Chapter 200

Chapter 200

Magistrate Ding’s nephew, emboldened by his uncle’s influence, had long run roughshod over Sitong County. This was the first time he’d encountered any real opposition.

His handful of underlings were no match for Huang Baiguan and Huang Qianguan, who sent them scattering with a single confrontation.

“You—you don’t know who I am, do you?!”

Chen Qingyan pushed through the crowd and stepped forward. “Who are you?”

“My uncle is the county magistrate of Sitong County! If you kneel and kowtow, begging for forgiveness now, I might still let you off. Otherwise, I’ll have the yamen guards arrest every one of you and throw you in jail!”

Chen Qingyan sneered, “Such grand authority! One might mistake your uncle for the emperor!”

In such a remote region, far from the imperial court, a county magistrate was virtually a sovereign. The local populace depended on him for their livelihoods, so they dared not voice their grievances, no matter how furious they were.

Seeing he was at a disadvantage, Magistrate Ding’s nephew immediately ordered his men to retreat. Before leaving, he didn’t forget to hurl a threat: “You—just you wait!”

Wang Ying had Tian Ju help the young man on the ground to his feet. “Ask him how he is. Can he still walk?”

The young man winced in pain, glanced at Chen Qingyan and Wang Ying, then turned and left with his sister without a single word of thanks.

A bystander remarked, “See? These tribal people are ungrateful. Why bother saving them? Offending Magistrate Ding will only bring you trouble.”

Chen Qingyan hadn’t expected gratitude in the first place. As the Prefectural Vice-Governor, he couldn’t simply stand by while such incidents occurred in a county under his jurisdiction. However, now wasn’t the time to deal with Magistrate Ding. According to protocol, he had to assume his official duties in Shanzhou before he could exercise the authority to handle such matters.

“Let’s put it aside for now. We should continue our journey. We’ll reach Shanzhou in seven or eight days.”

The onlookers dispersed, and the group boarded the carriage to head out of the city. But when they reached the city gate, they were stopped by a squad of government soldiers.

“Who was it that attacked our young master? Step forward!”

Seeing the situation escalate, Old Li hurried forward to mediate. “Officers, we’re merchants from the Porter Association, new to this place—” Before he could finish, one of the soldiers kicked Old Li to the ground.

The nearby porters instantly gathered around, and Chen Qingyan and Wang Ying also stepped out of the carriage, angrily demanding, “What are you doing?!”

Magistrate Ding’s nephew immediately recognized Chen Qingyan. “That’s the one! He ordered his men to attack us earlier!”

Without another word, the soldiers moved to arrest the two.

“Do you even know my identity? How dare you arrest me?!”

Magistrate Ding’s nephew scoffed. “I don’t care who you are! Even if you’re a dragon, you’ll have to coil; even if you’re a tiger, you’ll have to crouch! Even if the Jade Emperor himself came here, if he harmed my men, he’d have to be skinned alive before leaving!”

Wang Ying’s heart sank, and he quickly pulled Chen Qingyan back, stopping him from saying more. Given the circumstances, revealing their identities would only make it harder for them to leave today.

Huang Baiguan and Huang Qianguan gripped their weapons and stood guard at the front, while Yuanbao, the servant, cowered in the carriage, too frightened to move. A confrontation seemed inevitable.

At this critical moment, a soldier suddenly ran over and reported, “It’s bad! A hundred Qiang people have suddenly swarmed outside the city!”

The leading soldier’s legs went weak with fear. “Young Master Ding, what should we do…?”

The Ding family nephew had never seen such a situation either. “Why ask me? Go find my uncle, quick!” With that, he scampered away.

Seizing the opportunity, Old Li urged everyone to board the carriage and leave the city. If they missed this chance, they might not get another!

Amid the chaos, the carriage rushed out of the city, only to be immediately surrounded by a large group of Qiang people. Dressed in animal hide garments and armed with spears and bows, they looked ready for a fight.

Everyone’s hearts sank. They had just escaped the tiger’s den only to fall into the wolf’s lair.

Just as despair set in, the two siblings they had rescued earlier approached. In broken official language, they said, “Thank you for saving us earlier.”

Wang Ying and Chen Qingyan opened the carriage door. An older man stepped forward, his Mandarin much better than the two youngsters’. He clasped his hands in salute and said, “My children are young and unaware of the county’s rules. Thank you, kind benefactors, for stepping in to save them. I know the magistrate's nephew is trouble and feared he might cause you problems, so I brought our tribesmen to assist you.”

Wang Ying and Chen Qingyan exchanged glances, deeply moved. Who said Qiang people didn’t understand gratitude?

“Thank you, elder, for helping us out of this predicament. We are safe now, so please take your tribesmen back quickly to avoid further trouble.”

The Qiang people understood the risks. Most of them returned, while the rest escorted the carriage onward, determined to see the group safely out of Sitong County.

Seeing that the elder was advanced in years, Wang Ying invited him to ride in the carriage. Through conversation, they learned that the man was named Mai Anming (a Qiang phonetic translation) and was the chief of a nearby Qiang tribe. His people had lived there for generations.

Due to changing times, they had no choice but to interact with the outside world, but language barriers often led to conflicts with the Han people.

To address this, Chief Mai had specifically learned Mandarin and taught it to the younger members of the tribe. This way, they could sell their hunted goods from the mountains in exchange for rice, flour, and cloth, allowing the tribe to develop gradually.

It had to be said that the elder was very wise. His conversation left a deep impression on Chen Qingyan.

The Qiang people escorted them for about ten li (three miles) before finally turning back.

Chen Qingyan sighed with emotion. “Though the Qiang are a foreign tribe, they understand gratitude. Magistrate Ding, as the ruler of a county, allows his nephew to commit violence openly in the streets. This is a serious offense. Once I reach Shanzhou, I will deal with this severely!”

