Republic of China: Guandong Ginseng King

Chapter 295: East Road Yamen

Chen Xiuyun knew that she couldn't persuade Qu Shaoyang, so she simply stopped talking and turned to prepare clothes, luggage, money, gifts, etc. for her husband to go out.

The next morning, Qu Shaoyang led a dozen patrol team members, starting from Maoer Mountain, down the river and heading straight to Kuandian.

Last year, there was an epidemic that killed many people on the other side of the river. At the beginning of spring, the villages along the river were almost deserted.

However, only half a year later, these villages and towns became prosperous again.

The main reason for this is that Goryeo has been plagued by internal strife and disasters in recent years.

Many Korean people had no choice but to leave their homes and migrate northward, trying to cross the Yalu River to make a living on the other side.

Since Qu Shaoyang took office as inspector, he has strictly enforced border defense. The patrol team patrols day and night and prohibits people on the other side of the strait from crossing the border to reclaim wasteland.

Therefore, many people on the other side of the river can only stay by the river temporarily and look for opportunities to cross the river.

It just so happened that some villagers had died of illness and their houses were uninhabited, so these refugees took over and stayed there.

"Thanks to your wisdom, the patrol team strictly guarded the area and did not allow those people on the other side to cross the border.

Otherwise, those Koreans will definitely gather more and more and cause trouble."

Zhou Chuanzhi, who went out with Qu Shaoyang, couldn't help but sigh when he saw the situation on the other side of the river.

Among the four brothers of the Zhou family, originally only Zhou Chuanren was in the security team. Later, when Qu Shaoyang became an inspector, he transferred Zhou Chuanren to work in the inspection office.

Last fall, the patrol team recruited a large number of people, and the third and fourth sons of the Zhou family joined the patrol team.

Although Zhou Chuanzhi is young, he is smart and intelligent, and he does things prudently.

Qu Shaoyang thought highly of him, so he arranged for Zhou Chuanzhi to be the deputy captain of the patrol team.

For this trip, Qu Shaoyang specially picked a dozen people from the patrol team who were good at boxing and shooting, including Zhou Chuanzhi.

“Not only that, but thanks to your father-in-law’s superb medical skills and your good leadership, the epidemic last year was brought under control in time.

If not, I’m afraid we won’t know how many people will die here, and I’m afraid it will be like the other side, with nine out of ten houses empty.

Then, it will give the Koreans an opportunity to cross the river and occupy our houses and land.”

Another person who was accompanying him also sighed.

Qu Shaoyang heard the conversation between his men, looked across the river, and then sighed.

Fortunately, the plague last year was brought under control in time, and the Chen family’s secret recipe of stewed mustard greens was very effective.

At least the lives of most people were saved at a very small cost.

The fact that the aged mustard greens stew had such miraculous effects was beyond Doctor Chen's expectations.

At Qu Shaoyang's strong request, the family planted more than ten acres of mustard last summer.

By autumn, all the mustard greens were dug up and, under the supervision of Doctor Chen, dozens of jars of mustard greens were pickled.

The only drawback of aged mustard greens brine is that it takes too long to make, as it needs to be buried underground for ten years.

When Qu Shaoyang had nothing to do, he would try to recall the traditional method of cultivating penicillin that he had seen in his previous life, and then think of ways to conduct experiments.

But I don’t know which link went wrong, and it always fails.

Qu Shaoyang was too busy to concentrate on researching penicillin, so he had no choice but to put it on hold.

What Zhou Chuanzhi and the others said reminded him of this matter.

Although we escaped the plague last year, a large number of people died during the great plague outbreak in Northeast China more than ten years later.

It seems that we still need to find a way to develop penicillin. Perhaps by then, we can save many lives.

As they walked and talked, they saw the sun gradually setting and the sky getting darker. They had to hurry up and find a place to stay. "Hurry up, about ten miles ahead, there is a village, let's find a place to stay."

Qu Shaoyang was very familiar with the route, so he shouted and quickened his pace.

