Chapter 13

Seeing the displeased expression on Yueyang's face, Shunbao, who was standing beside him, thought that his young master was worried about the upcoming matter. He comforted him, saying, "Young Master, don't worry too much. Although our Yue family's influence isn't as strong as it was when the old master was around, we're not lambs to be slaughtered. Besides, they have to consider their reputation; otherwise, people will talk."

Yueyang shook his head slightly, "Shunbao, you've misunderstood. I'm not worried about that."

Shunbao was taken aback and couldn't help but ask, "Then what are you worried about?"

"Look!" Yueyang pointed to the passersby on the street and said, "As the capital of Yingzhou, look at the state of the common people. It's not much better than in Wulizhai. This shows the state of our great Ming dynasty. If the people are suffering so much, do you think we have the strength to resist the Manchu invaders if they come?"

Shunbao scratched his head and said foolishly, "Young Master, you're overthinking it. We have the elite troops of Xuanfu Town guarding Datong. How could the Manchus easily reach here?"

Yueyang sighed slightly and looked at Shunbao with a disappointed gaze, scolding him, "You fool, have you forgotten that in the second year of Chongzhen, the Qing army invaded and reached Beijing? What if the Qing army enters through Xuanfu Town this time? Have you thought about the consequences?"

Shunbao scratched his head and said, "Young Master, these are matters for the Emperor and the high officials. I've never thought about such things."

Hu Laosan, who was standing nearby, also chimed in, "That's right, Young Master. These are state affairs, not something we commoners can interfere with. If the officials hear us, they'll accuse us of spreading rumors about the government."

"You two!" Hearing their indifferent words, Yueyang glared at them angrily and fell silent.

However, Yueyang didn't blame them. After all, the environment in the Ming dynasty was like this. The rulers of ancient times practiced a policy of keeping the people ignorant. The founding emperor of the Ming dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, to ensure the longevity of his dynasty, implemented a strict household registration system. Farmers could only farm, soldiers could only serve, night watchmen could only keep watch, and those who cleaned latrines had to do it for life. Even visiting relatives required permission from the authorities. This system further restricted the thoughts of the common people, not only inflating the power of local clans but also making the people think only of their families, not the nation.

However, while Shunbao and Hu Laosan could act this way, Yueyang couldn't. Coming from the future, Yueyang knew that a fierce storm would soon sweep across China, one that would end the last Han-ruled feudal dynasty and change the course of Chinese history. After the Yuan dynasty, China's backbone was once again broken by nomadic tribes, and this painful process lasted for centuries.

When he first arrived, Yueyang was excited, thinking that with the ability to travel between two timelines, he could easily change the history of the Ming dynasty. What were the Manchu invaders? Could their archery and horsemanship stand up to modern machine guns and artillery? A burst of bullets would turn even the strongest into a sieve.

But after calming down, Yueyang realized that even with the ability to travel between timelines, his power was still very limited. As for machine guns and artillery, those were just dreams. In the modern world, Yueyang was just a poor man. Even if he had a mountain of gold and silver, he wouldn't know where to get large quantities of weapons and ammunition. The police and the neighborhood committees weren't just there for show, especially in a country where even buying a kitchen knife required real-name registration. Any attempt to purchase weapons on a large scale would be severely suppressed, and Yueyang didn't think he, a commoner, would be an exception.

Although he couldn't directly fight the Manchu invaders with an AK-47, Yueyang was confident that, backed by the advanced technology of the modern world, he could still find a unique path in this chaotic era.

Time passed slowly as Yueyang was lost in thought. After two hours, they arrived at the entrance of the Yingzhou Prefecture. Two guards with knives stood at the entrance. Shunbao dismounted and handed the "name card" sent by Magistrate Zheng to one of the guards, smiling and saying, "Sir, we are from Yuejia Village. The young master behind me is Yuejia's young master. We have come to pay our respects to Magistrate Zheng."

