Snowlyme

Home/ There’s A Beauty / Chapter 75 (Part 1)

Generally, young men with strong bodies were the ones who turned into bandits. They ran away, but their parents, brothers, wives, and children remained at the foot of the mountain, unable to contact them openly. They could only wait until midnight to sneak back and send some money and food. If the government pursues it closely, perhaps they won’t be seen for three to five years.

Why do they put their lives in danger and do these shady jobs? Isn’t it just so their relatives can live a good life? However, no matter how hard they try, they can’t withstand the oppression and exploitation of the local officials. When the disaster hit, the relief money was used to fill their own pockets, and the food was resold at high prices. The people had only two options: drown or starve to death.

Therefore, there was the case in which all the county officials in Lishui Prefecture were wiped out by bandits, but no one came to Suichang to commit the crime. Because the bandits were once good people with family and friends. How could they not be happy and grateful when they saw their relatives and friends defecting to Suichang one after another to find a way to survive?

Later, the magistrate of Suichang County took charge of disaster relief throughout Lishui Prefecture, and within a month, the displaced people had homes and the flooded villages were rebuilt. They often stand on the mountaintop overlooking their hometown, seeing the slow cultivation of cattle, green rice seedlings, and smoke curling from the kitchen below, creating a quiet and peaceful scene. Their hearts are filled with mixed emotions.

They really want to put down their weapons, pick up their hoes, and return to their hometown to reunite with their loved ones, but they are afraid that their past experiences will be discovered by the government and they will end up implicating innocent people, so they have to continue to stay on the mountain. 

However, their love for their family cannot die, their desire for a better life cannot be extinguished, and their respect and love for the County Magistrate Xiao Zhao cannot be eliminated.

The bandit dressed up as a Confucian scholar was really a scholar before and had wanted to take the imperial exam. Moreover, his ancestral home is in Lishui, and his parents, wife, and children survived peacefully with the help of the County Magistrate Xiao Zhao. The dozens of acres of fertile land that were taken away by the subordinates of Wang Xiangcai have also been returned. With just a few years of serious management, good times will come again. He highly respects Magistrate Xiao Zhao and often tells his brothers about the other party’s deeds, making them both yearn and sigh.

Now, the legendary Bodhisattva-like figure descended to the mortal realm and is right in front of them, so how could they not be surprised? Everyone immediately gathered around and took a good look.

The first impression is that he is thin, but his appearance and demeanor are as gentle as the night breeze. He is worthy of being a parent who feeds the land and water; The second impression is that he is young, looking like a yellow-haired boy who has not grown up yet. He is worthy of being the top scorer at the age of eighteen; The third impression is that he is very simple, and all his luggage added up is not worth much money. It is said that he donated all his wealth to resettle the disaster victims, which seems to be true.

These bandits have been running rampant in the mountains for many years. So what kind of people have they not seen? Not to mention wealthy merchants, there are also many officials who have been robbed by them, and the gold and silver found on them can pile up in a small mountain. But this is the first time they have seen such a clean official like Magistrate Xiao Zhao.

“Seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times!” The Confucian scholar put away his official seal and bowed to You Shu. He never expected that this young man, who was prone to collapse when the wind blew, would be the blue sky above the heads of the people in Lishui and the sun and moon in their hearts. There is no need to verify it, just look at him personally and then at his luggage, and you will know that none of the rumours in the market are false or exaggerated. He is far more upright and selfless than they imagined.

“Magistrate Xiao Zhao, how can you get to the capital with this little money?” After paying his respects, he rearranged the packages and asked worriedly.

“It’s really County Magistrate Xiao Zhao! Oh, this is really a flood that has washed away the Dragon King Temple! I apologise to you on behalf of my brothers. Please don’t blame us!” The bandit leader also knew a few words and immediately knelt down after reading the road guide. Everyone also threw away their weapons and kowtowed, with a grateful expression on their faces. 

Most of them have ancestral roots in Lishui, and their wives, children, and relatives all rely on the County Magistrate Xiao Zhao to survive the floods safely. It is no exaggeration to say that any random person pulled out from Lishui will be a loyal supporter of Magistrate Xiao Zhao, willing to go through fire and water for him.

You Shu was very embarrassed. He casually waved his hands and drilled into the arms of Lord Yama who seemed to be holding him, making the other party feel very happy.

After the bandit leader stood up, he quickly explained, “County Magistrate Xiao Zhao, all the bandits who colluded with the officials have been eliminated by the imperial army. Those of us who remained were once good citizens, and the court is preparing to recruit us. We only rob, not kill, and we only rob wealthy merchants and officials, without harming the civilians. We keep part of the things robbed for our own use, and the rest are given to the poor families at the foot of the mountain. We are robbing the rich to help the poor. Please don’t misunderstand us!”

“Yes, yes!” The bandit dressed as a Confucian scholar immediately said, “If you hadn’t been walking with that wealthy landlord behind you, we wouldn’t have stopped you! Your current expenses are obviously not enough, let’s add a bit more!”

Seeing these ferocious bandits turn around, wanting to give himself money and even planning to send a few people to take him to the capital, You Shu quickly refused, and in the end, he was almost carried out of the forest.  

Thanks to his blessing, the middle-aged landlord was able to save about half of his property, otherwise he would have had to dig up tree roots to eat along the way.

