Chapter 48

"Is this the command post where Lord Lian chased me before the New Year? Indeed, the scenery is beautiful, with a full view of Yixian County. Tsk tsk, County Magistrate Liu must have been standing beside me back then, right?" Xiao Letian stood by the window, gazing at the bustling cityscape, and sighed deeply.

At this moment, County Magistrate Liu, who had been waiting in the room, stood respectfully beside Xiao Letian and smiled, saying, "Before the New Year, Lord Lian said he would take me to catch bandits. Little did he know that the one he was chasing was a fierce dragon like you! As the saying goes, only a fierce dragon can cross the river. Hahaha..."

A seventh-rank county magistrate was at the very bottom of the official hierarchy. Below him were the clerks, who were not even considered part of the official ranks. These foundation stones of the bureaucracy had long mastered the art of flattery, and in just a few words, they had made Xiao Letian laugh.

"Sit down, sit down. If outsiders see County Magistrate Liu dining with me, a mere second-rate person, wouldn't they impeach you harshly? Hahaha..." Xiao Letian laughed and sat in the main seat.

County Magistrate Liu did not speak, but the chief constable, Wang Hu, smiled and said, "Who dares? In Yixian County, anyone who disrespects Mr. Xiao or the county magistrate will regret it. I, Wang Hu, will make them wish they were dead..."

"Enough, enough. I know your capabilities. Sit down, and let's have the dishes served..." Xiao Letian spoke, and only then did the others dare to take their seats. Fan Lian, County Magistrate Liu, Wang Hu, and other officials all sat with smiles, waiting for the food to be served.

At this moment, the innkeeper came upstairs, personally carrying a large porcelain platter. On it were a pair of pure white bear paws, steaming hot, imported from the northern lands of the Russian Empire.

The innkeeper placed the platter in the center of the table, and before he could announce the dish, he bowed three times on the ground, "My benefactor, please accept my humble bow..." The three bows were so loud that the floorboards echoed, and dust likely fell from the ceiling of the second floor.

County Magistrate Liu noticed Xiao Letian's confusion and quickly whispered, "The innkeeper has long been oppressed by Lord Lian. He pays no less than a thousand taels in tribute each year, and one of his concubines was once defiled by Lord Lian. So, calling you his benefactor is quite appropriate, quite appropriate..."

Xiao Letian finally understood. At that moment, he felt a sense of grandeur, truly feeling like a hero. By defeating Lord Lian, he had not only gained a great reputation but also a significant amount of prestige. This deal was truly worthwhile.

Xiao Letian raised his hand to signal the innkeeper to rise and then said to the officials at the table, "Look, the people are grateful. If you show them a little kindness, they will remember it for a lifetime. Lord Lian, that old man, oppressed the people. What is his fate now? His wealth is gone, and he is bedridden with a stroke, looking quite pitiful..."

"But who is to blame? When a petty person gets a little power, they become arrogant and even take pleasure in bullying the weak. How can such people avoid retribution? Gentlemen, you must remember this!" Xiao Letian earnestly lectured the officials. Strangely, they all stretched their necks, listening as if to a superior's reprimand, with expressions of deep respect.

Wang Hu was the first to pledge his loyalty, "Mr. Xiao's words are reasonable. I come from a humble background and know the people's suffering. In the past, with low salaries, I had to accept bribes, but now, with three times my salary from Mr. Xiao, I have enough. To be greedy would be inhuman..."

Following Wang Hu, the other officials also pledged their loyalty. In their eyes, since Xiao Letian paid them more than the imperial court, he was naturally their top superior. Loyalty had its price, and whoever paid more was the boss.

Under the innkeeper's direction, a table full of delicacies was served. There were sixteen dishes, including eight mountain delicacies and eight water delicacies. Though the number seemed small, the quality was unmatched by anything in the modern world.

The mountain delicacies included bear paws, deer antlers, elephant trunks, camel humps, civet cats, leopard fetuses, deer tendons, and monkey brains.

The water delicacies included bird's nests, shark fins, sea cucumbers, fish maws, scallops, abalones, mussels, and Chinese giant salamanders.

The sixteen dishes, a combination of mountain and water delicacies, left Xiao Letian dazzled. He couldn't help but be amazed, as many of these dishes were only heard of but never seen. In the Prince Gong's mansion, Yixin had prepared a more lavish feast for Xiao Letian, but he had missed the main dish while explaining the industrial zone plan.

Today, the gourmet was about to feast.

The eight delicacies feast, passed down through generations, varied by region and season. To enjoy a true eight delicacies feast, one had to prepare at least a month in advance, even in the large restaurants of the capital. The innkeeper, to repay Xiao Letian's kindness, had spent two months preparing, especially the pair of pure white bear paws, which he had bought from a Russian merchant for a hundred taels of silver.

