Chapter 69

"Eat!" County Magistrate Wei slammed his hand on the table.

Can this be eaten? Eating it would kill a person. But under County Magistrate Wei’s cold gaze, everyone had no choice but to pick up their bowls, take a bite, and immediately grimace, as if they had eaten a dead rat. They all looked at Clerk Diao with pleading eyes, hoping that Lord Diao could speak up for them.

"This..." Clerk Diao didn’t dare to provoke County Magistrate Wei again, but he couldn’t ignore them either. Although he hadn’t directly participated in the matter, as their protector, he hadn’t missed out on any benefits. He could only smile nervously and say, "Sir, let’s talk it out..."

County Magistrate Wei glanced at Clerk Diao, "Nonsense, how could Lord Diao’s bowl be left out?"

The bailiff had no choice but to serve a bowl to Clerk Diao. Clerk Diao’s eyes widened, and after a long moment, he said with difficulty, "Sir, eating this will kill a person..."

"Impossible," County Magistrate Wei said decisively, "This is the disaster relief grain you prepared for the people of Fuyang. How could it kill anyone?"

"This..." Clerk Diao was speechless.

"Now, if you don’t eat it, it’s also fine," seeing everyone’s bitter faces, unwilling to pick up their chopsticks, County Magistrate Wei scanned them coldly, "Tomorrow, in front of the Eight-Character Wall, eat it in front of all the county’s elders!"

"Don’t..." Everyone was terrified. They knew this stubborn official would really do it. If the people found out the truth, they would tear them apart.

"Following the order of the great sir, eat!" Du Ziteng, the ringleader, knew he couldn’t delay. He steeled his heart, picked up the bowl, and grabbed a handful of rice, sending it into his mouth. He choked, his eyes rolling back, but he still forced it down.

"Following the order of the great sir, eat!" Zhou Yang, seeing his brother-in-law eat, had no choice but to pick up his bowl and shovel the rice into his mouth, tears and snot streaming down his face as he struggled to swallow.

The other two grain merchants, knowing there was no way out, also grabbed the rice from their bowls and stuffed it into their mouths. One of them hadn’t even swallowed the first mouthful when he bent over and vomited, crying out, "Mom! It’s so terrible, worse than being beheaded!"

"Just treat it as if you’re dying once..." Du Ziteng, who had already eaten half, tears streaming down his face, said, "Who made us do such a despicable thing..."

The four of them cried as they stuffed their mouths, making Li Sheng and Clerk Diao shudder. But the two of them still hadn’t eaten... Clerk Diao was understandable, but Li Sheng, with the guarantee of "no past grievances," was stubbornly holding out.

"It seems the two of you want to eat it tomorrow." County Magistrate Wei snorted.

"Sir Wei, can we talk privately?" Clerk Diao stood up, bowing deeply.

"Hmph..." County Magistrate Wei snorted but still got up and went to the inner room.

"Sir Wei, you have no authority to deal with me today!" As soon as he entered, Clerk Diao couldn’t help but grit his teeth.

"Then I’ll report it to the court." County Magistrate Wei sneered, "Six thousand dan of grain, only one thousand dan are new, two thousand dan are barely edible old grain. The rest are three-year-old, five-year-old, mixed with rice husks, sand, and lime... How many heads will be enough to cut off?"

"This, I only handle the accounts, ensuring that every entry is in accordance with regulations." Clerk Diao hurriedly defended himself, "As for the quality of the grain in the warehouse, that’s the responsibility of the household department." After a pause, he decided to use his ultimate move, "Moreover, didn’t you personally inspect the warehouse when you took office?"

"You..." A sentence hit County Magistrate Wei’s soft spot. Indeed, the first priority for a county magistrate upon taking office was to take over from the previous one, and inspecting the grain warehouse was a key part of that. But at the time, his and Sima Qiu’s attention was entirely on the accounts, focusing on the arrears and the holes that needed to be filled. They had inspected the warehouse, but without someone like Wang Xian, they couldn’t see through Du Ziteng’s deception.

Now, the truth about the three thousand dan of inferior grain had been exposed by Wang Xian. County Magistrate Wei immediately felt a great disaster looming. He had already signed off on the grain storage of Fuyang County, and if there were problems now, he, as the chief official, couldn’t escape responsibility. It wasn’t as simple as just reporting it to the court.

"I was momentarily deceived by the scoundrels," but County Magistrate Wei knew that if he showed any weakness, he would be controlled by these people. So he spoke sternly, "I am about to submit a self-impeachment to maintain my integrity and reputation!"

"Why go to such lengths, sir?" Clerk Diao sneered inwardly. From the previous establishment of the Yellow Register stele, he could see that this County Magistrate Wei was ambitious... You just started enjoying your position, are you willing to put yourself back on the front line? "Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. Give the people below a chance to repent and reform..."

Clerk Diao was right; County Magistrate Wei was ambitious. He was well-versed and determined to serve the country and the people, to achieve something great and leave a name in history! In other words, he had "ambition." County Magistrate Wei wanted to be a famous minister and naturally didn’t want to leave any blemishes that would hinder his career. Otherwise, he should have sealed the warehouse and reported it to the court, letting the imperial envoy investigate.

But now, he was handling it secretly in the back office to avoid a public scandal.

