Everyone was greatly shocked.

An Zheng reacted quickly: "When did this happen?"

Liu Yuan said, "He told me a few days ago, but I haven't agreed yet."

An Zheng sat up straight. "You absolutely cannot agree to this matter..."

Before he could finish, Xu Zhongfang interrupted: "Why can't he agree? The County Commandant is second only to the County Magistrate. Once promoted to County Commandant, Eldest Brother will be a true court official!"

"Third Brother, when will you change that temper of yours? Can you let me finish speaking?" An Zheng sighed, then turned back to Liu Yuan. "Eldest Brother, why would the Assistant Governor recommend you as County Commandant? The current County Commandant is the County Magistrate's younger brother. His background is far deeper than anything we can compare to. The Assistant Governor is trying to harm you, Eldest Brother!"

Liu Yuan patted his shoulder, signaling for him to calm down. "You've wronged Assistant Governor Wu. The former County Commandant Song has already been promoted to Commandery Commandant, and County Magistrate Song has been promoted to Supervising Censor. They will be leaving for their new posts soon. The position of County Commandant has opened up, which is why Assistant Governor Wu recommended me for it."

Ever since Liu Yuan became close with the Assistant Governor, his source of information had become much better than An Zheng's, so it was quite normal that An Zheng hadn't heard about this.

An Zheng quickly followed up, "Is Assistant Governor Wu trying to do you a favor, Eldest Brother?"

Liu Yuan replied with a smile, "It is indeed a huge favor."

This Assistant Governor Wu had originally propped Liu Yuan up because he couldn't stand Xiao Qi. Although his intentions were malicious at first, wanting to use Liu Yuan to annoy Xiao Qi, Liu Yuan knew how to conduct himself. Over the years, he got along very well with Assistant Governor Wu, who had long since started to treat him as one of his own. Now that such a good opportunity had arisen, of course, he would offer it to his trusted subordinate first.

An Zheng: "I remember Assistant Governor Wu was quite interested in the position of County Magistrate?"

Liu Yuan: "The County Magistrate is appointed directly by the Qin Emperor. Even if Assistant Governor Wu has connections that reach the heavens, they are limited to Changshe County. Outside of here, where would he have a say? Even if he covets the position of County Magistrate, he can't obtain it this time. However, I speculate that he's thinking of first getting a firm grip on Changshe County. That way, even when the new County Magistrate arrives, they won't be able to do anything to him and will instead be marginalized."

An Zheng frowned. "Since you see it so clearly, Eldest Brother, you must know that this post is absolutely not one to be accepted!"

Liu Yuan shook his head. "I am already Assistant Governor Wu's man; everyone knows this. If I tactfully refuse, not only will I offend the Wu family and create a rift with him, but I might not be able to curry favor with the new County Magistrate either. I would end up pleasing neither side."

An Zheng sighed. "The situation outside is unclear right now. I'm truly worried..."

Liu Yuan knew what he wanted to say. The rebellion was growing more and more intense; it was as if the world outside had been turned upside down.

Once Qin Shi Huang died, starting with Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, everyone became like unbridled horses, no longer having any fear or restraint.

Although no major banner-waving rebels had appeared in Yingchuan Commandery for the time being, the news from the outside was enough to stir panic in people's hearts. Even the officials had no mind for their duties. No one could say when this raging fire would burn its way to Xiang Town.

If the Qin army could eliminate these rebellious forces one by one, that would be one thing. But if they couldn't, and someone actually succeeded in rebelling and changing the dynasty, where would officials of the old dynasty like them go? Those with minor posts might be spared and continue as petty officials, but the higher the rank, the easier it was to become a target.

This was precisely the source of An Zheng's worries.

He was not optimistic about the combat strength of the Qin army.

In An Zheng's view, if the Six States could unite and work together, even the mighty Qin army would not be able to withstand them. Moreover, it was no longer Qin Shi Huang on the throne. He heard the new emperor was young and lacked prestige; the name Huhai was unheard of. Under these circumstances, it was hard to say if the imperial court would be the final victor.

But Liu Yuan's view was completely different. Liu Yuan believed these rebellious forces would amount to nothing and would be eliminated sooner or later. Getting promoted now and shouldering greater responsibility, while carrying greater risk, also meant a higher reward when the imperial court needed him.

For this, Liu Yuan was willing to take a risk.

Liu Yuan broke down his point of view and analyzed it for the others.

Of course, he was mostly trying to persuade his two sworn brothers. As for Madam Zhang and the others, they were purely incidental listeners.

After listening, Xu Zhongfang slapped his thigh in agreement. "Second Brother, what kind of man cowers in fear! Stop being afraid of this and that, or you'll never accomplish anything. Fortune is found in danger. Eldest Brother is right. We should fight for this County Commandant position!"

