CENTIE Chapter 79

In the third year of the Jianyuan era, as spring returned to the land, Jinjiang County also began to bustle once again. Caravans loaded with jade and brocade traveled back and forth without pause, moving through the city with a busy yet orderly rhythm.

When the new assistant county magistrate arrived in Jinjiang County, this was the very scene he witnessed.

He had served as a county constable in other counties for several years. Because of his diligence and reliability, he was gradually promoted to the position of county assistant. Though technically a promotion, he wasn’t exactly pleased to be sent to Jinjiang.

The reason was simple: this little county was just too remote and barren.

A poor, mid-to-lower-tier county located on the frontier, with rumors that the locals were rough and unruly—such a place sounded like a dragon’s lair or a tiger’s den, the kind of post everyone tried to avoid. Who in their right mind would want to become a county official in a place like this? But imperial orders could not be disobeyed. No matter how unwilling he was, once he received the transfer decree, he had to pack his things and report to duty immediately.

He entered the city with his head hanging low, but after walking just half a street, he had already passed two patrol units. Glancing around, he saw caravans leading mules and horses passing by, and even the commoners nearby wore smiles and walked with energy. It was completely different from the poor, lifeless image of a middling county he had imagined.

The county assistant felt a stir of curiosity. As he stepped aside to let a patrol team pass, he thought to himself: For such a small county to have such a dense patrol presence, the county magistrate must govern with strict discipline. Before even reaching the yamen (government office), he sighed inwardly—clearly, his direct superior would not be easy to get along with.

When he arrived at the front gate of the yamen, he was immediately struck by how grand and imposing it was. After snapping out of his daze, he clasped his hands in greeting to the guard and asked, “I am the newly appointed county assistant. Is the magistrate within?”

“You’re the new county assistant?” After confirming his appointment papers, the guard promptly went in to announce his arrival. Not long after, someone came out to greet him. “Ah, so it’s the new county assistant! Apologies for not welcoming you sooner.”

The county assistant exchanged polite words with the registrar as they walked inside together. Just after passing the screen wall, they saw a group of people approaching from the opposite direction.

At the center of the group stood a tall young man in a light green official robe. The cut was standard, but it fit him exceptionally well—somehow, it looked better on him than anyone else. When the county assistant saw the green robe, he assumed this must be the magistrate. But when he caught a clear look at the man’s face, he hesitated.

Jinjiang might only be a mid-ranked county, but it was still a legitimate administrative unit. Its magistrate should at least hold the rank of Proper Seventh Grade. But why did this young man—this lad—look so incredibly youthful?

The county assistant was filled with uncertainty, but the registrar had already stepped forward to greet him. “Good morning, Magistrate. Is Lord Xiao heading out?”

“It’s the spring busy season—prime time for planting. I’m going to check the fields outside the city,” Xiao Jingduo replied. His gaze shifted to the figure behind the registrar, and after glancing over him briefly, he asked, “Is this the new county assistant?”

That confirmed it—the incredibly young man really was his superior. The county assistant stepped forward and cupped his hands in salute. “I am the new county assistant. Greetings to the magistrate.”

“No need for such formality,” Xiao Jingduo replied with a slight smile. “I am Xiao Jingduo. I have important business today and won’t be able to properly receive you. I’ll host a welcome banquet for you tonight instead.”

The county assistant naturally replied, “Of course, of course. Magistrate, please carry on.”

Though he said this politely, inwardly the county assistant was a bit dismissive. He had served under several magistrates before—each one claimed to be diligent and devoted to the people, painting themselves as living saints. But in reality, most of the work was handled by their subordinates. The magistrates themselves just signed off on papers and showed up in court to make a show of authority. And now, it was just the beginning of spring—how much “urgent business” could there possibly be? This Magistrate Xiao claiming to have important duties was probably just putting on appearances.

Xiao Jingduo exchanged a few words with the assistant magistrate before continuing forward, the rest of his entourage following closely behind, asking questions as they walked.

“Magistrate Xiao, the embroidery workshop will soon be heading to Chengdu Prefecture to purchase raw materials. Will this year’s regulations be the same as previous years?”

“The national mourning period is over—we can use brighter colors now. There’s no need to purchase only plain silk like last year. You can switch to more luxurious satin and silk fabrics. Adjust the list as you see fit, and show me the draft once it’s ready.”

“Yes, sir.”

After the embroidery workshop personnel received their instructions, another man quickly stepped forward to squeeze in and hurriedly reported: “Magistrate, ten men caused trouble at the western market yesterday. They’ve all been locked up, but now they’re making a ruckus in the jail. They claim to be from the Kingdom of Shilang and are demanding release, saying their leader will not spare us if we don’t let them go.”

“They’re from Shilang? Then hold them a few more days. No need to give them any face.”

Xiao Jingduo gave instructions as he walked, disappearing down the road in the blink of an eye. He hadn’t bothered to avoid others while speaking, so the assistant magistrate—standing by the roadside—heard everything clearly.

