Th-this magistrate was far too delicate-looking!
The boy’s face flushed red all at once. He felt this county magistrate looked even prettier than the dan-role opera actor who had performed at the You family’s wedding banquet some time ago.
The instant that thought appeared, his heart trembled violently, and he secretly pinched his own thigh hard. He must have eaten the gall of a bear and a leopard! How dare he compare the magistrate to an opera actor? He deserved death!
“M-my name is Ah Long,” he said quickly, lowering his head and no longer daring to look at Zhao Baozhu’s face. “Long as in prosperity.”
Zhao Baozhu gave him a strange look but eventually withdrew his gaze, dipping his brush in ink and writing the name onto xuan paper.
“What’s your surname?”
Head lowered, Ah Long replied, “I don’t have one. I was sold here by slave traders when I was little. I don’t know my surname.”
Zhao Baozhu’s brush paused. He looked at the boy once before saying nothing further. “Then I’ll just call you Ah Long.”
Ah Long nodded vaguely, barely hearing what Zhao Baozhu was saying anymore. His entire mind was occupied with wondering how there could be a man in the world who looked like this, and how someone so refined had ended up in their poor, backwater county. Whoever had sent him here truly had a cruel heart.
Unaware of the thoughts running through his head, Zhao Baozhu focused on finishing the contract in front of him. After writing it out and stamping it with his seal, he handed it over for the boy to inspect. “Take a look. If there’s anything you don’t like, we can change it.”
At those words, Ah Long slowly lifted his head, though he still did not dare look directly at Zhao Baozhu. Taking the paper in hand, the first words he saw were “living contract.”
Under the Yuanzhi Dynasty, there were two kinds of contracts: living contracts and death contracts. A “living contract” had a fixed term, renewed every two or three years. When the term expired, the servant could negotiate with the employer again. If discussions went well, wages might even increase; if not, the contract simply would not be renewed.
A “death contract,” however, was far harsher. Once signed, it was permanent. The only way for it to end was if the employer dismissed the servant, or one of the two parties died.
When Ah Long had been sold into Wuya County by slave traders, the contract he signed with the former magistrate had been precisely this kind of death contract. He had been meant to serve the county office until death. Fortunately, the magistrate had died first, leaving Ah Long a free man. Although he no longer suffered daily beatings and bullying from the older servants, he also no longer received wages. For the past two years, Ah Long had survived on old grain left in the county granary, plus whatever discarded vegetable scraps and bits of tofu he could scavenge outside.
But now, written clearly on the living contract Zhao Baozhu handed him, was this:
Monthly wages of three strings of coins. Food and lodging included at the county office. Additional bonuses of two hanging strings of coins during holidays and festivals. A three-year term, with renewal to be discussed later.
The moment Ah Long read it, his eyes widened, and the hands holding the contract began trembling.
Three strings of coins!
When he served under the old magistrate, he earned only half a string a month, and much of that was stolen by the older servant boys and maids. He had been at a growing age, and the money barely sufficed to buy enough food to keep from starving. Even apprentices at the county’s most profitable pawnshop only earned one string a month. Yet Zhao Baozhu had casually offered three.
“Th-this…” Ah Long was overwhelmed with joy yet unable to believe such good fortune could truly fall upon him. Forgetting everything else, he looked up hopefully at Zhao Baozhu. “M-magistrate… are you truly serious?”
Zhao Baozhu looked at him gently. “Of course I am.”
After all, along the journey he had lived frugally, and the twenty taels Steward Li had secretly stuffed into his hands before departure remained untouched. In addition, he still had the silver allocated by various government offices, so financially he was fairly comfortable.
Now, seeing Ah Long’s delighted expression, Zhao Baozhu was reminded of the first time he himself had received monthly wages at the Ye Residence. The Ye family’s treatment of him had left a deep impression, and he had learned some things from it. Now he understood the importance of treating servants generously.
As he spoke, he took out one string of coins and handed it to Ah Long.
“Take this for now. Tomorrow morning, go buy some necessities. I can see your clothes have been worn for quite a while.”
Ah Long was so emotional he could barely speak. His dark face flushed bright red, and he immediately knelt down again, kowtowing three more times. “Thank you for your great kindness, Magistrate! Thank you for your great kindness!”
“Ah…” Zhao Baozhu hurried to pull him up again. “Why do you kneel at every turn? Stop kneeling already.”
