Chapter 166: A Welcome Reception at Hongmen

During the Hongwu era, frugality was highly valued. Thus, the Anqiu County Yamen initially occupied only a piece of land with few buildings inside. By the early Yongle period, several county magistrates came from wealthy areas in the south. They thought it was acceptable for the main court buildings to be in poor condition, but the rear residential quarters, where they lived daily, could not be so shabby—such simplicity was unbearable for them. As a result, three consecutive magistrates spent money from their own pockets and allocated additional funds from other sources to renovate the rear area thoroughly.

Thus, with the three main halls of the county yamen serving as a boundary, the front and rear areas became two entirely different worlds. The front area included the second and third main halls, as well as various departments on the left—civil affairs, household affairs, and rites—and on the right—military affairs, criminal affairs, and engineering affairs. There were also the archives hall, the clerk’s hall, the storage room, the register room, and the treasury room… In short, all necessary buildings were present, yet they were all in dilapidated condition. In contrast, the rear area in the northeast corner of the yamen, though small, had everything needed—a proper main hall, a reception hall, and a small garden. The three main rooms were not only spacious but also neatly kept. After touring them with Clerk Ma, Zhang Yue found nothing to criticize.

Noticing that Zhang Yue had few attendants, all of whom were men, Ma Cheng politely suggested, “Seeing how tired and rushed you seem, you must have been in a hurry on the journey. I’ve already ordered hot water to be prepared and will have it delivered shortly. When the previous magistrate, Mr. Qian, was here, he hired two maids but didn’t take them when he left. Since you haven’t brought any attendants this time, perhaps I should have them serve you. What do you think?”

Before arriving in Anqiu, Zhang Yue had done thorough research. With the support of Duke Zhang Fu of Britain and the willingness of Yang Rong in the cabinet to assist, he had learned about the previous magistrates. He knew that the former magistrate, Mr. Qian, had been involved in a suspicious corruption case and had barely escaped unscathed, now waiting in Beijing for a replacement. Before leaving, Zhang Yue met with him, spoke a few kind words, and gave subtle hints. Naturally, the hard-pressed Mr. Qian was eager for the new magistrate to overhaul the entire Anqiu County Yamen.

So, upon hearing about the so-called maids left behind by Mr. Qian, Zhang Yue didn’t believe it at all. Yet he smiled and said, “In that case, I thank Clerk Ma for his kindness.”

As soon as Zhang Yue agreed, Ma Cheng immediately felt relieved and repeatedly said it was only right. When the large wooden tub was brought in and the tea room sent hot water, seeing two alluring maids follow Zhang Yue into the room, he personally closed the door, a sly smile appearing on his honest face. Yet as soon as he turned around, he saw a “mountain” standing in front of him and quickly changed his expression.

“It turns out to be Brother Peng.”

Although it was just Zhang Yue’s servant, Ma Cheng, who was used to dealing with various people, and seeing Peng Shisan’s tall and strong build, certainly wouldn’t treat him as an ordinary servant. Suddenly, he noticed that Peng Shisan had changed into new clothes, with wet hair, and wondered—since the tea room only brought hot water to this side first, how could this guy already seem to have taken a bath?

With a quick thought, he asked in surprise, “The tea room just brought water here for the master. They’re boiling more now. Looking at Brother Peng’s appearance, how could it be…”

Seeing the other two servants also dressed neatly approaching, Peng Shisan said nonchalantly, “We boiled hot water for them to give to the master’s attendants. The three of us have strong bodies; a bucket of well water is enough to wash us. There’s no need to be so delicate. It’s autumn now, and even in winter, we don’t need much hot water. It’s fine for the three of us to guard here. You, Magistrate Ma, are busy, so there’s no need for you to waste time here.”

These words left Ma Cheng stunned. Seeing the two approaching servants nod in agreement, he felt uneasy, nodded stiffly, and left the main room. Not far away, he couldn’t help but look back and saw the three men standing motionless like nails in the ground, which made him even more puzzled.

Seeing that the new county magistrate didn’t bring even a maid and had minimal luggage, he guessed he must be a scholar from a humble background. Then why were there these three burly men acting like door gods? Could they be fellow villagers coming to help?

Inside the room, Zhang Yue had already taken off all his clothes and gotten into the wooden tub. After traveling for so many days, his body was covered in dust and sweat. Now, with the hot water, the steam rising around him, he let out a long sigh of relief. Feeling hands rubbing his back vigorously and another person massaging his arms, he simply closed his eyes and let it happen.

Both girls were at the ripe age of seventeen or eighteen, so naturally they felt no shame. They had no intention of seducing the new county magistrate on the first day either. Their techniques were highly skilled, but without any fancy tricks. Seeing Zhang Yue lying there as if asleep and at their mercy, the two exchanged a glance and then both laughed—their smiles filled with both amazement and joy.

They had thought he was a frail young scholar, but once his clothes were removed, he wasn’t either all bones or loose fat; his shoulders, back, and arms were quite strong. If things went as those three officials had planned, they would soon be able to live a better life!

