Chapter 8: Launching the Battle for Fame and Honor

Ma Neng has always had a smiling demeanor, but to consider him as kind-hearted would be a mistake. Although he holds the position of deputy officer, he is well-known in the She County government as a smiling tiger.

Xu Jie is a senior member of the fast class and originally did not want to meddle in matters in Songming Mountain Village. Therefore, he was quite dissatisfied with Liu San's self-talk. However, the other party is the nephew of Liu Sili, and he did not want to create a rift. Upon seeing the assassin, he quickly stepped forward to mediate, cupping his hands in greeting. Once he confirmed that the visitor was indeed sent by the family he feared the most, he felt even more uneasy.

"Lin Ge'er is merely fulfilling his parents' wishes wholeheartedly to take the examination, what wrong has he done to deserve this!" The first to speak was an elderly man leaning on a cane, who struck the ground forcefully with it, angrily saying, "In these three years, our Songming Mountain Village has produced such a scholar, who has he offended!"

He gestured towards the several well-arranged manors and then said meaningfully: "It is said that the gentleman from the Southern Ming may be reinstated. Before he resigned, he was the Governor of Fujian, and after his reinstatement, at the very least, he would be on par with his previous position; it would not be lower! Otherwise, would there only be the three of us here today? A scholar from a modest background, as long as the Grand Master personally issued a ticket, there would have been at least a dozen people rushing over!"

Inspector of the Southern Zhili, Xie Tingjie, and the affiliated student of the county school, Wang Fulian

Wang Fulin's lips twitched slightly, thinking that he was not worried about meeting the Grand Master in Huizhou City, but rather feared that there might be problems on the twenty-mile mountain road from Songming Mountain Village to Huizhou City. After all, he had previously been injured by a sedan bearer and had narrowly escaped death. Therefore, he had befriended a few kind-hearted and easy-going villagers over the past few days, asking them to help escort him for a while. However, how could he have the ability to reach out to the legendary Mr. Nanming? How would the other party be willing to lend a helping hand?

The horse can only go so far; listening to Liu San's tone, he still wants to make a profit. He simply crossed his arms and remained silent.

Do not praise me; I am still confused myself

At that moment, it was observed that the surrounding villagers had gradually been persuaded to leave, leaving only three or five individuals. Liu San approached Xu Jie with quick steps and deliberately spoke up: "Xu, we only brought three people today, yet there has been so much commotion. Why are so many people surrounding us for no good reason? If we delay the Grand Master's schedule, we will have to report truthfully that someone is inciting public sentiment to plot against the imperial educational authorities"

He decided not to dwell on the perplexing issue. After a brief moment of contemplation, he immediately stepped forward to express his gratitude, refraining from inquiring about the underlying reasons. Once he was seated comfortably on the sled, lifted effortlessly by two strong attendants, he waved to the weeping second aunt and younger sister, then directed his gaze forward.

In recent days, the winds have been tumultuous in Huizhou City. It appears to be merely a disturbance caused by a minor scholar, but those who are truly well-informed understand that it is not quite so simple

Seeing that Wang Erniang believed it to be true, she quietly stuffed a handful of loose silver into her bosom. Wang Fulian knew that she was ultimately unaware of the market intricacies; those officials were not so easily dealt with. However, he was not intimidated. For several days, he had been rising early for morning exercises and taking walks in the afternoon, casually greeting and chatting with neighbors. Wang Erniang often distributed fresh food to the neighbors. As a scholar who was so humble, he naturally garnered much goodwill from the villagers. Moreover, he had made prior arrangements, so when someone came to visit today, he had Wang Qi inform the neighbors.

Liu Sanyi immediately looked even more displeased upon seeing a few more troublesome individuals. However, before he could inquire about which master it was, one of the older individuals among those who had not yet dispersed shouted out.

Today, three fast hands from the She County government office have arrived: the chief officer Xu Jie, the deputy officer Ma Neng, and the assistant Liu San. The term "chief officer" refers to those who are officially appointed, also known as regular officers. The deputy and assistant officers are additional positions approved for increase. The distinction among the three is akin to that between regular staff and contract workers, similar to the situation of county school stipend students and supplementary students—stipend students are long-serving scholars who receive rice monthly, just as regular officers receive a monthly salary. Supplementary students are candidates for stipend students, and the same applies to deputy and assistant officers. In addition to them, there is a large number of unpaid laborers and helpers in the county office, who do not even receive rations and rely entirely on various informal payments to sustain themselves.

"He is the servant of Mr. Nanming! I knew it, Brother Lin is at least a scholar, Mr. Nanming would never stand by and do nothing!"

Indeed, Mr. Nanming is both a senior and an elder, demonstrating thoughtful consideration

Jin Bao stood behind Wang Fu Lin, and at that moment, seeing that the most respected elder of the village had sent someone to escort him, he was both excited and delighted. He immediately whispered, "Father truly has a way; he was able to invite Mr. He Tu Shu from the Southern Ming to back us up."

