As summer neared its end, the weather in Qingzhou gradually became cooler. After the hour of chen, dark clouds often gathered across the sky.
While the Tao brothers were occupied elsewhere, Zhao Baozhu and Ah Long went door to door returning the excess taxes collected during the current season.
The two pushed a small cart along, knocking on each household according to the account records.
The first home belonged to an elderly farmer.
Because of his diligence, he had once managed to buy property in the county town and lived quite prosperously. But in recent years, much of his farmland had been seized by the You family. His life had become increasingly difficult, and the family had already planned to sell their town house after the New Year and move back to the countryside.
Yet unexpectedly, the newly appointed Magistrate Zhao suddenly appeared at their door and returned the taxes they had already paid!
The old farmer, over seventy years old, stared at the handsome young official standing outside with a cart full of grain, saying he had come to return it. His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
Since when had the government ever spit back out taxes once swallowed?!
Zhao Baozhu had to spend quite a while persuading the old man before he would finally accept the grain and silver.
The moment the old farmer took the tax bags and saw the gleaming silver inside, along with the mountain of grain piled behind them, his legs immediately gave out and he dropped to his knees before Zhao Baozhu. “A righteous official! A righteous official of the heavens!”
Tears streamed down his face. Ignoring Ah Long’s attempts to stop him, he repeatedly kowtowed to Zhao Baozhu.
What he bowed to was not merely a good official. This tax refund represented his family’s livelihood, the food that would sustain them through winter, the money to hire a doctor if his little granddaughter developed a fever, the support his second daughter-in-law would need during pregnancy, all of it depended on the returned taxes.
How could Zhao Baozhu possibly accept such kowtows? He hurriedly bent down to help the old man up. “Elder, please rise quickly! Ah, you’re shortening my lifespan by doing this!”
The old farmer’s face was drenched in tears. His lips trembled so badly he could barely speak as he clutched Zhao Baozhu’s hand.
“Lord Qingtian… this kindness… I truly don’t know how an old sack of bones like me could ever repay you. If not for you, then if we were fortunate, perhaps we might barely survive the winter. If not… then sooner or later one or two people in the family would die.”
“My old life is worth little… but my poor little granddaughter…”
At that point tears flowed from the corners of his eyes again, and he could not continue speaking. He lowered his head trembling and wiped hard at his eyes.
Looking at the elderly man’s dark face weathered by years of labor, Zhao Baozhu’s nose stung and his own eyes reddened slightly.
“There’s no need for this, elder. My… my father was also a farmer. I understand all the hardships. These things should have been returned to you in the first place. Just accept them.”
The old farmer thanked him over and over again before finally accepting the taxes that had always belonged to him.
In the end, he cried so hard he nearly collapsed and had to be helped back inside by his eldest son and daughter-in-law.
Standing at the doorway, Zhao Baozhu let out a long sigh. His willow-like brows furrowed slightly as he slowly closed his eyes.
Seeing this, Ah Long asked with concern: “Old Master, is something wrong?”
Turning back around, Zhao Baozhu’s expression appeared calm, but his brows were tightly drawn.
“Look,” he said to Ah Long. “This grain and silver were originally earned through that old man’s blood and sweat. The local gentry and officials exploited it away from him, that was already wrong.”
“And now that I’ve merely returned what rightfully belonged to him, he still feels overwhelming gratitude.”
Ah Long listened with a confused expression. He seemed to vaguely grasp something, yet not fully understand.
In his understanding of the world, government officials acted entirely according to conscience. Common people could only be ground down between officials and local gentry, while their fortunes and disasters depended wholly upon fate.
What was truly deserved? What was undeserved?
He could not make sense of it.
Zhao Baozhu did not continue explaining either. He merely shook his head and moved on to knock at the next household.
Most commoners reacted just like the old farmer, kneeling, kowtowing, and tearfully expressing gratitude before finally accepting the returned taxes.
But not everyone reacted the same way.
At the fifth household, it was a scholar in blue robes who opened the door. His face was pale, his frame thin and tall. After hearing Zhao Baozhu’s explanation, he immediately said directly: “Young Lord Zhao, I cannot accept this. Please take it back.”
