pappabearbooks Chapter 7 Unexpected Changes
Chapter 7 Unexpected Changes
Inside the Yanggu County government office, the registrar and the county constable, who had already finished their shifts, gathered together again.
"Registration Officer Yang, how is it? You've been looking at it for quite a while now. Is it true or not? Give me a straight answer!" County Lieutenant Fu Shun urged.
Yang Chengde slowly put down Li Chong's official document, then nodded: "In my opinion, this document is not fake; it is indeed an official document issued by the court."
Fu Shun stood up abruptly: "Oh dear! It seems the county magistrate has indeed arrived. We must not be negligent, or we will have difficulty explaining ourselves later."
As he spoke, Fu Shun got up to leave.
"Hey." Yang Chengde raised his hand to stop him. "Don't be in such a hurry. I said the official document is real, but I didn't say that the person is the new county magistrate."
Fu Shun stepped back and sat down again.
He frowned and asked, "What do you mean by that?"
Yang Chengde pointed to the official document on the table and said meaningfully, "The document is real, but the person is not. Everyone knows the previous magistrate has been gone for several months. Just when the court finally filled the vacancy, the new magistrate was robbed by bandits. Is there such a coincidence in this world?"
"This official document is just a piece of paper; the only difference is who holds it. We must be careful to distinguish it."
Fu Shun pondered for a moment, then said hesitantly, "No way, could someone really dare to impersonate an official of the imperial court? That's a capital offense."
Yang Chengde smiled and said, "Hey, what are you saying? I didn't say that the person outside was an imposter. I just said that we should both be more careful, otherwise if something unexpected happens, we'll become a laughing stock for all eternity."
Yang Chengde was very clever. He had his suspicions, but he left himself some room to maneuver so as not to offend anyone.
Fu Shun was perfectly aware of his thoughts.
Secretly pursing his lips, Fu Shun chimed in, "That's right, that's right, it's always good to be extra careful."
Yang Chengde picked up Li Chong's official document and walked outside, saying, "Let's go, let's go see that Magistrate Li again."
The two went to the back hall, where Li Chong and Cui Shi were having a meal.
Although Li Chong's identity has not yet been confirmed, no one dares to gamble that he is not, so they are naturally treated to good food and drink.
Upon reaching the door, Yang Chengde slowed his pace and gestured for them to stop.
"Um?"
Fu Shun was puzzled. Following Yang Chengde's gaze, he looked through the window and saw Cui Shi wolfing down his food.
He carried his bundle for a day, eating a few bites of dry food when he was hungry and drinking plain water when he was thirsty. He was also frightened yesterday.
Anyone who goes through this would inevitably lose their composure.
Therefore, Choi Si's eating manners were really not very pleasant.
The two looked at each other, noticing the confusion in each other's eyes as they watched Cui Shi's actions.
If he's really a personal servant, how come he's so naive and unsophisticated?
At that moment, a servant's solicitous voice came from inside the room: "Sir, would you like me to ask the kitchen to add a few more dishes? Or if you're not satisfied with your meal, I can order some from a restaurant outside?"
Everyone in the county government knew that Li Chong was the future magistrate, so it was always a good idea to take the opportunity to build a good relationship with him.
At another table, Li Chong picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth, then subconsciously shook his head.
"Well, this dish is just so-so. All the good ingredients have been wasted. Let's just make do with it."
Compared to modern cuisine prepared with various complex seasonings, the county government cook's skills were naturally far inferior.
In just one aspect, the umami flavor in food is far inferior to that of modern food.
In ancient times, people went to great lengths to prepare broth for the sake of freshness, but in the end, it was still no match for a spoonful of MSG.
Having only been in the world for a month, Li Chong was still not used to the lack of freshness. Even though the dishes on this table were much better than the dry rations he had eaten before, he still found them hard to swallow.
Li Chong shook his head as he ate: "No chili peppers, no white pepper, no MSG, the flavor is too bland."
The constable beside him gave a careful, apologetic smile: "Next time, I'll have them put in a little more effort."
Li Chong remained noncommittal.
After hearing all this, Fu Shun glanced at Yang Chengde and said, "Brother Chengde, could this be a thief in disguise? What kind of thief could be so meticulous about food and preparation?"
Seeing Li Chong's performance, Yang Chengde's doubts were largely dispelled.
In this era, someone who is so picky about food must come from a noble family, so they wouldn't risk so much for a county magistrate position.
However, he still had questions in his mind.
When Yang Chengde came to his senses, Fu Shun had disappeared from his side. When he looked up, he saw that Fu Shun had already come to Li Chong's side.
"Brother Hefu, I'm so sorry for the neglect, I really am." Fu Shun greeted him with a smile, "When Brother Hefu officially takes office, I will definitely host a banquet to properly welcome him back."
Li Chong showed no fear whatsoever. He stood up and returned the greeting, saying, "Not at all, not at all. It's already quite an achievement to have escaped such a calamity. Your hospitality is more than enough. If I were to harbor any resentment, I would be ungrateful."
As he spoke, Li Chong nodded to Yang Chengde, who was walking over.
Yang Chengde bowed and said, "This is Brother Hefu's official document. I am returning it to you in its original form."
"Hmm." Li Chong nodded and casually handed the things to Cui Shi, who had already stood up.
Cui Shi quickly put it away, then subconsciously lowered her head.
He was still somewhat uneasy in front of the two officials in charge of Yanggu County.
Li Chong remained calm. He invited the two to sit down, drink and chat. His cheerful demeanor made Cui Shi secretly rejoice that he had truly chosen the right person.
At the dinner table, Fu Shun raised his glass in apology: "Brother Hefu, this is all my fault. I've tried to wipe out the bandits on Dafeng Mountain several times, but they always manage to hide in the mountains. I had no other choice. I also bear some responsibility for Brother Hefu's misfortune this time. I'll drink three cups as punishment to express my apology."
After saying that, Fu Shun drank three cups in a row.
Li Chong nodded secretly. This man seemed straightforward and easy to fool.
"I'm perfectly fine, Brother Fu, why blame yourself so much? Your actions have embarrassed me." Li Chong laughed heartily, then looked at Yang Chengde beside him, "What do you think, Brother Yang? This whole affair was caused by those bandits, what does it have to do with Brother Fu?"
Yang Chengde nodded with a smile: "Brother Hefu is quite right. However, there is still one thing I don't understand. Please speak frankly, Brother Hefu."
Li Chong waved his hand: "Speak freely."
"According to the rules of the imperial court, newly appointed officials must first report to the prefectural government before they can come to take up their posts. But why did you come directly to Yanggu instead of going to Xucheng to seek approval from Prefect Wang? This is against the rules. Please explain, Brother Hefu."
Before he finished speaking, Yang Chengde stared intently into Li Chong's eyes, waiting for his answer.
However, Yang Chengde's attention was entirely focused on Li Chong, and he neglected Cui Shi who was standing to the side.
Upon hearing Yang Chengde's words, Cui Shi's mind went blank. How could he have known there was such a rule?
The old Li Chong wouldn't have told him everything.
At that moment, Cui Shi had only one thought in his mind.
Ruined!