Volume Two: The Wise Magistrate Outsmarts the Villainous Local Gentry

The affairs in the capital never reached Zhao Baozhu’s ears.

He had no idea that everyone in the capital, from the emperor himself down to Deng Yun and Fang Qin, had descended into utter chaos over his matter, and that several officials from the Ministry of Personnel had been punished before things were finally settled after more than a month.

Traveling alone with one horse, one carriage, and one sedan chair, Zhao Baozhu simply continued along the official roads. Whenever he had free time, he would take out paper and brush and write letters he planned to send back to the Ye residence after assuming office.

And so, hurrying all the way, by the time he reached the borders of Qingzhou, it was already early summer in the sixth month.

Qingzhou was surrounded by mountains on all sides. The land was rough and uneven, rivers and streams crisscrossed everywhere, and both the wind and the soil carried heavy moisture.

Sitting at the front of the carriage, Zhao Baozhu saw Molin’s hooves sinking laboriously into the soft mud. Feeling distressed, he reached out to stroke the somewhat coarse mane at the back of the horse’s neck and said softly: “Good Molin, we’re almost there. Once we arrive, I’ll get you something tasty to eat.”

Molin seemed to understand. It turned its head slightly and let out a warm puff of breath through its nostrils, its large moist eyes like black grapes.

The horse was remarkably intelligent. Though Zhao Baozhu had originally been afraid of horses, after spending this half month together he had developed genuine affection for it and could not bear to strike it even once along the road.

Another half-day later, Zhao Baozhu finally entered Qingzhou City around noon.

Once inside the city, he simply climbed down from the carriage and led the horse on foot while observing the conditions in Qingzhou all around him.

Qingzhou was remote, poor in resources, and extremely impoverished, this much Zhao Baozhu had heard before. Yet upon seeing it with his own eyes, he realized it truly was as bad as rumored.

By all rights, Qingzhou City should have been the wealthiest city in the entire prefecture. Yet there was barely a soul on the streets. Doors and windows were shut tight everywhere. Only a few scattered peddlers remained by the roadside, while refugees and beggars sat slumped everywhere, each one sallow-faced and emaciated. The entire city looked desolate and ruined.

Seeing this, Zhao Baozhu’s brows knitted tightly together.

Perhaps it was because he had once witnessed the splendor and prosperity of the capital that he now found it even harder to bear the suffering of common people. Especially when he thought of how the food discarded daily by the restaurants of the capital would probably be enough to feed all these refugees, his heart ached even more.

Frowning deeply, he walked forward and took out a string of copper coins from his bundle, distributing them among the beggars by the roadside.

These people had originally been sitting there listlessly in a daze. When they saw Zhao Baozhu tossing handful after handful of copper coins into the iron bowls before them, they were utterly stunned. They did not even know enough to rush after him asking for more.

Only after Zhao Baozhu had gone quite far away did cries of astonishment rise behind him in hoarse voices.

Everywhere along the road he saw scenes of suffering people. Zhao Baozhu’s brows never relaxed once.

At last he arrived before the prefectural yamen. He tied Molin to the corridor outside and looked up.

Before him stood white walls and red pillars, black tiles and green bricks. Stone lions flanked the entrance, and the three-fronted gatehouse had been constructed with great grandeur.

Zhao Baozhu paused briefly before stepping forward to knock. After a while, a servant emerged. Upon seeing the imperial decree in Zhao Baozhu’s hands, he hurriedly welcomed him inside.

Though the prefectural yamen appeared magnificent from the outside, the interior was no less luxurious, pavilions, towers, flowering gardens, and lush greenery were all present in abundance.

But Zhao Baozhu had seen what the Ye residence was like, so he was not particularly astonished by any of it.

The servant walking beside him, however, was inwardly startled. First, he thought this newly arrived jinshi official was exceptionally handsome. Second, although his clothes were rather plain, he truly carried the bearing of a scholar from the capital, completely different from ordinary people.