His level of education was low, so his words were coarse and vulgar.

An Zheng shot him an annoyed glare. Knowing this brother of his was simple-minded, he didn't argue with him.

"What do you think you're fighting for? That Assistant Governor Wu is not an easy person to deal with. If Eldest Brother accepts his favor, he will naturally have to work for him in the future. Don't tell me Eldest Brother will have to risk life and limb for him? If the new County Magistrate doesn't get along with Assistant Governor Wu and they have a falling out, Eldest Brother will be caught in the middle, pleasing neither side!"

In the end, there were pros and cons to becoming the County Commandant. An Zheng had his reasons, and Liu Yuan had his own logic. Neither could persuade the other, but Liu Yuan knew that An Zheng was actually just worried about him, which was why he was so vocally opposed.

So he finally concluded the conversation: "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

The implication was that he still planned to accept the post of County Commandant.

Liu Yuan usually listened to others' opinions, but once he made up his mind, he rarely changed it.

Seeing this, An Zheng had no choice but to cast his worries aside and offer a toast: "Then I wish Eldest Brother all the best!"

Seeing that he was no longer nagging, Xu Zhongfang laughed heartily and raised his cup. "I also wish Eldest Brother a bright future!"

"Good brothers!" Liu Yuan drained his cup in one go.

Ever since overhearing the three brothers' conversation that day, Madam Zhang had been on edge.

Her husband was going to be promoted to County Commandant.

What kind of position was a County Commandant? Madam Zhang wasn't very clear at first, but Liu Nan later explained it to her, saying it was in charge of maintaining public order and catching thieves, similar to the previous post of Constable. The only difference was that a Constable was only in charge of an outpost's territory, while a County Commandant was in charge of a whole county.

An entire county, what did that even mean? Xiang Town had a population of over two thousand. Changshe County was definitely even larger. He had truly become a high official.

But before Madam Zhang could rejoice, she was made anxious by An Zheng's words.

She might not have understood everything Liu Yuan and the others said that day, but she vaguely grasped two points.

First, the situation outside was chaotic.

Second, the position of County Commandant was not an easy one to hold. If things went wrong, a joyous event could turn into a disaster.

This uneasy feeling lasted until her sister-in-law, Madam Yu, came to visit.

Although Liu Yuan and Liu Chi were blood brothers, the two families rarely interacted alone. Aside from when Liu Yuan and Madam Zhang brought their children to pay respects to Liu Xin and Madam Lou, even if they ran into each other at other times, they would only exchange cold and detached greetings.

Previously, when Liu Yuan was down on his luck, Madam Yu had kicked him while he was down, looking down on Madam Zhang and her family and even making frequent sarcastic remarks, which made Madam Zhang despise her. As Liu Yuan established himself in the position of Prison Warden and their family's situation gradually improved, the relationship between the two families didn't change. Even Liu Yuan's father and his primary wife, treated them with the same coldness as before.

But Madam Yu's visit today almost made Madam Zhang's jaw drop.

Because not only was the other woman wearing a smile, but she had also brought gifts.

Although the gifts were just eggs and malt sugar, which weren't considered expensive for the Liu family now, Madam Yu's attitude was such a drastic change from before that it was as if the sun had risen from the west.

Madam Zhang received her in a complete daze, and even after the woman left, she still felt a sense of surreal bewilderment.

In the end, it was Liu Zhen who made her realize.

"Mother, is Aunt trying to mend her relationship with us?"

"Why would she do that?" Madam Zhang was still lost in confusion.

"Because Father is a County Commandant now. A County Commandant's authority is greater than a clerk's, so Aunt has no choice but to bow her head to us." Liu Zhen pointed out matter-of-factly.

Madam Zhang let out an "ah," suddenly feeling a sense of returning to reality.

Yes, her husband had gone from being a Prison Warden to a County Commandant. If her husband's family had previously looked down on the position of Prison Warden, the title of County Commandant finally forced them to bow their heads.

The heart that had been suspended in anxiety slowly settled, giving her a feeling of being grounded.

"Ah Zhen, do you think it's a good or bad thing that your father became County Commandant?" Madam Zhang wasn't really asking for Liu Zhen's opinion; she just wanted to confirm her own feelings.

"It's a mix of good and bad," Liu Zhen said, seeing that her mother had been anxious these past few days, she took the opportunity to console her. "But Father has always been measured in his actions. Since he has already accepted this post, Mother doesn't need to worry too much."

