Eternal Immortal Dynasty: Starting as a Petty Official

Chapter 211 Handing over the grain and fodder, the governor summons him (Seeking monthly votes)

As night fell, the campfire roared, illuminating the entire campsite.

The rich aroma of meat and rice mingled together, wafting through the air above the camp.

Not long ago, the city sent several minor officials to deliver two pigs, two sheep, and more than ten bushels of wine.

When receiving the reward, Zhao Xian also asked the leading clerk who had come on his orders.

The minor official stated frankly that he was acting on the orders of Shen Kuo, the military clerk of the prefecture.

The military officer was an official under the prefectural governor's office, in charge of military affairs. He wore a bronze seal and a yellow ribbon, and his salary was 300 shi (a unit of grain).

With the war raging in Xiao County, this military clerk is a favorite of the governor of Xiao County!

Although his rank was only 300 shi (a unit of grain measure), which was not even comparable to that of a county constable, the difference in their power was like heaven and earth.

Even if Chen Sheng met this military clerk, he would probably have to be extremely respectful.

Two pigs and two sheep are nothing; with over five thousand people in the camp, each person can only afford a sip of soup.

Zhao Xian simply ordered his auxiliary soldiers to chop them all up and add them to the porridge, so that everyone could have a taste of meat.

As for the drinks, Zhao Xian left them all to the militia, but each militia member could only have a few sips to satisfy their cravings!

Even though Zhao Xian made this request, the auxiliary soldiers secretly left two lamb legs specifically for Zhao Xian and his group of officers to stew.

I cooked a pot of soup.

When Zhao Xian saw this scene during the meal, he could only smile helplessly.

We can't exactly go looking for trouble with those auxiliary soldiers!

After the meal, Zhao Xian ordered Zhao Cheng, Zhao Ji, and the other military officers to rest, while he and Zhu Ji continued to patrol the camp.

Tomorrow is the last day to deliver the grain, and we can't afford any mishaps at this time.

On the other side, in the prefectural governor's mansion in the city.

The night was deep, yet the lights were still on.

In the main hall of the mansion, more than ten high-ranking officials of the prefecture sat upright in their seats, chatting happily with each other.

"The prefect has arrived!"

Suddenly, a figure flashed out from outside the door, and a loud shout came from outside.

All the high-ranking officials of the prefecture sat upright, their eyes fixed straight ahead.

A few breaths later, a middle-aged scholar dressed in a brocade robe with blue-purple cloud patterns and gold thread slowly entered the hall.

"We pay our respects to Your Majesty!"

All the high-ranking officials from the prefecture and county seat present on either side bowed down in unison.

"Rise, everyone!" Prefect Zhou Ji of Xiao County slowly took his seat, then looked around and said with a calm smile, "Today, Magistrate Wang invited me to appreciate the snow and plum blossoms, and we drank a bit too much. I apologize for keeping you all waiting."

"Since Your Excellency took office, you have been diligently preparing the troops and training them," a refined-looking middle-aged scholar at the lower right corner stroked his long beard, looked around at the others, and said with a smile, "Now the elite troops are complete, and the provisions for the three counties have all been delivered. With well-trained soldiers and ample supplies, this is truly a time of reform and innovation, and a grand undertaking to be carried out!"

"What the clerk says is absolutely right!"

"Without Your Excellency's unwavering dedication, how could you have trained over ten thousand elite soldiers!"

Upon hearing this, many high-ranking officials below naturally echoed his sentiments.

"Have the provisions and supplies for Rongtai County and Ronghuai County been delivered to the city gates by now?" Prefect Zhou Ji of Xiao County ignored the flattery and looked at Yang Zheng, the county clerk to his right, to ask.

"This afternoon, the grain transport teams from both counties arrived outside the city!" County Clerk Yang Zheng reported with a bow. "We were concerned that there might be Huang Tiandao spies among their teams, so we ordered them to set up camp outside the city and hand over the grain supplies tomorrow!"

"After traveling for more than ten days and covering hundreds of miles, have you treated yourself to a meal?"

