Chapter 8

Indeed, as Huang Zhong said, the back courtyard was much larger than the front one.

Surrounding the large elm tree in the courtyard, there were more than a dozen rooms built along the walls.

Not only was the space larger than the front courtyard, but the architectural style of the houses was also different.

On the south side, there were single rooms, about five or six of them.

On the north side, there were two sets of rooms. The inner set was the same as in the front courtyard, with one hall and two bedrooms; the outer set had only two rooms.

The buildings seemed to have been constructed a long time ago, as the walls and wooden doors were somewhat old, and the square bricks laid under the eaves were uneven. Some of the single rooms on the south side even had weeds sprouting from their roofs. However, overall, the place was still clean and tidy.

"These rooms on the north side, the outer set is for Xun Jun's residence, and the inner set is reserved for officials to stay. The rooms on the south side are for the attendants and servants of officials, and if commoners need to stay, they will be arranged here," Huang Zhong explained the overall layout and then pointed to a small room in the corner of the south wall, adding, "That is the detention cell. If there are lawbreakers in the jurisdiction, the serious ones are sent to the county, and the minor ones are detained there."

The elm tree shaded the sun, and the sunlight filtered through the branches, casting spots of light on the ground. A cool breeze blew, lifting the fallen leaves and making them dance in the air.

"If you need water, the well is in the corner of the north wall," Huang Zhong said.

Though small, the pavilion had all the necessary facilities. As one of the largest pavilions in Yingyin County, it was not only spacious but also well-equipped with various living facilities. Despite its somewhat dilapidated appearance, Xun Zhen was already quite satisfied and said, "Very good, ... ."

A burst of cheers interrupted his words. He followed the sound and saw that it came from a room on the south side with a closed door.

Huang Zhong quickly walked over, pushed the door open, and called out, "A Bao, A Yan, Xun Jun has arrived. Come out and greet him quickly!"

Xun Zhen moved over and looked inside the room.

There were four people in the room. Two were sitting on the ground, playing "Liubo," while the other two were watching the game.

The cheers must have come from the young man sitting by the wall. When Xun Zhen looked at him, he was getting up excitedly, one hand holding the game pieces and the other reaching for the copper coins by his opponent's feet.

Hearing Huang Zhong speak and seeing Xun Zhen approach, he hastily withdrew his hand, dropped the game pieces, and jumped up, bowing to Xun Zhen and saying, "This humble person, Chen Bao, greets Xun Jun."

The other three also knelt and bowed, saying in unison, "We greet Xun Jun."

Xun Zhen had not expected to encounter his subordinates gambling on his first day in office.

According to the law, gambling was illegal, especially in the pavilion, which was a clear violation of the law. However, Xun Zhen pretended not to notice and smiled, "A tiny pavilion chief, what kind of 'Jun' am I? Everyone, please get up." He walked into the room and helped each of the four up.

Huang Zhong followed behind, pointing to the first person who bowed and said, "This is Chen Bao, a pavilion soldier, ... ." Then he pointed to a strong soldier who had been watching the game and said, "This is Cheng Yan, also a pavilion soldier."

Chen Bao was slender and looked to be in his twenties. When he jumped up, his movements were agile and graceful.

Cheng Yan was about thirty, tall and strong, with a dark complexion. He had a long scar under his left eye, which looked like a knife wound, resembling a centipede that extended to the left corner of his mouth, making him look quite fierce.

The introduction of the previous pavilion chief, Zheng Duo, flashed through Xun Zhen's mind: "Pavilion soldier Chen Bao, light and fond of gambling; pavilion soldier Cheng Yan, strong and ugly."

His gaze shifted from Chen Bao to Cheng Yan, and he thought, "From the first impression, Zheng Duo's introduction was spot on."

There were six people in the pavilion, and he had already met three: "Pavilion father" Huang Zhong, pavilion soldiers Cheng Yan and Chen Bao. There were still a "policeman" and two more pavilion soldiers to meet.

Xun Zhen turned his gaze to the remaining two people and asked gently, "I wonder which of you is the policeman Du Jun?"

The two just smiled broadly but did not respond.

Huang Zhong stepped forward and said, "Pavilion chief, this morning, the policeman Du Mai and the Fan brothers went out to patrol the pavilion area."

Patrolling the pavilion area was one of the regular duties, mainly handled by the "policeman."

Since the "policeman" Du Mai and the other two pavilion soldiers, the Fan brothers, had gone out to patrol, who were the two remaining in the room?

Before Xun Zhen could ask, Chen Bao volunteered, "They are both commoners of this pavilion. Today, they had nothing to do, so they came to play a game."

After saying this, he picked up all the money on the ground and handed it to one of them, instructing, "Xun Jun has just taken office, and we should show our respect. You two go buy some wine and meat! When the pavilion gates are closed at night, we will all have a good time."

The two loudly agreed but refused to take the money. One of them pressed his short sword at his waist and laughed, "Since the day Zheng Jun left, we have been looking forward to Xun Jun's arrival. How can we let the pavilion spend money? We will buy the wine and meat ourselves." With that, they apologized and, without giving Xun Zhen a chance to refuse, bowed and left.

