Four years is enough to change many things.
This was Jiang Wenyuan's sixth year serving as the magistrate of Su Prefecture.
In fact, his term was up three years ago, but the people of Su Prefecture were reluctant to see him go.
When his three-year term was nearing its end, they jointly wrote a petition with ten thousand signatures and sent it to the Capital City, forcibly keeping him here.
Jiang Wenyuan was also reluctant to leave the people here, so he stayed for another term - six years in total now.
This was already his sixth year. He feared that this time, even if the people of Su Prefecture wrote another petition with ten thousand signatures, it would not be enough to keep him any longer.
In Jiang Wenyuan’s fourth year in Su Prefecture, Jiang Yuchuan went back to his hometown Qingzhou to take the county exam, and placed first as the Top Scholar. He was thirteen that year.
That same year, he entered the Imperial Academy to study.
His elder cousin Jiang Yujiang also took the county exam in Lingzhou Prefecture and placed fifth. Jiang Wenyuan recommended both nephews to study at the Imperial Academy under the name “Duke Jiang”.
The two cousins lived together at Duke Jiang's Residence in the Capital City.
Second brother Jiang Yuhe barely passed the county exam at the “outstanding talent” level, but secretly ran away, leaving a letter that he had gone to join the military.
Knowing that his third uncle was in Su Prefecture in the northwest, he didn’t dare to come here.
Instead, he ran to the southeast coast, saying he wanted to fight Japanese pirates. This left his mother so furious that she threatened to sever their mother-son ties.
Third brother Jiang Yuhu lost interest in studying after passing as an outstanding talent. He did not continue his studies, but chose to go into business instead.
Jiang Wenyuan simply wrote home to hand over all the family properties to Jiang Yuhu to manage.
Among the seven brothers, he was the only one who was married.
Jiang Yuqing knew the girl - she even played matchmaker for them. It was Chen Yingying whom they met in Jizhou Province back then.
Back when the master and disciple had lodged overnight at the Chen's residence, they overheard Lord Chen sigh over the good products from Qingzhou, but had no way to trade.
When Jiang Yuqing left, she left a note to help them out.
Later, when Lord Chen went to Qingzhou to trade, Chen Yingying tagged along. Somehow she and Jiang Yuhu took a liking to each other at first sight.
Jiang Yuhu liked doing business, and Chen Yingying also came from a merchant family. One couldn’t find a more suitable match.
When they got married, Jiang Yuqing returned to Qingzhou with her mother Lady Lu specially to attend their wedding.
The Jiang family no longer enforced the rule of marrying by seniority. As long as someone was willing to get married, the elders were fine with it regardless of order.
Otherwise, if the older brothers used not having met the right person as an excuse not to marry, what could they do? So whoever could find a partner first got to marry!
In old Mr. Jiang’s words, these rascals were all here to collect debts. Getting them to settle down was such a headache when they were still picky.
Back in their days, having a woman who could warm your bed was already good fortune. As long as she had all her limbs, who cared if she was a beauty? Blow out the lights and they were all the same. The key was whether she could bear children.
Old Lady Hu happened to overhear this. The old woman was furious. She immediately chased after the old man with her broom, whacking wildly.
If the others hadn’t stopped her in time, his bald head would surely have sprouted a few more lumps.
As for the fourth and sixth brothers, they were still attending Uncle Lu’s school, and would graduate next year at the latest.
Jiang Yuqing’s cousin on her uncle’s side, elder cousin Lu Huai, had already passed the provincial exam and was now studying at the prestigious White Deer Academy.
Younger cousin Lu Jin had passed the county exam with an outstanding talent rating, and was studying at the Qingzhou Prefecture County School. He would also be taking the provincial exam next year.
Overall, everything was going quite well.
Three years ago, her second senior brother Guo Jie also married, and welcomed a son last year.
Jiang Yuqing personally carved an enhanced Peace Talisman for the child as a one month celebration gift.
As for her third senior brother, he and Gongsun Zishu had been in a tangled relationship for many years before finally tying the knot at the end of last year.
On his wedding day, Doctor Qiu was elated, saying he had finally unloaded an item that had been stored away for too long and was about to expire soon. He nearly laughed everyone present to death.
Autumn winds rose again marking the turn of another year.
When the leaves in the yard began to fall, Jiang Yuqing knew their return to the Capital City was drawing near. After careful consideration, the day of departure was set for the third day of the eighth lunar month.
Lady Lu had already begun packing what they would bring back. They would likely settle in the Capital City long term after this trip.
Wherever Jiang Yuqing’s little apprentice went, Doctor Qiu would follow. As for Lu Yi, he bluntly said he preferred the carefree days here in Su Prefecture and was unwilling to return to the confines of the Capital City.
Plus, it was near Wanjian Villa here, convenient for when his wife wanted to visit her parents. Jiang Yuqing respected his decision and left him fully in charge of the An He Clinic.
She also made appropriate arrangements for other matters like the Warm Wool Handicraft Workshop.