County magistrate Luo Wei and clerk Zhao Ming had both studied the classics at the National Academy in Nanjing for five years. Though they had seen the splendor of the ancient capital during the Six Dynasties, after becoming minor officials of the eighth or ninth rank for so many years without any chance of promotion, they no longer aspired to rise to higher positions. They simply wanted to continue enjoying life in this small place.

Having seen several county magistrates come and go, they were not surprised by the behavior of this newest arrival. The welcome banquet was held in the main hall of the county office and the courtyard outside, with ten tables in total. All the officials and servants were invited, making a lively crowd of over a hundred people. Seeing this scene, they all smiled, thinking that by paying for the wine and food for this banquet, it was less about welcoming the new county magistrate and more about winning over the hearts of the subordinates, so they would know who the real boss was.

That young county magistrate didn’t seem wealthy either. Being new and with no one to command, he couldn’t extract any benefits—only relying on his salary… Humph, not to mention winning over others, he’d struggle to make ends meet himself!

At the third hour of the evening, Zhang Yue arrived on time. A group of servants and officials sat in the courtyard. When they saw him, they scrambled to stand up, nodding and bowing. He simply gave a faint nod in return. Entering the main hall, he saw a single table set in the center, with eight dishes of cold dishes arranged neatly. The people sitting nearby stood up to greet him. He recognized county magistrate Luo Wei, clerk Zhao Ming, and historian Ma Cheng, but the other two were strangers. He had an excellent memory and vaguely recalled that among the officials and servants he had seen at the county office earlier, these two were not among them.

At that moment, county magistrate Luo Wei said with a smile, “Sir, these are two prominent local gentry, Mr. Zhao and Mr. Li. Since you’re new here, you’ll likely need their help in the future. I took the liberty of inviting them. Please don’t mind me.”

Since they had already been invited, could he possibly drive them away?

Zhang Yue sized up these two unexpected yet expected companions. Both were of medium build with a slight overweight, wearing humble smiles, which gave him an idea of who they were. After they sat down, hot dishes were served one after another, until the table was completely filled. He first accepted toasts from everyone, then poured himself a drink and said to Lord Zhao and Lord Li with a smile, “I’m new here, and I’m afraid I’ll need your help with many things in the future. You both enjoy high respect among the locals, so I dedicate this first drink to you both.”

This move truly took everyone by surprise. Lord Zhao and Lord Li were stunned for a moment before hastily standing up, holding their cups and refusing. Seeing that Zhang Yue insisted on toasting them, their humble smiles turned into expressions of joy, and they drank it all in one gulp, followed by more flattery. Luo Wei, Zhao Ming, and Ma Cheng watched coldly, still smiling on the surface but puzzled inside.

What surprised them even more was that after pouring himself a second drink, Zhang Yue turned to Ma Cheng. “Ma Dianshi, aside from the paperwork you’ve always handled, I’ll surely need your advice in the future. For example, today you showed me around the back courtyard, arranged for maids and hot water—your efficiency is unmatched. As the most experienced person in this county office, you must keep guiding me so I don’t make any mistakes.”

At that moment, Ma Cheng felt the intense gaze from Zhang Yue, unsure whether he didn’t know the hierarchy of officials or did it on purpose. But since Zhang Yue had already offered the drink with a smile, he had no choice but to drink it. He forced himself to stand up, spoke some humble words, and downed the tasteless drink. When he saw Zhang Yue finish toasting Luo Wei, the deputy county magistrate, and Zhao Ming, the clerk, he turned and left the hall, feeling even more confused.

What exactly was this new county magistrate planning?

While pretense went on in the hall, the courtyard outside was already noisy with people playing gambling games. Although they were officials of the yamen, their shares of the benefits varied. Everyone was happy to get free food and drink, so even though the banquet had just started, some who loved drinking already had several bowls down and were bragging and playing games, their faces red.

In such a chaotic environment, few noticed what was happening in the hall with those important figures. So when a sober person saw Zhang Yue passing by, the alcohol in his system instantly turned into cold sweat, and he shouted, “The magistrate is here!”

After a few annoyed murmurs, the courtyard, which had been as noisy as a market, suddenly fell silent. No one knew why Zhang Yue, who had been staying safely in the flower hall, had come outside at this moment. Those who had previously failed to recognize him outside the county yamen grew even more anxious, fearing that the new magistrate had come out specifically to punish them. When they saw Zhang Yue stop at the second table at the end on the left, everyone at the other tables breathed a sigh of relief, especially the young official whose cheeks were still swollen—he felt immensely relieved. The people sitting at this table were precisely those who had been thoroughly beaten by Zhang Yue and Peng Shisan at the ferry crossing. After returning to the yamen in shame, they had discussed how to find those two outsiders, imagining endlessly the scene of them kneeling before them and begging for mercy. It wasn’t until someone announced that there would be good food and drink that night that they hurried over, only to miss Zhang Yue. Hearing the words “The magistrate has arrived” and now seeing Zhang Yue standing in front of them, their legs began to tremble. Of the two people who had beaten them senseless during the day, the leader was none other than the new county magistrate? Good heavens—this was like hitting an iron wall, as if they had crashed into a steel post!