Chapter 131: Returning to the County

Chapter 131: Return to the County

They were still too famished to eat much, as it would upset their stomachs. Each person started with a bowl of porridge and then moved into the sheds to shelter from the cold. Conditions here were worse than in Qingzhou Prefecture’s capital. He resolved to stay in Jiang County a few more days to arrange all necessary matters, leaving an official in charge here, as he did not trust the county magistrate.

Zheng Shanci had thought of everything. "Go buy some vegetable leaves to make vegetable porridge. They haven’t eaten vegetables in a long time."

He then sought out the clerk from the Ministry of Revenue who had accompanied him. "Go purchase materials for building shelters, and buy three more large pots. Two pots here are far from enough."

The clerk assented and called a few Yamen Runners to follow him and handle the tasks. Zheng Shanci watched as the Yamen Runners distributed quilts to the people, finally letting himself relax. As the tension eased, he suddenly felt the chill of the cold wind and shivered.

Someone draped a cloak over Zheng Shanci’s shoulders, quickly bringing warmth. Wang Fu said, "My lord, you promised the young master you’d take care of yourself. Please don’t act like this again. You can give the cotton clothes to the victims."

It was the same cloak Yu Lanyi had bought him. Zheng Shanci tightened it around himself and said, "I didn’t think much at the time. I’ll be more careful in the future."

In these circumstances, Zheng Shanci truly couldn’t afford to fall ill.

The Yamen Runners took quilts from the carts, lifted the shed covers, and distributed them. Each shed got five or six quilts, but there were still over a dozen sheds without any.

Other officials had already gone to purchase more from elsewhere.

"Don’t worry, more quilts are on the way," Zheng Shanci reassured them.

He had charcoal brought into the sheds for warmth.

"A medicinal brew’s boiling in the pot to fight off the cold. If you feel chilly, go drink a bowl to warm yourselves."

Upon hearing this, the victims took their bowls and lined up outside. They’d given up hope of court aid—they had endured for two months and nearly didn’t make it. Fortunately, they had held on, and fortunately, they had encountered a good official. This official treated them with dignity, nor did his eyes regard them as filth. Others had treated them with disgust. The blizzard was beyond their control, yet after the disaster, they were scorned by everyone.

Now clad in cotton clothes, having eaten a bowl of thick porridge, and drinking a steaming bowl of medicine—bitter at first but with a sweet aftertaste—they felt a glimmer of relief.

The clerk returned with fresh quilts and had the Yamen Runners distribute them, along with several cartloads of cotton shoes.

"I noticed there were cotton shoes over there, so I bought them as well. I wasn’t sure about sizes, so I bought a range," the clerk explained.

Zheng Shanci nodded, his eyes showing approval.

Encouraged by Zheng Shanci’s affirmation, the clerk felt even more motivated.

Old Man Liu downed a bowl of medicine and lay down in the large shed. After a while, his body began to warm up, even his stomach feeling comfortably heated. He sighed in relief. A Yamen Runner lifted the shed cover and counted heads before handing out cotton shoes. "Cotton shoes provided by the court. Put them on first."

Even the Yamen Runners had softened significantly. Before, they had been impatient and fierce, but now they were much gentler.

"Thank you, my lord."

Old Man Liu received a pair of shoes and happily put them on, wiggling his toes. His feet were riddled with frostbite, red and swollen, but now, with the cotton shoes, they felt warm. He noticed the woman wrapped in the cloak still hadn’t woken up and nudged her shoulder. "Miss, they’re handing out cotton shoes. You didn’t even drink the porridge, but you should at least wear these shoes. Such good shoes."

Old Man Liu stomped his feet enthusiastically in the new shoes.

The woman didn’t move. Suddenly, Old Man Liu fell silent. Trembling, he reached out to check her breath—there was none. Stunned, he sank to the ground.

The Yamen Runners carried the woman’s body away, leaving the cloak behind.

The shed went quiet. Before, when someone beside them died, their bodies would be dragged out—frozen to death or starved. They’d gotten used to it. But this time, seeing the woman taken away, they felt a pang of sorrow. They had finally received the court’s aid, yet she had died on this very day. Such a shame.

At least she had felt warmth in her final moments.

