26. You certainly know how to serve the people.

Madam Zhen noticed something strange.

Xie Lingjiang had actually started calling Tanlang "Senior Brother."

It was quite sudden. She remembered that previously, she had always addressed him as "Brother Lianghan." As for Tanlang, he would alternate between calling her "Brother Lingjiang" and "Little Junior Sister," using whatever felt casual and smooth at the moment.

Inside the main hall of the Meilu Pavilion, Madam Zhen, dressed in a green skirt with a green shawl draped over her shoulders, turned her head to watch the two of them walk past, chatting and laughing. Her expression was one of suspicion.

When this somewhat arrogant noblewoman of the Xie family had come to ask her about Tanlang’s whereabouts earlier that afternoon, hadn't she been stiff-faced and calling him "Brother Lianghan"? How had she changed her tune by the time she returned in the evening?

Could this be some sort of "hard-to-get" tactic of Tanlang’s—deliberately ignoring the young lady for a few days, only to suddenly bestow a bit of warmth? It was just like how she disciplined her own maidservants, the woman in the patterned skirt mused to herself.

Had he finally figured it out?

Taking advantage of a gap, Madam Zhen pulled Ouyang Rong outside and asked, "Why are you covered in dirt again? What are you so busy with, Tanlang? Hurry up and wash up before dinner. Mind your image; I’ll have Banxi boil some water..."

Ouyang Rong shook his head. "No need for now. I just came back to the Deer Cry Street to pick up some official documents from the county office, and brought Little Junior Sister along for a meal while I was at it. I have to head to the outskirts of the city tonight to handle some matters; I might be back quite late, so Aunt, please rest early and don't wait up."

Madam Zhen said, "You..."

"Right." Ouyang Rong turned and shoved a small jar of pickled radishes into her hands. "Put some on the table for Little Junior Sister to try."

"So she likes this?" The woman’s attention was successfully diverted. She lowered her head to sniff the jar and smiled happily. "Alright, alright."

Ouyang Rong felt a bit worried and reminded her, "Don't put it all on the plate; save some for me."

"Honestly, a man should be more generous."

"..."

At dinner in the Meilu Garden, Ouyang Rong had also invited Yan Liulang. The latter arrived in a rush halfway through, nodded to Ouyang Rong, Xie Lingjiang, and Madam Zhen, and then immediately sat down to dig into his rice.

Much like Ouyang Rong when he had first sat down, he looked like a starving ghost devouring everything in his path.

For the past few days, Ouyang Rong had sent him to lead the county bailiffs in maintaining order at the dozen or so disaster relief camps on the city outskirts. Every day he was running around catching thieves and bandits, and with over ten thousand floating refugees gathered both inside and outside the city, there were endless trivial matters to attend to. He barely had a moment to sit down, so he was indeed exhausted.

Furthermore, the Longcheng region had historically belonged to the Wu-Yue lands, and the people of Wu-Yue were known for their fierce sense of gratitude and vengeance, valuing promises over their own lives.

This did not mean the local customs were barbaric; on the contrary, since Ouyang Rong had begun governing, he found the folkways to be simple, with the common people being very honest and straightforward.

But honest people are the most intense once they are ignited.

"It’s not even cases of fighting or bullying that keep me busy, but rather a mess of old grudges and debts. I truly don't know where they hide so many swords. Disputes left behind by their fathers over a decade ago—once there's an opportunity, the sons and grandsons will dig out a sword to take revenge," Yan Liulang wiped his mouth and sighed. "The floods have made it so they can barely afford to eat, yet they’re still dwelling on these grudges."

Xie Lingjiang picked up a piece of pickled radish and nodded. "The Yan and Zhao regions in the north are full of heroic and tragic souls, while the Wu-Yue lands in the south are a place of vengeance and retribution, not a place to hide filth. If you look through history, both regions are known for producing desperate assassins who gamble everything on a single move."

"Having spirit is a good thing," Ouyang Rong muttered while shoveling rice into his mouth.

Yan Liulang set down his bowl and asked, "Mingtang, this 'work-for-relief' program has indeed reduced the number of displaced people and bandits, and the order within the city has improved a lot. But are we inviting trouble by gathering so many refugees on the outskirts of the city?"