"I have already sent my subordinates to deliver the wine and meat!" Before Yang Zheng, the county clerk, could continue speaking, Shen Kuo, the military clerk, replied respectfully.

"Well, we are the ones who need their help, so let's not discourage them!"

Zhou Ji nodded slightly and smiled calmly.

Even in the freezing cold, the house is warm and cozy.

Taking a sip of hot tea, Zhou Ji then looked at the military clerk Shen Kuo and casually asked, "The grain transport team in Rongguang County suffered a surprise attack by Huang Tiandao's bandits, resulting in heavy losses of grain and provisions. Have these two grain transport teams also encountered bandit attacks?"

"The lower-ranking official, atop the city wall, overlooked the grain transport convoys from both counties, and indeed, there were some wounded soldiers among them!"

"The subordinate officials delivered wine and meat, and upon their return, reported that Rongtai County had only a few dozen casualties, while Ronghuai County had approximately one or two hundred casualties!"

After a few moments of deliberation, Shen Kuo reported the truth.

"It seems that Rongtai County is well prepared!" Zhou Ji nodded and smiled upon hearing this.

"After the handover of the grain and provisions tomorrow, summon the officials in charge of transporting the grain to come and pay their respects. They have worked hard, enduring ten or twenty days of travel by boat and carriage; they deserve a reward!"

"If others find out, they'll laugh at me for not showing compassion for my subordinates!"

After saying this, Zhou Ji stroked his beard and chuckled.

"Your Excellency is merciful!"

Upon hearing this, all the officials laughed in unison.

Silent all night.

The next morning, as dawn broke, wisps of smoke rose from the campsite.

"Sir, the 10,000 shi of millet, 928 shi of crescent-shaped rice, and 100 shi of jade pearl rice have all been counted."

As the sun rose in the east, Yuan Wei, Liu Ping, and Liu Sheng came to report.

"By handing over this batch of millet to Xiao County, we can consider our mission ninety percent complete!"

Zhao Xian nodded slightly, looked around at the three people in front of him, and said with emotion.

"Sir, we don't even have a thousand bushels of Crescent Moon Rice. What should we do?"

Yuan Wei, whose official rank was second only to Zhao Xian, naturally spoke first to ask the question.

"So many soldiers died or were wounded? Could it be a charade with the bandits? A few grains of rice, nothing more!"

Zhao Xian chuckled lightly, but said it without any concern.

As for why Zhao Xian was so confident, it was naturally because a few days ago, Zhao Xian had learned from Chen Sheng about the amount of grain and provisions that Rongguang County was transporting to Xiao County.

There were over four thousand shi of millet and over six hundred shi of crescent-shaped rice. Only the jade pearl rice was transported in military ration bags and kept by County Magistrate Rong Guang, so not a single grain was lost.

Now, Rongtai County has sent a full 10,000 shi of millet, and an additional 300 shi of crescent-shaped rice. Zhao Xian is naturally confident that he will not be held accountable by the officials of Xiao County!

As the sun rose in the east, the city gates gradually opened, and the Taoists waiting to enter the city lined up in anticipation of this scene.

Unexpectedly, more than ten riders rushed out of the city gate, and the Taoists entering the city naturally avoided the middle of the road.

The clatter of hooves sounded, and the cavalry were heading towards the camp in Ronghuai County.

Around 9:00 AM, the group of knights left the Ronghuai County camp and galloped towards the Rongtai County camp.

At this moment, the camp gates were wide open, and Zhao Xian, along with his subordinate officials, had been waiting there for a long time.

"Hiss~"

The sound of horses' hooves rang out, and Zhao Xian looked up to see that more than ten riders had stopped a few feet in front of him.

The leader was none other than a high-ranking official with a bronze seal and yellow ribbon hanging from his waist.

"Zhao Xian, a clerk in the military affairs department of Rongtai County, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

Taking a few steps closer, Zhao Xian immediately bowed.

"Please rise, Lord Zhao," the leading official dismounted and helped Zhao Xian to his feet. He then explained, "I am Shen Kuo, the military clerk of Xiao County, and this is Mi Fu, the granary clerk of the county!"

