National Division

Chapter 120 Lu Fang: Shen Bin, I underestimated you!

Guhe County, in front of the county government office
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

As the eunuch announced the imperial decree, Shen Bin quickly stepped forward and said, "Your subject, Shen Bin, the magistrate of Guhe County, receives the decree."

Pei Renjing, the registrar of Guhe County, also approached and bowed to the eunuch.

Anzhou Prefect Qiu Ying and Judicial Advisor Zhang Xun, among others, exchanged glances before accepting the imperial decree with clasped hands.

The young eunuch took a yellow silk scroll from the accompanying Imperial Guard, unfurled it with a "whoosh," and proclaimed in a loud voice: "Your Excellency: Shen Bin, Commandant of the Vanguard and County Magistrate of Guhe, is upright and honest, with a gentle and discerning mind. Since assisted in the administration of Huafeng, he has been diligent and tireless. In handling criminal matters, he is as swift as a fish out of a net in autumn; in supervising tax collection and labor service, he is as meticulous as a silkworm spinning silk in spring. Now, when evil spirits are causing trouble, he personally ventures into dangerous situations, risking his life to protect the people's well-being. He truly deserves commendation."

The current magistrate of Guhe County, Lu Fang, is muddleheaded and incompetent, allowing evil spirits to wreak havoc on the county. He bears the responsibility for negligence and should be replaced by a capable successor. Since you are familiar with the local customs and have a proven track record of good conduct, you are hereby promoted to the position of magistrate of Guhe County, while retaining your previous position as the county's militia commander. Your honorary title will be promoted to the rank of Chaosanlang.

In governing a county, education and moral cultivation are of paramount importance. You must diligently promote education, equalize taxes and corvée labor, so that the sounds of drums and gongs are few and far between, and agriculture and sericulture flourish. Strive to fulfill this new mandate and live up to your duties.

The imperial edict is as follows; it shall be carried out upon receipt.

……

As the eunuch read the imperial edict, Qiu Ying, the Prefect of Anzhou, stood frozen in place, feeling a chill run through his body.

Has the magistrate of Guhe County been replaced?

Shen Bin was promoted to the seventh rank in one leap? How is that possible?

Zhang Xun, a judicial officer, looked solemn, his gaze fixed on Shen Bin, and he was equally astonished.

"Magistrate Shen, receive the imperial decree." The eunuch closed the yellow silk imperial decree and smiled at Shen Bin.

Shen Bin bowed respectfully and said, "Your subject Shen Bin receives the imperial decree. Long live the Emperor!"

His heart was also filled with shock. He had been promoted from a county lieutenant of the ninth rank to a county magistrate of the seventh rank.
This is a promotion of several ranks in quick succession; no wonder it was issued by imperial edict.

It felt like being in a dream.

The officials of Guhe County behind him all shouted "Long live the Emperor!"

At this moment, Registrar Pei was filled with inexplicable astonishment.

"Magistrate Shen." The eunuch handed the imperial edict to Shen Bin, who also received it with both hands, and asked with a smile, "Where is Lu Fang, the former magistrate of Guhe County? I still need to convey the edict to him."

Shen Bin's voice trembled slightly with excitement: "Reporting to the Imperial Envoy, Magistrate Lu is currently at home reflecting on his mistakes. I will send someone to invite him immediately."

As Chief Secretary Qiu listened to the two talking, his heart skipped a beat. The imperial edict mentioned that Lu Fang was muddle-headed and incompetent, and that he sat idly by while evil spirits wreaked havoc in the county. He was afraid that the situation was not good.

"Send the county yamen runners to arrest him, lest he flee upon hearing the news," the young eunuch said.

Upon hearing this, Shen Bin was first startled, then overjoyed, and said, "This humble official obeys the decree."

After calming himself down, he ordered, "Officer Zhao, take the constables and arrest the criminal official Lu Fang."

Zhao Lang's cheeks were flushed with excitement. Upon hearing this, he shouted, "Your subordinate obeys!"

He led a large group of yamen runners with swift and decisive action, heading towards the Lu residence.

The eunuch looked at the Prefect of Anzhou and the others beside him and asked, "Who are these?"

Shen Bin introduced them: "They are officials under the Anzhou Prefectural Governor's Office. This is Chief Secretary Qiu Ying, and that is Judicial Advisor Zhang Xun."

The young eunuch was also a shrewd man. His eyes flickered with understanding, and he looked at Qiu Ying with a half-smile, asking, "What brings you two officials from Anzhou here?"

