Transmigrating to the Qi Family - Chapter 143

“My lord, there’s someone outside claiming to be from Liangjing, asking to meet with you!”

In the main office of Cangzhou, a room cluttered with all sorts of paperwork, Zhou Xu, the assistant magistrate of Cangzhou, sits fiddling with a small trinket in his hands. He is about to scold the yamen runner who rushes in without knocking, but his attention is immediately captured by the man’s words.

“From Liangjing? What kind of person?” he asks.

The yamen runner thinks for a moment before replying, “They have three carriages parked outside the office, and the message was delivered by one of their drivers. We haven’t seen the people inside the carriages yet.”

Zhou Xu snorts, “You haven’t even seen them, so why the rush? Do you think I, as the assistant magistrate, will meet anyone who shows up out of nowhere? Am I supposed to be busy with random people all day long?”

The yamen runner quickly nods and bows. “You’re absolutely right, My lord. That was thoughtless of me. I’ll go out and send them away right now!” He pauses, unable to resist explaining himself. “I lost my composure when I heard they were from Liangjing; I thought it might be the new prefect arriving.”

He turns to leave, but before he reaches the door, he hears, “Wait.”

“My lord, do you have further instructions?”

“You thought it might be the new magistrate? Is there anything special about their carriages?” Zhou Xu, who spent several months in Liangjing during his exams, knows that the carriages of noble families there often bear distinctive markings.

The yamen runner recalls, “Their carriages seem taller and larger than others.”

“Who asked about that?” Zhou Xu mutters, annoyed. “I’m asking if the carriages look especially luxurious or if they have any unusual patterns or designs on them?”

The yamen runner shakes his head; he hasn’t noticed any of the specific details the official mentioned.

Zhou Xu frowns, thinking to himself, “But the prefect’s aides didn’t mention that he would be taking office in the next few days. Could it be that even they aren’t sure when the magistrate will arrive?”

“Forget it. Go invite them in,” Zhou Xu decides, planning to make time to meet these visitors; if they turn out to be unimportant, he can always fine them some silver and send them away.

After making up his mind, Zhou Xu takes advantage of the time while the yamen runner goes to invite them in to tidy up his desk a bit so it doesn’t appear overly messy.

Meanwhile, Jiang Miao and Pei Che sit in their carriage, waiting for the yamen runner to deliver the message and invite them inside. 

Shortly after he goes in, the yamen runner returns, walks straight to the window of the first carriage, knocks on its side, and says, “The assistant magistrate invites you to come in. Please follow me.”

The carriage window lifts to reveal a warmly smiling, pleasant face. “Thank you, brother. We’ll be right down.”

The yamen runner nods, takes a few steps back, and watches as the man who just showed his face steps out, followed by another person with such a striking appearance and imposing presence that it’s hard to meet his gaze directly.

While leading the way, he can’t help but glance repeatedly at Pei Che, thinking that someone so distinguished in appearance and aura couldn’t be an ordinary person. Who exactly is he, and why has he come to see their lord?

At the entrance to the office, the yamen runner steps forward to knock on the door. Upon hearing permission to enter, he opens the door and leads the two men inside.

As they enter, Zhou Xu glances up casually, and like everyone meeting Pei Che for the first time, he momentarily freezes, his expression tinged with shock.

After a brief pause, he regains his composure and asks, “I hear you two are from Liangjing and requested a meeting with me. Now that you’ve been received, could you let me know the reason for your visit?”

Pei Che replies, “Lord Zhou, I am an official appointed by the court, here today to assume the position of Cangzhou magistrate. Here are the documents and the official seal dispatched by the Ministry of Personnel. Please take a look.”

Pei Che dispenses with any small talk, directly revealing his identity and presenting his credentials to Zhou Xu.

Zhou Xu is stunned. This man is indeed the court-appointed magistrate, here to take over Cangzhou?

He picks up the document on the table and opens it; its contents match Pei Che’s statement precisely. The document format and the stamped seal are indeed those of the Ministry of Personnel. He then picks up the small, intricately crafted seal and compares it to his own, noting the identical materials and craftsmanship. This type of seal, while not the official government seal, serves as a kind of personal identification and is crucial to them.

