Chapter 153: Seems Unreasonable, Yet Somehow Makes Sense

"That's right, commoners shouldn't be our responsibility." He Chunhua had done his utmost, not forgetting to bring over a hundred villagers with him to escape in a crisis. The subsequent matters of the villagers' return and resettlement would naturally be handled by Wuliu County, having nothing to do with him as the Governor of Xiazhou.

"So, the dinner hosted by the Wuliu County Magistrate is also a thank-you banquet. A local gentry member named He invited us to stay at his mansion for the night. Father and Mother have already gone to wash up and change, so let's not be late."

It turned out that while he was sound asleep, He Chunhua had not only led the group through Qianteng Town and arrived at Wuliu County, but had also established good relations with the magistrate and others.

Father truly had boundless energy, He Lingchuan thought, yawning again.

The carriage had already stopped at the entrance of Mr. He's mansion. Two servants came out to greet them and led the brothers to a quiet courtyard.

They washed up there, and Nanny Qian brought new clothes for them to change out of their old ones. He Lingchuan's clothes, in particular, were stained with blood and mud, had several holes, and reeked of blood even without getting close.

Just as Nanny Qian was about to tie the brothers' hair, someone knocked on the door.

He Lingchuan opened the door and found it was Zhu Xiuer.

Zhu Xiuer had already finished tidying herself up and changed into Madam Ying's clothes. As the saying goes, clothes make the man. Her skin was originally dark and her face flushed, but dressed in fine garments, much of her rustic village girl appearance faded, revealing a calm and gentle demeanor.

Perhaps this was her true nature, which had not been worn away by a difficult life.

She gave He Lingchuan a slight smile and said, "You don't have many servants, so I came to help Nanny Qian."

He Lingchuan, being open-minded, stepped back two paces to let her in. "Are you staying here too?"

He wasn't sure how to address Zhu Xiuer—"Miss" or "Madam"?

"Yes, Madam Ying insisted," Zhu Xiuer replied, raising a wooden comb and gesturing for him to sit still. "But the people of Wuliu County, including the magistrate and the owner of this He mansion, don't know my background."

He Yue chimed in, "Father has issued a gag order to the entire army; this matter must not be spread outside. Miss Zhu will travel north with us, and to outsiders, she'll simply be introduced as our cousin."

Concealing Zhu Xiuer's experience? More than that, they even concealed her very existence, so that no unfavorable rumors would slowly spread from here after she returned to her family. He Chunhua and his wife's actions could be described as exceedingly generous towards Zhu Xiuer.

As Zhu Xiuer untangled He Lingchuan's knotted hair, she said, "This kindness is something Xiuer can hardly repay, even with her life. From now on, should the He family have any need of me, I will not hesitate to serve!"

"You exaggerate," He Yue said to her. "Heaven helps those who help themselves; we merely acted in accordance with natural justice. Are you truly unwilling to join us for the banquet? It would be fine to go as our cousin."

Zhu Xiuer smiled. "No, I won't go. It's better for me to appear less, and I can also rest more."

He Yue heard her voice was light and cheerful, and saw a gleam in her eyes, a completely relaxed demeanor. He was slightly surprised.

This "cousin" truly seemed reborn.

Once ready, the brothers headed to Hongtai Restaurant for the banquet.

The dinner was enjoyed by both hosts and guests.

He Lingchuan walked out burping contentedly; the stewed lamb tripe here was fragrant, tender, and truly expertly cooked. All the officials from Wuliu County had come, accompanied by over a dozen local gentry members.

They escorted He Chunhua's family all the way to the entrance of Hongtai Restaurant, where their carriage awaited. As the carriage departed, He Lingchuan could still see their enthusiastic smiles.

He was accustomed to such enthusiasm in Blackwater City, but seeing it on the faces of officials from other regions was still quite novel. From Blackwater City to Wuliu County, the local officials along the way had all been polite, but none were as solicitous as these.

Hmm, perhaps "obsequious" would be a more fitting description.

"Whoa, Dad, what favors did you grant the magistrate to make him smile so broadly?"

"When I submit my report on the bandit suppression to the capital, I'll mention him, noting that he promptly provided relief to disaster victims and pursued the remaining bandits." He Chunhua, tired after working tirelessly for over 24 hours, leaned back in the carriage, resting with his eyes closed.

He Lingchuan chuckled. "Did he actually pursue them?"

"Those mountain paths in Wuliu County will still need to be cleared several times to ensure no remaining bandits are lurking. Many people died in Desheng Town and Xianling Village, and it's also connected to the rebel army. If not handled properly, the magistrate's position would be unstable." He Chunhua smiled. "If I mention him in my report, his merits will outweigh his faults, and of course, he'll thank me."

Madam Ying, however, found it odd. "How can one Wuliu County have so many officials? From the magistrate and assistant magistrate, to the registrar and constable, and all the way down to the low-ranking yamen runners—there are over thirty people! Your former prefectural office didn't have so many staff, my lord."

"You are very observant, my dear," He Chunhua said, pointing to the red rose by Madam Ying's temple (she was fond of wearing fresh flowers). "A flower head needs twenty-five or twenty-six petals, and if you count the sepals, it's even more than that."

"And these are just the 'official' ones," he scoffed softly. "There are even more unofficial ones."

He Lingchuan knew that by "official," he meant positions on the official roster. In reality, a county's official staff was very small, usually no more than seven or eight people, but Wuliu County had a total of thirty to forty. The excess were all unofficial personnel: tax collectors, patrols, household registrars, school administrators—a diverse array. The county could not function without them.

