Swords emerge from the human world

Chapter 98: Something's Wrong, It's Naïve and Ridiculous
The weather is a bit gloomy today, and it looks like it might rain.

Magistrate Zhao's mood was like the dark clouds in the sky, gloomy and lingering.

Since taking office and taking control of Maoxian County, his methods have been ruthless, capable of turning the tide at will. The vast county town and its tens of thousands of people are entirely under his control, and he can manipulate them however he pleases.

It was both to establish authority and to amass wealth.

After all, supporting such a large group of people is extremely expensive.

With the meager salary of a seventh-rank official, it would be difficult to support oneself, let alone others.

As the local official, this land is essentially his own property; he has the final say on how to manage it and how to harvest it.

A clean prefect for three years, spending 100,000 taels of silver.

Compared to the prefect, the county magistrate would naturally have to be even more ruthless in order to amass wealth.

As for the imperial court's four-tiered assessment of local officials, there's not much of a problem; the necessary arrangements have already been made.

For someone like Magistrate Zhao, a direct descendant of a prestigious family, to exaggerate a bit, the path under his feet had already been paved by his elders from the moment he was born, before he could even walk. All he had to do was follow it.

If all goes well, after his three-year term in Maoxian is completed, he will be assessed on the four criteria of conduct, administration, ability, and age, and will receive a first-class rating, after which he will be promoted to the prefectural city.

It's hard to say who the prefect will be, but a deputy prefect of the fifth rank is almost certain.

The promotion from a seventh-rank county magistrate to a fifth-rank assistant prefect represents a significant leap forward, a height that ordinary officials can hardly reach in their entire lives.

But just as Magistrate Zhao was feeling smug, Chen Jin suddenly appeared.

Initially, the two had no interaction, let alone any grudges or affections.

The time when Chen Jin was admitted as a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examination) was during the time of the former Magistrate Yang, and had nothing to do with Magistrate Zhao. The reason why Magistrate Zhao blocked Chen Jin's qualification for the provincial-level imperial examination was very simple: it was because of a surname.

The battles between prominent families often occur unexpectedly.

Perhaps in Magistrate Zhao's eyes, Chen Jin at that time was like an insignificant insect.

If Magistrate Zhao forbids him to fly, he cannot fly and must obediently lie prostrate in the mud.

If they dare to struggle or resist, they'll be crushed with a single finger.

However, Chen Shounian's arrival changed the course of events.

Later, Mr. Gu, who was sent out to eliminate the threat completely, failed and went missing...

The variable turned out to be unexpected.

What followed gradually spiraled out of control and was completely unplanned.

The most important thing, of course, was that Chen Jin passed the imperial examination with top honors.

The transformation of identity has affected stances and attitudes in all aspects.

His success in passing the exam allowed him to transform into a butterfly and truly take flight.

It won't be so easy to kill him now.

Magistrate Zhao disliked this feeling of being out of control, and he couldn't bear to watch the other party return home in glory, show off his power, and then smoothly migrate back to his ancestral home in the prefecture.

That would be a slap in the face for him.

Therefore, Chen Jin must die!

In this matter, Magistrate Zhao was acting not only for his own reputation but also for the interests of his clan.

Today, knowing that Chen Jin had entered the city, he immediately sent someone to "invite" him, to see if the other party had the courage and boldness to keep the appointment.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, Scholar Chen has agreed and will be here soon."

"That's what the errand boy in charge of running errands said."

Magistrate Zhao raised an eyebrow: "I see. He's quite bold. Good, very good."

Old Ma, standing nearby, asked, "Sir, how do you plan to deal with him?"

Magistrate Zhao grinned: "He's so confident because he thinks I can't do anything to him in the yamen. In that case, prepare a sumptuous meal for this newly appointed top scholar and treat him well."

Upon hearing the words "rich and delicious," Old Ma's eyes lit up: "This humble servant understands."

About 15 minutes later, Chen Jin arrived, accompanied by two guards. Shi Qifeng stayed at the Qingshan Sword Shop to handle other matters.

Magistrate Zhao, in a very "generous" manner, went out to greet Chen Jin, turning into a smiling tiger, and welcomed him into the hall, where they took their seats as host and guest.

Everything seemed to be no different from a normal meeting.

After Chen Jin sat down, he stared intently at Magistrate Zhao, scrutinizing every detail.