This was Zhao Baozhu’s first time being an official. In the past, he had always been the one kneeling to others. Now that Ah Long kept kneeling to him over and over, he still was not used to it.
Ah Long instantly turned into a happy little puppy, bustling around Zhao Baozhu with enthusiasm. One moment he was arranging food, the next fetching water for Zhao Baozhu to wash up with. Watching him, Zhao Baozhu almost felt as though a great wagging tail might sprout from behind the boy at any second and start drawing circles in the air.
It was already late, so there was no time for proper cleaning. Master and servant simply tidied the main room and side chamber enough to sleep in, then dug out the least-worn old bedding they could find and made do for the night.
***
The next morning, the moment Zhao Baozhu opened his eyes, he smelled firewood smoke in the air.
The kitchens at the Ye Residence had been far from the inner courtyards, and ever since moving into Ruilai Courtyard, Zhao Baozhu had not smelled such scents again. Now, suddenly catching that familiar fragrance, he felt unexpectedly nostalgic. Back home, he had also woken every day to the smell of his father burning firewood.
He shifted slightly and climbed up from the bed, but the moment he sat upright, he hissed in pain.
The bed here was made from the most ordinary wood, naturally nowhere near as comfortable as the fine rosewood and nanmu beds in the Ye Residence. The bedding was damp and no longer soft. After a single night’s sleep, Zhao Baozhu woke with aching back and sore waist. He had tossed and turned through troubled dreams, and his eyes felt painfully dry.
Supporting his forehead, Zhao Baozhu took a long while before finally getting up, secretly shaking his head.
It truly was easy to go from frugality to luxury, but difficult to return from luxury to frugality. His bones had already been softened by the Ye Residence’s golden comforts.
Wiping away the cold sweat he had slept into, Zhao Baozhu changed into his official robes before heading outside. In the front hall, Ah Long had already prepared breakfast. On the table sat a large basin of coarse rice porridge, a small dish of smashed cucumbers, and two white flour buns. There was not the slightest trace of meat. Compared to the meals even the servants ate at the Ye Residence, it was like heaven and earth apart.
Yet upon seeing it, Zhao Baozhu actually sighed in relief.
This was how he used to eat back at home as well. Only now, seeing such a meal again, did he finally feel his feet touching solid ground. The luxurious silks and rich foods of the Ye Residence truly seemed like a fleeting dream now, already drifting far away from him.
“Old Master, please sit and eat,” Ah Long urged eagerly.
Zhao Baozhu walked over, sat down, and picked up his chopsticks. Then he noticed Ah Long still standing off to the side and looked up. “Why aren’t you sitting down? Already eaten?”
Gone was the fierceness of the boy who had threatened him with a stick yesterday. He now stood meekly at the side like a docile little puppy, smiling shyly. “I’ll eat after the Master finishes.”
Zhao Baozhu glanced at him and lightly tapped the edge of the table with his chopsticks. “Why separate things so strictly? Sit down and eat. Afterward, there’s work for you to do.”
Ah Long paused, carefully observing Zhao Baozhu’s expression. Only after confirming he truly meant it did he slowly sit down. Even then, he did not dare touch the white flour buns, only scooping at the coarse rice porridge before him.
So Zhao Baozhu picked up one bun and stuffed it into his hands. “Eat. Must I personally invite you?”
Ah Long accepted the bun and looked at Zhao Baozhu gratefully. In his heart he thought, This new magistrate is not only beautiful, but kindhearted too. Could all jinshi officials be like this? Perhaps those sayings about “within books lie houses of gold” truly did make sense.
Though they had known each other for only a day, Ah Long already felt deep admiration for Zhao Baozhu. He tore off a piece of the bun and stuffed it into his mouth. The sweet fragrance of fine wheat flour spread across his tongue, and suddenly his nose stung. Two streams of tears rolled down his cheeks.
While eating, Zhao Baozhu suddenly saw him crying and widened his eyes in surprise. “We’re eating right now, why are you crying? Are you still not full? Then take this one too and eat it.”
Ah Long hurriedly wiped away his tears with his sleeve, mumbling through a full mouth as he refused. “N-no, I’m just too happy. I haven’t eaten white flour buns in so long.”
Sniffling, he finished the bun in several quick bites before gazing at Zhao Baozhu with teary admiration. “Magistrate treats me so well!”
