Chapter 664 The Governor Just Passing Through
Early morning, Mengjin County stirred awake.
It promised another day of peace and tranquility.
Locals, shouldering hoes and wielding shovels and other tools, headed out of the county town to dig away the thick mud crusts left by the Yellow River’s floods.
These dense layers of mud had to be removed to expose the original soil, allowing everyone to resume cultivation and return to their normal lives of years past.
This was no simple task!
The excavated mud and sand also needed to be transported to the riverbank, not just dumped anywhere.
Vast numbers of people were responsible for digging, and vast numbers for transporting. Such an operation would likely continue for a very, very long time.
The mud crusts, baked rock-hard by the sun, left the villagers panting with exhaustion after just a small amount of digging. They had to sit down, drink some water, and rest for a while before they could continue.
Just as the county's outskirts bustled with activity, a large army approached from the east.
Fan Shangzheng looked utterly exasperated, charging forward with his army at a pace that threatened to break their legs.
He had originally been stationed in Xiuwu County, but news that the rebels had organized a large fleet of boats to cross the river into Mengjin County had terrified him.
He immediately led his troops to Mengjin County.
Halfway there, he received another report: Commander Qin Renhong had been defeated and killed, and the natural barrier of the Yellow River was lost.
In that moment, he felt completely numb.
He could only continue his frantic dash towards Mengjin.
After another few dozen li, people from the Prince of Fu’s household suddenly rushed to meet him, claiming they had been bullied by a man named Bai Yuan. They prattled on about how Bai Yuan had forcibly occupied Xiaolangdi and refused to pay rent to the Prince of Fu, demanding the Governor intervene, and so on—a pile of utter nonsense.
Fan Shangzheng’s head throbbed with annoyance.
He was currently as busy as a firefighter, rushing from one crisis to another. How could he possibly bother with the trivial matters of the Prince of Fu’s household? Yet, he couldn’t simply dismiss the Prince’s concerns. He had to casually reply, "Alright, I've noted the matter of Bai Yuan. This official will certainly provide the Prince of Fu's household with an explanation."
Having said that, he continued to lead his army towards Mengjin County.
He knew it was too late to save Mengjin. He was sure he would arrive to find a county town already ravaged by the rebels.
To his surprise, when he arrived beneath the city walls, Mengjin County presented a picture of complete harmony. The city was intact, its walls hadn't been dismantled, and its houses hadn't been burned. The common folk were even carrying various tools, diligently digging up the mud crusts left by the Yellow River's floods.
"What in the world is going on?"
Fan Shangzheng burst into the county town, seized the county magistrate, and snapped, "What exactly happened? Where are the rebels? This official clearly heard they were on their way."
The magistrate could only trot out the name of "Mr. Bai" again: "The one who saved us here is a local gentry, Mr. Bai Yuan."
"What? Bai Yuan?" The name he’d just heard from the Prince of Fu’s people unexpectedly reappeared here, piquing Fan Shangzheng’s interest.
After introducing Bai Yuan, the magistrate continued to weave his tale: "Mr. Bai deployed a large militia force along the riverbank. Arrows rained down, blocking the rebels from crossing. He then used boats seized from the Xiaolangdi pirates to engage the rebels in a fierce water battle, finally driving them back to Shanxi."
Hearing this, Fan Shangzheng finally let out a heavy sigh of relief: "This gentry named Bai Yuan truly has a knack for things. He's helped this official immensely. Is he here? I'd like to meet him."
The magistrate replied, "He's not present, but his friend, the great hero Xiao Qiushui and his wife, are both in the city. They were the ones who led the militia in ground combat, preventing the rebels from landing. Mr. Bai was responsible for the water battle."
Fan Shangzheng listened, growing increasingly interested: "Oh, where are this couple now?"
The couple was at a small roadside stall, enjoying the local delicacy "Mengjin Bufan," a peculiar mung bean snack unavailable anywhere else.
Li Daoxuan's mechanical mouth crunched away, utterly unable to stop.
Gao Yiye chuckled, "Oh? Heavenly Lord, you have something on your lip."
She quickly produced a handkerchief and helped Li Daoxuan wipe the corner of his mouth.
To savor the snack, Li Daoxuan had maximized his co-sensing effect, engaging all five senses. The soft touch of Gao Yiye's small hand as she wiped his mouth was clearly transmitted to his physical body.
Hmm?
That felt rather nice!
He was just about to savor the sensation more thoroughly when a yamen runner rushed over: "Ah, Great Hero Xiao Qiushui, we finally found you two! The Governor has arrived and wishes to see you."
Li Daoxuan grumbled, "Oh, what a spoilsport."
The yamen runner flinched, quickly lowering his voice: "Great Hero Xiao, you shouldn't say such things aloud. We can whisper about it in private, but if someone overhears you on the street and reports it to the Governor, he'll surely be displeased."
Li Daoxuan smiled, lightly patting the yamen runner's shoulder. "Thank you. You’re quite thoughtful of me. I like that about you."
The yamen runner gave a bashful grin.
Li Daoxuan stopped his teasing, took Gao Yiye’s hand, and together they walked towards the county magistrate’s office.
Soon after, the two stood before Fan Shangzheng.
Fan Shangzheng was no longer young, in his fifties, yet his appearance made him seem seventy years old, an indication of the immense pressure he’d been under recently.
Upon seeing Li Daoxuan and Gao Yiye, Fan Shangzheng adopted a gentle demeanor: "My two heroes, this official heard that Mengjin County was defended by your militia. We are truly indebted to you both."
Gao Yiye replied, "You're too kind, greatly exaggerating our efforts."
Fan Shangzheng was about to offer a few words of encouragement and then inquire about the situation at Xiaolangdi.
Suddenly, a messenger on horseback galloped from a distance, arriving at the entrance of the county office. He tumbled from his saddle, scrambling inside, and shouted, "Governor, terrible news, terrible news!"
Fan Shangzheng’s heart leaped: "What is it?"
The messenger gasped, "The rebels... the Chuǎng Wang has broken through Xiuwu County, killed Magistrate Liu Fengxiang, burned and plundered Wushe and Hui County, and is besieging Huaiqing Prefecture. The West Camp Eight Great Kings have ravaged Wenshui County; Magistrate Xu Zhaoyuan was killed by the rebels only seven days after taking office."
"What?!" Fan Shangzheng sprang to his feet.
As soon as he stood, all strength left him, and he plopped back down. Quickly, he gathered his resolve and jumped up again: "Hurry! We must relieve the siege of Huaiqing Prefecture immediately!"
The soldiers who had accompanied him swiftly mobilized.
They had just run themselves ragged to Mengjin County, and before they could even rest, they now had to rush to Huaiqing Prefecture. Truly a stroke of ill luck.
Fan Shangzheng ran a few steps outwards, then abruptly turned back. He firmly grasped Li Daoxuan's forearm, shaking it twice: "Hero Xiao Qiushui, this official wanted to chat with you more, but there is simply no time now... This Mengjin County, I entrust it to you."
Li Daoxuan replied, "Rest assured."
Fan Shangzheng had no time for further conversation. He turned and ran, vanishing in a flash.
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