Transmigrated into a minor official in a county government, with children at home waiting for rice t

Zhao Changyan looked at Li Hang and said, "Jingzhai, this is the first time I've seen you frown. You just said 'It's all about timing and fate,' and hearing those words from you is more shocking than hearing Zhang Fuzhi kill someone."

Li Hang shook his head. "I'm not sighing because I was transferred from a county official to a prefectural assistant official. I'm just lamenting that something I had just started to sort out has to be taken over by someone else."

"Changyan, think about it. In Juancheng, the previous governor, Shen Jue, did nothing during his three years in office. I've spent these days clarifying the regulations of the Six Houses and reforming them through Shouli."

"The almshouse project has only just begun. I originally intended to proceed slowly and have the county government eventually take over completely. Now that I'm leaving, if someone else takes over, they might not be willing to continue."

Zhao Changyan was somewhat surprised upon hearing this, and his brows furrowed. "The almshouse? Isn't Shouli doing a good job? If the county government takes over completely, it can save him money on food..."

Li Hang glanced at him and said meaningfully, "Changyan, you're too trusting. You should know that seeing is believing, but sometimes, even seeing isn't always the truth."

Zhao Changyan frowned even more deeply. "Jingzhai, what do you mean by that?"

Li Hang shook his head. "I asked you to call Shouli here earlier to give him a warning, but I never expected that Zhang Fuzhi would execute the official. Therefore, there are some things I can't say today."

"Changyan, think about it carefully. How could that old woman at the almshouse recognize us at a glance? Madam Chen reminded us to be discreet because of propriety, which sounds reasonable."

"But think about it again. How would they know when you and I are going? You see, we're on an incognito visit, and we're new to this area. How many people would recognize us?"

Reminded by him, Zhao Changyan's mind raced. "You mean, from the moment we left the county government office, spies sent our whereabouts to the almshouse? This...this means that our every move was under Zhang Shouli's watchful eye!"

Li Hang smiled slightly, "That's right. That old woman at the almshouse, she does have some skill in judging people. However, she has a strong air of vulgarity about her. If I'm not mistaken, she must have been a brothel madam. That's a common trick in brothels."

Zhao Changyan suddenly felt his mind go blank. He stared at Li Hang, speechless, and didn't know what to say.

Li Hang knew him quite well and didn't take it to heart, continuing slowly, "This almshouse isn't as simple as it seems. It's true that it takes in widows, widowers, and the lonely, but that's just what it wants us to see."

"From what I can tell, he provided for the elderly to ensure they had enough to eat and wear in order to build his reputation. He taught the orphans to read and write in order to build his inner circle. He took in the women to help them support themselves in order to maintain his chastity."

Zhao Changyan was utterly shocked upon hearing this. For the first time, he felt that Li Hang, whom he had known since childhood, was actually somewhat of a stranger.

Li Hang picked up his teacup and calmly took a sip. "His almshouse isn't for widows, orphans, or the lonely; it's for his own career. He's gained prestige, he's built a strong team, and even his reputation has been built up by a group of weak women."

"When the imperial court comes down to assess him, who won't praise him as 'virtuous and upright'? Of course, regardless of Shou Li's original intentions, those people in the almshouse have indeed benefited."

"Even if he was acting for his own benefit, he also did some practical things for the people. Changyan, don't underestimate the people of the world. Shouli may not be as upright and honest as Zhang Fuzhi, but his shrewdness and planning far surpasses that of his brother."

Zhao Changyan listened with admiration, and couldn't help but wiggle his hips a couple of times. "According to you, he's even more terrifying than his brother? Zhang Fuzhi is hot-tempered and acts entirely on his impulses, making him easier to predict. Zhang Shouli, on the other hand, is probably no less cunning than you..."

Li Hang's expression turned serious. "That's right. A gentleman can be deceived by his principles, while a petty person can be lured by his interests. If you treat Shou Li with the principles of a gentleman, he will be even more of a gentleman than a gentleman. If you test him with the principles of a petty person, he will be even more difficult to deal with than a petty person."

Zhao Changyan was no fool after all, and he finally understood some things. He couldn't help but smile bitterly, "Jingzhai, if you hadn't reminded me, how would I have understood? The almshouse was something he set up in the open, which is why we could see it."

"We probably won't be able to see the people he's placed at the docks, in the warehouses, or even in the shadows. Those people are scattered among the common people, yet they can easily gather and form a powerful force. If pushed too far, he might be able to..."

Li Hang remained silent for a moment, then spoke with a rare air of seriousness: "I've met countless people, but I've never seen anyone like him who is so adept at both the pure and the impure, and so enigmatic."

"He's not that he's difficult to control; he simply doesn't want to be controlled by anyone. This man is both righteous and wicked, it all depends on how the court treats him. Give me three years, and I'm confident I can completely guide him onto the right path."

"If he were to take up an official post, even if he were not to be remembered in history, he would at least bring benefits to the region, and his achievements would not be inferior to those of Zhang Fuzhi. However, if the successor magistrate after me were to suppress the people too much, the consequences would be unpredictable."

"Zhang Fuzhi, as an official, killing a clerk is not a big deal, but if Zhang Shouli, as a clerk, kills an official, that's a different story. 'The wise see the signs before they appear, and the intelligent guard against them before they happen.' Wu Haogu's repeated blows to him are a sign that his brilliance is just beginning to emerge."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Changyan became nervous. "Jingzhai, could you please not leave?"

Li Hang glanced at him. "Once the official order is issued, I have to go whether I like it or not. Even if I request to stay, the court won't make an exception for a county magistrate. Besides, if I don't accept the position of Vice Prefect of Tanzhou, it will be difficult for me to get future evaluations from the Ministry of Personnel."

Zhao Changyan opened his mouth, then closed it again.

He knew Li Hang was telling the truth.

Although Li Hang appreciated Zhang Shouli, he could not jeopardize his own future by protecting a mere clerk.

The sunlight outside the window shifted another inch, completely retreating from the corner of the wall, leaving only a sliver of light clinging to the cracks in the bricks.

Zhao Changyan turned around and looked at him, "Jingzhai."

"Um."

"When you were waiting for your official post in the capital, you took the initiative to request Juancheng. Did you ever imagine that you would leave so soon?"

Li Hang's lips twitched slightly, the curve more genuine than before. "'Is benevolence something that depends on oneself, or on others?' How can one possibly calculate every move in the game of chess? We can only take it one step at a time."

Zhao Changyan: "..."

When Zhou Quan entered the household, he was carrying a wooden box in his hands. The box was polished to a shine, and the copper clasp gleamed with a dull light. He placed the box on Zhang Sanlang's desk, opened the lid, and inside lay a copper seal and a scroll of documents.

"The seal and handover documents from the interrogation room are all here." Zhou Quan pushed the box over, his two mustaches slightly twitching. "You know I'm not very knowledgeable about criminal matters. You might as well just keep this seal on your desk."

Zhang Sanlang picked up the bronze seal and weighed it in his palm. "Since Brother Zhou puts it that way, I won't stand on ceremony. I'll take over the daily operations of the torture chamber. But for important matters, you should make the decisions."