Chapter 174: The Unshakeable Burden

“I misjudged him—this time, I really did misjudge him…”
At the thought of having been played by a young county magistrate, Luo Wei’s frustration was unbearable. Looking back now, he realized he had fallen into a trap from the very beginning. At first, he thought the man was from a humble background and clueless after passing the imperial exams; later, he assumed he was just a nobleman who cared only about appearances and not actual affairs; and still later, he believed he was acting to establish authority regardless of consequences… It was only now that he understood it was all a lie—the man had planned everything carefully, while the fool was him.
“Master.” The personal servant who entered the study saw Luo Wei looking utterly disheartened, far from his usual confident demeanor, and grew anxious. “Magistrate Zhao said he isn’t feeling well and can’t come…”
“Get out!”
Luo Wei’s anger flared instantly. After driving the servant away, he clenched his teeth and slammed a fist hard on the desk. Zhao Ming didn’t come because he was afraid. The two of them had controlled affairs in Anqiu County together for so many years—there must be something shady behind that, otherwise, even a minor official wouldn’t be able to expose his weaknesses. They say even the strongest dragon can’t suppress the local snake. He had dealt with countless county magistrates before, always coming out victorious—how could he run into someone like this this time?
“Master…”
Hearing the call from outside, Luo Wei’s anger surged. He stepped forward in a few strides, pulled the door open himself, and demanded furiously, “Why didn’t you speak up when it was time? Now you’re making a fuss outside! Bring me all the bad news at once!”
The servant quickly held up a letter and said cautiously, “I wouldn’t dare disturb Master repeatedly. It’s a letter sent by the Left Councillor from the Jinan Provincial Administration. I thought Master had asked several times before, so when the letter arrived, I didn’t dare delay and brought it here right away. As for the messenger…”
Anxiously, Luo Wei saw this as a lifeline. His eyes lit up, and he interrupted eagerly, “Is the messenger still there?”
“He delivered the letter and left,” the servant replied, seeing Luo Wei’s face stiffen as if he were about to explode. He hurriedly added, “I tried to stop him, but he said the Left Councillor gave strict orders and he couldn’t stay.”

Knowing that further questions were pointless, Luo Wei naturally wanted to know what was in the letter. He took the letter, closed the door, and sat back at his desk. In a few quick movements, he opened the sealed envelope, pulled out the sheets of paper, and began to skim through them hastily. After reading just the first sheet, he couldn’t help but gasp in shock. He immediately stood up, feeling a wave of anxiety.

Thank goodness! He had originally planned to send an anonymous letter to the prefecture office or the provincial administration, but who would have thought that this kid was actually the favorite disciple of the new provincial governor? This wasn’t just a teacher-student relationship—it was a genuine teacher-disciple bond! If he reported this, they might turn around and blame him, causing him huge trouble!

After quickly reading the entire letter, he noticed that Zuo Xuan hadn’t mentioned Zhang Yue’s family background at all, which puzzled him. He wanted to write a reply to ask, but thinking of the impatient tone in the letter, he held back the urge, knowing that asking too many questions might annoy the other person. The problem was, he had already offended Zhang Yue severely—what should he do now?

That day, after dinner, Zhang Yue wrote letters to his family in his study. Less than half a month since taking office, he had encountered more things than he had in a whole year at home, making his life quite eventful. Although he had used his powerful connections to overwhelm those three seasoned officials, if he couldn’t achieve anything meaningful in certain areas, simply suppressing others wouldn’t count as real skill. Moreover, it was extremely difficult to claim any achievements as a seventh-rank official—what real accomplishments could he possibly have?

As for the White Lotus Sect matter, it was even more complicated. Handling it aggressively might tarnish the reputation of the prosperous era, and the emperor might not be pleased; if it failed, not only would he be at fault, but likely all the officials in the province would suffer consequences…

“Young master, Magistrate Ma is here to see you.”

Hearing Ma Cheng’s voice outside, Zhang Yue raised an eyebrow. He had expected Luo Wei or Zhao Ming to back down, but not Ma Cheng. During those days when the office was short-staffed and others took leave, this man, despite looking ill, showed up on time every day and worked diligently without any faults. After pondering for a moment, he put down his pen and ordered, “Let Magistrate Ma in.”

Ma Cheng had seen dozens of county magistrates come and go, and entered this study countless times, but today he felt a sense of strangeness as he stepped inside. The books on the shelves were neatly arranged, and the writing desk hadn’t been changed either. Only the four essential writing tools on it were different from what he had seen before—precious items he didn’t know where they came from. On a wooden stand carved with pines and cranes in one corner of the desk stood a bronze cauldron. He wasn’t sure what kind of incense was burning inside, but it had a fresh scent without being cloying at all.

After bowing politely, he sat down on the first chair at Zhang Yue’s lower end and said with a simple smile, “I didn’t see any changes to the furnishings here, yet I feel something different as soon as I enter. What kind of incense is burning in this cauldron? Why does it make one feel refreshed?”

