Be a small county magistrate in ancient times

Chapter 390: Xunxian Town Mountain Sacrifice*
Meng Changqing didn't expect to hear such polite words from Wei Fangyun.

But then again, if she can do polite things and say polite words, why can't others?

She listened carefully to what Wei Fangyun said, trying to hear something else from his words.

Wei Fangyun said, "I was just talking to Lord Cao and the others, which delayed me. I won't talk to you one by one this year."

Several adults present immediately expressed their understanding and presented their prepared congratulatory messages.

Meng Changqing followed in line behind Mao Chunfang and handed in the congratulatory article he had written.

"You are so thoughtful." After Wei Fangyun finished speaking, he opened the letter and started reading it on the spot. He read very quickly, after all, such congratulatory articles are almost the same every year.

The situation in their respective counties was all good, and they praised Wei Fangyun for his competent work as the superior.

Only Meng Changqing's writing is very realistic. Every sentence in the article corresponds to everything she did. They are all real and there are no excessive embellishments.

After Wei Fangyun finished reading it all, he naturally praised Meng Changqing. At the end, he said: "You did a great job. If it weren't for you, the magistrate of Beishan County, there wouldn't be the current situation, and there wouldn't be such a peaceful day on the border of Daliang.

Last year you paid off all the money you owed to the counties. This year you must do as you said. The gentlemen trust you. Do not let them down."

After hearing this, Meng Changqing responded respectfully: "Yes."

After leaving the greenhouse, Meng Changqing felt particularly bored, as if nothing could arouse her interest.

She stood in the corridor for a while, planning to say goodbye to Ding Aixue and then return to Beishan County.

Not long after, Ding Aixiu and Zeng Jing from Quping County came out together, and they seemed to be having a very pleasant chat.

Zeng Jing noticed Meng Changqing first and patted Ding Aixue's arm. "Master Ding, Master Meng is still waiting for you. We will talk later."

Meng Changqing bowed to Zeng Jing. After the others left, Ding Aixue called his attendant and handed the package to Meng Changqing. "There's no one next to the greenhouse. Go in and try."

Upon seeing this, Bafang immediately followed Meng Changqing into the room, touched the cotton-padded jacket all over, and then put it under his nose to smell it. After finding nothing unusual, he helped Meng Changqing take off his official uniform and put on the cotton-padded jacket.

"Mrs. Ding has a really good eye." Bafang said when he saw that the cotton-padded jacket fit him well, "I haven't seen you many times, but I can tell your size."

"Yes." Meng Changqing tied his belt, told Bafang to put away his official uniform, and walked out wearing a cotton jacket.

She smiled and thanked Ding Aixue, "The cotton-padded jacket that Master's wife made for me is really nice. It fits me well and is warm. I don't want to take it off. Please tell Master's wife about my gratitude. When Changqing is free someday, I will definitely come to thank you."

Ding Aixu stopped him and walked forward.

"I heard from Lord Hua that you captured all the bandits on the mountain." Ding Aixue whispered, "Old Lord Hua praised you for doing a good job. Even Lord Cao said you have courage when he heard about it."

Meng Changqing explained again, "I am not the one who contributed the most to this matter. It was all thanks to Captain Yang and his brothers who planned and directed it."

Ding Aixue patted her shoulder and said, "I also heard Lord Hua say this. Lord Cao praised you because he knew you said this." He withdrew his hand, put his hands together in his sleeves and said, "Lord Hua mentioned it to me privately. He took the initiative to arrest people for you. Everyone has their own considerations. Don't have any opinions about this matter to Lord Hua."

Meng Changqing said: "I understand, no."

"That's good."

In order to prevent the other party from noticing that he was in a bad mood, Meng Changqing asked Ding Aixue, "What was the matter that the governor asked Master and Master Hua about?" "In the past two years, Weishan Camp and Hongjia Camp have not fought any external wars, which has saved a lot of expenses. I plan to appropriately reduce the food supply to the two camps. If they don't have enough, they can find a way on their own, or they can buy from me.

It's not a big deal. We discussed it and decided to follow my idea."

Ding Aixue concluded, "It's not a small or insignificant good thing."

Meng Changqing followed suit and expressed his agreement.

At this time, several people had already reached the gate of the government office. Ding Aixue sighed, "Our county is peaceful. Only Bishan County is left for the governor to worry about. I hope Lord Luo can solve the problem as soon as possible."

"I also heard what Lord Zeng said, but I don't know what happened in Bishan County?" Meng Changqing took the opportunity to inquire.

The two walked down the stairs, and Ding Aixue said, "I remember you went to Bishan County. Did you feel anything special when you went there?"

Without even having to think about it, Meng Changqing blurted out, "Master, is this Xunxian Town you're talking about?"

"Exactly."

Speaking of Xunxian Town, it’s not that Meng Changqing saw with her own eyes how special it was, but that she was never able to get in at all.

At first, the carriage only swayed in front of the stone engraved with Xunxian Town, and Luo Mao hurriedly urged her to leave.

"The so-called Xunxian Town is a combination of several villages at the foot of the high mountain fog forest. The government gave them a name, Xunxian Town, but in fact it can't be considered a town at all, and the Bishan County Government has no control over it.

What rules are followed and what laws are broken are all decided by the heads of the villages.

They have an agreement with the government that they cannot cause trouble outside, so the government doesn’t care about them.”

Ding Aixiu said: "The more isolated a place is, the more bizarre its rules are. Among those villages, there is one... or two or three villages that have the habit of using living people to sacrifice to the mountains.

When Lord Luo first took office, he was very dissatisfied with this and even borrowed soldiers from Hongjia Camp, determined to take charge of it and put an end to their practices. However, he was trapped by the terrain and had to compromise with them.

But over the years, Lord Luo has also come up with many ideas.

He allowed the young people in Xunxian Town to go out to study, and encouraged those who had no talent for studying to work and earn money in the town. In short, he wanted to bring people out and enlighten their minds. "

"I heard that this incident is related to scholars."

"That's what happened. I sent someone to Bishan County to inquire." Ding Aixiu said, "The woman who was murdered has a younger brother who is studying in the town. I heard that he is very talented. The teacher at the academy originally planned to let him take the county exam next month.

It seems that he will not be able to pass the exam now. His sister is in trouble, so he probably has no mood to study."

Ding Aixue felt sorry for the scholar, but Meng Changqing felt sorry for the woman who had been murdered.

As if torturing herself, she asked Ding Aixue, "Master, what is the practice of offering a living person to the mountain?"

Ding Aixue took a breath and said, "I haven't seen it either. I heard people say that women of marriageable age were tied up and sent to the mountains.

There is poisonous gas in the foggy forest, and there are so many ferocious beasts that it is frightening. If people are tied up and sent in, even if they are not eaten by the wild beasts, they will be poisoned to death by the poisonous gas if they stay there for a long time. Even if both of them escape by chance, they will still be frozen to death in such cold weather.

In short, if you are sent into the mountains, you will not survive."