Chapter 9

Xian Yu Bao, the county magistrate, was originally quite pleased.

Today's incident was quite perilous. If the Sixth and Seventh Clans had really fought to the death and the matter escalated to the county, his political rivals could have accused him of failing to maintain order and harmony among the clans. According to precedent, Magistrate Xian Yu would have been reprimanded by the governor, affecting his career.

Fortunately, Wu Dilun reported the matter in time and volunteered to help. He went with the water official to resolve the issue. Soon, Seventh Biao and Sixth Du came to the county office and apologized to Xian Yu Bao.

This was not a lawsuit, absolutely not! Xian Yu Bao repeatedly emphasized this point, stating that he was merely advising the two as the county magistrate. The characteristic of moral judgment is that it does not determine right or wrong, nor declare a winner, but aims for reconciliation between the parties.

On the county clerk's suggestion, Xian Yu Bao emulated the story of Han Yanshou from the reign of Emperor Xuan of the Former Han dynasty, and put on a show.

Seventh Biao was a familiar acquaintance of the county magistrate, having given him many favors in the past. However, Xian Yu Bao completely ignored his pleading eyes and had the county clerk order Seventh Biao to strip off his shirt in public, along with Sixth Du, and prostrate himself in the courtyard of the county office under everyone's watchful eyes.

The surrounding clerks whispered and pointed at Seventh Biao, making him feel they were all laughing at him. Despite his reluctance, to protect his position as village head and his family, he had to endure the humiliation.

Sixth Du, on the other hand, was quite content with the outcome. With this assurance, the Seventh Clan would likely not dare to compete for water again during the county magistrate's term.

But Sixth Du's grateful gaze was more often directed at Wu Dilun, who arrived later and mingled with the crowd. This young man, despite his age, had already been appointed as a village filial and fraternal official and had gained the magistrate's favor, with a promising future ahead.

Following the county clerk's cues, the two men, according to the script, loudly declared that they had temporarily lost their heads and caused a dispute, but under the moral influence of the county magistrate, they deeply repented and vowed never to fight again.

"From now on, the Seventh Clan will use the water first! Seven is greater than Six!"

"No, no, the Sixth Clan should use it first! Your family moved here earlier, and you are older than I am."

How absurd, they were fighting to the death in the morning, and in the afternoon, they were showing brotherly humility. Their acting was poor, just reciting lines, and their eyes were filled with the desire to beat each other up.

At this moment, County Magistrate Xian Yu Bao appeared. He coughed and timely opened the door to receive them, sharing a meal with them as a witness to their reconciliation, and publicized the matter in the county.

Needless to say, the result was that the county was in awe, and the officials vied to spread the magistrate's virtue. The people, upon hearing this, would reflect on themselves, and there would be no one coming to the county to file a lawsuit this autumn.

Of course, there wouldn't be! They wouldn't even reach the county office, as they would be persuaded back by the elders and filial and fraternal officials.

In short, a bad situation turned into a good one. Xian Yu Bao gained significant political capital and had a better impression of Wu Dilun. He decided to report Wu Dilun as a "supporting character" in this story to the governor for commendation—increasing the reward for filial and fraternal officials from two bolts of silk to three at the end of the year.

Wu Dilun, however, stood aside, watching this absurd scene, with many thoughts.

"Confucius said: In hearing lawsuits, I am like other men. The important thing is to prevent them."

No lawsuits, that is the ideal state of governance according to Confucianism. If it can be resolved through morality, it should not be taken to the law. During the Han dynasty, there was already this tendency, prohibiting children from suing their parents and slaves from suing their masters. Clan disputes were not handled by the government but were left to the elders and filial and fraternal officials to mediate.

In the Xin dynasty, it became even more absurd, with the number of lawsuits in a jurisdiction being a criterion for officials' promotions—having no one file a lawsuit was a significant achievement worth mentioning in the annual report.

What if lawsuits cannot be prevented?

Then deal with the litigious people.

"But does no lawsuits mean that conflicts are resolved? It just means the conflicts are temporarily covered up, right?"