For some reason, Magistrate Zhao felt a sudden unease and asked calmly, "Scholar Chen, what are you looking at?"

"Of course, it depends on you, Lord Zhao."

"Oh, why?"

Chen Jin replied, "Before I came, I was prepared to be turned away, but I didn't expect to receive such a warm welcome. As the saying goes, 'Where there's smoke, there's fire.' How could I not observe carefully?"

Magistrate Zhao lowered his eyes and said, "Chen Jieyuan, you're overthinking it. You've already passed the provincial examination and will soon be going to the capital for the imperial examination. If you pass with flying colors, you'll soon be appointed as an official. At that time, we might even become colleagues. In officialdom, there are no irreconcilable differences. No matter what the matter is, we can sit down and talk it over."

Chen Jin smiled: "Like now?"

Magistrate Zhao nodded and said, "That's right. I sent someone to invite you here today so that we could have a proper talk."

Chen Jin's gaze remained sharp, as if he wanted to glean something from Magistrate Zhao's face.

To show his honesty, Magistrate Zhao made no attempt to hide his true feelings, letting him look at him as he pleased. He slowly said, "I've already had some wine prepared. We'll have a few drinks together later and let bygones be bygones. What do you say?"

Chen Jin suddenly stood up: "No need, I've already eaten, my stomach is full, I can't eat anything else. Goodbye!"

And he actually started walking.

Magistrate Zhao asked coldly, "Scholar Chen, are you really going to refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit?"

Chen Jin stopped and turned around: "What? Are you going to do what you did to Wang Fu back then, to frame me and strip me of my honors?"

Magistrate Zhao looked at him and said, "So you've been holding a grudge about this all along."

"Of course, because Wang Fu is my friend."

"friend?"

Magistrate Zhao was taken aback, then burst into laughter: "You're saying he's your friend?"

Chen Jin frankly said, "Wang Fu and I had already agreed to travel together to the prefectures and counties to take the examinations."

Magistrate Zhao stopped laughing, his face turning cold: "That's truly a pity."

Chen Jin snorted coldly: "So there's nothing left to talk about between us."

He flicked his sleeves and went out the door.

Magistrate Zhao did not stop him further, and instead chuckled coldly.

Old Ma said, "Sir, this fellow is unwilling to take a seat. He hasn't even touched the tea or snacks. He seems quite cautious."

Magistrate Zhao didn't even look up: "What do you want to say?"

"I'm wondering if he's deliberately using Wang Fu as an excuse?"

"Ha, what's the point of doing that? He and Wang Fu were classmates and even took the exam together in the same year. They did indeed agree to go to the exam together."

Old Ma habitually stroked his goatee: "If you don't want to talk, why come to the yamen to see the officials?"

Magistrate Zhao scoffed, "Just like last time, they're only trying to annoy me. Like those immature children who spit on people they dislike, thinking it will give them a sense of satisfaction. How childish."

Mr. Ma still had doubts: "He is well-read and experienced, so he shouldn't be like this."

Magistrate Zhao looked disdainful: "It is precisely because they are well-read that they act so impulsively. Look at those scholars and literati, each of them pointing fingers at the country, full of righteous indignation, thinking that they have profound knowledge and can save the world. In reality, they are nothing but poor, pedantic scholars who can't even kill a chicken. As the saying goes, 'A scholar's rebellion will not succeed in three years.' Expecting them to do anything? They can't accomplish anything."

Upon hearing this, Old Ma hurriedly said, "Sir, your words are insightful and reasonable. I was overthinking it."

Magistrate Zhao continued, "Take Chen Jin for example. Even if he hates me to the bone, so what? Does he dare to hit me? Or can he kill me?"

Upon hearing this, Old Ma couldn't help but chuckle.

That is indeed the current situation.

Even those who want to get rid of Chen Jin are finding it difficult to find an opportunity to do so. What methods does Chen Jin have to deal with the adults?

Indeed, they can only express their stance and attitude, as well as vent their dissatisfaction and anger, through some trivial details.

Such methods seem naive and laughable in the context of the rules of officialdom that emphasize shrewdness and the ability to conceal one's emotions.

……

Seeing Chen Jin return safely, Shi Qifeng breathed a sigh of relief and didn't ask any more questions, going about his own business.

Chen Jin returned to the inner quarters, closed the door, sat down, and waited for his mood to calm down before laying out his writing implements and beginning to paint.

(End of this chapter)