“When away from home, there’s no need for such fuss. It’s just some leaf incense. Three maids prepared it. I’m not an expert in this and don’t know exactly what flowers or herbs are used.” Seeing Ma Cheng beating around the bush, Zhang Yue wasn’t in a hurry. “If you like it, I’ll ask those three maids later. If it’s convenient, I can pack some for you.”

“Then I owe you a great deal of thanks, sir,” Ma Cheng said quickly, bowing again. “My wife has always been in poor health, prone to headaches and fevers. People say that high-quality incense might help ease these symptoms. I can’t afford it, and no one in my family knows anything about such things. In fact, our county is not only inferior to larger places like Qingzhou Prefecture or Jinan Prefecture but is also one of the poorest areas in Shandong. There are few opportunities here, and the people are poor, which is why successive county magistrates try every means to be transferred elsewhere.”

This brought them to the main topic. Zhang Yue nodded and said, “I’ve noticed that too. That’s why you’ve been able to serve here for over a decade. It shows not only your long tenure but also your hard work. While others took leave, you kept coming every day. In fact, I should be the one to thank you.”

At this point, Ma Cheng could no longer sit still. He stood up quickly and bowed deeply. “If you won’t blame me, sir, I’m already extremely grateful. How dare I accept your thanks? To be honest, those first two maids weren’t left behind by the previous county magistrate. They came from Hui Xiang Lou in Qingzhou Prefecture. I bought them… no, it should be said that someone gave them to me.”

Seeing that Zhang Yue remained completely unimpressed, still wearing that half-smiling expression, Ma Cheng felt a surge of heat at the back of his neck. However, since those two girls had been sent back today and cried bitterly in front of him, he already had enough troubles—neither wanting to drive them away nor keep them, which led him to make this visit now.

At this point, with no easy way out, he forced himself to explain, “To let my lord know, when I first heard the new county magistrate was arriving, I planned to go to Qingzhou Prefecture to find two pretty girls. By chance, I met a nobleman. His attendant happened to know me, asked a few questions, and upon hearing about this matter, he gave me the two girls he had just bought from Huixiang Tower, saying they should serve as maids for my lord. Since that nobleman ordered me not to reveal this, I had to keep it hidden from my lord.”

Ma Cheng kept referring to a nobleman, and by now Zhang Yue was highly alert. After a brief thought, he asked, “Who is this nobleman you speak of?”

“It’s…” Ma Cheng knew he would have to reveal it sooner or later since he had come, but he still hesitated for a moment before finally gritting his teeth and saying, “It’s the Crown Prince of the Han King.”

The Han King’s… Crown Prince? Zhang Yue had just thought of Zhu Zhanqi, the King of Hengshan who had been flogged in court before, but then remembered that he had been reassigned as the King of Shouguang, harboring resentment toward him. Moreover, he was a naive and foolish prince—forgetting to hold a grudge would already be generous of him; he certainly wouldn’t give gifts. Hearing it was the Han King’s Crown Prince now, Zhang Yue was stunned. He studied Ma Cheng thoughtfully and then asked, “Did he say anything else when he gave them to you?”

Seeing that Zhang Yue only seemed slightly surprised, as if unimpressed by that name which would frighten most people, Ma Cheng felt even more awe. But what kind of person was the Han King’s Crown Prince? His old friend was merely an official in charge of ceremonies at the Han King’s palace—a minor position. How could such a person say anything to him? Yet since Zhang Yue had asked, he racked his brains and finally remembered that the Crown Prince had said something to a scholar by his side at that time.

“The Crown Prince didn’t say anything to me. But I did hear him say to someone beside him that his younger brother had acted recklessly—not only using a whip but also showing up at their doorstep. Now that they’ve come to Shandong to take up their post, they should compensate in some way. These two girls are virgins and rare beauties in Qingzhou Prefecture, so they were given as an apology.”

Ma Cheng didn’t understand what those words meant, but Zhang Yue knew exactly what was going on. Now that he understood the reason, even though it was the “good intentions” of the Han King’s heir, he already disliked women who acted coyly and flirtatiously, so he dared not try to reverse his decision. How could he take on such a troublesome situation?

He immediately ordered Ma Cheng to assign some casual task to those two girls in the back courtyard and gave a few more instructions. Seeing the clerk, who had seemed uneasy when he arrived, leave looking relieved, his own heart grew heavier.

On one side was the still-unresolved White Lotus Sect, and on the other, the Han King, whose temper was as fierce as that of the emperor. Why did he and Du Zhen have to end up in Shandong, a place destined for unrest?

Thinking that tomorrow was October 15th, the day when the so-called reincarnated Buddha Mother of the Peacock Great King would come to Anqiu County to preach, and that place still had little clarity about, Zhang Yue rubbed his temples in frustration.

The White Lotus Sect naturally wouldn’t act openly under its own name. The title of reincarnated Buddha Mother could attract countless followers, and if they displayed any miracles, it would be even more difficult to deal with. Since they weren’t using the White Lotus Sect’s banner, even if he knew where they were preaching, trying to arrest them directly might mean he wouldn’t be able to get out alive first.