After all, in Qingzhou, this prefectural yamen was practically equivalent to the imperial palace itself. Most common folk had never seen the palace in their lives, so when they saw the high walls and deep courtyards of the yamen, they already imagined celestial palaces could be no grander than this.

Following the servant, Zhao Baozhu made his way to the government courtroom.

As he crossed the threshold, the light dimmed abruptly.

Narrowing his eyes, he looked upward.

On the raised platform stood a carved wooden screen, an official desk, and a single armchair. Above the beam hung a blue plaque with gold lettering bearing the characters:

A Bright Mirror Hangs High*.
*figuratively referring to a judge or official who is perspicacious, impartial, and just in their judgments

Behind the desk sat the vague silhouette of someone wearing a black official robe embroidered with crane patterns. Presumably this was the Qingzhou Prefect.

Without seeing the man’s face clearly, Zhao Baozhu lowered his gaze and dropped to both knees in a respectful bow.

“This humble Zhao Baozhu pays respects to Lord Prefect.”

The courtroom’s high beams caused his voice to echo several times through the hall.

From atop the platform, the prefect watched this young man in rough hemp clothing perform such a solemn salute. His eyes flickered slightly before he raised his voice: “Quickly help Zhao Jinshi to his feet.”

The servant beside him hurried forward to assist him, but Zhao Baozhu rose on his own and looked toward the platform.

The prefect remained half-hidden in shadow. His build was broad, but his features could not be clearly seen. Judging from his voice, he was over fifty years old and somewhat lacking in vitality, his tone weak and hollow.

Seeing how young Zhao Baozhu looked once he lifted his head, the prefect asked in surprise: “May I ask Zhao Jinshi’s age?”

“This youth is sixteen.”

“Ah.” The prefect lifted his eyelids slightly and slowly shifted his sitting posture. “Zhao Jinshi is truly promising at such a young age.”

Sixteen and already a jinshi, indeed impressive.

But what use was it? the prefect thought coldly. In the end, he would still waste his entire life rotting away in that h*llhole called Wuya County.

Though being younger was perhaps even better. Someone inexperienced would be easier to control.

A series of thoughts passed through the prefect’s mind, though none showed on his face. Turning toward a servant, he ordered: “Bring Zhao Jinshi his things.”

The servant complied and returned shortly after carrying a blue official robe with dark trim and cloud embroidery, a black gauze hat shaped like lotus leaves, a bronze county seal, and a pouch containing five taels of silver as settling funds.

The prefect said: “Now that you have accepted this appointment, you and I are colleagues. Though Wuya County is but a small place, its affairs are manageable enough. In future you must fulfill your duties diligently and keep the county stable. Only then will you be worthy of His Majesty’s trust in assigning you this responsibility.”

If another official had heard these words, he probably would have wept.

On the surface, the prefect sounded as though he were offering encouragement. In truth, however, he was saying: Stay in your place and do not come bothering the prefectural offices.

Ordinarily, officials assigned to remote counties all hoped that after a few years their superiors might recommend them favorably, giving them at least some hope of eventual transfer away from such a miserable place.

But from the prefect’s words today, it sounded not only as though transfer was impossible, even the county’s regular operating funds would likely be impossible to obtain.

A weaker-minded person, upon hearing such devastating implications, might well have fainted on the spot.

But Zhao Baozhu was different.

His expression did not change in the slightest. Holding the official robes in his arms, he knelt properly once more and kowtowed to the prefect.

“Thank you, my lord.”

Seeing how compliant he was, the prefect immediately replied: “No need for such courtesy. Quickly rise.”

This time his tone sounded considerably more genuine.

From the shadows he narrowed his eyes at Zhao Baozhu, inwardly very satisfied.

He thought to himself that the boy was either too bookish or had yet to fully grasp the situation. Either way, it made things convenient for him. Had it been someone more hot-tempered who cried and raged or smashed his head against a pillar, it would only create unnecessary trouble.