"Zhao Xian greets the two sovereigns!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian bowed again.

"The provisions and supplies are all prepared; please inspect them, Your Excellencies!"

"good!"

The officials from Xiao County followed Zhao Xian slowly into the camp.

Inside the camp, dozens of military tents stood in neat rows, and the soldiers coming and going were fully armed and exuded a chilling aura, which secretly amazed the two prefectural officials.

Upon seeing thousands of militiamen sitting around campfires, their dark faces illuminated by the firelight, their expressions calm and orderly, their groups organized without any sign of disorder or panic, the two men were even more astonished.

Even with so many unfamiliar officials arriving, no one stood up to make a fuss.

"Zhao Jun is indeed a man of military skill, managing to govern these thousands of militia members so well!"

Looking around, the military clerk Shen Kuo smiled and praised him.

"I am unworthy of Your Majesty's praise; it is all thanks to the assistance of the gentlemen of the county!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian immediately responded modestly.

"Haha! Mr. Zhao is too modest!"

Before long, the group arrived at the center of the camp, where a small mountain of millet was piled up.

"My lords, this pile contains millet, totaling ten thousand bushels; on the other side is crescent-shaped rice, totaling nine hundred and twenty-eight bushels!"

"In addition, there are also 100 shi of jade pearls and rice!"

Speaking of Jade Pearl Rice, Zhao Xian also turned to look at Yuan Wei behind him.

At this moment, Yuan Wei took out an exquisite soldier's ration bag from his bosom and respectfully presented it.

Mi Fu immediately took the ration bag, scanned it with his divine sense, and knew that the amount of jade pearl rice inside was not lacking, so he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

He stuffed the food bag into his sleeve, and Mi Fu took out another food bag of slightly different color and handed it to Yuan Wei.

"The calculation of the jade pearl rice is correct!" Mi Fu replied with a smile, then looked at Zhao Xian and asked with a smile, "As we traveled along, we noticed dozens of wounded soldiers in the camp. Were they ambushed by the Huang Tiandao bandits along the way?"

"Exactly!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian's face immediately turned serious, and he continued, "Several days after we entered Xiao County, we were attacked by bandits at night. After we joined up with the grain transport team from Ronghuai County, we were attacked by bandits again at night!"

"After a fierce battle, we slew one of the bandits who had reached the Foundation Establishment stage!"

Even though they had already learned about this from Chen Sheng, Shen Kuo and Mi Fu both looked solemn and offered words of comfort to Zhao Xian.

"Mi Jun, you stay here to verify the rations and pay. I will take Zhao Jun to pay his respects to the Magistrate!"

After calming him down, Shen Kuo turned to Mi Fusu, who was standing to the side, and said.

"They actually want to pay their respects to the prefect?!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian's face showed a look of shock!

Upon hearing this, Yuan Wei, Xu Dekun, and the others behind him also showed a look of surprise, which quickly turned into envy.

In terms of officialdom, a prefect of a prefecture is a high-ranking official with a silver seal and blue ribbon, holding a position with a salary of two thousand shi (a unit of grain). In terms of cultivation, he is an immortal who has lived for hundreds of years and is considered to have achieved the condensation of elixir!

Let alone Zhao Xian, Xu Dekun and others, even Chen Sheng, the county magistrate of Ronghuai, who is a Foundation Establishment cultivator, would find it quite difficult to meet a Core Formation cultivator if he were not serving as a grain transport officer this time.

I'm afraid only after he's promoted to the position of County Lieutenant of Ronghuai will he have the opportunity to visit the Prefect's office!

"The Prefect, moved by the hard work of Zhao and Chen in escorting the grain, hereby summons them to offer his commendation!"

"This is a great opportunity for Zhao Jun!"

After carefully examining Zhao Xian for a few moments, Shen Kuo smiled slightly and turned to walk out of the camp gate.

"Zhao Jun, why aren't you following us quickly?"

