Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 140 Someone is visiting.

The sun was high in the sky, and the summer wind in Bingzhou in July, carrying waves of heat, swept through the town of Lüchi.

The air is dry; even a breath of it carries the smell of dust, leaving one's lips parched and mouth dry.

However, the streets of Lüchi were not dampened by the heat.

Stalls lined both sides of the street.

The pottery vendor pounded on the rough earthenware pots, producing a dull sound, showcasing the sturdy and durable bowls and basins.

"Look, look! Such fine jars and basins!"

At the entrance of the grain store, golden millet and plump wheat grains were piled in open burlap sacks, emitting the unique aroma of grains. The shop assistant skillfully measured out the grains for customers using a wooden measuring cup.

"Here you are, sir. Here are your two liters of millet."

At the fabric stall, various fabrics in blue, yellow, coarse linen, and fine ramie were laid out, attracting women to choose from them.

The sounds of hawking, haggling, children chasing and playing, and the creaking of oxcart wheels rolling over the rammed earth road surface filled the air.

In addition to the smell of dust and sweat, there was also a faint aroma of wine and food in the air.

Merchants traveling from the south and north, accompanied by servants and leading packhorses, would stop in front of the taverns and restaurants along the roadside.

The most attractive items are those shops with wooden signs that read "Iced Fine Wine" hanging at their entrances.

The mellow flavor of Shaoxing wine, the refreshing sweetness of fruit wine, and the intoxicating aroma of Taoyuan Hantan wine, when chilled, seem to dispel the oppressive summer heat, prompting merchants to open their wallets for that refreshing and comforting sip.

At the city gate, a simple-looking but sturdy carriage, escorted by a dozen capable guards, slowly drove into Luqi County.

The horses' hooves clattered crisply on the smooth, rammed earth road.

The curtain of the carriage was lifted slightly, revealing a young, refined, and scholarly face. His gaze was calm, with a hint of scrutiny that was barely perceptible, as he carefully examined this small border town.

Almost simultaneously, the curtain on the other side was lifted even wider, and a head peeked out boldly.

The boy had delicate features, but his eyes held a hint of wildness and unruliness. He looked around without any hesitation, his gaze sweeping over the street vendors, passersby, and even the old dog resting under the eaves, his face full of curiosity.

“Hey, Wenruo, look at that pottery jar. The style is a bit rough, but it looks sturdy! It’s so different from the delicate pottery jars of Yingchuan.” Guo Jia pointed to a roadside stall with great interest.

Xun Yu smiled slightly and said softly, "Bingzhou is windy and sandy, so the pottery should be thicker and more practical."

"And that woman selling cloth, her voice is so loud, you can hear her all the way across the street!" Guo Jia laughed again.

“The streets have their own unique vitality.” Xun Yu nodded, but his gaze lingered more on the cleanliness of the streets and the clothing and demeanor of the pedestrians.

The road was a rare, smooth dirt road, and even in this densely populated area at the city gate, it was rare to see garbage and sewage flowing everywhere.

Although most pedestrians were dressed simply, mainly in hemp and linen, few were ragged, and their complexions were not pale; instead, they exuded a sense of busy fulfillment.
This was quite different from the desolate state of Bingzhou that he had heard about a few years ago.

The carriage traveled another hundred or two meters along the main road before Guo Jia reluctantly withdrew his head and lowered the curtain.

The interior of the carriage was dimly lit, but the ventilation was adequate.

"Not bad," Guo Jia patted his knee and exclaimed to Xun Yu.

"This small county town is quite well-organized and lively! It's far superior to the fortified villages and timid towns we've passed through on our journey."

"Brother Zhicai's choice to come here doesn't mean his intelligence has been wasted."

Xun Yu nodded with a gentle smile on his face and said, "Fengxiao is right. This Luqi County is not large in scale, but judging from its street planning, bustling market and the demeanor of the people, it does have a sense of being 'fully equipped'."

What is particularly remarkable is that before we entered the city, the long stretches of lush green fields on both sides of the official road, with thriving rice seedlings, neat rows of ridges, and clearly defined ditches, were a sight that could not be faked.

Agriculture is the foundation of a nation, and the prosperity of agriculture in this area is a sign of a stable foundation.

Furthermore, the area was bustling with merchants and goods, giving it a rather prosperous feel.

This Bingzhou is vastly different from the Bingzhou I heard about several years ago.

Guo Jia's eyes darted around as he asked Xun Yu, "Does Wenruo mean that the current state of Lüqi is entirely the work of that Magistrate Zhang?"

Xun Yu shook his head helplessly, picked up a bamboo scroll beside him, and gently tapped Guo Jia's knee.

“Fengxiao, be careful with your words. Zhang Zhonglang is the General of the Envoy to the Xiongnu appointed by His Majesty. He holds the imperial insignia and has his own government. His rank is equivalent to that of a 2,000-stone official. He is a high-ranking and powerful official. You should address him as ‘Zhang Zhonglang’ with proper etiquette.”