Though inwardly pleased, the prefect had no interest in prolonged conversation with Zhao Baozhu. After offering a few more perfunctory words of encouragement, he said: “Escort Lord Zhao out. Since it is still early, and Wuya County is not too far away, you should hurry to your post.”

According to normal etiquette, a newly appointed county magistrate arriving from the capital ought to stay one night at the prefectural offices.

But the prefect understood perfectly well that Zhao Baozhu had already become an abandoned pawn of the court. He could not even be bothered to offer this much courtesy and only wanted to send him away as quickly as possible.

Zhao Baozhu said nothing. He rose, bid farewell, and left.

From beginning to end, his manners remained impeccable and his attitude calm, leaving not a single fault for others to criticize.

Only after he had walked all the way out of the prefectural yamen and the heavy blackwood gates closed behind him did his face abruptly darken.

He had witnessed the people’s suffering all along the road. Qingzhou’s poverty was known throughout the empire, yet this yamen had been built with such extravagant magnificence! Even the incense burned in the courtroom smelled finer than that used in the office of the Ministry of Personnel official back in the capital!

Clearly, there was corruption hidden within.

Zhao Baozhu’s expression turned grim. He glanced at the imposing gate behind him and slowly exhaled, steadying his emotions.

No matter what, he first needed to establish himself firmly before doing anything else.

Reaching up to pat Molin’s shoulder, he said softly: “I’m sorry, but we still have to keep traveling today. Once we reach the county, I’ll definitely let you have a proper meal.”

He was not a fool. Naturally he had seen through the prefect’s perfunctory attitude. As it happened, he himself had no desire to remain in that filthy place any longer either. If he stayed too long, he feared he might not be acble to suppress his temper.

Wearing a dark expression, Zhao Baozhu thought that he truly had learned a few things from Ye Jinghua after all.

At the very least, none of it had shown on his face.

Molin seemed to understand that he was feeling upset. Its pair of horse eyes looked at him gently, and it lightly puffed a breath of warm air onto his face.

Zhao Baozhu sighed, rested his forehead against the horse’s neck, and slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, clarity had returned to them completely. “Let’s go. We won’t stay here any longer.”

***

The man and horse hurried along without pause, finally arriving at Wuya County before sunset. Zhao Baozhu sat on the carriage shaft, looking at the streets bathed in orange-yellow evening light before him. Though it was called a county town, in truth Wuya County only had a single main street running north to south. Along both sides of the street were merely three grain-and-oil shops, two butcher stalls, and one pawnshop. Besides those, there were a few fabric and spice stores, and nothing more. There were no restaurants or taverns, much less any inns or lodgings.

Zhao Baozhu took it all in. Earlier he had heard that Wuya County was cut off from commercial routes, and now it indeed seemed true. If trade routes passed through here, there would certainly be places providing food and lodging within the county.

Still, though the roads here were muddy, a few good horses could still travel through them easily enough. Why was there not even a single merchant caravan?

Zhao Baozhu frowned and silently committed the matter to memory.

Molin, such a tall and handsome steed, was exceedingly eye-catching in a sparsely populated little county like this. Quite a few people on the street noticed him and stopped in their tracks. Zhao Baozhu glanced casually around and saw an old woman standing by the roadside with her little grandson, the child’s mouth hanging open wide enough to swallow an egg. Elsewhere, several mischievous boys came running from the end of the street. The moment they saw the towering black horse, they were so frightened they fell flat onto their backsides.

Watching them, Zhao Baozhu suddenly recalled how he himself had been startled by a horse and fallen to the ground when he first entered the Ye Residence. The corners of his lips curved slightly upward.

