Chapter 104: What to Do After Your Former Subordinate Becomes Your Boss
Early morning.
Before dawn, the County Magistrate got out of bed.
His wife yawned and glared at him.
In the past, whenever he got up, his wife would carefully help him put on his official robes, speaking softly and with infinite gentleness.
Now, all she did was glare at him.
She was like a tigress; the gentle, understanding flower he once knew had long since vanished.
“You’re not the master of the house anymore, so why are you getting up so early?”
“That bastard from the Jiang Family has sat himself above me. Does he really think this position is something one can just waltz into by sucking up to the Rebels and having guards to protect them?”
His wife threw his clothes at him and asked, “If not, then what? I heard that Second Young Master Jiang is exceptionally handsome. Many young ladies in the county are pining for him, making a fuss about wanting to be his concubine.”
“Pah! What good is a pretty face? I earned this position through ten years of hard study. He’s just a bookworm who knows how to fiddle with herbs, someone who was bullied for half his life by a woman in his own backyard.” The County Magistrate put on his clothes angrily. He didn’t wear his official robes, feeling they wouldn’t look impressive enough.
“Second Young Master Jiang is pure of heart and filial; how could he have known that Old Madam Jiang was so vicious? Husband, is Second Young Master Jiang really that good-looking? I’ll bring you some snacks later.”
“Don’t even think about it! Absolutely not!” The County Magistrate put on his hat and stormed off angrily.
He muttered under his breath, “Pretty boy, pretty boy, screw your whole family…”
As he stepped out of the county office’s backyard, he saw a handsome figure. The County Magistrate started jogging, and as he ran, a smile spread across his face.
He ran all the way to Jiang Changtian, bowed, and said with a fawning smile, “Good morning, My Lord. You could have come a bit later. Let me finish cleaning the office and brewing some hot tea; it wouldn’t be too late for you to come then.”
Jiang Changtian smiled and said, “It is fine. Secretary Wang should have already prepared it.”
As expected, when they walked forward and pushed the door open, the room was bright. There were fresh water stains on the tabletop, clearly showing it had just been wiped.
On the desk, there was already steaming hot tea and some snacks.
When the two of them entered, Secretary Wang was bent over, backside in the air, personally wiping the chair.
The County Magistrate was so angry he felt internally injured. This dog of a man had never been this attentive when serving him, yet now he was actually stealing his job.
The County Magistrate rushed over, pushed Secretary Wang aside, pulled out the chair, wiped it vigorously with his sleeve, and then smiled, “Please sit, My Lord.”
Jiang Changtian sat down.
He ignored the silent exchange between them.
He had crawled his way up from the very bottom of society; he understood.
He grabbed the County Magistrate’s hand and said, “Brother Huangzhi, there is no need for this, no need at all. This position should have been yours. I, Jiang Changtian, am merely a commoner, and I am only sitting here temporarily because Lord Gong appreciates me. When Lord Gong returns, this position will surely be yours again.”
The County Magistrate thought to himself, ‘At least you know your place.’ But aloud, he said, “I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare. Whatever Lord Jiang wishes to know today, I will tell you everything I know, without holding anything back.”
Jiang Changtian sat down, took a sip of tea, and said to Secretary Wang at the side, “Little Wang, your tea-brewing skills are excellent; it’s very fragrant. With the New Year approaching, is your family settled?”
Secretary Wang replied respectfully, “Thank you for your concern, My Lord. They are settled. My good-for-nothing son has been able to enter the County School. My old mother has been worried about her grandson, but now that he can enter the County School, she has no more complaints.”
The County Magistrate:…
The secretary had previously mentioned asking him to help his child enter the County School. In the County Magistrate’s eyes, the secretary was just a minor official; did his child really think he could take the imperial examinations? He thought the man was delusional and hadn’t taken it to heart.
Yet he hadn’t expected that Jiang the Second would actually help him get it done.
Thinking about how the first thing Jiang the Second did when taking over Ming County was to reorganize the County School.
The County Magistrate had thought he didn’t know what was important and was just fishing for fame.
But now he realized there seemed to be more to it. Among those who had contributed two-thirds of their family wealth to the Rebels, which of them didn’t have children in the County School?
“My good-for-nothing child isn’t happy about going to school. Your child is much more sensible. These days, one can’t afford to be foolish. I heard that Brother Yehang went to Huai County, and the County Magistrate there was very foolish—it made his hand ache from all the chopping. He slashed the County Magistrate over thirty times, and everyone in his household was confiscated. Unlike Brother Huangzhi, who knows how to read the situation.”
The County Magistrate wiped his forehead with his sleeve; it was early in the morning, and he was covered in sweat.
“Lord Jiang, you flatter me, you flatter me. Just call me Little Huang. You can treat me like a dog under your seat; Little Huang can do anything.”
“Little Huang.”
“Woof.”
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