Chapter 384: A Task Suited for Him
It was autumn in the third year of Chongzhen's reign.
Li Daoxuan, munching on a sticky rice duck, pondered whether he should pull on some long johns when he suddenly saw a swift horse galloping towards Chengcheng County in his diorama box.
His view within the box was currently fixed on Chengcheng County, as he observed the city's prosperity after the autumn harvest.
Then he watched as a rider on a fast horse, moving like a blur, sped into Chengcheng County, delivering official appointment documents from the imperial court to Liang Shixian.
Funnily enough, there were two documents.
One lauded Liang Shixian, praising his adept governance, his popularity among the people, and how the gentry and common folk of Chengcheng County had jointly petitioned for him to remain in his post. Therefore, the court's original intention to promote him three ranks had been set aside; instead, they had decided he should continue as the magistrate of Chengcheng County.
The other document severely chastised Liang Shixian, stating that in his three years in office, he hadn't managed to collect even a single tael of silver in taxes. This was a disgrace to the Great Ming Dynasty, as no magistrate in history had ever performed worse than him; he was on the verge of making history! With such tax-collecting prowess, he could forget about ever being promoted or getting rich. Thus, he was to remain as county magistrate.
Both documents lay before Liang Shixian, leaving him utterly speechless.
Li Daoxuan, watching, didn't know whether to laugh or cry himself. The officialdom of the Great Ming Dynasty... it was truly... *sigh*.
Fang Wushang scoffed, a hint of disdain in his voice. "That's why I despise you literati officials; you operate with such utter shamelessness. Merit is merit, fault is fault. How can one possibly, with just words, arbitrarily shuffle merits and faults between a three-rank promotion and a demotion to commoner?"
Liang Shixian gave a wry smile. "Indeed, I also feel this isn't quite right. But tell me, General Fang, if you were to decide, what would you decree?"
Fang Wushang paused, his brows furrowed in thought for a long moment. Then he declared, "Merits earned should be rewarded; transgressions committed should be punished. The rewards and punishments cancel each other out, so no promotion, no demotion. He should continue to serve as magistrate."
Liang Shixian: "..."
"Ugh!" Li Daoxuan nearly choked on a mouthful of sticky rice duck, unable to stop himself from fiercely muttering, "How is that any different from the first two documents?"
Alas, Gao Yiye wasn't there to echo his exasperation.
A great weight lifted from Liang Shixian's heart, and his spirits brightened. "Since I've been retained in my post, I can continue to devise plans for Chengcheng County. General Fang, there's something I wish to discuss with you."
Fang Wushang said, "Please, speak."
Liang Shixian began, "Magistrate Feng Jun of Heyang County, Master Feng, came to see me recently and mentioned something quite alarming..."
He recounted to Fang Wushang the private conversation he had had with Feng Jun.
"The Heavenly Lord is a deity; a deity wouldn't plot rebellion. But the weapons bestowed by the Heavenly Lord have fallen into mortal hands." At this, Liang Shixian's expression turned grave. "Mortals are susceptible to mortal desires. Gao Family Village grows stronger by the day, and if those few individuals wielding great power entertain wicked thoughts... the consequences would be unimaginable."
Fang Wushang listened, startled. "That observation holds merit."
"Right? It's good that General Fang also sees the truth in it," Liang Shixian said. "If I were to be reassigned elsewhere, this matter wouldn't concern me. But since I've been kept in my post, I must take responsibility for it."
Fang Wushang asked, "Lord Liang, are you telling me this because you want me to do something?"
Liang Shixian said, "You are a courageous man. No matter how powerful the enemy, you dare to challenge them. I still recall the sight of you wielding a spear, thrusting it towards the Heavenly Lord's colossal hand. I've always thought that if there's anyone in this world who dares to defy any authority and uphold their own sense of justice, it would surely be you."
Fang Wushang: "!!!"
Liang Shixian continued, "I hope you can step forward and take responsibility for overseeing the people of Gao Family Village. If they commit any unlawful acts, then you must..."
Fang Wushang hissed, drawing a sharp breath. Though brave, he was no fool, and this task felt incredibly burdensome.
If Instructor He Jiu decided to deal with him, how could he possibly stand against hundreds of flintlock rifles firing upon him?
If Bai Yuan wanted to kill him, how could he possibly defend against a long-range sniper shot?
And if San Shier wished him dead, how could he possibly contend with the entire Gao Family Village turning against him at a single command?
Fang Wushang felt the weight of a mountain pressing down on him.
For a moment, he was at a loss, but after much deliberation and deep thought, something suddenly clicked. He abruptly looked up. "Lord Liang, you don't need to entrust this matter to me. I am the military inspector of Chengcheng County. My duty is to apprehend all bandits and maintain peace in Chengcheng County. If these people commit crimes and break the law, the first person to step forward should naturally be me. I will spend more time around Gao Family Village, taking rounds whenever I can, to prevent them from engaging in any unlawful activities."
Hearing this, a faint smile spread across Li Daoxuan's lips.
The last time the Gao Family Village Militia entered Heyang County, he had felt quite a dilemma. If his own people started exploiting or bullying the 'wild' common folk, he wasn't sure if he could bring himself to punish them harshly. He had been pondering where to find someone to uphold the law and order.
Now, he had found him!
Fang Wushang was indeed an excellent talent.
This fellow was probably the most stubbornly principled man in Chengcheng County, stubbornly so it was almost bewildering.
The only issue was that, strictly speaking, this man still belonged to the Ming court. He saw himself in the position of "military inspector" and had not yet embraced the identity of a Gao Family Village resident. Therefore, when dealing with "lawbreakers," he would undoubtedly approach it from the Ming court's perspective, not from Gao Family Village's.
This subtle distinction could lead to vastly different outcomes.
Hm, perhaps he could be given an additional role.
Li Daoxuan tapped the "Gao Family Village" button, and his view instantly shifted back to the skies above the village. There, Gao Yiye was bent over a desk, engrossed in drawing the fifth installment of the "Heavenly Lord Dao Xuan's Demon-Slaying Saga."
The revised storyline was now quite normal: the Heavenly Lord helped the common folk of Heyang County by casting a spell for rain, but the Four Dragon Kings were unwilling and consequently received a severe beating from the Heavenly Lord...
Li Daoxuan called out with a chuckle, "Yiye, Yiye, Fang Wushang will be coming to our Gao Family Village to visit very soon. This time he comes, I want to arrange something different for him to do."
Gao Yiye replied, "Heavenly Lord, just give the order."
Li Daoxuan said, "When he arrives, seek him out for a chat."
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