Chapter 54: Wandering Beggars (II)

Chapter 54: Wandering Beggars (II)

The Guo siblings had just entered the city when constables were busy pasting up notices all over town, carrying buckets of glue and official papers.

They were about to sneak a look around when a constable immediately spotted them: "Well, if it isn't you two!"

The constable's name was Yang Zheng, and he remembered the Guo siblings.

He'd been on duty at the yamen gate before and saw how warmly the Master treated this pair, and even guessed—brazenly—that they were the Master's in-laws.

Since they knew someone, things got a lot easier.

Yang Zheng handed his task to a colleague and told them to keep going, while he escorted the Master's honored guests to the yamen.

Hearing these two were the Master's honored guests, the constables didn't argue; they took the notices from him and went back to work.

Guo Guzi noticed all of this.

Her husband had been a low-ranking official who died on the job five years ago.

Her only family was her older brother—she was alone and vulnerable—and her husband's family forced her to shave her head and sent her to a nunnery to pray and live as a widow.

Later, her brother worked hard, got in good with the County Mistress, and begged the Mistress to get her out of that miserable place.

Having seen her husband's work, Guo Guzi was used to lazy, negligent constables.

Even when it was their job, they'd dodge if they could, shirk if they could, and they'd always gripe and complain behind people's backs; if someone got out of work, they'd get dirty looks and muttering.

Coming from a busy area to this remote border county, and seeing the strict orders and unity in the government, Guo Guzi found it pretty strange.

On the way, she naturally asked what notice the Master was putting up.

This wasn't secret, so Yang Zheng spoke freely: "Oh, the Master wants ten beggars who understand a craft—like those who do the numbers chant, lotus song, bamboo clapper routines, or whatever—to bring them into the yamen to perform."

At the word "beggars," the siblings exchanged a look.

So Master Wenren really was well-informed and sharp-eared.

Guo Guzi fished: "Why suddenly recruit beggars to the yamen?"

"No idea," Yang Zheng said with a look of utter certainty. "The Master always has his reasons."

Earlier, to get back the confiscated stone, Le Wuya himself went to Ranqiu Pass. Joking and laughing casually in front of the foreign tribes, he'd completely deflated the Jing tribe's pride in three archery contests.

He Qingsong and the others had seen the Master's bravery with their own eyes. When they got back and told the story, all the constables were terrified.

Over time, the Master's decisive moves and clear rewards and punishments had won them over.

Since they truly respected him, they carried out his orders without question.

When Le Wuya saw the Guo siblings show up out of nowhere, not only with tea flowers and gardeners, but also a signed contract with every term laid out clearly, he was thrilled. He immediately reserved the third floor of the Four Seas Inn and told the chef to fire up the wok and cook up several tables of rich, tasty dishes—first to fill their bellies, and then take them to rest in the new plank houses near the barren hills.

The porters and gardeners who'd brought the tea flowers had worked hard all the way. They hadn't even started work yet, and they got a hearty meal. Delighted, they figured the Master must be a generous guy.

As long as they worked hard, they wouldn't get stiffed.

As for the Guo siblings, Le Wuya called them into the yamen for a private meal and arranged a guest room for them to rest, saying they could handle the flower transplanting in the afternoon.

The siblings of course didn't mention that Qi Hongzhuang had also arrived in Nanting. They only said that on the road they'd run into two ill-meaning wandering beggars who seemed to be heading toward Nanting. They warned Le Wuya to be careful, so the people of Nanting wouldn't be in danger.

Hearing this, Le Wuya didn't look particularly worried. He urged them warmly: "Got it. Now eat, eat."

Brother Guo was a bit anxious and wanted to say more, but one look from his sister shut him up.

This was Nanting, not Tonglu—a lot of things weren't their place to stick their noses into.

The siblings had barely rested half an hour when Guo Guzi heard a flurry of footsteps in the courtyard.

Brother Guo, full of food and drink, was snoring like thunder and didn't notice the commotion.

Guo Guzi wasn't in the habit of napping at noon and just wanted her brother to rest a little longer.

She cracked the window open and peeked out.

Ten beggars, cleaned up a bit, were being led by constables to the back hall.

Guo Guzi nodded to herself.

Magistrate Wenren really had these constables eating out of his hand.

He'd posted the notice at noon, and in no time they'd found the people.

In other words, there were plenty of beggars in Nanting County.

...

Le Wuya ordered the beggars brought to the small garden pavilion in the yamen.

When the ten beggars jostled into a messy line, Le Wuya squinted at the sun: "Pretty fast."

The head constable, Yang Zheng, bowed and said, "With the Master's order, we didn't dare be slow."

Le Wuya, in the shade of the pavilion, lazily fanned himself and closed his eyes: "Sing a bit. Let me hear it."

He added: "One at a time. I'm not King Qi Xuan—don't try to pass off fakes."

Le Wuya didn't just want solos—he also specified themes.

How you'd sing for an official, for a merchant, for a lady or young miss.

In short, no repeats.

This test actually flushed out a faker who only had a few tricks.

