort to the emperor?"

Gan Tian'er was just venting. Emperor Chengde was so old and doted on Concubine Chen; she had no interest in entering the palace.

A hint of disappointment flashed across Old Master Gan's eyes, "Very well. Since that's the case, eldest son, find a husband for Tian'er as soon as possible."

Gan Tian'er stood up reluctantly, wanting to say something but ultimately turned and went to find her mother.

After Gan Tian'er left, the next topic of discussion was something that, if overheard by outsiders, would result in the extermination of the entire Gan family. The Gan family had discovered an iron mine and had been secretly mining and manufacturing various tools, selling them.

With limited manpower, they bribed the local county officials to use convicts exiled to the area to work in the mines, reporting their deaths to the outside world.

Exile locations were often remote and harsh, with many deaths each year. The Gan family kept the weak alive while falsely reporting the deaths of the strong, thus avoiding suspicion regarding the number of deaths among the exiles.

After mining and processing the iron, they needed a cover for the massive profits. They claimed to be in the textile business, using the convicts to weave cloth and produce silk, which they sold.

Their textile business, due to the lack of cost constraints, achieved some success, such as the invention of a new spinning machine. Even without the iron mine, the textile business alone was quite profitable.

Now, they were discussing a new shipment, which should have been a significant amount, but Old Master Gan refused, "Find a way to push it off."

The second master of the Gan family was reluctant, "This deal would bring in three years' worth of profit."

"We have a new county magistrate. We cannot make any moves now," Old Master Gan shook his head. "He has the backing of the imperial guards. If we're discovered, we'll lose the iron mine."

The head of the Gan family nodded, "Understood, Father."

The second master of the Gan family was still reluctant, but the mention of the imperial guards weighed heavily, and he finally agreed.

/

Unaware of the Gan family's conversation, Fu Jiaze slept soundly throughout the afternoon and then toured the entire county office.

His secret guards had thoroughly cleaned the county office and discovered a hidden passage.

This passage was unremarkable, and if not for the imperial guards, it might have gone unnoticed.

Standing at the entrance, Fu Jiaze saw that the passage had been sealed, leaving no trace of its destination.

Fu Jiaze stood there for a long time, sighing. He had suspected that the Di people had found a way to infiltrate Great Qi, but the situation seemed worse than he had imagined—a coordinated effort from within.

How many people in the county office were aiding the Di people? Had they left with the previous magistrate, or were they still in the county?

Fu Jiaze was grateful to know Jian He. Given the uncertainty of his superiors, he could at least pass this information to Jian He.

Without delay, Fu Jiaze wrote a secret letter that night and sent it via carrier pigeon.

The next day, Fu Jiaze inspected the three counties under his jurisdiction.

The closer to the border, the more desolate the area became, with signs of poverty and large tracts of uncultivated land.

These fields, left fallow for too long, had become compacted, causing Fu Jiaze great regret.

No wonder the two elderly members of the Jian family, known for their refined tastes, had started farming in their estate. Seeing such vast, fertile land go to waste was truly disheartening.

Fu Jiaze also felt the urge to immediately start cultivating the land but forcibly suppressed it. Forcing the people to farm would be futile; he needed to proceed gradually. At the very least, he had to wait until after autumn to see how this season's harvest fared.

Fu Jiaze was near the Gan family’s villa. He now knew what the Gan family’s business was—textiles. Logically, the textile trade should thrive in Jiang Nan, yet the Gan family managed to do well even in this northeastern region. The villa here was no different from those in the capital city.

Gan Tian'er was also at the villa. When her twin brother returned from the academy, she brought him there to relax.

Seeing Fu Jiaze, who looked disheveled, from a distance, Gan Tian'er said to her brother, who had just returned from his studies, “This is the newly appointed magistrate. I haven’t seen him do any real work; he just goes around the three counties every day.”

Gan Xingning chuckled and said, “Sister, you have quite a prejudice against our magistrate. He has only been here for a few days; he needs to understand the county’s situation first.”

“I just can’t stand him. You don’t know, Grandfather even considered making me his concubine!”

Gan Xingning frowned. Why would Grandfather make such an absurd suggestion? “Should I talk to Grandfather? How can you become a concubine?”

“No need.” Gan Tian'er stuck out her tongue. “Grandfather already said I don’t have to be his concubine.”

She thought to herself that if she were to be a concubine, it would at least be to someone of status... But their family didn’t take concubines. If he were to marry, he probably wouldn’t look favorably upon a girl from a small merchant family like hers.

Gan Xingning sighed with relief. “Let’s go back.”

But Gan Tian'er shook her head because she saw a group of people riding horses approaching from a distance. “Someone is coming.”

As they got closer, Gan Tian'er’s heart raced when she recognized the leader—it was General Jian He.

Jian He rode past the Gan siblings and stopped in front of Fu Jiaze.

Fu Jiaze bowed to Jian He, who supported him. “No need for such formalities. After receiving your letter, I settled things at the camp and came over. Now, show me around. Can you ride a horse?”

Fu Jiaze nodded.

One of Jian He’s attendants dismounted, and Fu Jiaze mounted the military horse. The two rode lightly toward the county town, while Gan Tian'er’s eyes sparkled. “Brother, he knows General Jian!”

Gan Xingning understood why his sister reacted this way. She had once been saved by General Jian He and read many stories about repaying a life-saving debt with marriage.

But in Gan Xingning’s view, such a marriage was impossible. Jian He would never marry a merchant’s daughter, especially one so much younger than him.

“Sister...”

“Brother!” Gan Tian'er felt her brother’s return was perfectly timed. “Let’s visit Magistrate Fu. You can ask him about literature.”

Gan Xingning frowned. “Didn’t you just say you couldn’t stand him?”

“But he knows General Jian!” She quickly added, “They seem quite familiar. He must be a decent person. And you should ask him questions properly. Did you know, he is this year’s top scholar.”

Gan Xingning was somewhat shocked. Why would a new top scholar be assigned to a remote post?

However, he was indeed tempted. If the new top scholar was better at strategy and rhetoric, getting some guidance would be beneficial.