Chapter 26 Qin Shiyue: The Gentleman's Profound Talent

As Huang Shanbo stood there, stammering and at a loss for words, the sound of footsteps echoed from the corridor outside the floral hall. One set of footsteps was heavy, while the other was light, as silent and soft as a cat’s tread.

"Hahahaha!"

A hearty, cheerful laugh drifted in from outside the doorway. A moment later, an elderly man in silk robes crossed the threshold. "Your Excellency the Magistrate, please forgive me for failing to welcome you properly. I am truly ashamed. I hope you will be magnanimous."

An Xin rose to his feet and looked at the man, who was about his own height and radiated a vigorous, spirited energy. This was Huang Shurong, the head of the Huang family.

"You are too kind, sir," An Xin said, clasping his hands in a respectful gesture as he returned the greeting with a smile. "Since I have taken up my post in Wuren County, my duties are to the nation above and to the people below. Beyond serving the Emperor, my purpose is to serve the common folk of this county. Waiting an extra half-hour is of no consequence."

Though Huang Shurong had been met with a soft rebuke, he remained unperturbed. He invited An Xin to be seated. "Wuren County is in a difficult state right now. It is hard for the commoners, hard for the gentry, hard for the scholar-families, and hard for the officials. Years of natural disasters have left the people with barely a grain of rice, yet the government demands levies from the gentry. We are caught in the middle, squeezed from both sides. It is hard for officials, too—pressured by the prefecture, the province, and the imperial court. If the taxes cannot be collected, they are the ones who face the consequences. However, now that Your Excellency has arrived, Wuren County is bound to get back on track. This is a blessing for all of us."

Huang Shurong’s words carried a veiled threat: without the cooperation of the local gentry, an official in Wuren County would accomplish nothing, and failing to meet quotas would eventually lead to his own ruin.

"Heh," An Xin chuckled, unmoved. "'Should the nation's interests be at stake, I would sacrifice my own life; how could I shy away from misfortune or seek out comfort?'"

Upon hearing these words and reflecting on the resolute conviction they conveyed, Huang Shurong was momentarily stunned.

"Difficult? Is there anything in this world that is not difficult? Is it not hard for the farmers to till the land? Is it not hard for scholars to bury themselves in study? Is it not hard for merchants to trade from north to south? It is in times of hardship that courage and perseverance are revealed; only through tempering can one achieve greatness. You, sir, have lived in Wuren for generations; your roots are here. I am but a transient official—two or three years at best, perhaps four or five at most. Yet, I still possess the heart to govern well. To hold office for a term is to bring benefit to the people of that region."

An Xin paused, then added, "Surely, you also wish for your hometown to be better, do you not?"

"That is only natural," Huang Shurong replied with a nod.

"I have come to visit for three reasons," An Xin stated, finally revealing his purpose.

"First, the Huang family has long held a reputation for virtue—repairing bridges, paving roads, providing famine relief, and remaining loyal to the throne. As a new official here, it is only proper that I pay my respects and learn from your example.

"Second, as the head of the Wuren gentry, your support is essential for the development of people’s livelihoods, the promotion of commerce, and the advancement of education.

"Third, the bandits in Wuren County are rampant. I have reviewed the county records and discovered they have committed acts of slaughter and razed entire villages. Furthermore, by lurking along the Tongshan mountain trails and the Ling mountain official roads, they have driven the costs of land-based trade to exorbitant levels. It has reached a point where suppression is no longer optional!"

Huang Shurong nodded. "I agree entirely with what Your Excellency has said. However, these bandits have roamed here for years. The idea of suppressing them has crossed the minds of others before you. The inspection bureau has attempted to attack their mountain strongholds, yet they have never succeeded. I speak plainly—perhaps bluntly—but whether it is the Eight Ridges Mountain or Camel Mountain, these are places that are easy to defend and hard to attack. Your heart is in the right place, Magistrate, but you may not have the means..."

"'Should the nation's interests be at stake, I would sacrifice my own life; how could I shy away from misfortune or seek out comfort?'"

