Chapter 266: Human Drying

The Compassionate People Society's slave‑born Zhao Sanshi, clad in a thousand‑fold whale‑skin armor, stood behind his own Emperor, holding a large black whale‑bone umbrella.

Transforming into a seven‑zhang‑eight iron‑stone giant, he twisted and snatched the reins of the Flower Dragon Beast from his subordinate, pulling the docile mount to Zhang Gui's side.

Zhang Gui flipped onto his horse, shook his head, and said, "Let's go."

He shook the reins, not letting the Flower Dragon Beast gallop wildly, but instead strolling slowly toward Shanhai Xiancheng.

"Indeed, reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles; of course I haven't read that many books either."

Anyway, although Jilu Province of the Ming Song Kingdom counts as part of Dongsheng Continent, it is an anciently fertile land.

However, Yanxi Commandery is one of the few remote, impoverished mountains in Jilu Province, and Shanhai County is a desolate ridge within Yanxi Commandery.

I've been down in the county for an unknown number of years.

So I thought that if the villages outside the county town could cobble together a Ten Thousand Household of laborers, that would be remarkable.

Who would have thought there could be over three hundred thousand young strong men.

He sauntered leisurely forward in the rain, murmuring softly.

Images of those mountain hamlets and villages where people were salted with coarse salt rose in his mind, and he couldn't help clenching his teeth,

"Although slaves in the Ming Song Kingdom are not entered into the 'Civil Register', massacre is still a death sentence.

Even if my lineage, the Pingyang Zhang Family I grew up in, traces back to the Ancient God Kuafu.

Within five hundred years, my ancestors produced a generation of the noble clan whose Prime Minister 'balanced the yin and yang of the world'.

Unless the trouble is truly disgraceful, even after several years one might not be able to summon the authorities for a criminal case, let alone beat a slave to death with a staff.

But I never expected that in such a remote, impoverished corner, during barren years they slaughter elderly slaves, carve out their bones and eat the meat, a practice that has been customary since antiquity.

Truly, this is a marvel of All Under Heaven.

The dead can be used as material, but the living cannot be food; they don't even understand such reasoning.

They deserve to have our lit sky lantern set upon them!

Transforming into a giant and staying behind his own Emperor, Zhao Sanshi, who held that canopy‑like large umbrella, heard the words and muttered in a low voice:

"Your Majesty's words are the bright heavenly principle; they are always correct."

"I am not always right either.

All people under Heaven must become 'Everyone Like a Dragon'; only then the human race has hope. The young strong men we just rescued, indeed, also include you."

"Yes, Your Majesty's words are as bright as heavenly principle; you say that all people under Heaven must become 'Everyone Like a Dragon', and in the future the human race will indeed become everyone like dragons."

Earlier, Zhang Gui had almost been crushed by heaven and earth for uttering the four words 'Everyone Like a Dragon'.

Yet now he can speak casually and remain unharmed, showing that he switched tracks at the last minute, running to the northern Beiguo of the Ming Song Kingdom to fleece the populace, which was a perfect match.

However, the laborers he fleeced are inexperienced, suffering commoner youths.

It is easy for them to develop a deep‑rooted 'idol' worship complex toward their rescuer.

This runs contrary to the 'human rights equality' in the Civilized Path theme that Zhang Gui created.

He used to be proud of this, but now he is deeply depressed.

But the thoughts in a person's heart cannot even be controlled by themselves, let alone by others.

Therefore Zhang Gui, having no other recourse, felt an unnamed fire flare, and he turned the conversation:

"I now assume the role of a Prince of a Vassal State of the Ming Song Kingdom, a Barbarian Official Dragon‑Tiger Opening General.

And you are the arm‑support I invited from overseas allied nations; being overly respectful might expose a flaw.

Stone Corpse—no, it should be called Goldstone Soldiers—let their transformations disperse, and don't hold the whale‑bone umbrella."

"Yes." Zhao Sanshi folded away the whale‑bone umbrella and returned to a normal human stature.