He was a thin young guy. After three or four lines of filler words, he didn't know where to go.

Trembling, he begged, "Master, I didn't mean to..."

Le Wuya flicked his fan: "Arrest him. You think my Nanting yamen's notice is that easy to cash in on?"

The young beggar was terrified and burst into tears: "Master, I just wanted a meal! Master!"

Le Wuya cracked a cold smile: "Taking you to prison—isn't that giving you a meal? Take him away. Lock him up for a day."

The young beggar wailed as Constable Yang Zheng dragged him away.

The other nine beggars were dead silent; two of them secretly turned their heads to memorize the young beggar's face.

Yang Zheng dragged the lad to a secluded spot. The young beggar, eyes squeezed shut, kept bawling at the top of his lungs.

He couldn't take it anymore, so he waved at the young beggar. "Alright, alright, stop crying. Take a breather."

The young beggar opened his eyes, scrambled up, and looked backward with wide eyes. "All clear?"

Yang Zheng couldn't help but laugh.

This little gatekeeper named Hua Rong was really clever.

He had no idea where the magistrate had picked him up.

Yang Zheng led him into a room that had been prepared in advance, where there was a plate of white-flour steamed buns and a plate of roast chicken.

Hua Rong had known all along it was for him, so without any ceremony, he sat down and started eating.

Yang Zheng had a son about the same age as Hua Rong. Seeing the boy eat with greasy lips and sparkling eyes, he softened his voice.

"Hua Rong, do you remember what the magistrate said?"

Hua Rong nodded vigorously. "I remember! I'll be hungry for a day. When I'm let out of jail, if anyone comes looking for me, I'll go with them. If no one comes, I'll find a place to hole up and wait for someone to find me. Then the magistrate will send someone to give me some copper coins so I won't starve."

"Someone will be following you the whole time," Yang Zheng added. "If those people give you food, don't be too gluttonous!"

Hua Rong stuffed a drumstick into his mouth. "Mm-hmm! Got it!"

...

The literate beggars relied entirely on their silver tongues to get by, mastering every trick in the book. They could sing at the drop of a hat, improvise lyrics on the fly, and all their tunes were cheerful and lively.

Le Wuya listened to each of them in turn and was quite satisfied.

He crossed his legs like a spoiled brat and gave orders. "You'll come up with some lyrics for me and spread them around town. I want all beggars who have entered the city recently to report to the yamen."

"We in Nanting have a lot of work lately—paving roads, reclaiming wasteland, building houses—and we're short-staffed. If anyone wants to build a life and support themselves, come to the yamen. Not only will you eat your fill, but if you're skilled and hardworking, I might even set you up with a household registration if I'm pleased. Those who want to rely on handouts and beg for a living also need to register here, so that if someone loses a chicken or some rice, it won't be blamed on you."

Le Wuya's words were simple and easy to understand, even a kid could understand them.

The wandering beggars exchanged glances.

They were all silver-tongued themselves, and they knew well that such talk rarely held water.

One beggar in his forties, bolder than the rest, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture. "Magistrate, what you say is indeed good, but... but it's almost too good."

Le Wuya wasn't offended.

"Some of you newcomers probably don't know this," Le Wuya said, snapping his fan shut and tapping it in his palm. "Go ask around the streets. I really did set up a household registration for a beggar just a few months ago. As long as you're capable and willing to work, I never cheat anyone."

He wasn't lying.

The brothers Hu Wen and Hu Wu had helped him out and now enjoyed a good life.

They were his living testimonials.

The old beggar's eyes shifted slightly. "Then may I ask, Magistrate, what do we get for working for you?"

Le Wuya replied, "Whoever composes a good lyric goes out to sing. Sing from dawn to dusk, and when you're done, come to the back gate of the yamen for your reward. I won't give money, just food—two meals a day, and each one has meat."

"You know, you all have parents. You have real human throats; singing at the top of your lungs won't last. I allow you to recruit others and take turns singing. New recruits won't get meals from me, but for every decent singer you recruit, you'll get ten copper coins. If someone leads a team well, I might even give him a small job in the yamen."

The clerks in the yamen were all busy with their own tasks, and the secretary was a useless fool who couldn't speak like a normal person, still needing to be trained.

Le Wuya had been worrying about not having a publicity team to spread his decrees widely.

Now they came to him on their own.

Seeing the crowd below dead quiet, Le Wuya smiled. "You in?"

The men below were glued to the spot, their ears ringing with only two words: meat.

Good heavens, meat to eat!

That alone was enough for them to give their lives!

When he saw their eyes gleam, Le Wuya calmly added, "But if anyone sings carelessly, lazily, or fills the gaps with dirty, obscene songs to ruin Nanting's vibe and ruin your magistrate's reputation, don't blame me for being ruthless."

The beggars present immediately thought of the young beggar who had been dragged away earlier, and their faces turned grim.

But the temptation of meat was too great. Their creative juices flowed as fast as their spit. In under fifteen minutes, each had come up with their own lyrics and sung them to Le Wuya. Once he confirmed they were fine, they scattered to get to work.