Qiu Ying quickly stood up, forcing a smile: "Your Excellency, I have heard that there are demons plotting against officials of the court in Guhe County, and I have come to investigate."

Can anyone tell him why Shen Bin was promoted to magistrate of Guhe County?

The young eunuch nodded: "Then let's go to the county government office together. Once Lu Fang is brought to justice, we'll send people to escort him to the capital for questioning."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Ying became even more wary and dared not say more, only stammering in agreement.

When Zhang Xun, a judicial officer, looked at Shen Bin, whom he had known for many years, his brows furrowed deeply, and his gaze became quite complicated.

Shen Bin is a member of the Shen family of Lanxi. Could it be that the Shen family of Lanxi in the capital exerted their influence?
But Lu Fang was a member of the Lu clan of Fanyang and was highly regarded by Magistrate Cui. The Cui and Lu clans were closely related, so how could they not protect Lu Fang?
With different thoughts in mind, the group entered the Guhe County government office.

Shen Bin, along with Registrar Pei and others, accompanied the young eunuch as they enjoyed tea and conversation.

"I wonder how the capital views the Lu Fang case? Why was the magistrate of Guhe County replaced?" Chief Secretary Qiu said, smiling obsequiously as he explained, "What I mean is that Anzhou did not receive any prior notification from the Ministry of Personnel."

The young eunuch picked up his teacup, took a sip, and smiled, saying, "I don't know either. I only know that this case was personally assigned to the Council of State Affairs by the Empress Dowager. You can keep an eye on the recent official gazette; it might be mentioned there."

In fact, they knew the inside story: the Shen family of Lanxi had produced an extraordinary person, whom they deeply admired and cherished.

Shen Xian, a scholar of the Zhaowen Academy!
Shen Bin was looking at the official documents and robes brought by the Imperial Guards, and his heart was still somewhat unsettled.

A county magistrate is like a local warlord, wielding the power of life and death over the entire county. There is a saying that a county magistrate can ruin a family, and a prefectural governor can exterminate an entire clan.

Although the Shen family of Lanxi had produced officials with real power in their ancestors, their brothers had long since fallen into low-ranking positions, all hovering around the ninth rank.

As a county constable, he never imagined he could become a county magistrate.

Now I can say that I have finally found solace for my deceased father in heaven.

After waiting for a while, a yamen runner entered the hall and reported, "Your Honor, gentlemen, the criminal Lu Fang has been brought here."

A short while later, Lu Fang, dressed in a brocade Taoist robe, entered the county government hall under the protection of Zhao Lang and others.

The man appeared calm and was not bound by ropes.

Lu Fang didn't try to escape at all. As a scion of a prominent family, he disdained such a thing. Instead, he was aggressive and planned to cause trouble for Shen Bin.

Although he was waiting behind closed doors for his audience, he was still an official appointed by the imperial court. How could he allow a military man like Shen Bin and a scoundrel to bully him?!

Upon entering the hall, just as he was about to launch into a tirade of questions, he spotted Qiu Ying and Zhang Xun and asked, "Chief Secretary Qiu, Military Advisor Zhang."

Qiu Ying looked a little embarrassed and nodded.

Zhang Xun nodded in agreement, gesturing with his eyes to the eunuch seated beside him.

At this moment, Lu Fang noticed the eunuch of the Imperial Guard. His gaze sharpened, and he thought to himself, "Someone from the palace?"
No wonder the people in the county government dared to be so bold as to invite him to the county government to be questioned!

"Lu Fang receives the imperial decree." The young eunuch rose to his feet.

Lu Fang was taken aback for a moment, then knelt down and bowed, saying, "Your subject, Lu Fang, receives the imperial decree."

The young eunuch took the imperial edict from the side, unfolded it with a "whoosh," and his high-pitched, clear voice rang out in the county government hall:

To the officials: The duty of a magistrate is to nurture the people and bring them peace. Lu Fang, the Tongzhi Lang and acting magistrate of Guhe County, has undeservedly received imperial favor and has been wrongly appointed to govern the common people. However, heresies and falsehoods have spread rampantly in the villages, and the sounds of drums and gongs have repeatedly startled the people. Yet, Lu Fang has sat idly by and watched the chaos unfold without any attempt to question or restrain them. As a result, Cui Pu has gathered a band of rioters, and women and children have suffered injustices. Upon investigation, their transgressions have been thoroughly investigated, and they have truly failed in their duties.

