latelenovela Chapter 56 Departure
Chapter 56 Departure
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Several voyage ships have been built, everything is ready, and they are just waiting to set sail.
Before leaving, Liu Ye had one more thing to do: release the magistrate of Lingao County. The great battle was over, and the government had been taught a lesson; they wouldn't and couldn't cause him any trouble in the short term, and the county government wouldn't dare utter a sound. Even if the magistrate was released, he posed no threat to him; the government's authority still needed to be maintained, at least to help uphold the existing order.
The poor county magistrate was under house arrest for several months, experiencing an extremely complex psychological struggle. He had expectations and despair. Upon hearing of the defeat of the government troops, he simply gave up all thoughts, eating and sleeping, taking it one day at a time, never imagining that he would be released from confinement one day.
Emerging from his confined space and returning to the county government hall, the magistrate was filled with emotion as he learned that the prefect had died on the battlefield while besieging Liu Ye and his men.
You don't know the value of something until you've lost it. I used to think that being an official in a remote place like Lingao was too arduous, and I was always thinking about how to get promoted or transferred elsewhere. But after being placed under house arrest and losing everything, I realized how precious the dignity and glory of being a county magistrate was. Being able to sit in this position again, even as a puppet under Liu Ye's control, is better than being locked up as a pig that can only eat, drink, defecate, and sleep.
He was greeted not only by Magistrate Wang and Clerk Lin, who had also regained their freedom, but also by Liu Ye and his advisor Qian Youyu, whom he had cursed countless times. He hated Qian Youyu even more than Liu Ye. He was powerless to stop Liu Ye's rise to power, but he had once trusted Qian Youyu so much, only to be betrayed by him so cruelly. There was no greater tragedy in being an official or a person than this.
After experiencing the upheaval, the magistrate's greatest lesson was learning to be patient. He did not righteously condemn Liu Ye, nor did he curse the treacherous clerk, Qian. He simply sat silently in his seat, waiting for Liu Ye to give him an explanation.
Liu Ye smiled and bowed respectfully, as if there had never been any unpleasantness between him and the county magistrate. "Congratulations on your good health, Your Excellency. Lingao County cannot do without you for even a day. I hope you know that the county is now at peace, and you can rest easy!"
The magistrate replied calmly, "Very well, thank you for your hard work, Liu Zhuangshi."
After being placed under house arrest, Magistrate Wang and Clerk Lin understood the whole story. They realized they were powerless against Liu Ye; his military strength was formidable, and the government troops couldn't do anything to him. As long as they could keep their positions, they didn't care what Liu Ye did, as long as he didn't openly rebel. Even if he did rebel, there were taller people to hold him up; that was a matter for the county magistrate and the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi to consider. The two pretended to know nothing and simply followed protocol, taking turns to congratulate the county magistrate.
Qian Youyu, as the county magistrate's advisor, betrayed his master but couldn't bring himself to fully side with Liu Ye. This predicament left him in an awkward position, unsure of his place. Without the magistrate's trust, an advisor was nothing, not even as good as a minor official in the county government.
However, Liu Ye didn't hold his duplicity against him and still arranged for him to be a close "assistant" to the county magistrate, giving him a reason to stay in the county government. He forced himself to bow and congratulate his former employer.
The magistrate glanced at him, then at Liu Ye, realizing that this was a thorn in his side, one he couldn't refuse. He looked up at the roof beam and hummed in response to the clerk.
Liu Ye took in the expressions of the two men. This was exactly the situation he wanted. Although the county government posed no threat, it was necessary to place people in the county government to make the magistrate obedient. Qian Youyu, as a former advisor who had betrayed his former master, could not possibly be on the same side as the magistrate. At the same time, he knew his former master inside and out, so he was the best candidate.
Qian Youyu pretended not to notice the county magistrate's hostility and respectfully presented a booklet, reporting the most important matter concerning the county government recently: "Your Excellency, the summer tax has been collected: according to regulations, the county should have paid 7,000 shi of grain, but actually received 2,280 taels of silver and 2,900 shi of unpolished rice, totaling 4,400 shi of unpolished rice, leaving 2,600 shi in arrears."
The summer tax task is mostly completed, with only a little over two thousand shi of grain remaining, which is much better than in previous years. Of course, Liu Ye deserves some credit for this achievement.
Hearing this, the county magistrate's spirits lifted. After all, he was still the magistrate of Lingao County, his official hat still on his head. Being able to basically complete the summer tax collection was something to be proud of. As long as Liu Ye didn't turn against him, and he completed the collection and remittance of the summer tax, and even the autumn grain, he could then embellish his achievements in suppressing the mountain bandits, guaranteeing an excellent performance evaluation at the end of the year. Perhaps he could even secure a transfer to a more prosperous prefecture.
In that case, enduring humiliation and bearing heavy burdens seemed to have an important meaning. The county magistrate straightened up and said, "Continue with the report."
Since the magistrate was willing to listen, Qian Youyu reported on all the other trivial matters. Liu Ye, impatient with the conversation, took his leave. The situation of the two being outwardly friendly but inwardly at odds had already been established. He would just have to wait for the two of them to slowly engage in open and covert struggles, as this would be more conducive to his control over the county government.
After arranging everything, Liu Ye prepared to head to Shandong.
Following the same procedure as the last trip to Hangzhou, Liang Xiaoming would be stationed in Lingao, each factory would have its own assigned tasks, Shi Ying would be in charge of the guard team, and Lin San would accompany Liu Ye to provide protection. After the arrangements were made, Liu Ye prepared to board the ship and set sail.
This trip will be longer than the one to Hangzhou. Liang Xiaoming, Yan Guang, and other subordinates came to see them off, and Tang Yu also came to the dock to say goodbye.
Tang Yu was different. Having spent these days by his master's side, seeing only praise for him, he gradually let go of his worries and began to like him. During the Ming Dynasty, maritime trade was prohibited; aside from merchants and pirates, very few people went to sea. Going to sea meant risk, even death. He was even more anxious than when he sent him to fight the government troops last time. The vast ocean was unfathomable; if anything happened to him, not even his bones would be found. He felt inexplicably afraid of his master's upcoming voyage and cried uncontrollably while holding him.
After finally calming down the naive Tang Yu, he held her tightly in his arms. Tang Yu was intoxicated by his masculine scent, wishing that this moment could last forever, and that she could stay in his arms like this forever.
Liu Ye whispered in her ear, "Don't overthink it. Your master will definitely give you a proper status in the future!"
Although the words were brief, they sounded profound to Tang Yu.
She looked up at her master in disbelief, tears still streaming down her face, a blush already rising on her cheeks. She whispered, "Master, is it true? I'm just a servant girl by your side now, what title do I have?"
Seeing her blushing face and tear-streaked cheeks, Liu Ye couldn't resist touching her and gently pecked her forehead: "Silly girl, what Master says goes. I don't care about rules and etiquette. You're not destined to be a servant. Trust Master."
Tang Yu was overjoyed and nodded vigorously.
With everyone seeing them off, several ships sailed away from the Bofu Port dock, heading towards Shandong.