Ger, So Proud

Chapter 93

“What’s going on?” He Ze asked, full of confusion.

He had only heard about this Li Zheng when others talked about the Lin family’s matters. He had never even met him, let alone had any chance to offend him.

(T/N: Li Zheng (里正) was a local official responsible for managing village affairs, overseeing local governance, and implementing government policies at the grassroots level.)

Seeing He Ze’s cluelessness, He Hong finally relaxed a bit. “You know that military service for our village and the three neighboring ones is overseen by Li Zheng, right? The recruitment order has come down. I sent someone to inquire and found out that, among the four villages, a total of twelve people need to be recruited, which averages out to three people per village. However, someone leaked to me that Li Zheng intends to increase our village’s quota to six people. This… this just won’t do, sigh!”

He Hong let out a heavy sigh.

In this era with vast lands and sparse population, a village typically had no more than twenty households. Those who went to join the army were usually at their wit’s end, unable to make a living anymore. The village could handle three people, but six was like sending people to their deaths.

No wonder He Hong was so anxious.

He Ze pondered for a moment. “So, what does this have to do with me?”

“To be honest, I’m not entirely sure,” He Hong admitted. “But the person who informed me mentioned you.” That person was the village head of Shi Family Village, who usually lived under Li Zheng’s watchful eye and had a good relationship with him. So, this information was likely quite accurate.

After thinking for a bit, He Hong added, “He Ze, this concerns the lives of our clan members. I don’t blame you for coming to me so suddenly. The fact is, if Li Zheng announces this publicly, there will likely be no room for negotiation.”

“Rest assured, Third Grandfather, I understand the gravity of the situation,” He Ze paused, then smiled to reassure him. “There’s no need to worry too much. In the next couple of days, I’ll find a time to visit Li Zheng. If there’s any misunderstanding, I can clear it up.”

They had sent a message and mentioned him—clearly, they were waiting for him to come. He had never had any dealings with Li Zheng, except perhaps through Lin Tiangui’s family. Right, last time Li Shanfeng tried to arrange a marriage for Lin Yu, he mentioned a relative of Li Zheng’s. Could it be…

His mind raced, but it only took a second. He Hong, looking at the tall young man before him, couldn’t help but pat him on the shoulder. “He Ze, you’re promising. One day, you’ll make something of yourself. A real man can bend and stretch. Sometimes, without power or influence, we have to learn to bend our backs to get by.”

He Ze remained silent, knowing He Hong was giving him advice.

“Alright, it’s getting late. Third Grandfather will head back. Let me know when this matter is resolved, so I can put my mind at ease.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Seeing no sign of resentment on He Ze’s face, He Hong assumed he had listened. He sighed again and slowly walked away.

Left alone, He Ze ground his teeth, the anger within him hard to conceal. It took a while before it subsided.

No matter. When soldiers come, the general will confront them; when water comes, earth will cover it.

He Ze went to see Li Zheng on the third day. He didn’t tell anyone—not his father, Dad Li, or Lin Yu. He drove the ox cart from the town and headed straight to Shi Family Village alone.

Li Zheng’s house in Shi Family Village was easy to find. Though the courtyard wasn’t large, the red beams and red pillars made it look quite grand, with a specially hung plaque at the entrance.

“Shi Mansion.”

It was indeed the most prestigious house among the nearby villages.

Li Zheng, named Shi Xingwen, was evidently a scholar by his name. Though in his thirties, he looked much younger than He Ze’s parents and carried himself with a dignified air, not much different from a county magistrate.

He Ze waited for him for nearly half an hour.

“You must be He Ze, right? Nephew, please don’t mind the wait. I was delayed by some matters,” Shi Xingwen said as he finally arrived, sipping his tea with a somewhat perfunctory tone despite his apologetic words. “What brings you here?”

Respect begets respect, and after waiting for so long, He Ze’s patience was wearing thin. “I’ll get straight to the point. I heard that Li Zheng plans to increase the recruitment quota for He Family Village to six men. Is this true?”

“That hasn’t been decided yet,” Shi Xingwen replied, the tea lid clinking against the cup. He closed his eyes, savoring the moment. “But I do have that intention.”

“And does it have anything to do with me?”

“Oh, how could that be? It’s been years since we’ve had such a promising young man like you in these villages,” Shi Xingwen had heard that the He family’s flower shop was making a lot of money. Smiling warmly, he continued, “Nephew, I truly have no choice. Compared to the other three villages, He Family Village has more people and should therefore take on a larger share of the quota.”

He Ze remained silent. He wouldn’t believe such words even for a moment and didn’t want to waste time on pointless arguments. He pushed forward a prepared gift. “I heard that Madam Shi’s health is not very good. I’ve brought some ginseng and a jar of medicinal wine, hoping it will be beneficial to their health.”

These items, worth nearly ten taels of silver, were indeed a substantial gift in this small mountain village.

However, Shi Xingwen was not satisfied at all.

Just a couple of days ago, Lin Tiangui had come to him, lamenting the dire situation of the Lin family.