A soft voice interrupted. Huang Shurong, who had been speaking, instinctively fell silent. An Xin shifted his gaze to the woman who had entered with Huang Shurong and had remained quiet ever since.

She wore a moon-white dress, her figure elegant and graceful. Her face was covered by a veil, obscuring her features. While she had appeared cool and distant earlier, their eyes now met, and he saw a flicker of starlight within hers. A single glance seemed to convey a thousand unspoken words, evoking a profound sense of beauty.

"Since Magistrate An is determined to suppress the bandits, could you perhaps elaborate on your methods? If they are truly feasible, why should we hesitate to lend you a hand?"

Her voice was as pleasant as her appearance, neither distant nor overly familiar, maintaining a perfect sense of boundaries.

An Xin looked at Huang Shurong, who, despite having been at odds with him just moments ago, now looked at him with an expression of approval. He turned his gaze back to the woman. Initially, he had assumed she was a maid or a family member, but it was clear now that her status was extraordinary. She was likely the "esteemed guest" Huang Shanbo had mentioned.

An Xin naturally would not reveal his specific plans for dealing with the Camel Mountain bandits. Hearts are unpredictable, and as this matter involved the Su family, he could not risk the information leaking. Instead, he spoke briefly about the bandits before shifting the conversation to the training of troops.

When his electric device still had power, An Xin had used its AI to synthesize knowledge from his own era and record it in a notebook. This included military science. By combining ancient and modern military theories, as well as tactics and training methods from the future, An Xin shared a portion of his insights. The woman listened intently, her eyes sparkling. Her already expressive, tender eyes—accentuated by long lashes and a faint tear mole at the corner—seemed to glow with admiration, almost as if she were looking at him with deep affection.

"Master, you are truly a man of great talent!" she exclaimed. "I would not claim to know everyone, but I have seen many promising young talents, even high-ranking officials of the court, yet I have never encountered anyone with such sharp insight and deep perspective!"

Huang Shurong, hearing this, looked at An Xin with a hint of envy. His estimation of the young magistrate had risen significantly. Though he was currently only a county magistrate, if he had caught the attention of this "esteemed guest," his future prospects might be boundless.

"My name is Qin Shiyue. You may call me 'Shiyue,' Master An," she said. She then turned her gaze toward Huang Shurong. "The scourge of bandits is like a persistent skin disease; if not removed, it grows worse each day. The land and water routes are like a person’s legs. If Magistrate An has the ambition and the talent to clear the bandits and reopen the trade routes, would that not be like restoring a healthy leg to the gentry of Wuren? Why, then, would you hesitate to support him, Master Huang?"

"The young lady is absolutely right!" Huang Shurong replied readily. "Since the Magistrate has the ambition to restore order, the Huang family will provide our full cooperation. Whatever requirements you have, Master An, just speak them plainly. Anything within the power of the Huang family, we shall do."

With the intervention of Miss Qin, the formerly stubborn Huang family head, who had been firmly aligned with the local gentry, had suddenly become very agreeable. An Xin, who had expected his request to be met with resistance, found himself secured of their support quite easily.

Soon after, Qin Shiyue took her leave. Satisfied with the outcome, An Xin did not linger and departed as well. Outside, he noticed a sword-wielding woman following close behind Qin Shiyue, her steps as light as willow fluff.

Once they had left the Huang estate, Hu Changshan leaned toward the sedan and whispered, "That female guard—her martial arts are formidable!"

An Xin nodded. Since his body had been enhanced, his five senses were exceptionally sharp, yet even in the hall, he had only heard the footsteps of the three people he had seen, not the guard’s.

"Who exactly is Qin Shiyue?" An Xin wondered. Upon returning to the magistrate’s office, he immediately dispatched men to make inquiries.

After lunch, the gatekeeper, Old Zhang, came to report that Wang Defa, the head of the local bailiffs who had been out patrolling the countryside, had returned.

Upon hearing the name, An Xin’s eyes narrowed. Over the past two days, he had learned that this Wang Defa was the same man who, in front of the public at the gambling den, had openly sided with the house and declared, "I am the law!"