Chapter 96

Hu Xiaotian watched as the small boat disappeared from his sight, then continued on his journey. The walls of Qingyun County were low and dilapidated. Although it was noon, the city gate was still sparsely populated with carriages and horses. The two old guards were chatting about their daily lives and barely glanced at the passersby, even more lax than the guards in Xiezhou City. This lack of morale and military appearance was widespread throughout the Dakan Empire, which, after more than five hundred years of glorious history, was also declining like all previous dynasties.

Upon entering the city, the passersby around him mostly wore tattered clothes, and the houses were low and dilapidated. The narrow streets were filled with a desolate and decaying atmosphere.

This was the first time the three of them had come here, so they were quite surprised by the surroundings, looking around curiously. Liang Dazhuang swallowed and said, "This place is not as good as the capital, and it's even worse than Xiezhou."

Hu Xiaotian thought to himself, "What a load of nonsense! Qingyun is just a small county. How can it be compared to the capital of Dakan, or the famous city of Xichuan? That would be like comparing a county to a sub-provincial or provincial-level city."

Liang Dazhuang said, "There isn't even one decent house in this Qingyun County. It's truly impoverished and barren."

Hu Xiaotian felt the same way. His father was ruthless, exiling him to this godforsaken, barren place. What made it even more depressing was that he wasn't the top official in Qingyun County; he was just a county magistrate, with a county governor above him. Looking around, he saw nothing but desolation. This place seemed to offer no opportunities for profit. But since he was here, he had to make the best of it, one step at a time.

Turning the corner, they suddenly saw a cluster of grand mansions. The sudden appearance of these buildings was a strong visual impact. The red-painted gates, gilded door nails, and two majestic stone lions in front of the gates were even larger than those at the Hu family's residence in the capital. The entire complex was even more impressive than the Hu family's.

If such a complex were in the capital, it wouldn't be surprising, as the capital was a place of hidden dragons and tigers, with countless nobles and aristocrats. However, this was the small city of Qingyun in the southwestern border region, making this complex particularly eye-catching.

Hu Xiaotian looked at the horizontal plaque above the gate, which read "Wan Family" in golden letters on a black background. His first impression was that of a nouveau riche. One should never judge a book by its cover. He never expected that this dilapidated Qingyun County would hide such a powerful household.

The two servants at the gate were also tall and robust, with broad shoulders and a well-built physique. They wore bright, black martial attire, with a two-inch wide red silk sash around their waists, black thin-soled boots, and black octagonal servant caps. Standing on the steps, they looked down at everyone. Perhaps because Hu Xiaotian and his companions glanced at the gate for a bit longer, the two servants immediately felt annoyed and glared at them, saying, "What are you looking at? Is there something to see?"

Hu Xiaotian, being new to Qingyun, didn't want to argue with the servants of the Wan Family. Murong Feiyang also thought it was better to avoid trouble and was about to leave. However, Liang Dazhuang was不服气 (unwilling to back down). He was a servant too, but he believed that as a servant of the capital's Ministry of Revenue, he was superior to these two. "What's with the attitude? You're just gatekeepers!"

The two servants of the Wan Family were immediately enraged. "Get lost, or I'll let the dogs bite you!"

Liang Dazhuang wanted to say more, but Hu Xiaotian called him, "Let's go, you've seen grand mansions before. Don't act like a country bumpkin."

Liang Dazhuang swallowed, though he was reluctant, he didn't dare to disobey his young master. He didn't understand why Hu Xiaotian was suddenly so low-key. In the capital, he was the son of the Minister of Revenue, Hu Buwei, and the young master of the Hu family. He came to Qingyun County to serve as an official, appointed by the court as the county magistrate. How could he tolerate being ordered around by the servants of the Wan Family?

