Chapter 24

Twenty-four, The "White-Pimping" Magistrate

"The Liu family?"

"Longcheng floods once every four years. Does the magistrate know who built the water gates, including the Di Gong Gate, each time?"

"Isn't it every magistrate?"

"Yes and no."

"Oh?"

"The subordinate wants to congratulate the magistrate first for arriving at our good place, Longcheng."

"'Good place'? Better than Shenjing Luoyang's Lintai?"

"That certainly can't compare, but while it's not as good as the best, it's far better than the worst. Isn't it a good place to be a magistrate, easily getting promoted and making a fortune?"

"A flood every four years, yet still easy, and still able to get promoted and make a fortune? How can there be such a good thing? I must ask for advice."

"Eh, I dare not give advice, I dare not... Actually, these are all standard practices for every magistrate after taking office. Everyone defaults to it. Even if the subordinate doesn't say it, others will tell the magistrate. It's just that seeing the magistrate has the ambition to work hard today, I really can't bear to see the magistrate take the arduous and thankless detour, so the subordinate must give a small reminder."

"I'm all ears."

"Every Longcheng magistrate who encounters a flood after taking office will visit the local tyrants and gentry for the first time to raise charitable funds. Once they donate, the wealthy households and middle-class farmers will follow suit..."

"I understand. Is it that after the matter is accomplished, the money of the tyrants and gentry is returned in full, and the money of the commoners and good people is split three-seven?"

"Eh? So the magistrate didn't know? It seems the subordinate was being sentimental... However, the magistrate's direct split is too ruthless. We can't split all the money of the commoners and good people. We must take out a portion for disaster relief and flood control, so we have a legitimate reason, and no one can pick out any faults. However, when providing disaster relief and flood control, we can appropriately save a little bit, and the able-bodied men among the disaster victims can be used directly, which is another saving..."

"Magistrate Official Diao is really... too warm."

"Where, where, it's all the magistrate's wisdom and compassion. In addition, what the magistrate just said is not entirely correct. We don't need to return the money of the tyrants and gentry in full for every family. We are their parents and officials, not kneeling and begging for food. Longcheng is in trouble; what's wrong with letting them donate some money to share the magistrate's worries? However..."

"So my official seal as a Longcheng magistrate is so valuable? Everyone has to give face."

"The magistrate is joking. However, there is one most critical point in this. If you want the tyrants and gentry to donate more and the commoners and good people to follow suit, you must have 'one family' take the lead in fundraising!"

"Who? Oh... the Liu family."

"Exactly! The Liu family on the west bank is the number one family in Longcheng. Only if they take the lead in donating a large amount of disaster relief funds will other tyrants and gentry follow. Otherwise, these people are all shrinking turtles and won't donate much silver... And the money donated by the Liu family, we have to return it in full afterward. They give us face, and we must have sincerity. The remaining raised silver must be split with them."

"Then aren't we just kneeling and begging for food? You should have said so earlier; you're going in a big circle to beg for food."

"Hey, hey, magistrate, listen to the subordinate first. Splitting with them is a hardship fee. At that time, they will send a group of elite craftsmen to help us rebuild the Di Gong Gate. This is a technical job. The most exquisite craftsmen in all of Longcheng are in their Gu Yue Sword Shop. Even if we have disaster relief grain, we can't find so many craftsmen at once...

"So at that time, we only need to draw a batch of able-bodied men from the disaster victims to assist the Liu family's craftsmen in repairing the gate. We take a smaller share; it's not shameful. After the Di Gong Gate is repaired, the flood will be controlled without wasting a single copper coin from the imperial court or the circuit. If you don't get promoted, magistrate, who will?"

"Magistrate Official Diao gets promoted."

"Where, where, it all depends on the magistrate."

"Depends on me taking you to kneel and beg for food together?"

"..."

"Magistrate Official Diao, do you know why I came here?"

"Inadvertently offended the Empress and the Princess?"

"It wasn't inadvertent; it was intentional. My bones are too hard, and I couldn't kneel in the imperial court, so I sat here."

