Chapter 39: Thirty-nine, From Fighting and Killing to Human Relationships (4,000 words, please follow and vote!)

Thirty-nine, From Fighting and Killing to Human Relationships (4,000 words, please follow and vote!)

A sharp sword is often most terrifying when it is hanging over one's head, about to fall but not yet falling.

Because if one could determine the moment it falls, one could make up one's mind, either close one's eyes and wait for death, or stubbornly resist, or perish together.

But the sharp sword above their heads was clearly raised, yet it was swaying, making the lambs under the sword unable to guess its intention. Every second of breathing that followed could mean the butcher knife falling, or it could mean being safe and sound... it didn't even give them a clean death.

In short, it was making it impossible for them to let go of their illusions and prepare for a struggle.

This was the most tormenting thing.

The gentry and powerful families in the top private room of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion were currently trapped in this torment, much like being PUAd by a scumbag magistrate, all pacing and sighing in the room, worried about gains and losses.

No one moved a single chopstick to the delicious dishes on the table.

"What exactly is the Magistrate planning? Didn't I hear he stopped checking the accounts? Why are those military men still patrolling outside our mansion gates every day?"

"Hmph, who said he stopped checking? I heard from someone that a demonic person sneaked in to burn the accounts that night, and the Magistrate was furious and even personally beheaded a clerk who colluded with outsiders. Who knows, maybe now he doesn't even need to check the accounts and will directly raid our homes in the name of arresting the demonic person!"

"This... you gentlemen are truly bold. Now it's good, directly angering the Magistrate."

"What does Magistrate Cheng mean? My Chen family are all law-abiding good people of the Great Zhou Dynasty. How could we do such a thing as beheading?"

"Heh, who doesn't know about your Chen family? You are indeed old good people. I heard that you secretly sent people to the Plum Deer Pavilion last night to send gifts to the Magistrate, and the best part is that you were rejected... I just don't understand, if you are such good people, why didn't you pay all the commercial taxes you evaded before? If you admire the Magistrate so much, why didn't you donate more at the last fundraising banquet and why did you follow everyone else in keeping a unified stance? Oh, so it turns out you were scared, and the gates of the good people's homes are being patrolled by elite soldiers just like ours."

"You... you old fish-selling scoundrel..."

"Enough!" Liu Liu Ziwen, who had been lowering his eyes and blowing on his tea, suddenly put down his teacup with a "clatter."

The arguments in the room stopped, and everyone sat down, drinking tea and saying nothing, each harboring their own thoughts.

A tall, round-faced young gentryman frowned and said: "Gentlemen, uncles, stop arguing. Don't forget why we are here today."

An old landlord with a wrinkled face, sitting in the back row, said with a bitter face:

"What if the Magistrate doesn't come to this apology banquet? Why don't we just send the silver directly to the Plum Deer Pavilion? Visit to apologize, the Magistrate wants silver for disaster relief, we'll just gather some from each family and give it to him. Anything that can be solved with silver is not a problem. I said long ago, why do we have to secretly work against the officials..."

The old landlord's words suddenly stopped, because Liu Liu Ziwen stood up and politely poured him tea with a teapot. This head of the Liu family spoke gently, but the words he spat out were not gentle at all:

"Wu Bo, we have relied on everyone's support in the past, and everyone unanimously pushed our Liu family to take the lead. For the previous few Longcheng magistrates, we also endured them like this, and the effect was something everyone later saw and was very satisfied with. At that time, Wu Bo didn't say anything. Now that we've encountered a little setback, Wu Bo says this. It's not appropriate, right?"

"Not... not appropriate." Wu Bo pulled out a smile that was uglier than crying, and hesitated again: "But the Magistrate has soldiers in his hands..."

"Liu knows."