Zhao Baozhu had never expected someone to refuse so decisively and was stunned on the spot. “Wh-what is the reason for this?”
The scholar stared steadily at Zhao Baozhu.
His complexion was pale to the point of bluishness, making his eyes seem especially dark and deep. After a long moment, he spoke quietly: “Has Your Lord considered how you will explain matters to the prefect once you return all this extra thirty percent of taxes to the people?”
Looking directly at Zhao Baozhu, he continued slowly: “Your Lord has shown this commoner great kindness. I absolutely cannot let Your Lord place yourself in such danger because of me.”
This time Zhao Baozhu was genuinely shocked.
But his surprise was not because of what the scholar had said. Rather, he was astonished that the scholar had been able to think that far ahead. Most ordinary people, when forced to pay excess taxes, would only complain that the county magistrate was corrupt or that the local gentry were tyrannical. Very few would realize that the taxes passed upward layer by layer, and think about where the true source lay.
Zhao Baozhu composed himself and said seriously: “You needn’t worry about that. I have my own methods.” As he spoke, he forcibly stuffed the tax bag into the scholar’s hands. “Hurry and accept it.”
The scholar looked at him for a long moment before finally taking the bag.
Then he swept aside the front of his robe and dropped to his knees before Zhao Baozhu with a thud. “Your Lord redressed this commoner’s grievance before, and now you’ve restored my family’s livelihood. I have no way to repay such kindness. In this life, I am willing to serve Your Lord like an ox or horse, to devote myself completely to you!”
Watching him bow, Zhao Baozhu suddenly found the words strangely familiar. Then he remembered, the scholar seemed to have been one of the victims who had stepped forward earlier to accuse Fan Yaosan.
Zhao Baozhu had already held some admiration for him. Hearing this now, he hurriedly helped him up. “In that case, perfect! The yamen is short on manpower right now. Have you studied?”
The scholar lifted his head and glanced at Zhao Baozhu before lowering his eyes again. “This commoner passed the county-level child examination earlier this year.”
Zhao Baozhu nodded in understanding. Looking him over, he judged the scholar to be no older than twenty or so, truly a talented youth. He felt highly satisfied, though also somewhat hesitant.
“If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be too much of a waste to have you work as a clerk in my yamen?”
The scholar abruptly raised his head. “Not at all!” As he spoke, he tried to kneel again. “This commoner is willing to die for My Lord!”
Zhao Baozhu quickly caught hold of him. “Enough, no more kneeling. There’s gold beneath a man’s knees, how can you kneel to people everywhere you go? Since you have this intention, then come report to the yamen tomorrow at the hour of chen. We can discuss the contract afterward, alright?”
The moment the scholar heard this, a panicked expression immediately appeared on his face. “Th-this cannot be! How could this commoner possibly take My Lord’s money…”
Looking at him, Zhao Baozhu seemed to see his former self back at the Ye residence. A faint smile surfaced in his eyes as he said gently: “These are merely duties within my responsibility. How could they count as kindness? There’s no need for you to act like this. We can talk about it slowly in the future.”
The scholar could not argue against him, nor could he openly reject Zhao Baozhu in person, so he could only express his disapproval through his gaze. Even after Zhao Baozhu and Ah Long had walked far away, they could still feel the scholar’s burning stare lingering behind them.
Ah Long secretly exchanged looks with Zhao Baozhu and exaggeratedly sang in an operatic tone: “All the talented heroes and gifted scholars under heaven now gather beneath Magistrate Zhao of Wuya County…”
Zhao Baozhu glared at him. “Stop your nonsense.” But there was a smile at the corner of his mouth as well.
Ah Long grinned without answering and continued following behind Zhao Baozhu as they knocked on doors one household after another.
And in the end, things truly happened exactly as Ah Long had predicted.
Many families expressed willingness to have their sons or nephews work for Zhao Baozhu. Among them were several strong young men, several literate youths, and even an accountant skilled with the abacus.