Once Pei Che’s identity is verified, Zhou Xu quickly steps out from behind his desk, respectfully bows deeply, and clasps his hands in formal salute.

“Your subordinate was unaware of your arrival to assume office today and failed to welcome you properly. I ask for your forgiveness, my lord. As for what happened earlier, I was merely fulfilling my duty, so I beg for your understanding,” Zhou Xu says, lowering his stance considerably, without a trace of his previous attitude.

“There’s no blame for those who act unknowingly, so it’s fine. Lord Zhou, you needn’t worry about it,” Pei Che responds with a slight smile, appearing refined and seemingly good-tempered.

But before Zhou Xu can fully relax, Pei Che’s tone shifts. “This morning, as I entered Cangzhou, I happened to park my carriage along the roadside, only for the local patrol officers to notice it and fine me six taels of silver.” As he speaks, he places the “receipt” for the fine on Zhou Xu’s desk. “Though the amount isn’t much, it really reminds me that I must always be alert when I go out. Otherwise, this time it’s merely a fine, but next time it could be a crime punishable by death. Don’t you agree, Lord Zhou?”

Zhou Xu’s face turns pale, and his legs shake. He realizes that Pei Che is pressing him for an explanation at this moment. He doesn’t expect such a coincidence: those people have just fined this newly appointed lord, and now he finds himself with a weakness exposed!

Suddenly, he frowns. No, this is clearly orchestrated by the confidant of the person standing before him. Is he bringing it up now to wash his hands of the matter and make Zhou Xu the scapegoat?

“My lord, why ask about the fine when you already know the answer?” Zhou Xu smiles, hinting at Pei Che.

Pei Che’s expression turns serious. “This brings me to my second point of confusion. Both yamen officers and local people alike claim that the fine is issued on the orders of the new prefect. Are there really two prefects governing Cangzhou? If so, I’d be curious to know the name of this other esteemed lord.”

Zhou Xu is taken aback. “My lord, surely you’re joking. There’s only one newly appointed magistrate here, and that is you. When did we ever need two? But those orders come from two of your supposed confidants, and we merely carry them out.”

“My confidants?” Pei Che scoffs. “I only take office today; how could I have sent confidants ahead of me?”

“Well, those two say that due to family matters, you sent them to handle affairs in Cangzhou on your behalf, and we are to follow their instructions,” Zhou Xu explains, feeling uneasy. From Pei Che’s reaction, it seems those two aren’t truly his confidants. Who are they, then?

“Ridiculous! From what I understand, those two arrived here a month and a half ago. At that time, the imperial exams hadn’t even been held. None of us, let alone being appointed officials, have even passed as successful candidates. So how could anyone have sent confidants ahead under the excuse of family matters to assist with official duties?”

Pei Che looks at him in disappointment. For a court-appointed official to be so muddle-headed—allowing two impostors to toy with the entire Cangzhou!

“My lord! Though we may be ignorant, we would never dare treat such matters lightly. We only believe they are truly your confidants after repeated verification,” Zhou Xu quickly defends himself, trying to share the blame with others.

“And how did you verify it?” Pei Che asks.

“They have documents and official seals. How could anyone but a court official possess such items? That is why we believe those two to be your confidants,” Zhou Xu explains.

“Oh? In that case, when I present my own documents and seal, why doesn’t it strike you as strange? How could there be two identical sets of such items? Counterfeiting official seals is punishable by death!”

“I assume they must have sent their copies back to you, my lord, since it’s common to encounter delays and complications while traveling to assume office,” Zhou Xu replies.

“Yet you don’t question how they could possess these documents and seals before their appointments are even finalized?” Pei Che points out another glaring oversight.

Zhou Xu, looking embarrassed, finally responds after a long pause, “They claim their master is from an influential family in Liangjing and has long considered Cangzhou as something already in his grasp. He merely pulls some strings at the Ministry of Personnel to acquire the items in advance.”

Pei Che is speechless and doesn’t know what to say for a while. Could it be that the corrupt officials below him are so brazen that they actually believe such outrageous actions are reasonable?