Chapter 23 Flattery (Part 2)

Chapter 23 Flattery (Part 2)

Prefect Lyu said unhurriedly: "Ying Chen, what's wrong?"

He was like a slow and soft-tempered sheep, smacking his lips after speaking as if remembering: "Oh, you mean the Dongshan Dam overflow. Half a year has passed, and you still haven't resolved it."

The old veteran magistrate Qi Wuhu was indeed thin. His official robe looked exceptionally loose and faded to a washed-out white, but it revealed a frame of hard, angular bones that held up the worn garment.

Though advanced in age, he spoke clearly and with a loud voice: "Your Excellency, last summer's heavy rainfall caused the Dongshan Dam to overflow, flooding and destroying farmland. I submitted multiple reports, but you refused to allocate funds. Fine, I managed on my own, purchasing mung beans to fertilize the soil, and eventually got some harvest, so not all was lost. But why has the tax quota imposed on Jinyuan become heavier than last year?"

Prefect Lyu said calmly: "Well, well, Ying Chen, encouraging agriculture and collecting taxes is a magistrate's duty, no getting out of it. This year's taxes are indeed heavier than before, but I have no way around it. Everyone shares the burden; I can't favor one over another. I've distributed it evenly, adding the same amount to every county..."

Qi Wuhu, with his explosive temper, could hardly bear this slow, drawn-out tone, and angrily said: "Jinyuan is a tiny county of a hundred households, while Quening is a large county of a thousand households. Yet the taxes added are the same—this is what you call even distribution?!"

The magistrate of Quening, who had been called out, pretended not to hear, elegantly lifting his teacup and flicking away the tea leaves, and when he couldn't get rid of them, he pursed his lips and took a small sip.

Le Wuya, who had been about to speak, was interrupted, putting on an innocent expression.

He leaned forward as if intending to say something.

Qi Wuhu cut him off bluntly: "Magistrate Wenren, my apologies. Let me, in my old age, presume on my seniority this once. I will apologize after the meeting. Please bear with me; I must clarify this matter!"

Le Wuya made a gesture as if to speak but stopped, looking toward Prefect Lyu.

Prefect Lyu, neither angry nor annoyed, stretched his soft tone even longer: "Quening has its own difficulties... There are many gentry and landowners there. They have more land, but it can be tax-exempt. It's not easy to collect more from them... Magistrate Qi, your area still has some land, unlike Ming Ke's Nanting County, where the arable land is so small that we have to make up for it with other taxes..."

Qi Wuhu fumed: "Our fields were flooded by water!"

Prefect Lyu: "The dikes of other counties are fine. Why did only Jinyuan County have the problem?"

Qi Wuhu's cheeks flushed red with anger: "Good question! Why don't you ask the Mangshui River why its shallows are shallowest and currents fastest right at our Jinyuan County?"

"So, there you have it." Prefect Lyu said softly, "I haven't blamed you; I've been more than generous. Dikes are important, taxes are important too. Tighten your belt a little—can't you scrape it together?"

Le Wuya had once held a high position at court in his previous life, but he was not ignorant of the petty tricks of low-level officials, like "tightening the belt."

Take grain collection, for example; there were two tricks: using a smaller measure for receiving and a larger scale for submitting upward, and kicking the grain basket to settle it.

The former, as the name suggests, used an undersized measure to weigh the grain brought by the people, forcing them to hand over more; when submitting upward, an oversized scale was used to weigh it heavier, thus skimming profit.

The latter was a common ploy of grain-collecting officials. If the people brought their own containers, full of grain, the officials would kick the container to settle the grain, then accuse them of not filling it enough and demand they go back and add more. If the people had learned their lesson and instead used official containers, the officials would still press the grain down until it overflowed.

Qi Wuhu ground his teeth: "I feel for my people! They've suffered for over half a year!"

Prefect Lyu took a hot sip of fragrant tea: "Suffering? Who doesn't suffer? Like the Buddha said, all living beings suffer. We suffer too. Everyone's used to it. A little more hardship won't hurt."

He glanced at Le Wuya and said warmly: "Ming Ke, don't be so formal. Speak your mind. I heard that case you handled was quite good? Word of praise has reached me."

Prefect Lyu made no mention of how he had earlier pressured Magistrate Wenren to convict Ming Xiangzhao. He looked at Le Wuya with gentle, eager eyes, like a kindly elder, completely leaving the anxious Qi Wuhu aside.

Le Wuya smiled faintly.

He knew exactly what this Prefect Lyu was up to.

He wanted to get Qi Wuhu dismissed from office.

A county's failure to meet its tax quota was strong evidence of the magistrate's incompetence.

Prefect Lyu only needed to submit a memorial, and he could legitimately drive Qi Wuhu out of Yizhou.

Le Wuya put on a nervous expression and pulled out an item: "Your Excellency flatters me. Yesterday, the Imperial Commissioner visited our county and left a personal edict..."

The entire hall was stunned; even Qi Wuhu momentarily forgot his anger.

Prefect Lyu's lazy look disappeared. Before anyone else could react, he quickly hitched up his robe and knelt.