In one stroke, the yamen suddenly had runners, clerks, and someone capable of managing the accounts. The county office staff was instantly complete.
Ah Long admired Zhao Baozhu so deeply he was practically prostrating himself. “So when Old Master said earlier there was no need to call back all the old staff, you’d already anticipated today’s situation!”
He knew perfectly well how crafty and difficult the servants under the previous county magistrate had been. As the saying went, if the upper beam is crooked, the lower beams won’t stand straight. The former magistrate had been a spineless fool who only knew how to get drunk, and the people under him were equally useless.
Watching coldly from the sidelines, Ah Long could tell that the people stepping forward today all came from the finest local families. In the future, they certainly would not hinder Zhao Baozhu’s work.
Hearing this, Zhao Baozhu paused inwardly. In truth, he had not planned that far ahead. But being looked at with such worshipful eyes by Ah Long felt extremely satisfying. For a moment, he lifted his pointed chin high into the air, looking immensely proud of himself.
Unfortunately, he did not get to bask in that pride for long. A sudden chill touched his face.
Zhao Baozhu froze, raised a hand to wipe at it, and discovered raindrops on his skin.
As late summer cooled, Wuya County often experienced sudden rain showers. In the blink of an eye, the rain intensified, droplets pattering loudly against Zhao Baozhu’s face.
Ah Long exclaimed: “Ah! Why couldn’t it rain earlier or later instead of right now? Old Master, let’s hurry back to the yamen!”
Zhao Baozhu wiped his face and raised his sleeve to shield the account ledger from the rain. “It’s fine. There’s only one household left. Let’s finish first before going back.”
So the two braved the rain and arrived at the final house. The door opened to reveal a sturdily built woman with an honest, kindly face. The moment she saw the pair drenched like drowned chickens, she frowned. Before Zhao Baozhu could even speak, she grabbed his arm and dragged him inside. “Oh heavens, Young Lord Zhao! Look at you soaked through by the rain, quickly come inside!”
Overflowing with motherly affection, the woman completely ignored the official robes Zhao Baozhu wore. Treating him like one of her own younger relatives, she grabbed a towel and began vigorously drying his hair while muttering all the while: “What kind of important business could possibly require you to run around in the rain like this? What if you catch cold later?”
In just a few motions she wiped both Zhao Baozhu’s hair and face dry, then glared at Ah Long as well. “And you! Don’t you know how to serve your master more carefully? The weather was clearly changing, and you didn’t even think to bring an umbrella!”
Ah Long stared in shock. “I, I mean, Auntie—”
Hearing the commotion, someone else emerged from inside.
A large, burly man walked out, apparently having just finished eating and still wiping his mouth. The moment he saw his wife hugging and fussing over the county magistrate, his face changed dramatically.
He hurried over and said: “Young Lord Zhao! My deepest apologies! My worthless wife has no manners—”
As he spoke, he quickly pulled his wife away and barked at her: “What are you doing?! This is the county magistrate! Hurry and kneel!”
After being thoroughly fussed over, Zhao Baozhu hurriedly waved his hands. “There’s no need for that. Your Madam only meant well.”
Having been scolded by her husband, the woman did not become angry at all. Laughing cheerfully, she grabbed Ah Long next and began drying him in exactly the same way. “To think this old woman would live to be called ‘madam’ one day! Young Lord Zhao, you’ve really honored me.”
Watching Ah Long helplessly endure the woman’s giant fan-like hands like a drenched puppy too afraid to resist, Zhao Baozhu’s lips secretly curved upward. Only then did he explain the reason for their visit.
The husband reacted much the same as everyone else, first refusing repeatedly, then kneeling to thank him, and only after much effort finally accepting the returned goods.
The woman watched from the side. Once the discussion seemed complete, she finally spoke: “It’s already noon. Has Young Lord Zhao eaten yet? Why not stay and eat at our home?”
Both Zhao Baozhu and Ah Long were starving, but how could they shamelessly freeload a meal from ordinary townsfolk?
They immediately declined.
“The yamen has many affairs to handle. We won’t trouble you further.”
