8mi Chapter 37 The County Magistrate's Favor!
Chapter 37 The County Magistrate's Favor!
The inner city, the county magistrate's residence.
County Lieutenant He Zhang, dressed in a black official robe, looked tense and walked hurriedly.
Upon entering the main hall, he saw the county magistrate standing to one side with his head bowed, and also saw the county officials standing on either side with their necks hunched. He felt increasingly uneasy and immediately knelt down to pay his respects.
"I was unaware of your arrival, Lord Prefect. I apologize for failing to greet you properly."
There was no response to him.
He saw that the figure in the middle had his back to him, standing with his hands behind his back.
moment.
"He Zhang, I'm giving you one chance to explain. If you don't answer well, you'll be going to jail to await your fate."
Beneath his official hat, He Zhang was already sweating.
Although he was the most capable soldier in the entire army, his strength did not give him much confidence in the face of power and status.
He knew that the person in front of him came from the prefectural city, and even if he wasn't the new county magistrate, dealing with him would only take a word.
"The bandits are cunning and despicable, disguising themselves as archers and hiding on the city walls. This is a dereliction of duty on my part, and you, sir, should punish me without complaint!"
He Zhang knew that making excuses was useless, so he decided to be more polite and try to get a lenient treatment.
"Hmph! A mere band of mountain bandits has managed to outmaneuver you, a dignified county magistrate, and even caused the death of the previous magistrate in his residence. The city's defenses are like child's play, and military discipline is even more lax. Your position as county magistrate is practically meaningless."
Tell me, what reason do I have to keep you in this position?
The new magistrate turned around and angrily rebuked them. He looked young, only in his early twenties, but he seemed to have been born with the aura of a superior, making everyone in the hall afraid to even breathe.
He Zhang's face turned pale in waves.
"Today you will be stripped of your official hat, dismissed from your post as county magistrate, and thrown into prison to await your fate!"
Upon hearing this, He Zhang was utterly despondent and had nowhere to turn. In a fit of rage, he suddenly stood up and lunged at the nobleman from the prefecture in front of him.
He moves with lightning speed; ordinary people can't even catch a glimpse of him.
"Insolence!" A guard noticed and stepped to the side, kicking out.
boom!
The next moment, the door of the main hall was smashed open, and He Zhang rolled into the courtyard. Just as he was about to struggle to get up, the guard who was always by his side stepped on his chest in mid-air, and he almost fainted.
Lord He, the dignified lord of Wuguan County, was utterly powerless against these lowly guards from the prefectural city!
If this scene were seen by the outside world, it would likely cause quite a stir.
"Drag it away!"
......
Outer city, small courtyard.
"Brother Zhao, everyone's talking about it now. The prefectural city has sent a new magistrate," Li Gou'er, well-informed, told Zhao An.
"They say the magistrate is very young, with no beard at all. I wonder if he can handle the bandits on the mountain."
"To be honest, it's extremely difficult!"
"With Black Wind Stronghold being so powerful, this new county magistrate might not survive..."
Once the door was closed, Li Gou'er became unrestrained and dared to say anything.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"Who goes there? Why are you so restless so early in the morning?" Li Gou'er was interrupted halfway through his sentence and had no choice but to open the door.
When he saw the person outside the door, he was so frightened that he clenched his buttocks tightly.
A group of officials stood in front of him, making it seem as if he had committed a heinous crime and had come to arrest him.
"Could it be that my ramblings at home were overheard...?"
"The county magistrate is here, why aren't you welcoming him?" Zhao Ke at the door didn't care what Li Gou'er was doing. Seeing him swaying, he pushed him aside and shouted at Zhao An in the courtyard.
"County Magistrate?" Zhao An was surprised to hear this, as the person who came to his door was quite unexpected.
I put down my pen and paper and went outside to take a look.
A government carriage was seen parked on the side of the street, and the passersby had already been dispersed by the officials.
A middle-aged scholar dressed in brocade robes stepped out of the carriage.
Upon seeing this man, Zhao An knew without a doubt that he was the county magistrate.
This official position is roughly equivalent to the second-in-command of the county; when the county magistrate is absent, he is in charge of the overall situation.
Their status was so high that ordinary people could hardly even catch a glimpse of them.
Zhao An had no idea why such a distinguished person from the county town would suddenly visit him, an unknown nobody.
When the county magistrate approached, Zhao An bowed in accordance with etiquette.
"This is not a courtroom, so there's no need for such formalities, Mr. Zhao," Fan Li said with a smile as he personally helped Zhao An up.
"A righteous man?" Zhao An himself didn't know when he had become a righteous man.
If it were anyone else, being treated with such courtesy by the current county magistrate would probably have been flattered and overwhelmed.
However, Zhao An wasn't a native "local," so he didn't have many thoughts about it.
We welcomed the county magistrate into the courtyard and served him tea.
Fan Li didn't seem to be in a hurry to get down to business. His gaze fell on the writing brush and ink on the stone table, and his eyes lit up. He spoke leisurely.
Who wrote this character?
"I wrote it," Zhao An said.
Zhao Ke, who was accompanying him, glared at him.
Zhao An, that idiot, can actually write? That's absurd.
However, the fact that I heard this morning that the county magistrate was coming to see Zhao An in person was already strange enough.
"Excellent handwriting! I never imagined you could write so well, young friend," Fan Li exclaimed.
"You flatter me, sir." Zhao An's handwriting wasn't particularly good to begin with, but he had been practicing calligraphy and reading with the Soul Slave these past few days.
After extracting the results from these soul slaves, even though Zhao An's original handwriting was terrible, it is now extremely neat and even has the air of a master.
Fan Li could tell at a glance that it would take more than ten years of writing to master this kind of calligraphy.
"Is what's written on the paper military strategy? Young friend, do you want to take the military examination?" Fan Li glanced at the writing on the paper and guessed what Zhao An wanted.
"Indeed, Your Excellency has a discerning eye. I do intend to take the imperial examinations this year." With no reason to hide it, Zhao An frankly admitted it.
"After passing the imperial examination, do you want to join the army as a general or serve as a local official?" Fan Li took two steps closer and asked.
"I have no such ambition; I only wish to gain fame and fortune and avoid being humiliated," Zhao An said, shaking his head.
"I see..." Fan Li stroked his beard, paused for a moment, and then said.
"I came here today for two reasons: first, to reward you for killing the bandits, and second, to recruit you as a retainer. But it seems you have no interest in these things and are unwilling to come to my residence with me."
"I am deeply grateful for your kindness, sir." Zhao An declined, as he did not want to serve anyone.
"What a pity, he's a talented person." Fan Li looked Zhao An up and down, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration.
But given his nature, since Zhao An didn't have the intention, he wouldn't force him to.
"You previously beheaded Guo Fenglin, the chief banner leader of Black Wind Stronghold, and this merit should rightfully belong to you. However, since you have no intention of entering officialdom, I am at a loss as to what reward to give you for the time being," Fan Li said.
Do you want money?
Upon hearing this, Zhao An's heart stirred, and he said, "I dare to ask if I may have the opportunity to visit the armory to observe the martial arts manuals and military tactics collected there."
He is not a person without desires. If he has the opportunity to benefit, he will not be indifferent and say that he doesn't want anything.