At night, the group stayed in a small village by the river.

This place has not left the jurisdiction of the Yalu River Inspectorate. The people in charge of the village also know Qu Shaoyang. When they learned that the inspector had arrived, they naturally gave him a warm welcome.

They arranged the best room, with a warm kang, provided delicious meals, and even boiled hot water for feet in the evening.

The next morning, before Qu Shaoyang and his friends got up, the host prepared breakfast for them and also gave them fried pancakes and other dry food.

Before leaving, Qu Shaoyang wanted to give the other party some silver, but the other party refused to accept it no matter what.

Qu Shaoyang had no choice but to secretly stuff the silver into their bedding before leaving.

The Dongbian Dao, whose full name is the Fengtian Eastern Military Preparations Dao.

Dao was a first-level administrative agency in the Qing Dynasty. Initially, it was a temporary central supervisory agency stationed in local areas to supervise officials at the prefectures and counties and organize them into Yudufu.

The chief official was called Daoyuan or Daoyin, a fourth-rank official position. Daotai was actually a respectful title used by subordinates to address their superiors.

Dao is generally divided into two types: "patrol Dao" and "guard Dao".

The Dongbian Road was originally a patrol road, which patrolled the north and south and visited the border passes throughout the year.

Later, it gradually turned into a road guard, with the responsibilities of training officers and soldiers, inspecting wood taxes, reed ponds, grain and other taxes, and criminal cases.

The Dongbian Dao was established in the third year of the Guangxu period, and its government office was in Fenghuang Hall, which is now Fenghuang City.

Therefore, Qu Shaoyang and others had to go to Kuandian first, and then go from Kuandian to Phoenix City.

The journey from Maoer Mountain to Kuandian is long. If it is in spring or summer, it will take at least five or six days to get there.

In winter, the surface of the Yalu River is completely frozen, making it flat and smooth, making it easy to travel, so it only takes three or four days to get there.

Qu Shaoyang and his party arrived in Kuandian on the evening of the 16th day of the first lunar month, and arrived in Phoenix City at noon on the 18th day of the first lunar month.

Qu Shaoyang came to Phoenix City on official business, so he went straight to the post house after entering the city. After showing the official letter from the county government, he successfully checked into the post house.

Traveling on horseback in such cold weather was really a torture, so after the group checked into the inn, they immediately asked someone to arrange meals.

After eating the hot food, everyone felt better.

After dinner, Qu Shaoyang took the time to wash, shave, and change clothes, then went to the Dongbiandao Yamen with the letter from County Magistrate Chen and the gifts he had prepared in advance.

The East Circuit Office is located in Fenghuang City. It was designed by the first circuit commissioner Chen Benzhi and completed in the fourth year of the Guangxu period.

It follows feudal etiquette and has a symmetrical layout, with civil officials on the left and military officials on the right, and the government office in front and the bedroom in the back.

On the central axis, from outside to inside, there are the screen wall, the main gate, the ceremonial gate, the main hall, the second hall, the house gate, and the third hall.

There are two courtyards on the east and west sides, and on the east side there are the yamen temple, study, kitchen, miscellaneous rooms, etc.

On the west side, there are icehouses, police stations, reception rooms, etc. Inside the courtyard wall, there are also carports, stables, teahouses, granaries, etc.

Qu Shaoyang, wearing the uniform of a ninth-rank inspector, walked around the screen wall and came to the outside of the gate, bowing to the gatekeeper.

"Thank you for your hard work, I am here to pay my respects to Mr. Gao, the Scripture Book of the Household Department."

In the East Road Yamen, there were six departments, namely, Li, Hu, Li, Bing, Xing, and Gong, as well as a Chengfa Department, each with a scripture clerk and several scribes.

Qu Shaoyang was only a ninth-rank inspector, and it was impossible for him to meet the governor directly.

County Magistrate Chen had a good relationship with Mr. Gao, the secretary of the Household Department, so he gave Qu Shaoyang a visiting card and asked him to go find Mr. Gao.

(End of this chapter)