Chapter 21
Chapter 21
County Magistrate Liu had never encountered anything like this. He wet himself in terror, his entire body trembling like a frightened mouse as he covered his head and fled. “Your Highness! Your Highness! Spare my life! This lower official understands! I will investigate at once, send the child beggars to the Children’s Relief Office, and imprison every beggar exploiting children for profit. They will reduce their sentences through labor until they can support themselves!”
Xie Chengze gave a soft scoff and raised a hand for Wuhen to stop. “Well, County Magistrate Liu, you seem to understand perfectly well. This prince thought that after all these years as an official – eating your fill and earning enough silver – you had forgotten the books of the sages you studied to attain your rank.”
“This lower official… would never dare forget!” County Magistrate Liu clasped both hands and bowed heavily to Xie Chengze with a miserable face.
“Go handle it. This prince will wait here.” Xie Chengze ate the final wonton. After County Magistrate Liu staggered away, he told Xie Zimiao, “Write Father a letter. Today, corruption among County Magistrates alone is already impossible to guard against. A new post of supervisory official should be established in every county yamen to oversee officials in every prefecture and county. Reports should be submitted regularly to the Ministry of Personnel. Whenever a report contains omissions or discrepancies in handwriting, officials must be dispatched to investigate thoroughly.”
Xie Zimiao blinked and asked without hesitation, “Second Brother, aren’t we going to report the County Magistrates of Zhuolu County and Cangfu County to Father and have them removed?”
Xie Chengze smiled and rubbed his head. “Someone else will handle that. Little salted fish like us needn’t get involved.”
Xie Zimiao blinked in confusion. Only after a long moment did he understand. “Lord Shen will handle it.”
Xie Chengze pinched his soft cheek. “How clever. As expected of my younger brother.”
Xie Zimiao lowered his head, his face reddening shyly.
County Magistrate Liu acted quickly and soon settled the matter, revealing just how lazy and slippery he had previously been in his official duties. No wonder Cangfu County had become so desolate that the filling in a wonton sold at a roadside stall was no larger than a fingernail.
“The mountains and waters here are lovely, and even in summer the weather is cool and pleasant. If wealthy southern merchants could be drawn here to escape the heat, they would surely bring considerable business to the local shops.” Xie Chengze surveyed the distant scenery as he spoke.
One of the Crown Prince’s guards beside him could not help responding, “Your Highness may not know, but ten years ago, many wealthy southern merchants did come to Cangfu County for the summer. The area was fairly prosperous then.”
Xie Chengze froze, then sighed. “When the County Magistrate is incompetent, the people suffer.”
With beggars roaming everywhere and impoverished businesses skimping on ingredients, no wonder wealthy merchants no longer wished to visit. They were not fools. If one place would not welcome gentlemen, another surely would.
Xie Chengze sighed. The result of that sigh was Wuhen emerging from County Magistrate Liu’s residence with a heavy chest of silver in his arms. “Your Highness, the underground vault contains much more government silver with the silver bureau’s markings deliberately worn away.”
County Magistrate Liu’s knees buckled again, his body shaking like a rattling sieve.
“This silver…” Xie Chengze deliberately drew out the words and said meaningfully, “looks remarkably like the Yizhou disaster-relief silver this prince stored in County Magistrate Liu’s home. What does County Magistrate Liu think?”
“Your Highness is correct! This truly is Yizhou disaster-relief silver!” County Magistrate Liu’s mind worked quickly. He immediately flattened himself against the ground and smiled ingratiatingly. “Your Highness, please take it away at once! This lower official will certainly heed your instruction and serve the people properly from now on!”
Xie Chengze nodded in satisfaction and signaled for his men to remove the stolen funds.
County Magistrate Liu watched bitterly as the fruits of years of corruption became private goods in Xie Chengze’s pocket. He had thought the Second Prince truly intended to serve the people, but apparently it was only a pretext for taking the money for himself.
What rotten luck!
The next day, fully provisioned, the convoy set out once more.
Shen Yuan appeared to be genuinely angry. He remained out of sight all afternoon and the entire night, returning with dew on his robes only when the convoy was ready to depart. He did not greet Xie Chengze and kept his distance without speaking.
Xie Chengze had no desire to court trouble. With nothing else to do, he played Go with Xie Zimiao.
