Chapter 5: Shitai County

  Lu Qi still had some kind intentions and rode straight to the county seat of Shidai. The county seat of Shidai is under the jurisdiction of Chizhou, about 50 miles away from the Yangtze River. Since the defeat in the battle between Shouzhou and Huainan, the Tang Dynasty court abandoned the territory north of the Yangtze River and withdrew its defense to the south of the Yangtze River, facing off against the Zhou Dynasty. Now that the main force of the Zhou Dynasty is fighting against the Yan Dynasty in the north, the Tang Dynasty court is only concerned with maintaining a fragile peace.

  Lu Qi arrived at the south gate of Shitou County, got off his horse, took out the official document from his bosom and led the horse across the moat bridge. The military officer and soldiers guarding the gate saw that a general in armor had come, and they didn't dare to be as arrogant as they were with ordinary people.

  The garrison commander forced a smile and stepped forward with a soldier, saying politely: "Sir, is your visit to Shitou County official business?"

  Lu Qi glanced at the military officer, feeling quite complicated and sentimental. In those years, in Shijiazhuang City, he had seen the cruel faces of officials, ordinary people saw soldiers and police as if they were ghosts, both fearful and hateful. Five years had passed without returning to the city, but it was still the same. Those cruel officials from back then now smiled at him, truly a world of difference between officials and civilians.

  "I'm here to visit my hometown, this is an official document." Lu Qi said as he handed over the document. The accumulated prestige of many years suppressed him, and he was still not used to using his official tone towards a non-commissioned officer who didn't enter through the proper channels. No choice, after all, current officials are not as good as current managers.

  The military officer took the document, opened it and read it briefly. His expression subtly changed from careful to relaxed. He glanced at Lu Qi with a hint of a smile and said: "You are Lieutenant Colonel Lu, sir. I apologize for my disrespect."

  The change in Jun Cao was seen by Lu Qi, who understood that Jun Cao had begun to look down on him. As a result, the Fruit School Lieutenant, a seventh-grade military officer, was considered a high-ranking official in local terms, but in an environment where reality was heavy and names were light, even a small county-level city gate official dared to be contemptuous and disrespectful, which made Lu Qi feel somewhat lost.

  "Can I go into town now?" Lu Qi said with a hint of disappointment, and he didn't want to linger any longer.

  The sergeant hesitated for a moment, handed back the document with a faint smile and said: "Please enter the city, sir."

  Lu Qi received the official document and said with a smile: "Thank you." After finishing speaking, he led his horse into the county town.

  Lu Qi walked away, and the soldier next to the military officer sighed: "Sir, this man must have made a lot of money."

  The sergeant said coldly, "Do you understand? This man is a military personnel of the Anhua Jiedu, although he is an unimportant official, but if he has the opportunity to return to the army and take power, we will be in trouble. If we offend him, who knows that one day he will lead his troops through here and find some excuse to kill us. We want to get rich, but we must also be careful." The soldiers hastily echoed in agreement.

  Lu Qi entered the city, although he was eager to return home, but his first priority must be to go to the county government office to file a report. If he did not go to the county government office on the day of entering the city, it would be considered dereliction of duty. Now that he is an official in the Tang Dynasty court, he has to go to the government office to file a report before going anywhere, except when he is in the military, where he does not need to report to local officials.

  Shi Dian County is a superior county, as it is an important military location in Jiangnan, with high and large city walls. The city is divided into four regions: east, south, west, and north, separated by the main streets in the shape of a cross. From the East Gate to the West Gate and from the South Gate to the North Gate, there are straight roads that stretch for 12 li, respectively known as the East, South, West, and North Great Streets. The county government is located in the northern part of the city, slightly biased towards the north.

  Lu Qi rode his horse slowly along the South Main Street towards the center of the county town. Along the way, people were coming and going, cars were passing by, and vendors were shouting loudly, presenting a prosperous and peaceful scene, which was not affected by Zhou Guo's northern shore. He secretly sighed that he had been fighting in Xinzhou for three or four years, where nine out of ten houses were empty and families were broken, leaving a desolate landscape that still lingered in his mind. In comparison, this Shidai County town was a happy paradise.

  Arriving at the county government office, Lu Qi reported in accordance with the rules. If the official's rank was lower than his, he would be greeted by the officer on duty, who would enter and report back before allowing him to enter. Lu Qi didn't quite understand the local official rules, so he just went in after hearing this.

  The one who met him was a man in his late fifties, with a robust body, fat head and big ears. He wore official robes and was an eighth-rank official, the county lieutenant of Shizhu County. There was also a chief clerk, who was thin and had a pair of triangular eyes that shone with dark cleverness, about thirty years old.

  The old county magistrate stunned Lu Qi, who bowed and said politely: "Please, both of you."

  The old county magistrate narrowed his eyes and looked at Lu Qi with a dry, mirthless smile: "You've arrived. What business do you have with me?"