Seeing County Magistrate Wei silent, Clerk Diao was even more convinced of his guess and quickly said, "Actually, this matter can be big or small. The grain in the Ever-Normal Granary is mostly untouched, year after year, left to rot. That’s why those guys came up with this safe way to make money..."

"What if there’s a sudden flood, drought, or locust disaster, and we need to open the granary to distribute grain?" County Magistrate Wei said coldly, "What will I give to the disaster victims?"

"Zhejiang has had favorable weather for ten years. How could it be so coincidental?" Clerk Diao said, seeing County Magistrate Wei about to get angry, he quickly added, "Let them find a way to replace all the inedible grain with edible grain, isn’t that enough..."

"Hmph..." This was exactly what County Magistrate Wei wanted. He snorted and waved his sleeve, "I give you one month. If you don’t clean up your act in one month, I won’t keep my position, and neither will you keep your heads!"

"One month..." Clerk Diao was shocked. Seeing County Magistrate Wei leave, he could only sigh, "Yes."

County Magistrate Wei went out and saw that the four had finished eating. Du Ziteng had become "stomachache," clutching his abdomen and groaning on the ground. Seeing that Li Sheng hadn’t eaten a single bite, his pent-up anger finally found an outlet. He grunted, "Feed him!"

Two bailiffs grabbed Li Sheng’s arms, one pinched his mouth open, and the other stuffed the rice into his mouth, force-feeding him like a duck.

After the bowl of rice was forced down his throat, Li Sheng’s face turned purple. His eyes bulged, and he grabbed his chest, fainting.

Disgusted by the grain merchants and corrupt officials lying on the ground like dead dogs, County Magistrate Wei waved his sleeve and left the hall, returning to the signing room.

In the inner signing room, Wang Xian was calculating on an abacus with one hand and flipping through the accounts with the other. He called out a number, and Sima Qiu quickly recorded it. The two were working together to verify the grain warehouse accounts.

County Magistrate Wei didn’t disturb them but sat in the outer room, his face ashen. He had been taught the teachings of the sages since childhood, emphasizing integrity and honesty. Now, he was repeatedly covering for a group of corrupt officials, which went against his nature. This made him feel a deep sense of disgust, even thinking that coming out to serve as an official was a mistake.

Why did he come out to serve as an official? To put his knowledge to use? But why did the words of the sages have no effect in the county office? For the earnest expectations of Emperor Yongle? But he was stuck in a corner, far from Emperor Yongle’s grand empire... It wasn’t until he thought of the earnest guidance of Zhou Xin, the provincial governor, that he gradually regained some strength. He needed to protect himself, endure until he reached a high position, and then he would have the opportunity to put his knowledge to use and leave a significant mark in history!

'Alright...' County Magistrate Wei clenched his fists tightly and secretly vowed, 'I can’t stay in this mire for too long! I must get out of the county as soon as possible!'

When he came to his senses, he found that Wang Xian and Sima Qiu were already standing beside him, looking at him with concern.

"Done?" County Magistrate Wei asked hoarsely.

"Sir, you’re tired. Let’s talk about it tomorrow," Sima Qiu said softly.

"No, I was just thinking," County Magistrate Wei looked at Sima Qiu, his mouth bitter, "Now, thinking back, I was really naive. Last year, when I met the emperor, he wanted me to enter the Hanlin Academy, but I said, 'Your humble servant knows nothing but reading. I have heard that in the old Song dynasty, all capital officials started from the counties. I also wish to be a county magistrate, to govern the people for Your Majesty and to become familiar with government affairs sooner.'"

"In fact, I was tired of reading and eager to put my ambitions into practice. I had heard that officials were divided into the pure stream and the mire, and once in the mire, it was hard to get out, and even harder to rise to a high position, but I didn’t take it seriously. Now I realize I was wrong, but it’s too late to regret it..." County Magistrate Wei’s young face was full of fear and doubt, "If I continue in this position, I fear I won’t even be able to keep my integrity..."

"Cough, cough." Sima Qiu hurriedly consoled him, "Sir, why say such ominous words? Even Governor Zhou praised you as a capable official. You must have confidence in yourself!" Feeling that his consolation wasn’t effective, he nudged Wang Xian with his elbow, "Isn’t that right, Brother Wang?"

"Yes, sir. As you said, which Song dynasty chancellor didn’t start from the counties? Without experiencing the mire, how can one develop a keen eye? Only then, when in a high position, can one deal with those crooked officials and deeply understand the people’s suffering and the flaws in governance. Otherwise, how can one treat the symptoms and cure the country?" Wang Xian consoled him.

"Moreover, the Ming dynasty is generally clear and upright, but Fuyang County’s situation is indeed special, having been in disarray for two or three years, leading to so many problems. But now, you have sorted out the taxes, and by taking the opportunity to clean up the Ever-Normal Granary, the reform of Fuyang County is basically successful. And Fuyang is notorious for its corruption in Zhejiang. If it is rejuvenated under your leadership, it will show your extraordinary ability. With Governor Zhou’s recognition, you won’t have to worry about getting out of the county soon!"

Wang Xian’s words were comforting, hitting County Magistrate Wei’s heart. He nodded repeatedly, feeling a sense of kinship...