But once that thought arose, it became unstoppable. The months gone by suddenly rushed before his eyes like floodwaters breaking through a dam. Zhao Baozhu’s expression froze. He had only been away from the capital for a little over half a month, yet thinking back on his days in the Ye Residence felt like remembering another lifetime. He thought of Fang Qin, Fang Li, Deng Yun, and Steward Li’s anxious face when he had seen him off at the gate, and after circling around and around, his thoughts ultimately settled once more on the sight of Ye Jinghua’s back clad in the zhuangyuan robes.

He wondered how the young master was doing.

Zhao Baozhu’s eyelashes trembled faintly. After placing first in the imperial examination, Ye Jinghua ought to enter the Hanlin Academy. Ye Jinghua had always lived leisurely; every day at home he either read idle books and miscellanies or played around carving gold and jade trinkets. Now that he had to report for official duty every day, Zhao Baozhu wondered whether he was adapting well. Fortunately, Lord Cao was also in the Hanlin Academy, so the two of them could at least look after one another.

Zhao Baozhu was the sort of person who worried easily. After fretting over all sorts of things, he suddenly remembered what kind of person Ye Jinghua was. Why would he need Zhao Baozhu worrying about him? Naturally, Ye Jinghua understood officialdom like the back of his hand. Now that he had obtained the title of zhuangyuan, with Ye Zhizai, Consort Chen, and a whole host of influential relatives behind him, not to mention the Emperor’s favor, he would surely thrive like a fish in water and display his talents fully.

Perhaps within only a few years, the young master would already be wearing crimson robes to court. Zhao Baozhu imagined what Ye Jinghua would look like in the robes of a third-rank official and felt it suited him perfectly. Ye Jinghua looked good in white, but he looked even better in red. From the bottom of his heart, Zhao Baozhu believed Ye Jinghua was born to become a high-ranking official. Now that he had become zhuangyuan, reaching the pinnacle of court power was only a matter of time.

Only, his letter still had not been sent out.

Thinking of this, Zhao Baozhu rubbed at his brow. During the half month of travel, he had already finished writing the letter. Originally, he had planned to find a courier station and send it off after paying respects to the prefectural governor, but in his earlier anger he had completely forgotten about it. Who knew whether Wuya County even had something like a bookshop or courier station?

Zhao Baozhu was still lost in thought when he looked up and suddenly realized he had already arrived at the county yamen gates. He quickly tugged the reins and brought Molin to a stop.

The county office had clearly been abandoned for a long time. Most of the red lacquer on the gates had peeled away, the paint on the pillars was cracked, and fallen leaves littered the threshold. It could not compare in the slightest to the prefectural yamen.

This was already within Zhao Baozhu’s expectations. His expression remained calm. The gates were not locked, so he pushed them open and entered.

The county office consisted of two courtyards. The front courtyard looked as though fallen leaves had been left there unattended for years; winter snowmelt had soaked them through, and now they had rotted into a filthy, mushy mess. Zhao Baozhu looked around and noticed that the trees in the courtyard had withered, cracks had formed in the walls, and holes had appeared in the corners. Fortunately, the foundations still held firm, so it would not collapse anytime soon, though it certainly needed thorough repairs.

After inspecting the courtyard, Zhao Baozhu quickly led Molin toward the back. Since he could not find the stable, he temporarily tied the horse in a corner of the yard and took out feed for it to eat.

Molin had traveled through the night and was exhausted, eating with great relish. Zhao Baozhu watched it for a while before standing up to inspect the main hall.

The central hall facing the front gate had the same layout as a prefectural yamen, only smaller. The furnishings, however, were far inferior. There was no screen behind the raised platform, nor any incense burner or flower vases for decoration. There was only a plain official desk and a chair. Above them hung the plaque reading “A Bright Mirror Hangs Hight,” its colors long faded, dangling precariously as though it might fall at any moment.

Zhao Baozhu looked around and let out a breath of relief. Though the furnishings were old, at least they were still usable.

Passing through the courtroom, he headed into the rear courtyard. This area must once have been the living quarters for the county magistrate, his family, and the servants. The main house connected to two side rooms on either side, with a small courtyard in the middle. In the center stood a dead tree, and besides that there was nothing else. It looked even smaller and more cramped than the servants’ quarters in the back courtyard of the Ye Residence.