The guard took the "name card" and glanced at Yueyang and the others before saying, "You are from Yuejia Village? Magistrate Zheng has given instructions. If people from Wulizhai Yuejia Village come, they can enter directly without reporting."

Shunbao quickly bowed, "Thank you, sir!"

The guard waved his hand impatiently, "Hurry up and go in. Don't stand here blocking the way! Also, the young master of Yuejia can enter, but the rest of the miscellaneous people should not."

Shunbao was taken aback and asked, "Why? Are the others from the other families also treated this way?"

The guard's face darkened, and he shouted at Shunbao, "Why are you so talkative? This is an order from above. Do you dare to disobey?"

Seeing the guard's impatient expression, Yueyang's heart sank. The guard's attitude didn't seem friendly. Were all the officials in this era so arrogant? If so, it would be understandable, but if not, it meant the guard was deliberately targeting them.

Yueyang's mind raced, but he couldn't think of a good solution. He turned to Shunbao and Hu Laosan, who looked reluctant, and said calmly, "Shunbao, Master Hu, wait for me outside. I'll go in alone. This is the magistrate's office, not a dragon's den. Do you really think my safety is at risk?"

"Yes!" Shunbao and Master Hu thought about it and realized he was right. If there was a safest place in Yingzhou, it would be here, next to the military camp and the treasury.

"Are you done talking? If you are, hurry up," the guard shouted impatiently and walked in first.

Seeing the guard's attitude, Yueyang's displeasure flashed in his eyes. He gave the guard a deep look and followed him inside...

Just as Yueyang entered the office, in the main hall of the back courtyard, Magistrate Zheng Fakui was talking to three middle-aged men.

Zheng Fakui was 43 years old, with a kind and benevolent appearance, giving the impression of a good-natured person rather than an official. In fact, he was a genuine scholar from the third year of Tianqi. Sitting below him were the heads of the Wang, Lin, and Li families.

The atmosphere in the hall was somewhat tense, and everyone was drinking tea in silence. Wang Shoucheng smiled ingratiatingly at Zheng Fakui and said, "Magistrate Zheng, when the old lady from Yuejia Village arrives, I'm afraid she won't be cooperative. This will depend on your help, sir."

Zheng Fakui frowned. Honestly, he didn't want to get involved in this matter. Although he was the magistrate of Yingzhou, he couldn't easily intervene in the internal struggles of the gentry. If it got out, it would be criticized.

However, this time, the Wang, Lin, and Li families had all come to him, not only offering him a generous gift of 10,000 taels of silver but also hinting that if the matter succeeded, Wang Shoucheng's eldest son, who was a censor, would help him get a transfer to a wealthy area in Jiangnan after his term.

Zheng Fakui dismissed Wang Shoucheng's hints, but he knew that while the censors might not be very helpful, they could easily ruin his career. So he had to reluctantly agree, though he only promised to support them from the sidelines. Now, seeing that Wang Shoucheng wanted him to take the lead, Zheng Fakui was unhappy. He put down his teacup and frowned, "Brother Wang, this is a private matter among the four families. As the magistrate of Yingzhou, I cannot be too partial. This matter mainly depends on your own negotiations. You must understand my difficulties."

"You old fox!" Wang Shoucheng cursed inwardly but had no choice but to turn to Li Yuan, the head of the Li family, and Lin Yuanteng, the head of the Lin family, signaling them to speak.

Lin Yuanteng and Li Yuan exchanged glances and were about to speak when a guard at the door shouted, "Report to the magistrate, the people from Yuejia Village have arrived!"

Zheng Fakui nodded, "Oh, the old lady from Yuejia Village has arrived. Please bring her in."

The guard outside quickly said, "Sir, the person who came from Yuejia Village is not the old lady but the young master of Yuejia Village, Yueyang!"

"What?"

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned...

PS: I'm really sorry, but At Ding's blood pressure has flared up again, and he needs to go to the city hospital. I don't know if he needs to be hospitalized. If he does, there will only be one update today. I apologize for the inconvenience!