Old Man Liu wrapped himself in the cloak. He hadn’t felt cold before, but now his body trembled uncontrollably. He exhaled deeply, clutched the cloak tightly, and fell asleep.

The other victims sighed and soon put the matter aside, turning their conversation to the Imperial Commissioner.

"I heard the Imperial Envoy used to be the magistrate of Xinfeng County," said one well-informed refugee, having overheard some Yamen Runners chatting together.

"No wonder he treats us Qingzhou refugees so well—he's an official from our own Qingzhou," another refugee remarked, eyes lighting up with hope.

They talked for a while before lying down, still wrapped in their cotton quilts, coats, and shoes. It was the warmest night they'd had in two months. Zheng Shanci and his team didn’t bother with any welcoming ceremonies. Upon arrival, Zheng simply treated those who had accompanied him to a simple spread of five dishes and a soup. He didn’t join them, to avoid making them uncomfortable.

Among the five dishes were two meat dishes and three vegetarian ones, with the soup being an appetizing sour radish soup. After the meal, they returned to their rooms to rest, knowing they had to rise early the next day to continue their work.

Those accompanying Zheng Shanci included officials from the Ministry of Revenue, personally selected by him, while the rest were assigned by the Ministry of Personnel to join him on this mission.

Handling disaster relief well would count as official merit, and those officials sent by the Ministry of Personnel could gain some political credit by accompanying Zheng, making their future career paths smoother.

Zheng Shanci avoided tea at night for fear of insomnia, so he drank a cup of hot water before bed. In truth, their expenses in Qingzhou hadn’t been excessive. Bulk purchases of tents, cotton coats, shoes, and quilts allowed for bargaining, keeping the total cost to just a few hundred taels. However, the heavy snowfall made construction difficult, so Zheng planned to implement a work-relief program, letting the more diligent refugees build shelters and move in first.

As he pondered these plans, Zheng thought of the printing workshop back in the capital. His notes should have been printed by now—he had promised they’d be available in half a month, and they were already on the shelves by the time he left for Qingzhou.

Before departing, he had specifically instructed that the books be released without waiting for his return. By the time he got back from Qingzhou, it'd be who-knows-when.

...

After Zheng Shanci left, the Ministry of Revenue had mostly wrapped up its year-end tasks, leaving Yu Feng to handle the distribution of monthly stipends. Following Zheng’s orders, Manager Yu of the printing workshop arranged the notes of the Tanhua, Bangyan, and Zhuangyuan on the shelves, along with their bookstore’s guaranteed classics like the Four Books and Five Classics, as well as the Twenty-Four Histories.

The clerk, following the Proprietor’s instructions, set up a sign advertising the notes of the Tanhua, Bangyan, and Zhuangyuan, along with mentions of the imperial exams. After calling out a few times to no avail, the clerk stomped his feet outside the shop.

On such a cold day, he had to call out a few more times before he could retreat inside to warm himself by the fire. Sighing, he raised his voice again.

The streets were sparsely populated, but a few young scholars perked up at the mention of "Tanhua," "Bangyan," and "Zhuangyuan." A group of them headed straight for the bookstore, where the Proprietor greeted them warmly.

"Gentlemen, take a look—these are our newest arrivals. The notes of the Bangyan and Tanhua come to six volumes, while the Zhuangyuan’s notes fill five. Seeing as you’re all scholars preparing for the exams, buying a few would be worthwhile. After all, who wouldn’t want to rank among the top three?"

The Proprietor beamed.

One scholar immediately picked up a volume of the Zhuangyuan’s notes. Seeing the author’s name—Xiao Gaoyang—his eyelid twitched. "Is this written by a serious person?"

The Proprietor hastily explained, "What do you mean, sir? These are Lord Xiao’s own writings, printed by our shop. We’re a bookstore under the Ministry of Revenue—how could we dare misuse a court official’s name for profit? If anyone recognizes Lord Xiao’s handwriting, they can verify it themselves."

The scholars went quiet—none of them knew Xiao Gaoyang personally. The first scholar ignored the Proprietor and flipped through a volume, growing more engrossed by the page. He promptly bought all five volumes of the Zhuangyuan’s notes, thinking, *With the Zhuangyuan’s work, who needs the Bangyan and Tanhua’s?*

The others, however, weren’t of the same mind. They bought the full sets, fearing they might miss crucial knowledge if they only purchased a few volumes. Seeing this, the first scholar regretted his haste and hurriedly bought the Bangyan and Tanhua’s notes as well. Though expensive, his trip to the bookstore cost him eleven taels.

