Chapter 464: Seeking Stability Within Stability

When Chen Wuji came out of the rear courtyard of the government office, the officials of the Hezhou Prefecture Office, big and small, had finally all gathered. I don't know if these people hadn't woken up or what was going on, but each of them looked at him with the eyes of a thief, dodging his gaze as if they wanted to dig a hole in the ground with their looks.

"Everyone, is anyone still missing?" Chen Wuji turned, and a chair appeared exquisitely behind him.

As a personal guard, Chen Wuji would never have seen such a thing.

Fortunately, there is now the very perceptive Yuan Jinshi.

He didn't need Chen Wuji to give him a look; he could understand Chen Wuji's meaning from small details.

Yuan Jinshi, who kept shouting about going to war to secure a future for himself and his brother, was still more accustomed and better at these truly insignificant little matters.

At the foot of the steps, an official in a blue-green official robe stepped out and said, "Report… report, General, there are still a few people missing; no one knows where they went, we can't… we can't find them."

"If we can't find them, fine. Since they're so unwilling to see me, I'm not keen to see them either." Chen Wuji nodded casually, "Shi Yi Shu, give the order: citywide manhunt, anyone caught will be executed by lingchi at the city gate. Dereliction of duty—what kind of officials are you?"

All the officials in the courtyard instantly tensed up, and several visibly turned pale.

Chen Li responded softly, "Colonel, we don't seem to have an executioner skilled in lingchi."

"Then have them hang themselves, write out their crimes, and hang them on both sides of the city gate as decorations!" Chen Wuji shouted.

"I recall that a couple of days ago someone said I was fond of killing and liked to build victory monuments; I actually wanted to correct that habit, and it indeed counts as a flaw. But some people seem to think I'm easy to bully, giving me no face at all—I can't just anger myself to death."

"Yes!"

Chen Wuji shook out his sleeves, his gaze contemptuous as he looked at the sea of blue-green official robes in the courtyard, "Why did you all leave the government office, knowing I've entered the city yet not even bother to see me? Don't you treat me as a person?"

The officials standing in the courtyard, already unsteady, instantly dropped to their knees in a heap.

After an awkward silence, the official in the blue-green robe at the front still spoke up in a mournful voice, "General, it's not that we don't want to see you; we're just scared of being bullied by that bastard Gu Wenjie, so we dare not speak!"

"Gu Wenjie is bullying you—you should be afraid of him, so why are you afraid of me?" Chen Wuji asked, "Or is my reputation even more terrifying than that bastard Gu Wenjie's, so you don't even dare to see me?"

This Hezhou City is actually quite interesting.

The powerful clans, holding the populace hostage, gave him a show of force as soon as he entered the city.

Yet these officials, cowardly as mice that see a cat, just caught a whiff and all hid.

The officials remained silent, each wishing they could drill their heads into the bricks and stones.

"Keep going!" Chen Wuji pointed at the official ahead who should be the Recorder Staff Officer.

The unnamed Recorder Staff Officer, panicking, opened his mouth several times before stammering, "Your reputation in the city is indeed… no, not very good. After Gu Wenjie entered the city, we've been detained in the government office, and many outside matters are unclear to us."

"I've merely heard… heard some rumors: the populace all think the General likes to kill people, in every battle leaves no prisoners, builds victory monuments from the old and ugly to intimidate the enemy, and makes the young into military rations."

Chen Wuji: ……

That damned Gu bastard!

Truly a damn inhuman wretch.

His urge to kill Gu Wenjie had been intensely strong since entering the city, and now it had peaked completely—too bad that bastard is like a rat in a sewer, and we still haven't heard anything from him.

"And what do you all think now?" Chen Wuji asked in a shaking voice.

The unnamed Recorder Staff Officer shouted loudly, "They're all rumors!"

"They were rumors all along." Chen Wuji bellowed, "Everyone, get out here—I don't care what you've done before; with me, it's all wiped clean, and I won't pursue you."

"But if you keep playing at outward obedience and inward defiance, disappearing and fleeing, then don't blame me for going after your nine clans."

All the officials fell silent like cicadas in winter.

Under the intimidating presence of the surrounding armed guards, Chen Wuji's words sounded to them like heavenly thunder.

Chen Wuji continued, "Everyone, immediately bring your subordinate clerks, inspect the city's household registers and yellow registers, re-register them as actual records (household registration), and cooperate with opening the granaries to distribute grain. Each household may receive ten days' rations; those who fraudulently claim or take extra will be heavily punished."

"This task, you surely already know by heart; I don't care what methods you use, but you must stabilize the people's hearts and stabilize the grain distribution. If anyone runs into trouble, I'll go after them. As for the specific division, you can work it out among yourselves; put other matters aside for now and prioritize this."

"Get it done within three days!"

"Yes!"

The officials responded with trembling assent, but they all visibly let out a sigh of relief.

Chen Wuji waved his hand, "Go do it now—today is day one."

Upon seeing the sun already leaning west, the officials' eyes darkened involuntarily; they hurriedly bowed to Chen Wuji and then rushed off in a noisy crowd to their own offices.

"You there, wearing the blue-green robe with the bronze belt—stay behind!" Chen Wuji shouted.

The unnamed Recorder Staff Officer hurriedly halted his running steps, turned back with a touch of panic, and respectfully bowed to Chen Wuji, "General, I don't know… is there anything else you'd like to order?"

"Are you the highest-ranking Recorder Staff Officer in this government office? What's your name?" Chen Wuji asked.

The Recorder Staff Officer jumped, "I'm Subordinate Recorder Staff Officer Cheng Zhiheng, but I'm not the highest-ranking; in this government office, the highest-ranking official isn't you, Colonel?"

"Cut the useless talk." Chen Wuji barked, "Since you're the highest-ranking official here, I have another matter to entrust to you. After you finish the yellow registers, separate the artisans and the provincial troops."

"Yes!"

"Tell the populace that the granary's grain is also scarce, mostly squandered by Gu Wenjie; the government office can temporarily supply only ten days' rations. I will try to bring in grain from outside and also work with the city's grain merchants to secure affordable grain."

"……Yes!"

"Also, arrange a meeting with the city's grain merchants for me to see them."

"Yes, but……" Cheng Zhiheng hesitated, "The city's biggest grain merchant is the Shi Family; the other merchants all follow the Shi Family's lead, so if I go, they probably won't give me face."

"Just bring them my words first!" Chen Wuji was slightly surprised.

I didn't expect to run into the Lu Ping'an family again so soon.

The Yude Business Business Business is also somewhat of an acquaintance.

"……Yes!" Cheng Zhiheng dared not delay and quickly agreed.

Chen Wuji slightly raised his hand, gestured, "Just take care of these matters quickly."

"Yes!"