The Hidden Immortal

Chapter 41 The truth is nothing more than that life and death are of utmost importance.

A few days later, people in Pingshui Town noticed that Wang Erlai and his two companions, who used to freeload and act like scoundrels everywhere, seemed to have disappeared.

After several days of no sign of them, some people said that the three scoundrels might have gone to another town.

Some say that the Water God of Pine and Willow opened his eyes and took these three shameless creatures away.

Regardless of the possibility, the townspeople all hope they will never see these three again.

A few days later, Chu Xun received a message from the county government that he was to see Magistrate Tang Shijun.

Before he left, Zhang Anxiu specially made him a new jacket.

According to village chief Li Shoutian, Chu Xun's journey back and forth was that of Chu Jiebin.

In the surrounding area, there are very few people who can be called Jiebin.

Since her husband was doing well, Zhang Anxiu naturally wanted him to dress presentably.

Lin Qiaoxi bought three zhang of fine white cotton cloth from the old cloth shop in Pingshui Town, and also asked Old Man Chen, who had been making clothes for more than 30 years, from the east end of the town.

The stitches are fine and the fabric is thick but not stiff. Although it is not a flashy silk or satin, Chu Xun's upright figure gives it the down-to-earth feel of a farmer.

After repeatedly straightening the hem of her clothes, Zhang Anxiu took a few steps back to look at it and nodded in satisfaction.

Chu Xun smiled and walked over, kissing her on the forehead: "Wait for me to come back."

Zhang Anxiu gave a soft "hmm" and watched her husband leave, her eyes filled with adoration.

She had liked Chu Xun since she was a child, even when Chu Xun was poor and had not yet shown much ability.

To this day, it has remained unchanged.

After Chu Xun had been gone for a long time, Zhang Anxiu went into the woodshed and took out the medicine bottle hidden behind the stove.

He poured out a grayish-brown pill, popped it into his mouth, and swallowed it with water.

She then patted her belly and muttered, "Why isn't there any sign of anything happening yet..."

Not long after, Chu Xun arrived at the county government office.

Clerk Zheng Xiuwen, who had already received the news, had been waiting there for a long time.

Upon seeing Chu Xun, the eighth-rank registrar greeted him with a smile, "Master Chu, it's been a long time. How have you been?"

Although his rank was not high, he was still an official appointed by the imperial court.

This gesture already represents a considerable amount of face.

Chu Xun cupped his hands and said, "Thanks to your blessing, sir, we're doing alright."

Zheng Xiuwen chuckled and said, "That's good. Lord Tang is already waiting in the back hall. Go on. I still have to greet a few people here, so I won't go with you."

"Of course, please go ahead, sir."

After bowing once more, Chu Xun entered the county government office.

When yamen runners or officials came and went, they would greet him politely with a cupped hand and a greeting of "Master Chu" or "Master Chu Zhongbin".

Chu Xun did not delay and returned the greetings one by one.

Upon entering the inner hall, one would see Tang Shijun standing there.

Hearing footsteps, Tang Shijun looked up, then waved to Chu Xun: "Chu Zhongbin, come here quickly, I have something good to show you!"

After serving as magistrate of Zhangnan County for five years, Tang Shijun, who was once a young man in his early twenties, now has grown a mustache.

His face now exudes a more mature and imposing air.

Inside the room, various calligraphy and paintings were hanging.

All of these were done by Tang Shijun himself. He was a scholar who was also skilled in calligraphy and painting, and he even gave himself an elegant name—Mr. Huaitang.

This is from the poem "Gan Tang" in the Book of Zhaonan: "The luxuriant sweet pear tree, do not cut it down, do not fell it! It is where Duke Shao rested. The luxuriant sweet pear tree, do not cut it down, do not destroy it! It is where Duke Shao rested. The luxuriant sweet pear tree, do not cut it down, do not worship it! It is what Duke Shao said."

It was to commemorate Duke Shao, who lived hundreds of years ago, and whose virtuous governance and incorruptible official reputation made him deeply loved by the people.

Tang Shijun's elegant name is derived from the story of "Gantang Yiai" (a poem about the legacy of love and kindness).

Chu Xun had always had a good impression of this ambitious county magistrate, so he went over as instructed.

Tang Shijun showed him what he was holding, smiling broadly, and said, "This is a rare find from Qingshui Town! I plan to present it to the Emperor to showcase the abundance of our county's agricultural products. What do you think?"

