Chapter 345
Chongzhou, Shangyu County, and Canglan District were all adjacent to the Northern Borderline frontiers .
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The Northern Borderline did not have much produce . The b*stards were horse bandits that broke into and looted houses of their silver, jewelry, or rice . If a rather young and pretty lady was caught, it was near impossible for her to escape . Qiguan Rang’s mother was raped by those men, and she got pregnant .
At that time, the Northern Borderline was deterred by the might of Dongqing . They were meek .
When Qiguan Rang’s mother was sent back, she was three months pregnant . She lost her chastity before marriage and got pregnant… The neighbors judged her, and her elderly parents blatantly refused to acknowledge her . Her only choice was to marry Qiguan Rang’s father . Thereafter, they settled down in Shangyu County .
That was how the last 20 years had gone… But that was how things were back then . There were few that acknowledged the existence of situations similar to Qiguan Rang’s .
The minority population in the Northern Borderline did not acknowledge their existence . The people in Dongqing were ashamed of them . Akin to a mouse entering a bellow, they were bullied on both ends .
Ever since three cities in Shangyu County fell into the hands of the Northern Borderline, the people living at the frontiers had an even harder life . All the houses shut their doors, the women did not dare show their faces, and there were countless bandits that came as they willed . They changed locations frequently, and it was hard to bring them to justice .
All men fended for themselves; the people were suffering bitterly .
However, such situations had changed for the better in recent years .
In the past, no one dared to come to Chongzhou as a government official, thus the bureaucracy divided like scattered sand . The officials were deaf to the pleas of the people .
Some years back, Hu County Chief Liu She was promoted to the head of Chongzhou . The people finally had a dependable person at the helm .
After Liu She assumed the role, he spent some time and effort pinning down the horse bandits .
Initially, he wanted to progress sequentially . However, after he sought Jiang Pengji’s counsel, he changed his stance .
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“Dishonorable people have dishonorable nature . The Northern Borderline is so shameless, so why should we give them face?” Jiang Pengji replied to Liu She’s letter with menacing laughter . “It is unbelievable that these horse bandits are what they claim to be . Are average horse bandits able to acquire so many high-quality breeds of horses? Are average horse bandits able to accurately discern different geography and routes? Even wild horse bandits are often home-bred . If they did something wrong and were captured, we could blame it on the horse bandits . That sounds more politically correct than asserting that the troops of the Northern Borderline did it . ”
In other words, killing the horse bandits was less of an offense than killing generals from the Northern Borderline . They did not have any face to stand up for the “horse bandits . ”
Liu She seriously weighed his options, after which he decided to adopt Jiang Pengji’s views .
Kill! Kill each one you arrest . If two are arrested, kill both!
Once a horse bandit was caught, they were killed––regardless of their criminal offense .
The official statement was announced throughout all counties . Once the people saw any traces of horse bandits, they were to report it immediately . If the sighting was verified, they would be well rewarded .
It was a known fact that all things were more difficult in the beginning . When the order was first publicized, very little happened .
The “horse bandits” did not care about the order, and the people at the borderline did not dare to trust their officials . Thus, the effort to buckle down on the horse bandits did not make much progress .
Coincidentally, at that time, Qiguan Rang brought his new wife back to Shangyu County to pay his respects to his mother’s departed spirit .
He proposed his own ideas .
Qiguan Rang mentioned, “Chongzhou had nobody at the helm for some time . The hearts of the people are as divided as sand… They are even more doubtful of the officials . If we want to unite with them again, we must put in the effort . There are some old officials from the previous government whose trust can be won . If you visit them, we might make some progress . ”
Find a way to gain the trust of the people? Liu She readily opened his heart and arranged for his underlings to begin their preparations .
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If people saw others report the horse bandits and receive material benefits, then they would feel compelled to do the same .
After some preparation, there was an improvement, and the horse bandits’ lives became unbearable .
In regards to the horse bandits, Liu She’s method for dealing with them was consistent: Kill the man and keep the horses .
After catching a few groups of horse bandits, Liu She discovered that, except for a few wild horses, the majority of them were good colts that were well-trained .
He was confused as to how regular horse bandits had managed to acquire colts of such good quality .
Thus, the identity of the “horse bandits” was brought to light .
Liu She saw through their antics, but he did not give things away . He acted according to standard procedure .
Those deserving of death would be killed; others would be detained, their heads displayed in public . The officials from the Northern Borderline had faces as black as the bottom of a wok, but he turned a blind eye .
A year had passed since Liu She implemented the new policy, and the county near the Northern Borderline frontiers had changed dramatically .
They may not be rich or living comfortably, but it was much better than the days that they lived trembling in fear .
Qiguan Rang brought his wife to pay her respects to his mother who passed away, and he visited his teacher along the way . He learned from his teacher that the daughter of the Liu mansion was marrying into the royal family .
“The daughter of Liu mansion is marrying into the royal family?” As the news hit him, Qiguan Rang stopped fanning himself with a peacock fan momentarily . His expression changed slightly .
He had grown a beard, and his face was naturally solemn . At that moment, he looked much older than his actual age .
Qiguan Rang’s teacher nodded his head and said, “I heard people talk about this wedding some time ago . They expressed their desire to give the magistrate manor some local products . ”
The people had always been afraid of government officials, who were as greedy as wolves . But now, they rejoiced over the marriage of magistrate Liu’s daughter . It was evident that Liu She had won the people’s hearts .
Of course, rather than say that Liu She did well, it was more appropriate to say he did better than his predecessor .
“At a time like this?” Qiguan Rang asked again, his brows slightly raised .
His teacher asked, “Do you think it is inappropriate?”
Qiguan Rang’s teacher was like a father to him; he did not keep anything from him .
“It is very inappropriate . Liu Langjun is in trouble,” Qiguan Rang said, “Shangjing is currently a dangerous place… One may go and never return . ”
Over the past few days, Qiguan Rang and his teacher had discussed matters regarding the powers in the world . They analyzed Dongqing’s political situation in detail .
Upon hearing what Qiguan Rang said, his teacher paused . He replied in surprise, “What you mean is…”
“I am afraid so . ” Qiguan Rang nodded .
His teacher frowned, saying, “I remember you said once that you were indebted to the Liu manor . Is there a solution to this?”
“Have no fear . ” Qiguan Rang suddenly smiled . “Shangjing may be dangerous, but it is incapable of detaining Liu Langjun . But… I thought of something . Time is short, and I must depart in a few days . I cannot be by your side to exercise filial piety . ”
“What is the matter?” Qiguan Rang’s teacher asked .
Qiguan Rang answered, “I once promised someone… When a person needs me most, I will be there to help . The opportune moment has arrived . ”
“The opportune moment?”
“When Shangjing is defeated will be the opportune time . ”
Two blooming flowers were unique in their own way .
With the protection of 5,000 troops, the bridal party escorted the bride into Shangjing peacefully .
“Many years have passed . This place is still so lively, and it’s flourishing… After all these years, not much has changed…” Jiang Pengji said with emotion . She was speaking to the audience in the live streaming room .
Toudu Feiqiu: “I remember my hometown . I left home for college . By the time I graduated and went home, I almost couldn’t recognize the roads . All I can say is that society progressed so quickly . Changes happened rapidly . My hometown continues to change every day…”
Laosiji Lianmeng: “#propschin . This is expected . In ancient times, it was a society of farmers . Productivity was low . This is an undisputed truth . ”
The people living in ancient times and the audience members in the live streaming room were different, which wasn’t how it was in Jiang Pengji’s world . The progression and changes seemed to stop . Buildings would not have changed much, even after twenty or thirty years .