"So the magistrate is truly a gentleman."

"Not really. To save people and beg for food, it's not impossible; but kneeling, no."

"Then what does the magistrate want? Forgive the subordinate for having too low a cultivation level to understand."

"How about standing and waiting for them to deliver the food obediently?"

"Pfft~"

"This tea spray is quite artistic."

"You... cough, cough, cough... aren't you just 'white-pimping'?"

"What did you say?"

"I said... the magistrate has high insights."

"A metropolitan graduate? A Grade 7 magistrate? Isn't he just here to kneel and beg for food! What kind of gentleman is he pretending to be? Clear your mother's highness! Damn, damn, damn..."

In a luxurious courtyard, a group of dark-skinned Kunlun slaves knelt in a row at the entrance, not daring to lift their heads. From the room in front of them came the sound of crashing and a man's roar.

Expensive porcelain, landscape paintings, antiques, gold and stone, precious stones, and spices in the room were all smashed to the ground. A limping figure was frantically swinging a sword, hacking at sandalwood furniture, hacking at the Eight Immortals table... hacking fiercely at whatever he saw to vent his anger.

It seemed he wanted to hack back all the face he had lost to someone.

No one in the courtyard dared to answer, because everyone had no doubt that if Liu Liu Zilin in the room noticed them at this moment, the sword would fall on their necks in the next second, and he wouldn't even blink.

However, although Liu Liu Zilin had a violent personality, ran rampant in Longcheng, and had a very bad reputation—very unworthy of his name—he had two recognized excellent older brothers.

The eldest brother, Liu Liu Ziwen, and the second brother, Liu Liu Zian.

Regarding these three brothers, outsiders jokingly called them the Three Tigers of the Liu family. Among them, Liu Liu Ziwen was the "Wise Tiger," Liu Liu Zian was the "Sick Tiger," and Liu Liu Zilin was the "Mad Tiger."

At present, Liu Liu Zilin had not yet taken over the family business, and the Gu Yue Sword Shop and all family industries were managed by his two older brothers.

Liu Liu Ziwen and Liu Liu Zian, one master and one assistant, supported the booming family power of the "Dragon King Liu" on the west bank of Butterfly Creek.

"And that little girl who shot my hawk, so what if she's a scholar from the academy? Do you think our Liu family doesn't have Qi cultivators? Just wait for me, damn it!"

Liu Liu Zilin was still hacking and raging, but a limping middle-aged servant walked into the courtyard, passing through the kneeling slaves.

The limping servant stopped in front of the door with a calm expression:

"Third Young Master, the Second Young Master asked me to bring a message: Roll back to your room, be grounded for ten days, and you are not allowed to go out and cause trouble. You are not allowed to touch that Hu Ji again."

Liu Liu Zilin instantly quieted down, but his hands under his sleeves clenched into fists.

A low roar came from the "Mad Tiger's" teeth: "Do you mean to say I should just let it go after being tricked?"

The limping servant said with a normal expression: "The Second Young Master also said that if the one whose leg was broken today were the magistrate, he and the Eldest Young Master would wipe your ass for you. Unfortunately, the one whose leg was broken is a piece of trash. Wipe your own ass, set your own leg, and don't dirty his hands with such trivial matters."

Liu Liu Zilin's mouth twitched fiercely.

He was silent for a while, then suddenly asked: "Did the eldest brother say anything?"

The limping servant, who was about to turn and leave, looked at Liu Liu Zilin and nodded:

"The Eldest Young Master was also there at the time and said to the Second Young Master... No rush, let the new magistrate suffer a bit longer. Third Young Master, set your own leg.

"In addition, the Eldest Young Master also said that if the Third Young Master asked, then let me bring a message for him too."

"Speak." Liu Liu Zilin dropped his sword and spat out one word.

The limping servant imitated the tone of that young family head, his voice light:

"The Chenjun Xie clan woman cannot be killed, but killing is not as good as punishing the heart."