Seeing Zhao Xian standing still, Mi Fu also made a joke.

Coming to his senses, Zhao Xian immediately gave a wry smile and said, "I'm just a lowly country official, hardly fit for such a refined role. Please forgive my ignorance, Mr. Mi!"

"Haha! Your Excellency is benevolent and unpretentious; Lord Zhao, please pay your respects!"

"Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Mi!"

Zhao Xian bowed to Mi Fu, expressing his gratitude.

After saying that, Zhao Xian looked at Yuan Wei, Liu Ping, and Liu Sheng standing to the side and instructed them, "Yuan Jun, A Ping, A Sheng, the three of you must cooperate well with Mi Jun in verifying the amount of grain and provisions!"

"I will obey your command, General!"

Yuan Wei and the other two naturally bowed and agreed.

Upon exiting the camp gate, Zhao Xian saw Chen Sheng already waiting outside.

When I saw Chen Sheng again, he was dressed in a neat brocade robe, wearing a jeweled crown and an official seal at his waist. He looked dignified, solemn and elegant.

"Shen Jun, Bo Zhang!"

Upon seeing Shen Kuo, Zhao Xian, and their entourage leave the camp, Chen Sheng also rode forward to greet them.

"Greetings, Lord Chen!"

Zhao Xian also raised his hand and bowed in greeting.

"Lord Chen, Your Excellency is very busy with official duties; we must hurry and pay our respects!"

When Shen Kuo saw Chen Sheng arrive in full regalia, he immediately smiled and said...

"please!"

Seeing this, Chen Sheng also turned his horse around, falling half a step behind Shen Kuo.

The camp was only a few miles from the city gate. After a short walk, they passed through two city gates and entered the city.

After entering the city, the group naturally slowed down their horses and proceeded slowly.

Although Zhao Xian was new to the city, he remained quite composed and showed no surprise.

As the seat of the prefecture, Xiao County was far larger than Rongtai County in terms of city size alone.

However, the city wasn't as prosperous as Zhao Xian had imagined.

After all, Xiao County is no longer a benevolent place!

Along the way, Shen Kuo would occasionally chat with Zhao Xian and Chen Sheng, making it quite lively.

After walking on the street for a while, the group finally arrived outside the prefectural governor's mansion.

They dismounted, led their horses to the hitching post, and then headed towards the gate of the mansion.

As Shen Kuo was a favorite of the current prefect, Zhao Xian and the other two, who followed him, naturally did not suffer any harassment from the gatekeeper.

They entered the prefectural governor's mansion easily.

"Please wait here for a moment!"

Upon entering the front courtyard, Shen Kuo led Zhao Xian and the other man to a side room, and then hurriedly left.

After exchanging a glance with Chen Sheng, the two of them sat quietly in the side room, waiting.

In such an unfamiliar place, not only Zhao Xian, but even Chen Sheng would not dare to wander around casually!

About half an hour later, a young clerk appeared before the two of them.

"My lords, the governor summons you. Please follow me!"

After saying this, the clerk led the way, and Zhao Xian and his companion naturally got up and followed.

Before long, the two appeared outside the main hall.

With a flick of his sleeve, the official sent two beams of light down on the two men. Zhao Xian felt a lightness around him, and his robes seemed to have been washed, becoming even more radiant and beautiful.

Chen Sheng entered first, followed by Zhao Xian a step behind, and the two slowly walked into the hall.

"Your humble servant Chen Sheng (Zhao Xian) pays his respects to Your Excellency!"

Upon entering the main hall, the two men kept their eyes straight ahead. They took a few steps forward, and before they could even see the people in the hall clearly, they had already bowed deeply.

Get up!

A gentle voice reached their ears, and Zhao Xian and his companion immediately stood up.

A middle-aged scholar dressed in a blue-purple brocade robe came into view.

The man had a fair complexion, as clear as jade, with three long strands of beard hanging down his chin, and his eyes gleamed with a hint of blue light. He was truly a man of refined and elegant appearance, with a free and easy demeanor!

