National Division

Chapter 11: All that's left is a Huang Chao!
County Office
After the three leaders of Guhe County finished their discussion, Shen Bin did not leave the county government office, but instead rested and worked in the west hall of the county government office. Meanwhile, County Magistrate Liu and Registrar Pei returned home separately.

刘宅
This is a spacious mansion with three courtyards in all directions, featuring blue bricks, gray tiles, carved beams, and painted rafters.

The courtyard is planted with trees, lush and verdant, and lanterns are already hung in front of the door as dusk falls. Rainwater cascades down the green eaves and falls onto the blue stone steps.

"Master is back." The two servants at the door, who were sitting on the bench, called out when they saw the carriage in the distance.

Six or seven servants emerged from the two side doors, carrying lanterns, and came to the door to greet the carriage in the distance.

The carriage came to a smooth stop, and several servants carrying lanterns gathered around, some holding umbrellas and others placing stools on it.

As the coachman lifted the curtain, Magistrate Liu peeked out and, surrounded by the crowd, arrived at the brightly lit Liu residence.

"The master is back."

In the corridors on both sides, servants ran towards the backyard to prepare food, hot water, and clothing for Magistrate Liu to bathe in.

County Magistrate Liu stepped into the beautifully decorated flower hall, put down his official hat, and, with the help of several maids, removed his official robe and leather belt, handing them to a maid beside him. He sat down, a hint of weariness appearing on his chubby face, and asked, "Has the Second Young Master returned?"

The maid replied respectfully, "Reporting to Master, he is currently in the back hall."

County Magistrate Liu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "Go and call him over."

Today, Magistrate Liu instructed Yu'er to deliver a gift to the old abbot, intending to inquire about the situation.

The maid responded and then turned to leave.

At that moment, Liu Yu was playing hide-and-seek with two maids in the back room, her eyes covered by a black cloth.

"Young master, I'm here, come and catch me!" a maidservant called out from a short distance away.

"Once I catch you, I'll...hehehe." Liu Yu chuckled lewdly.

The young master Liu at this moment was completely different from his behavior at Qingyang Temple during the day.

The sounds of maids shouting and Liu Yu's lewd laughter could be heard from inside the room.

Just then, a maid stumbled in from the outer room, looked at Liu Yu who was having a good time, and said, "Young Master."

Meanwhile, Liu Yu was already playing around with four maids. He quickly stepped forward, hugged one of the maids, and said with a grin, "I finally caught you."

The maid said, "Young master, the master is looking for you in the front hall."

Liu Yu was groping himself when he heard this. Startled, he tore off the black cloth covering his eyes and asked, "Father, are you calling me?"

Although Liu Yu was greatly favored by Magistrate Liu, he was also quite afraid of his own father.

The main reason is that Liu Yu has an exceptionally talented older brother who can read at the age of three, memorize "Free and Easy Wandering" at the age of six, and memorize "Tao Te Ching" at the age of twelve. Two years ago, he received a recommendation from the magistrate of Guhe County and is currently studying at the state school.

His brother's name was Liu Jin.

The two brothers took the meaning of "holding jade and grasping precious stones" (怀瑾握瑜).

With such outstanding examples before him, Magistrate Liu, despite doting on his youngest son, couldn't help but raise his standards a bit.

Liu Yu straightened her clothes, stepped out of the threshold, and walked along the lantern-lit corridor through the moon gate.

It was dusk, and the steps in front of the courtyard were wet with rainwater, reflecting halos of light of varying sizes.

lobby
County Magistrate Liu was soaking his feet and resting with his eyes closed.

After a while, she heard footsteps, opened her eyes, and looked at her son.

"Greetings, Father," Liu Yu said, bowing.

County Magistrate Liu asked, "What's the situation at Qingyang Temple today? Did the abbot say anything after accepting the ginseng?"

Liu Yu observed the expression in Magistrate Liu's eyes and said, "Father, the abbot praised me highly and gladly accepted the praise."

County Magistrate Liu remained noncommittal, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and asked, "Tell me, how did you deliver it today? What did the abbot say?"

Liu Yu vividly described the scene of the day, but he didn't notice that County Magistrate Liu's face was growing increasingly pale.

"idiot!"

County Magistrate Liu couldn't help but let out a roar.

Liu Yu stood there stunned, and said, "Father?"

"Giving gifts in public, isn't that embarrassing enough?" Magistrate Liu's face twitched with anger.

Liu Yu quickly retorted, "Father, this way others will know our relationship with the abbot."

Magistrate Liu felt a headache coming on and said, "Then tell me, where does this high praise come from?"

“The abbot did not reprimand me as usual today,” Liu Yu replied.

County Magistrate Liu: "???"

County Magistrate Liu took a deep breath and said, "Tell me how the abbot lectured today."

Liu Yu said, "However, Shen Xian spoke in the temple today and did not receive criticism from the abbot. He even seemed to receive a word of praise."

County Magistrate Liu: "..." In fact, this is the battle between the last and second to last place, which has always been terrifying.

Shen Xian was also uneducated and incompetent in the past. Although he was not as conspicuous as Liu Yu and made a fool of himself, he still stammered when asked questions.

