Chapter 113: Take You to See the Capital

Chapter 113

Four years is enough to change many things.

This was Jiang Wenyuan's sixth year serving as the magistrate of Su Prefecture.

In fact, his term was up three years ago, but the people of Su Prefecture were reluctant to see him go.

When his three-year term was nearing its end, they jointly wrote a petition with ten thousand signatures and sent it to the Capital City, forcibly keeping him here.

Jiang Wenyuan was also reluctant to leave the people here, so he stayed for another term - six years in total now.

This was already his sixth year. He feared that this time, even if the people of Su Prefecture wrote another petition with ten thousand signatures, it would not be enough to keep him any longer.

In Jiang Wenyuan’s fourth year in Su Prefecture, Jiang Yuchuan went back to his hometown Qingzhou to take the county exam, and placed first as the Top Scholar. He was thirteen that year.

That same year, he entered the Imperial Academy to study.

His elder cousin Jiang Yujiang also took the county exam in Lingzhou Prefecture and placed fifth. Jiang Wenyuan recommended both nephews to study at the Imperial Academy under the name “Duke Jiang”.

The two cousins lived together at Duke Jiang's Residence in the Capital City.

Second brother Jiang Yuhe barely passed the county exam at the “outstanding talent” level, but secretly ran away, leaving a letter that he had gone to join the military.

Knowing that his third uncle was in Su Prefecture in the northwest, he didn’t dare to come here.

Instead, he ran to the southeast coast, saying he wanted to fight Japanese pirates. This left his mother so furious that she threatened to sever their mother-son ties.

Third brother Jiang Yuhu lost interest in studying after passing as an outstanding talent. He did not continue his studies, but chose to go into business instead.

Jiang Wenyuan simply wrote home to hand over all the family properties to Jiang Yuhu to manage.

Among the seven brothers, he was the only one who was married.

Jiang Yuqing knew the girl - she even played matchmaker for them. It was Chen Yingying whom they met in Jizhou Province back then.

Back when the master and disciple had lodged overnight at the Chen's residence, they overheard Lord Chen sigh over the good products from Qingzhou, but had no way to trade.

When Jiang Yuqing left, she left a note to help them out.

Later, when Lord Chen went to Qingzhou to trade, Chen Yingying tagged along. Somehow she and Jiang Yuhu took a liking to each other at first sight.

Jiang Yuhu liked doing business, and Chen Yingying also came from a merchant family. One couldn’t find a more suitable match.

When they got married, Jiang Yuqing returned to Qingzhou with her mother Lady Lu specially to attend their wedding.

The Jiang family no longer enforced the rule of marrying by seniority. As long as someone was willing to get married, the elders were fine with it regardless of order.

Otherwise, if the older brothers used not having met the right person as an excuse not to marry, what could they do? So whoever could find a partner first got to marry!

In old Mr. Jiang’s words, these rascals were all here to collect debts. Getting them to settle down was such a headache when they were still picky.

Back in their days, having a woman who could warm your bed was already good fortune. As long as she had all her limbs, who cared if she was a beauty? Blow out the lights and they were all the same. The key was whether she could bear children.

Old Lady Hu happened to overhear this. The old woman was furious. She immediately chased after the old man with her broom, whacking wildly.

If the others hadn’t stopped her in time, his bald head would surely have sprouted a few more lumps.

As for the fourth and sixth brothers, they were still attending Uncle Lu’s school, and would graduate next year at the latest.

Jiang Yuqing’s cousin on her uncle’s side, elder cousin Lu Huai, had already passed the provincial exam and was now studying at the prestigious White Deer Academy.

The third day of the eighth lunar month was the scheduled day of departure for the Jiang family. To avoid a repeat of the episodes back in Qingzhou, Jiang Wenyuan had no choice but to sneak the family out before dawn.

Who knew as soon as they opened the gates, they were startled by the torches lining the streets. The people seemed to have expected this. They stood guard outside his residence overnight holding their flickering lights.