At this moment, the faint sound of barking could be heard from inside the mansion. Hu Xiaotian and Murong Feiyang had already left, but Liang Dazhuang turned to look back. The two servants of the Wan Family stood with their hands on their hips, chests puffed out, looking arrogant and rude. Liang Dazhuang cursed in his heart, "What's so great about you? Just because your master has some money, you think you're something? I'm a noble among servants. If you ever cross me, you'll be in trouble."

Hu Xiaotian wasn't one to take things lying down. Seeing the arrogance of the two servants, he was also irritated. However, his self-control was much deeper than Liang Dazhuang's. He was just biding his time. "I'm new here and don't know the situation in Qingyun County. I'm a person of high status; I shouldn't stoop to arguing with mere servants. But in a few days... hehe..."

Hu Xiaotian's lips curled into a sinister smile, which Murong Feiyang caught. Murong Feiyang said, "Are you thinking of getting revenge in ten years, waiting until you're firmly established to settle the score?"

Hu Xiaotian laughed, "Feiyang, I find you understand me more and more. In front of you, I feel completely exposed."

"You don't need to understand me. A leopard can't change its spots!"

Hu Xiaotian smiled sinisterly, "So, I'll give you a warning. Don't offend someone like me, or I'll make you..."

"What can you do?" Murong Feiyang's phoenix eyes widened, as if ready to fight.

Hu Xiaotian suddenly changed his expression, "That's for others. We're different. We share life and death, and I already consider you my confidante."

"Hmph!" Murong Feiyang clearly sneered. Although she felt a bit embarrassed by his words, she realized that spending too much time with Hu Xiaotian had made her more theatrical, putting on a show on the surface while feeling differently inside. The Qingyun County government was located on East Street, facing south, in the center of the county. It was of medium size, covering about ten acres, with a total of twenty-seven rooms built along the central axis and the east and west wings. Although the number of rooms was not particularly large compared to other county governments, it had everything: the main hall, the second hall, the third hall, the prison, the kitchen, the county magistrate's residence, the stables, and the shrine. There was also a half-acre garden between the county magistrate's residence and the third hall, which served as a front garden for the county magistrate and a back garden for the government. The entire government complex was complete, though it was old and dilapidated due to years of neglect.

On the north side of East Street, there was a four-column, three-door wooden archway, four zhang wide. The central column and the side columns were supported by two diagonal columns, with the bases fixed by stone supports. The upper part of the central and side columns were all four-angled nine-step dougong. The plaque on the central column read "Qing Tian Lang Lang" (Clear Sky) on the south side and "Chuan Hua" (Teaching) on the north side. On the first and fifteenth of each month, the county magistrate would preach the imperial edict here to educate the people, hence the name "Chuan Hua Archway." On the south side of the Chuan Hua Archway, there was a screen wall on a mustang base, seven zhang long and two zhang high. On the north side, a strange beast was painted, resembling a qilin.

Hu Xiaotian stared at the beast for a long time and said, "This qilin is well-painted!"

Murong Feiyang looked at him strangely and said, "That's not a qilin; it's called 'Tan.' It has hooves like a cow, horns on its head, scales on its body, and a high tail. Its mouth is wide open, and its eyes are protruding, as if it wants to swallow the rising sun on the horizon. According to legend, Tan had endless wealth at its feet, but its heart was never satisfied. One day, it went to the sea to drink water and saw the sun's reflection in the sea, mistaking it for the sun. It jumped into the sea to swallow it and was drowned by the waves. The government painted Tan on the screen wall to warn officials to be self-disciplined and clean, not to be corrupt, or they would meet the same fate as Tan."

Murong Feiyang's words were profound, and it seemed she was using this opportunity to warn Hu Xiaotian. For some reason, she always felt that Hu Xiaotian wouldn't be a clean official.

Hu Xiaotian, reminded by her, recalled the story and nodded, "As the saying goes, 'A snake swallows an elephant when its heart is not satisfied, and a greedy person swallows the sun.' One should not be too greedy!" However, he didn't really believe it. In this world, how many officials were not greedy? Greed also had different levels.