County Magistrate Liu frowned and said, "Shen Bin's son, just like his father, only knows how to practice swordsmanship. What praise can he possibly receive?"

Liu Yu wondered, "Today is a bit strange. When the abbot asked him a question, he seemed to answer quite well."

"Even a fool may have a stroke of genius." Magistrate Liu waved his hand and said, "Alright, let's not talk about that. How are you doing with your studies?"

Liu Yu put on a wronged expression and said, "Father, as you know, I'm not as good at studying as my older brother. My grades have always been mediocre."

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Liu's face flushed with anger, but he quickly regained his composure, feeling somewhat helpless.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "This year's quota for the state school is not with the county magistrate, but with the Taoist He Shou of Qingyang Temple. You must be diligent in visiting him and not neglect him."

Liu Yu looked troubled and said, "But it seems that the Master doesn't like me usually."

Magistrate Liu instructed, "But we can't stop moving around. If it really doesn't work out, and the chief examiner and the county magistrate still don't leave the pass, it's possible that it's my father handling things, but..."

Liu Yu's eyes lit up, and she said, "Dad, if you reveal the exam questions to me beforehand, wouldn't I pass easily?"

County Magistrate Liu looked grave, shook his head, and said, "I can't give it to you. That would be too conspicuous and easily attract criticism. Let me think about it."

Liu Yu didn't want to disturb her father's plans.

After thinking for a while, Magistrate Liu said, "This matter is not yet settled. The prefecture will also send someone down. We'll see then."

With that, he waved his hand, signaling Liu Yu to go back and rest.

Shen Bin picked up his teacup and immediately changed it. However, the security of Guhe County also needed someone to handle it. Thinking of this, County Magistrate Liu said, "Black Tiger."

A man emerged from behind the screen, exuding a fierce aura, his voice deep and resonant: "My lord, what are your orders?"

County Magistrate Liu pondered for a moment and said, "Go to the inn by the Gu River and find Manager Qian."

Upon hearing this, Black Tiger clasped his hands in obedience and left.

……

……

Shen Residence, Backyard Hall

After listening to Yu Qingchan's story, Shen Xian remained silent for a long time, then looked at Yu Qingchan and said, "Miss Yu is truly learned in classics and history, and possesses a wealth of knowledge."

Despite being blind in appearance, he was insightful and always felt that even the noble ladies of Kyoto might not be able to match him.

Well, although he hadn't met many noble ladies from high-ranking families in Kyoto.

Yu Qingchan seemed a little embarrassed and said softly, "Young Master Shen is too kind."

Shen Xian's expression turned serious, his gaze shifting thoughtfully back and forth.

In his previous life, he was well-versed in history, and with the descriptions of Yu Qingchan, a noble lady from the capital, the ruling structure of the Great Jing Dynasty was gradually taking shape in his mind.

In the central region of the Great Jing Dynasty, powerful clans and aristocratic families stood in awe of the imperial power, while local powerful families and influential figures filled the positions of officials in the prefectures and counties.

Powerful families annexed land, and the sons of these families, who held prestigious and important positions, indulged in philosophical discussions and romantic pursuits. Local powerful families were not to be outdone, and their sons preyed on the common people.

Meanwhile, in the border regions, the Great Jing deployed over a million troops, with ten military governors stationed to defend against enemy states, but this also created a huge financial black hole.

The imperial court could not collect taxes from aristocratic families, but it could collect some from powerful local clans. However, these powerful clans, who held official positions in prefectures and counties, would quickly pass the burden onto ordinary people.

The current state of the Great Jing is reminiscent of the late stages of a dynasty, with sharp contradictions and conflicts.

Shen Xian murmured to himself: In this situation, all that's needed is a Huang Chao!
The streets are littered with the bones of high-ranking officials, and the treasuries are burned to ashes!
"With the Empress Dowager so heavily relying on commoners and fabricating false accusations, the powerful clans wouldn't just sit idly by, would they? Is the Prince of Qing's rebellion being orchestrated by these powerful clans?" Shen Xian then asked.

He always felt that Prince Qing's rebellion was mostly orchestrated by powerful families, though it was also possible that the Empress Dowager was the one slaughtering the princes and seizing their wealth to replenish the national treasury.

“Perhaps a powerful family is involved,” Yu Qingchan said softly, then added with a sense of loss, “The Yu family is just an insignificant pawn in the grand scheme of things.”

Shen Xian comforted him, saying, "The common people of the world are just pawns."

This overwhelming trend of the world is so powerful that ordinary people can only be swept along by it.

Who rules the fate of this vast world? I do.

He's not qualified to say that yet.

Seeing Shen Xian standing there in a daze, Lin Jing assumed he was afraid of the perilous situation in the court and comforted him, "Nephew, don't worry. There are many noble families in the capital. Those cruel officials are using the Prince Qing's rebellion case to attack dissidents and have no time to care about us."

Shen Xian nodded and said, "Uncle, I'm awake."

To put it bluntly, there are plenty of big fish, so nobody should bother with the small fry.

The Yu family has only one daughter, and no sons, so they wouldn't pursue her relentlessly.

(End of this chapter)