Fan Lian, who had traveled widely and knew his stuff, quickly estimated the value of the feast. It couldn't have cost less than five hundred taels. This was a truly heartfelt repayment of kindness, and it seemed that he shouldn't forget this thoughtful innkeeper in the future.

After a few rounds of drinks and a few dishes, as Xiao Letian was explaining some interesting European history to the officials, a faint cry and the sound of an argument came from outside the window. Xiao Letian, puzzled, looked out and saw people moving in a nearby alley, apparently in a heated dispute.

"What's going on?" Xiao Letian asked, puzzled. Chief Constable Wang Hu, seeing someone daring to disturb Mr. Xiao's meal, stood up and walked out, "Mr. Xiao, please enjoy your meal. I'll go check it out. Who dares to be so bold?"

As Wang Hu left the private room, Xiao Letian signaled the guards, and two of them hurriedly followed.

Soon, the noise outside grew louder, and it sounded like a woman was crying and shouting. There were also some strange, effeminate voices mixed in.

"Heaven, why don't you open your eyes? You are forcing us to our deaths. You promised, and now you break it. Are you even human? I'll die for you to see..." Before she finished, there was a collective gasp from the crowd.

Xiao Letian couldn't sit still anymore. He stood up and looked out, seeing the alley corner suddenly surrounded by a crowd, with more people rushing over.

Just as Xiao Letian was about to go downstairs to see what was happening, a disciple of Chief Constable Wang Hu suddenly ran up, knelt on the ground, and said, "It's the wife of a consumptive from Xiaowang Village in the eastern part of the city. She just committed suicide by hitting her head against a wall..."

"Why?" County Magistrate Liu quickly asked, not wanting to lose face in front of Xiao Letian.

"Sir, we can't do anything about this. It's beyond our control!" The constable said awkwardly, "This matter is connected to the palace. It's about Little Knife Liu..."

At the mention of Little Knife Liu, everyone's faces turned awkward. They all guessed what was going on. At this moment, Xiao Letian's guard also ran back.

"Mr. Xiao, these scoundrels are inhuman, like beasts..." In the guard's angry words, Xiao Letian finally understood the situation. It was related to the eunuchs in the palace.

Since the establishment of the Qing Dynasty, although the number of eunuchs was greatly reduced compared to the Ming Dynasty, they were not eliminated. Every year, the Office of Ceremonial Affairs in the palace sent many eunuchs out to select young eunuchs from various regions to supplement the palace.

Most Qing eunuchs came from the regions around Baoding, Cangzhou, Daming, and Langfang. On one hand, these areas had a dense population, providing enough eligible children to choose from. On the other hand, the dialect and lifestyle were similar to those in the capital, making them easier to use.

Therefore, in the counties around the capital, there were branches of the Office of Ceremonial Affairs. Poor families who could not afford to raise their sons would send their children to the palace to become eunuchs, at least ensuring they had a meal.

Little Knife Liu had connections with the Office of Ceremonial Affairs. Eunuchs selected in Yixian County had to register with him and undergo the castration procedure. According to the rules, eunuchs should be sent to the capital for the procedure, but due to the high mortality rate, the Office of Ceremonial Affairs found it more convenient to have local people handle it.

After the procedure, if you survived the ten-day critical period, you would have the资格 to enter the palace as a eunuch. If you didn't survive, it was your own fault.

The wife of the consumptive from Xiaowang Village made a living by growing and selling vegetables. Due to extreme poverty, she brought her son, Ermao, to Little Knife Liu, hoping he could have a meal. Little Knife Liu, seeing that Ermao was handsome and healthy, promised that he could definitely enter the palace, as long as he survived the ten-day critical period after the procedure. With this promise, the mother, with a heavy heart, let her son undergo the procedure.

"However, this year, the eunuch sent by the Office of Ceremonial Affairs was extremely ruthless. He demanded a bribe of five taels for each slot, or else the boys couldn't enter the palace. Ermao's mother, angry, went to argue with them, but the eunuch, Zheng, beat her up without a word. She couldn't bear it and committed suicide by hitting her head against a wall..."

"Is she alright?" Xiao Letian's good mood was completely ruined.

"A doctor has been called, and I just saw that she was still breathing..."

The private room fell into a deathly silence. Fan Lian kept signaling Xiao Letian to calm down. But Xiao Letian's heart was like a field of grass, tugging at the buttons of his robe as he paced back and forth by the window.

At this moment, County Magistrate Liu spoke, "Mr. Xiao, you have a compassionate heart, but such incidents are too common. How many can you handle? Let me give this woman a job at the county office, to help her family."

After County Magistrate Liu spoke, the others all sighed and shook their heads. Despite being officials, there were many things they couldn't control in the Qing Dynasty, and palace eunuchs were one of them.

Xiao Letian's cold gaze fixed on the crowd outside. "Send for the best doctor, and I'll go see her..."

Fan Lian, hearing this, sighed inwardly, "My young master, you're getting involved in another matter again?"