"Chen Sheng, you are the magistrate of Ronghuai County, yet you killed a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Yellow Heaven Path while escorting grain. You have done your part in suppressing bandits for the officials and people of Xiao County!"

"This humble official is unworthy of such praise!" Upon hearing this, Chen Sheng's expression immediately turned solemn, and he continued, "The ability to slay a Foundation Establishment cultivator was truly achieved through the combined efforts of Rong Tai, Rong Huai, and other Innate Realm martial artists!"

"Are you from the Rongtai Chen clan?"

"This humble official is a member of the Chen clan!"

"Hmm, the Rongtai Chen family has indeed sent quite a few outstanding disciples to the sect over the years!"

After offering a few words of praise, Zhou Ji, the prefect of Xiao County, looked at Zhao Xian behind Chen Sheng.

A glint of light flashed in his eyes, and he saw through Zhao Xian's disguise.

Zhou Ji was surprised that Zhao Xian was only at the Qi Refining stage.

"Rongtai County performed exceptionally well in this grain and provisions escort mission, entirely thanks to your tireless efforts day and night!"

"This humble official is unworthy of such praise!" Zhao Xian quickly bowed and replied respectfully, "Magistrate Gao and all the county officials have contributed greatly!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ji nodded slightly, a warm smile appearing on his face.

Clearly, he was quite pleased with Zhao Xian's respectful attitude.

"Of the officials in charge of transporting grain from the three counties, you are the only one at the Qi Refining stage, yet you have managed to bring in the most grain and provisions. You have truly worked incredibly hard!"

After a few moments of contemplation, Zhou Ji raised his hand and waved it, and a white porcelain bottle appeared in front of Zhao Xian.

"I observe that you are still at the eighth level of Qi Refining, but your foundation is quite solid. I will bestow this Profound Origin Pill upon you!"

"Thank you for your generous gift, Your Excellency!" Zhao Xian immediately bowed deeply.

Zhao Xian had naturally heard of the reputation of the Xuan Yuan Pill; it was an extremely famous elixir for those in the Qi Refining Realm!

Its reputation is no less than that of the Foundation Establishment Pill!

Why does it have such a great reputation? It's because the Xuan Yuan Pill is said to be able to raise a Qi Refining cultivator's cultivation level by one level out of thin air!

If Zhao Xian takes this Xuan Yuan Pill and goes into seclusion to refine it, when he comes out of seclusion, he will already be at the ninth level of Qi Refining!

If a cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refining were to consume it, it would be enough to raise their cultivation level to the peak of Qi Refining!

One Xuan Yuan Pill can save a Qi Refining cultivator four or five years of time!

How can it compare to the Foundation Establishment Pill!

As for the price, the market price is around 1,500 low-grade spirit stones, but there is no market for it.

At auctions, it's quite common for a single Xuan Yuan Pill to fetch 1,800 low-grade spirit stones.

"Chen Sheng, this bottle of Pure Yuan Pills is bestowed upon you. I hope you will cultivate diligently!"

On the other side, a crystal-clear jade bottle appeared in front of Chen Sheng, who immediately accepted it respectfully.

Seeing that Zhou Ji remained silent, Zhao Xian and his companion bowed again in thanks and left.

The two were not important figures; they were merely summoned by Zhou Ji on a whim. Naturally, he would not invite them to dine at his residence.

Once outside the main hall, a minor official was waiting for the two of them.

When the clerk saw the two men come out, he immediately led them out of the mansion.

After leaving the prefectural governor's mansion, the clerk picked a cavalryman to lead the two out of the city.

Only after leaving the city did Zhao Xian and Chen Sheng finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Ha ha!"

Seeing the two of them so anxious and worried, Chen Sheng couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Bo Zhang, when I was in the Qi Refining stage, I never had the opportunity to be summoned by a True Immortal of the Core Formation stage!"

"Your opportunity far surpasses mine!"

"You flatter me, Lord Chen. Zhao Xian's success is merely due to a series of coincidences!" Zhao Xian replied modestly upon hearing this.

