The First National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 83

Although it was called Liuzhou City, it was actually just a larger village, not even comparable to the larger villages in the Hedong prefectures where my hometown was located.

On the way back to the yamen, Liu Zongyuan asked the county magistrate Zhou Quan, who was following behind him, "How are things in the county lately?"

"It's alright," Zhou Quan replied immediately.

"Yes, during the Dragon Boat Festival, many villagers come to the county, which can easily lead to disputes, so we need to be extra careful," Liu Zongyuan added.

Although Zhou Quan had become quite adept at his work under Zhou Quan's careful guidance, one should always be prepared for the unexpected, as this place was different from the Central Plains.

Here, various ethnic groups live together, and one aspect that requires special attention in governing this area is the proper handling of the relationship between the Han people and the Dong people.

This is a prerequisite for many other tasks; if this is not handled well, it will be difficult to carry out other tasks.

In recent years, in particular, the three regional military commissioners in western Lingnan have been unable to maintain stability in their jurisdictions. Rebellions and campaigns have never ceased, and several prefectures and counties are still occupied by rebellious local tribesmen.

Even Guizhou Prefecture, the nominal superior of Liuzhou and the seat of the Guizhou Military Commissioner, had been captured by the Dongmeng several times.

Being an official here is not easy; it's a life-threatening situation.

The Nanzhao Kingdom, located west of the Three Kingdoms, established itself as a separate state and harbored rebellious intentions towards the Tang Dynasty.

After the Tianbao Rebellion, the Central Plains were divided by regional warlords, the imperial court was weakened, and it was powerless to deal with the affairs of Nanzhao.

Over time, the Nanzhao Kingdom realized the weakness of the central court and took the opportunity to expand its own power, instigating the barbarians in the surrounding areas to rebel, which brought great difficulties to the local administration in Lingnan.

Although these barbarian tribes were poorly equipped, they had a great advantage in terms of the local climate and soil. When the imperial court sent troops to subdue them, before they even met, more than half of the soldiers, unaccustomed to the local climate and soil, fell ill and many died.

In this situation, it would be extremely difficult to continue fighting, let alone protect oneself.

Having finally clashed, these rebels, seeing their situation was unfavorable, would turn and hide in the dense forests. The imperial army, unfamiliar with the terrain, dared not pursue them and could only watch helplessly as they escaped—a truly difficult situation.

As he reached the street corner, Liu Zongyuan suddenly heard the faint sound of someone crying by the roadside. His heart tightened immediately; had another dispute broken out?

He immediately looked in the direction of the sound and saw a Han Chinese man squatting by the roadside, covering his face and weeping. The man was also holding up a cloth curtain with some words written on it.

Seeing the governor's attention, Zhou Quan, fearing the governor might misunderstand his mismanagement, quickly explained, "Lord Liu, this man is a Han Chinese from the Central Plains in the north, and he has come here to search for his father's remains."

"This son is indeed a filial son, so why is he weeping here?" Liu Zongyuan asked carefully.

"His father was once the magistrate of Dingxiang County. Sixteen years ago, he came to Liuzhou on official business and unfortunately fell ill and died. It is said that the government at that time buried him."

However, so much time has passed and things have changed. The county no longer has the original files, and it is unknown who was involved in the incident. To this day, no one knows where his father's grave is.

This man has been inquiring about his father on the streets for the past few days, but there's been no news yet; that's probably why he's crying.

Confucianism prioritizes filial piety, and Liu Zongyuan was a true Confucian scholar. He observed carefully, frowned, and sighed.

“Alas, judging from his appearance, this person is not very old now. Sixteen years ago, he should have been a child. He probably doesn’t even remember his father’s face. It is rare that he has come thousands of miles to search for the remains. He must be a truly filial son.”