At those words, Zhao Baozhu’s eating motions paused slightly. After a long moment, he lowered his head and continued drinking his porridge. “This counts as treating you well?”
Ah Long did not catch the faint trace of melancholy in his voice and nodded vigorously. “Old Master is a good person.”
They had only just met, yet he was already saying such things. Zhao Baozhu curved his lips slightly and glanced at Ah Long, who was happily stuffing himself with food. Still just a child, after all. Ah Long had a lively temperament; even while eating, he could not resist curiously asking Zhao Baozhu questions.
“Old Master, did you come from the capital? Is the capital very big?”
Zhao Baozhu took a sip of porridge and nodded. “Yes. Enormous.”
Ah Long asked again, “There must be lots of people, right? Do the people on the streets all wear silk clothes?”
“Not exactly.” Zhao Baozhu replied. Then after thinking for a moment, he added, “Rich families wear silk clothing.”
Every piece of clothing Ye Jinghua had given him had been made from the finest chen silkworm silk, light and breathable in summer.
Hearing that, Ah Long sighed in envy. “That sounds wonderful.” Then he asked again, “I’ve also heard that the nobles in the capital eat things like ginseng, cinnamon, bird’s nest, and shark fin soup. Is that true?”
Zhao Baozhu thought of the lavish spreads at the Ye family dining table and nodded.
Ah Long’s eyes sparkled, as though his soul had already flown away to the capital itself. “Those must be flavors people like us could never even imagine.”
At those words, Zhao Baozhu paused. He lifted his chopsticks and picked up a slice of smashed cucumber. “Not necessarily.”
Ah Long’s eyes lit up immediately. “Old Master, you’ve eaten them before?”
Zhao Baozhu nodded. “I’ve eaten bird’s nest. It’s not particularly interesting.”
Ye Jinghua had insisted he eat it, but Zhao Baozhu never thought it tasted like much of anything. Secretly, he felt this bowl of coarse rice porridge before him was better.
Ah Long let out a confused “Oh,” inwardly wondering how something more expensive than gold could possibly taste bad. At the same time, he secretly studied Zhao Baozhu.
Though they had known each other only a short while, Ah Long had already realized Zhao Baozhu was no ordinary scholar. First there was the noble air about him, and then the things he wore and carried.
Ah Long glanced at the item hanging from Zhao Baozhu’s waist. Though he wore nothing more than an ordinary official robe, the little jade rabbit ornament at his belt was obviously made of excellent material, delicate and exquisitely carved, lifelike in expression.
For no reason at all, Ah Long felt that his new magistrate must have encountered some sort of great fortune in the capital. Yet he could not understand why, if that were so, Zhao Baozhu had ended up banished to such a poor place. In the end, he simply stopped thinking about it, while the admiration in his heart for Zhao Baozhu deepened even further.
After breakfast, Ah Long rose to clear the dishes, only for Zhao Baozhu to grab him. “Don’t go yet. I have something to ask you.”
Ah Long sat back down. Zhao Baozhu’s expression grew more serious as he said: “I’ve only just arrived and don’t know the situation here. Tell me about this place.”
Ah Long was naturally willing. Once he got going, he explained the conditions in Wuya County in detail. It was much as Zhao Baozhu had expected: Wuya County lay off the trade routes. Under its jurisdiction were six rural roads. The region mainly produced rice and tea, while also raising some poultry and livestock. In the county town itself there were three cloth shops, two butcher stalls, several grain-and-oil stores, and one pawnshop. Beyond that, there was little else. If one wanted to send a letter or attend the county school, one had to travel to the neighboring county.
The more Zhao Baozhu listened, the tighter his brows furrowed. By the sound of it, Wuya County was even worse off than Shannan County, where he had once lived. At least Shannan County had a county school, taverns, and inns. Though the roads through the Shu Mountains were difficult, there were still one or two caravans passing through each year. Wuya County, meanwhile, had none of that at all.
Unable to help himself, Zhao Baozhu frowned and asked, “How can there not even be a single merchant caravan?”
Ah Long swallowed a mouthful of porridge. Though there were clearly only the two of them in the county office, he still craned his neck to glance toward the door before lowering his voice.
“Old Master doesn’t know. Our county may be small, but there’s a wealthy local gentry family surnamed You. They say the family has been here for over a hundred years. Of the three cloth shops in town, two belong to them. The grain-and-oil stores and the pawnshop are all theirs too.”
