The magistrates turned their heads, staring blankly at the approaching pair.
The young man in crane robes was naturally Ye Jinghua.
Only upon seeing him appear did everyone finally feel a true sense of reality.
The Prime Minister’s son, Noble Consort Chen’s younger brother, the emperor’s brother-in-law, he had truly come to Qingzhou to serve as prefect.
Without speaking a word, his very bearing and dazzling features already made his identity unmistakable.
Among the magistrates present, those with even the slightest connections in the capital had all heard tales of this young man’s beauty.
There had once been a saying in the capital:
“Among the noble daughters of high families, half gaze toward the Eastern Palace, and half toward the Meridian Gate.”
The Eastern Palace naturally referred to the former Crown Prince, while the Ye family residence was located just outside the Meridian Gate.
As for Noble Consort Chen, favored above all within the harem, she had already possessed great renown for her beauty while still unmarried. Thus, Ye Jinghua’s astonishing appearance came as no surprise to them. What truly caused the hearts of everyone present to sink to the bottom was the intimacy with which this Second Young Master Ye treated Zhao Baozhu.
The two walked side by side. As Ye Jinghua ascended toward the seat of honor, his hand lightly guided the youth in magistrate robes at the back in a gesture both polite and intimate.
The hearts of all the magistrates immediately sank like stones.
Everyone stared at Zhao Baozhu as though trying to see through his skin and determine what kind of enchanting creature lay beneath this handsome face that could make Ye Jinghua treat him with such courtesy.
Could it really just be because the boy looked a bit prettier?
The other magistrates were all nearing thirty years of age. Seeing this, they nearly tore out their own beards.
They watched as Ye Jinghua seated himself at the place of honor, while Zhao Baozhu walked to the lower seats and headed directly toward the uppermost seat on the left side.
The others turned their gazes and began glaring at him instead, their expressions darkening.
So that was why among all the tables in the hall, only the upper seat lacked tea, it had been reserved specifically for Magistrate Zhao!
The moment Zhao Baozhu sat down, Ah Long immediately stepped forward to pour him tea.
The magistrates widened their eyes further. Seeing that Zhao Baozhu showed absolutely no intention of standing to exchange formal greetings with them, their expressions became even uglier.
Though Zhao Baozhu held the same seventh-rank office as they did, by seniority he was newly arrived, and by age every one of them was at least a full generation older than him. By etiquette, Zhao Baozhu should have been the one to greet them first. Yet this fellow simply plopped himself down, and in a seat above theirs, no less.
Still, despite feeling humiliated, none of the magistrates dared rebuke him. All of them felt guilty now, terrified that the moment Ye Jinghua spoke, he would accuse them of collusion and send them to join Chen Si in prison.
The most nervous among them, the magistrate of Zixian County, even proactively tried speaking to Zhao Baozhu, smiling ingratiatingly: “So this must be Young Lord Zhao. We’ve served as colleagues all this time, yet only now do we finally meet. Young Lord Zhao truly is a handsome and talented young man…”
Yet Zhao Baozhu ignored him completely.
The youth in the slightly worn sparrow robes merely lifted his slender chin, held his teacup, and turned his eyes toward him. His gaze sliced across the magistrate’s face before he looked away again, acting as though he could not even be bothered to utter half a word.
The expression on the Zixian magistrate’s face froze. His brow twitched slightly, clearly not expecting Zhao Baozhu to deny him face so thoroughly.
Though guilty, he had still ruled Zixian County for over a decade. Having Zhao Baozhu throw such contempt at him made even his usually steady composure waver, and his expression darkened. Yet before he could react further, Zhao Baozhu let out a cold snort and heavily set his teacup down on the table.
Dong.
The sharp sound startled the magistrate of Zixian County, and the anger in his heart suddenly extinguished. Because he realized Zhao Baozhu was even angrier than he was. Judging from that forceful movement, if the table had not been made from excellent wood, the surface might well have cracked from the impact.
Silence once more filled the hall. Everyone lowered their eyes and minded their own business, no one daring to provoke Zhao Baozhu further.
At this moment, Ye Jinghua withdrew his gaze from Zhao Baozhu and looked toward the others. “Today I summoned you all because the matter is urgent. I ask your understanding.”
The moment Ye Jinghua spoke, everyone hurriedly rose to their feet. Naturally, none dared accept such words directly, and all began politely protesting and deflecting the courtesy.
Yet Ye Jinghua had only been speaking formally. He sat there with lifted eyes, quietly watching them exchange empty pleasantries.
