Be a small county magistrate in ancient times

“How could that be?” Meng Changqing asked. “Anything a human does will always leave clues.”

“Yes,” Sun Xiang sighed, “those in higher positions think too much.”

To be honest, some people above suspect that Lord Mao's murder was the work of foreign enemies.

"An external enemy?" Meng Changqing said, "If it really was done by an external enemy, wouldn't killing me, or Lord Cao, or Lord Hua be more effective than killing Lord Mao?"

Sun Xiang quickly said, "Don't say anything unlucky."

Since Prefect Wei left, too many things have happened in Liangzhou. It's normal for the higher-ups to be suspicious, but..." At this point, Sun Xiang shook his head, "It's really not a wise move to speculate without considering the clues at hand."

However, it's none of my business anymore. How many more days can I stay in this position?

Meng Changqing thought through what he had said from beginning to end, and simply asked directly, "Do you want to continue staying in Liangzhou?"

Sun Xiang shook his head, "I can't afford to stay any longer. I'm not afraid to tell you the truth, but the current court is not what I hoped for. Let's wait and see what opportunities arise in the future."

Meng Changqing took the opportunity to advise, "You've worked so hard for so many years, it's a good thing to take a break and recuperate. You'll have plenty of opportunities in the future."

Sun Xiang smiled, looked outside, and saw that Xi Bei and the others hadn't finished eating yet. He continued to speak to Meng Changqing in a low voice, "Has the deployment of the Weishan Battalion soldiers to various counties affected you?"

“You know, most of the people around me are from Weishan Camp. They have connections with the garrison, so they don’t have much influence.”

"That's good," Sun Xiang said. "Although General Song is strict in military discipline, his deep-rooted problems are hard to eradicate. Those people are not easily released, and they will definitely try to extort money and bribes."

Meng Changqing asked, "How long are they going to stay here?"

"We must find out the cause of Lord Mao's death and catch the murderer." Sun Xiang raised his hand, gesturing for Meng Changqing to eat.

Meng Changqing nodded, picked up the nearest dish and ate a couple of bites. "Then, according to your estimation, how much longer?" Sun Xiang shook his head. "I don't know. The imperial court has sent officials from the Ministry of Justice. How they investigate and to what extent is entirely up to them."

"An official from the Ministry of Justice?"

“Yes, as for who came, I don’t know either.” Sun Xiang ladled a bowl of soup for Meng Changqing. “Try this chicken soup. You’re better informed than I am about news from the capital, so I’d like to ask you about it.”

Meng Changqing waved his hand, "People leave and things fade away. I've been away from the capital for years, who would still remember me?"

"Is Lord Meng speaking from the heart?"

Meng Changqing said, "It's a natural and sincere feeling."

Just as they finished eating, someone came to report that everything on the delivery slip had been prepared and asked Meng Changqing's men to come and check it.

Zhou Xing took his men to take a look around, and when they came back, he whispered to Meng Changqing that Sun Xiang's people were indeed very good at doing things. They had ordered all the goods they needed, and there was even money left over from the purchase.

Certain privileges were naturally used in this process.

It was Sun Xiang's apology and compensation to Meng Changqing, but it was unclear who would foot the bill behind this privilege—Sun Xiang himself, the Liangzhou government, or perhaps an unlucky shopkeeper who just happened to be there.

Sun Xiang was a very polite person. When he saw Meng Changqing off from Liangzhou, he was still there, feeling embarrassed for causing them trouble.

Meng Changqing repeatedly expressed his understanding and consideration. He also told him to take care of his health and not to overwork himself before leaving Liangzhou City with several cartloads of goods.

There were a total of seven county magistrates under Liangzhou. One returned to his hometown to observe mourning for his parents, one was dismissed for committing a crime, and one was executed.

Including Meng Changqing, there are four left. (End of Chapter)