Chapter 668: Yanzhou (Part 2)
Just then, a group of people gradually gathered around, each with a sign above their head bearing the words "County Magistrate," "Registrar," and "Scribe."
The leader was a middle-aged man in his forties, with a thin face, wearing a faded blue robe, and with the inscription "【Yuguan County Assistant】" on his head.
He cupped his hands in greeting to Shen Yanzhou: "Your Excellency, I am Zhou Wenyuan, the newly appointed Assistant Magistrate of Yuguan County."
A short, stout middle-aged man also came up, his face full of smiles, with the words "【Yuguan County Registrar】" on his head: "Your Excellency, I am Qian Tong, the Registrar."
At the very back was a dark-faced, stocky man who didn't talk much. He simply clasped his hands in a fist salute, with the inscription "【Yuguan County, Clerk】" on his head. His voice was deep: "Wang Tieshan."
Shen Yanzhou nodded and quickly found the route to Yuguan County in his mind.
"Gentlemen, as you all know, our primary task now is to get to Yuguan County as soon as possible and get the county affairs running again."
Yuguan County is about half a month's journey from here. We'll pass through several townships and counties along the way, where we can resupply. Let's set off now.
"Yes," Zhou Wenyuan and Wang Tieshan responded simultaneously.
Qian Tong was a beat behind, but he quickly caught up.
Shen Yanzhou turned around and glanced behind him.
The main force has already started moving. Some people in the crowd have signs on their heads that read "【People of Yuguan County, a certain township】" and others have signs that read "【People of Xizhou, a certain county】".
On the official road, the flow of people began to diverge, dispersing in different directions.
He took a deep breath and, with his men, strode eastward.
A journey of half a month is neither long nor short.
The scenery along the way surprised Shen Yanzhou. The vegetables and fruits in the farmland on both sides of the official road were growing very well. Cucumbers hung on the vines and tomatoes were ripe and red, one after another.
In the villages they passed through, the villagers were working in the fields. When they saw this group of people, they only looked up at them briefly before going back to their work.
Occasionally, when passing through a county or village, the team would stop to resupply.
Local officials would share some grain and vegetables with them, neither warmly nor coldly.
Shen Yanzhou noticed that the atmosphere in the team was subtly changing.
The civilians from the Azure Blood Plane initially looked bewildered and uneasy when they entered.
But after a few days, their expressions gradually relaxed.
There was food in the fields and shelter by the roadside. No one beat them or scolded them. Even when the children cried, the adults nearby would comfort them, saying, "Don't cry. You'll have a new home when you get to Yuguan County."
On the seventh night, Shen Yanzhou patrolled the edge of the camp.
Bonfires burned brightly, and people sat around them, some sharing flatbread, others chatting quietly.
As he passed a bonfire, he heard a middle-aged man say to a woman beside him, "Honey, your braids look really nice today."
The woman paused for a moment, her face flushing slightly: "What's so beautiful about it? I'm all old."
"Not old," the man said softly. "Truly not old."
Shen Yanzhou paused, a slight smile unconsciously curving his lips, before continuing to walk forward.
By the tenth day, more than one couple in the group had become "pleasing to the eye".
During the day, they walked side by side while traveling, and at night, they sat side by side while setting up camp.
Some of the young wives already have slightly protruding bellies.
Shen Yanzhou was initially stunned, but then she remembered the effects of the Pure Land of Ten Thousand Lives and calculated the days. She had conceived on the way, and her pregnancy would probably be noticeable by the time she arrived in Yuguan County.
He looked away and continued on his way.
On the fifteenth day, the city wall of Yuguan County came into view.
It was a typical small county town, with a city wall that was twenty or thirty li in circumference and more than ten meters high, made of bluestone, with several arrow towers on top.
The city gates were wide open, and several yamen runners were already waiting at the entrance.
The streets in the city are laid out in a straight line, just like a chessboard. Some of the shops along the streets are already open, while others are still empty.
In the alleyways of the residential area, children were chasing and playing. When they saw them coming, they all ran out to watch.
The procession stopped in front of the county government office.
The county government office was not large, consisting of a three-courtyard complex: the front hall for offices, the middle hall for meetings, and the back hall for living quarters.
Two stone lions stand at the entrance, and the plaque above reads "Yuguan County Government Office".
Shen Yanzhou stood at the entrance of the yamen and looked back at the crowd behind him.
The township heads had already begun to lead their respective people out of the crowd. They stepped out from the crowd, bowed to Shen Yanzhou, and then led their people to their respective townships.
Those who remained in place were the residents of the county town.
He stepped into the government office.
Zhou Wenyuan caught up from behind: "Your Excellency, what are the next steps?"
Shen Yanzhou didn't stop. As he walked, he said, "Go to the official granary first and distribute the grain. Calculate it per person: two catties per adult per day, one catty per child, enough for ten days."
"Yes." Zhou Wenyuan waved to the yamen runners behind him, and they quickly ran towards the official granary.
"Qian Tong." Shen Yanzhou said without turning his head.
"I'm here," the short, stout clerk quickly approached.
"Go and find the household registration book in the county town, register the people who were assigned today, divide them by township, and sort out the list first."
"Okay!" Qian Tong dashed off in a flash.
"Wang Tieshan".
"Yes," the dark-faced clerk replied in a deep voice.
"Take some people and take stock of all the vacant houses in the city, and allocate them by household, giving priority to those with elderly people or children."
"Yes." Wang Tieshan clasped his hands in a fist salute, turned around, and strode away.
Shen Yanzhou walked to the front hall of the county government office and pushed open the wooden door that was covered with a thin layer of dust.
The room was simply furnished with a table, a chair, and several rows of empty bookshelves along the wall.
He walked behind the desk and sat down, wiping his fingertips on the table, leaving them dusty.
He looked down at the layer of dust, remained silent for a moment, then looked up and called out towards the door, "Someone come here."
A yamen runner strode in: "Your Excellency."
"Go and open all the windows in the county government office to let in some fresh air."
"yes."
Shen Yanzhou leaned back in his chair, looking out at the gray sky.
𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺
He used to work as a clerk in the Azure Blood Demon Sect, where he faced account books, documents, and endless petitions every day. He would be beaten, scolded, or even executed if he made the slightest mistake.
Now he is the head of a county, in charge of thousands of people. He has to distribute grain, allocate housing, and register household registrations. There are so many things to do that it's like a bottomless pit.
But he suddenly felt that this was much more reassuring than his time in the Azure Blood Demon Sect.
He picked up a wooden plaque from the table, looked at the four characters "Yuguan County Seal" engraved on it, and turned it over and over again.
The wooden plaque felt heavy in his palm, with a slightly cool touch.
"Yuguan County." He murmured the name, put the wooden sign back in its place, and stood up.
Outside the window, the yamen runners were already busy, and the people were orderly dispersing on the streets, while the laughter of children could be heard in the distance.
The county town is empty, but it will soon be full.
He took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and went out.
"Get to work."