"Are you talking about plague or rebellion?" Ouyang Rong didn't even look up.

His overly direct response nearly caused Yan Liulang to choke.

"Er, Mingtang, I'm just feeling a bit uneasy. No county magistrate has ever done this before; they were probably afraid that it would be hard to manage once there were too many people."

"This doesn't sound like something you'd consider. Did your father tell you this?"

"That’s right, he’s worried too."

"If Magistrate Yan has the energy to think about these things, it seems he’s doing quite well. Why hasn't he ended his leave and returned to the office to resume his duties?"

"I don't know. He says he’s getting old and wants to retire, and he wants me to take over managing the bailiffs for him this year."

Ouyang Rong nodded. He glanced toward the outskirts of the city and said softly, "Don't worry, Liulang. I go to the relief camps every day; as long as I am there, nothing will go wrong. And if even a county magistrate like me cannot hold things together or bridge certain gaps, then even if we dispersed them, the trouble would happen regardless."

Xie Lingjiang also nodded. "Exactly. Besides, our Great Zhou Dynasty is not in the same situation as the ends of the Qin or Sui dynasties, where gathering people to fix the Yellow River floods would cause public outrage and lead to uprisings."

Ouyang Rong added, "Moreover, everyone just wants to have a full belly. What could be wrong with that? This is what the Great Zhou court and we, the local officials, ought to do, and it’s not difficult. Currently, there are no strong enemies outside, no wars on the borders, and Luoyang and Chang'an are enjoying a time of peace and prosperity with all nations coming to pay tribute. Don't the lords of the Zhou court all call this a 'Golden Age'? There is so much surplus grain in the local righteous granaries; if we work together, the floods will be managed."

Feeling a surge of motivation, he shoveled a few more mouthfuls of rice. Beside him, Madam Zhen quietly placed vegetables in his bowl.

"Senior Brother is right," Xie Lingjiang said, her eyes bright as she nodded earnestly.

In her mind, she still held the image of the industrious and vibrant scene she had witnessed that afternoon.

Yan Liulang couldn't help but glance at this Xie family lady, who was usually not very active in their conversations.

Not thinking much of it, he smiled and instructed, "Alright then, I’ll be busy leading the team to maintain order, so I won’t be able to stay by Mingtang’s side all the time. I’ll have to trouble Miss Xie to look after him."

"Very well."

The group was in high spirits during dinner. Once they finished their last mouthful of rice, Ouyang Rong didn't waste a second and headed out with Xie Lingjiang and Yan Liulang.

Tonight, he had to inspect the newly built Frostfall Camp. Additionally, he needed to address the medical care issues for some of the refugees. The number of doctors recruited by the county wasn't enough, and he was considering whether to approach the Donglin Temple... Only now did Ouyang Rong realize, somewhat belatedly, that this "green lamps and ancient Buddhas" Donglin Temple was truly filthy rich.

Before leaving Meilu Garden, Madam Zhen had Banxi grab a handful of candied fruit and stuff it into Ouyang Rong’s pocket so he could snack on it at night. However, Yan Liulang, who was standing nearby, knew that his Mingtang would quietly put them away, only to distribute them to the refugee children whenever they reached the camp gates.

The three of them left Meilu Garden and first went to the Longcheng County Office. Ouyang Rong approved some documents in the makeshift office, stamped them with the official seal, and handed them to the clerk. He then met up with Xie and Yan, who were waiting outside, ready to leave.

But just then, the flustered County Assistant Diao, accompanied by two men dressed as post-messengers, hurried through the gates of the county office, waving several thin sheets of paper.

Before they had even reached them, Ouyang Rong and the others heard:

"Mingtang! Mingtang! It’s bad, it’s bad! News has arrived from Jiangzhou. The Jimin Granary, which was prepared for disaster relief, received an imperial decree three days ago to open its doors, but the hundreds of thousands of shi of rice stored inside have vanished into thin air! The entire granary is less than a quarter full!"

Inside and outside the county office, there was an instant, deathly silence.

Whether it was the bailiffs passing by after their shift or the clerks in the offices with pens poised to write, everyone froze as if a pause button had been pressed, their expressions turning to shock.

