Chapter 140: Dance It Out (Bonus for 'I Want to Live a Few More Decades' - Part 10)

Liu Qing brought the magistrates of five counties to Taiping County to inspect the work.

Right amidst the festive and harmonious atmosphere... Du Hui was assassinated.

"A physician!" someone shouted. "Where is Taiping's physician?"

"Call Chen Huagu," Yang Xuan shouted.

Chen Huagu arrived very quickly. After meeting up with the old scoundrel, his eyes lit up as he asked, "Who is sick? Could it be the Prefect?"

"In your dreams, you old bastard. It's the magistrate of Zhangyu County."

"That's a magistrate, too!"

"Indeed!"

Chen Huagu trembled with excitement.

"Why are you so excited?"

"This old man has never treated such a high-ranking official."

"What about in the past?"

"In the past, the highest-ranking person I treated was a gang leader."

Chen Huagu was beside himself with excitement, but assumed a stern expression upon arriving at the scene.

"He has the air of a renowned physician," Lu Jiao praised Chen Huagu's demeanor.

"A trauma case?" Chen Huagu's mood instantly plummeted.

"Do you have good medicine?"

"I do!"

Chen Huagu opened his medicine chest, took out a porcelain vial, and opened it to take a sniff.

"Ah... Achoo!"

The medicinal powder fluttered, and some of it blew out.

Liu Qing looked at Yang Xuan.

"Taiping County only has this one physician," Yang Xuan said helplessly.

Chen Huagu prepared to apply the medicine.

"Hey!"

Lu Jiao felt something was amiss. "Shouldn't you pull the blade out first?"

Chen Huagu looked at him. "This old man has been practicing medicine for decades. What kind of illness haven't I seen? Every year I treat at least a hundred such knife wounds. This is merely a minor scratch."

The aura of an expert burst forth, and Lu Jiao shrank back.

After applying the powder around the blade wound, Chen Huagu pressed down on the powder around the cut with one hand and grasped the knife hilt with the other.

Plop!

The short blade was tossed to the ground, and as blood began to spurt, it was instantly sealed off by Chen Huagu with medicinal powder.

Yang Xuan thought of germs and viruses.

That pair of filthy hands treating a wound like this—could the patient possibly recover?

After the wound was wrapped with cloth, Chen Huagu promptly closed the porcelain vial, shouldered his medicine chest, and rose to bow.

"Prefect, I have successfully fulfilled my mission."

"Well done indeed!"

"You flatter me."

Chen Huagu smiled happily.

Yang Xuan asked in a low voice, "Treating wounds like this every year... how many die?"

"About twenty percent."

Criminally negligent homicide!

Yang Xuan glanced at Du Hui and gave a dry cough. "Come to the county office later, and I will teach you some medical arts."

"The Prefect knows medicine?"

"A little."

Everyone stepped forward to offer comfort, and Yang Xuan also hypocritically uttered a few pleasantries.

"Whose toes has Prefect Du stepped on?" Yang Xuan asked.

Du Hui was utterly baffled. "This old man has no enemies."

Someone said, "I seem to remember this assassin; I saw him in Lin'an, lingering on the outskirts."

Lu Qiang frowned. "To have followed all the way from Lin'an, this must be a deep grudge."

"This is a sworn loyalist," Cao Ying added.

A soldier who was inspecting the assassin raised his head. "They are horse bandits!"

He held up a piece of dried meat. Cao Ying stepped forward, looked closely, and said, "It's dried horse meat, something horse bandits usually carry on them."

Horse meat was never sold in the markets. When a military steed died, its owner was usually reluctant to eat the meat and would mournfully bury it. Horse bandits, however, were different—as long as it was meat, they would eat anything except human flesh.

Cao Ying muttered in puzzlement, "If we speak of deep grudges, my lord is the one the horse bandits hate most in their hearts. But why go assassinate Prefect Du?"

The old scoundrel calmly said, "Perhaps it's an old grudge."

"No way!" Cao Ying said firmly. "The largest band of horse bandits was routed by my lord commanding the troops, which has nothing to do with Du Hui."

"Old Cao," Yang Xuan said with a cold face.

"My lord, what are your orders?"

"You talk entirely too much today."

I don't talk that much! Cao Ying: "..."

Wang Laoer muttered, "Why does this look like people from Hongchun?"

"Shut up!" the old scoundrel barked. "Say that again, and you won't have meat in the future."

