Eternal Immortal Dynasty: Starting as a Petty Official

In the afternoon, the sun shone brightly.

Outside the Shanghu Pavilion, there was a great deal of noise.

Dozens of grieving and weeping Taoists surrounded the pavilion, making it impossible to pass through.

The cries were interspersed with fragmented words such as "my son," "my husband," and "my elder brother."

It was obvious that these people were the family members of the Daoist people who died at the hands of the bandits last night.

For them, the collapse of the pillar supporting their home was tantamount to the sky falling and the earth caved in.

The cries were so loud they stopped the clouds in their tracks. Several high-ranking officials from the county, who were chatting idly in the back courtyard, could no longer pretend not to know and hurried out of the pavilion.

As the high-ranking official wearing the official seal walked out of the pavilion, the people's cries grew even more intense.

"Everyone~"

"Listen to what the magistrate of the county has to say!"

Seeing this, Chen Yuancheng quickly went down the steps to calm everyone down.

Under his constant, soft soothing words, the Taoist priests' cries gradually subsided, but many were still sobbing quietly.

"Gentlemen, my name is Xu Cheng, and I am Rongtai Zuowei."

Seeing that Daomin's crying was gradually subsiding, the leader immediately stepped forward and said in a deep voice.

He had a swallow-like chin and tiger-like beard, a dark complexion, and wore a bronze seal and yellow ribbon; he was indeed a robust and capable man.

According to the official system of the Qianlong era, a county had a magistrate, a deputy magistrate, and a lieutenant.

The magistrate was paid a salary of 1,000 shi (a unit of grain), while the assistant magistrate and the county commandant were paid a salary of 400 shi (another unit of grain). The county had two commandants, left and right, who were not ranked and were in charge of maintaining order and stationing troops, respectively.

"According to the laws of the Qianlong era, soldiers who die in battle shall be given a pension of two bolts of silk and three shi of millet annually for a period of ten years!"

"Although the civilians who died in battle last night were not soldiers, they perished while suppressing bandits. The county magistrate has decreed that they may be given compensation in accordance with the law!"

Looking around at the people of the road, Left Commandant Xu Cheng continued in a solemn voice.

"Your Excellency is merciful; we, your humble servants, thank you!"

Upon hearing this, all the Taoist priests knelt down and kowtowed, shouting loudly.

Chen Yuancheng and other officials of the pavilion also bowed and thanked the county magistrate.

However, after these Taoists cried their hearts out, both the county soldiers and the other Taoists felt a pang of sympathy, and their morale plummeted.

Several high-ranking officials from the county, standing on the steps, frowned slightly upon seeing this scene.

Chen Yuancheng noticed that the lords' brows were furrowed, and suddenly an idea struck him.

He quickly took a few steps, caught up with the group of Daoists, and shouted, "Yuan Cheng is ashamed, I have failed you all!"

"Gentlemen, you came to Yuan Cheng's aid, yet you perished at the hands of the enemy. Please accept Yuan Cheng's bow!"

After saying this, he knelt down and performed a grand salute.

Upon seeing the pavilion chief perform such a grand ceremony, the remaining three officials of Shanghu Pavilion all knelt down and kowtowed, unable to rise.

"Please proceed with peace of mind. Yuancheng will take care of everything at home, so please don't worry about me!"

Chen Yuancheng's heartfelt words deeply moved the Taoist priests who had lost their loved ones, and they all knelt down to pay their respects.

"Gentlemen of Shanghuting, the bandits have wounded my brothers and plundered my homes. Although we have defeated them, some have fled to the mountains and wilderness. How can we allow them to gather in the forests and return?"

"The magistrate is kind and benevolent, and has shown great compassion and generosity. He will also accompany the county constable to search the mountains and apprehend the bandits!"

Wang Jia, who was seeking the thief at Shanghu Pavilion, was also a meticulous person, and immediately raised his arms and shouted!

"Eliminate evil completely, search the mountains and apprehend the bandits!"

Upon seeing this, Zhao Xian also loudly echoed in the crowd.

His uncle Zhao Li, elder brother Zhao Zheng, and other members of the Zhao clan from Yangping Village also shouted loudly.

"Eliminate evil completely, search the mountains and apprehend the bandits!"

The people of the county finally shouted in unison, and the county soldiers brought by the county magistrate also echoed loudly, and their morale, which had plummeted, slowly began to recover.

"Mr. Chen, Yuan Cheng is quite good!"

Left Lieutenant Xu Cheng looked at his subordinate, the bandit chief Chen Sheng, and praised him with a smile.

"Quick-witted and a truly excellent person!"