Chu Xun looked down and saw that the good thing Tang Shijun had mentioned was a stalk of rice.

But unlike ordinary rice, this rice stalk was unusually long, nearly two feet long.

The rice grains were densely packed, an alarming number.

Ordinary rice ears are at most a foot long, far inferior.

No wonder Tang Shijun said it was a good thing and wanted to present it to the emperor; it was indeed a rare find.

However, after reading it, Chu Xun shook his head and said, "This humble subject feels it is inappropriate."

Tang Shijun raised an eyebrow slightly: "Why is it inappropriate?"

If someone else had said that, he might have just felt annoyed, but just as Chu Xun admired him.

The county magistrate also admired Chu Xun, so he was even more curious as to why he said that.

Chu Xun said frankly, "Such rare objects are hard to come by. If His Majesty sees them, he will certainly be pleased. He might even reward you with some gold and silver. Your Majesty will be overjoyed, and promotions and titles will be a given."

"But have you considered what would happen if His Majesty were so pleased that he wanted you to plant such rice ears throughout the entire county?"

Tang Shijun was taken aback; he had never considered this possibility.

But upon closer reflection, it's not entirely impossible.

Chu Xun continued, "Since it is a rare and exotic creature, it is naturally difficult for it to appear commonly. Not planting it would be disobeying the imperial decree. Failing to plant it would be deceiving the emperor."

"If Your Excellency has such confidence, you will naturally present it to the imperial court. If you do not have confidence, you should consider this carefully."

Tang Shijun's expression changed upon hearing these words.

Chu Xun's words were piercing to the heart.

As a county magistrate, he has frequently visited rural areas to inspect farmland over the years, and has gained considerable knowledge of the land.

Of course, I understand that such rice ears cannot be grown casually.

There may only be one of these in the whole world, and it may not be possible to find a second one even in a hundred years.

If it is presented to the emperor and he issues an imperial edict, will he accept it or not?

Whether it is disobeying imperial orders or deceiving the emperor, it is a heinous crime that results in the confiscation of property and the extermination of the entire clan!

Although this is only a possibility and not certainty, how can someone in officialdom not understand the principle of proceeding cautiously and walking on thin ice?

As the saying goes, serving a ruler is like serving a tiger. No one can fathom the emperor's thoughts, and officials must be cautious and careful in their words and actions.

It's better to do nothing than to make a mistake.

Besides, your political achievements over the past few years have been remarkable, and countless eyes are watching you. Who knows, someone might deliberately trip you up if you stand out.

If such a possibility were to arise, my ambitions would vanish into thin air.

His own people died and their spirits were extinguished.

Thinking about it this way, Tang Shijun broke out in a cold sweat.

Looking at the rice stalks in his hand again, he felt as if they were terrifying venomous snakes.

This is no foreign object; it's clearly a deadly poison that will take his life!

However, Tang Shijun did not discard the rice stalk. Instead, he summoned someone and ordered them to frame the rice stalk.

I will hang it above my bed in the future and look at it every day to remind myself to be prepared for danger in times of peace and to think twice before acting.

After pulling Chu Xun to sit down, Tang Shijun personally poured him a cup of tea.

After each taking a small sip, Tang Shijun couldn't help but ask, "You've never held an official position and have lived in the countryside for most of your life. How do you know these things?"

Chu Xun smiled and said, "There are many principles in the world, but very few are worth pondering. The most important principle, once explained, is nothing more than the two words: life and death."

"When life is hard, I tend to think about these kinds of things more often, even if it makes the adults laugh at me."

Tang Shijun listened in a daze. After carefully considering these words, he looked up again with some amazement.

"You come from a humble background and have never studied for the imperial examinations. I'm afraid the court has lost a valuable talent."

This is already extremely high praise.

After all, the county magistrate in front of him was a second-place scholar in the imperial examinations.

There are very few people in the world who can catch his eye.

Tang Shijun didn't waste any more time and said, "We can talk about other things later. I've invited you here today for one thing only."

As he spoke, Tang Shijun stood up and bowed to Chu Xun.

"The displaced people have been renting land for nearly six years. Chu Zhongbin has made many contributions to Zhangnan County, and I, on behalf of all the people of the county, express my gratitude."

"Today, I would like to invite all the guests from Chu to take their seats as honored guests, to benefit the people, to be role models for the common folk, and to be pillars of the nation!"