Liu Liu Ziwen lowered his eyelids, gently pushed the tea in front of the old landlord, and gently patted his aged hand:

"This fighting back and forth is nothing more than an exchange of interests and mutual conditions. This Magistrate Magistrate Ouyang didn't immediately bring soldiers to flip the table, which means there is still a chance to talk. It won't reach the point of a fish dying and the net breaking. We are here today to host a banquet to apologize, and also to donate a sum of money in the name of repairing the government office, to see if this Magistrate Magistrate Ouyang can be satisfied."

"Good... alright."

Liu Liu Ziwen smiled easily at everyone, in a posture of still being in control, and the others relaxed.

However, Liu Liu Ziwen didn't feel relaxed at all, and the arguments of the crowd just now also made him aware of the weakness of these wealthy landlords and their own ulterior motives.

If he knew the word "pig teammate," he would definitely have stuck it on the foreheads of these people.

The room became quiet again, and Liu Liu Ziwen drank tea calmly, while the others saw this and regained some confidence.

However, at this moment, Liu Liu Ziwen's mood was a bit heavy.

The change in the East Warehouse last night, he didn't know the result, and he didn't know if the chess piece he sent had burned the account books that held the evidence.

Liu Liu Ziwen's people only found out today that that night, after Chenjun Xie Chenjun Xie Lingjiang went to chase the demonic person who sneaked in, the young magistrate arrived at the East Warehouse in time, personally beheaded a clerk who colluded with outsiders, and immediately sealed the East Warehouse with heavy troops. It seemed he didn't check the accounts anymore, but as soon as dawn broke, he rewarded the soldiers of the Folding Impact Prefecture, as if there was some major action.

Did he succeed that night? What exactly does Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan want to do?

Liu Liu Ziwen frowned in his heart. This feeling of the situation gradually slipping out of control made him very uncomfortable.

Just then, the sound of footsteps of a group of people coming upstairs came from outside the door.

Liu Liu Ziwen and the crowd of gentry and wealthy merchants immediately put down their teacups and stood up to welcome them at the door.

However, when the doorman pushed the door open, the person standing outside was not the young magistrate, but a young blue-clothed head constable.

"Little Yan Head Constable? Why did you come alone? Where is the Magistrate?" someone asked suspiciously.

Yan Beside Yan Liulang walked into the room nonchalantly, not looking sideways, walked to the middle of the room, and bowed casually to the crowd:

"The Magistrate is busy with official business and doesn't have time to come, so he asked me to pass on some words."

Liu Liu Ziwen and the others breathed a sigh of relief. Although he didn't come, as long as it wasn't a case of not talking at all, if there were words to be passed on, that meant there were conditions to talk about, and if there were conditions to talk about, there was room for maneuver.

"Little Yan Head Constable, please take a seat. Someone, serve tea."

"No need, there aren't many words, I'll leave after saying them." Yan Beside Yan Liulang shook his head.

"Don't you want to sit down and discuss it?"

"The Magistrate said, these few things are nothing to discuss, and you will definitely agree." The blue-clothed constable looked meaningfully at the gentry and wealthy merchants in the room who were suspicious and curious.

Liu Liu Ziwen and the others looked at each other and turned to bow together:

"What instructions does the Magistrate have? Please speak, Head Constable!"

Yan Beside Yan Liulang first raised two fingers, then put down one:

"The first thing. The 780 strings of cash raised at the last fundraising banquet, plus the money you are going to donate at this apology banquet... about how much was it?"

Liu Liu Ziwen took the words: "I heard long ago that the back residence of the county government office was washed away by the flood and cannot be lived in. Everyone is worried about the parents' official, so this time we decided to donate 100 strings of cash per family, totaling 1,300 strings of cash, to the county government office to repair the official residence. I hope the Magistrate will accept it with a smile..."

"Enough, 1,300 strings of cash, right." Yan Beside Yan Liulang interrupted and continued to instruct: "These monies, you exchange them all for grain and send them to the disaster relief camp on the outskirts of the city, and it must be at the normal market price of 10 wen per dou, calculated before the flood."

"This..."