This made Wu Dilun more determined. When Xian Yu Bao summoned him alone, he stepped forward, bowed, and returned half of his seal: "Thank you, County Magistrate, for your favor, sending someone to appoint Wu Dilun as a village filial and fraternal official."

"I am a young man, lacking in talent and knowledge, and not worthy of such a position. But when I saw the Seventh and Sixth Clans fighting, I, as a clansman, felt deep shame and could not stand by and do nothing. So I accepted the seal and volunteered to mediate with the county magistrate's letter."

"Now that both families have repented and reconciled, my duty is fulfilled. I am young and lack virtue, and I cannot guide the village or assist in moral education, so I should resign!"

In other words, he took the position purely to mediate, and now that the matter was resolved, he was resigning due to his limited abilities.

Xian Yu Bao was taken aback and immediately tried to persuade him to stay, but Wu Dilun was firm. After bowing again, he left the county office. According to the rules, a clerk's resignation cannot be forced, so he had to let him go.

Xian Yu Bao looked at the half-seal left on the desk, unable to understand why this young man would resign. After a while, a thought crossed his mind.

"Could it be... he thinks this position is too small?"

...

Although he saw what he wanted to see, Xian Yu Bao, a "corrupt official with principles," was half-right.

Wu Dilun indeed thought the position of filial and fraternal official was too small.

He had already found out that this position did not receive a salary from the government, had no authority to govern the people, and had no subordinates—just a figurehead. He was also under the command of the village elders, helping them with moral education.

In the Xin dynasty, with the special national conditions of Confucian governance, the workload of the elders and filial and fraternal officials increased dramatically. From family disputes to lost chickens, from incest to keeping a younger brother, everything had to be managed. The elders, being older, could rely on their seniority and stay in the village, but the young filial and fraternal officials had to run errands, solving various trivial matters.

If a rare moral example appeared in the village, the filial and fraternal officials would receive an extra bolt or two of cloth as a reward. But if moral education failed, and there were disputes over land or fights leading to death, the higher-ups would "accuse them of disloyalty and blame the elders and filial and fraternal officials for failing to educate the people."

In short, no real power, a lot of trouble, and easy to be blamed.

Wu Dilun was not going to be a fool: "Not even a salary, and you want me to take the blame? Dream on!"

Moreover, Wu Dilun was determined to resign because he had discovered a hidden crisis through the drama he observed at the county office.

He looked up and saw that on his way home, he would pass through many neighborhoods. In the imagination of later generations, the environment two thousand years ago must have been excellent, with dense forests and deer running everywhere. But that was not the case...

At least in the region north of the Wei River, the edge of the Loess Plateau, after centuries of development during the Qin and Han dynasties, the vegetation coverage was already low. Many hills and plateaus were cut down, leaving only withered stumps.

Wu Li was still better off; in some villages, people had to walk for miles to find firewood, and axes had to be taken to more distant forests. The government required in the "Four Seasons Monthly Orders" that deforestation be prohibited, but it could not stop the people's urgent need to develop new land and cut wood for fuel.

The environment in Guanzhong was already more fragile than in the early Han dynasty. The Jing River was becoming increasingly turbid, and two years ago, it had even changed course north of Changling, causing many people to leave their homes.

The Yellow River was even more of a problem, a major concern for the Xin dynasty. Wu Dilun heard that it had been breached for several years without being repaired, creating hundreds of thousands of displaced people in the Central Plains.

Looking at the mountains stripped of trees, the small, turbid streams, and the expanding farmland and neighborhoods, Wu Dilun understood.

"The dispute over water between the Sixth and Seventh Clans today is not an isolated incident; it has deep roots."

While conflicts are inevitable where there are people, the frequent water disputes in Guanzhong were actually due to the growing population and limited resources—the population had already exceeded sixty million, the limit of what the era's productivity could support.

The specific population of Changling was a government secret, unknown to Wu Dilun. But according to his grandfather, the county was large, with nearly two hundred thousand people, equivalent to two or three border counties. With so many people crowded into such a small area, was it just a lack of water?