The assistant magistrate was incredulous. This Xiao Magistrate couldn’t be more than in his early twenties, yet many of the people around him were in their thirties or forties. Still, these experienced and cunning old officials obeyed him completely, listening quietly and attentively to his commands. In the assistant magistrate’s previous posting, even a thirty-six-year-old magistrate in his prime had trouble controlling the yamen staff. So how could this young man manage it?

Moreover, from Xiao Jingduo’s manner just now—his words were firm, his tone decisive—it was obvious he was used to making decisions. His instructions weren’t suggestions or discussions; they were direct orders. And the oddest thing? Everyone accepted them without hesitation, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

The assistant magistrate was deeply shocked. He had a growing sense that this county yamen was unlike any other he had worked in before. With that realization, he quickly reined in any trace of arrogance and became much more cautious in demeanor.

The registrar led the assistant magistrate to the east courtyard where the administrative offices were located, explaining the layout and structure of the yamen as they walked. The county assistant listened carefully, occasionally asking a question or two.

But truthfully, what intrigued him most was the new magistrate he had only briefly met. With his strikingly handsome appearance, Xiao Jingduo looked less like a county official and more like one of those charming young nobles from Chang’an, lounging on horseback beside stone bridges, beloved and pursued by courtesans in every building. Not someone who stood at the edge of the empire’s southwestern frontier, exuding unshakable authority in every move and word.

The county assistant was just about to probe further, to see what he could learn indirectly, when the sound of a drum beating outside interrupted his thoughts.

Well, no need for subtlety now—it was time to try a case.

The registrar and county assistant hurried to the main hall. Outside, they found a strong, burly man beating the drum. Beside him stood another man, around forty years old—thin, dark, and with a tough, unyielding look. Clearly not someone easy to deal with.

These two didn’t show the slightest restraint upon seeing the county assistant, who held the rank of an Eighth Grade official. On the contrary, they raised their voices even louder.

The county assistant listened for a while and finally figured out what they were arguing about.

In recent years, many households in the county had earned a decent income and built up some savings. Now that people had money, they started to renovate their homes. Two years ago, everyone lived in bare, run-down houses and didn’t care if someone encroached a few inches into the alley. But now, with families wealthy enough to build, things were different.

The burly man’s family was building a courtyard and had extended the construction a few feet into the alleyway. The thin man’s family didn’t take kindly to that.

His family was also planning to build a new house, and seeing their neighbor take up extra space irritated them. That led to a quarrel. The quarrel escalated until they ended up beating the drum and taking the matter to court.

The assistant magistrate listened, half-understanding, half-confused. He quietly asked the registrar, “Renovating an old house isn’t a small matter—it costs a great deal. How is it that all these people just happen to be doing it around the same time?”

The registrar whispered back, “In the past two years, quite a few people in town have become more prosperous. Most families have saved up some wealth, and there’s no shortage of folks wanting to build new homes. This kind of dispute? The county yamen’s handled more than a few like it. You’ll get used to it.”

“Huh?” The assistant magistrate was even more bewildered. “That can’t be right—how could they save enough to build houses in just two years?”

The registrar didn’t answer. Instead, he threw himself between the two men, saliva flying as he tried to break up the argument. The county assistant joined in too, doing his best to mediate. He talked until his throat was dry, but the two men still looked like they were about to throw punches at any moment.

The assistant magistrate sighed inwardly—troublesome commoners. He was about to speak again when a loud voice rang out from outside: “The County Magistrate!”

Those two words seemed to carry some sort of magic. The two men who had been furiously yelling at each other instantly fell silent and turned their heads toward the entrance.

Xiao Jingduo appeared at the steps of the main hall, lifting his robes as he ascended.

“Magistrate Xiao, you’re finally back!” The burly man boomed like a bell and strode toward him. “Magistrate, you must judge this fairly—isn’t he the one meddling in others’ business?”

The skinny, dark-faced man wouldn’t be outdone and immediately followed. After listening to both of them shout over each other in their eagerness to present their side, Xiao Jingduo’s expression barely changed. He simply said, calmly and plainly, “The alley outside your courtyard is public land. You’ve each taken up three inches. If everyone did the same, how would anyone pass through? Move your walls back to where they were. No one is allowed to encroach on the path.”

Though the two men’s faces still showed displeasure, they kept their mouths shut. It was clear they had accepted Xiao Jingduo’s ruling without protest. The county assistant stood to the side and felt like coughing up blood. He had spent nearly half an hour trying to reason with them, only for Xiao Jingduo to settle it with a single sentence.

The registrar quickly stepped forward and spoke a few words about neighborly harmony and mutual respect. Eventually, the two men were pacified and sent on their way.

After the troublemakers had gone, the registrar wiped the sweat from his brow and said, “Magistrate, you really are effective. We talked and talked, and they wouldn’t listen. But once you showed up, you didn’t even need to say much—just standing there was enough to subdue those rowdy brutes. They’re such a headache!”

Xiao Jingduo had remained in the hall the entire time. Once the registrar had finished sending the men off, he continued walking deeper inside. “Now that the common folk have some savings, neighborhood disputes are inevitable. Just keep guiding them patiently.”