Hearing this, Zhao Baozhu’s brow twitched faintly. Slowly lifting his eyes, he already had a guess as to what Ah Long would say next.
Sure enough, Ah Long continued: “The old folks in the villages say there used to be merchant caravans here. But years ago, once the You family started doing cloth business, they refused to let outsiders sell goods. I heard… they even sent people out disguised as bandits to rob several caravans. They burned entire carts of fine cloth in one fire. After a few incidents like that, outside merchants stopped daring to come.”
By the time Ah Long finished speaking, Zhao Baozhu’s face had already darkened like the bottom of a pot. Ah Long instinctively lowered his voice further as Zhao Baozhu asked: “And no one cared that they behaved this way?”
“Who would dare?” Ah Long sighed as he spoke. “I advise Old Master not to interfere either. The You family is incredibly overbearing. They say their ancestors married into the prefect’s family, so they have powerful backing and fear nothing! Anyone who gets in their way gets killed casually, like it’s nothing. And if anyone tried to arrest people at their estate, the place is fortified like an iron barrel. I’m afraid it would take an entire army just to break in!”
Ah Long’s words were somewhat exaggerated. No matter how influential the You family’s connections in the prefecture were, they could not truly have built their estate like a fortress. Yet stripping away the embellishments, the facts alone, that the You clan monopolized commerce and could casually kill others, were enough to reveal how completely the You family dominated Wuya County.
Zhao Baozhu’s expression grew darker and darker until Ah Long no longer dared make a sound. Finally, Zhao Baozhu slammed a hand onto the table. “There’s actually such a thing!”
Ah Long jumped in fright. He hurriedly stood up, shut the front doors, then returned and whispered to Zhao Baozhu: “Old Master, please lower your voice. What if the You family hears and comes looking for trouble?”
Zhao Baozhu’s face remained gloomy. He looked up at Ah Long and saw the genuine fear on the boy’s face, which only made him realize more clearly how terrifying the You clan’s influence truly was.
The hand pressed against the table slowly clenched into a fist. His expression shifted several times before the anger was finally hidden away.
“I understand.” After a pause, he looked at Ah Long. “Still, thank you for warning me.”
Hearing that, Ah Long assumed Zhao Baozhu had truly taken his advice and would not meddle in the You family’s affairs. Relieved, he sat back down.
“Old Master is too polite. I wasn’t born here after all. If Magistrate wants to know more things, it’d be better to ask some of the old folks around town. But… when it comes to the You family, the people of the county probably won’t dare say much. They say the previous magistrate tried to deal with them in his earlier years here, but the very first case he handled ended badly for him. After that, he stopped caring altogether.”
Zhao Baozhu listened with an unreadable expression, neither dark nor light, impossible to tell whether he had truly taken the words to heart. Ah Long continued talking to himself, then suddenly seemed to remember something. Smacking his forehead, he leapt up from the chair.
“Ah! I forgot something important!”
Zhao Baozhu looked up at him in confusion. Before he could ask what it was, Ah Long had already dashed outside. In less than half a quarter-hour, he came hurrying back holding an envelope.
The moment Zhao Baozhu saw it, he recognized the Ye Residence seal wax at a glance, and his heart suddenly skipped.
“This letter arrived several days ago,” Ah Long explained while handing it over. “They said it was for the newly appointed county magistrate. I didn’t know who it belonged to, so I kept it.” He pointed at the inked characters on the envelope. “Old Master, is this your name?”
Zhao Baozhu took it and saw written clearly on the front:
“To County Magistrate Zhao Baozhu of Wuya County, Qingzhou Prefecture.”
“It’s mine.” Zhao Baozhu stared at the envelope in delight. The letter from the Ye Residence had arrived so quickly, even before he himself had arrived, the letter had reached first.
It must have been written by the young master.
Zhao Baozhu’s heart shook. He immediately told Ah Long, “Quick, bring me the letter opener.”
Seeing how overjoyed Zhao Baozhu was, Ah Long became even more convinced that his magistrate had powerful ties in the capital. He turned and fetched a small knife, then watched as Zhao Baozhu carefully sliced open the wax seal and withdrew the letter paper.
The moment it came out, Ah Long inwardly gasped.
So thick! There were at least five or six sheets. Just how much did this person have to say?
Zhao Baozhu unfolded the paper and saw Ye Jinghua’s handwriting immediately. The very first line read:
“Personally open by Baozhu.”
