Chapter 61: A Must-Go Trip

"Mr. Chen, do you know what exactly has happened in Sanshui County, and why I am being transferred there in such a hurry?"

Such a huge pie had fallen squarely onto his lap. Shen Yu did not believe for a second that there wasn't something fishy about it. When it came to luck, in his past life, he had never even won more than ten yuan on a lottery ticket.

"This..." After a moment of hesitation, Mr. Chen spoke frankly, "To tell you the truth, three County Magistrates have died in Sanshui County over the past year. The imperial court is furious and wants to send someone to clean up Sanshui County, and Magistrate Shen is the best candidate!"

"Three died in a year? Doesn't that make it even more intense than Baian County?" He couldn't help but gasp. The reason he had been assigned to Baian County in the first place was that three County Magistrates had died there in two years, so absolutely no one was willing to come.

Having just passed the imperial examination, he had no power, no influence, and no background, which was why he was sent here. Now, an even more ruthless position had appeared, and they wanted him to fill it. Three County Magistrates dead in one year—wasn't that a death sentence? The position of County Magistrate was no different from sitting on a furnace.

"Magistrate Shen, Sanshui County is wealthy and prosperous, but that also means various forces are entrenched there. Gangs, sects, merchant guilds, noble families, water bandits, outlaws, and so on—it can be said that all sorts of forces are intertwined and tangled together!"

Taking a deep breath, Mr. Chen began to slowly explain the situation in Sanshui County to Shen Yu, hoping he could understand it as soon as possible so he wouldn't be completely blind upon arrival. That place was not like Baian County; their methods were truly despicable, and one could be easily framed if not careful.

Relatively speaking, Baian County could definitely be considered to have simple folk customs! People like Cai Zhong or Feng Zhong were, in the eyes of that crowd in Sanshui County, nothing but pure and kind little white rabbits. Could what they used even be called "methods"?

"Magistrate Shen, I won't hide it from you. At the beginning of this year, the Capture Gate was investigating a human trafficking case and traced it all the way to the Longgan Gang in Sanshui County. They eventually discovered that the Sanshui County Magistrate was secretly covering for them. So, at the beginning of the year, that magistrate was beheaded for colluding with bandits!"

"The second magistrate this year, after taking office, was targeted by the Longgan Gang because he diligently helped the Capture Gate hunt them down, and he died at the hands of the gang's remnants. After that, the imperial court selected a capable official to serve as the third magistrate this year!"

At this point, Mr. Chen sighed, "After taking office, this person found that while Sanshui County appeared calm on the surface, it was actually murky and chaotic, so he wanted to clean up the law and order. Yet, not long ago, he was framed for molesting a woman and was 'brought to justice' on the spot by a passing young hero!"

"These magistrates, how is each one more miserable than the last!" Shen Yu suddenly realized that the water here was deeper than usual. Take the second magistrate, for instance—was he really killed by the remnants of the Longgan Gang? Not necessarily.

The third magistrate was even more absurd. If you're going to put on a show, at least make it convincing for the audience. To use a charge of molesting a woman just to kill someone—they were treating everyone like fools.

If you can't be used by me, then you shall be killed by me; if you don't listen, I'll keep replacing the magistrate until I find one who does. Tsk tsk, the water in Sanshui County is terrifying when you think about it!

"Um, is it absolutely necessary to go?"

"The imperial transfer order has been issued, so naturally, it is absolutely necessary. Moreover, Sanshui County cannot do without you, Magistrate Shen!" Taking a deep breath, Mr. Chen then looked at Shen Yu and said, "Magistrate Shen, actually, I have a few more things to instruct you on!"

"Understood: keep a low profile in life, keep a low profile in work! Preserve oneself to plan for the future!"

"Uh..." With Shen Yu jumping in with that answer, Mr. Chen was momentarily speechless. What "low profile in life, low profile in work"? You're being sent there to stir things up, not to hide your talents.

"Magistrate Shen, you misunderstand!" Shaking his head, Mr. Chen hurriedly said, "I wanted to tell you that Sanshui County is not like Baian County; the situation there is complex. People's hearts are sinister, and you must think carefully and be extremely cautious in your actions. However, you don't need to concede on everything. You have the imperial court behind you, and a strong backing supporting you!"

"Is that so? Actually, I just want to know, besides giving me the position of Sanshui County Magistrate, what extra support does the imperial court have? For example, a squad of elite Huwe? Or a troop of crack soldiers?"

"This... doesn't Magistrate Shen want to know who is silently supporting you behind the scenes?" Looking up at Shen Yu, Mr. Chen couldn't quite grasp the thought process of this brother; the point of his words was clearly about who was supporting him from behind.

If you don't ask, how can I smoothly bring up the old master's expectations and support for you, and then have you respond with gratitude? One thing leads to another, and the relationship is established. This Magistrate Shen really doesn't understand social nuances; why don't you follow the script?

Also, you are going to be a County Magistrate, not a Governor. An eighth-rank official wanting Huwe and crack soldiers—you're overthinking it!

"Heh, I don't want to!" Seeming to see something in Mr. Chen's expression, Shen Yu gave a light snort and shook his head without hesitation. It was obvious they were sending him to risk his life; did they really expect him to be grateful?

Imperial support, solid backing—if the backing were so solid, how could the two previous magistrates have been killed one after another? Without providing anything practical, they just wanted him to be grateful. Can you run on love? Can "spiritual support" make someone put down a raised blade? They're just spouting nonsense to me.

I bet the previous two magistrates listened to this kind of sweet talk, which is why they felt safe enough to take the post, only to end up like the hero at the Yi River—never to return.

"Actually, I'd rather know which bastard recommended me. Sanshui County has had three magistrates die in a row; it's a time of extreme tension. Whoever goes will be watched like a hawk. Isn't this just setting someone up!"

"Uh..." Hearing Shen Yu's barely audible grumbling, Mr. Chen stood to the side looking incredibly awkward. This person was exactly who he had recommended. Who told you to be so outstanding!

"Got it!" Looking at Mr. Chen's expression, Shen Yu understood. I was wondering how they knew about me; so it was you who recommended me. And you call yourself a scholar—your heart is truly wicked.

Shen Yu really wanted to tell him, "Thanks a lot!" He had already made plans to stay in Baian County long-term. Besides, did they really think he had just been wasting time here? Hadn't they noticed several bandit groups being wiped out nearby recently? That was all Shen Yu doing it secretly in his spare time.

Quietly "bringing justice" in Baian County, quietly checking in, and checking in for another ten or eight years—maybe he would be invincible just by lying low. Who the hell wants to go out and stir up trouble? That's dangerous!

"Magistrate Shen, this matter cannot be changed. Moreover, the old master has high expectations for you. You are known as a master of both the zither and the sword, and your strength is exceptional, so naturally, you will not fail the old master's expectations! As long as you can govern Sanshui County in an orderly fashion, you will surely rise through the ranks in the future."

"Master of both the zither and the sword? How come I didn't know I had this nickname?" He shook his head. It wasn't that the title wasn't impressive, but in all sorts of histories, the louder the title, the more it sounded like a second-rate character just making up the numbers.

Facing the current Shen Yu, Mr. Chen suddenly didn't want to speak. He had already said the old master had high expectations and that with the old master's support, he could rise through the ranks. But the guy just wouldn't take the bait, instead focusing on the nickname. Even with low emotional intelligence, this was too much.

Then Mr. Chen realized that the other party didn't want to accept the favor and was likely harboring resentment. However, this was not up to you; you must go to Sanshui County. Whether you want to or not, you are going!

You little brat, you're rebelling, are you!