Chapter 6

Liu Linzong's brows furrowed slightly. He had noticed that Liu Yu had also observed Yang Linzi's action and said with a smile, "Liu Lizheng, my friend here is a bit of a neat freak. I apologize."

Liu Yu curled the corners of his mouth and said, "No problem. The distinction between the gentry and the commoners, the high and the low, is a common human state. I just didn't expect that even someone as refined as Mr. Yang would be like this. Please proceed, Mr. Liu."

Liu Linzong nodded, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "We shall meet again when the time is right!"

As the figures of the crowd disappeared into the distance, Xu Xianzhi walked over and said resentfully, "These gentry are really too much. They can't even touch what we've touched? Humph, watching that white-robed scholar eat crabs, I thought he was a living immortal. Who would have thought he's just... another one of them..."

Liu Yu shook his head and said, "Enough. The upper class has no poor, and the lower class has no gentry. They are as different from us as heaven and earth. Worrying about this will only bring you trouble."

Xu Xianzhi sighed and said, "Brother Liu, weren't you always waiting for the northern gentry? These two, though their travel permits say they are merchants, clearly look like high-ranking families from Jiangdong. Why didn't you go up and ask them? Are you afraid of being humiliated?"

Liu Yu shook his head and said, "It's not about being humiliated. These two are clearly from the gentry of Jiangnan, yet they are using the name of merchants. Do you think they came to Jingkou just for sightseeing at this time?" As he said this, a glint appeared in his eyes, "There's something going on here!"

Xu Xianzhi's eyes widened, and he said curiously, "Something going on? What's going on? I just thought Yang Linzi was a bit arrogant. Compared to that Diao Shaozi I met today, he's much better."

Liu Yu's brows furrowed, "Diao Shaozi? Is he the son of the new Diao Cishi, Diao Kui?"

Xu Xianzhi nodded, "Yes, I heard he is Diao Kui's younger brother. I don't know his name, but it should be correct. I saw Liu Yi leading the way in front."

Liu Yu's lips curled, "Liu Yi, Liu Xile? Isn't he a clerk in the state? A high-ranking gentry, actually leading the horse for a Cishi's brother, truly disgraceful!"

Xu Xianzhi laughed, "Zhuge Kongming once built a hut in Nanyang, and Xie Xianggong also once lived in seclusion on Dongshan! People like Liu Yi, who fawn on the powerful and try to climb the social ladder by any means, will ruin their reputation among the gentry. Even if they can get a small official position, their future prospects will be very limited."

Liu Yu shook his head, "What a pity, what a pity. Liu Xile is a talented person, yet he has ended up like this. But from now on, our Jingkou town will hardly have peace."

Xu Xianzhi's face changed, "What do you mean by no peace? What can Diao Kui do to change Jingkou? Before, so many high-ranking families came to Jingkou, but it was just like that, wasn't it?"

Liu Yu sighed, "It's different. In the past, when the Wang, Xi, Huan, and other major families came to Jingkou, they wanted to recruit refugees and launch a northern campaign to establish their achievements. Plus, they didn't want to cause trouble here, close to Jiankang. They would stay for a few years and then leave, without acquiring property, so they wouldn't have many conflicts with the people of Jingkou."

"But the Diao family is different. Although they are not a top-tier family, they are known for their greed. Diao Kui's grandfather, Diao Xie, had the reputation of a loyal minister who helped found the state. Over the years, although the Diao family couldn't hold important positions in the court, they have been plundering and acquiring property wherever they served, leaving a bad name wherever they go."

"Xianzhi, you know that the northern refugees have no land and can only work on the public fields provided by the court when they come here."

"Unless they join the military to offset taxes, they can't afford the annual tax of three hu of rice. Diao Kui probably saw this and sought the position of governor in Jingkou."

Xu Xianzhi suddenly understood, "I see! But speaking of which, do you think those two who just arrived are from the Wang, Xie, Yu, or Xi families?"

Liu Yu smiled slightly, "It's hard to say. We'll see how it goes. But I offended Diao Shaozi just now. Others might fear the Diao family, but I don't! Jingkou is not a place where they can do as they please. If we have to endure their bullying, are we still men of Jingkou?"

Xu Xianzhi shook his head, "They can't bully you now, but the new northern refugees will find it hard to resist them. The three families who just left are probably in for trouble."

Liu Yu's brows furrowed, "No, since they have come to Jingkou, they are our people. We can't just stand by and watch them be bullied! I'm going to the governor's office now."

A hint of doubt flashed in Xu Xianzhi's eyes, "What are you doing? Meddling in other people's affairs? Not to mention that you are just a small village head. Even if you can protect a few families today, can you protect them every day? Besides, these people came to Jingkou to survive and find work. Do you have work for them?"

Liu Yu gritted his teeth, "The court has its laws, and the refugees have their ways of settling down. I can't let them be deceived and become servants of the Diao family! If the new arrivals are treated like this, it won't be long before Jingkou truly belongs to the Diao family!"

With that, he turned and strode southward.

The waves continued to crash, and the bustling ferry port gradually quieted down.

Jingkou was not large, and the county seat where the governor's office was located was even smaller, with a yellow earth wall about ten feet high, encircling a perimeter of only four or five li. The city had few residents, with a few ordinary alleys and a few trees in the setting sun.

Liu Yu walked quickly on the cobblestone streets of the small city, and shopkeepers and acquaintances on both sides greeted him, but he ignored them and headed straight for the governor's office.

Because he could already see that many people were gathered outside the main hall, craning their necks to look inside, clearly indicating that something was happening.

In a wine shop called "Lingjiangxian" on the second floor, in a spacious and well-lit private room, Yang Linzi and Liu Linzong, who had just left the ferry, were kneeling opposite each other on two couches.

On the small table in front of them, a pot of plum wine was being warmed over a low fire, the aroma of the wine mingling with the smell of two dishes of fresh fish, making one's mouth water.

Liu Linzong's gaze followed Liu Yu, who was walking on the road outside the window, to the governor's office a few dozen steps away, and he smiled, "It looks like a good show is about to begin."