Liang Shixian wasted no time establishing his presence.
He quickly organized a grand inspection party, a formidable group of about forty people consisting of his Shaoxing Shiye, ten newly minted bailiffs, and each bailiff bringing along three "helpers." It was quite the entourage for a man entering a dying county.
They started by making a sweep through the county seat itself, but the picking was slim. During the recent chaos sparked by Wang Er's rebellion, the city's wealthy households had already been slaughtered or looted to the point of bankruptcy. Squeezing tax money out of the survivors was like trying to wring water from a sun-baked brick.
Frustrated, Liang Shixian led his group out of the city gates and began a somber trek through the countryside.
As they traveled through Shijia Village, Dujiagui Village, Chegai Village, and Daxian Village, the scenery remained a relentless portrait of desolation. It was rare to find a single inhabited house in ten.
Everywhere they looked, the loess soil was cracked and parched, and the bleached bones of those who had starved to death littered the roadsides like macabre milestones.
Occasionally, they would spot a large structure in the distance that looked like a gentry clan's stronghold. But upon closer inspection, they would find nothing but scorched ruins and crumbling walls, shattered remnants of a former glory that had been put to the torch by bandits.
If they did encounter a living soul in these villages, the person was usually gaunt, skeletal, and stared at them with glazed, numb eyes.
The sight broke Liang Shixian's heart.
He blinked back tears, pulled out his writing brush while still mounted on his horse, and began drafting a memorial to the throne:
> "In the Year of Dingmao, Cheng County suffered a great drought; the year is one of vast famine. The people cannot provide; the roads are filled with the bodies of the starved. Some gathered to take grain from the wealthy, and fearing capture and execution, they fled to become bandits. As banditry rose, the hunger worsened. The land has been scorched for years; a peck of rice cannot be bought for a thousand coins. Men resort to cannibalism, and joining the rebels feels like returning home. This is where the starving became thieves. The people of the four corners look upon Cheng County as a sea of misery..."
By the time he reached the end of the draft, Liang Shixian's voice was thick with sobs.
"The people of Cheng County are suffering so! Now that I have taken this office, how can I possibly save them? To speak of taxes is a cruelty, they struggle merely to draw breath."
The secretary whispered tentatively, "Could we petition the imperial court for silver to relieve the disaster victims? Is there any hope of a grant?"
Liang Shixian shook his head. He knew the court was just as bankrupt as the county. They did not have the resources to care for a tiny, godforsaken place like Cheng County.
The group continued their march with heavy hearts, feeling utterly dejected.
Suddenly, a bailiff shouted, "Excellency! Look! There is a village ahead... and they actually seem to be preparing for the autumn sowing!"
"What?" Liang Shixian's spirit surged. "Such a village exists in this wasteland?"
He spurred his horse toward high ground and looked out across the valley.
Nestled against a hillside was a village of considerable size. At its center stood a massive, imposing stronghold. One look at the architecture told him it was the kind of fortress only the incredibly wealthy could afford. The outer walls alone looked at least three zhang high.
This was not just a village. It was a fortress built by a super-clan with bottomless pockets.
Surrounding the central stronghold were several newer clusters of houses, forming a secondary village. It was clear these were the dwellings of the tenant farmers who worked for the "Grand Master" in the big house.
But the most shocking detail was not the buildings.
It was the land.
The vast fields surrounding the stronghold were visibly moist. In many places, green shoots were already poking through the soil. It was obvious that a significant rain had fallen here only a few days prior.
Farmers were everywhere, plowing the soil, clearing irrigation channels, and making final preparations for the autumn sowing.
Liang Shixian was overjoyed.
Heaven truly does not close all paths. It has rained here. These people have a chance to survive.
The secretary was equally ecstatic.
"Excellency, that stronghold is extraordinary. It must belong to a very powerful and wealthy lord. If we speak with him, perhaps he can provide the funds to help us through this crisis."
Liang Shixian paused, his excitement cooling into a bit of nervous reality.
