Chapter 004: Arrival in She County
After some reflection, I said: "Young Master, I know there are certain things I cannot say, but I must still remind you. From my observations of the county magistrate and others in the yamen, their demeanor towards you is not as respectful as it appears on the surface; they seem to be concealing something from you."
When Tang Feng arrived in front of the county office, a person dressed as a constable approached him and said: "Who are you? How dare you linger in front of the county office? If you are here to file a complaint, please wait a moment; our newly appointed county magistrate has not yet arrived."
Subsequently, there were some original documents from the counties, namely those of Zhong Xiu, Xie Chang, and Liu Gong, as well as some local yamen runners. Tang Feng had met each of them individually. As for the other servants in the yamen, there was no need to summon them for a separate meeting with the county magistrate.
Two days later, Tang Feng's body had recovered about seventy to eighty percent, but he was quite dissatisfied with this new body. Looking at this frail and weak physique, Tang Feng finally understood the true meaning of the ancient sayings "a scholar is of no use" and "unable to lift a chicken." Now, his arms, not to mention compared to his former self, were even weaker than those of the young man Jie Huo, so thin that they seemed as if they would break with the slightest exertion. Coupled with just recovering from a serious illness, his face lacked any color, making Tang Feng feel like a male version of Lin Daiyu. It seemed that the original Tang Feng was absolutely correct; he had indeed been too focused on studying, neglecting his physical health to the point of weakness. After a moment of self-contempt, Tang Feng resolved to engage in proper exercise, determined to cultivate a bit of masculine spirit.
Gao Ming recounted the environment here, mentioning the expenditures of the county office's inner courtyard to Tang Feng. He then took his leave, saying: "Your Excellency, the day is already late, and you must be weary from your journey. I shall not trouble you any further. Once you have settled in over the next couple of days, I will provide you with a detailed account of the situation in the office."
Tang Feng said: "I have always regarded you as family, as a brother. When have I ever considered you a subordinate? If you acknowledge me as your young master, come over and have a meal together; otherwise, just leave!" As he spoke, his expression darkened.
Although the two had traveled all day and were indeed tired, they could not consume so much food. Tang Feng had no choice but to let the servants take the leftover dishes away for distribution after the two of them had finished eating, which made him feel that there was not much waste. After satisfying their hunger and thirst, Tang Feng, accompanied by Jie Huo, arrived at his main residence. Looking at the exquisitely decorated room, Tang Feng began to doubt whether the Ming Dynasty was already exceedingly wealthy, as not only did they enjoy a splendid feast, but even his living quarters appeared to be so elegant.
Along the way, apart from feeling fatigued, Tang Feng also observed the scenery. At this time, the lives of the common people were not as dire as Tang Feng had imagined; in the fields, one could always see hardworking farmers, and on the roads, various merchants could be seen. Thus, it appeared that during the late years of the Ming Dynasty, at least in the Huizhou region, things were relatively stable. Observing all of this, Tang Feng was even more determined to govern well the She County that he was about to manage. Therefore, it seemed that during the late years of the Ming Dynasty, at least in the Huizhou region, things were relatively stable. Observing all of this, Tang Feng was even more determined to govern well the She County that he was about to manage
On the evening of March 14, Tang Feng finally arrived at his destination—She County. She County is located in the southern part of Anhui Province, belonging to the southern Anhui mountainous region. To the northwest stands Mount Huang, while to the east and southeast it is shielded by Tianmu Mountain and Baijie Mountain. To the southwest, it connects with Xiuning County, to the north it borders Jixi County, and to the east and southeast it adjoins Zhejiang Province. In ancient times, it was said that She County consisted of seven mountains, one river, one piece of farmland, and one piece of road and estate, which refers to the predominantly mountainous terrain of the area.
The constable was indeed a discerning individual. Upon observing the demeanor of the other party and hearing that he was the newly appointed county magistrate, he hurried into the yamen to report to those inside. Before long, more than ten people emerged from the main gate of the county office. Among them, the foremost was a shrewd-looking elder in his fifties, who bowed to Tang Feng and said, "I am Gao Ming, the county vice magistrate of She County, and I have the honor of meeting you, sir. We received news from above a month ago that a successful scholar would be coming to take up the position of county magistrate here. I did not expect you to be so young; you truly are a promising talent." As he spoke, he stepped forward to offer his respects, while also casting a glance at the documents in the hands of the understanding assistant.
His small actions did not escape Tang Feng's eyes. He immediately signaled to Jie Huo to hand the document to Gao Ming, saying: "I do not dare to claim to be young and accomplished; I am merely here as the county magistrate due to the trust of the court." After saying this, Tang Feng felt a bit surprised; when did he start speaking so eloquently? He then attributed this to the original Tang Feng, believing that he had a considerable influence on his behavior.
