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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 95: The Locale
The distance from Chang'an to Zhuojun was quite far, especially since along the way, Li Jian Cheng would frequently encounter old friends and acquaintances who would stop him for banquets. If it weren't for the deadline of his appointment, it was likely that by the time Yang Guang arrived at Zhuojun, Li Jian Cheng would still be on his way.
At first, there weren't too many people stopping him for feasts, but as news spread, it became more and more intense. Even unfamiliar members of the Sorcerer clan would wait for him on the official road, offering wine and gifts, hoping just to catch a glimpse of him.
It felt very much like the saying, "Do not worry about having no friends on the road ahead; who in the world does not recognize you?"
When he left Chang'an, there were only dozens of carriages, but by the time he reached the outskirts of Zhuojun, there were over two hundred. Everything needed for food, clothing, and shelter was packed inside, with seven or eight carriages filled solely with warm fur blankets.
Seeing their lord in such high spirits, the accompanying Guardians and Servants felt proud as well. Each stood tall and confident; if they changed into fine clothes and went out, one might mistake them for scions of noble families.
Li Xiaogong rode back and said, "Elder brother, the officials of Zhuojun are waiting up ahead."
Li Jian Cheng nodded and instructed Li Jin beside him, "Make sure to manage the servants below, especially those who have just arrived. Important items should not be handled by them."
"Yes, I will arrange that right away."
There were those who sent gifts as well as those who sent servants. Since Xiao Chanyan was accompanying him, no one dared to send beautiful women for fear of offending the Empress's niece. Instead, they offered a few dozen well-mannered maidservants and a number of male servants with various skills.
Some were skilled in cooking, others in brewing wine or making tea; there were even those adept at training dogs or hunting falcons. In short, they were not ordinary servants.
Li Jin was the son of a high official from Duke Tang's Residence. Their family had served loyally for four generations and had thus been granted the surname Li.
Meanwhile, about four or five miles away, officials from Zhuojun were waiting for the arrival of the new Prefect under the leadership of the Zhuojun County Magistrate. Behind them stood representatives from several local gentry families.
The Underling was responsible for directing the servants to slaughter sheep, kill chickens, brew tea, and distill liquor, as well as arranging the screens and sofas. Whether the Prefect would stop here to dine was one matter; ensuring everything was prepared in advance was another.
"Our new Prefect certainly makes quite an entrance."
"The noble scion of the Wuchuan Li Clan, a trusted minister during His Majesty's time in the palace. I wonder what he’s thinking, deigning to serve in our humble place."
"Have you received the letter from Dou Gong?"
"I have. My family elders have repeatedly instructed me to treat him with utmost respect and never act presumptuously. If I were to offend the Prefect, I would be expelled from the family shrine."
"I received a letter too, but not from Dou Gong. It was from an uncle of mine, saying he is a close confidant of the Prefect and that I should treat him as I would a family elder."
After exchanging these words, everyone understood that this was no ordinary Prefect; this was someone of great significance.
Before long, a grand procession appeared in sight. The crowd's attention primarily fell on the Guardians; just a glance at their waists made them bow even lower, their smiles becoming increasingly humble.
Li Jian Cheng and Li Jing rode forward, while County Magistrate Huang Ning led everyone to greet them with respect: "We have eagerly awaited your arrival, Prefect and Deputy Commander."
Li Jian Cheng dismounted and smiled as he returned their greeting: "I apologize for the delay on the road; I appreciate your patience."
Everyone quickly expressed their humility before taking turns to introduce themselves by name and title. Li Jian Cheng formed a general impression of them before moving on to meet the local Sorcerer gentlemen, treating them with even greater courtesy.
Their preparations were not in vain; in the open air, they engaged in laughter and drinking. Li Jian Cheng pulled Li Jing and several elder clan leaders onto the sofa, while the others had to make do with whatever they could find to sit on.
He instructed the servants to bring down several jars of fine wine from the carriage and smiled at the crowd, saying, "Before my departure, His Majesty graciously bestowed two carts of Imperial Wine. I had intended to indulge with you, gentlemen, after taking office, but due to the gatherings of old friends along the way, I must share it now."
"Now only a few jars remain that I had hidden earlier, so I hope you gentlemen will not find it lacking."
An elder from the Lu Clan of Fanyang stroked his beard and replied with a smile, "My lord is too kind. It is already a great fortune for us to have the opportunity to taste Imperial Wine today; how could we dare to complain about its quantity?"
After he spoke, others followed suit in expressing their gratitude. The County Magistrate, who was nominally second only to Li Jian Cheng, spoke in the middle, clearly indicating the true hierarchy in Zhuojun.
The Lu Clan of Fanyang had produced renowned scholars during the Qin Dynasty, such as Lu Ao, a doctor of the Five Classics, and Lu Sheng, an expert in astronomy. Later in the Western Han period, there was Prince Lu Wan, and during the Eastern Han, they had Han's Sea's Confucian Master Lu Zhi, who was revered as a model of virtue and a pillar of the nation. The clan had produced many distinguished figures over generations.
Of course, no matter how illustrious a family had been in the past, during the Sui Dynasty, those who did not integrate into Guanlong faced severe suppression. Like many other prominent families, the Lu Clan saw most of its descendants engaged in farming and scholarship rather than holding official positions.
Even so, when Li Jian Cheng, a Guanlong Noble Son and local Prefect, arrived, the head of the Lu Clan showed no intention of welcoming him personally; instead, he merely sent an older relative to convey his regards.
This representative had never held an official position and only possessed seniority by birthright—an unmistakable display of arrogance from the noble family.
Li Jian Cheng felt displeased but did not show it on his face; instead, he engaged in pleasant conversation with that person.
Other families such as the Zushi Clan, Liu Clan, Dou Family, Cui Clan, and Zhao Clan also boasted centuries of nobility and prominence. However, they were somewhat more courteous than the Lu Clan; those who came were either clan leaders or direct heirs.
He cut a piece of perfectly roasted rib with an enticing aroma and had it sent over to Xiao Chanyan; she had also endured much on this journey.
After a hearty meal and drinks, everyone strolled through the forest, waiting for the servants to pack up before heading towards Jizhou, the administrative center of Zhuojun.
In truth, Li Jian Cheng preferred the name Youzhou over Zhuojun, but unfortunately, it was not his place to decide.
Jizhou was far less impressive than Chang'an or Luoyang, but in the grand scheme of things, it was still considered a large city. The walls were tall and the guards were formidable, yet the interior was rather dirty and chaotic.
This was somewhat unavoidable. Li Jian Cheng did not mind this too much; he merely frowned at the sight of the ragged citizens in the distance. If Jizhou was like this, then the conditions in the surrounding counties would surely be worse.
Noticing Li Jian Cheng's frown, the County Magistrate began to lament. Things had been manageable until they started conscripting labor. The able-bodied men from several counties had been taken away to dig canals, leaving no one to farm. Naturally, everyone was struggling to make ends meet.
Representatives from several prominent families hinted that perhaps they could negotiate with the court. Since there were no immediate plans to campaign against Goguryeo this year, they suggested slowing down the progress to allow young men to return home and tend to their farms and families.
Li Jian Cheng shook his head and said, "To be honest, gentlemen, His Majesty has specifically instructed that our portion of the canals in Zhuojun must be completed on schedule."
"Alas."
After all, these were local noble families who did not wish to see such dire circumstances. If the common people could not survive, how could they expect to thrive themselves?
………
(End of Chapter)
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