Du Hui's spirit had recovered somewhat, and Lu Qiang said, "Let's go into the city and take a look."

Everyone dismounted and walked on foot.

Lu Jiao supported Du Hui, filled with a sense of anticipation. "Taiping is full of convicts. Once we go in..."

Du Hui felt a sharp pain in his shoulder and his complexion turned ashen. "Taiping is simply a massive prison."

Entering the city.

Tang Dynasty cities basically followed a single layout: a straight line drawn from one gate all the way to the opposite gate, serving as the city's main thoroughfare.

Taiping County was naturally no exception.

At this moment, both sides of the main thoroughfare were packed with people.

Men and women, old and young.

They raised their hands and waved in unison.

"Welcome, welcome, a warm welcome!"

Liu Qing was startled. "This... is actually quite interesting."

"Welcome, welcome, a warm welcome!"

A few children stood at the very front, shouting until their voices cracked.

Liu Qing reached out with a benevolent smile to pat a child's head.

The child looked at him and opened his mouth.

"Ptui!"

A mouthful of spit was thus projected outward.

"Audacious!"

The accompanying entourage was enraged.

Liu Qing chided, "The child knows nothing, why are you roaring at him?"

Yang Xuan glanced at Zhen Siwen—this fellow was responsible for organizing the welcome ceremony.

Zhen Siwen stepped forward to explain, "This child is a bit simple-minded."

Someone remarked, "Why not keep him at home?"

"It's all this humble servant's fault!"

The child's parents rushed over in a panic to plead for mercy.

Liu Qing laughed. "A child is ignorant, what crime has he committed? Someone, bring some dried meat over."

A few strips of dried meat were handed over, and the storm dissipated into thin air.

Upon arriving at the county office, everyone sat down.

Liu Qing looked at the county office. "Simple and unadorned. I am satisfied."

He said to the other magistrates, "In some places, people are too poor to afford food, yet the county offices are built with extreme extravagance. As long as I am alive, officials like that will never get ahead."

A chill went through everyone's hearts.

Liu Qing pointed at Yang Xuan. "You have been in Taiping for quite a while now. Why haven't you renovated the county office?"

Yang Xuan replied, "Taiping is poor. If money is to be spent, it should be spent on the cutting edge."

Liu Qing nodded. "What constitutes the cutting edge?"

"The school."

"The school?"

"Yes," Yang Xuan said. "This humble servant believes that it takes ten years to grow a tree, but a hundred years to cultivate a person. The future of the Great Tang lies in talent, and those who govern should focus on talent rather than enjoyment."

Liu Qing fell silent.

Lu Qiang asked, "Are there concrete measures?"

Everyone looked at Yang Xuan.

All talk and no action is just a facade!

Yang Xuan said, "This humble servant has told the common people that from now on, if the county office is ever built more extravagantly than the school, the people have full permission to smash the county office to pieces, and this humble servant will resign and return home to farm."

Everyone fell silent.

Liu Qing stood up. "Let's go take a look."

Everyone followed Yang Xuan all the way to the west of the city.

A spacious compound was rising from the ground.

"These are all fine timbers," Lu Qiang patted a wooden pillar and praised, "Truly 'ten years to grow a tree, a hundred years to cultivate a person'."

"Those words carry profound meaning," someone muttered.

Lu Jiao glanced at Yang Xuan, expecting the young man to be unable to contain his complacency, but Yang Xuan's expression remained calm as he quietly briefed Liu Qing on the situation.

"Did you use forced labor from the commoners?" Liu Qing asked with his hands behind his back, his face stern. Yet his old partner Lu Qiang knew that at this moment, the Imperial Commissioner was satisfied with Yang Xuan to the utmost degree, and was merely searching for a flaw to keep the young man humble.

Suppression a smile, Lu Qiang sought out a working man.

"Did your Prefect force you folks to provide labor?"

The man lowered his head. "Not at all."

Lu Qiang asked, "Then why are you lowering your head?"

The man replied, "The noble lord is wronging the Prefect, and this humble servant feared that his anger might offend the noble lord."

Lu Qiang said, "Lift your head."

The man raised his head, revealing an expression filled with genuine anger.

Liu Qing smiled. "It seems we played the villains instead." He patted the wooden pillar beside him. "Where did such fine timber come from? Taiping... doesn't seem to produce this kind of wood, does it?"

