Chapter 8

Riding his horse back and forth between the county town and the Chengguo Canal, the fifth son of the Wu family, Wulun, was covered in dust kicked up by the horse's hooves, and his headscarf was askew, his cheeks slightly blue from the wind.

But his demeanor was no less imposing than that of his grandfather. He strode forward, bowed to the fifth patriarch, Wuba, and loudly said, "Grandfather, I have returned from the county magistrate!"

Upon hearing this, the seventh patriarch, who had been shouting and demanding that the three families go to the village to seek justice from the tax collector, fell silent for a moment.

Wulun, however, only smiled and did not speak. He had already learned from his clansmen what had happened. After straightening his clothes, he glared at the seventh patriarch and his brothers, saying sternly, "Seventh patriarch, do you still not know your mistake?"

Seventh Leopard wiped the blood from his nose, stuffed a few leaves into his nostrils, which looked quite comical, but he was not one to remember pain. He jumped up again, seeing that Wulun was not very tall, and said in a gruff voice, "You're just a child, and you dare to speak so boldly. Is this a matter for a child to meddle in?"

"Coincidentally, I can meddle."

Wulun took out something tied to his waist and showed it to the seventh patriarch and his brothers. It was a half-seal, a rectangular stamp cut in half, used by low-ranking officials, with the words "Linqi Xiaotai" (Filial Piety and Brotherly Love in Linqi) inscribed on it.

"Right now, I have just been appointed as the Filial Piety and Brotherly Love officer of Linqi by the county magistrate!"

The crowd was taken aback, but not overly surprised. After all, this was the position of Filial Piety and Brotherly Love, not the more prestigious Filial Piety and Cleanliness.

The position of Filial Piety and Cleanliness was a significant one, with only one candidate chosen each year by the commandery. It was much harder to obtain than entering the Imperial Academy. Once recommended, one could directly enter the imperial court as a junior official. After a year or two in the capital, one would be assigned to a position, starting at the level of a county lieutenant or county assistant, with the most common being a county magistrate.

In contrast, the position of Filial Piety and Brotherly Love was much less prestigious. It was an honorary title, given to virtuous individuals in the county. It had been established during the reign of Emperor Wen of the Han dynasty. As an assistant to the village elders, it was an unpaid position with no fixed salary. It was only during the reigns of Emperors Yuan and Cheng that the prime minister, Keng Heng, advocated for the exemption of taxes and corvée labor for these officers, and they received a few bolts of cloth as a reward during festivals.

Compared to the two, one was a favored son of heaven, while the other was a minor local official, with a significant gap between them.

However, although the position of Filial Piety and Brotherly Love had no real power, it was essential. For decades, from the Han dynasty to the Xin dynasty, the country had been governed by virtue. The village elders and Filial Piety and Brotherly Love officers were seen as moral role models, and the government encouraged the people to learn from them.

Issues such as disputes over inheritance, marital conflicts, and family rifts, which the government officials and legal officers were reluctant to handle, were resolved by the village elders and Filial Piety and Brotherly Love officers, who acted as mediators.

This was the task assigned to Wulun by the county magistrate, Xian Yubao, which aligned with his reputation for yielding pears and studying diligently.

Wulun spoke firmly, "Seventh patriarch, there is only one path for you now!"

"Listen to my advice and that of my grandfather. Settle this matter privately, and restore the water distribution agreement from previous years."

"If you refuse, there's no need to trouble the village tax collector. I will report this to the county magistrate and take the matter to the county court."

Seeing that Wulun had a "backer," the surprise on Seventh Biao's face gradually faded, and he even began to smile.

"This boy is indeed young. He thinks that just because he's a minor Filial Piety and Brotherly Love officer, he can give me orders. He doesn't know how strong my connections are in the county."

If he didn't have some channels, where would the seventh patriarch get his iron weapons? How could he have been able to dominate the village for over a decade without any officials causing trouble for his family? If he hadn't already informed the county water official, how could he have dared to openly dispute water with the sixth patriarch?