He Yue frowned. "Wuliu County doesn't seem prosperous. How can it afford to support them all?"

Earlier, when the carriage entered Wuliu County's territory, his elder brother, exhausted from a full day of desperate exertion, was only concerned with sleeping soundly. He, however, had observed everything along the way.

Wuliu County was no different from other small rural areas; it even seemed a bit poorer.

"This county has at least twenty more 'reserve' officials," He Chunhua slowly explained the scheme to him. "These are all bought positions. The wealthy families gain prestige, the county treasury gets silver, and everyone is happy."

Among these numerous unofficial personnel, some were indeed recruited by the county itself to handle affairs, but others were funded by donations from local wealthy families—which is commonly known as "buying an official post," getting a ceremonial position to gain prestige.

"This area is not far from Woling Pass and must have been significantly affected by the official-bandit war. People's livelihoods are bound to be devastated. With finances tight now, do you think the county will tighten its belt and endure hardship?"

He Yue blinked. "The prefecture doesn't care?"

"How could the prefecture not know? It's just a minor common practice. When the prefecture and county are short on funds, they naturally find a way to adapt." He Chunhua chuckled, patting He Yue's shoulder. "My boy, you're too young. Being an official is a profound art." Although his second son was intelligent, he was only fourteen and hadn't yet experienced the complexities of human nature.

He Lingchuan found it bewildering to hear.

When the county's finances were tight, their solution wasn't to streamline administration and cut expenses, but to sell official positions for money, making the government staff even more redundant.

It seemed illogical, yet somehow perfectly rational.

He Yue was speechless. After a moment, he asked, "Why didn't anyone from the Zechong Commandery come to the banquet? I heard some of them have already returned to Qianteng Town."

"That's likely because Commander Zhao needed to rush back to report early," He Chunhua said without hesitation. "The Zechong Commandery needs to report this matter to the Royal Court as soon as possible."

He Yue seemed to grasp something. "To compete for credit?"

"Exactly. This is a major matter concerning sending troops to suppress a rebellion. Whoever reports to the Royal Court first is likely to receive benefits first."

"These are all standard tactics," He Chunhua said dismissively. "This Zechong Commander hasn't been promoted in years. If he doesn't secure some achievements soon, he'll probably die of old age in some remote, impoverished place."

He Lingchuan exclaimed, "Oh dear! With the county magistrate and the Zechong Commander both busy submitting their reports, aren't you afraid your credit will be stolen, Father?"

He Chunhua saw his indignant expression and merely smiled faintly. "What is rightfully mine will naturally remain mine."

With complete confidence, he was naturally unperturbed by gains or losses.

Then, he inquired about what happened after He Lingchuan fell off the cliff.

"It's a long story," He Lingchuan said vaguely, as too much had happened. "I fell into a broken hole beneath the cliff, which happened to be the lair of an alligator demon. There, I rescued the dying Wu Shaoyi. He was so grateful for my kindness, and realizing he had nowhere else to go, he simply accepted the amnesty!"

It was only then that he remembered to ask, "By the way, where is Wu Shaoyi?"

"He's resting in another residence, under special supervision," He Chunhua replied, commending his eldest son. "You handled the amnesty of Wu Shaoyi excellently and beautifully!"

He Lingchuan had nothing much to hide, so he recounted the subsequent events one by one, but omitted his gains from the Immortal's Cave, simply stating that there was nothing inside.

He Chunhua glanced out the window; the carriage had already returned to the He mansion. "It's time to get off. My dear, you should rest first; the children and I still have matters to discuss."

Madam Ying nodded and, accompanied by Nanny Qian, went to change her clothes.

He Chunhua led the brothers through the backyard to the woodshed. "I borrowed the woodshed from old Mr. He; it's quiet here."

This mansion was not comparable to their luxurious house in Blackwater City. Its backyard even had a few acres of vegetable garden and kept over a dozen chickens. The advantage was that it was spacious and had few people.

The woodshed was secluded and rarely visited, but it was lit up at the moment. As He Chunhua and his sons approached, the door opened, and Zhao Qinghe stood at the entrance.

He Lingchuan followed them inside and saw a man kneeling in the woodshed, claiming to be Lu Yao's trusted subordinate.

This was the very fellow Zhao Qinghe had caught earlier today in the small grove near Zhuma Slope. He was unlucky; not long after escaping Lu Yao, his swift horse accidentally broke its leg.

He Lingchuan asked, curious, "Why did you bring this person here?"

"He claims to know many inside details about the bandit army and is confessing in exchange for leniency."

As soon as He Chunhua nodded, the captive quickly began to speak:

"After the major defeat at Woling Pass, the morale of the rebel army collapsed. General Lu managed to gather over a thousand people using his lingering influence, but he didn't lead them well. Everyone worried daily about where their next meal would come from or if they'd be encircled by government troops, while General Lu was drunk all day."

"One time, we passed through a town, and there was a wealthy household named Zhao. Their estate had more cattle, sheep, and grain than they could consume, and their house was piled high with gold, silver, and valuables. The family voluntarily offered everything to the General, only asking that we spare their lives. The General agreed at the time, but that night, after drinking too much, he took a liking to old Mr. Zhao's young grandson, seized him, and roasted him to eat, praising how tender he was. Old Mr. Zhao died of rage that very night," the captive said with a bitter smile. "Later, the local authorities issued consecutive arrest warrants for us, and the government troops pursued us relentlessly as if injected with stimulants, wearing us out completely. It was then that we realized, 'Oh no!' this old Mr. Zhao had actually been a high-ranking official who had retired and returned to his hometown just two years prior. The local governor would have no way to account for it if he didn't capture us."