Wang Ying said, “Magistrate Ding certainly deserves punishment. But you called the Qiang people a foreign tribe—what does that mean? Is speaking a different language enough to make them a foreign tribe? They live in the Wu Dynasty, grew up in the Wu Dynasty. How are they different from the local villagers? They are all subjects of the Wu Dynasty.”

Chen Qingyan was stunned. After a long pause, he said, “A Ying, you’re right. They are also subjects of the Wu Dynasty. One day, I will unite the people of Shanzhou, with no distinction between Qiang, Rong, and Han!”

The task was arduous, but Wang Ying knew he could do it. Qing Yan was the type of person who, once set on a goal, would see it through to the end. He would surely be a good official.

*

On October 23rd, the group finally arrived in Shanzhou.

As the prefectural capital, Shanzhou was far more prosperous than any of the counties they had passed along the way. The city was bustling with vendors selling all kinds of goods.

Once they entered the city, the Porter Association’s task was complete. Wang Ying and Chen Qingyan sincerely thanked Old Li. They had relied on his guidance to arrive safely.

The Porter Association still had business to attend to, and Chen Qingyan needed to report to the yamen. The group parted ways there.

They first found an inn to settle in and sent Chen Zhandong to inquire about the location of the yamen. The next day, Chen Qingyan went there alone with his servants.

The carriage stopped at the entrance of the yamen. Chen Zhandong stepped forward to announce them. After waiting for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, two middle-aged men emerged from inside. “Are you Chen Qingyan, Lord Chen, in the carriage?”

Chen Qingyan alighted. “That would be me. May I ask how I should address you two?”

“Don’t mention it. I am Zhang Song, the registrar of Shanzhou. This is Cao Dehai, the administrative officer.”

Chen Qingyan clasped his hands in salute to the two and was welcomed inside.

The Shanzhou yamen wasn’t very large, divided into three courtyards. The front courtyard was where the prefect and various officials usually worked, and major criminal cases were tried there.

The middle courtyard housed the county archives and also had rooms and halls for officials to rest. The rear courtyard was where the prefect resided, though the current prefect didn’t live there, so it was empty.

The two men led them directly to the main hall in the middle courtyard. “Lord Chen, please wait here for a moment. I’ve already sent word to the prefect and the other officials. They will be here shortly.”

Chen Qingyan nodded. “Thank you for your trouble.”

Servants brought hot tea, and the three engaged in conversation. Chen Qingyan’s years of training at the Hanlin Academy had taught him many conversational skills. Instead of directly asking about county affairs, he started by inquiring about local customs and practices.

“Along the way here, I saw many non-Han people. They seem quite accustomed to living here.”

The officer surnamed Cao said, “Lord, you may not know this, but Shanzhou has many Qiang and Rong people due to historical reasons. During the previous dynasty, the court once carried out a large-scale expulsion, which resulted in a very serious conflict.”

Chen Qingyan had read about it in historical records; according to historical accounts, that conflict led the Qiang, Rong, and several other non-Han ethnic groups to attack Shanzhou and several nearby prefectures, almost breaching the Central Plains.

“Although the conflict was eventually suppressed by the army sent by the imperial court, the local population suffered heavy casualties. Moreover, many non-Han people had already intermarried with the locals and had long since integrated—how could they be driven out? In the end, the matter was simply left unresolved.”

Zhang Song continued, “Currently, there are approximately 27,000 Qiang and Rong people in Shanzhou. Most of them make a living through trade or hunting and live in harmony with the people from various regions, so there’s no longer any reason to dwell on it.”

Chen Qingyan said, “Since they have pledged allegiance to the Wu Dynasty, they should be treated equally.”

“Your Excellency is absolutely right.” The two officials exchanged a glance, gaining some confidence that Chen Qingyan was not the type to abuse his authority arbitrarily.

After chatting for about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense (about an hour), the Prefect and the Governor arrived simultaneously.

(Note: The Prefect and the Governor hold equal rank, with one overseeing civil affairs and the other military affairs. However, the Governor does not lead troops into battle but is typically responsible for implementing imperial decrees, so the position can also be held by a scholar.)

The Prefect, surnamed Xu and named Xu Mao, was a thin, elderly man. The Governor beside him was the Lord Feng mentioned by Lady Qin.

This man was versed in both civil and military arts, but also known for his hot temper. He stood nearly nine feet tall, with a bearded face. Though dressed plainly, he commanded a formidable presence.

Seeing the newcomers, Chen Qingyan quickly rose and bowed in greeting, “Your humble official, Chen Qingyan, greets the Prefect and the Governor.”

Prefect Xu waved his hand and said, “No need for formalities, please take a seat.”

Feng Zhien said, “I heard you’re the top scholar, Chen Qingyan. What brings you to this godforsaken place of ours?”

Chen Qingyan was not angered. He had long heard about this man’s blunt and unrestrained nature, so he replied truthfully, “Though Shanzhou is impoverished, it offers valuable experience. The Jiangnan region might be lush, but I fear becoming too engrossed in comfort and losing sight of my goals.”

Feng Zhien had little patience for such flowery talk and waved his hand dismissively. “Whatever the reason, now that you’re here, do your best. I heard Chen Jing is your fourth uncle.”

“Indeed, he is.”

“That old fellow is quite the go-getter. Over the past few years, he’s managed to bring some order to Shanzhou—far more than this old fool here.”

Xu Mao coughed twice into his fist. Nearing the age of retirement, he had been transferred to Shanzhou as a temporary solution and naturally lacked the energy to deal with tedious official matters. It was likely that he would soon be replaced by another official reassigned due to demotion.

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Author's Note: Two hundred chapters~