Furthermore, Zhicai is now serving under Zhang Zhonglang, so you should give him some face and avoid being too casual in your words.”

He paused, his expression becoming more serious, and continued, "However, judging from the details of its governance, Luqi's remarkable achievements are likely due to Zhang Zhonglang's effective administration."

What I saw along the way, whether it was the well-ordered farmland and irrigation outside the city or the clean and orderly streets inside the city, was not achieved overnight, nor was it formed naturally.

The local people, in particular, though their faces bear the marks of hardship and toil, rarely show signs of numbness or timidity. They walk with strong strides and their eyes are filled with hope for life.

"If local policies were not effectively implemented, and if the officials were benevolent and compassionate, allowing the people to live and work in peace and contentment, the people would never have such a prosperous life."

"Hey!" Guo Jia slapped his thigh, a sly glint in his eyes.

"Instead of guessing here, let's just ask the people here!"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly lifted the curtain on the side of the carriage again and leaned half of his body out once more.

The carriage was passing through a relatively sparsely populated section of road when a man dressed in a worn-out linen coat and carrying a load of fresh wild vegetables walked along the roadside.

Guo Jia cleared his throat and asked loudly, "Brother! May I ask what the policies are like in Lüqi County?"

The man carrying the load was rushing along when he was startled by the sudden question. He looked up abruptly and stared blankly at the handsome young man leaning out of the carriage.

"What? What are you saying, kid?" The heavy Bingzhou accent was accompanied by a strong nasal tone.

Guo Jia was taken aback for a moment, then realized that the other party might not have heard or understood his literary question.

He grinned, slowed his speech, and tried to imitate the local accent: "Brother, I just want to ask, how well are the officials in our Luqi County? Are there many rules? Are the taxes heavy? Is life easy or not?"

The man understood this time. The confusion on his face faded, and he revealed a simple and honest smile. He also slowed down and walked a few steps alongside the carriage.

"Oh! You're asking about that! Our Luqi? It's great!" His tone carried a simple sense of pride.

"How can it be good?" Guo Jia pressed, while Xun Yu, inside the carriage, turned slightly to listen intently.

"There are rules, of course! But we must be reasonable!" The man put down his load, wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, and pointed to the road.

"Look at this road, it was only built after the magistrate arrived. He said it was made of a mixture of soil, mud, and cement! It won't be muddy when it rains and won't get dusty when it's sunny!"
Who would have dared to imagine this before? The county government established rules prohibiting the dumping of garbage and dirty water; all this filth must be disposed of in designated areas, and violators will be punished by having to sweep the streets! At first, everyone wasn't used to it, but look how clean it is now! It's so comfortable to walk on!"

The middle-aged man laughed heartily.

In the past, even in the county town of Lüqi, the roads were just ordinary dirt roads. The residents along the roads dumped their dirty water and garbage everywhere, though not exactly everywhere, but sewage was still flowing freely.

It wasn't obvious then because it was winter, but as spring arrived, the scene caught Zhang Xian's eye.

Of course, this sewage is not excrement. Excrement is not meant to be dumped; it is all used to fertilize the land.

Since then, the county town has been renovated. Before the introduction of rammed earth, the dirt roads were tamped down. After the introduction of rammed earth, all the roads in the county town except for the stone slab roads in the central area were paved with rammed earth.

Corresponding sanitation regulations were also introduced, and county yamen runners and clerks supervised the process, with sanitation being one of the tasks during street patrols.

Being concerned about hygiene isn't just about aesthetics; Zhang Xian mainly knows that poor hygiene can lead to a series of diseases, so he's been very strict about it.

Of course, this was done on the premise of not affecting the residents' original lives as much as possible, although there were some obstacles at the beginning.

But Zhang Xian's high reputation in Lüchi was undeniable, and the county residents themselves felt more comfortable living in a cleaner city, so the project proceeded smoothly. Guo Jia nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "What about taxes? Are the taxes in Lüchi harsh?"

"Tax?"

The middle-aged man's face turned wary, and his smile darkened. "Why are you asking me, a commoner? If you want to know about Luqi's taxes, just go to the county government."

Although the middle-aged man hadn't received much formal education, he was more knowledgeable and experienced than the average person due to his frequent travels in the county.

The people on the carriage kept talking about rules and taxes, and he didn't want to cause trouble by saying anything inappropriate.

Thinking of this, the middle-aged man quickened his pace, carrying his load, and was about to turn a corner.

Hey! Hey! You jerk!

"Never mind, thanks!"

Guo Jia took out a few five-zhu coins from his sleeve and threw them toward the middle-aged man carrying the load.

"Hey bro, here! It's for you to have a drink!"

The carriage parted ways with the middle-aged man, and Guo Jia returned to his carriage.