Though the magistrates had served as officials for years, they were still merely local officials and had never experienced truly grand occasions. Facing Ye Jinghua’s expression, they gradually found themselves unable even to continue their formal courtesies. Their voices lowered more and more until, within moments, silence once again fell across the hall.
After everyone awkwardly sat back down, Ye Jinghua lowered his eyes, leaned back slightly in his seat, and said calmly: “Why I summoned you all here today, I believe every one of you already knows.”
After saying only that, he fell silent.
The county magistrates were already feeling guilty. Hearing such a cold, vague statement with no explanation attached only made them more uneasy. The magistrate of An County, who sat the farthest away and was also the most senior among them, stood up and cupped his hands toward Ye Jinghua.
“Since Your Excellency summoned us here, I presume it is because of the criminal Chen Si.”
At present, Chen Si had merely been imprisoned and had not yet been convicted. Yet the magistrate immediately labeled him a criminal, making his attempt to curry favor with Ye Jinghua obvious.
Hearing this, Ye Jinghua neither agreed nor disagreed. He merely said: “Continue.”
The magistrate of Qing County cautiously raised his eyes and glanced at him. Unable to discern any emotion from Ye Jinghua’s face, he bent even lower and said with extreme humility: “Now that the You family’s collusion with government officials, illegal annexation of land, extortion of the people’s wealth, corruption and bribery, disregard for human life, and all their other crimes, have been exposed before the world, we have all been shocked and appalled. Your Excellency personally came and, with thunderous resolve, detained the criminal Chen. We are all greatly encouraged and delighted. These events occurred in Qingzhou, yet we fools failed to notice them. We are guilty of negligence and respectfully request Your Excellency’s punishment.”
His speech first praised Ye Jinghua and then belittled himself, sounding entirely appropriate. But upon closer thought, it was clear he was using the phrase “crime of negligence” to absolve everyone present. If Ye Jinghua accepted that framing and punished them accordingly, it would amount to acknowledging that they had merely been negligent rather than accomplices of Chen Si.
Ye Jinghua said nothing.
The magistrate of Qing County remained bent over with his hands clasped. After several breaths, cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
As he spoke, the magistrate of Qi County suddenly stood up and bowed deeply toward Zhao Baozhu. “We must also congratulate Lord Zhao! Fortunately, Lord Zhao saw through everything with keen insight and upheld justice without bias. With thunderous measures, he arrested the entire You clan and cleansed the region of disorder. Only then could the truth finally come to light today, ”
With him taking the lead, all the magistrates stood and repeatedly expressed their thanks to Zhao Baozhu.
Had it been someone soft-hearted, seeing so many “senior officials” humble themselves and apologize so deferentially might have moved them into accepting it. Unfortunately, Zhao Baozhu had always been known for his iron-faced impartiality. His expression was hard and his temperament fierce. Watching their eager attempts to flatter him, anger gradually appeared in his eyes.
These old b*stards!
Every one of them was as cunning as a thousand-year-old fox. Their posture was humble, and their words sounded sincere, but they were all skirting around the issue without addressing anything substantive.
Zhao Baozhu’s temper flared. The hand holding his teacup trembled slightly. He almost wanted to hurl it directly at the head of the man in front of him.
Fortunately, he still retained a shred of reason. Court officials could not simply be beaten, at least not openly.
His anger continued rising like floodwaters. He forced himself not to explode, to the point that the corner of his eyebrow twitched.
Fortunately, Ye Jinghua’s voice, clear as spring water, sounded from the seat of honor. “That’s enough.”
Everyone immediately stopped bowing and turned toward him. Ye Jinghua turned his head and summoned Ah Long, who was standing nearby in attendance. Handing him a stack of official documents, he quietly instructed: “Distribute these to the gentlemen.”
Ah Long obediently acknowledged the order, descended from the platform, and handed the documents out one by one.
Everyone received a copy except for the magistrate of Zixian County.
The moment Ah Long handed out the final booklet, the magistrate of Zixian County turned pale as waxed paper.
Those who had received one were not much better off.
Upon opening them, the magistrates found detailed records listing, county by county, the actual amounts of raw silk tax collected over the previous fifteen years, who had received the payments, who had signed and sealed the records, and how the silk had been transported to the capital.
Everything was recorded with perfect clarity.
The faces of the magistrates changed instantly. If before they had merely been uneasy, now they truly felt disaster looming over their heads. Their complexions turned ashen.