  Lu Qi was stunned, didn't the yamen runner say he was here to file a case? Moreover, his documents had already been placed on County Magistrate's desk, so he could only speak in a humble tone: "Two noble sirs, I am Zhi Guo, a military officer returning home to visit my relatives, and have come to your esteemed office to file a case."

  After being despised by the gatekeeper Cao, he had already understood that if he said to leave the army and return home to settle down, these officials would not even look at him with a favorable eye, and would even use official jargon to make things difficult for him.

  The harmonious report of official position did not have any effect. The old county magistrate, as if he didn't know the honor and humility of official positions, opened his mouth and said: "Are you going to stay for a long time?"

  Lu Qi's heart was filled with annoyance, but he suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice: "Originally, I was going to return home temporarily after the war to visit my relatives, and then wait for the military order to be summoned at any time."

  The old county magistrate grunted and turned his head, saying: "Wang Zhubo, you take care of it."

  Gan Zou Zhu Bo Mang got up and responded with a bow, walked to the front of the stone and smiled: "Mr. Lu, please follow me."

  Lu Qi didn't understand and followed Wang Zhubo out of the hall. Wang Zhubo smiled and said, "Mr. Lu, do you know the rules for being an official?"

  Lu Qiyan was taken aback, and in his heart, he had already vaguely understood. He spoke in a gentle tone: "Lord Wang, I am just a low-ranking soldier who has risen to become an officer through meritorious service. As a young and inexperienced person, please enlighten me."

  Wang Zhubo smiled and said, "Lord Lu is young and promising with a bright future ahead of him. He is a meritorious official who has protected the country and his family. I don't dare to offer any advice, but I want to tell you something: this Zhao County Magistrate from Shitai County is a close relative of the Minister of Works in the imperial court. Since he is in charge of Shitai County, Lord Lu should still show some respect by offering him some gifts."

  Lu Qi heard this and silently cursed in his heart. The county magistrate and the chief clerk were so direct in asking for money, he had money but didn't want to give it to these greedy officials who sucked blood from people. He pretended to be confused on the surface: "Gifts? I haven't bought any, can I do it next time?"

  Wang Zhubo glanced at Lu Qi and smiled faintly: "Why bother buying gifts? Lord Lu won't return home empty-handed, will he?"

  Lu Qi couldn't pretend to be ignorant anymore, so he spoke bluntly: "To be honest with you, sir, I've only been in the army for five years and just recently achieved great merit and obtained an official position. Right now, I only have a hundred or so taels of silver on hand. I know I should show some respect to my parents' officials, but this hundred or so taels of silver will also be used to put up a good front when I return home to see my relatives. So, please, sir, could you make an exception for me? When I have more silver in the future, I will definitely show my respects."

  Wang Zhubo listened and smiled calmly, surprisingly not losing his temper. He glanced at Lu Qi and said in a harmonious tone: "Your subordinate believes in Lord Lu, please be assured, Lord Lu. Your subordinate will speak well of you to County Magistrate."

  Wang Zhubo's reaction was quite unexpected for Lu Qi. Looking at this guy, he didn't look like a good person, and nowadays the government officials weren't any better either. Anyway, it was pointless to be suspicious, so Lu Qi bowed and said: "Thank you, Lord Wang."

  Wang Zhu said with a faint smile: "Lord Lu is too polite, please wait for a moment, I'll go get your documents."

  Wang Zhubo entered the hall, took out the official document and handed it over to Lu Qi. After careful examination, Lu Qi put it away. Amidst mutual polite courtesies, Lu Qi left the county government office. Although he was suspicious of Wang Zhubo's unusual behavior after leaving, his thoughts were soon replaced by homesickness.

  Lu Qi's family was an outsider, his father brought dozens of relatives from Shouzhou across the Yangtze River to move to Shizhong County. Not long after arriving in Shizhong County, the relatives had internal conflicts and split up. After splitting up, they set up a miscellaneous goods store for business, but unfortunately, they operated poorly and lost money year after year, and the once wealthy family fell into poverty.

  Lu Qi has an older brother, an older sister and a younger sister. He is the seventh son in the Lu family, so he is commonly known as Lu Qi. His full name is Lu Tianfeng, and his courtesy name is Feihu. It is said that when his mother was five months pregnant with him, a rare strong wind suddenly blew up one night, and his sleeping mother dreamed of a giant winged tiger pouncing on her. After he was born, his father said that Lu Qi would become a good general who would assist the country in the future, so from an early age, he carefully taught Lu Qi military strategy and martial arts.

  Lu Qi's grandfather was a Shaolin disciple, who learned the Shaolin external Rohan qigong and Fuhuquan. Lu Qi's father inherited the Rohan qigong and Fuhuquan, joined the army, made meritorious achievements and became an officer. Lu Qi also inherited his father's martial arts, practicing diligently since childhood. When his father died in frustration, he had already surpassed him. His body possessed the invincible Rohan qigong, which allowed him to survive five years of military service amidst great danger.