Zhao Baozhu, however, was not worried in the slightest. He was alone, with nothing but himself. These few rooms were more than enough.

He walked forward, intending to see what the main room was like and whether he could make do for the night. He reached out and pushed the door open.

Like the front gates, the wooden doors here had long fallen into disrepair. The moment he pushed, they creaked loudly. As the door opened, a cloud of dust flew straight into his face. Zhao Baozhu frowned, closing his eyes as he coughed twice from the choking dust.

The light of dusk streamed in behind him through the doorway. Zhao Baozhu waved a hand in front of his face before finally opening his eyes.

The instant he did, he jumped in fright, there was actually someone inside the room.

Not far away on the bed was a dark, curled-up figure. Judging by the build, it seemed to be a young teenage boy sleeping soundly curled against the bedframe. Zhao Baozhu froze in confusion. Why would there be someone here?

Just then, perhaps awakened by the noise Zhao Baozhu had made, the figure on the bed stirred and slowly turned over. Then, as though he suddenly noticed the silhouette standing in the doorway against the backlight, he froze for a second before springing upright from the bed.

“Y-you, you!”

Zhao Baozhu watched as the boy shot upright like a carp leaping from water. On his dark little face, a pair of striking black-and-white eyes stared at him in terror. “Who are you?! Why are you here?!”

Zhao Baozhu frowned. “That’s what I should be asking you. Who are you? What are you doing in this county office?”

The boy stood stunned for quite a while. Then he suddenly jumped off the bed, grabbed a dried tree branch, and pointed it at Zhao Baozhu with glaring eyes. “Get out! Back off!”

Now Zhao Baozhu was truly astonished. “What are you doing?” He did not retreat and instead barked sternly, “Do you know who I am?”

The boy wore coarse linen clothing and looked about twelve or thirteen years old. Though not very tall, he was exceptionally sturdy. Waving the stick in front of him with impressive momentum, he raised his voice and shouted: “I know exactly who you are! You must’ve been sent by the government to drive me away! I’m telling you, I’m not leaving!”

Seeing his face flushed red and realizing he was beyond reason, Zhao Baozhu worried the boy might accidentally hurt himself with the branch. Frowning, he said, “I never said I was driving you out. Calm down first and put that thing down.”

Naturally, the boy would not listen. Seeing Zhao Baozhu blocking the doorway without any intention of leaving, he roared angrily and charged forward like a furious calf.

This brat! Zhao Baozhu arched a brow sharply. Seizing the right moment, he grabbed the boy’s arm, kicked behind his knee, and instantly pinned him to the ground.

The boy yelped, dropping to his knees with a thump, both arms twisted behind his back and unable to move.

Zhao Baozhu snorted and barked, “Let go!”

Then he pressed down on the boy’s wrist. The boy cried out in pain and immediately dropped the stick, yowling loudly that it hurt. Zhao Baozhu raised his brows and demanded, “Do you submit or not?”

The boy’s eyes filled with tears from the pain, and he hurriedly begged for mercy. “I submit! I submit! Old Master, please let me go–!”

Zhao Baozhu gave a cold huff and released him, pulling him back to his feet. The boy stood up, evidently hurt by the beating, and began sniffling miserably. Feeling Zhao Baozhu looking at him, he immediately lowered his head and wiped his face with his sleeve.

At the sight, Zhao Baozhu noticed several patches sewn onto the sleeve, and his heart softened a little. In a gentler tone, he asked, “Hurts, doesn’t it? Why start fighting without even asking questions first?” He looked the boy up and down before asking, “Were you perhaps a servant here before?”

The boy had still been crying pitifully to himself, but at those words he suddenly stopped and looked up in surprise. “H-how did sir know?”

