Chapter 202: Nightmare Town (6)

"My lord, let's slow down on the silver for now, but the millet must be enough. There are so many people in the whole county, 10,000 stones can't last a month at all!"

The prefecture magistrate was drinking tea leisurely, saying carelessly: "If it can't last a month, then last half a month. Aren't you very capable? Aren't you able to build a poor county into a wealthy big county? Don't you even have this ability?"

The old turtle begged for a long time, and finally the prefecture magistrate was annoyed: "I am busy with a thousand things, it's rare that I have accompanied you for so long! Just 10,000 stones, if you don't want it, just say it!"

After speaking, he flicked his sleeves and left.

The old turtle had no choice, although it was given less, it was at least 10,000 stones of millet, which could make the disaster victims last a few days.

But when the old turtle transported the 10,000 stones of millet back to the county and prepared to distribute them, he found that half of the sand was mixed in the millet.

He was angry and ran to question the prefecture magistrate why sand was mixed in the rice.

The prefecture magistrate slapped the table and shouted: "10,000 millet, you saw it weighed with your own eyes! Later, who knows if your subordinates were not clean-handed, stole the millet and mixed in sand to make up the number? Now you come to question me, where did you get the courage?"

The old turtle knelt down with a 'thump', crying and begging: "My lord, that millet is to save lives! Please show mercy, give us some more grain! Tens of thousands of people in the county, there are eighty-year-old elderly, there are infants in swaddling clothes, all waiting for life-saving, my lord!"

The prefecture magistrate just sneered: "If you have food, you should be content! If you can't live, not enough to eat? Can't you sell your children and wives? They are all just lowly people, there is always a way to live."

"Are you speaking human words?"

The old turtle changed his usual cowardice and glared at the prefecture magistrate: "You are a prefecture magistrate, I am a county magistrate, aren't we both the parents of the people? How can you watch your people go to a dead end? How can you be worthy of the official robe you wear?"

"Presumptuous! A mere seventh-rank county magistrate born in a poor family, actually dares to shout at me? Come, beat him out!"

The old turtle was completely angry, and with a wave of his hand, he knocked down more than a dozen yamen servants.

The prefecture magistrate was startled and hurriedly wanted to run, but was pinched by the neck by the old turtle.

The old turtle said with red eyes: "This subordinate never dared to offend you. For so many years, this subordinate has always kept in mind the duty of being a person and an official, and dared not have any overstepping actions! But you... you are too bullying!"

"Bullying me doesn't matter, but I can't let my people be bullied by you!"

"30,000 stones of millet, it doesn't count for anything here, but it can save all the people in our county!"

"You can be corrupt, and this subordinate also knows that it is impossible for the world to have no corrupt officials. But corruption is corruption, you cannot disregard human life!"

"Give me grain, I just want grain... just 30,000 stones, give it to me! Give it to me!"

The prefecture magistrate who was high above and could not be surpassed just now, was completely persuaded at this moment because his life was held.

He nodded again and again: "Give give give, I will give you as much as you want. Don't kill me, otherwise you will have big trouble!"

The old turtle didn't want to kill anyone at all.

He had been a person for decades and had long since regarded himself as a complete person.

If he hadn't been furious today, he wouldn't have taken action against anyone.

After getting the prefecture magistrate's order, he bowed respectfully: "I'm sorry, prefecture magistrate, this subordinate was also at the end of his rope, so I used this strategy."

After speaking, he took the order to the warehouse and got 30,000 brand new millet.

After transporting the millet back to the county, he plunged into the work of disaster relief and appeasement.

He was determined to be a good official, keeping in mind the master's teachings back then.

He had no name, even the name he used for exams and being an official later was his master's name—Zhang Ping.

He originally thought that this way he possessed humanity and could be a good official, but he didn't know that not everyone was worthy of being called a person!

When he was busy for a whole month and arranged the disaster relief matters properly, the prefecture magistrate suddenly led a team to surround the county government.

"Long County magistrate Zhang Ping, offended his superiors, filled his own pockets, and embezzled disaster relief grain. Another county resident reported that he mixed sand into millet, treating people's lives as a joke! From today on, dismiss the position of county magistrate, and throw him into the prefecture prison! Guilty official Zhang Ping, why don't you surrender?"

At that time, Zhang Ping had his subordinates and some ordinary people who came from the township to thank him.

Hearing this, everyone spoke up for him.

"How could Magistrate Zhang be corrupt? The official robe on his body has been patched and I don't know how many years he has worn it!"

"When our county was hit by a disaster, we didn't see you high officials show up. Now that Magistrate Zhang has finally led us through it, you popped out to frame a good person. This is truly unreasonable!"

"In the world, anyone could be corrupt, except Magistrate Zhang! Don't fart here!"

"Get out, we only need one Magistrate Zhang here, we don't need you bad people full of lies!"

The people were indignant, but they underestimated the power of the government.

The prefecture magistrate came prepared this time, specifically bringing a thousand soldiers, blocked the county government, and soon controlled the hundred or so people in the county government.

The old turtle originally had the ability to protect himself, but the prefecture magistrate threatened him by catching the people in the county government:

"Zhang Ping, I know your means are high, and you are probably not an ordinary person! But if you dare to leave today, I will slaughter your county government. You can save your own life, but can you save the lives of these people? They treat you like their parents. Look, they were caught, and they are still speaking for you. Do you really have the heart to watch them die?"

The old turtle naturally couldn't bear it.

He had been an official here for more than ten years, didn't marry, and only focused on official business, and had long since regarded every person as his own child.

During spring plowing, he accompanied the villagers to sow seeds.

He often walked into the school, encouraging every student to study hard.

After the disaster, he traveled all over the county to investigate, and if he encountered dangerous houses, he would lead the yamen servants to repair them.

At this moment, looking at those people who were disarmed, beaten with bloody heads, and pinned to the ground, still shouting grievances for him loudly.

The old turtle burst into tears and dropped the weapon in his hand: "Don't hurt my people, I will let you dispose of them."

And said to those people: "After the flood, the most feared is the plague. After I leave, you must pay attention. If there are infected personnel, report immediately, and do a good job of isolation and disinfection. Remember, remember!"

"Magistrate Zhang..."

"Don't cry. In the future, the court will send a new county official. You must cooperate well and govern the county better. The current situation is hard-won, don't be impulsive." ===== CHAPTER 203 =====