Only then did the coachman realise that he was escorting Magistrate Xiao Zhao. While wiping away his tears, he exclaimed excitedly, “Oh, old man, I don’t know what kind of virtue I have accumulated in my previous life, but I am fortunate enough to escort Magistrate Xiao Zhao to the capital! When my grandson grows up next year, I will be able to tell him that although your grandpa was just a mud-legged man, he drove an ox cart for Magistrate Xiao Zhao back then, hahaha…”

Lord Yama also smiled, his heart overflowing with hidden pride, while You Shu’s face turned red, looking very embarrassed.

That landlord, Lao Cai, also found out that the person he had neglected before was actually Magistrate Xiao Zhao. After passing through the bandits’ den, he immediately packed two hundred taels of silver and sent it over, which was naturally returned.

It’s not easy for rich families like them, especially those with little background. If the superiors don’t like you, a single word from them can destroy your family. A while ago, County Magistrate Xiao Zhao sent an official to ask for tens of thousands of taels of silver, saying it was part of Prince Li’s birthday tribute.

As a result, Prince Li died suddenly and the money was not returned. He thought it had been swallowed by the County Magistrate Xiao Zhao. Unexpectedly, he used it to buy a lot of grain for disaster relief. He posted a charity list on the back, listing all the landlords who contributed money. The names of the wealthy noblemen were all written on them for the common people to admire. 

The new emperor felt the spirit of the people in Suichang, both rich and poor, working together through thick and thin to overcome the difficulties, so he specially wrote many plaques with the title “House of benevolence and virtue” and presented them to the wealthy noblemen in recognition.

Due to his lack of background, the landlord, Lao Cai, had never met the county magistrate and could only deal with the petty officials below. He was often exploited and lived a miserable life. In order to please his superiors, he raised the most money and received the greatest praise, naturally making a name for himself in the Dayong business market. 

This time, the new emperor reorganized his internal affairs and dismissed all the previous imperial merchants, preparing to replace them with a new batch. He also received an invitation letter.

In the final analysis, it is all thanks to County Magistrate Xiao Zhao that he got to where he is today. He was so angry when he was extorted, but now he felt so ashamed and grateful. Knowing that Magistrate Xiao Zhao was really honest, he no longer dared to send money, and only cooked a few good dishes every day and sent them to the other party.

To be honest, being able to share the same path as County Magistrate Xiao Zhao is truly a virtue accumulated in his previous life, and doing good deeds in this life has brought him such good luck. From Lishui to the capital, the journey is winding and far, passing through many areas where bandits are rampant. 

However, as long as the coachman stands on the shaft of the carriage and shouts, ‘can the hero in front move forward? This is the County Magistrate Xiao Zhao from Suichang who is going to the capital to report on his duties?’, the bandits will move aside one after another, and some may even offer silver coins when they see them.

It can be seen from this that Magistrate Xiao Zhao is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

After getting along with him, the landlord Lao Cai realised more and more that the real County Magistrate Xiao Zhao was tens of millions of times better than the rumours. He never used his authority to overwhelm others, let alone being extravagant and wasteful, living a very miserable life. 

After everyone finds out about his departure to the capital, I don’t know how the people of Lishui would cry.

Today, they will stay at the last post station, and tomorrow, they will have to drive two hours to reach the capital. After dinner, You Shu returned to his room, and as usual, he took off his clothes and jumped into the wooden tub to take a bath.  

Lord Yama first inspected the doors and windows, and then placed a defensive array on them, allowing only You Shu to enter and exit. No one else could enter without his command. Then he sat on a chair by the window and quietly admired the scene of a beauty taking a bath.

Undoubtedly, this is his greatest benefit and also the moment he looks forward to most every day.

You Shu is quite thin-skinned but he greatly values affection and justice, so knowing that the other person is following him all this time to protect his own safety, he has no complaints and instead feels grateful.  

As for the slight inconveniences in life, they will pass with patience. He was embarrassed to wipe himself in front of the other party, so he turned his back and poured water over his head with a ladle.

The white mist rose in the room, setting off a hazy and moist appearance, and his skin, which was as white as jade, now exuded a peach pink colour, looking fresh and delicious. He didn’t know that at this moment, the originally intimidating Lord Yama showed a restrained expression.

At first, he would use his thick robe to block his reaction and try his best to sit still. But Magistrate Xiao Zhao is really annoying. Even though he knew there were other people in the room, he still touched himself here and there, causing him to burn with desire that he almost collapsed. So after being provoked twice by Magistrate Xiao Zhao without needing comfort, he slowly began to indulge and enjoy it.

He first shook his sleeves, causing the window to make a slight noise. When Magistrate Xiao Zhao looked back, he used a spell to trigger the token on his waist, causing it to flash brightly. Finally, he concealed his figure and pretended to leave as if he had something to deal with in the underworld.

In the past few days, You Shu has figured out a pattern. Every day at this time, Lord Yama will leave. It seems that the daily routine of the underworld and the mortal world is completely reversed. He protects himself during the day, but there is always a lot of official business to deal with at night.

“You know, you are my only friend and the best friend.” You Shu muttered to himself as he lay on the edge of the tub, his expression showing a hint of desolation. He has long been accustomed to the other party’s company. If the other party had not always protected him, he would have stayed in that prison and turned into a human meat dumpling.

This friendship has become more and more important as time goes by, and the other party’s status in his heart has increasingly become higher, only second to his master. He thought that he would never have another powerful and kind friend as Lord Yama.

When he was filled with emotion, he didn’t know that his “good friend” was standing next to the wooden tub, staring with dangerous and scorching eyes.

Next

Previous

---