Right. My original goal.
He needed the rich to pay for the poor. But a stronghold of this scale suggested a backer with serious political clout. Maybe a family that had produced high-ranking officials for generations, a true super-clan.
As a mere seventh-rank Magistrate, would he even be allowed past the front door? Would they even listen to him?
He felt a pang of intimidation.
But then he steeled himself.
No. I am not doing this for myself. I am doing this for the thousands of souls in Cheng County. If I walk straight and act with integrity, I have nothing to fear.
Liang Shixian gritted his teeth.
"Come. Let us pay a formal visit."
Inside the Gao Village Family stronghold.
San Shier was lounging with one leg crossed over the other, looking quite pleased with himself. He was watching his newly recruited secretary, a man hired just days ago, feverishly recording inventories in the second-floor warehouse of the watchtower.
Since the bandits had been cleared out and the roads to the county seat had become safe again, San Shier had made several trips to the city to visit his wife and pick up some professional help. He had hired secretaries and assistants, and the stronghold was now equipped with horses, carriages, and all the miscellaneous supplies a proper administrative center needed.
The new secretary was a literatus who had failed the imperial examinations.
His name was Tan Liwen.
He came from a poor background. His clothes were covered in patches, and after years of bitter study and repeated failures, he had lost hope in a political career and decided to work as a private clerk.
However, being new to the job, his clerical skills were lacking.
"Ah! I wrote that stroke wrong!"
Tan Liwen panicked. He tried to fix the ink, but only made a mess of it. In a flustered state, he had to take a fresh sheet of paper and rewrite the entire page from scratch.
San Shier's eyebrows shot up, and he barked, "How can you be so useless? You cannot even write a few words without making a mistake? Do you have any idea how much paper you are wasting? Our papermaking workshop just started production. Paper is precious stuff!"
Tan Liwen bowed his head, offering a placating smile.
"Master, my deepest apologies. I shall be more cautious from here on out."
"Hmph."
San Shier snorted.
On the outside, he was playing the stern boss, but inside, he was so giddy he wanted to burst into song. He just had to keep his cool in front of his subordinates.
This was the ultimate dream.
The "Secretary" had finally become the "Master."
It felt incredible.
Just then, a newly hired "helper" came running in from the courtyard.
"Master! The new Magistrate of Cheng County is coming! He is less than two li away from the village!"
"Eh?"
San Shier jumped out of his seat like he had been stung.
"Quick! Notify all the villagers! Hide the steel armor! Hide every single Divine Object given by Dao Xuan Tianzun! Do not let a single corrupt official see them. We do not need any unnecessary trouble."
The helper grinned, looking confused.
"Dao Xuan Tianzun could squash a corrupt official into a meat patty with one finger. What is there to be afraid of?"
San Shier let out a sharp huff.
"You have been here for a while. Have you not figured out how the Old Man operates? He does not go around squashing people without a good reason. Unless someone is truly wicked, Dao Xuan Tianzun is not going to lift a finger. Stop talking and move. Now."
The helper scurried off.
Orders echoed throughout the stronghold. In a flash, the divine items were tucked away in hidden corners. Even the massive solar public transport cart was covered with a thick tarp, concealing its alien shape from prying eyes.
San Shier dashed up to the third floor to find Gao Yiye. He pulled her aside and whispered urgently.
"Cheng Xu was just a military thug. He was easy to fool. We just told him Master Bai paid for the stronghold, and he bought it. But this new Magistrate is a scholar, well-read and quick-witted. Our old stories will not work on a guy like that."
He took a breath, his mind spinning.
"Luckily, he is new and does not know the local history. I have cooked up a story. We will tell him this stronghold belongs to Master Li. I remember Dao Xuan Tianzun's surname is Li, so this is the Li family estate now."
He leaned closer.
"Remember your role. I am the Chief Steward of the Li household, and you are Master Li's First Wife. Got it? Do not let the secret slip."