County Magistrate

Wen Chan was very quiet that night, but Pei Rusong knew she wasn't asleep. Perhaps the past events were stinging her heart, and the moment she closed her eyes, she would see the receding figures of those departed.

The events of her past life, or more precisely, the various things that happened after her death, were always mentioned in general terms by Pei Rusong. At first, Wen Chan was misled by his calm demeanor, only vaguely remembering that some people had changed their allegiance in time and lived well, while others, loyal to their old master and unwilling to serve the New Emperor, did not fare as well.

However, it was only when she broke down each person's "not faring as well" and examined it closely that she understood just how much blood and tears were hidden beneath those few words.

It is better to live a wretched life than to die a good death. Compared to Wen Chan, who had died young, those who were abandoned, resentful, or unfulfilled... none of them were qualified to say their lives were worse than death. She had even paved the way for some people's futures with her own death. To say they were not living well under such circumstances would be a cheap betrayal of her intentions.

So they could only endure their grievances and stumble forward in the mortal world until they came to terms with it and found relief, or until they reached the end of their rope.

When she was first reborn, Wen Chan had wondered. She asked herself, with a clear conscience toward heaven and man, having used everything, including her own destiny, to do her best to find what she believed was the best path, she had died without any regrets and held no lingering obsessions in her heart. Why, then, did she have to do it all over again?

Now, she finally understood. If she hadn't been given a second chance, if Pei Rusong hadn't returned to her side, she would never have known what kind of fruit the seeds she had sown in her past life had truly borne.

She had burned herself to ashes. How could those who had been briefly illuminated by her not have regrets, not have obsessions?

How should she proceed in this life? Should she ignore the sharp sword hanging over her head and use every means possible to survive?

But—

Although Pei Rusong's eyes were closed, he could feel Wen Chan turn her head to gaze at him for a moment, then let out a very, very soft sigh.

Several days passed. Wen Chan waited and waited, but the memorial from Xihe County never arrived. Instead, the Magistrate of the Capital Prefecture, Lord He, showed up with a troubled expression.

Not seeing Pei Rusong, who was usually within ten paces of her, He You asked, "Is the Prince Consort busy today?"

Wen Chan thought of the Little White Flower, who had recently started leaving early and returning late, and an indescribable feeling welled up in her heart. She gave a cursory nod and an "mhm," then asked, "Has Lord He encountered some trouble?"

He You sighed at the mention of it. "Last time, thanks to Your Highness's guidance, this subordinate went to see County Magistrate Yang. Who knew that this person... sigh. To put it nicely, he is upright and aloof. He said he is not Your Highness's retainer or running dog. Though his rank is low and his position minor, he will absolutely not be ordered about by others. Even if Your Highness holds up the banner of public justice, he will not get on Your Highness's ship."

Wen Chan: "..."

One is more trouble than the next. I should have just had the Grand Princess throw him out to Xichuan to sell straw hats.

He You: "He also asked me to persuade Your Highness that since you know the private water mills are encroaching on the people's interests, you should take the initiative to destroy them as soon as possible. As for the matter of the river canals, he will report it to Your Majesty, but he will not act according to Your Highness's instructions."

"...I understand," Wen Chan said. "Thank you for your trouble, Lord He. There's no benefit in delaying this matter. Since Yang Tingying is unwilling to cooperate, finding another official to submit the memorial will have the same effect."

"This subordinate obeys." He You glanced at her expression, hesitated for a moment, then cautiously advised, "Yang Tingying is stubborn and impervious to both soft and hard tactics. Although this man cannot be used by Your Highness, he is ultimately a loyal and righteous man. He won't make any major mistakes in his conduct, but his official career is destined to be more difficult than others'. Your Highness, please don't hold it against him."

Wen Chan let out a laugh. "What, does Lord He fear I'll become angry from embarrassment and kick him out of the Capital City?"

He You gave a placating smile. "How would this subordinate dare to judge Your Highness's heart with my own petty thoughts? With Yang Tingying's offending personality, if it weren't for Your Highness's secret protection, he would have long been demoted to some desolate place to herd sheep. This person probably knows in his heart that Your Highness intends to recruit him, so he deliberately says harsh things to be disliked. This subordinate only hopes that Your Highness, for the sake of his integrity and uprightness, will not misunderstand him because of this."

To become a virtuous minister of a generation, a good official with a clean reputation who lives a long life, integrity and talent alone are completely insufficient. One either has to be favored by the Emperor or have a powerful family background. Failing that, one must at least have colleagues and friends in the central government who can speak up for you. This is a life-saving talisman in officialdom. After all, where there are people, there is conflict. No one can guarantee they will never make a mistake in their life; what matters is having someone to pull you up after you do.

