Chapter 66: Transfer

County Office Main Hall.

Magistrate Hu and Assistant Magistrate Zhang were in the midst of handing over their duties.

As he passed the official seal of the county to Zhang, Hu Dongshi—no longer to be called Magistrate Hu—could not conceal his reluctance. The seal had only been in his possession for a few months, scarcely warmed by his hands, and now it was already time to relinquish it.

An order had suddenly arrived from above: Hu Dongshi was to be dismissed from his post as Magistrate of Ping’an County, with Assistant Magistrate Zhang temporarily taking charge.

Furthermore, upon receiving the order, Hu Dongshi was required to report immediately to the Administrative Office in Yunzhou for a new assignment, with no delay permitted.

The envoy from above brought a special message, emphasizing that this was at the behest of Vice Inspector Yu from Yunzhou—an old family friend of the Hus, even related by marriage. Hu Dongshi’s grandfather had once supported Yu in his efforts to travel to the capital for the imperial examination, forging a close bond between the two families. When Hu Dongshi first arrived to take up his post in Ping’an, he had visited this elder during his stay in the Yunzhou prefecture.

Though utterly bewildered, Hu Dongshi nonetheless complied with the envoy’s instructions, expediting the transfer of county affairs to Zhang.

“Lord Zhang, the accounts of Ping’an County are all clear—there are no issues, are there?” he asked.

“I’ve had them reviewed, and there’s nothing amiss,” Zhang replied, struggling to suppress his excitement. Yet, as he took the county’s official seal, a smile of satisfaction broke through his composure. Though his stewardship was only temporary, if he performed well, the “acting” in his title might soon be dropped.

With the handover complete, Hu Dongshi had no desire to linger with Zhang. Seeing Zhang’s smug expression only made him feel more stifled. To lose his post as county magistrate—a position of authority in Ping’an—was no trivial matter. Even if this was at Vice Inspector Yu’s behest, and surely for some deeper purpose, he remained uncertain about what awaited him at the Administrative Office in Yunzhou.

Should he be left to idle away his days, it would be a sorry fate indeed.

Hu Dongshi had no illusions about being promoted; he was self-aware enough to know that after only a few months in office, with no notable achievements, advancement was unlikely. He lacked powerful connections and was hardly a prodigy of governance.

His hope now was merely to be reassigned as magistrate in another district—a favorable outcome in itself.

Yet official posts were scarce, each a coveted seat; the agonizing wait for the Ministry of Personnel to appoint new officials was something Hu Dongshi knew all too well. He had barely enjoyed a few months of comfort, and now he was to return to the hardship of waiting.

He could not help but resent Vice Inspector Yu, his family friend and elder. If he were to be reassigned, Yu could at least have secured a new post for him first. To be removed so abruptly from the lucrative magistracy of Ping’an, and sent back to Yunzhou without explanation, left him feeling utterly unsettled.

...

Assistant Magistrate Zhang suggested a farewell banquet for Hu Dongshi, but Hu politely declined. He was no fool: after only a few months as magistrate, to depart so quietly—hardly a promotion—what need was there for such ceremony? Perhaps Zhang simply wanted an opportunity to flaunt.

Back in the magistrate’s residence, Hu’s attendants had already packed his belongings, and two carriages waited outside.

But he soon discovered his newly acquired concubine was missing.

“Where is she? None of you saw her?” Hu Dongshi asked his attendants, his mood soured. They were about to depart, and her whereabouts were unknown.

His concubine, Jiang Yueqin, had joined his household after he took office in Ping’an. She was alluring, voluptuous, and especially captivating in the private chambers—a delight he found difficult to part with.

Hu Dongshi doted on Jiang Yueqin, intending to bring her along to Yunzhou. If, during the uncertain wait for reassignment, he had such a beauty for company, his days would not be so unbearable.

Yet now she had vanished.

“The mistress was here just now; she must have stepped out for a moment. She’ll be back soon,” one attendant said.

But after waiting for most of an hour, there was still no sign of Jiang Yueqin.

Growing impatient, Hu ordered his attendants to search the entire county office, but she was nowhere to be found.

Meanwhile, the envoy from Yunzhou began to press him. “Lord Hu, if we wait any longer, it’ll be past noon. If we don’t hurry, we won’t reach the next town by nightfall—you’ll have to spend the night in the wild.”

The envoy seemed anxious, eager to leave Ping’an without delay.

“It’s only a concubine; leave an attendant behind to wait for her. We must get on our way lest we lose time,” he urged.

Hu Dongshi had no choice. The city of Ping’an was plagued by ghosts and monsters; he dared not linger outside at night. Should he miss the appointed time, trouble would surely follow.

He pointed to an attendant with bulging eyes. “Hu Tianshun, you stay behind.”

...

Hu Dongshi and his party departed, leaving Hu Tianshun at the county office.

Hu Tianshun was hardly pleased to be left, but with Hu Dongshi naming him directly, he had no recourse.

Jiang Yueqin was the magistrate’s favored concubine; if he failed to retrieve her, he feared Hu Dongshi would simply send him back from Yunzhou.

Hu Tianshun had served as gatekeeper at the county office for several months, mostly extorting visitors and earning no small number of enemies. When Fang Yue had sought an audience with Magistrate Hu about the East Sea pirates, Hu Tianshun had tried to extract payment from him as well.

While Hu Dongshi held office, people tolerated Hu Tianshun’s arrogance out of respect for his master. But now, with the magistrate dismissed and gone, Hu Tianshun, merely a long-serving attendant, found himself unwelcome.

Waiting at the office entrance, he received more than a few cold stares, a testament to his unpopularity. Eventually, even the yamen runners came to chase him away, claiming that idlers were not permitted at the gate.

This infuriated Hu Tianshun, but he knew the situation had changed and consoled himself, “When the tiger falls from the mountain, even dogs dare to bite.”

Seizing an opportunity, he slipped into the inner residence at the back of the office to wait.

With Hu Dongshi freshly departed and Assistant Magistrate Zhang yet to move in, the inner quarters were empty and desolate.

He waited until dusk, when the sun had set, before Jiang Yueqin finally appeared in the residence.

“Madam, where have you been? Why are you only returning now? The master has already left for Yunzhou,” Hu Tianshun complained, unable to resist but careful not to be too harsh.

Jiang Yueqin wore a pale green dress, its neckline daringly low, revealing a hint of white skin at her chest—a bold choice for this era.

She smiled sweetly at Hu Tianshun. “I thought you had all left, but here you are, still waiting.”

Hu Tianshun was momentarily stunned. Did her words mean she’d deliberately avoided leaving, not wishing to follow Hu Dongshi?

“Madam, you’re not planning to abandon the master, are you?” he asked suspiciously.

Jiang Yueqin shook her head. “Of course not. But it’s already late; it’s not suitable to travel now. We can’t catch up with the master, so we’ll leave together tomorrow.”

As she spoke, she walked into the room, adding, “The master’s gone, and the night is long—how shall we pass the time? Tianshun, my shoulders are a bit sore; come in and massage them for me.”

Hu Tianshun’s gaze lingered on her voluptuous figure, and he swallowed nervously, recognizing the insinuation in her words. This woman was seducing him.

“She truly is a woman of the brothel,” he thought.

Glancing furtively around to ensure no one saw, Hu Tianshun slipped into the room like a thief.

But inside, he was greeted not by soft flesh and fragrant warmth, but by a gigantic green serpent with its jaws agape...