To be honest, Shi Xingwen didn’t care about the Lin family. If Lin Tiangui’s father were still alive, he might have some consideration, but the old man was gone. Last year, an incident with his nephew had already caused him to lose face due to the Lin family’s mishandling. Now, he found the sight of the Lin family annoying.

However, after Lin Tiangui’s lamentation, he also gave Shi Xingwen ten taels of silver, asking him to ensure that this He family boy would be conscripted. Who would refuse money?

Shi Xingwen gladly accepted the money and sent Lin Tiangui away, not really caring whether he would actually do it. What could the old, weak, and sick Lin family do to him anyway?

This situation gave him some insight into the He family’s circumstances. Over the past six months, the He family had opened a shop and bought land—they had money! Thus, Shi Xingwen devised a plan: make the He boy obediently deliver money without leaving any evidence.

These past few days, Shi Xingwen had been dreaming about the silver and couldn’t sleep.

But now… the He family thought they could placate him with just these few items?!

If it weren’t for the He family’s interference, his nephew wouldn’t have died in vain, causing him unjust resentment. He hadn’t even settled the score with the He family for stealing his nephew’s wife! Now they were blatantly disrespecting him.

Staring at the red-paper-wrapped ginseng and medicinal wine on the table, Shi Xingwen was furious.

“Is there something wrong with my gifts?” He Ze pretended not to notice the anger on Shi Xingwen’s face.

Greed knows no bounds.

Shi Xingwen glared at He Ze for a long time before finally suppressing his emotions. “Since you’ve come straight to the point, let’s not beat around the bush. One hundred taels.”

He held up one finger. That was his price.

“One hundred taels?”

An inn servant earned two qian of silver a month, totaling two taels and four qian a year. A few years ago, five taels were enough to feed and clothe a family of four, if not lavishly. A hundred taels—how audacious.

He Ze almost laughed in exasperation.

“So, what do you say?” Thinking of the He family’s flourishing flower shop, Shi Xingwen believed his demand wasn’t excessive. Moreover, “Nephew, you should think it through. The other three villages will push back if the twelve slots are evenly divided. I may oversee this, but I have to consider the opinions of the people. Don’t you think?”

“You should consider your fellow clansmen.”

Shi Xingwen smiled broadly, as if already seeing the silver gleaming in front of him.

“No way. My family is poor and destitute, unable to come up with such a sum,” He Ze replied bluntly.

As soon as he finished speaking, He Ze didn’t give Shi Xingwen a chance to react. He stood up abruptly, taking the ginseng and medicinal wine with him. Shi Xingwen watched his retreating figure, both shocked and furious, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head.

Since he became the local magistrate, no one had ever dared to treat him like this.

“Hmph! How ungrateful!”

With a loud crash, the teacup on the table shattered into pieces on the floor.

Meanwhile, He Ze placed the ginseng and medicinal wine on his ox cart and leisurely headed home. He had anticipated this situation.

Either Shi Xingwen would accept the gifts and make a friend, or he would make unreasonable demands, leading to an unhappy parting.

Clearly, it was the latter.

Compared to He Village, the other three villages nearby were even less prosperous. For Shi Xingwen to demand a hundred taels in such a barren area showed he must have extorted plenty of money before.

And his sudden extortion attempt towards He Ze wasn’t likely a coincidence.

“Yah!”

As his thoughts circled, He Ze gave the ox a light whip, urging it to move faster.

With this matter weighing on his mind, He Ze refrained from seeking out Lin Yu.

That evening, he sat alone at his desk, deep in thought. Having embarrassed Shi Xingwen today, Shi Xingwen surely wouldn’t let it go. By tomorrow, he would likely publicly announce the conscription quota for the four villages.

All power in Shi Family Village lay in Shi Xingwen’s hands; the village chief was just a figurehead. The other two villages, having received benefits, would certainly support Shi Xingwen.

So… He Ze tapped his fingers on the desk.

Outside, the full moon shone, casting a silver light over everything.

Early the next morning, He Ze visited He Hong’s house. By the afternoon, the conscription news spread. Shi Xingwen insanely declared that He Village would supply nine men.

He Village was immediately thrown into turmoil, with everyone talking at once.

“Nine men! Is he crazy?” Thankfully, He Ze had given He Hong a heads-up, preventing him from losing his composure. “Are you sure this will work? He Ze, you have to give me a definite answer. If it doesn’t work, then…”

Even if he went to his grave, he couldn’t face his ancestors!

“Don’t worry, Third Grandfather. I was 80% sure before, but now I’m 100% sure.” Nine men—Shi Xingwen must have lost his mind completely.

He Ze raised an eyebrow and solemnly added, “Third Grandfather, there are still several days before the officials come to collect the conscripts. You must keep the villagers calm during this time. I will resolve this matter as quickly as possible. If I can’t, I’ll be one of the nine men. Does that sound acceptable?”

After repeatedly assuring He Hong, He Ze managed to ease his worries slightly. He Hong then devoted himself to calming the villagers.

As for He Ze, he continued to visit County Magistrate Zhou’s residence every day to tend to the beloved peony.

For three consecutive days.