By the time Xun Zhen chased out the door, the two had already left the back courtyard and did not respond to his calls. Watching their backs disappear, Xun Zhen thought, "Judging by their appearance, they do not seem to be good people. They gambled with Chen Bao and Cheng Yan during the day, so they must be local troublemakers."

Since he had crossed over, he had heard and seen a lot, and with the memories of the previous Xun Zhen, he was already familiar with the风气 of the local knights. He knew that these young knights were fearless of the law and, if they got along well, would pledge their lives to each other, but if they disagreed, they would draw their swords. They were the most "valuing honor and disregarding life."

Since he couldn't stop them, he let it be. Xun Zhen thought, "This is a good opportunity to get to know the local knights."

In the Western Han, the main responsibility of the "pavilion area" was to supervise public order and pursue criminals. Although since the Eastern Han, it had taken on more civil duties, maintaining public order and arresting lawbreakers remained important tasks. In other words, since Xun Zhen had become the pavilion chief, he would inevitably have to deal with these "wandering knights." Moreover, his grand plan for taking office as pavilion chief was closely related to these knights. It was better to get to know them sooner rather than later.

"Pavilion father" Huang Zhong, "pavilion soldier" Chen Bao, and Cheng Yan also came out of the room.

Huang Zhong cautiously said, "Before leaving, Zheng Jun instructed us to hand over all the documents of this pavilion to Xun Jun. Should we hand them over now or later?"

Xun Zhen understood his meaning, smiled, and took out a bamboo slip from his chest, handing it over and saying, "This is the appointment letter from the county. Please check it for any errors before we proceed with the handover."

The pavilion chief, though a minor official, was still an official. If a local person held the position, it was one thing; if an outsider held it, how could they prove it? The appointment document was the only evidence. It contained detailed information such as the official's place of origin and appearance to prevent impersonation. This was not without precedent; the most famous example was Emperor Guangwu, who, when in trouble, had impersonated a messenger from Handan.

Huang Zhong, who had a decent family background in his youth and had attended the village school, knew how to read. He carefully read the document, returned it to Xun Zhen, and respectfully invited him, "Xun Jun, please follow me."

...

Huang Zhong led Xun Zhen to the rooms on the north side, took out the key, opened the door, and introduced, "After Zheng Jun left, we have cleaned the rooms. If Xun Jun is not satisfied with anything, we can clean it again. ... The side rooms are bedrooms, and the front room is the hall."

Everyone entered in a line.

The floor was covered with large square bricks, and the walls were painted white.

Facing the door, against the wall, was a table, behind which was a couch. On one side of the table were stacks of bamboo slips, and on the other side was a pen rack with several brushes. There were also an inkstone and a water dropper.

On both sides of the table were two rows of wooden benches, extending to the door. Both the couch and the benches were seating furniture, with the difference being that the couch was larger and could accommodate two people, while the benches were smaller and could only seat one person. The couch and benches were covered with mats.

Xun Zhen noticed that at the four corners of the reed mat on the couch, there were four stone weights in the shape of tigers, used to prevent the mat from curling during use.

In the corner behind the table, there were two bamboo and reed baskets.

Huang Zhong first invited Xun Zhen to sit, then called Chen Bao and Cheng Yan to help. The three of them moved the two baskets to the table, opened them, and inside were rolls of bamboo slips, fresh and green, each about a foot long.

He took out the top roll from one of the baskets, placed it on the table, and unfolded it, saying, "These are all the documents of this pavilion to date. Some are cases we have handled, and some are edicts and official documents from the state and county."

As the most widespread grassroots unit, the pavilion not only posted wanted criminals' portraits but also important announcements from the court.

Xun Zhen glanced at the bamboo slip and saw that the beginning of the unfolded part read, "Amnesty for all crimes below capital punishment...".

Since the Han dynasty, to rest and nourish the people and demonstrate benevolence, the emperor often granted amnesty, especially after natural disasters. Last year, there was a widespread epidemic, and this was the amnesty edict issued by the court in the first month of this year.

...

There were many bamboo slips in the baskets, and it would take more than a day or two to read them all. Xun Zhen did not plan to read them in detail at the moment and smiled, "There is no urgent business now. We can read these documents later."

Huang Zhong smiled and said, "Yes, yes." He rolled up the unfolded bamboo slip and put it back in the basket.

Xun Zhen, being approachable, helped move the baskets with Huang Zhong and the others. Two people worked together to move one basket, and they returned the two baskets to their place.

After putting the baskets away, Xun Zhen said, "It's still afternoon, and it's not time to close the pavilion gates yet. I have just arrived and am not familiar with the area. If you have nothing to do, Huang Gong, can you be my guide and take a walk around?"

Huang Zhong had no objections.

Just as they came out of the back courtyard and reached the front courtyard, a person rushed in from outside, shouting, "Bad news! Bad news!"