You have neglected your official duties and failed in your responsibility to protect the territory. You are hereby dismissed from your post and removed from your post. You shall also assist the second-in-command Liu Jian and others in being imprisoned and sent to the Court of Judicial Review, where the three judicial departments shall conduct an investigation in accordance with the law.

The document was issued and carried out.

……

Upon hearing the eunuch recite the imperial edict punishing him, Lu Fang turned ashen-faced and a sense of panic welled up within him.

He was dismissed from his post and sent to the Dali Temple for questioning.
"Lu Fang, receive the imperial decree." The eunuch closed the imperial decree, his face indifferent.

"Your guilty subject, Lu Fang, accepts the imperial decree." Lu Fang raised his hands above his head and received the imperial decree.

The young eunuch turned to Shen Bin beside him and said, "Magistrate Shen, please prepare some manpower to escort Lu Fang and Liu Jian, the former county magistrate of Guhe County, and other related criminals to the capital. I will rest at the county office for the next two days."

People like Liu Jian, the county magistrate, and Xu Lin, the leader of the Golden Scale Gang, were not qualified to be mentioned in the imperial edict.

Shen Bin said, "Your Excellency, please rest assured, I will certainly select a group of skilled men."

Then, he said to Pei, the registrar standing beside him, "Lord Pei, take the envoy and the palace guards to rest."

Pei Renjing's feelings were complicated and inexplicable. He cupped his hands and said, "Yes, Your Excellency."

His former colleague was promoted to a seventh-rank county magistrate, and he couldn't help but feel some envy and other emotions.

But the registrar Pei quickly regained his composure and approached the young eunuch, saying, "Your Excellency, please follow me."

The young eunuch smiled and led several guards, following Pei Renjing out of the county government office.

With the imperial messenger gone, only Shen Bin, Qiu Ying, the Prefect of Anzhou, and Zhang Xun, the Judicial Advisor of Anzhou, remained in the main hall of the county government.

And then there's Lu Fang, who stubbornly refuses to back down, even when he's losing the argument.

Shen Bin broke the silence and said, "Lu Fang, now that you have received the imperial decree, go to the Dali Temple. The relevant case files will be delivered to the Dali Temple at a later date."

After all, they had been superior and subordinate for many years, and Shen Bin couldn't bring himself to kick someone when they were down.

Lu Fang looked coldly at Shen Bin and said, "Shen Bin, I underestimated you!"

How could Magistrate Lu not feel resentment when his former subordinate suddenly rose above him while he himself was imprisoned?
Magistrate Lu's gaze toward Shen Bin still held arrogance and disdain.

He didn't lose to Shen Bin, but to Shen Bin's son, Shen Xian!
Shen Bin's expression turned solemn as he said in a deep voice, "Lu Fang, you're not underestimating me, you're underestimating the imperial court! You're underestimating the justice of heaven! You thought you could act with impunity in Guhe County, but you don't realize that there are gods watching over you. Your actions will be punished in the afterlife!"

"What right do you, a mere martial artist, have to talk to me about gods and retribution?" Lu Fang said with arrogance, "Do you really think I've fallen to the bottom and will never rise again? Once the storm passes, I'll just be transferred to another post as an official."

His family, the Lu clan of Fanyang, is headed by a high-ranking official. Just wait, it won't be long before he's reinstated.

Well, due to the delay of the martial arts competition and the subsequent development of the news, the news from the capital has not yet fully reached Guhe County.

However, it will only be in the next few days.

Shen Bin had no intention of arguing with him further and ordered, "Officer Li, take Lu Fang to the prison and keep him under strict guard. Two days later, send him to the capital in a cage!"

Li Yan clasped his hands in acceptance and, with a few yamen runners, prepared to escort Magistrate Lu away.

“I will walk by myself!” Lu Fang said coldly.

At this moment, he was, after all, a cultivator at the peak of the Heavenly Gate Realm, and had served as the magistrate of Guhe County for a long time. His expression was cold and stern, and the few yamen runners dared not insult him.

As Lu Fang spoke, he walked out of the county government office with his head held high and chest out.

Shen Bin watched Lu Fang leave, and sighed inwardly.

From this point on, the atmosphere in Guhe County will be completely changed!
Anzhou Prefect Qiu Ying's face was gloomy as he coldly observed the scene, his thoughts unknown.

"If Chief Secretary Qiu wants to speak up for Lu Fang, Liu Jian, and the others, he can submit a memorial to the court to plead their case," Shen Bin suddenly said, turning his gaze to Qiu Ying.