At this moment, Zhang Gui's party was less than five hundred steps from Shanhai Xiancheng.

The gate‑keeper Zhao Tou and Ding Qi Ya had just dealt with the fake Earth Ghost weeds.

Unexpectedly, before they could catch their breath, they saw a group of people strolling in the rain.

At the front was a noble riding an exotic beast;

Behind him followed an armored giant general holding an umbrella;

On both sides were clusters of about a hundred armored soldiers, making him swallow a mouthful of saliva.

"Zhao Tou, what kind of disguise is this, wearing a straw‑woven raincoat and riding an exotic beast?"

"Hold your tongue later; that person is riding a Flower Dragon Beast, and its appearance is elegant.

Usually, the mounts of the 'Small Star Commander' or even the 'Flat Star Commander' in the Flower Dragon Cavalry cannot compare.

One can see how distinguished the identity is.

The armored soldiers beside them are probably our unknown elite special troops.

Not to mention the straw‑woven raincoat; even if they came bare‑bottomed, we would still have to keep our distance and greet them from afar.

Otherwise, in these times it would be courting death.

After Zhao Tou finished instructing his inexperienced subordinates, he saw the giant general behind the noble riding the transformed dragon cavalry retreat, his Divine Ability dissipating.

He hurriedly wiped his face, gathered his damp hair, and promptly adopted a respectful expression.

He darted out of the doorway, running to meet Zhang Gui at his horse.

With clasped hands he saluted, bowed deeply, "I am Zhao Gancheng, Gate Guard of Yanxi Commandery, Mountain Sea County, I have seen you, noble."

Zhang Gui gave a faint smile, brushed aside the raincoat at his waist, revealing the crimson‑purple official robes beneath.

He clearly watched Zhao Tou with his head lowered, his eyes never glancing at Zhang Gui.

But in an instant he shifted from a respectful bow to a deep kowtow, "I, the subordinate, pay my respects, sir."

Zhang Gui actually despises being treated as a 'clay‑born stone‑carved' for kowtowing.

Yet in extraordinary times, one must act extraordinarily.

Having received this head, who knows how many words could be saved.

"Is the county magistrate of your county still in the yamen?"

"Reporting, sir, the county magistrate and the county captain are still here, but the assistant magistrate has already left."

"These days, for a county to still have two of the three officials—magistrate, assistant magistrate, and captain—is already quite rare."

"It seems your county seat is far more peaceful than the outskirts."

"You get up."

"Take me to the county yamen; I want to see your county magistrate."

Sensing that Zhang Gui's tone was off, Zhao Tou quickly scrambled to his feet, leading the way ahead;

while carefully explaining:

"Sir, with your permission, our Shan River County, at the founding of the Ming‑Song dynasty, was the territory of the barbarian state Shan River Great East Sea,"

"Later, King Yan swept north and turned this area into Jiban Prefecture, jointly governed by Local Officials and Rotating Officials."

"Subsequently, Grand Minister Zhang Siwei implemented the 'Convert Local to Rotating' reform, and only then was it organized as a county."

"However, the county seat is somewhat better; outside the city remains the domain of the barbarian tribal chiefs, practically ungovernable."

"Throughout the ages it has been so; no wonder our County Magistrate Fan."

"Is that so? It seems County Magistrate Fan is well supported by your auxiliary officials."

"He is, however, a rare good official," Zhao Tou forced himself to say a compliment.

The two continued their conversation as they entered the main street of Shanhai Xiancheng.

But the road beneath them was still not spacious; two four‑wheeled carriages side by side would likely jam completely.

Of course, in such a remote county, it is unlikely anyone would even use a four‑wheeled carriage frame.

On either side of the street were either stone houses smoothed from mountain rocks, or raised wooden houses on stilts.

About half of them were two‑story structures; the rest were either single‑story or three‑story.

They looked chaotic and unplanned.

Yet ninety percent were still inhabited, and even merchants were conducting business inside.

Thus, County Magistrate Fan truly possessed some skill in pacifying the people and safeguarding the region.

(End of chapter)