Yang Xuan replied, "Left behind by the previous few magistrates."

Liu Qing stopped, turned back to look at him, and after a long moment, said indifferently, "Today, this old man originally intended to find a fault to discipline you."

"Please instruct me, Your Excellency," Yang Xuan feigned a look of panic.

Liu Qing said, "Among the magistrates of the six counties, you are the youngest. The others are old enough to be your fathers or grandfathers, yet you have performed the best. Tell me, what is in your heart?"

Lu Qiang reminded him, "Why do you serve as an official?"

Naturally to overthrow the usurper... Yang Xuan thought carefully. "This humble servant came from a rural place and saw far too many fierce and malevolent officials. The common people could only let themselves be carved up at will."

Everyone present was an official, and these words felt somewhat like a slap to the face.

"This humble servant often wondered: why must the common people, who labor so bitterly, still endure such torment?"

Liu Qing walked with his hands behind his back, gazing at the beams and pillars as if his spirit were wandering afar.

"How is such a matter to be resolved? How should one be an official... This humble servant pondered for a long time, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. So I got up and read historical records..."

The image of a bewildered young man vividly emerged.

The crowd could not help smiling.

This was the consequence of not yet having experienced the harsh beatings of society!

"This humble servant had a realization and wrote it down."

Lu Qiang smiled. "What kind of aphorism was it? Recite it for us to hear."

Everyone looked at the young magistrate.

The young magistrate slightly raised his gaze.

"Officials do not fear my sternness, but my incorruptibility; the people do not submit to my ability, but to my fairness. Incorruptibility keeps officials from daring to slack off, and fairness keeps the people from daring to deceive. Fairness engenders clarity, and incorruptibility engenders majesty."

"..."

"..."

A group of officials fell silent.

Liu Qing turned around, walked over, patted Yang Xuan on the shoulder, and walked out.

Upon exiting the school, Liu Qing sighed. "These words made this old man's heart skip a beat, yet brought me immense joy. Fairness engenders clarity, and incorruptibility engenders majesty—well spoken."

Liu Qing and his entourage stayed in Taiping for two days before departing.

"They're finally gone."

Yiniang had wrung her hands and racked her brains preparing food for this bunch.

"Every single one of them eats more than the last, and knows how to eat better than the last. They're all reincarnated rats."

She grumbled while stirring the mutton in a clay pot.

Zhang Siniang, who was tending the fire, looked up. "Yiniang, His Excellency even said he'd send all the convicts over later!"

"Taiping isn't a prison."

Yiniang felt that Liu Qing's promises of support were all talk and no substance.

The flickering flames in the stove hearth illuminated Zhang Siniang's tender face, and at the sight of it, a thought stirred in Yiniang's heart.

"Siniang."

"Yes!"

Yiniang wore a benevolent smile. "How has my lord been treating you lately?"

Zhang Siniang shook her head. "Not really any different!"

Yiniang frowned. "Has he not... touched you, or looked at you a few extra times?"

Zhang Siniang shook her head. "Not at all!"

Yiniang frowned worriedly. "Have you shaken for him?"

Zhang Siniang's face turned even redder than the fire; she lowered her head and nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Then why would that be?"

Yiniang tapped the rim of the earthen pot with a ladle. "Get up and shake for me to see."

Zhang Siniang blushed and stammered, "Yiniang..."

"Hurry up, let me see why my lord hasn't been moved."

Zhang Siniang stood up and walked a few steps.

"Not enough hip movement!" Yiniang shook her head. "Do it again."

"Make it more natural!"

After swaying for a while, Zhang Siniang looked at her with admiration. "Yiniang, why do you even know about this?"

Yiniang fell silent.

Thinking she had said something wrong, Zhang Siniang lowered her head to tend the fire.

After a long pause, Yiniang said softly, "When it comes to the arts of a woman seducing a man, no place can compare to *that* place."

Breakfast was very lavish.

"Why is there mutton?" Yang Xuan asked, somewhat surprised.

Yiniang casually replied, "Two sheep were fighting, and the one that lost died of shame."

"Oh!"

Yang Xuan ate with peace of mind.

"This tastes wonderful!" The old scoundrel stroked his beard and offered flattery.

Wang Laoer glanced at the old scoundrel. "Yiniang's culinary skills could get her into the imperial palace."

Laoer had even learned how to offer subtle flattery?

Yiniang laughed so hard she leaned backward and forward.