—The Imperial Commissioner, on a tour of inspection on behalf of the emperor, was to be treated with the same respect as if the commissioner himself were present.

Following Prefect Lyu's lead, all the officials in the hall knelt down with utmost reverence.

Le Wuya scanned the room, unfolded the decree, and read aloud: "The matter in Nanting has shown some progress. The crimes committed by the Xiaofu Coal Mine should be investigated cautiously and thoroughly to ascertain the truth. Magistrate Wenren is authorized to act as he sees fit, so that the matter can be reported to the higher-ups quickly."

After putting away the decree, Le Wuya hurriedly helped Prefect Lyu up according to protocol: "Prefect, that is all."

Prefect Lyu, who had been vexed by the stubborn and hot-tempered Qi Wuhu, turned to see the gentle and docile Le Wuya. By comparison, his liking for the young magistrate grew, and he held his hand, heaping praise on him.

Le Wuya smiled and nodded repeatedly, playing the part of an obedient official.

But Le Wuya knew the prefect was not sincere.

Sure enough, after a few empty compliments, Prefect Lyu's tone had a note of reproach: "Ming Ke, when the Imperial Commissioner arrived, you should have informed me."

Le Wuya replied honestly: "The Imperial Commissioner traveled light and didn't like fuss. He visited many counties in Yizhou without troubling officials or the people. It was my fault for lax governance, leading to such a major case that required the Commissioner to make this extra trip. It is my fault."

Prefect Lyu narrowed his eyes: "Oh? Did the Imperial Commissioner discuss matters of other counties with you?"

"He did. I am of shallow talent and limited experience. The Commissioner, not looking down on my ignorance, told me to learn from you about handling people."

With these smooth, gentle words, he buttered up Prefect Lyu, getting him all smiles.

Le Wuya turned to Qi Wuhu, smiled with a harmless look: "Magistrate Qi, I was just about to ask: Have you been regularly dredging the river channels and preparing in advance for the summer flood season?"

Qi Wuhu, still fuming and feeling like smashing his teacup over Prefect Lyu's sheep head, was startled by the young magistrate's question. He hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

Le Wuya was taking a gamble.

If Qi Wuhu was truly a good official who cared for the people, and his jurisdiction was at the turbulent section of the Mangshui River, then even in poverty, he would have scraped together some funds to repair dikes and clear channels beforehand.

Judging by Qi Wuhu's reaction, he knew he had gambled right.

Le Wuya smiled and turned to Prefect Lyu: "Then the Imperial Commissioner must've meant Magistrate Qi."

"He didn't say it outright. He only mentioned that while traveling through Yizhou, he spoke with the people, and they all praised a certain official as wise and capable, with a peaceful jurisdiction. There were few major incidents last year, only a few heavy rainstorms in summer."

"It was because of one such rainstorm that Chang Xiaohu's body was washed downstream. Since the rainfall was somewhat related to the case, he asked around for more details. They mentioned that heavy rain caused a dike to overflow, but thanks to his proper arrangements beforehand, and his efforts afterward, a natural disaster didn't turn into a man-made one. Yizhou is a border region; without your strong support and the concerted efforts of your colleagues, such peace and prosperity wouldn't have been possible."

Le Wuya spoke with sincerity, aided by his gentle, scholarly face. He covered all bases, flattering everyone in the room like a pro.

Prefect Lyu's face lit up with joy. He clasped his hands and said: "The Imperial Commissioner is truly perceptive!"

The other magistrates nodded and smiled, feeling pretty proud.

Le Wuya smiled serenely.

Keeping everyone happy was just his usual gig.

After all, he practiced flattery on the highest officials in his past life.

In his euphoria, Prefect Lyu seemed to already see himself getting a "Distinguished" rating in his three-year review.

He beamed, a hint of genuine kindness: "Ming Ke, is there anything you need from me?"

Le Wuya lowered his eyes: "My lord, I'm not very talented and have no clear plan yet. Could I go back and take my time to think it over before reporting to you?"

Prefect Lyu laughed heartily.

Before coming, he had heard of Wenren Yue's reputation for nighttime interrogations, knowing that the man was methodical and orderly, but wondered if, after making a name for himself, he would become arrogant.

Now it seemed this man had an agreeable nature.

He put on a warm, genial smile: "No rush, no rush! If anything comes up, just come to the prefecture. With the Imperial Commissioner's authority, men, money, and supplies are all prepared—there will be no issues."

Le Wuya smiled: "Since you say so, I'll take you at your word. The tea here is excellent, my lord. Could I ask where I can buy some?"

Prefect Lyu laughed so hard his eyes crinkled: "Don't be so formal."

He called for the tea steward: "Pack two boxes of my tea for Lord Wenren to take!"

Prefect Lyu was all the more pleased.

Le Wuya asking him for tea seemed like a small matter, but it showed that this man was no aloof, self-proclaimed upright scholar.

This man was good-looking and knew how to handle things, like a shrewd and clever daughter-in-law, the type who always looked out for himself and snagged the good things.