They had considered the possibility that Ye Jinghua might investigate the silk taxes, but they had never imagined he would move so quickly. These silk-tax records were old accounts accumulated over many years. Qingzhou was an entire province, and its ledgers were staggeringly complicated. Former magistrate Chen Si had further muddled matters through bribery and manipulation, falsifying and altering records in countless places.
How many days had Ye Jinghua been in office? Yet he had already sorted out every single figure.
Even Zhao Baozhu was secretly shocked. Ye Jinghua had spent these past days with him and had not even returned to the provincial yamen. When had he done all this work?
Then again, since it was Ye Jinghua, perhaps it was not surprising. The young master had always been this way, planning from afar, seeing through situations and understanding affairs without needing to be physically present, winning victories from a thousand miles away.
While Zhao Baozhu was lost in thought, the magistrates on the other side were in complete panic. They immediately collapsed into a heap of kneeling bodies, kowtowing frantically.
Now they finally understood. Ye Jinghua had come fully prepared. If they did not beg for mercy now, these pieces of evidence would likely be delivered to the Provincial Governor tomorrow. Worse still, if Ye Jinghua sent them directly to his father, the Prime Minister, then they might very well lose their heads.
“Your Excellency, please forgive us!”
A group of old men over fifty years old wailed like ghosts and wept with streams of tears and mucus. The scene was almost comical.
Watching from the side, Zhao Baozhu could not resist kicking them while they were down. “So now you no longer claim ignorance? I was beginning to think all of you were so old and frail that you’d forgotten everything worth forgetting.”
Their crying abruptly faltered. Their faces alternated between green and white. His words were viciously sarcastic. Moments ago they had been talking about their “crime of ignorance.” Now, upon seeing the evidence, they were instantly kowtowing and begging for mercy. To be mocked so openly by someone much younger left them all clutching their aching hearts.
Ye Jinghua heard it as well. He glanced at Zhao Baozhu before withdrawing his gaze. “Rise.”
The magistrates still did not dare stand. Only after Ye Jinghua’s gaze lingered briefly on their faces did they scramble to their feet.
Once everyone was standing, Ye Jinghua spoke calmly: “I have only recently arrived and am unfamiliar with governmental affairs. My talents are limited and my learning shallow. Should there be any mistakes or oversights, I ask for your forbearance.”
The magistrates were all stunned. What did that mean?
If Ye Jinghua, the newly crowned top scholar of the imperial examinations and a descendant of a family steeped in scholarship, could be called untalented and poorly educated, then nobody in the world would dare claim literacy.
Then they heard him continue: “Though my virtue is still shallow, I bear the Emperor’s favor and therefore cannot act carelessly. In the future, regarding silk taxation, we must proceed according to the law so as to avoid any mistakes.”
Only then did they understand. The magistrate of Qi County reacted the fastest. “Of course! Of course! Matters such as these should always be handled according to the legal code. In the past, it was we who were negligent. Now that Your Excellency governs us, we shall certainly abide by the laws and regulations and dare not make mistakes.”
With him leading the way, the others quickly echoed his words.
The implication was clear.
From now on, silk taxes would be levied according to the law, and the burden would be distributed evenly among all counties.
The moment Chen Si fell from power, they had already suspected changes were coming. Although this would increase their tax burden, it was not entirely unexpected.
More importantly, Ye Jinghua’s words clearly implied that if they cooperated actively from now on and honestly paid the silk taxes, then all the messy accounts of the past would merely be regarded as “oversights.”
Given such a convenient way out, they immediately seized it and repeatedly assured Ye Jinghua that they would faithfully follow the tax laws in the future, nearly swearing oaths upon heaven.
Ye Jinghua listened quietly. He neither approved nor rejected their promises. Only after they had talked themselves hoarse did he finally say: “Your willingness gladdens my heart.”
His tone remained calm. After speaking the customary pleasantries, however, his voice suddenly shifted “But if the previous discrepancies remain unresolved, they will appear rather conspicuous. Should our superiors inquire about them, I do not know how I ought to answer.”
The room fell silent again. Turning the statement over in their minds, the magistrates finally grasped its meaning. He was demanding repayment of the missing taxes from previous years. Their hearts sank immediately. That represented nearly ten years of silk taxes. Where were they supposed to find so much silk now? Besides, hadn’t Wuya County already paid the silk on behalf of everyone else? The imperial court had not actually suffered a shortage.
Of course, they only dared think such things privately.