The moment he saw those four words, a rush of warmth surged through Zhao Baozhu’s heart, as though spring rain had swept gently across it, soothing and comforting him entirely.
The young master truly had been thinking of him.
Zhao Baozhu hurriedly read on. In the very first paragraph, Ye Jinghua asked whether he had arrived safely, how his lodgings were, whether he was eating well, whether he was sleeping well. Zhao Baozhu was deeply moved. The young master had always been thoughtful and especially considerate toward him. Leaving without saying goodbye that day must surely have worried him terribly.
Holding the letter paper, Zhao Baozhu continued reading quickly while already thinking he must find a courier station as soon as possible and send his reply.
Yet just as he was reading, the noise outside suddenly grew louder and louder.
The county office was not large, and the surrounding courtyard walls were low. The trees had all withered too, so any sound from outside carried in easily. Earlier Zhao Baozhu had heard some voices and assumed people were simply beginning their morning routines, so he had paid no attention. But now the voices grew increasingly loud, faintly reaching the level of a bustling uproar.
Zhao Baozhu frowned and said to Ah Long, “Why is it so noisy? Go see what’s happening.”
As he spoke, he looked over and saw Ah Long wearing an awkward expression, almost embarrassed. After hesitating for a long time, Ah Long finally said sheepishly: “Magistrate… when I went to the morning market earlier to buy buns, everyone kept asking who the person riding the black horse into town yesterday was. S-so I told them. I said it was the newly appointed County Magistrate Zhao.”
Ah Long spoke vaguely, but the truth was that nobody even needed to ask. The moment he went to buy buns, he had practically wanted the entire county to know a beautiful new magistrate had arrived!
The people of Wuya County originally held deep resentment toward government officials. The previous magistrate had served there for more than ten years, yet he had only feared the You family and been frightened out of his wits. Whenever commoners suffered injustice, he had never once stepped forward to uphold fairness. Thus, when Ah Long spoke of the new magistrate, most people initially had little interest.
But everyone loved beauty.
When Ah Long described the new magistrate as beautiful as an immortal, one by one the people became curious after all.
Embarrassed, Ah Long muttered, “Probably… everyone wants to come see what the new magistrate looks like.”
Zhao Baozhu had no idea what sort of exaggerated tales Ah Long had been spreading behind his back. He merely assumed the townspeople wished to meet the new magistrate. After pondering briefly, he stood up. “That works out well enough. Come with me, we’ll go take a look.”
Ah Long followed behind Zhao Baozhu. When they reached the entrance and pushed open the gates, they found the front of the county office packed densely with people.
At the very least, there were several hundred gathered there.
They were all ordinary townsfolk living in Wuya County. The moment they saw the crimson gates of the county office open and a slender youth in a dark green official robe embroidered with mandarin ducks step out, sunlight fell across his face, flashing briefly against the tip of his delicate, upturned nose.
Everyone froze at once. The crowd instantly fell silent.
Zhao Baozhu had not expected so many people either, and he too stopped short in surprise.
Thus the two groups stood facing one another wordlessly. Only after quite some time did whispers gradually begin spreading through the crowd:
“…That’s the new magistrate?”
“He’s really handsome… Ah Long that brat truly wasn’t lying…”
“Oh my… how can someone grow up looking like that? Like a person from a painting.”
Though shocked, no one dared speak loudly. Never in their little county had they seen someone so striking. This new magistrate looked even more refined than the child attendant statues beside Guanyin in the temples. His figure was elegant and well-proportioned, and there was that unmistakable noble air about him, if not for the official robe he wore, he would look exactly like some pampered young master from a wealthy household.
Such a person was actually their new magistrate?
The crowd pressed together, staring at Zhao Baozhu as though he were some immortal from a heavenly realm. They wanted to discuss him, but since Zhao Baozhu himself remained silent, none of them dared speak first. They feared their rough, uncouth words might somehow disturb this young master who looked as though he had stepped straight out of a painting.
Even the resentment they had initially felt toward the new magistrate gradually faded away.
Though they distrusted the government and believed county magistrates were all the same sort who took benefits from both the common people and the You clan alike, they found themselves unable to say harsh things in front of such a beauty. The wariness in their eyes slowly disappeared as well. Instead, they merely gazed at Zhao Baozhu quietly with the sort of admiring fascination one reserved for an exquisite object displayed beneath glass.
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