Moreover, as a village head, Seventh Biao often went to the county town and had a few meals with the county magistrate. Xian Yubao received bribes from the seventh patriarch every year!

So he said, "Good idea, young Filial Piety and Brotherly Love officer. If we can't settle this here, going to the county office is not a bad option!"

Wulun sneered, "Seventh Biao, have you thought this through? Are you sure you want to take this to the county court?"

"Take it to the court, then." Seventh Biao continued to stand his ground. In his view, whether the matter was taken to the village or the county, it made no difference. It was just a matter of which family had more influence and which side the county magistrate favored. With his family's connections and the support of the first patriarch, he had nothing to fear. Wulun's mention of the county magistrate was just a bluff.

"Very well, very well indeed."

Wulun glanced back and suddenly smiled.

"In fact, I have already reported this to the county magistrate. Why don't you see what he has to say first?"

At this point, Wulun took out a wooden slip from his waist. It was not stamped with the half-seal but with the bright red seal of the county magistrate!

Seventh Biao took the slip in a daze, not even having time to read it before he heard the sound of hooves approaching. The crowd parted, and several black-robed, black-capped officials with swords entered, led by the county water official, who looked grim.

It turned out that Wulun had come with the water official but had deliberately spurred his horse ahead to set a trap for Seventh Biao.

Wulun immediately went to the water official and said, "Water official, I showed the seventh patriarch the slip from the county magistrate, but he refused to comply and even threatened to take the matter to the county court."

"Bold!" The water official was furious at the mention of the court, pointing at Seventh Biao and saying, "Seventh village head, are you defying the order of the county magistrate?"

Seventh Biao, holding the slip, was stunned, stammering, "Water official, he... Wulun just gave me this, and I haven't had time to..."

"Silence!" The water official had no patience to listen and was afraid that Seventh Biao might say something wrong and reveal their dirty dealings. He immediately repeated the county magistrate's order.

"Seventh patriarch and Sixth patriarch, immediately stop the water dispute and restore the old agreement!"

Seventh Biao was shocked, "Superior official, you can't just listen to this boy. I want to see the county magistrate, I want to explain..."

"The county magistrate does indeed want to see you," the water official said sternly. "Seventh Biao, Sixth Du, you two must immediately go to the county town and apologize to the county magistrate for today's incident! And swear that you will never dispute again!"

Sixth Du was still in a daze, but he reacted when Wuba stepped on his foot and happily agreed.

Although he didn't understand why his family, which was in the right, had to go and apologize to the county magistrate, the process didn't matter; the result was what was important. If it meant that the seventh patriarch could no longer dispute water with his family, it was a good thing.

Seeing that Seventh Biao was still standing there, the water official gave him a meaningful look, "What are you standing there for? If you delay, you'll lose your position as village head!"

Seventh Biao could only grit his teeth, bow to the water official, and say, "Yes!"

...

After the water official led the seventh and sixth patriarchs away, the dispute was finally over.

Wuba called Wulun over, first examined his half-seal to confirm it was genuine, and then asked in a low voice, "Lun, how did you get the county magistrate to take your side?"

Reflecting on it, he and the county magistrate's father were old friends, but the county magistrate had connections with many families in the county. Why did he take their side today? It couldn't just be because of his admiration for Wulun.

Wulun said, "Grandfather, I simply described the ordinary water dispute between two villages as a conflict within the clan, and exaggerated that it would lead to bloodshed."

Wuba, who had served as a village official, understood the reason after some thought and laughed, "No wonder you are my grandson, indeed clever."

In this era, harmony and affection within the clan were virtues of filial piety and brotherly love, worthy of praise. What, then, was a conflict within the clan?

A great disgrace! Not only to the family but also to the local officials.

Wuba remembered an incident from the Han Xuan Emperor's reign. When Han Yanshou was the Left Fengyi, his jurisdiction included the current Liwei and Shiwei commanderies. During his inspection of the county, he encountered two brothers disputing over land. Han Yanshou believed that such a conflict was due to his failure to properly educate the people, so he put aside his official duties and secluded himself in reflection.

