Chapter 69
"Magistrate Qian, you have worked hard these past days."
"Assistant Prefect, your words shame this humble official. It is you who has been laboring and worrying, while I have been of little help."
Ji Congyong looked at Qian Wuzhang, who was feigning ignorance and foolishness, his face showing no smile for the riddle.
"Whether you've worked hard or been of little help, you need not trouble yourself further from now on. I will take over the affairs of Yuncheng. You should rest well."
Upon hearing this, Qian Wuzhang felt a chill in his heart and hurried forward to stop the man who was about to leave. "Assistant Prefect! The friendship of decades between us as fellow students..."
"That friendship, where I turned a blind eye for decades, should also come to an end. In handling the moldy grain case, I did not publicly humiliate or embarrass you. When dealing with your relatives, I did not expose you to the public. Qian Wuzhang, given our past as fellow students, I’ve already shown you more kindness and done more for you than you deserved."
Qian Wuzhang knew the matter could no longer be whitewashed, but how could he willingly accept the ruin of years of cultivation? He had already put down roots in Yuncheng over these years. If he were dismissed and sent back to his hometown, he would truly have nothing left.
He played his final trump card: "I believe the Education Commissioner will soon return to the city. Why don't we arrange to meet another day?"
Ji Congyong narrowed his eyes at Qian Wuzhang. "Qian Wuzhang, there is no need for you to use the Education Commissioner to pressure me. Not to mention your daughter has not yet married into the Education Commissioner's family, even if she did, the Education Commissioner is not someone who manages Yuncheng's administrative affairs. He is only here to oversee scholars! His three-year term is nearly up now. Whether he takes another external posting or returns to the capital, he certainly will not stay in Yuncheng. With all the good deeds you've done, do you truly think the Education Commissioner is a fool who would risk protecting you for the sake of a daughter-in-law? Don't flatter yourself too much!"
There was a distant marital connection between Education Commissioner Li and Qian Wuzhang’s ancestors. After the Commissioner was assigned to Yuncheng and later hinted that he intended to arrange a marriage between his son and a girl from the Qian family, Qian Wuzhang began to act with much greater arrogance. Over the past two years, he had nearly ridden roughshod over Ji Congyong himself. Whether out of caution toward the Commissioner’s influence or out of respect for their former bond as schoolmates, Ji Congyong had allowed Qian Wuzhang to live far too comfortably during that time.
With the last fig leaf torn away, Qian Wuzhang's face turned pale, then red. He couldn't utter a single word, only watching as Ji Congyong flicked his sleeves and left.
…..
"The reason Zhang Shiyuan dared to so recklessly harm the common people, acting solely for profit by openly selling treated moldy grain, was because he had the backing of Magistrate Qian. Over the years, Zhang Shiyuan has been Qian Wuzhang's claw for amassing wealth. Knowing this, although Zhang Shiyuan has been punished and the Zhang family will no longer be able to stand tall in Yuncheng, Magistrate Qian remains safe and sound, still an official in Yuncheng."
Time passed quickly, and it was already the tenth month of the lunar calendar. Autumn had many rainy days, but lately, as late autumn approached winter, the weather had been clear more often than not, neither too cold nor too hot, quite comfortable. Tonight was the fifteenth, the moon like a white jade plate. Boiling tea under the moonlight, in a rare moment of peace after a long time, Qiao Hezhi couldn't help but sigh softly, thinking of the handling of the moldy grain matter.
"Now you've offended Magistrate Qian. In the same county from now on, if he deliberately makes things difficult, what should we do?"
Fang Yu took a sip of hot tea. "He now knows I am Assistant Prefect's student, and that the Assistant Prefect thinks highly of me. To trouble me would be to oppose the Assistant Prefect. Why would he seek such trouble? Moreover..."
He chuckled, looking at Qiao Hezhi's furrowed brow. "The Assistant Prefect has been greatly disappointed in him over the moldy grain matter. A few days ago, he also uncovered many illegal acts by Qian Wuzhang, such as secretly selling land to merchants at exorbitant prices. The Assistant Prefect privately told me that when he returns to the prefectural city, he will report Qian Wuzhang's numerous crimes to the Prefect. Then the Prefect will submit a memorial to the capital impeaching him, and our Yuncheng will have a new magistrate."
"Really?"
"Qian Wuzhang has many faults and oversights. The Assistant Prefect has shown him considerable tolerance over the years, but the moldy grain matter truly crossed a line. Although many commoners were affected, fortunately no lives were lost. Otherwise, not only would Magistrate Qian be dismissed, but even the Assistant Prefect would find it hard to escape blame." Fang Yu said, "When one's own interests are truly at stake, everyone becomes more swift and decisive. Although Qian Wuzhang still retains the title of Magistrate for now, in practice, many administrative matters have already been taken over by the Assistant Prefect."
"Although a County Magistrate is a petty official, a wealthy county like Yuncheng is not a post that just any successful provincial candidate can obtain. It requires a Jinshi with a good ranking in the metropolitan examination. Therefore, dismissing a magistrate is not an overnight matter; it must be decided by those in the capital after receiving the news."
Fang Yu squeezed Qiao Hezhi's hand. "I know you worry for me and despise Qian Wuzhang. But in today's world, scholar-officials hold sway, and Qian Wuzhang has considerable foundation. Dealing with him is not as easy as dealing with a Zhang Shiyuan. If it weren't for this, a mere Zhang Shiyuan wouldn't have been able to perpetrate such evils in Yuncheng for so many years."
Listening to Fang Yu's analysis, Qiao Hezhi gained a clearer understanding of these matters. As long as his own husband was safe, he was at ease.