Youjiao Liu Yu also spoke up in praise.

"The Left Commandant flatters you. Yuan Cheng is simple and honest; it was just a genuine expression of his feelings, a mere accident."

Chen Sheng, a thief under his command, stroked his beard and said with a smile.

Although his words were polite, the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, indicating that he was in a very good mood.

The last person, however, glanced at Chen Yuancheng, his heart filled with utter despair. It was none other than Zhu Ran, the steward of Wohu Township.

Last night, Chen Yuancheng sent Wang Yi, the head of Dawangli Village, to Xiangting to ask for help. After Zhu Ran learned that there were hundreds of bandits besieging the pavilion, she was convinced that Chen Yuancheng was doomed.

Therefore, he procrastinated in every way in response to Wang Yi's urging, saying that the number of bandits was unknown and that in order to prevent being ambushed by the bandits, he would send people to support the pavilion after dawn.

They even secretly hoped that the bandits and the people of Shanghuting would both suffer heavy losses, so that they could reap the benefits.

Unfortunately, the bandits were defeated and the news of the victory was sent to the county town, but Zhu Ran was still unaware of it. This was truly a disaster she brought upon herself.

......

After lunch, the county soldiers and civilians, totaling four or five hundred people, divided into dozens of teams and went to the mountains and forests around Shanghuting to search for bandits.

Neighboring pavilions, such as Dahu Pavilion and Xiahu Pavilion, were also places where villagers gathered to search the mountains and apprehend bandits.

Zhao Zhong, the head of Yangping Village, was seriously injured and was recuperating in a pavilion. The villagers of Yangping Village then led a search party led by his uncle Zhao Li and elder brother Zhao Zheng.

As for Zhao Xian, he did not go to search the mountain, but instead obeyed Chen Yuancheng's orders and stayed in the pavilion to serve several high-ranking officials in the county.

As the sun was about to set, several riders galloped from the east. The leader was a clerk of the hundred stone rank, wearing a blue robe and a green ribbon with half a seal.

The men dismounted, and the guard Zhao Ze immediately stepped forward to greet them.

"Zhao Ze, a soldier at Shanghu Pavilion, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

Zhao Ze's arm was injured and wrapped in white cloth, making it quite inconvenient for him to perform a proper bow, so he could only bow deeply.

Upon seeing Zhao Ze's injuries, the visitor's expression softened slightly, and he asked in a stern voice, "Zhao Ze, is the Left Commandant at home?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the Left Commandant, the Bandit Officer, and the Village Chief are all in the house. The Patrol Officer Liu and the Steward Zhu have personally gone to the mountains and forests to search for and apprehend the bandits."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ze immediately replied respectfully.

"Take me to see the Left Commandant!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ze immediately led the way.

Before long, the group of several people arrived at the elegant residence in the backyard.

"Liu Yuan, the clerk of the Ministry of Personnel, greets the Left Commandant!"

The leader also bowed to the elegant residence and said solemnly.

"Please come in, Mr. Liu!"

Liu Yuan strode into the house, while his entourage remained in the courtyard.

"Kuro!"

Chen Yuancheng's voice came from outside the door, and Zhao Xian hurriedly put down the medicine in his hand and went out of the room.

"Clerk Liu has arrived. Several high-ranking officials from the county will likely be staying at the inn tonight. The travelers have already left the back room. You may take some men to clean up!"

After saying that, Chen Yuancheng smiled slightly, looked at Zhao Xian, and joked, "A bandit's head is worth a thousand coins. If Jiulang shoots twelve people, he can get twelve thousand talisman coins!"

"The official has arrived with the reward money; it will be distributed publicly tomorrow!"

"The village head's annual salary is only fifty shi (a unit of dry measure), about five thousand talismans. Jiulang earned in one night what I earned in two years!"

"There are so many!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian was also dumbfounded, his face filled with shock.

Gently patting Zhao Xian's shoulder, Chen Yuancheng continued with a smile, "With this talisman money, Jiulang will have no worries about his future cultivation!"

"Do not forget my orders!"

Fearing that Zhao Xian might only remember the talisman money and forget his instructions, Chen Yuancheng emphasized it again.

"Zhao Xian will go and clean up now!"

Zhao Xian immediately came to his senses and responded solemnly.

"Don't flaunt your wealth, and don't tell others about it!"

Before turning to leave, Chen Yuancheng, worried about Zhao Xian's youth, gave him one last piece of advice.

"Thank you for your guidance, Ting-jun!"

Zhao Xian bowed sincerely, and then walked out of the pavilion.

There were a dozen or so teenagers watching outside the pavilion, so I had them help me clean it.