Of course it hadn’t been. Magistrate Sun’s security measures were quite good. The granary storing this batch of grain wasn’t often used, and very few people knew this place was a granary. So the grain inside was still there, except…
Zhao Hanzhang bent down to grab a handful of wheat mixed with mud and sand, saying meaningfully, “Quyang County’s chaos this time is not at all unjust.”
The County Administrator and Chief Clerk beside her flushed red—whether from shame or fear, who could tell?
Zhao Hanzhang didn’t look at them. After dropping the wheat in her hand, she said, “Go invite the wealthy households and gentry from the city. We’ll look at and count the grain in the granary together.”
She continued, “Most of them are literate. Now that Quyang County faces difficulty, this is precisely when we need them.”
Having been frightened all night, and some even having their homes invaded and robbed, the wealthy households who were invited by soldiers to the granary to watch the county office count the grain were both angry and shocked. They hadn’t yet recovered from last night’s chaos. Upon arrival, they immediately fixed their stares on the County Administrator and Commander Ding, asking, “Where is Magistrate Sun?”
Zhao Hanzhang said coolly, “Magistrate Sun went to Chen County. Right now, I’m in charge of Quyang.”
Only then did everyone look at Zhao Hanzhang.
Many recognized her. Last year at the Zhao family’s winter solstice banquet, they had attended and met her.
Those who didn’t recognize her, upon hearing what had been shouted all night and seeing her surrounded and supported by others, could also guess her identity.
Their expressions improved slightly. Still maintaining some decorum, they raised their hands to bow to Zhao Hanzhang and sincerely thanked her: “Thank you, County Magistrate Zhao, for the rescue.”
Zhao Hanzhang nodded slightly, her expression also improving somewhat. She asked warmly, “Are your households all well?”
Some sighed, some showed sadness, while others responded, “Thanks to the timely arrival of reinforcements last night, although we lost some property, everyone is fine.”
Zhao Hanzhang breathed a huge sigh of relief and nodded. “As long as everyone is fine, that’s good.”
She looked back toward the granary. “However, in this chaos, quite a few people were harmed. Tracing it to the root, it all stems from grain.”
Everyone also followed her gaze. Upon seeing the opened grain sacks mixed with so much sand and stone, they were shocked. “What’s going on?”
Yes, what was going on indeed?
With Magistrate Sun absent, Zhao Hanzhang could only question the County Administrator and Chief Clerk.
The two hadn’t expected Zhao Hanzhang to act as soon as she decided to, and they couldn’t help but shout, “This has nothing to do with us! We knew nothing!”
“As County Administrator and Chief Clerk—especially the Chief Clerk—not knowing the details of something as major as grain collection, allowing such chaos to arise—isn’t this serious dereliction of duty?” Zhao Hanzhang’s gaze turned icy as she stared at him. “What face do you have to shout ‘I don’t know’?”
The Chief Clerk was on the verge of tears. “But I truly don’t know! Such a small matter as grain collection is handled by the clerks below. We only need to verify the accounts are correct. How could I know that those below would be so bold as to privately steal grain taxes and mix in sand and stone?”
Hearing him defend himself this way, Zhao Hanzhang became so angry she lashed out with a horse whip, knocking him to the ground. “Clerks? Aren’t you, a small Chief Clerk, also a clerk? Your official rank isn’t high, but your airs are considerable. As Chief Clerk, you can’t even inspect and verify—occupying your position without fulfilling your duties. You’re even more detestable than a parasite!”
Zhao Hanzhang had originally intended to interrogate him, but now she was too lazy even to question him. She directly ordered, “Take him away and behead him!”
The Chief Clerk’s eyes widened. As soldiers came forward to drag him away, he shouted, “You, you can’t kill me! You can’t kill me! I’m Quyang County’s Chief Clerk, not Xiping County’s. I have Magistrate Sun to judge me…”
Zhao Hanzhang waved her hand, and the soldiers stuffed a cloth into his mouth, directly dragging him outside.
The granary instantly fell silent. Everyone looked at Zhao Hanzhang with shock and uncertainty. The County Administrator was most frightened—standing to one side, he felt his legs growing somewhat weak.
Zhao Hanzhang’s gaze fell coolly on the County Administrator.
The County Administrator swallowed with a gulp. Under her prolonged stare, he dropped to his knees with a thud and pointed at one of the wealthy men: “This was done by the Guan family together with Magistrate Sun and the Chief Clerk in plotting to replace the grain. I, I didn’t participate.”
The wealthy households and gentry all turned as one to look at Guan Yi.
Guan Yi’s face paled slightly but remained relatively calm. “You’re making false accusations. My Guan family doesn’t lack this bit of grain. Why would we replace grain taxes?”
He paused before continuing, “Moreover, this chaos didn’t arise because of replacing grain taxes, but because the grain taxes allocated by Yuzhou were too high. The common people couldn’t bear the burden, which led to rebellion.”
Zhao Hanzhang said coolly, “Master Guan certainly knows the situation clearly.”
Guan Yi grew even calmer, saying with a half-smile, “I’ve heard that nearly half of this should have been summer taxes from Shangcai and Xiping. However, because County Magistrate Zhao refused to pay the full amount of taxes, Yuzhou placed all these taxes on our Quyang instead.”
“My subjects are impoverished. If they truly paid the taxes Yuzhou demanded, the common people under my governance would also starve to death. So for their sake, I’m willing to argue on principle,” Zhao Hanzhang said. “As a county’s magistrate, what should be done first is to preserve the county’s people. I don’t regret what I’ve done. However, Master Guan, how do you know that the taxes placed on Quyang’s people this time are unrelated to the replaced grain taxes?”
“If they can use sand and stone to replace grain, who’s to say they wouldn’t raise taxes for the sake of grain, embezzling even more grain?”
Exactly!
Everyone’s gazes fixed piercingly on Guan Yi.
Guan Yi’s heart pounded.
Zhao Hanzhang waved her hand to have Guan Yi taken away as well. Seeing him struggle unwillingly, she said, “Master Guan, rest assured—you’re different from the Chief Clerk.”
She continued, “The Chief Clerk is a court-appointed official. Receiving the ruler’s salary yet not performing loyal service—occupying an official position yet not fulfilling its duties—so my killing him is perfectly justified.”
“But as for Master Guan, you are a commoner while I am an official. If you’ve committed a crime, I will investigate thoroughly and judge according to law.” Zhao Hanzhang turned slightly to look at the County Administrator, her lips curved in a cold smile. “For now, you’ll be in charge of this matter.”
The County Administrator’s knees grew even weaker. He kowtowed, trembling as he replied, “Yes.”
Only then did Zhao Hanzhang smile at the remaining wealthy households and gentry. “I invited everyone here to help. Since everyone has arrived, let’s begin counting the grain in the granary.”
The wealthy men said, “…Why don’t we call our household stewards to help?”
They certainly couldn’t do this sort of thing as well as their household stewards!
But was Zhao Hanzhang’s goal merely to count?
She wanted them to see why Quyang County’s common people had rebelled.
Zhao Hanzhang acted as if she hadn’t heard their differing opinions and had someone return to the county office to bring over this year’s tax collection ledgers as well.
Oh, the Chief Clerk had been beheaded. Zhao Hanzhang’s soldiers were quite lazy—too lazy to go far—so they directly beheaded him not far outside the granary.
His head and body were still lying on the ground separated.
The people in the granary only needed to lean slightly to see the corpse. So although they had never done such work and considered themselves proud, they still… couldn’t help but obediently follow Zhao Hanzhang’s words.