Liu Liu Ziwen and Cheng Squire, Chen family head, Wu Bo, and others couldn't help but discuss it. The grain after the disaster was truly a tight commodity. 10 wen per dou was simply heartbreaking. Everyone's faces were a bit hesitant, until Yan Beside Yan Liulang added calmly:

"This time, the soldiers of the Folding Impact Prefecture came to Longcheng to investigate the corruption case of the Relief Granary under the order of Inspector Shen. These few days, the investigation is almost done. The Magistrate will let them return to Jiangzhou to report their duties in a few days."

Liu Liu Ziwen immediately made a decision. "Fine, 2,080 strings of cash. Liu will make up the remainder, exchange it for grain at the price of 10 wen per dou, and it can be delivered to the disaster relief camp on the outskirts of the city early tomorrow morning. I hope it will relieve the Magistrate's worries."

Yan Beside Yan Liulang nodded, as if it was not unexpected at all, and put down the last finger:

"The second thing. The Magistrate said, the Dragon Boat Festival is coming soon. This is a major custom of our Wu and Yue hometown. In previous years, there were dragon boat races, zongzi, and mugwort, and sacrifices to Qu Yuan. This year, although there is a flood, it cannot be an exception."

"But it seems the surrounding counties aren't holding them..." Cheng Squire hesitated.

"Other counties in Jiangzhou aren't holding them, but Longcheng will, and it will be the biggest and best, letting everyone have a good Dragon Boat Festival."

Liu Liu Ziwen and the others were stunned, but immediately they were vigilant. "The Magistrate shouldn't be asking us to donate festival money again, right?"

Yan Beside Yan Liulang shook his head and continued:

"No need for everyone to donate money. The Magistrate said, he just arrived in Longcheng and cannot only care about the refugees. He must also show some care for the local landlords and wealthy households in the county. He cannot favor one over the other. This Dragon Boat Festival is for all the common people in the county to participate in together, and the Longcheng County government office will actively organize it to enjoy it with the people."

Liu Liu Ziwen and the others looked at each other. No one opened their mouth to answer immediately. They were probably all thinking about what kind of medicine the young magistrate was selling in his gourd.

It wasn't until Yan Beside Yan Liulang nodded and added a "however" that the old foxes in the room thought, "It's here."

"However, this time the Dragon Boat Festival must be held to be the biggest and most lively in Jiangzhou, and it must attract merchants and tourists from all directions to come for the festival. Longcheng's water transport is well-connected, and as long as the news spreads, it will definitely be lively and gathered.

"But before holding the grand event, we must properly repair Longcheng County, both sides of Butterfly Creek, and Peng Lang Ferry, right? Everyone, what do you think?"

Liu Liu Ziwen tentatively asked: "Repairs must be done, but how should they be repaired?"

"Of course, we won't let you donate money to repair them for nothing. The Magistrate decided to let the young and strong men in the disaster relief camps outside the city enter the city to help repair these facilities. However, since they are the houses, pavilions, and boats of your families, naturally, the county government office won't pay for the labor. Each family will pay for the labor themselves, and the county government office will assist and organize the manpower.

"In addition, during the Dragon Boat Festival, if you want to hold any activities or banquets, you can come to the government office to apply for young and strong men among the refugees, as long as you don't owe them wages."

Liu Liu Ziwen and the other gentry and wealthy merchants fell into a short silence upon hearing this.

Actually, the plan proposed by this young magistrate was quite obvious and not hidden. Everyone in the room was a thousand-year-old fox and could see it clearly; isn't this "work as relief"? The rich provide grain, the poor provide labor, and the government provides credit, each taking what they need.

In addition, Longcheng County's developed transportation connecting Lady Yunmeng Marsh and the Yangtze River also belonged to the financial path of these gentry and wealthy merchants. Using a Dragon Boat Festival grand event to attract merchants and tourists from all directions could indeed reduce the bad impact caused by the flood and promote trade on both sides of Butterfly Creek, which was beneficial to them.