For more than half a month afterward, every county town Xie Chengze visited somehow added several chests of silver to the carriages. Shen Yuan had a fair idea that the man was once again terrorizing County Magistrates and emptying out all their illicit fortunes.
He intended to see exactly where Xie Chengze spent that silver. If the prince pocketed it, Shen Yuan would certainly submit a memorial against him!
The convoy continued onward. To enter Yizhou, they had to cross the Guanzhong Plain into the Qinba Mountains, pass Jiange by land, reach Jiangling, and then descend through the Three Gorges.
Crossing the Qinba Mountains required taking Baoxie Road, a plank road built several dynasties ago. Though now somewhat dilapidated, it still coiled among the mountains like an ancient dragon, carrying southern scholars north to the capital to seek office and benefit the people, transporting imperial relief grain to disaster victims, and allowing northern and southern merchants to exchange goods so the people might prosper.
Traveling Baoxie Road meant abandoning the carriages. At every county town, Xie Chengze had exchanged the silver he had “embezzled” from the previous county for banknotes, so their load was not heavy. The party entered the Qinba Mountains lightly equipped.
–
Baoxie Road saw few travelers. Xie Chengze had expected that by hurrying, they could catch the relief convoy that departed earlier. Instead, they encountered several unexpected people halfway there.
One day, as the party traveled, they suddenly heard cries for help. Following the sound, they found several young men. One had fallen from the plank road and become wedged between rocks, while the others tried frantically to help.
After rescuing him, they learned that the group were scholars.
“I am Bian Yangchun, he is Ouyang Jiu, and this is Ji Songhua…” The most talkative-looking scholar introduced them one by one. “Many thanks for rescuing us, brother. How should we address you?”
“My surname is Cheng, given name Ze. This is my younger brother, Cheng Miao,” Xie Chengze introduced them.
Bian Yangchun looked toward Shen Yuan. This highly skilled man had rescued Ji Songhua from between the rocks.
Shen Yuan was about to speak when Xie Chengze cut in. “This is my family’s guard, Shen Daqiang!”
Shen Daqiang: “…”
“So it is Brother Shen Daqiang. Many thanks!” Bian Yangchun hurriedly bowed, and the still-shaken Ji Songhua also offered thanks.
Shen Daqiang said through his teeth, “It was nothing.”
For some reason, Bian Yangchun felt Brother Shen Daqiang was grinding his teeth.
“But aren’t you scholars? Why have you come to the Qinba Mountains?” Xie Chengze asked. The spring imperial examination had ended, and the next would not be held until the following year. Why were these scholars here?
“Eh? You haven’t heard? We intend to go to Yizhou…” Bian Yangchun began in surprise, but Ji Songhua suddenly coughed twice beside him.
The Qinba Mountains were damp. Thinking Ji Songhua chilled, Bian Yangchun removed his outer robe and draped it over him, then looked back at Xie Chengze.
Xie Chengze wore luxurious clothing and plainly came from an unusual family, yet seemed unaware of the matter. Bian Yangchun tentatively asked, “Have you never planned to seek official rank?”
Xie Chengze nodded innocently. “My father is a merchant in Huaiyang County. This younger brother is slow-witted and no material for scholarship, so I gave up long ago.”
*Just as I thought,* Bian Yangchun reflected. “Then why have you come to the Qinba Mountains? Are you traveling there on business?”
Xie Chengze shook his head. “I heard Yizhou’s mountains and waters were magnificent, so I planned to visit.”
“Goodness!” Bian Yangchun sincerely warned him, “Brother, Yizhou suffered floods over a month ago. Corpses likely line the roads and the people can barely survive. This is no time for sightseeing!”
“Then why are all of you going?” Xie Chengze asked. He at least had guards, while these scholars looked frail enough to scatter in the wind. What could they do in a famine-stricken land?
Bian Yangchun smiled. “You truly haven’t heard. His Majesty issued an open examination question on how to govern Yizhou’s floods, and exceptional answers may receive special admission. Our homes lie near Yizhou, so we decided to investigate. If officials come to control the waters, we can learn from them as well.”
“Every scholar in the realm probably knows by now!” Bian Yangchun laughed.
Xie Chengze: “Oh~ Ooooh~~~”