Then Gao Ming pointed to a tall man, as sturdy as an iron tower, and said: "This is the county's head constable, known as Hu Lie. He is a local and possesses remarkable martial skills, which is why he has been working in the county office all along." Hu Lie also cupped his hands in salute to Tang Feng, but Tang Feng detected a hint of defiance in his eyes, clearly indicating that he looked down upon Tang Feng's frail physique. Tang Feng did not take it to heart and smiled, nodding at him. However, Tang Feng still sensed a trace of defiance in his eyes, clearly indicating that he looked down upon Tang Feng's frail physique. Tang Feng did not take it to heart and smiled, nodding at him.
He could only sit at the lower seat, his face filled with gratitude. All along, he knew that the young master treated him very well, but this was the first time he had heard it spoken aloud, which inevitably made him feel even more grateful
Having prepared the bed for Tang Feng and trimmed the oil lamp to facilitate his reading, he was about to leave after providing clarification. As he was about to depart, Tang Feng discerned from his expression that he had something to say, and thus remarked: "If you have something to say, just speak plainly. Although we are nominally master and servant, in reality, we are brothers, and there is nothing that cannot be said."
After several days of traveling by day and resting at night, Tang Feng began to feel the strain. His body was not merely weak; had it not been for the attentive service of Jie Huo along the way, Tang Feng would likely have collapsed from exhaustion. This sense of helplessness further solidified Tang Feng's resolve to train diligently after arriving in She County. What made Tang Feng feel even more inferior was Jie Huo's performance beside him. Throughout the journey, Jie Huo showed no signs of fatigue, not even taking a single deep breath. Tang Feng knew that even in his modern self, he would struggle to achieve such endurance, which deepened his admiration for Jie Huo.
Concerned that he might not arrive on time and uncertain about the penalties for being late, Tang Feng decided to continue on to She County as soon as he felt he was ready to travel. Unable to dissuade Tang Feng, Jie Huo agreed and then packed both of their clothes, carrying them on his own back.
After meeting all the staff at the county office, Tang Feng, accompanied by Gao Ming, toured various places within the county office, such as the signing room and the backyard. At this time, Jie Huo had already placed their luggage in the guest room of the backyard under the guidance of the former servant. Upon seeing that Tang Feng had arrived, he followed closely behind him.
Upon entering and passing through the lobby, one would arrive at the second hall for daily office work. After taking their seats in order, Gao Ming began to introduce the names and identities of the other individuals to Tang Feng. He pointed to an elderly man, who appeared somewhat frail and older than himself, and said: "This is our county's secretary, Tian Jing. Although he has reached the age of sixty, he is still well-versed in all matters of the county." Upon hearing this, Tian Jing intended to pay his respects to Tang Feng, but was stopped by Tang Feng, who said: "Old Tian, you are not young anymore. We will be seeing each other often in the future, so let us forgo these formalities."
As a modern individual, Tang Feng naturally did not have the habit of using servants. Seeing that he was still just a child, he asked for his own package. However, Jie Huo immediately refused, citing Tang Feng's still weak condition as a reason. Ultimately, he could not withstand Tang Feng's insistence and eventually handed over one of the lighter packages to him
Gao Ming was not polite; he took the document and began to examine it carefully. After confirming the identity, his expression suddenly became respectful. He returned the document with both hands and then knelt down first, saying, "This official pays his respects to the County Lord." Upon seeing Gao Ming, the county magistrate, affirm the other party's identity, the others also stepped forward to kneel and paid their respects to Tang Feng.
After Tang Feng's gesture, he immediately took out the official document from his package and waved it in front of the yamen runners: "Look clearly, this is the appointment letter from the Ministry of Personnel. My young master is the newly arrived county magistrate here. Why are you not opening the main gate to welcome him"
Although he was quite unaccustomed to kneeling before them, Tang Feng understood that this was a regulation of the court that he could not violate. Thus, he accepted the bow with composure and then stepped forward to help Gao Ming up: "Sir Gao, you are too courteous. As I have just arrived in She County, I will still rely on your assistance and that of everyone here. I would like to express my gratitude in advance." Saying this, Tang Feng also cupped his fists in salute to these individuals. The others quickly expressed their reluctance to accept such courtesy, and under Gao Ming's guidance, Tang Feng proceeded into the county office.
Tang Feng also felt quite fatigued, so he did not keep anyone else around. After sending Gao Ming away, he had someone prepare some food for himself and Jie Huo to rest. Before long, a servant brought in the meal, and upon seeing it, Tang Feng was somewhat surprised. He had only instructed for something simple to be prepared, yet what was brought in was a spread of over ten dishes, along with a pot of wine. Although Tang Feng was a time traveler, he knew that a meal for officials at this time was not so extravagant, and he had been eating the food of this era all along. However, he thought this might be the servants' way of showing respect upon first meeting him, so he said nothing and invited Jie Huo to dine together. During their journey, when Tang Feng was eating, Jie Huo initially waited for him to finish before eating, but Tang Feng insisted that he join him at the same table. After several commands from Tang Feng, Jie Huo reluctantly agreed.
However, at this moment, Jiehuo was unwilling to sit at the same table as Tang Feng: "Young Master, you are no longer just my master, but also a respected figure in the county. I truly cannot sit at the same table with you"