"Since you’ve all bought the complete sets, the original price is eleven taels, but we’ll only charge you ten," the Proprietor said with a smile.

As they left the shop, arms full of books, they drew curious glances. The group of six scholars had just spent sixty taels in one go—a sum the bookstore might not have earned in two months prior.

Encouraged, the clerk called out his pitch with renewed vigor.

Passersby, seeing the scholars carrying so many books and hearing mentions of the Tanhua, Bangyan, and Zhuangyuan, trickled into the shop. The Proprietor’s smile widened with each new customer.

True gold fears no fire—once they looked through the notes, they’d recognize their genuine value, priceless for scholars. Every reader who entered ended up spending ten taels for the full set, saving one tael in the process, making it seem like a bargain.

Scholars disliked venturing out in winter, but some enjoyed gathering around a stove for tea, which drew them outside. Those who did noticed the bookstore’s sign and stepped in to investigate, only to leave happily after spending ten taels.

Shi Geer had wanted Xiao Gaoyang to accompany her to the shop, but he, too embarrassed, stopped at the entrance. "You go ahead. I’ll wait in the carriage."

Left with no choice, Shi Geer entered alone.

The moment she stepped inside, she encountered several scholars poring over the notes.

"Brilliant! Who knew this passage could be interpreted this way? This is Tanhua-level insight!"

"Indeed, indeed! Look how well the Tanhua has explained this phrase."

"The Bangyan’s take on *The Minister of Revenue* really speaks to me. The more I read their books, the more I realize the gap between us—truly as vast as the heavens. Yet, just getting a peek at their insights is already immensely satisfying."

A refined scholar clasped his hands respectfully and said, "My friend, that’s not entirely fair. Everyone reads books differently. Though the insights of these three esteemed officials are profound, we must not forget to form our own interpretations."

The others chimed in eagerly. The scholar who had been rebutted showed no anger but instead revealed a hint of delight on his face. He clasped his hands respectfully and said, "I was too narrow-minded. May I ask your name, brother? I’d love to be friends."

"I am He Yan..."

"This meeting must be fate. Since we’ve gathered in this bookshop, why don’t we all introduce ourselves?" one scholar suggested.

The others readily agreed, exchanging names.

The Proprietor made no move to stop them. Their bookshop was under the Ministry of Revenue’s jurisdiction, different from others, and since Lord Zheng had given no specific instructions, he was happy to let things unfold naturally.

In just two hours, the bookshop had already earned several hundred taels of silver. The Proprietor beamed, as did the two clerks.

"Quick, restock the notes!"

One clerk continued calling out to passersby, another went to the storeroom to fetch more books, and an accountant kept track of sales. With so many customers, even the Proprietor helped with the transactions.

Shi Geer had barely stepped into the shop when she saw a crowd of young men, each holding several books and queuing to pay. Some were so engrossed in reading that they murmured praises while waiting, as if lost in their own worlds. The shop was generous enough to provide charcoal braziers, safely enclosed in wire cages to prevent accidents. The heat stayed trapped inside, making it cozy the moment one entered. She followed the shelves and quickly found the books by Xiao Gaoyang and the others—though the shelf was already cleared out. Seeing the long queue, Shi Geer gave up on buying and quietly left.

The coachman was still waiting when she returned. Stepping onto the footstool to re-enter the carriage, she picked up the warming pan and said, "The shop was swarming with people! I wanted to buy your books, but the line was so long I changed my mind. Your books are selling splendidly, darling. I reckon you’ll become even more famous."

Xiao Gaoyang was secretly thrilled but maintained a reserved demeanor. "They’re just humble thoughts. I’m already flustered knowing others are reading them. I don’t seek fame—only hope not to disgrace the title of Tanhua."

"My love, you truly live up to being the Tanhua, so modest!" Shi Geer admired him greatly.

Xiao Gaoyang felt rather pleased with himself.