Upon hearing this, Qiu Ying's expression changed slightly, and he said loudly, "Magistrate Shen is joking. Since the court has already discussed his crime, with the Dali Temple's clear judgment, I think they will not wrong an innocent person."

Zhang Xun sighed inwardly.

It seems that Shen Bin has found a powerful backer in the imperial court.

They were all seasoned veterans of the officialdom, so how could they not know that Shen Bin's promotion was suspicious?

There are plenty of county lieutenants who slay demons and eliminate evil, so why was Shen Bin promoted to county magistrate?
Shen Bin said, "Chief Secretary Qiu, there are many matters to attend to in the county, and it is not convenient for me to accompany you two superiors. Please rest at the post station for the time being. I will visit you later to listen to your teachings."

This wasn't a lie to Qiu Ying; there were indeed many matters to attend to, at the very least the case files of Magistrate Lu and other related criminals needed to be properly organized and archived.

Upon hearing this, Qiu Ying's face turned pale with embarrassment, as if she had swallowed a fly.

This is an eviction order.

Zhang Xun, however, didn't have so many thoughts and advised, "Chief Secretary Qiu, Magistrate Shen has just taken over Guhe County and has a lot to deal with. Let's go to the post station first."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Ying's face darkened. He stood up and said, "Then I will come to bother Prefect Shen again another day."

The words "Prefect Shen" sounded particularly heavy in Qiu Ying's mouth.

A petty person who has gained power, just wait and see. When the magistrate returns from his official business, he will definitely teach you a lesson!
Without waiting for Zhang Xun, Qiu Ying turned and left.

Zhang Xun looked at Shen Bin with a complicated expression and lowered his voice: "Old Shen, the magistrate and Lu Fang are in cahoots and won't let this go. Be careful."

Upon hearing this, Shen Bin's expression turned solemn, and he cupped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you, Military Advisor Zhang."

In the past, when Shen Bin went to Anzhou, he had many official dealings with Zhang Xun, which involved public security and criminal affairs in the county. The two had a decent personal relationship.

After saying this, Zhang Xun cupped his hands in a respectful gesture to Shen Bin, said no more, left the county office, and went to catch up with Qiu Ying.

After the two men left with the constables and yamen runners from Anzhou, Shen Bin's face turned ashen, and a sense of unease settled over him.

How exactly did he get promoted to the position of county magistrate?
Could it be related to Xian'er and Duke Xue's arrival in the capital?
Did this catch the eye of a noble person?

Shen Bin was somewhat afraid to think about it, or rather, he couldn't even imagine what the scene would be like.

"That envoy should know the reason. I'll ask him at the welcoming banquet later." Shen Bin pondered for a moment and came up with a plan.

I never imagined that it would be the Shen family of Lanxi who would exert their influence.

The reason is that the head of the Shen clan in Lanxi is only a junior secretary in the Secretariat and does not have such great power. If he wanted to exert his influence, he would have done so long ago and would not have waited until today.

Outside the county government office
Qiu Ying got off the carriage with a grim face and said angrily to Zhang Xun, who had followed, "What a scoundrel who's gotten his way!"

Zhang Xun advised, "Lord Qiu, I believe there must have been some change in the capital. You might as well inquire about it."

"We should inquire about it." Qiu Ying's gaze was deep, and his tone was full of worry: "The cruel officials of the Dali Temple are no joke when they torture people into confessing and frame them!"

The fear is that once Lu Fang and Liu Jian are brought to the Dali Temple, the former will be alright, after all, he is from the Lu family of Fanyang, but if the latter cannot withstand the torture and spills some things he shouldn't say, I'm afraid he will also be implicated.

In fact, this is why Qiu Ying rushed to Guhe County as soon as he received Magistrate Lu's letter.

Besides wanting to curry favor with the Lu family of Fanyang and share Cui Xu's burdens.

As the saying goes, "The county magistrates come and go, but the county assistants remain." Liu Jian, an assistant official, had worked in Guhe County for many years and had deep connections with the officials under the governor of the prefecture, with whom he had exchanged many benefits.

Qiu Ying, the Prefect of Anzhou, had previously planned to marry his third daughter to Liu Jian's eldest son, Liu Jin.

Because Liu Jin had a good talent for Taoism, he entered the state school and was appreciated by the state school's chief priest, Dongyang Daoren, who took him in as his last disciple.

His future is bright, and the path to immortality is broad.

(End of this chapter)