Be a small county magistrate in ancient times

Chapter 667 Conditions
After Luo Mao finished speaking, the four chieftains looked at the young man behind them.

The young man muttered something to the four village chiefs.

Zheng Jie had been watching their expressions closely. Seeing the dissatisfaction on their wary faces, he said, "Alright, let's not worry about that. Let's get down to business."

The young man muttered something again, and the village chiefs said something to Zheng Jie in a foreign language. Zheng Jie didn't understand what they were saying, so he looked at the young man as well.

"What important business is it?" The young man's official language wasn't very fluent, but it was still understandable.

"How rude! How dare you speak to the prefect like that!" Luo Mao rebuked.

Zheng Jie raised his hand, "Never mind."

Zheng Jie can be let off the hook, but Luo Mao must protect his superior in front of outsiders.

This not only affected Zheng Jie's reputation, but also the entire court. Of course, that's what they say, but Luo Mao wasn't Zheng Jie's lackey after all, so he only needed to do a token gesture.

When it comes to serious matters, it's really just a matter of a single sentence.

But if you were to put it into a single sentence, it would sound incredibly unprofessional.

It's best to use complex language to conceal your purpose, so that the other party agrees to your request without even realizing it.

Therefore, Zheng Jie could not just come up and talk about human sacrifice to the mountain. He said, "I have just arrived in Liangzhou and heard that Xunxian Town in Bishan County is different from other places and is very special, so I came here specifically to see you."

He finished speaking, and the young translator began to mutter to himself.

Zheng Jie didn't wait for him and continued, "It's indeed different today. You have your own clothes and language, which is very good. We are all citizens of Daliang, so we can communicate more in the future."

If you encounter any difficulties in your life, you can seek help from the government, which will certainly provide assistance as appropriate.

Despite Zheng Jie's long speech, the young man only mumbled two or three syllables.

Even if the other party is not well-informed, they understand that what Zheng Jie just said was just polite talk.

"I heard from Magistrate Luo that your Xunxian Town has a unique terrain, which is not conducive to farming, and life is very difficult. I have decided to allocate a piece of land outside the town for you to relocate. I wonder if you are willing?"

Upon hearing Zheng Jie's words, Luo Mao knew without waiting for him to speak that the savages would definitely disagree.

He had considered this idea before.

But these village chiefs were shrewd and experienced. They knew very well that although the terrain of Xunxian Town was not conducive to survival, it could also provide them with protection, and it would not be easy for outsiders to get in.

Once they leave Xunxian Town, will they still be the chieftains? Will anyone still listen to them?
Sure enough, the young man opposite said, "Thank you for your kindness, sir. We are fine where we are."

Luo Mao observed Zheng Jie's expression and saw that he neither showed anger nor frustration. He felt a sense of admiration for this young prefect.

“Since that’s the case, I won’t insist.” Zheng Jie continued, “These past two years have seen good harvests, with many places reaping abundant crops. I wonder if your Xunxian Town has enough grain?”

While the translation was still in progress, Zheng Jie continued, "According to Magistrate Luo, you didn't accept the potato and corn seeds that the government had previously given you. It seems you have enough food to eat."

Neither side could understand what the other was saying, so the young people had to relay the message between them.

The questions and answers cannot be answered in a timely manner.

Just as Zheng Jie concluded that there was enough food, the young man translated, "If there isn't enough food, the more the better, as long as the county government is willing to provide more."

Zheng Jie sneered inwardly. You can't even speak official jargon properly, yet you know the phrase "the more the better"! How impressive.

"Okay, how much grain do you need?" Zheng Jie was afraid that the other party would refuse to take anything, which would make it difficult to ask. Since they needed something, it would be easier to negotiate terms later.

The four chieftains on the other side huddled together and chattered away. It was clear that they didn't agree on anything, and the young man even joined in halfway through.

After waiting for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the other side finally made up their minds. The young man said to Zheng Jie, "We want four large cartloads of millet, four cows, twenty sheep, and eight women."

After hearing what they wanted, Zheng Jie clenched his fists inside his sleeves.

They really dare to ask for that!
“We can give you food and livestock,” Zheng Jie said, his tone unchanged. “But what do you want women for?”

Upon hearing this question, the young man opposite smiled sheepishly. He didn't translate it for the village chiefs, but replied directly, "It's useful."

Zheng Jie looked directly at him. "What's it for?"

The man opened his mouth, "Give birth to a child." This was clearly a last-minute change of phrase.

Zheng Jie said to him, “Speak to the one in charge: livestock and grain can be given, but women will not be given.”

The man pursed his lips and lowered his head to speak with the village chiefs in their dialect.

Zheng Jie's gaze swept over a group of people holding homemade weapons not far away, noticing that they were keeping a close eye on the four chieftains.

Zheng Jie mentally calculated whether it was possible for his constables to kill all four chieftains in an instant, and concluded that it was impossible.

To show their sincerity, the constables kept a relatively long distance, so that if they made any unusual moves, the savages on the other side would rush to their side first.

"Have all the village chiefs arrived yet?" Zheng Jie asked Luo Mao beside him in a low voice.

Luo Mao had no idea whether they had all arrived, nor did he know how many villages there were in Xunxian Town. "This... I don't know."

Zheng Jie gritted his teeth and faced the cacophony of the four chieftains opposite him. Only after they finished speaking did he turn to the young man.

The young man said, "If there were no women, we would have four more cows and four more cartloads of grain."

“Okay.” Zheng Jie smiled. “The government can give you what you want, but there are conditions.”

After the young man finished translating the sentence, the four people opposite him immediately started arguing. It took the young man a long time to calm them down.

"What are the government's conditions?" the young man asked.

Zheng Jie brought up the old matter again, saying, "The condition is that you move away from Xunxian Town and live in the new place that the government has allocated to you."

Luo Mao shook his head from behind. Wasn't this something that had already been denied? Why bring it up again?

Sure enough, without even consulting the four village chiefs, the young man replied on his own, "That's impossible, I already said that."

Zheng Jie insisted, "I will answer this government office after discussing it with the officials in charge."

The young man went to discuss it as instructed, and during this discussion, two of the village chiefs immediately slammed their fists on the table in response to Zheng Jie.

Seeing this, the constables gripped their sword hilts tightly, ready to rush forward at any moment to protect the two officials.

Zheng Jie remained seated, looking at the young man, "What did you say?"

"Impossible, we won't agree to your conditions."

Zheng Jie said slowly, "As for the conditions, they are all negotiable. If you don't agree to this, you can change to something else."

After the young man relayed Zheng Jie's words, he asked, "What are the other conditions?"

"The government is going to send people to be stationed in Xunxian Town," Zheng Jie said. "This is also for your safety."

Luo Mao thought to himself: Set up camp in Xunxian Town? Even if the other side dared to agree, he wouldn't dare send anyone in. Wouldn't that be sending people to their deaths?