The woman did not insist. Instead, her concerned gaze moved between the two of them, lingering especially on Ah Long’s still-childish face.
She sighed.
“With so many matters in the yamen, how can things possibly work with only this little child soldier helping out?”
She shook her head at Ah Long. Before he could even react, she called toward the inner room: “Cuiniang, come here quickly!”
Ah Long was still muttering, “How am I not enough?” when a young woman dressed like a farmer’s daughter lifted the curtain and walked out.
Her face was round, her skin slightly dark, with large eyes and an upturned nose. Originally she possessed a sweet, simple sort of beauty, but a scar running from her right eye all the way to the corner of her mouth completely disrupted it.
She walked to the woman’s side and softly called out, “Mother.”
Resting a hand on her daughter’s shoulder, the woman said to Zhao Baozhu: “This is my daughter, Cuiniang. Two years ago, that villain surnamed Fan tried to violate her. She refused him, and this scar was left behind. I reckon she’ll never marry now anyway. If My Lord doesn’t mind, perhaps you could let her work at the yamen as a cook?”
Hearing this, Zhao Baozhu’s expression sobered slightly. But he did not reveal pity before Cuiniang. Instead, he regarded her seriously and respectfully.
The young woman stood quietly beside her mother with lowered eyes, dressed in coarse cloth garments. Her black hair was braided into a thick plait hanging over her shoulder. She looked like a quiet, plain girl.
Zhao Baozhu said gently: “The yamen really is lacking someone to cook. Would the young lady be willing? You wouldn’t need to stay at the yamen every day. If there’s farm work or family matters, you need only inform us.”
Cuiniang lowered her gaze and nodded softly, looking very quiet.
But at that very moment, Ah Long suddenly shouted: “No!!”
Zhao Baozhu had just been about to ask her to report to the yamen in a few days when he was interrupted. He quickly reached out and dragged Ah Long backward. “What are you doing?”
Ah Long glared at Cuiniang, his gaze especially fixed upon her sturdy farm girl physique and full chest. His face had turned pale with alarm.
He knew exactly what this was!
Once the handsome young scholar-official arrived in the countryside and met a charming peasant girl, feelings would gradually blossom between them over time,
And then he’d forget all about the young lady waiting in the capital!
Ah Long was extraordinarily attached to the romance story unfolding inside his head. He absolutely could not allow his master to be lured away by another woman!
He opened his mouth to continue shouting, but Zhao Baozhu clamped a hand over it and grabbed him like a squawking chick.
The older woman chuckled.
In her eyes, although Zhao Baozhu was a magistrate, he was still only a young boy. Ah Long was even younger. These two boys bundled together hardly looked capable of properly managing daily life.
They really needed a capable woman around!
Cuiniang stood quietly nearby when she suddenly lifted her head and said softly: “Mother, that person…”
At her reminder, the woman suddenly remembered something and smacked her forehead. “That’s right! There’s also that matter.” She turned to her daughter. “Perfect timing. Go bring that person out.”
Then she turned back to Zhao Baozhu. “It’s fortunate we ran into My Lord today. A few days ago this old woman went up the mountain to gather mushrooms and ended up bringing back a person instead. He looks completely unfamiliar, not like someone from around here, and he’s still ill.”
“We common folk have no way of knowing whether he’s good or bad. Since My Lord is here today, why not take him back to the yamen? If he turns out to be a villain once he wakes up, you can conveniently lock him up.”
Still holding Ah Long under one arm, Zhao Baozhu turned to look. Just in time to see Cuiniang and her brother carrying someone inside.
The person lay beneath a quilt. From the shape, he appeared to be a thin man, seemingly unconscious.
Zhao Baozhu leaned over for a closer look, and was instantly startled.
Good heavens, what a stunningly handsome man!
The man lay there unconscious, his complexion pale bluish-white, yet unable to conceal his breathtaking beauty. His brows were thick and faintly furrowed, his nose elegant as carved jade, and a shallow crease hooked delicately across his eyelids.
Even merely seeing him with his eyes closed, one could easily imagine that once he opened them, his features would radiate effortless charm and romantic allure.