From her perspective, what An Zheng said made a lot of sense. At such a critical time, there was really no need for Liu Yuan to accept the position of County Commandant and become a prominent target. Who knew what the situation would be in a few years? But she also knew that her father was very ambitious. Back then, he would rather stay at home than do menial work. He had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time and would not let it go easily. According to him, even if it meant taking risks, he had to become the County Commandant.

Since it was already a reality, worrying too much was useless. Worrying like Madam Zhang did was even more unhelpful. Forget about useless worries; at the very least, she should stop forgetting to add salt when cooking these days!

Liu Zhen's words made Madam Zhang feel a great sense of relief, and she let out a sigh.

She finally realized that her husband had well and truly become a County Commandant, and even the in-laws who had always looked down on them were now rushing to curry favor and trying to mend the previous rifts.

Such a thing was, of course, a good thing.

Madam Zhang had been anxious before because An Zheng's words kept lingering in her mind, and Liu Yuan wouldn't explain more to her. Now, Madam Yu's visit completely dispelled the gloom in her heart, and her sorrow instantly turned to joy.

If Liu Yuan's promotion to County Commandant wasn't a good thing, then why would even his own family come to congratulate him?

It was simply because they saw her husband had become successful and wanted to build a connection.

Thinking this way, her previous worries didn't seem like a big deal anymore.

Liu Zhen observed her expression and, seeing that her mood had improved, said, "Mother, I think we should buy more grain. The world outside is chaotic right now. Although it hasn't affected Yingchuan Commandery for the time being, no one can say what will happen in the future. It's better to make preparations early."

Madam Zhang was a person with a strong sense of crisis; otherwise, she wouldn't have been frightened for days by An Zheng's words. Hearing Liu Zhen now, she immediately said, "You are absolutely right. We should also buy some pork to cure. When Ah Nan gets back, we'll have him go up the mountain to gather some wild vegetables!"

Liu Zhen wanted to laugh. Wild vegetables would probably spoil a few days after being picked, unlike meat that could be cured and preserved. But it was rare for Madam Zhang to be so motivated, so she naturally didn't discourage her, instead agreeing to everything.

Liu Yuan's promotion from Prison Warden to County Commandant quickly brought a qualitative leap in the Liu family's standard of living.

The salary of a County Commandant and a Prison Warden were, of course, worlds apart. The grain they were issued alone was enough for the Liu family's daily consumption. Now, Liu Zhen and the others could generally have millet rice or noodle dishes for their two daily meals.

At this time, there were already various kinds of food made from flour. The commonly eaten steamed cakes were equivalent to the steamed buns and mantou of later generations, while soup cakes were the ancestors of noodles.

Based on the prototypes of these foods, Liu Zhen simply modified them to be closer to the familiar foods of later generations. For example, today's morning meal for the Liu family was a bowl of soup cakes for everyone. The dough was kneaded repeatedly, pressed into a thin sheet, and cut evenly into strips with a knife. It was then boiled until soft, taken out, and instead of adding soup, a thick spoonful of sauce made from pork belly, shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, and Sichuan peppercorns was ladled directly on top. Finally, it was sprinkled with chopped scallions. The color was enticing, the aroma fragrant, and a bowl of Liu-style dry-tossed noodles was born.

The Liu family was very fond of these dry-tossed noodles. Every one of them ate as if they would swallow their own tongues. After finishing the morning meal, Liu Yuan went to work refreshed, while Madam Zhang prepared to visit her parents' home. However, before she could leave, she ran into Madam Yu again, who was carrying things and coming to their door.

Madam Yu had been visiting very frequently lately. One doesn't hit a smiling face, and moreover, her visits satisfied Madam Zhang's little bit of vanity. Madam Zhang naturally greeted her with a smile. Sometimes when she went to pay respects to Liu Xin and Madam Lou, she would also bring something for Madam Yu. With this back and forth, the interactions between the sisters-in-law became more frequent.

Madam Yu only stayed at the Liu house for a short while, saying she had to go home to do chores before getting up to leave. Every time she came now, she never forgot to bring malt sugar for Liu Zhen and the others. To Liu Zhen, this kind of thing had very little appeal, and she didn't particularly like Madam Yu's sycophantic, snobbish character.

But it was different for Liu Wan and Liu Zhuang. They had clearly equated Madam Yu with "getting candy every time she visits." When Madam Yu left, they both tugged at her clothes, unwilling to let go, seeming very reluctant. Liu Wan was older and had better expressive skills, even saying, "Aunt, come see us again tomorrow."

"Alright, alright. As long as you listen to your mother, Aunt will come again tomorrow!" Madam Yu said to them with a benevolent smile.

But the moment she stepped out of the Liu house, her smile fell, replaced by a face full of gloom.