"Hey, you know, this guy was all talk and no action when we talked about taxes, but he changed his tune all of a sudden. Could it be that Luqi's tax system is too harsh?"

He stroked his chin as he spoke.

Across from him, Xun Yu remained calm and composed, holding a bamboo slip and lifting the curtain to look outside: "He doesn't seem like someone who would impose heavy taxes. It seems that person doesn't think Fengxiao is a good person, which is why he's not speaking."

He smiled faintly.

Guo Jia was amused. He pointed outside the car and said, "Why don't you ask Wenruo?"

"Haha, that won't be necessary. Didn't they say that we'll know when we get to the county government office?"

"Driver, ask for directions to the county government office."

"Yes, young master!"

The driver on the carriage responded, and several guards beside the carriage went off to ask for directions.

Not long after.

Led by guards, the carriage passed through the bustling streets and headed towards the county government office.

Xun Yu turned his gaze to the window again, this time observing more closely.

He saw a small brick house on the street corner with a sign that read "Public Toilet". An old soldier was cleaning the doorway, and the inside seemed quite clean, avoiding any filth.

He saw a courtyard with a plaque that read "Ciyoufang" (meaning "compassionate children's home"), and he could faintly hear the sounds of children reading and playing.

He saw a group of men dressed in uniform gray short-sleeved shirts with the word "Sanitation" embroidered on their cuffs, pushing wooden carts and carrying brooms and shovels, diligently sweeping the streets and dumping the garbage into the carts.

He even saw a wall facing the street painted white, with several lines of words written in neat regular script and clerical script: "Fire prevention and theft prevention are everyone's responsibility", "Pay attention to hygiene to reduce disease", and "Work points are exchanged, and there is no deception of the young or old".

The signature reads "Announced by the County Government of Lüsi".

These details, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, gradually pieced together a clearer image of Lü Zi in Xun Yu's mind: efficient, neat, and orderly.

The coachman jumped down from the still-moving carriage and lifted the curtain: "Young master, we've arrived."

As he finished speaking, the carriage came to a smooth stop in front of the Luqi County government office.

The government office was not luxurious; its blue bricks and gray tiles gave it a solemn and simple appearance. Two armored soldiers with halberds stood at the entrance, their postures upright, their eyes sharp, and their armor polished to a shine, exuding a tough and capable air, quite different from the lazy soldiers of ordinary counties.

Xun Yu glanced at them for a few moments, then nodded and said, "Alright, you've all had a hard time escorting us all. You can rest now. If you need anything, I'll send someone to find you."

"promise."

Xun Yu and Guo Jia got off the carriage, their muscles and bones cracking, indicating that they had been in the carriage for quite some time.

"Let's go and pay a visit to Zhang Zhonglang!"

Guo Jia was very interested; he was eager to see what kind of person the wise lord mentioned in his brother Zhicai's letter was.

I also benefited from Wenruo's help with this trip from Yingchuan.

If Xun Yu hadn't wanted to travel, he wouldn't have had the spare money to come to Bingzhou.

"First, present your visiting card; don't be impolite."

Xun Yu was young, but he was very steady in his dealings with others, giving people the air of a refined gentleman.

He took out a business card and handed it, along with Guo Jia's, to the county government office.

Seeing someone approach, the armored soldier with the halberd only glanced at them a few times, and finding nothing suspicious or dangerous, he remained silent.

"People from Yingchuan came to pay their respects to Zhang Zhonglang."

Holding the visiting cards and invitations, the gatekeeper of the county government office already sensed the extraordinary nature of the two men before him.

Working as a gatekeeper in the county government office, you may lack other skills, but your ability to judge people must be better than your ability to kill.

"Wait a moment, you two."

He cupped his hands in greeting and ran into the county government office.

"Wenruo, don't you think Zhang Zhonglang should build a residence or something? It's so inconvenient for people to come to the county government office to pay their respects to him."

Guo Jia stood to Xun Yu's side, but his eyes were looking around.

Xun Yu stood with his hands behind his back, his posture upright: "Doesn't this further demonstrate that Zhang Zhonglang is wholeheartedly devoted to the public good?"

"That's too far-fetched. I don't believe such people really exist in this world."

Guo Jia shook his head.

"Whether it is or not, you will know after you see it."

Xun Yu chuckled lightly and moved his feet slightly.

"Gentlemen, the magistrate is currently inspecting the Jiaqi camp. Only Chief Clerk Han is present in the county.

The gatekeeper's gesture of bowing made it clear: whether or not you wish to pay a visit to Prefect Han is up to you.

"Chief Clerk Han, is that Chief Clerk Han Gongzhi?"

Xun Yu stepped forward a few paces and asked.

The gatekeeper nodded in response: "It is indeed Chief Secretary Han."

"Well done then."

Xun Yu cupped his hands in greeting.

"Please come in."