"Regardless, we've finally completed this grain transport mission!" A look of relief appeared on Chen Sheng's face; he seemed to have a great weight lifted from his shoulders. "Over ten thousand shi of grain can be transported in a single day. At the latest, we can set off to return home the day after tomorrow!"

"I heard from Yuan Cheng that Yuan Qing is already pregnant?"

Sitting upright on horseback, the two gradually moved away from the city gate, and Chen Sheng asked a question.

"Judging by the time, it should be time for her to give birth by now!"

Upon hearing Chen Sheng's question, Zhao Xian's face also revealed a hint of longing.

"Time flies so fast!"

Without any apparent reason, Chen Sheng reached into his sleeve and found a jade pendant in his hand.

Then he threw it at Zhao Xian.

"Yuanqing is a child I watched grow up. Now that he has given birth to a child, who also carries half of the Chen family's blood, I offer this jade pendant as a token of my appreciation as his great-uncle!"

"Thank you, Master Chen!"

Zhao Xian did not refuse; he accepted the jade pendant and bowed.

The two of them and Chen Yuancheng had known each other for several years, so they were naturally not too distant.

"Bo Zhang, although the Xuan Yuan Pill is good, don't go back and refine it immediately!"

"It's not too late to refine it after reaching the ninth level of Qi Refining!"

Fearing that Zhao Xian might not be able to resist refining the Xuan Yuan Pill, Chen Sheng gave him another piece of advice before parting ways.

"Zhao Xianjin will comply with Lord Chen's wishes!"

After watching Chen Sheng leave, Zhao Xian turned his horse around and returned to the camp.

When they returned to the camp, Mi Fu, the warehouse clerk of Xiao County, had already left.

"Brother! Brother!"

Upon seeing Zhao Xian's return, Zhao Bing, Zhao Hong, Huang Zhong, and the others stepped forward to greet him.

Zhao Bing grabbed the reins and asked urgently, "Brother, have you seen the Prefect? ​​What kind of demeanor does the True Immortal Ningdan possess?"

"Yes, brother, tell us quickly!"

Huang Zhong also asked questions, and at this time Yuan Wei, Xu Dekun, Xu Dejing and others also came over.

"I and Lord Chen paid our respects to the Prefect, who bestowed upon me a Xuan Yuan Pill!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian immediately spoke without any attempt to conceal his thoughts.

"Wow! It's actually the Profound Origin Pill!" Yuan Wei and Xu Dekun were quite surprised when they heard the term Profound Origin Pill!

This is a rare treasure!

"As for the prefect's demeanor..."

At this point, Zhao Xian paused slightly, and after a few moments of contemplation, exclaimed, "Its momentum is magnificent and unfathomable, truly awe-inspiring!"

Upon hearing this, everyone secretly envisioned the aura of a True Core Formation Realm cultivator!

"Yuan Jun, did Mi Jun leave any instructions before she left?"

After walking a few steps, Zhao Xian looked at Yuan Wei again and asked with a smile.

"Mr. Mi wants us to wait here for another day or two before the handover can be completed!"

Yuan Wei truthfully stated the facts.

"In that case, we will wait here for a day or two."

"Brother, since we're here, why don't we go into the city and have some sightseeing?"

Zhao Bing, who was very playful, looked at Zhao Xian and asked with a grin.

Absolutely not!

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian's face immediately turned serious. He looked around at the others and said solemnly, "The city guards conduct very strict searches when entering and leaving the city!"

"Furthermore, Xiao County is currently embroiled in war; let's not create trouble out of nothing!"

"What you say is absolutely right, General!" Zhao Cheng chimed in, "Today I will lead my men to guard the camp gates, preventing even a single soldier from entering or leaving!"

"After handing over the provisions and pay, we will immediately return to Rongtai County!"

Seeing Zhao Xian's serious expression, everyone nodded in agreement.

They are not the kind of people who don't know what's important; they naturally know that it's better to avoid trouble!

Moreover, Xiao County was in the midst of war, and Xiao County, as the county seat, was not as prosperous as Rong County, the county seat of Rong County!