Apart from him, Jiang Lanli was also anxious, unsure how his books were selling. Seeing his brother’s unease, Jiang Geer went to gather news for him.

Upon returning, Jiang Geer said, "Second Brother, rest easy. Your books are selling well—one volume goes for a tael of silver. With three volumes, that’s three taels in total. You ought to have written more—you could’ve earned even more!"

Jiang Lanli’s brows lifted in joy. Though handsome, he was rather slow in matters like this.

"You’re right, but only these three volumes have legible handwriting. The rest were just rough drafts—not presentable enough for Brother Zheng, let alone others."

Relieved to hear of the sales, Jiang Lanli no longer worried about the five thousand copies sitting unsold in the storeroom, unsure how much loss they’d incur.

On the first day alone, the bookshop sold a thousand copies. Some scholars were away visiting relatives, while others remained unaware at home. Once word spread tomorrow, even more customers would likely arrive.

In just one day, the shop had earned over ten thousand taels. Some scholars bought only the Tanhua’s notes, others only the Bangyan’s, resulting in varied sums. The Proprietor exchanged the silver for banknotes and, after deducting costs, found they’d made a hefty profit. Their shop, which had operated at a loss for two years, had earned ten thousand taels in a single day. With more sales expected in the coming days, the Proprietor was too busy even to eat. He rushed to the printing house to report the news to Manager Yu.

They had printed five thousand copies, and production was still ongoing. Manager Yu had been restless all day and couldn’t wait—he sent a servant to investigate. The servant rushed back, excited, reporting that sales were booming, with the shop packed full.

Manager Yu finally relaxed and urged the printers to work faster. When the Proprietor arrived and told him they’d earned ten thousand taels in a day, Manager Yu’s eyes widened.

"You must be joking! Ten thousand taels—in one day?!"

The Proprietor showed him the banknotes as proof.

Manager Yu pinched the notes, confirming they were real. "These notes are a goldmine!"

He watched the printers still at work, his eyes blazing. These notes were a fortune—he’d almost missed out. Lord Zheng had the sharper eye.

"At this pace, we’ll sell out the rest in days," the Proprietor said.

"We can't run out of stock," both Manager Yu and the Proprietor thought simultaneously.

Manager Yu had the clerks assist the Proprietor in moving the books and instructed the workers to pause their tasks. He briefly addressed them, "Today, the notes sold for ten thousand taels in just one day. We still have four thousand copies in the warehouse. Everyone, let’s work hard these next few days—take just a half-hour break at noon before getting back to work. For this period, each of you will receive an extra three taels per month."

An extra three taels was nothing to scoff at. The workers nodded eagerly. Earning more before the New Year meant better celebrations at home, and the additional three taels were a generous bonus.

Lord Zheng had even promised them a fat red envelope, but unfortunately, he had been dispatched by the Emperor to Qingzhou for disaster relief. The workers couldn’t help but sigh at the thought.

Manager Yu now held Zheng Shanci in high esteem, treating his words as absolute truth. Having managed the printing house for years, he had never seen such staggering profits. He let himself daydream for a moment—if they earned ten thousand taels every day, the year-end sum would be unimaginable. But he knew better than to count on it; selling a few more copies in the coming days would suffice.

Manager Yu couldn’t stop grinning.

The printers put their backs into it. Given the excellent sales and Lord Zheng’s generous nature, they expected a hefty red envelope upon his return.

With business booming, other bookstore owners in the capital watched, green with envy, but dared not cause trouble. This was the Ministry of Revenue’s bookstore, after all—any disturbance would land them in jail.

Scholars who had purchased the complete set stayed up late into the night, devouring the pages.

Those who bought the notes eagerly spread the word to friends, and soon, even the Imperial College students learned of them. Most students at the Imperial College came from wealthy and influential families, and many bought multiple sets—some to keep and others to gift during the New Year.

They could also send them to relatives in the provinces. Nothing mattered more to elders than seeing the young ones get ahead, and gifting a set of top-ranking scholars’ notes was the perfect gesture. A real friend gives gifts that hit home.

On the second day of sales, scholars lined up outside the bookstore early in the morning, catching the Proprietor and clerks off guard. By noon, they had already sold five hundred copies. The clerks scrambled to restock from the warehouse, while the third no longer needed to advertise—word had spread across the capital that they were selling the notes of the Zhuangyuan, Bangyan, and Tanhua. The clerks were now busy replenishing stock, while the accountant had it easy since the Proprietor helped with calculations. Most customers bought complete sets.

