Chapter 563 - Come, I’ll Show You an Invaluable Treasure (V)
Don’t Use Uncommon Words: “Hahahaha — I’m dying of laughter; the streamer is the only person who can impress me.”
Lazy Homebody: “There are always dumb mortals seeking their own demise, what’s so bad about being alive?”
The Fairy Queen’s Blush: “Just listen to the streamer’s rebuttal, it’s both a threat and a reproach. If I were the county chief, I would be too ashamed to appear in public. As the chief of the county, he failed to protect the people and went into hiding in some obscure place to avoid the limelight when disaster struck. Now that the streamer has reclaimed the districts, driven the robbers away, and managed the territory well, he shows up wanting to forcefully coerce her into submission, bah!”
My Pig-like Teammate: “One can’t really put it that way, can one? The three districts do not belong to the streamer, and he is the county chief after all.”
The God-like Opponent on the Other Team: “He is the county chief alright, but so what? Surely the job cannot be inherited, and his son cannot succeed him? So Fengyi County is not the private property of their family. Where were they when the Tsing Yi Army attacked? Did they lead the people and the soldiers and defend the city against the robbers? Nope, they did nothing. They took refuge in God knows where, but now that the situation has stabilized, the chief wanted to reap the benefits, not a chance! I support the streamer’s insults towards him.”
Jiang Pengji had thought that the chief of Fengyi County had already died in the military conflict.
Just like the members of the audience of the livestream had said, whoever felt that they had the ability to reap the seeds she had sown was always welcome to try. The chief wanted to forcefully coerce her and rob the three districts from her hands just by sending the Inspection Deputy of the Prefect, who was essentially a donkey in a lion’s hide, but his plans were doomed to fail even in his dreams.
It took the deputy quite a while to finally suppress his displeasure, his expression dark as he said, “How can you discuss the two matters as if they were one issue? Magistrate Liu, don’t change the topic. We are now discussing about your deployment of private troops, not the county chief’s personal behavior…”
Jiang Pengji snorted in disdain. “How can you not discuss it together? The Tsing Yi Army attacked the county but the chief did not pacify the people’s discontentment, nor did he lead the people and the soldiers to defend the city against the foreign enemies. Instead, he fled in the night with his family and valuables. Just judging from this incident alone, how can he have the nerve to accuse me of doing wrong? On the contrary, you have reminded me of one thing. If I write a memo on the topic and submit it to the emperor, how will the present emperor rule?”
The deputy’s face was green and blood had completely drained out of it. In the face of the pressure she was exerting on him, the deputy’s obese body couldn’t help but tremble like a sieve. Fleeing without putting up a fight against the rebels, this alone was enough to get the county chief fired.
Even more shamelessly, the county chief still wanted to take advantage of Jiang Pengji, steal the fruits of her labor, and claim the credit for driving away the Tsing Yi Army as his own. He intended to write a lengthy memo to seek rewards from the emperor and pave the way for his own future. But how could he ever successfully hide his intentions from Jiang Pengji?
The Inspection Deputy of the Prefect stuttered, “Magistrate Liu, you are threatening…”
Jiang Pengji calmly said, “The credit for reclaiming the three districts is rightfully mine! Even if I am willing to hand over the three districts to your lord the county chief, to put it frankly, seeing how incompetent he is, is he even capable of holding on to the three districts? Don’t bite off more than you can chew. The enemy can destroy a district in just three to five days, but it may take three to five years for the people to rebuild it. Do you understand what I mean, deputy?”
She was just short of directly pointing in the face of the chief and telling him — You suck!
How could the deputy still save his face after being scoffed at and having answers demanded from him by a youngster? In the past when he inspected and supervised the townships and districts, had there ever been officials, be it of high or low rank, who did not lick his boots? At that moment, the good old days were no more, and instead he was being insulted by a brat who was still wet behind the ears. One could imagine how disappointed the deputy was.
The deputy looked at Jiang Pengji coldly, his pent-up anger overpowering his fears, and threatened with an insincere smile. “In that case, Magistrate Liu, just go ahead with it. To put it bluntly, being an official is not like playing house, you won’t get promoted based only on how capable you are. The county chief is giving you face, Magistrate Liu. You better quit while you’re ahead, don’t refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit. If not for his respect towards your father, the county chief would have sent a memo to Chenzhou and snitched on you a long time ago! It may even cost you your life.”
He thought, a mere district magistrate trying to snitch on the county chief, who do you think you are?
Jiang Pengji snorted, her expression calm, not at all frightened by the stern deputy. She clapped her hands, the claps sounding crisp and clear. Upon hearing it, the deputy immediately grew alarmed and fidgeted in his seat.
Outside the door, Dian Yan heard it and walked in with a long case in his hands.
The fat on the deputy’s face squeezed his eyes into slits. He opened his eyes to the best of his ability and dared not take his eyes off it. “What are you trying to do?”
Jiang Pengji said, “Let me show you a treasure.”
Treasure? The deputy’s imagination immediately became active. Could it be that Magistrate Liu is simply putting on a tough front, and is actually scared out of his wits?
If not, why would he want to show me a treasure?
At that moment, various hypotheses flashed across the deputy’s mind as he watched Dian Yan place the long case before him with respect. The intimidating black-faced brawny hunk was careful as he handled it, making the Inspection Deputy of the Prefect even more convinced that precious treasures lay inside.
Hah, after being so rude to me, now you want to bribe me with treasures? The deputy snickered mentally, and developed a little more despise for Jiang Pengji. Do I look that easy to get rid of to you?
As he thought so, he reached out and opened the case. A long knife of unparalleled sharpness lay in it, and the light it reflected hurt his eyes for a moment.
The deputy lifted his head quietly and looked Dian Yan, who was half squatting down. He saw that the black-faced hunk had placed his hand on the handle and picked it up with ease. The body of the knife was then placed on the deputy’s own neck… The deputy was stunned by the sudden change of circumstances and dared not even move.
“Mag… Magistrate Liu —” The deputy swallowed nervously, cold sweat running down his forehead. The oily sweat trickled down along his cheeks, flowed pass his chin, and wet the collar of his clothes. His fat body shook like a sieve and he looked pitiful.
“I feel like the deputy’s brain is quite wealthy-looking. If we cut it down and hang it in front of the door, it could probably ward evil off.” Jiang Pengji asked Dian Yan for his opinion. Dian Yan’s expression was cold and he waited for his lord’s orders.
“My brain can’t ward off evil…” The deputy said pleadingly, his whole demeanor changed.
Jiang Pengji said, “I am young and naturally not as good as you when it comes to the knacks of being an official. But I know one thing, I have troops but the county chief has none. Even if the emperor backs him up, he still won’t be able to take the three districts back, let alone defend them. Go back and make this clear to him. If he knows his place, I will still respect his position as the county chief, otherwise… Hah, with the situation in the north, the death of one or two county chiefs is perfectly normal.”
The deputy was raging internally, but his life was more important, so he quickly replied, “I understand, I will definitely pass on your words.”
But how could he ever successfully hide his thoughts from Jiang Pengji?
She got up and said to Dian Yan, “Entertain the deputy well, we must show him our sincerity.”
Dian Yan replied hoarsely, “Yes, my lord. Please rest assured, I will definitely make sure that the deputy feels at home.”
The long knife cut open a small wound on the deputy’s neck, making him feel like crying. Can you at least take the knife off my neck when you are speaking?