"It's a bit bland."

The joyful and harmonious atmosphere vanished instantly.

The one who spoke was Yang Xuan.

He gave a dry chuckle. "Spoke without thinking."

Aside from Yang Xuan, Yiniang could fly into a rage at the entire world. With a grievance in her voice, she said, "This humble maid will ponder on it further."

Yang Xuan felt that Yiniang was perpetually busy and toiled bitterly, making him seem somewhat hypocritical by offering critiques without lifting a finger.

Yet the flavor of this mutton soup really did lack a certain something.

"How about... I handle lunch or dinner?"

"..."

"My lord knows how to cook?" the old scoundrel asked in astonishment.

Yang Xuan said indifferently, "Just wait and see."

After finishing his meal, Yang Xuan prepared to head to the parade ground.

"Siniang, go send my lord off!" Yiniang called out eagerly.

Zhang Siniang curtsied. "Yes."

Yiniang gave her a meaningful look and shook her shoulders, practically wearing her scheming intentions on her face.

"Old scoundrel, Laoer, wait a moment, I have something to say." Yiniang held back the two attendants.

Yang Xuan looked bewilderedly at Zhang Siniang walking ahead of him.

Swinging legs, swaying hips.

Tsk!

Her hips were a bit small, but that was how young maidens were.

Just stop shaking so hard!

Zhang Siniang was shaking rather violently, her steps turning chaotic.

"Slow down!"

Yang Xuan felt that if she walked a few more steps, Zhang Siniang would probably forget how to walk altogether.

"Just walk properly, don't learn those strange tricks."

He felt he was offering well-intentioned advice, but Zhang Siniang's eyes welled with tears as she curtsied and said, "Yes."

How did she manage to feel aggrieved by this?

Yang Xuan stepped out of the county office, and Zhang Siniang went back to find Yiniang.

"Yiniang..."

"What is it?"

"My lord doesn't think much of me."

"Then keep practicing!"

On the parade ground, over two thousand soldiers were running, presenting a magnificent and spectacular sight.

Amidst the swirling dust, Yang Xuan commanded, "Call the physicians out."

The Taiping troops were also equipped with medical staff, but they were all amateur quacks who had picked up the trade halfway through life.

"My lord, Chen Huagu has arrived."

He would teach them right on the spot.

Yang Xuan gathered them together and began his lecture.

"Military medicine deals primarily with trauma; wounds caused by blades, spears, and arrows are the most numerous. How did you all treat them in the past?"

The physicians looked toward the "Sage of Medicine" in their hearts—Chen Huagu.

Chen Huagu stroked his beard and said with calm composure, "One must have fine wound-healing powder to staunch the bleeding."

His medicinal powder was a closely guarded secret recipe. "People in the city get hacked every few days, and this old man is thoroughly experienced in treating them. Over the years, this old man wouldn't dare claim to be peerless in the Northern Frontier, but in Chen Prefecture, when it comes to treating trauma, if I say I'm second, no one dares claim first."

Most of the people in Taiping City were exiled convicts, among whom were many ferocious and vicious scoundrels, and violent brawls broke out every few days. Wielding blades was a common occurrence.

"Cough, cough!"

Yang Xuan interrupted his confidence. "Starting today, the military will strictly adhere to my methods for treating trauma."

Everyone listened with rapt attention.

"Whenever there is trauma, the wound must be cleaned first." Yang Xuan glanced at Chen Huagu. "Furthermore, before cleaning the wound, you must wash your hands thoroughly."

This "top-tier renowned physician" of Taiping County had no idea how many people he had killed with that pair of unwashed hands, and stared blankly.

"After debridement, apply the hemostatic powder. Remember, the cloth used for bandaging must be boiled in boiling water!"

"After a few days, then apply the flesh-regenerating powder!"

And that was it.

Yang Xuan looked at these physicians who were trying hard to conceal their skepticism, and said indifferently, "This is Taiping. My word is law. Follow these instructions."

He had no way to explain germs and viruses; even if he did, these blockheads would treat it like heavenly scripture.

"Prefect, where did these methods come from?"

"You don't need to concern yourselves with that, just put them into practice."

No amount of talking beats a simple demonstration.

Chen Huagu returned to the city with him.

Outside the gates of the county office, the door of the courtyard to the right swung open.

The Prince of Wei walked out and looked at them.

"Someone in my household has been injured. Where is the physician?"