In fact, the people lacked land, food, and daily fuel, as well as jobs. There was not enough land to farm, commerce was suppressed, and industry... did they have the skills? No wonder the neighborhoods were full of idle and unruly youths, who could not survive in the village and had to seek food in the cities or become guests of the powerful.

To compete for resources, conflicts in the counties and villages of Guanzhong were increasing. Instead of thinking about how to develop productivity to overcome the crisis, the officials of the Xin dynasty simply covered up these disputes, pursuing a state of no lawsuits to maintain the appearance of "peaceful governance."

So, cover it up, the calm surface hides turbulent undercurrents, and who knows when a big wave will break, giving the Xin dynasty a big surprise.

"Conflicts accumulate day by day, and when the dam breaks, the damage will be great."

Thinking this, Wu Dilun felt a sense of crisis. Seeing that it was almost dark, he spurred his horse and rode faster.

"People always think that a wise king governs the world with filial piety."

"But relying solely on filial piety cannot save the world!"

...

Seventh Biao, who had performed the public humiliation at the county office, did not return home until the next morning, exhausted.

The sudden enlightenment he had at the county office was gone, and he angrily threw the bottles and jars on the table to the ground, his eyes full of hatred.

Could he not be angry? For a light knight, what was most important? Not life, but face!

For face, they could draw their swords over a glance, cutting throats and spilling blood, lying dead on the road.

For face, they could pretend to be rich, buying expensive swords and knives they could not afford, wearing them proudly in the streets.

Face was the foundation of a light knight's family. What would happen if they lost it?

Seventh Biao felt it. When he returned home, he found everyone with long faces, like defeated roosters. The young men who had once relied on his family had scattered, and one who was slower was leaving with a bag on his back, intercepted by Seventh Biao.

The young man, though ashamed, still wanted to leave, bowing to Seventh Biao: "Everyone in the village says that Wu Dilun, at seventy, beat Zhongjun, and Wu Boyu's command made Bajun prostrate and strip. The Seventh Clan is far inferior to the Wu family."

"They are ashamed to be guests of the Seventh Clan and left last night. I... I have a marriage arranged at home, so I can no longer be a light knight. I hope Bajun will not blame me."

With that, he tried to leave, but Seventh Bao rushed out. Injured by Wu Ba's kick and drunk, he staggered and tried to chase the young man with his sword, but Seventh Biao stopped him.

"Will killing him restore our family's reputation?"

Seventh Bao wept: "Brother, Wu Dilun humiliated you so much. I cannot bear it. When I recover, I will lead people to attack Wu Li and avenge us with Wu Ba's and Wu Dilun's blood..."

Actually, they were humiliated by the county magistrate, but the brothers did not dare to be angry with him, blaming Wu Dilun, who seemed "easier to provoke."

Seventh Biao was still clear-headed: "Our family has suffered a great loss, becoming a laughingstock in the village. Dozens of light knights have scattered. How can we compete with the rising Wu family? Besides, he has the county magistrate's favor, so we cannot act rashly."

"Can we just let this go? How can I show my face in the village? I will be laughed at for life." Seventh Bao touched his broken nose. The meddling Wu Dilun had gained a lot of prestige, and the young men in the village might now look up to the Wu family instead of them.

"We have dominated the village for over ten years. When have we ever suffered such a loss?"

Seventh Biao had a plan: "I will go to the village and inform the village chief, Di Liu of the First Clan."

The First Clan was undoubtedly the leader among the western migrants, with vast lands and many servants, the only "village magnate" in the area. Their influence extended beyond the county to the prefecture. If he could get the First Clan involved, the Biao and Bao brothers could hide behind them and bark at the Wu family.

Seventh Biao carefully instructed his brother, who was drinking to ease the pain: "Stay at home and do not provoke the Wu family!"

"Understood."

Seventh Bao agreed, but as soon as his brother left, he changed his clothes, put on a ring knife, and tied a headband. He rode out, not to Wu Li, but westward.

His target was a hundred miles away.

"I promised my brother not to provoke the Wu family... not personally!"

Seventh Bao took another drink, gritting his teeth: "I will find the great knight Yuan She in Maoling and ask him to send his light knights to kill Wu Dilun!"

...

PS: Please give me a recommendation.