After speaking, Fang Yu also sighed. "The Assistant Prefect has taken Qian Wuzhang's power. Now with more matters to manage, he told me today that he will have many tasks for me from now on. I've taken many days of leave from the academy. A few days ago, Master Zhang even allowed fellow students to come out and help. I owe him a debt of gratitude and should return to the academy. I finally got through this busy period, but it seems I won't have leisure in the future either."
Qiao Hezhi, seeing his lazy streak resurface, knew his temperament. He was truly lazy when he said he was, but when there was work, he could toil harder than anyone. He gently tapped Fang Yu's forehead. "Since you benefit from Assistant Prefect Ji's favor, naturally you should handle affairs and share his burdens."
"Not so~"
Fang Yu said, "The Assistant Prefect knows I have an important request to make of him, so he's using this to coerce me."
Qiao Hezhi felt a slight unease upon hearing this. "What matter?"
Fang Yu chuckled softly, lowered his head, and took something from his sleeve. He had originally intended to present it in a beautifully decorated brocade box, but now he couldn't resist taking it out to make Qiao Hezhi happy.
"What is this?"
Qiao Hezhi saw something wrapped in a handkerchief, shaped like a sweet cake. He gently pinched it and found it was hard. A faint guess formed in his heart. He quickly unwrapped the handkerchief. Seeing a corner of a token revealed, his eyes focused slightly. When the handkerchief was completely removed, an identity token inscribed with the three large characters 'Qiao Hezhi' lay in his palm.
He turned it over. On the back was engraved an exquisite '士' (scholar) character. Running his fingertip over the engraving, his eyes grew warm. Finally, this day had come.
Seeing his emotional response, Fang Yu gently covered the back of his hand with his own. The token was clasped between both their palms. "I always used to hear this thing was precious and useful, but my understanding was rigidly stuck on getting better treatment or skipping lines at shops or eateries by showing it. Since it was always hung at my own waist, I never paid much attention. Little did I know, often people don't look at the person first, but at the identity token. When they see a scholar token, they are polite to me, but they never mention it outright because they already have deeply ingrained notions."
"Only after Father-in-law's incident did I truly and deeply realize the importance of the Scholar, Farmer, Artisan, Merchant identity hierarchy. If you had obtained a scholar token earlier, you certainly wouldn't have endured so many disdainful looks, being casually looked down upon by others." He pulled Qiao Hezhi closer by the shoulder. "Consider this your husband's gift for our first wedding anniversary."
Qiao Hezhi, holding the token, was deeply moved. Although this token was not as exquisite, luxurious, or powerful as Fang Yu's, he had leaped from the lowest merchant class into the scholar class, fulfilling his parents' hopes. He was extremely happy. Moreover, Fang Yu had promised him a scholar token months ago. He never expected that amidst all the worries and troubles, Fang Yu had kept this matter in mind all along.
"This... we give gifts on such occasions too?" He tilted his head to look at the man holding him, feeling surprised, and whispered, "There are many customs from your place that I don't know. Why didn't you tell me earlier? That way I could have prepared a gift too."
Fang Yu laughed. "I'll give you gifts. No need for you to trouble yourself preparing anything."
"That custom is truly good."
Qiao Hezhi lowered his gaze to the scholar token in his hand, unable to put it down. Fang Yu fastened it to his belt for him, taking the opportunity to pull him into his arms.
"Aren't you ashamed? We're in the courtyard."
Sitting on Fang Yu's lap, Qiao Hezhi glanced around. Seeing no servants peeking, he relaxed. These past busy days, each preoccupied with their own thoughts, they hadn't been as intimate as before. Being like this today made him feel somewhat unfamiliar.
Fang Yu tightened his arm around Qiao Hezhi's waist, nuzzling against his back. "How about we go stay outside tonight?"
No longer an inexperienced fledgling, Qiao Hezhi understood what Fang Yu meant upon hearing this.
They had last done that back in the prefectural city. Although the initial experience was more of a psychological fulfillment, while physically taxing, the days in the prefectural city were leisurely, and energy was abundant. Fang Yu always coaxed him, wanting it every day or two. Those days were indeed frequent, truly living up to Fang Yu's often-repeated phrase 'practice makes perfect'. After many times, it wasn't so difficult or uncomfortable. After a while, one could even derive some enjoyment from it.
Reflecting later, he felt utterly shameless, too embarrassed to recall. After returning, matters came one after another, and neither of them had thought about those things again. However, now Qiao Hezhi felt it was probably just him who hadn't thought about it. Who knows how many times this man had already fantasized about it.
"N-no, we can't." Qiao Hezhi refused heartlessly. "The mourning period is only two months."
Fang Yu held the person, burying his head in Qiao Hezhi's back. This was truly called 'able to look but not eat'. His life was more bitter than a eunuch's. It had only been two months, but he felt like two hundred years had passed.
Seeing him so downcast and dejected, Qiao Hezhi whispered to comfort him, "If... if I were to become pregnant while still observing mourning, it would be ridiculed and condemned by others. Do... do you want that for me?"
"I cannot bear for you to suffer that." Otherwise, why would he have waited until today?
Before, he had exerted every effort to refuse and keep at bay those who came to him willingly. Now, it was another person using all their mental energy to persuade and dissuade him from such thoughts. It felt as if the heavens were playing a cruel joke on him.
Buried against Qiao Hezhi's back, Fang Yu felt utterly vexed. After a long, gloomy silence, he finally blurted out, "Fine. Then you don't have to sleep with me tonight. I'll go sleep alone at Bicang Small Pavilion."
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