Yinshan Record

Chapter 43 The Master Arrives
The main gate of the Shanyin County Government Office was wide open.

Shi Chibao, the commander of the Imperial Guard, sat upright in the main hall, dressed in a brocade robe and jade belt, with a short knife at his waist. Steam rose from the white porcelain teacup beside him, and his thick fingers tapped the table incessantly.

Six imperial guards, each with a long sword at their waist, stood at the entrance of the hall. The scabbards, adorned with vermilion jade pendants, were about four feet long. The guards remained silent, simply gripping the hilts of their swords.

The morning sun shone into the courtyard in front of the main hall, and in the shadows of the buildings not far away, the inspectors and clerks were whispering among themselves.

County Magistrate Jiang and Registrar Tian, ​​dressed in official robes and with official seals at their waists, stood on either side, waiting for the Chief Justice to give them instructions.

"Is County Magistrate Su not here?"

"Reporting to the old lord, after the argument between County Lieutenant Su and County Magistrate Jiang, he has stopped attending to official duties."

Tian, ​​the registrar, replied, "I ordered men to look for him, but they couldn't find him anywhere."

"Oh."

Shi Chibao responded with a single sentence, but his face remained expressionless, and he made no other move.

"The local area is in turmoil, and it has troubled you, sir, to move to Shanyin. This is all due to the incompetence of your subordinates."

County Magistrate Jiang might still be able to show some temper when facing Su Che, but when facing this Chief Justice, he could only be extremely cautious.

Su is like a powerful dragon crossing the river; he only gets a little water before leaving.

Commander Shi was a powerful figure with the power of life and death, and no one could afford to offend him.

"Ah."

The Chief Justice just gave a perfunctory reply.

"The county treasury was ransacked by the sorcerers. We officials were preparing to send troops to search the city and recover some of the scattered wealth, but we were stopped by County Magistrate Su."

"Although there were demons causing trouble in the county before, it was generally stable, so there was no need to trouble you, sir. However, there have indeed been many changes since Lieutenant Su took office."

"If we're talking about this, we can't really blame County Magistrate Su. He's newly appointed, and even if he handled some things wrong, the root of the problem dates back many years..."

Tian, ​​the registrar, cautiously looked at the chief clerk, who was sitting at the head of the table.

Su Che's previous actions had truly disgusted Magistrate Jiang and Registrar Tian, ​​as the county's money was no different from theirs.

The two of them were trying to shift all the blame onto Su Che.

"You all need to be on your guard lately, the Grand Chancellor is coming to Shanyin."

Registrar Tian and County Magistrate Jiang exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes.

At the beginning of the founding of the Great Liang Dynasty, learning from the lessons of local governance in previous dynasties, the Imperial Censorate was established in various places, with the Deputy Censor-in-Chief as the head, to supervise the local areas.

The Censorate was not a permanent institution at first, but it was established in various places later and gradually became the dedicated official in each region.

The current Imperial Censor in charge of Cizhou is surnamed Yu, and comes from the Yingchuan Yu clan, a first-class aristocratic family in Daliang.

Why is this person coming? What exactly happened in Shanyin County?

"Not only the Grand Secretary, but also the Imperial Horse Administration and the Censorate will be sending people. This is a major event, so you two must be on your guard and make preparations for their arrival."

"Your subordinates understand."

County Magistrate Jiang and Registrar Tian quickly agreed.

“Do a good job. These three gentlemen will definitely need to stay separately. You two must make sure they are well prepared, including where they will stay, how their entourage will be arranged, and all the supplies they will need on a daily basis.”

"Yes Yes Yes."

Shi Chibao looked at the two below with pity; this trip would undoubtedly cost them a fortune.

"Since we're all from the same place, I'll add a few words. The Imperial Horse Administration sent Feng Buxing, also known as Feng Da Dang, is one of Lord Su's men. You've already said what you needed to say here once; don't repeat it after we leave this room. Understand?"

Tian, ​​the registrar, swallowed hard, thinking to himself that he had always been very polite to that man surnamed Su, and now it was Old Jiang's turn to be unlucky.

Turning around, I saw that Magistrate Jiang's face had turned completely pale. "These three will be staying in Shanyin County for a while, so you two will have to take good care of them in the future."

"Your subordinates understand, your subordinates understand."

The two quickly responded.

"Alright, you two may leave now."

The Chief of Justice waved his hand, dismissing the two men, and then rubbed his temples with his fingers.

He set off overnight with his men and arrived in Shanyin County early in the morning in order to deal with the upcoming changes.

The court has already reached a decision.

The prophecy that appeared in Shanyin County is of great importance and must be carefully investigated. The Imperial Guards shall be dispatched together with the Censorate to assist the Censor-in-Chief in handling the case.

The Imperial Censor Yu Ze is leading three thousand armored soldiers and is about to arrive at Shanyin County.

It's unclear who the Censorate has appointed, but that Eunuch Feng from the Imperial Horse Administration is a fifth-rank expert.

Three thousand armored soldiers, fifth-rank masters.

With such a large entourage, Shi Chibao believed that they were definitely not here for the sake of the four words "Heaven Destroys the Remnant Liang"; there must be some other obstacle involved.

I just tested Magistrate Jiang and Registrar Tian, ​​and they were indeed unaware of the situation.

The key must lie with that County Magistrate Su, but we don't know where he is now.

He absolutely cannot allow any other unexpected events to occur.

Shi Chibao felt a pang of regret.

I was too overconfident before.

He flipped through the files at hand again.

Rumors circulate that a major upheaval has occurred in Shanyin County and Guobei County, and many experts are coming here in search of opportunities.

Several notorious ghosts from Guobei County have disappeared without a trace, and no one knows exactly what happened to them.

Last night, a male corpse was found on the streets of Shanyin County. His soul was gone, and judging from his injuries, he must have been beaten to death with great force. Judging from the body, he should have been a Confucian disciple, but it was unclear which academy he came from.

Troubled times.

Shi Chibao added an assessment in his mind.

He stood up from his chair and respectfully clasped his hands in a salute to those behind him.

“Mr. Wei, those two were clearly quite dissatisfied with Young Master Su. Should I find a pretext to deal with them?”

"Thank you in advance, Commander Shi, but there's no need to be so domineering. When that Vice Minister Yu Ze arrives, they'll have their comeuppance."

Behind the painting of the rising sun over the sea beneath the plaque "Mirror Hanging High," a Taoist priest emerged, dressed in a black cloak and wearing a feathered crown. His age was indiscernible; his hair was already gray, but his face still vaguely resembled that of a young man. He held a whisk in his left hand and a jade pendant hung at his waist.

“The one who died was from White Deer Cave, so you don’t need to investigate anymore. In truth, this is all my fault. I returned to the sect, and so many things happened at home. I feel ashamed before Lord Su.”

Shi Chibao's eyes were fixed on his nose, and his nose reflected his heart.

Every single one of the parties involved is beyond what Old Shi can handle.

Just pretend you didn't hear it.

"You don't need to send anyone to Kulin Temple anymore. The Black Mountain Monster is already there in charge. Sending more people will be a waste of their time."

Mr. Wei looked at Shi Chibao and said, "My apprentice is arriving soon. Please allow me to go and greet him."

(End of this chapter)