Seeing him emerge, they swiftly knelt down.

Jiang Wenyuan was shocked and quickly helped each person up, “Rise, rise. The ground is cold. What is the meaning of this? Return home, go get some sleep!”

But they remained kneeling. An elderly man tearfully pleaded, “My lord cannot stay any longer?”

Jiang Wenyuan sadly shook his head, “I’ve already served two consecutive terms of six years. I cannot remain here any longer or it would violate protocol!”

The elder also knew it was a foregone conclusion. He added, “May my lord attain further success in the Capital City. When free, please return with your lady and young master and miss to visit Su Prefecture. The people will never forget you!”

“I will certainly return. Su Prefecture is my second home!” Jiang Wenyuan choked up, “Go back now. It’s cold out at night, be careful of catching a chill.”

The elder wept, “My lord worked tirelessly for our people these years. Just allow us to send you off!”

Jiang Wenyuan’s eyes reddened as he gazed upon the mass of people kneeling outside his residence even at this late hour just to bid him farewell. Their torches flickered in the wind, mirroring the reluctance in their hearts to part.

The commoners around also chimed in, "Sir, please let us send you off! This is the only thing we can do for you!"

"Alright!" Jiang Wenyuan held back his tears. He knew that if he didn't leave, they would not get up. So he decisively ordered to get on the carriage and leave the city.

The carriage moved. The commoners shouted loudly, "The mountains are high and the roads are long. Please take care, Sir!" The shouts along the way came one after another like waves.

When the carriage barely arrived at the city gate, the city gate was wide open. The soldiers guarding the city were also kneeling on one knee on both sides, shouting in unison, "Seeing off the Sir, seeing off the noble lady. The mountains are distant and journey is long. Please take care."

Jiang Wenyuan had tears flowing down his face. After leaving the city gate, he got off the carriage with his whole family, faced all the soldiers and commoners from Su Prefecture seeing them off, and made a deep bow.

"Take care!" Watching as the convoy gradually went farther and farther until disappearing from sight, only then did the commoners of Su Prefecture reluctantly wiped their tears and returned to the city.

When it dawned, the carriage stopped in a wilderness to rest briefly.

Jiang Wenyuan was in very low spirits. He truly could not bear to leave this land and the lovely commoners here.

It can be said that rather than him making Su Prefecture, Su Prefecture also made him.

If possible, he would be willing to stay here as the prefectural administrator for the rest of his life, but he had no choice but to leave. His Majesty the Emperor had urged him to enter the Capital City twice already.

His wife, Lady Lu, handed her husband a cup of water while pretending to be relaxed to comfort him, "We will have the opportunity to come back and take a look in the future. To tell the truth, I really can't bear to leave the backyard gardens either. Over the past few years, the crops and vegetables I planted have been more abundant each year."

Jiang Wenyuan held his wife's hand, "Alright, we will come back and take a look if there is a chance in the future."

As autumn winds brought Pleasant weather, their journey along the road was smooth all the way from Su Prefecture straight towards the Capital City.

In the Capital City,

The Emperor looked at the note handed over by the secret service agent: "Wenyuan departed Su at midnight, commoners lined the streets with torch lights to send him off. Wenyuan was on his knees with tears to thank them!"

Emperor Xia Jing sighed deeply. To be an official like Jiang Wenyuan is truly unprecedented in history.

While in Qingzhou, in three years he made the citizens of the entire county well-fed with surplus food in every household.

And in the six years at Su Prefecture, he painstakingly transformed a bitterly cold place shunned by all into "Jiangnan North of the Pass", becoming another granary of Great Xia. Since then, the Northern Frontier changed from a desolate wasteland into a plentiful storehouse.

How fortunate is Great Xia, to have such a capable minister.

Emperor Xia Jing had even begun to envision the bright future after Jiang Wenyuan became a certain Imperial Secretary.