On the open ground outside the main hall, the three young people who stood closest to the reporting County Assistant—the two on the left and right—were so shocked that they couldn't help but turn to look at the young magistrate in the middle.

"You... say that again."

The calm tone of the man standing in the shadows of the trees made County Assistant Diao instinctively take a step back. But with the situation at hand, he could only brace himself and repeat it, then hurriedly added:

"The entire city of Jiangzhou is in chaos. The official in charge of the Jimin Granary committed suicide out of fear of punishment. A large number of officials, including the Jiangzhou Governor, have been suspended. The Jiangnan Inspection Commissioner, sent to oversee the relief efforts, has already entered Jiangzhou, and one hundred and thirty people have already been investigated and imprisoned..."

"Do not speak of these things," the young magistrate suddenly interrupted. "You only need to tell me how much grain is left in the Jimin Granary? And how much of the promised relief grain can still be allocated within three months?"

"The Jimin Granary only has a little over seventy thousand shi left. But it has to be shared with Jiangzhou City and several other disaster-stricken counties nearby. What can be allocated to us is only... three thousand shi."

"Three thousand... shi, is it?" The young magistrate lowered his head and muttered to himself.

"Also..." County Assistant Diao hesitated. "The disaster is urgent, and such a major case has occurred in Jiangzhou. Every place is struggling to take care of itself. The higher-ups have ordered the magistrates of each county to be responsible for the disaster relief and flood control within their own jurisdictions..."

"How are we supposed to provide relief without grain or money?" came Xie Lingjiang’s cold voice.

"The higher-ups say the magistrates should think of more ways. If funds and grain are insufficient, they should call upon local landlords and wealthy families to donate surplus grain, or levy grain from temples and Taoist shrines... anything works. They should do more to share the burden for the province and the county to tide over these hard times. Once the disaster passes, they can be granted some preferential policies, such as tax exemptions, and so on. The magistrates can decide these things themselves. They can even borrow grain from local gentry and landlords for now, and it can be repaid when the relief grain arrives..."

"In other words, they’re leaving us to fend for ourselves," Xie Lingjiang said, nodding. The man beside her said nothing.

County Assistant Diao said helplessly, "That is what the higher-ups have instructed; this is the official document for Mingtang... Furthermore, they emphasized one most important thing: when providing relief, one must absolutely maintain order among the lower classes, especially... the refugees. Under no circumstances can there be any slip-ups in this regard. This is the bottom line of the imperial court and the most important item in the post-disaster assessment. Other than this, shortcomings in other areas can be appropriately forgiven."

After County Assistant Diao finished speaking, the entire scene fell into silence.

No one spoke, and no one dared to speak first, because one person was silent.

Xie Lingjiang turned her head in silence.

In the open courtyard of the county office, the vegetation behind them blocked the candlelight from the main hall. The young magistrate’s body was mostly engulfed in shadow. Xie Lingjiang couldn't clearly see his expression at that moment; she could only see a pair of eyes staring at the ground.

"Mingtang, would you like to take another look?" County Assistant Diao pulled out a document and offered it up.

Seeing that the man beside her remained motionless for a long time, Xie Lingjiang prepared to reach out and take it. But in the next second, it was snatched away by a cold palm. The movement was so fast that it brushed against the back of her hand, and she realized his palm was ice-cold, and it hurt slightly.

Ouyang Rong held the document between two fingers and flicked it, his expression curious. "Are you saying that for the next three months, I have only this piece of paper and less than twelve thousand shi of grain to support twelve thousand nine hundred and eighty-one disaster victims?"

County Assistant Diao didn't know how to answer and stuttered, "I... I think so."

Ouyang Rong suddenly wanted to ask: if the court doesn't provide relief in a disaster year, then what is the court for? Are they just ornaments supported by the common people? Like the pagodas in those temples? At least those temple pagodas provide a few meals of porridge morning, noon, and night.

But the words reached his lips and turned into a single, appreciative comment:

"Jimin Granary—what a wonderful name."

Ouyang Rong pinched the document and left the county office with a faint laugh, leaving everyone behind to exchange bewildered glances.