As the accountant tallied the accounts, one scholar purchased ten sets—a cool hundred taels—which his servants loaded onto a carriage, clearly intended as gifts.

Other bookstore owners stood outside, gawking at the nonstop business at Moxiang Bookstore. Nearly every scholar in the capital wanted a copy, and even parents of young children bought multiple sets in advance for their future studies. The crowd at Moxiang Bookstore only grew larger.

Yu Lanyi bought a set for Xiao Ping'an. Returning home, he toasted his hands by the fire and remarked, "Zheng Shanci should have been a merchant."

Now, every elder and parent in the capital with means purchased at least one set of notes. The daily profits were staggering.

Manager Yu ordered the cooks to serve the workers extra meat and sped up production. He immediately decided to hire more laborers.

At the crack of dawn, the Ministry of Revenue hummed with printing presses. After a brief half-hour nap at noon, work resumed.

The gift-set craze caught on, inspiring others to purchase them for cousins studying at local county schools or elder brothers at provincial academies.

On the second day, they sold another 2,600 copies.

Only 1,400 remained in the warehouse, with an additional 600 freshly printed—2,000 in total.

The bookstore earned over 26,000 taels on the second day.

"Manager Yu, this is madness. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?" The Proprietor was in over his head.

Unfazed, Manager Yu said, "Go and see if other printing houses are willing to farm out the job."

The Proprietor hurried out and found two printing houses willing to take on the work. With three workshops printing simultaneously, production sped up.

Moxiang Bookstore blew up in the capital, even reaching Vice Minister Mei. During New Year visits, visitors raved about Mei Huai, saying his notes were a must-have for every Imperial College student. Mei Huai himself had bought several sets to gift to relatives’ children.

Vice Minister Mei glanced at his son and modestly said, "These are just shallow insights. He still has a long way to go."

Visitors who had once shied away from Mei Huai’s aloof demeanor now, after reading his notes, grew bolder—some even dared to call him 'cuz.'

He steeled himself and said, "Older cousin, could you explain this sentence to me? I noticed you didn’t write it in your notes."

Mei Huai glanced at his younger cousin and explained the sentence.

His cousin kept nodding.

In truth, the children from his relatives’ families all admired Mei Huai, but he had always been too aloof. Now that the cousin had asked, the other boys also came over to inquire.

Mei Huai explained everything to them.

Huh, Mei Huai wasn’t that unapproachable after all.

Older cousin, younger cousin, older cousin, nephew—all sorts of familial titles imaginable were being called out to him, and Mei Huai was getting a bit annoyed.

……

In no time, Xiao Gaoyang, Mei Huai, and Jiang Lanli all became famous, and Cui Ziqi watched, green with envy. As soon as the Lunar New Year festivities ended, he began thinking about his serialized story.

Lv Jin peeked in and saw Cui Ziqi hunched over his desk, diligently writing his serialized story.

He had been exceptionally hardworking lately.

After finishing his writing, Cui Ziqi would wash up and go to bed. He was fastidious about hygiene, bathing every night even in winter.

"Once my serialized story is out, it definitely won’t lose to theirs," Cui Ziqi grumbled under his breath.

Lv Jin chuckled. "Just finishing it is already impressive."

……

Jiang County

Zheng Shanci assigned a clerk to oversee the repairs of the houses, with all the materials already purchased. The county’s public works office also had to assist in the repairs. Zheng Shanci inspected the work and found that Jiang County’s public works office wasn’t very skilled, but they could manage basic house repairs. These days, displaced survivors spent their days eating and repairing houses. Once the first house was completed, they could move out of the sheds. Living in a house was much warmer than staying in a shed. After all the houses were repaired, everyone would have a place to live. Once winter passed and spring arrived, they could start farming and sustain themselves.

As long as they got through the hardest times, they could manage on their own.

Zheng Shanci moved on to the next location. He traveled through several counties in Qingzhou, encountering both good magistrates and incompetent ones. He documented everything in reports to be submitted to the Grand Secretariat upon his return to the capital.