In officialdom, any problem that could be solved with money or grain was not truly a problem. If they failed to settle this matter and it was later exposed, would they still have their heads attached to their shoulders?
The magistrate of Qi County, whose county was the wealthiest, was the first to harden his resolve. Grinding his teeth, he declared: “This subordinate will fully repay the missing amount from previous years.”
Once he spoke, the others had no choice. One after another, the magistrates revealed their true positions.
“Weng County is willing to make up the deficit.”
“Liang County…”
“Li County…”
The declarations continued. Yet even after all of them had spoken, Ye Jinghua still gave no response. Instead, he turned toward Zhao Baozhu. “Lord Zhao, you are the aggrieved party in this matter.”
The magistrates froze. They had not expected Ye Jinghua to seek Zhao Baozhu’s opinion even regarding the final disposition of the case. Though surprised and dissatisfied, they were fish on the chopping block and dared say nothing. All of them turned to look at Zhao Baozhu.
Sitting upright in his seat, Zhao Baozhu frowned slightly and rested a hand against his temple.
“This is inappropriate.” Staring at the magistrates, he lowered his hand and continued: “If we only now begin collecting the unpaid silk taxes from previous years, the ones who will truly suffer are the common people.”
The magistrate of Qi County’s eyes flickered. He had not expected Zhao Baozhu to reject such a huge source of revenue. True, collecting nearly ten years of unpaid silk taxes at once would mean imposing heavy taxes on the populace. But with enough pressure and squeezing, it could still be done.
The fact that Zhao Baozhu did not want it was excellent news. Secretly delighted, the magistrate of Qi County relaxed. At that moment, however, Ye Jinghua spoke again from above: “Does Magistrate Zhao have another solution?”
Zhao Baozhu looked up at Ye Jinghua. He knew Ye Jinghua was giving him a stage on which to perform. After a brief moment of thought, his eyes turned, and an idea formed. “I presume all of you know that in recent years Wuya County has suffered under the exploitation of the You clan. The people’s livelihoods have declined, and the government has been severely constrained by them. Many policies beneficial to the people could not be implemented. Our county lacks three things: first, postal relay stations; second, schools; third, water conservancy works.
“If we wish to revive the people’s livelihoods, our top priorities are promoting commerce, establishing education, and developing water infrastructure.” His eyes shifted and settled first upon the magistrate of Qi County. “As far as I know, merchant caravans entering Qingzhou from outside first arrive in Qi County. If our two counties could work together with one heart, exchanging what each lacks and sharing resources, that would surely be an excellent thing.”
The magistrate of Qi County immediately stiffened when he heard this. What an easy thing to say, “sharing resources and complementing each other’s strengths.” If merchant caravans started going to Wuya County as well, wouldn’t that mean less business for Qi County?
Yet Zhao Baozhu seemed not to notice his stiff expression at all. He turned toward the magistrate of Li County beside him. “I’ve heard that in this year’s county examinations, Li County produced the greatest number of successful scholars. When it comes to establishing schools, I shall certainly have to seek much guidance from Magistrate Qi.”
One by one, Zhao Baozhu addressed every magistrate present. As they listened, they were all inwardly alarmed. This young Zhao fellow actually knew the situation of every county in the province like the back of his hand.
Previously, although they had never met Zhao Baozhu personally, once they heard he seemed dissatisfied with the You family, most of them had looked down on him.
A green youngster, not knowing the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth, wanting to strike at the local gentry and great clans the moment he arrived, surely he would not last long.
They had all viewed him with ridicule and had no desire to become involved with him.
Who would have thought he would actually succeed?
Originally, they believed Zhao Baozhu had merely relied on reckless courage to capture You Er and You San.
Now, however, it seemed that was not the whole story.
While they were still shocked, Zhao Baozhu finished listing the strengths and weaknesses of every county before concluding with satisfaction: “The past cannot be changed. But as for the future, I will have to rely on all of you for much assistance.”
At these words, the magistrates nearly popped their eyes out of their sockets.Each pair of eyes seemed ready to peel the skin right off Zhao Baozhu’s face. Not only was this Zhao fellow rude, he was outrageously greedy. Calling it a lion opening its mouth wide was an understatement.
The unpaid silk taxes of previous years, while substantial, were at least finite. Once paid, the matter would be settled.
But assisting Wuya County’s development had no upper limit and was enormously complicated. Although such efforts would benefit the people’s livelihood in the long run, they were hardly good news for the county magistrates. Who knew how long they would be expected to help?