The disgrace of the ruler was the shame of his ministers, and all the county officials, tax collectors, village elders, and Filial Piety and Brotherly Love officers felt responsible and bound themselves in ropes to apologize. The disputing brothers, under pressure from their clan, admitted their mistakes, repented deeply, and apologized to Han Yanshou, offering the land to each other and vowing never to dispute again.

This incident became a famous story and set a bad precedent, as it was held up as a model by the court.

After the Xin dynasty was established, the country was governed according to Confucian moral standards, and conflicts within families were seen as signs of moral decay.

This was why the positions of village elders and Filial Piety and Brotherly Love officers were essential. Once there were signs of family disputes, they had to intervene immediately and prevent the matter from reaching the court. If they failed to mediate and the dispute escalated, the county magistrate, tax collector, and village elders would face severe consequences, either self-reproach or reprimand from their superiors.

Wulun was good at observing and learning. He gradually understood the preferences and principles of people in this era: laws and reason were secondary; everything was based on morality!

If he could wrap everything in a layer of Confucian benevolence and righteousness, he would be invincible.

Sure enough, when he described the water dispute as a conflict within the clan, the county magistrate, Xian Yubao, immediately turned grim.

No matter how many favors the seventh patriarch had done for him in the past, once it affected his career, even the closest relationships were no longer a factor. He immediately sent someone to order the seventh patriarch to stop the water dispute.

Wulun only shook his head, "There's only one thing I don't understand. Seventh Biao is a low-ranking official and should know some laws and regulations. How could he not think of this?"

"He really didn't think of it," Wuba, who knew the two brothers better, said. "People are different. The seventh patriarch doesn't enjoy reading and relies on his bravery and toughness as an official. He doesn't study the laws and regulations well and doesn't know the history of the commandery. Plus, he no longer considers the sixth patriarch a relative and has been bullying him, which led to this mistake."

At this moment, they saw a few people wading across the Chengguo Canal from the south, the eighth patriarch and his son. They had been watching the drama all afternoon and now seemed to be making a move.

The grandfather and grandson exchanged a glance. Wuba sneered and shouted from a distance, "Eighth patriarch, you finally came. I was wondering why you were absent. Did it take you a few hours to cross the canal? Is the water high? That's a good thing!"

Eighth patriarch looked a bit embarrassed, while Eighth Jiao bowed to Wulun, curious about how he had successfully repelled the seventh patriarch and his brothers.

Wulun only showed his Filial Piety and Brotherly Love seal and smiled, "Nothing else, just using virtue to persuade!"

Eighth Jiao believed it and admired Wulun even more, "The Master said, 'The virtue of a gentleman is like the wind, the virtue of a small man is like the grass. When the wind blows over the grass, it must bend.' Here, the gentleman refers to Wulun."

Eighth patriarch also added, "Indeed, Wulun is like the wind that bends the grass in our village."

What wind, I'm the wind that flies!

Eighth patriarch's skill in adding to the praise was impressive. He kindly reminded Wulun, "Since Wulun is now a village official, even though it's an unpaid position, you should report to the village tomorrow and meet the tax collector and village elders."

Eighth patriarch was hinting that the village tax collector and the first patriarch were narrow-minded. The Wu family had been so high-profile recently and had even beaten the tax collector's dogs, the seventh brothers. It was better to resolve the conflict. As a Filial Piety and Brotherly Love officer, Wulun would be under the tax collector's jurisdiction, and he should be cautious of any tricks.

Wulun was unconcerned. The matter was settled, and Wuba called the clan members to return, but Wulun said he had something else to do and was heading to the county town, not the village to the east.

Wuba was puzzled, "Going to the county town? For what?"

The small half-seal was twirling on Wulun's finger like a toy, "What else? Naturally, to return this seal to the county magistrate and then..."

Wulun was smiling broadly, "Resign!"

...

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