A month had passed by the time he arrived at Lan County.

The magistrate of Lan County had been replaced—it was Zheng Shanci’s fellow Jinshi from the fifteenth year of the Wuming era.

This Magistrate Sun was a good decade older, already in his thirties. Zheng Shanci was quite famous among their cohort of Jinshi, being the Marquis of Changyang’s son-in-law. But no one expected him to rise so high—from a county magistrate to an imperial inspector dispatched by the court. Such a career path was the stuff of envy.

After spending three days in Lan County, Zheng Shanci had everything arranged. Although Xin Feng County hadn’t sought help from the prefecture, he still wanted to inspect it personally. Just like during Qingzhou’s epidemic, Ye Yunchu had also visited Xin Feng County. The court had no way to confirm the situation without seeing it firsthand, and only then would they feel at ease.

Thinking of Xin Feng County, Zheng Shanci felt somewhat uneasy.

A clerk who had been accompanying him had grown familiar and said with a smile, "We’ll head to Xin Feng County tomorrow."

Zheng Shanci nodded.

The next morning, he set off for Xin Feng County. The weather was freezing, and the dust on the paved road had lessened. Zheng Shanci lifted the carriage curtain, gazing at the road, and couldn’t help but recall the scene when he had left Xin Feng County.

The carriage continued forward. Some Revenue Ministry officials were visiting Xin Feng County for the first time and were quite amazed by the paved road.

By the time they arrived in Xin Feng County, it was already evening, and the carriage went straight to the county yamen.

Ding Xuan was still handling official duties when a minor official hurried in and saluted, saying, "Lord Ding, the imperial inspector is here."

Ding Xuan scrambled to his feet, intending to summon others to welcome him together.

"Lord Ding, the envoy is Lord Zheng," the minor official said excitedly.

Ding Xuan paused mid-step, a hint of delight flashing across his face. He led the county yamen staff outside to welcome Zheng Shanci.

Despite the welcome, the county officials were still uneasy. Capital officials were all high-ranking, and they weren’t sure if their backwater county would satisfy the envoy. The last time an envoy came, Lord Zheng had been present, which gave them some reassurance. After all, Lord Zheng was the son-in-law of the Marquis of Changyang—his status was unimpeachable, and he feared no one. Now that Lord Zheng had left, they were once again welcoming an envoy, and their hearts remained uneasy.

The Deputy County Magistrate of Jiang had already ordered the courier station to be cleaned thoroughly, striving to please the officials from the capital. If they weren’t satisfied, they could only grovel and make changes.

When the carriage stopped at the county office, their nerves held—until the passenger stepped down.

Apart from Ding Xuan, the others were somewhat surprised but still saluted Zheng Shanci and his entourage first.

"Skip the formalities," Zheng Shanci said. "I’m here on imperial orders to oversee Qingzhou’s disaster relief. Since Xin Feng County hasn’t sought help from the prefecture, Lord Ding must explain the reason."

Several officials followed behind Zheng Shanci. Finally, they could sit down to a proper welcome feast. Since arriving in Qingzhou, they had been constantly busy, and now they could finally rest for a moment.

Ding Xuan arranged a banquet, and all the county officials attended. They waited for Zheng Shanci to take his seat before sitting down themselves.

The meal was relaxed and welcoming. Once the food settled, they loosened up and talked. One official from the Ministry of Revenue said, "Lord Zheng, once we finish inspecting Xin Feng County tomorrow, we can return to the capital."

"This relief work’s been way tougher than desk-jockeying. So many things require personal attention."

At these words, everyone chimed in agreement.

In the past, they would never have been so meticulous—they had simply sat in the Ministry of Revenue, calculating figures for household registrations, farmland, and relief supplies. This trip had broadened their horizons. They now understood that the numbers they calculated in the ministry affected countless lives, and this realization filled them with reverence.

Accompanying Lord Zheng to Qingzhou during this snow disaster, most of them had relied on their own skills to aid the victims. Seeing people starve or freeze to death had been unbearable.

What they hadn’t witnessed before hadn’t mattered. Only now did they realize that these commoners were real people, just like them—afraid of cold and heat, afraid of hunger, not just ledger entries.

They felt ashamed it took them this long to see the truth.