The registrar followed behind, still muttering about the morning’s events, while the county assistant remained standing where he was, stunned for a long moment before hurrying to catch up.

It was becoming clear: this Magistrate Xiao didn’t just run a tight administration—his presence alone carried real authority among the people.

With the new county assistant’s arrival, the Jinjiang County yamen finally had all four official positions filled. Although the new assistant was still unfamiliar with the area and couldn’t immediately take over duties, Xiao Jingduo’s burden lightened considerably.

After two years of waiting, the imperial court finally remembered that he was still missing a deputy. Xiao Jingduo let out a silent breath of relief and quietly offloaded a pile of trivial yet exhausting tasks onto the county assistant.

Things like “the neighbor’s chicken went missing” or “someone’s wall encroached an inch too far”—these petty neighborhood squabbles were things Xiao Jingduo truly didn’t want to deal with for even one more day.

Even so, there were still plenty of documents that required his personal attention each day. Matters concerning the embroidery workshop, the western market, farmland, the Nanzhao people, the trade caravans—big and small—needed his involvement. Not to mention, there were quite a few well-meaning grannies who were constantly thinking of him.

At the end of March, one such granny pounded the drum at the county office entrance, noisily insisting that Magistrate Xiao come out and give her justice.

“I don’t trust the rest of you! Isn’t Magistrate Xiao here?”

What could Xiao Jingduo do? He had no choice but to put down the account book in his hands and head to the main hall to hear the case.

“Granny, I’m here. What’s the matter?”

“Magistrate Xiao, listen to me—our family lost a horse. That’s the horse our second son uses to transport goods, and it just disappeared like that!”

Xiao Jingduo was silent for a moment. “Then I’ll send someone to help you look for it.”

“We’ve already searched, all of us—we couldn’t find it!”

Xiao Jingduo felt even more helpless. What was she looking for him for, then? Was he supposed to handle even this?

“Magistrate, I have a feeling our horse wasn’t just lost—it was stolen! If you don’t believe me, come with me—I’ll show you!”

The registrar grew anxious when he saw where this was going. The embroidery workshop and the merchants were still waiting for Xiao Jingduo’s reply—how could they let this old woman delay things? He quickly stepped forward and said, “The magistrate is very busy. I’ll come with you and take a look.”

But the granny wouldn’t have it. In the end, Xiao Jingduo couldn’t take it anymore and said, “Enough. Everyone stop talking. I’ll go.”

Satisfied, the old woman led the way, leaving the registrar behind stomping his feet in frustration.

“Magistrate, look—it’s right here,” the granny pointed to a gap in the fence. “Look at this big hole—clearly it was torn open by someone. And here, in the mud—don’t these look like footprints?”

The granny’s family raised horses and cattle, and since their yard didn’t have enough space, they had built a large wooden pen in the corner of the wall to enclose them. Now, however, a large hole had been torn in one corner of the pen, and the horse had escaped through it.

Xiao Jingduo crouched down and examined the area the granny pointed to. After a moment of thought, he nodded. “These really do look like human footprints.”

The fence was made of thick wooden stakes. Since it was meant to contain large animals like cows and horses, it hadn’t been built very finely. Judging by the remaining marks on the wood, it looked like a grown man had stepped on the fence from the outside and climbed over.

If that was the case, then the likelihood of theft seemed even greater.

Seeing that Xiao Jingduo didn’t refute her, the old woman said proudly, “Magistrate, I told you, didn’t I? It was that damn thief who stole our horse! Magistrate, you must catch him!”

“Granny,” Xiao Jingduo suddenly interrupted her rambling. He picked something up between his fingers, and his tone turned serious. “Do you have this kind of candy at home?”

The old woman glanced down at the candy crumbs in Xiao Jingduo’s hand and shook her head. “No, we don’t. The county doesn’t even sell that kind—we usually just buy rock sugar.”

She was about to start talking about how well the rock sugar shop in the west market was doing, but then noticed Xiao Jingduo’s expression wasn’t quite right. “Magistrate Xiao… what’s wrong?”

Xiao Jingduo stood up, his face completely devoid of any smile. Without another word, he strode quickly toward the exit.

“Summon all yamen officers. Everyone except those on patrol must return to the office immediately.”

“Yes, sir!”

The soldiers and clerks following him responded crisply and went straight to carry out the command. The old woman stood in the livestock pen, watching everyone rush away, dazed and muttering under her breath, “It’s just a missing horse… no need to make such a big fuss, is there?”

The news that Magistrate Xiao had ordered everyone back to the yamen spread quickly. The officials in the county office were confused and murmuring among themselves—until Xiao Jingduo returned from outside, his face frosty cold. The moment they saw his expression, no one dared to speak.

Xiao Jingduo gathered the limited number of officers in Jinjiang County and issued a vague but urgent order: “Take our best men and head south to investigate. The moment you see anything suspicious, report back immediately.”

The clerks and constables exchanged glances, bewildered. “Magistrate, what exactly do you mean by suspicious people?”

Xiao Jingduo was silent for a moment. Then he said:

“I suspect Nanzhao is planning a sneak attack on Jinjiang County. Now—do you understand what suspicious people means?”

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