Seeing everyone leave, Le Wuya straightened up and stretched with a big yawn.

Wen Ren Yue was still standing in the pavilion. Seeing that Le Wuya had been talking for so long, he handed him a cup of cold herbal tea.

Le Wuya had learned his lesson by now. He lifted the lid, took one look, and immediately threw a fit. "I'm not drinking this bitter herbal tea! Whoever wants it can have it!"

Wen Ren Yue let out a sigh.

Having spent time together, he had figured out roughly eighty percent of Le Wuya's habits. "I'll drink half, you drink the other half?"

A sly gleam flashed in Le Wuya's eyes. "You drink first."

The moment Wen Ren Yue raised the cup, Le Wuya took the chance to make a run for it, but Wen Ren Yue grabbed his wrist to stop him from backing out.

Le Wuya swung his fan backhandedly, hitting the pressure point on Wen Ren Yue's wrist squarely. He ducked down and slipped right out of his grip.

After running a few steps, he turned around triumphantly to gloat. "I've been training for this. You can't—mmff!"

Wen Ren Yue caught up in two or three big steps, wrapped one arm around him, and locked him in place.

Holding the cup, his expression was a mix of helplessness. "Next time, run farther before you show off."

Le Wuya glared at him.

Wen Ren Yue glared back.

...No way around it. A bet was a bet.

Reluctantly, Le Wuya drank the half cup of bitter, cooling herbal tea.

When he straightened up again from Wen Ren Yue's hold, he caught sight of Guo Guzi, who seemed lost in thought. He quickly dropped his spoiled demeanor and became a proper, upright official once more.

As if seeing the goddess of wealth, he said sweetly, "Sister Guo, you're awake!"

Guo Guzi, who had witnessed the whole exchange, was speechless.

She was astounded by this county magistrate's talent for face-switching.

She decided to tell the county princess everything that had happened here to give her a good laugh.

...

Le Wuya's policy paid off right away.

In the afternoon, beggars came to the yamen, cautiously asking what was going on.

Clerk Duan of the Household Office had already received Le Wuya's orders. He asked each one where they came from, their name, where they were staying, and who they begged with, wrote it all down, then had them put their thumbprint to confirm the registration.

Clerk Duan was naturally steady in temperament, and with Le Wuya's instructions to remain courteous even if the beggars were crawling with fleas and stank to high heaven, he was very proper with people. Even when faced with stammering beggars who couldn't explain their origins, he was super patient, so nobody could find any fault.

By the You hour—that's around seven to nine at night, Clerk Duan came by to report on the afternoon's work to Le Wuya: "Magistrate, twenty-two wandering beggars showed up to register. Among them, three are local beggars, and nineteen are from outside. Of the outsiders, fifteen have local Yizhou accents, they'd heard the news and come in from the surrounding areas."

Le Wuya had been reviewing the fish-scale land registers all afternoon and was taking it easy, cracking pine nuts. "What news?"

"They said the magistrate is benevolent and cares for the people. Since the road repairs brought more traveling merchants, begging here would surely yield more than elsewhere."

Le Wuya gave Clerk Duan a handful of pine nuts. "Try some, they're fried up real nice. ...How many are willing to work?"

Clerk Duan stuffed the pine nuts into his robe and gave a wry smile. "Three."

Le Wuya was not surprised and joked, "I heard there's a coal mine around here. Are they scared I'll sell 'em into the mines as slave labor?"

Clerk Duan smiled without answering, but inside he was worried.

He knew that among the wandering beggars, a lot were just lazy bums, didn't want to work, so they ended up as beggars.

These were still manageable.

Worse, some big-time crooks might be hiding among the beggars, waiting to pull something.

With so many wandering beggars in Nanting County, it's not just bad for looks—if there's trouble, it'll stir up public anger.

Locals and outsiders never mix well.

If these outsiders could bring some benefit to the county—even renting a house or two so locals could get some rent—it would be acceptable.

But what good do wandering beggars bring?

However, if the magistrate used force to kick 'em out, that wouldn't be good either.

Among the wandering beggars, there were many poor souls of good character. If they were forced out with their families, wailing and crying as they left Nanting, they'd badmouth the magistrate all over the place.

Clerk Duan scratched his head, thinking about all the trouble ahead.

Just as he was fretting, he heard Le Wuya ask, "Have those singing beggars finished work and eaten?"

"They're back."

Le Wuya: "Did you tell the cook to fry more fatty meat?"

"Yes."

Clerk Duan paused, then added, "Magistrate, they're hiding bowls in their clothes and sneaking food out. Should we stop them?"

"Let them take it. It saves waste."

Le Wuya didn't mind and continued cracking pine nuts. "Tell them to eat their fill today and go sing again tomorrow. Add a line to their lyrics: those who register here will be issued a cloth badge to sew onto their clothes, allowing them to move about with proof. After five days, anyone begging without proof who hasn't registered will be expelled by the magistrate."

"Those who come to Nanting must abide by Nanting's rules."