Yang Tingying was the type of person who was especially dangerous, the kind that even a powerful backer couldn't pull along. In He You's view, for him to have gained Princess Chiming's appreciation was already an extra grace from heaven. Yet not only did he not want it, he even dared to talk back to the Princess. It was like an old man hanging himself—courting death. He You ultimately cherished talent and was willing to explain a few things for him before the Princess. If it had been someone narrow-minded, Yang Tingying might not have even lasted in the capital until the new year.

"If that man surnamed Yang could learn even half of Lord He's worldliness, he'd at least be wearing a scarlet robe by now," Wen Chan sighed. "Actually, it doesn't matter if I ignore him. Let's leave it at this for now. I'll think about it some more."

The current Emperor was benevolent and rarely executed people for their words. Even if Yang Tingying truly offended someone, the worst that could happen was being demoted to an outlying region. If he was lucky, he might encounter a general amnesty and have a chance to return to the capital and be reinstated.

He wouldn't die, no, but he would be separated from his wife and children, and live a life of unfulfilled ambition.

In her past life, Yang Tingying was one of those who ended up well. It was precisely because he clearly separated "sentiment" from "duty" that he wasn't held back by past events. This was the ending Wen Chan most wanted to see.

Two days later, memorials from Changtai, Guo'an, and other counties regarding private mills near the Tongji Canal, White Elm River, and Yongye River competing with the common people for water were submitted to the Emperor's desk. The impeachments pointed directly at Princess Chiming, Grand Princess Chengyang, the Duke of Guan, and several other noble families, causing a great uproar in the imperial court. The next day, Princess Chiming took the initiative to submit a memorial confessing her guilt, and the Emperor consequently issued a decree ordering the destruction of all water mills on the tributaries of the Tongji Canal, White Elm River, and Yongye River.

Princess Chiming had just secured her footing in Jiayun Palace and was at the height of her influence when such a memorial suddenly appeared. It seemed as if someone was deliberately trying to blunt her edge, which instead made many who were secretly watching and waiting to act temporarily hold back. And since the most favored princess had complied with the decree, the other princes and nobles, figuring they didn't have as much face before the Emperor, had no choice but to follow suit. The decree was implemented with unexpected smoothness.

A few days later, Princess Chiming, who rarely held banquets, suddenly hosted a cassia-viewing banquet at her manor. It was quite large in scale, and many officials' families were invited. Yang Tingying's wife, a member of the Lu Clan, was also among the invitees due to her high-born status.

At the banquet that day, many people personally saw Lady Lu pay her respects to the Princess. Princess Chiming, who was usually lukewarm to everyone, suddenly became three parts warmer when she heard that this was Yang Tingying's wife. She not only condescended to chat with her for a long time but also praised Yang Tingying for being an upright official with a limitless future, and so on.

When everyone returned home and thought it over, connecting it with previous events, the discerning ones quickly figured it out: last time, with the Grand Princess Chengyang incident, it was Princess Chiming who acted righteously, and Yang Tingying who came forward with the impeachment. This time, Princess Chiming was implicated in the water mill affair, yet Yang Tingying, the County Magistrate of Xihe County, did not submit a memorial on the matter. Didn't this prove that Yang Tingying was already on Princess Chiming's side? No wonder the Princess placed such importance on Lady Lu, the wife of a mere county magistrate; it turned out she was giving face to her husband.

People selectively forgot about the Magistrate of the Capital Prefecture, Lord He, and, without Yang Tingying having any such intention, kicked him squarely into Princess Chiming's camp.

That night, Pei Rusong once again returned late on the grounds of official business. Wen Chan, accompanied by Cheng Xuan, came to the front hall to receive a guest. The evening breeze carried a hint of autumn chill. A scholar in the plain blue robes of a common official, looking like a slender bamboo stalk, gave her a deep bow. "This subordinate, County Magistrate of Xihe County, Yang Tingying, pays his respects to Your Highness."

Wen Chan leaned back in her armchair, not even lifting an eyelid, the very picture of arrogance and indifference. She said languidly, "What a rare guest. To think we've troubled County Magistrate Yang to come in person. If you had something to say, couldn't you have just had Lord He relay the message?"

Yang Tingying's face burned from her jab, and he bent his waist so low he nearly touched the ground. "It is this subordinate who was rude and has offended Your Highness. I beg Your Highness's forgiveness."

"Even if I were a bodhisattva made of clay, I wouldn't tolerate you offending me time and again," Wen Chan said coldly. "County Magistrate Yang, do you really think so highly of yourself? You think that because I showed you a pleasant face once, you can push your luck and put on airs with me, is that it?"