Chapter 375: Three-Year Term Completed
Feng Jun, catching sight of the golden statue from afar, was utterly startled. "What in the world?" he muttered. "I've visited Chengcheng County before; there was no statue this massive back then. Was it just built?"
He quickly hailed a passerby. "When did such a statue suddenly appear in your Chengcheng County?" he inquired.
Feng Jun wasn't in his official robes; he was dressed in civilian clothes, looking like a merchant. The passerby, discerning from his question that he was from out of town, immediately rolled his eyes and scrutinized him as if he were a country bumpkin. "That," the local declared, "is the Saintly Effigy of Dao Xuan Tian Zun, erected with funds gathered by all the wealthy folks in our county town. It was just finished a couple of days ago."
A flicker of recognition sparked in Feng Jun's mind. He had heard the name Dao Xuan Tian Zun before. Didn't Daoist Ma Tianyuan claim to have prayed to this very Heavenly Lord for rain? And he even boasted that the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas were dragged here by the Heavenly Lord himself, by the scruff of their necks.
The passerby, a touch of pride in his voice, declared, "Impressive, isn't it, this Saintly Effigy of the Heavenly Lord? We had over a thousand people from all walks of life working on it for nearly two years before it was finished."
Feng Jun uttered a soft "Huh?" "A thousand people for nearly two years? Are you serious?" he exclaimed. "This is a year of great disaster! You're doing this? Aren't you afraid of starving?" Then, a thought struck him. "Wait, no! The Chengcheng County I've seen on my journey here shows no signs of disaster."
He leaned in, asking in a low voice, "Did Dao Xuan Tian Zun bring rain to Chengcheng County? Is that why you built this statue for him?"
The passerby laughed. "More than just rain! The Heavenly Lord personally intervened and helped us defeat the Guyuan rebels!"
"Personally intervened?" Feng Jun was startled. "How did he personally intervene?"
Having heard the account, Feng Jun silently labeled the passerby "insane" in his mind. He cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your guidance, my friend."
With that, he quickly made his escape.
A family retainer sidled closer, whispering, "Master, that man... he couldn't have been telling the truth, could he?"
Feng Jun replied, "The man is mad. We'd best go directly to Liang Shixian and ask him."
With a colossal golden statue to guide them, they no longer needed to ask for directions. They strode briskly towards the statue, and before long, they arrived at the City God Temple.
A plaque bearing the three characters "City God Temple" still hung above the entrance; it had not been replaced with "Dao Xuan Tian Zun's Grotto." This, of course, was by Li Daoxuan's divine decree. He had forbidden the villagers from changing the City God Temple's plaque because, in his eyes, this temple was a landmark building of Chengcheng County, a historical and cultural relic. In later generations, it would even be a tourist attraction. He couldn't have its name altered due to his own antics; that wouldn't be quite right.
The layout within the City God Temple remained unchanged. The main hall still enshrined the City God. Li Daoxuan's colossal golden statue, however, was erected on a newly cleared plot of land behind the temple.
Feng Jun walked for quite some time before finally reaching the foot of the statue.
He immediately spotted Liang Shixian standing at the foot of the statue, holding an incense stick in both hands, reverently offering it to the Saintly Effigy of Dao Xuan Tian Zun.
Feng Jun's heart skipped a beat. "Even Lord Liang is involved in this?" he thought.
Liang Shixian finished offering the incense, then personally picked up a drumstick and struck a large bell nearby with a resonant *thwack*. The melodious chime echoed, soaring towards the heavens.
At this moment, Li Daoxuan was eating Chunhua *hele* noodles. Just minutes before, the Chunhua *hele* he'd ordered from an online marketplace had been delivered. He quickly prepared a bowl for himself and held it, eating while lamenting that it wasn't the fresh *hele* noodles from Heyang County, feeling a slight regret.
Seeing "Chengcheng County Town" flashing on the box, he casually pressed a button and zoomed in, just in time to see Liang Shixian, having finished offering incense, muttering softly towards the colossal golden statue of himself.
Liang Shixian's voice was very faint, but Li Daoxuan, by activating the "Focus" function, could hear every word with perfect clarity.
"Reporting to the Heavenly Lord," Liang Shixian began, "your humble servant's three-year term as Magistrate of Chengcheng County has concluded. I must return to the capital to report on my duties and will be reassigned elsewhere."
Liang Shixian's tone was tinged with melancholy: "During these three years in Chengcheng County, I have been blessed by the Heavenly Lord's care, with grain and funds provided, helping your humble servant relieve the suffering of the common people. Now that I am leaving, the world feels vast and uncertain; I know not where I will be sent. Without the Heavenly Lord's aid, I wonder if I can still be a good official. Alas..."
Liang Shixian had arrived in Chengcheng County as magistrate at the end of the seventh year of Tianqi. His appointment coincided with the news of the Tianqi Emperor's death. In the blink of an eye, three years had flown by like a shuttle. Ming Dynasty local officials served three-year terms; his was up, and he had to return to the capital to report on his duties before being transferred elsewhere.
Only when Li Daoxuan heard his words did he suddenly realize the significance. For Chengcheng County, this was a matter momentous enough to overturn everything. No wonder he risked "disturbing the Heavenly Lord's peace" to strike the bell.
Liang Shixian murmured, "After your humble servant is reassigned, I do not know whether my successor will be an honest official or a corrupt one. If he is honest, that would, of course, be excellent. But if a corrupt official arrives, I can only beg you, Heavenly Lord, to employ your divine powers to punish the venal and protect the innocent common folk."
His tone, like someone giving his last instructions, was rather pitiful.
Li Daoxuan listened, his brows furrowed. He was also calculating in his mind: *This Liang Shixian is, all things considered, quite decent. If a corrupt official were to replace him, I would certainly intervene to squash him. However, if an official of a magistrate's rank died, the imperial court would definitely take it very seriously. And if things got stirred up, it would be quite troublesome.*
Just as he was thinking this, he saw Feng Jun walk over and, from behind Liang Shixian, call out with a smile, "Brother Liang, what are you muttering about to the statue?"
Liang Shixian's muttering had been very soft; only he and Li Daoxuan could hear it, and he had no desire for others to overhear. Thus, Feng Jun hadn't caught a single word, simply thinking Liang Shixian was making a wish to the divine statue.
The call startled Liang Shixian. He turned his head and realized it was his junior, Feng Jun.
Feng Jun was a few years younger than Liang Shixian and was considered Liang's junior from the Donglin Academy.
Both had been students attending lectures at the Donglin Academy, making them classmates. In the Ming Dynasty officialdom, such classmate ties were incredibly strong. Factionalism in court generally started with mentor-disciple and classmate relationships.
Liang Shixian was somewhat surprised. "Oh? Brother Feng, what brings you here?"
Feng Jun replied, "There's a matter of some urgency I wished to discuss with you, Brother Liang."
Liang Shixian noted his civilian attire and his serious expression, and knew the matter was significant. He whispered, "Brother Feng, come with me. Let's find a quiet place."
Li Daoxuan also spotted Feng Jun now. He mused to himself, *This Heyang Magistrate, dressed in plain clothes, sneaking into Chengcheng County... how intriguing. He's essentially abandoned his post, an offense for which he could be impeached.*
*It seems there genuinely is some important matter he needs to awkwardly boast about.*
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