His own paternal uncle is an official in the Department of Household Affairs, allowing him to walk with confidence in the countryside. Moreover, after the previous scheme he devised with Wang Qiuchian fell through, Liu San had already formulated a plan to extract every benefit from this trip to Songming Mountain, arriving with great enthusiasm. However, upon hearing the term "provincial governor," his heart suddenly skipped a beat

Indeed, after he followed these three quick-handed individuals out, he saw that there were already about twenty people gathered in front of the door

The remaining three to five individuals had already decided to send Wang Fulian to Huizhou City. Upon hearing this, they all glared at Liu San with anger. However, Liu San was unfazed by these ordinary villagers and was about to embellish the story with a few more words when Xu Jie noticed several people in the distance carrying an empty sedan chair coming this way

Seeing the ordinary farmers around him gathering in anger, Xu Jie, the leader among the three quick hands, who had previously kept a low profile, finally stepped forward to mediate: "The Grand Master is merely taking Young Master Wang to ask some questions. Fellow villagers, please remain calm. We will do our utmost to escort Young Master Wang to Huizhou City..."

The county's chief clerk and deputy are merely for show, while above them are the county magistrate and, further up, the governor. The governor is still quite distant from the provincial governor! Reflecting on what he just saw in the Wang family's courtyard, the house was neither too new nor too old, neat and tidy, and there were over a hundred acres of land, clearly indicating a well-off, comfortable household. After traveling twenty miles of mountain roads for this errand, he only received a string of thirty or forty wen, which left him feeling quite dissatisfied. Reflecting on what he just saw in the Wang family's courtyard, the house was neither too new nor too old, neat and tidy, and there were over a hundred acres of land, clearly indicating a well-off, comfortable household. After traveling twenty miles of mountain roads for this errand, he only received a string of thirty or forty wen, which left him feeling quite dissatisfied.

Even if they belong to the same village and clan, it does not necessarily mean they are close. Moreover, they are merely idle local officials. Furthermore, that little bookish thing has committed a serious taboo; it is said that when the Grand Master arrived in Huizhou City, he did not go to the government office but instead went to the county office, and his expression was quite displeased

As they were leaving, Liu San felt displeased upon seeing that the Wang family did not even offer a word of acknowledgment. He muttered some inappropriate remarks under his breath. Wang Erniang, who had been feeling down, was suddenly roused by this. Although she was strong-willed and tough, she understood the principle that it is better to deal with the king of hell than to be troubled by minor spirits. She abruptly left her elder brother and returned to the house, and shortly after, she came out quickly, wordlessly shoving three strings of coins into the hands of the three quick-handed individuals.

The journey to Huizhou City is twenty miles; I would appreciate it if the three of you could take care of my brother

He glanced at Wang Fulian, who was helping Xu Jie persuade the villagers, and said with a forced smile, "This is your first time at Songming Mountain in Qianqiu, isn't it? Compared to Xixi South Village across the river, there are fewer people here, but it is equally not easy to bully! Do you see the houses in front of Songming Mountain?"

Target, Huizhou City! The battle for the defense of our honor is about to commence

Brother, I will accompany you into the city

Liu San, being the nephew of Liu Sili, the household official, was thus exempt from the level of common labor and directly became a helper. Therefore, he was quite perplexed to see Xu Jie being so courteous to a group of rural laborers. He immediately asked Ma Neng beside him, "This little fellow's reputation is clearly on the verge of collapse; why is Xu still being so humble and deferential to these villagers?"

Brother Lin, we will also follow you into the city. Please have the Grand Master uphold justice

If one were to encounter such a good opportunity for a rural assignment on a weekday, it would not only involve three people, but also necessitate bringing along a dozen or so auxiliary workers. At that time, it would truly be a scene of chaos, with chickens flying and dogs jumping, and one would have to extract every last bit from the criminal specified on the warrant. However, today’s situation is indeed different; the warrant is not issued by the county magistrate, but by the newly arrived Inspector of Nanjizhil, Xie Tingjie. They are merely borrowing them to apprehend someone, and the person being apprehended is a legitimate scholar with credentials, so naturally, one must afford the other party the respect they deserve. Nevertheless, considering the rampant rumors and the attitude of the Grand Master, it is only natural that some believe Wang Fulian will not be able to pass this hurdle.

As they approached, a middle-aged man at the forefront stepped forward and bowed to Wang Fulin, saying: "My master has instructed that the twenty-mile mountain road is difficult to traverse, so we are to carry the sedan chair to escort the young gentleman into Huizhou City"

"Nonsense, you and Xiao Mei stay here to watch the house!" Wang Fulian turned around and saw that Wang Xiaomei had also followed Wang Erniang over, her eyes brimming with tears. Due to the presence of outsiders, he could not reveal too much to them and could only nod at them reassuringly, saying, "Wait for my return. Don't worry, nothing will happen."

When such a signed ticket was placed on the table, both the capable and assertive Wang Erniang and the whimsical Wang Xiaomei felt a sense of unease. However, Wang Fulin remained calm and composed, asking the three swift and efficient visitors to wait for a moment. After returning to his room, he quickly tidied up and came out with Jinbao. Just as his elder brother was about to follow these officials out, Wang Erniang could no longer hold back and rushed after him, grabbing his sleeve.

Could it be that due to the shared bloodline, they do not disdain their own father and son for being reclusive, and thus extend a helping hand?

Hearing her words, which were not very gentle, and seeing the handful of coins in her hand amounting to only a few dozen wen, Liu San chuckled and said, "We will act according to the rules and will certainly not make it difficult for Young Master Wang Xiao"