Zhao Baozhu smiled. “Just a guess. You’re very familiar with this place, and you don’t dress like a beggar, so it seemed likely.”

Though the boy looked down on his luck, he was overall still clean. His clothes were coarse linen, but thick and decently made, not the sort of rags wandering refugees or beggars picked up from the roadside.

The boy’s mouth fell open in amazement. He had not expected this sudden stranger barging in to be so clever, seeing through his identity at a glance. “I…I used to serve the county magistrate here.”

Zhao Baozhu asked, “I heard the county magistrate passed away two years ago. Why are you still here?”

The boy curled his lips downward and lowered his eyes. “Everyone else left. Those black-hearted people stole my severance money. I had nowhere to go and no money. If I didn’t stay here, I’d starve to death!”

Hearing this, Zhao Baozhu understood immediately. Judging from the boy’s age, he would have been even younger two years ago. If trouble arose, there was no way he could compete with the adult servants. Wherever profit could be fought over, bullying by the strong was inevitable.

After a pause, Zhao Baozhu asked, “What’s your name?”

By now the boy had stopped crying. His round dark face shifted slightly as his eyes darted around warily before glancing at Zhao Baozhu. “I still don’t know who you are, sir.”

At that, Zhao Baozhu’s lips curved upward. The kid was quite sharp. He explained, “I’m the newly appointed county magistrate. Since you’ve nowhere to go, why not stay here and continue helping me with work?”

Hearing those words, the boy abruptly lifted his head, eyes widening into circles. “Y-you said you’re the county magistrate?!”

Zhao Baozhu nodded and raised a brow. “What, you don’t believe me?”

The boy stared at him without speaking. He did know that a new county magistrate was supposed to arrive. A few days ago, people from the prefectural yamen had even come to remove the lock from the front gates. Afraid of being discovered, he had climbed over the wall and waited outside until the officials left before crawling back in through a dog hole.

But this person was the new magistrate? The boy eyed Zhao Baozhu suspiciously. This person looked only a couple years older than himself, slender, fair-skinned, looking like a delicate scholar. Although that grappling move earlier had hurt badly, the boy still found it hard to believe this was truly the new county magistrate.

Seeing his expression, Zhao Baozhu could not be bothered wasting words. He directly took out his appointment documents, official robes, and seal for the boy to inspect. “Believe me now?”

Things like official documents and seals could not be faked. Only then did the boy finally believe him. With a thump, he dropped to his knees and kowtowed. “Ah Long greets the county magistrate.”

Before Zhao Baozhu could stop him, the boy had already banged his head against the floor three times in quick succession. “I beg the magistrate to forgive this blind fool for failing to recognize you.”

“Oh my.” Zhao Baozhu hurriedly bent down to pull him up. “The ground is filthy, get up quickly. You didn’t know me. Ignorance is no crime; there’s nothing for me to forgive.”

The boy was sturdy. Even after knocking his head so hard, there was not a single mark on his forehead when he stood back up. His eyes shone brightly as he looked at Zhao Baozhu. There were no candles lit in the main room, and the light was dim, so Zhao Baozhu led him into the hall and sat down, preparing to question him properly. “What characters are used for your name?”

As he spoke, Zhao Baozhu began sorting through the belongings in his bundle. Yet after a long while, no reply came. Puzzled, he turned his head and saw the boy staring at him in astonishment, gaze fixed on his face with a dazed expression.

Zhao Baozhu frowned. “Why are you staring at me? I’m asking you a question. Is there a flower on my face or something?”

The boy jolted back to himself. Earlier there had been no candlelight in the room, and Zhao Baozhu had been standing against the backlight, making his features impossible to see clearly. But now, seated in the hall with bright candlelight illuminating his face, the boy was so shocked his jaw nearly dropped.

The magistrate’s face was white as jade, his cheeks pale as snow. His willow-like brows were dark and elegant, and beneath long lashes like little fans rested a pair of catlike eyes. He looked every inch a beauty.