After Zhao Baozhu finished speaking, silence fell. The magistrates merely stared at him, none willing to respond.
At that moment, Ye Jinghua spoke from the seat of honor. “This method is excellent.”
The moment he opened his mouth, every magistrate looked up. After praising Zhao Baozhu, Ye Jinghua shifted his gaze toward them. His eyes were neither warm nor cold as they settled over the group. “What do you gentlemen think?”
What could they possibly say? By now they had figured it out.
Somehow, Zhao Baozhu had stumbled upon a tremendous stroke of luck. This Second Young Master Ye had clearly come specifically to back him up. Ye Jinghua was obviously standing on Zhao Baozhu’s side. As the saying went, a higher-ranking official could crush a lower-ranking one. Not to mention Ye Jinghua’s family background. The magistrates had no grounds for objection.
One after another, they bowed their heads and echoed: “An excellent plan, excellent indeed, let us proceed exactly as Lord Zhao suggests.”
Even at this point, Ye Jinghua showed no sign of satisfaction. Leaning back against his chair, he said calmly: “Since all of you are willing to lend your full support, then after returning home, please each draft an official memorial detailing exactly how your county intends to assist Wuya County. I shall submit them all together.”
Upon hearing this, the magistrates nearly ground their teeth to pieces. None of them even dared raise their heads, afraid Ye Jinghua might see the twisted expressions on their faces.
This Second Young Master Ye was simply too formidable. Barely past his coming-of-age ceremony, yet already so skilled in the art of officialdom.
A verbal agreement was one thing. Even if promises were made today, once they left Wuya County and returned to their own territories, they could easily pretend ignorance later. That was perfectly normal in official circles. But with a single sentence from Ye Jinghua, the situation had changed entirely. Now it became a voluntary commitment by all the counties to assist Wuya County. Worse, it would be recorded in official documents. Once those documents reached the Provincial Governor’s office, today’s verbal agreement would instantly become a collective new policy for all of Qingzhou. At that point, trying to back out would amount to dereliction of duty.
The magistrates felt bitterness welling up inside. Yet things had reached this stage, and they had no choice but to agree. They could only curse the fact that Ye Jinghua understood every twist and turn of officialdom so thoroughly that he had blocked every avenue of retreat, leaving them no room whatsoever to maneuver.
Ye Jinghua glanced at them and delivered the final verdict. “Then it is settled. It is currently the busy farming season, and I presume all of you are occupied with official duties. You may return now.”
Only now did he remember the farming season. The words sounded considerate, but the actual meaning was obvious: The discussion is over. Get out.
But if Ye Jinghua told them to leave, then leave they must. The magistrates bowed and took their leave. Their expressions were strained, and they could barely manage a few polite words. Meanwhile, Zhao Baozhu’s mood had brightened completely. Gone was the arrogance he had displayed upon arrival. Instead, he rose smiling and personally escorted them all the way to the entrance.
“Travel safely, gentlemen.” Beaming warmly, Zhao Baozhu grabbed the hand of the magistrate of Qi County. His eyes were filled with apparent sincerity. “I am young and ignorant of proper etiquette. In the future, I will still require much guidance from all my seniors.”
The magistrate of Qi County could barely maintain his forced smile. “Haha… Magistrate Zhao overpraises me. I dare not accept, dare not accept…”
“Oh, why be so distant?” As though he failed to notice the man’s discomfort, Zhao Baozhu continued: “If you don’t mind, in the future you may simply call me Boy Zhao. We are all colleagues, after all. We should keep in close contact.”
Who wants to keep in contact with you?!
Every magistrate silently gritted his teeth. After just one meeting, they had nearly been stripped of a layer of skin. If they met any more often, who knew what would happen?
Though inwardly resentful, they dared not show it. After much awkward back-and-forth with Zhao Baozhu, they finally reached the yamen entrance. Just then, however, the magistrate of Zixian County, who had been subtly excluded from the conversation the entire time and left hanging for ages, carefully lifted his head. His eyes darted about. Thinking nobody was paying attention to him, he attempted to quietly slip away behind the other magistrates.
Bang!
The moment he took a step, two court staffs suddenly appeared before him, crossing less than an inch from the tip of his nose.
“Ah!”
Startled out of his wits, the magistrate of Zixian County fell flat onto the ground. He stared in terror at the two tall bailiffs standing before him.
Then a voice as cold as a secluded mountain pool sounded behind him: “Did I say you could leave?”