Liu Liu Ziwen, Cheng Squire, Chen family head, and Wu Bo were all quite surprised. They didn't expect that the new magistrate, who was so troublesome to them and even wanted to raid their homes before the banquet, would suddenly throw out a gentle plan that took into account the interests of all parties.

This... is a leap in ideological realm from fighting and killing directly to human relationships.

Was it really done by the same person?

A few gentry in the room sighed secretly.

However, perhaps because they were scared by Magistrate Ouyang Rong, perhaps because they were worried about traps, or perhaps because their family businesses didn't involve this interest.

Liu Liu Ziwen and the others didn't answer immediately.

Yan Beside Yan Liulang wasn't in a hurry either, pacing back and forth in this luxurious private room of the Yuanming Pavilion, occasionally looking at the expressions of Liu Liu Ziwen and others, his manner nonchalant...

Well, he actually learned this from the Magistrate recently—in the Magistrate's words, it's... to get these people on the hook, you have to be light and airy, have style, and let them spontaneously fill in the blanks and strengthen you.

Seeing that the time was about right, Yan Beside Yan Liulang stopped and asked: "What have you gentlemen considered?"

Liu Liu Ziwen didn't speak, silently observing the expressions of Yan Beside Yan Liulang and the others. Actually, he had no interest in this Dragon Boat Festival grand event. The Liu family didn't rely on water transport trade for profit. The ancient Yue sword shop sold the precious swords that should be sold as usual, and even if Longcheng flooded, it wouldn't worry about sales.

However, although there was no profit, there was no harm, so it was feasible.

And right now, Liu Liu Ziwen had to temporarily stabilize the new magistrate who had soldiers in his hands and wait for the distant water... so what harm was there in giving him face? Moreover, other gentry and wealthy families in the room seemed quite moved by this plan. Although the Liu family was the leader, they couldn't block the wealth path of their followers, so it was better to go with the flow.

Liu Liu Ziwen sipped his tea; Cheng Squire, Chen family head, and Wu Bo took the initiative to speak and asked some questions about avoiding pitfalls. Yan Beside Yan Liulang also answered them one by one according to what the young magistrate had explained. Both sides talked harmoniously.

Seeing that others were quite in favor, Liu Liu Ziwen put down his teacup and took the lead in making a decision:

"The Magistrate loves the people like his own children. This kind of plan that is beneficial to Longcheng is naturally acceptable."

"Then fine, I'll go back and report to the Magistrate. For subsequent matters, Assistant Magistrate Official Diao and other colleagues will contact you."

"Little Yan Head Constable, walk slowly." The crowd, who had relaxed, sent him off one after another.

Yan Beside Yan Liulang nodded and turned to leave. However, just as he reached the door, he seemed to remember something and stopped to turn his head:

"Right, there's one small thing I forgot to say. The Magistrate said, if the talk with you gentlemen goes well today, to express a little bit of his heart, he can lift the price limit on grain for the whole county."

Liu Liu Ziwen was slightly startled, thinking his ears had heard wrong. "What do you mean?"

"Literal meaning. From today on, the government will no longer limit the price of grain in Longcheng County. You gentlemen can go back and feel free to raise the price. Sell it however you want."

The tall, round-faced young gentryman covered his mouth and coughed: "Cough, cough, these are market prices, not controlled by us. It's the price caused by supply and demand in the market. Head Constable is joking, hahaha."

Yan Beside Yan Liulang learned the expression of the young magistrate after he finished explaining this, and smiled faintly, "Fine, let's all believe in the market together. Gentlemen, see you again."

He left downstairs neatly.

Leaving only a crowd of gentry and landlords in place, looking at each other, as if they were still in the surprise of a pie falling from the sky.

Yan Beside Yan Liulang imitated the expression of the Magistrate after he finished explaining this matter, smiled lightly, "Okay, let's believe in the market together, see you later, gentlemen."

He went downstairs and left neatly.

Only a group of gentry and landlords were left in place, looking at each other, as if they were still in the surprise of a pie falling from the sky.