Dealing with such a person was effortless.

The other counties had no major issues, and after a while, the meeting was about to break up.

Le Wuya declined Prefect Lyu's invitation to stay for a meal, saying he needed to return to Nanting to follow up on the Xiaofu coal mine matter.

As he stood up, Prefect Lyu called out to Qi Wuhu: "Ying Chen, please stay a moment."

……

Half an hour later, Qi Wuhu, leading a skinny old horse, set off alone down the main road.

To his surprise, as he reached the outskirts of the city and passed a tea stall, someone stood up and greeted him: "Lord Qi, come and have a bowl of tea!"

He looked closely, and the one with a warm smile and arched brows was none other than Wenren Yue.

Qi Wuhu hesitated, then actually stopped.

He sat down beside Le Wuya and saw two coarse bowls filled with clear, fragrant tea.

Qi Wuhu opened his mouth, in his usual blunt tone: "Lord Wenren, aren't you supposed to be in a hurry to return to Nanting on business?"

Le Wuya gave a sweet smile: "I'm waiting for you to apologize."

Qi Wuhu: "…"

Le Wuya's eyes curved with laughter, and he waved his hand: "Just kidding, just joking. The Imperial Commissioner said the Nanting matter already has some progress, so my business is not urgent. But I wonder if Lord Qi got what he was after?"

Qi Wuhu frowned slightly: "You…"

Le Wuya gave a playful wink.

Qi Wuhu finally caught on.

He looked around: "Did the Imperial Commissioner really say that about Prefect Lyu?"

Le Wuya: "What do you think?"

Qi Wuhu gave a wry smile: "I thought as much. What commoner would say a good word about Prefect Lyu? Only if they were blind."

Le Wuya's "sincere words" were actually a reminder to Prefect Lyu that the Imperial Commissioner knew Qi Wuhu had done real work for the people.

Thus, it was impossible for him to use the accusation of "tax arrears" to suppress Qi Wuhu.

Le Wuya slowly sipped the fragrant tea in his bowl: "Lord Qi, what do you plan to do on your return?"

Qi Wuhu: "Do what?"

Le Wuya got straight to the point: "How much tax relief did Prefect Lyu give Jinyuan County?"

"He said half."

"Then you'll have to do something about it, won't you?"

"Do what?"

"Oh, my." Le Wuya was getting a bit impatient on his behalf. "Do you have any chaste widows or filial sons in your county? During last year's relief efforts, were there any commoners who died helping?"

Qi Wuhu: "You mean…"

Le Wuya reminded him: "If you petition the court to build memorial arches, taxes can be exempted."

Seeing this young and spirited county magistrate, Qi Wuhu's long, thin face finally cracked a smile: "I know the tax system, of course. And I get what you're hinting at."

Le Wuya: "Exactly. That way, the other counties won't kick up a fuss and keep nagging about your tax exemptions. Prefect Lyu will also gain face and submit a memorial to the court on your behalf, which will benefit your tax relief next year. For the people to recover and the land to regain its fertility, it will take at least a year's time."

Qi Wuhu: "Thank you, Lord Wenren."

Le Wuya waved his hand magnanimously.

Qi Wuhu said meaningfully: "Lord Wenren, you are very insightful and have a bright future ahead."

Le Wuya: "I don't care about that."

That was the truth.

He had seen enough of both good and bad in his past life; he truly didn't care about any of that.

Qi Wuhu: "In that case, why did you speak up for me? What do you seek?"

Le Wuya: "You'll find out."

Qi Wuhu, true to his straightforward nature, said bluntly: "If you think I'll be of any help to you, you're mistaken. I, Qi Yingchen, am much like you—from a humble background. I'm fifty-four now, old and worn out, not favored by the Imperial Commissioner like you. I really can't help you much."

Le Wuya said gently: "I know that too."

Seeing that he didn't want to explain further, Qi Wuhu didn't press, drank the tea unceremoniously, and said, "Farewell."

As the old official led his skinny horse and disappeared at the other end of the official road, Le Wuya spoke to himself.

"I want you." Le Wuya took a sip of the clear tea, his expression determined. "Sooner or later, I'll have you, Qi Yingchen, in my service."

With that, Le Wuya seemed to sense something, and his gaze shifted slightly.

At that moment, the owner of the tea stall had just brought a large pot of water to a boil and lifted the lid.

The rising steam blurred the stall owner's view.

Two travelers stood nearby, each leaning against a tree on either side of the path, seemingly resting.

The one in front of the tree was quietly reciting something.

The other, standing behind a dead tree, held a charcoal stick and quickly sketched a handsome face on a piece of white cotton paper.

Midway, he pressed too hard and the charcoal stick snapped.

The man reached down to his waist.

There hung an animal-hair tinder pouch exclusive to the Jing people.

He pulled out a new charcoal stick, hastily finished the sketch of Le Wuya, then, together with the other man, picked up a carrying pole and strode off into the distance.

Author's note:

Rebirth—starting with the capital crime of falsely conveying the Imperial Commissioner's decree.jpg