Before departing, Jiang Yuqing circled around the entire Su Prefecture once more. She first visited the “Vast desert, thin wisp of smoke, setting sun rounds the long river” to see the great desert.
Then she flew eastward over the “Vast sky and expansive wilderness, gale sways grass revealing cattle and sheep” grasslands.
Veering southeast, she arrived at the sea buckthorn plantation base in Sha Qing County, renewing the vitality over the crops once more.
Continuing south, she reached Zengping. Unfortunately Uncle Lu Pingzhang was transferred back to Lingzhou to serve as magistrate after his three-year term here, as it was near home and he could take care of his aging parents.
Jiang Yuqing then went to Jinma County and headed for Jingma Ridge. Here, she and her father had borrowed troops from the outpost to wipe out the bandits hiding in the mountain. They saved seventeen pitiful girls that day.
After being tempered through blood and fire, each of those girls could now hold the ground on her own, becoming the iron ladies and signature mascots of the An He Clinic. Some had even found lifelong bliss.
Leaving Jinma, she returned below XiaChen City. She once promised a mother here to avenge her and her unborn child. And she fulfilled that oath.
That woman had since passed; new owners now lived on this land. The fields outside the village grew abundant crops.
These were ethnic minority refugees who slowly migrated here over the past few years from the lands beyond Yumen Pass, or victims of flooding in the south who lost their homes.
Now resettled here, they multiplied and lived in peace and contentment.
Perhaps this was the significance of the soldiers sacrificing their lives to defend this place - so everything could develop for the better.
Sixty li from Tongluo Pass, Jiang Yuqing arrived at the gentle slope. Perhaps nourished by the fertilizer of over five thousand corpses, the bushes and weeds here grew exceptionally lush.
Jiang Yuqing even spotted marmots scurrying about. At their burrow openings, traces of rust speckled sabers could vaguely be seen.
The Gobi Desert was indeed the best cemetery, burying all sins.
At the very end, she returned to the tombs beyond Yumen Pass, placing fresh flowers and wine before each grave like she used to, accompanying them for a long, long time.
She left the deepest, most unforgettable feelings and memories of blood and fire from both lifetimes here.
When departing from the cemetry, she took out a large wooden case lined with white fur, collecting a bit of soil from each grave into it with magic until filled to the brim.
She gently caressed the box and murmured, “Comrades, I’m taking you to see the prosperity of the Capital City!”
The third day of the eighth lunar month was the scheduled day of departure for the Jiang family. To avoid a repeat of the episodes back in Qingzhou, Jiang Wenyuan had no choice but to sneak the family out before dawn.
Who knew as soon as they opened the gates, they were startled by the torches lining the streets. The people seemed to have expected this. They stood guard outside his residence overnight holding their flickering lights.
Seeing him emerge, they swiftly knelt down.
Jiang Wenyuan was shocked and quickly helped each person up, “Rise, rise. The ground is cold. What is the meaning of this? Return home, go get some sleep!”
But they remained kneeling. An elderly man tearfully pleaded, “My lord cannot stay any longer?”
Jiang Wenyuan sadly shook his head, “I’ve already served two consecutive terms of six years. I cannot remain here any longer or it would violate protocol!”
The elder also knew it was a foregone conclusion. He added, “May my lord attain further success in the Capital City. When free, please return with your lady and young master and miss to visit Su Prefecture. The people will never forget you!”
“I will certainly return. Su Prefecture is my second home!” Jiang Wenyuan choked up, “Go back now. It’s cold out at night, be careful of catching a chill.”
The elder wept, “My lord worked tirelessly for our people these years. Just allow us to send you off!”
Jiang Wenyuan’s eyes reddened as he gazed upon the mass of people kneeling outside his residence even at this late hour just to bid him farewell. Their torches flickered in the wind, mirroring the reluctance in their hearts to part.
The commoners around also chimed in, "Sir, please let us send you off! This is the only thing we can do for you!"
"Alright!" Jiang Wenyuan held back his tears. He knew that if he didn't leave, they would not get up. So he decisively ordered to get on the carriage and leave the city.
The carriage moved. The commoners shouted loudly, "The mountains are high and the roads are long. Please take care, Sir!" The shouts along the way came one after another like waves.
When the carriage barely arrived at the city gate, the city gate was wide open. The soldiers guarding the city were also kneeling on one knee on both sides, shouting in unison, "Seeing off the Sir, seeing off the noble lady. The mountains are distant and journey is long. Please take care."
Jiang Wenyuan had tears flowing down his face. After leaving the city gate, he got off the carriage with his whole family, faced all the soldiers and commoners from Su Prefecture seeing them off, and made a deep bow.
"Take care!" Watching as the convoy gradually went farther and farther until disappearing from sight, only then did the commoners of Su Prefecture reluctantly wiped their tears and returned to the city.
When it dawned, the carriage stopped in a wilderness to rest briefly.
Jiang Wenyuan was in very low spirits. He truly could not bear to leave this land and the lovely commoners here.
It can be said that rather than him making Su Prefecture, Su Prefecture also made him.
If possible, he would be willing to stay here as the prefectural administrator for the rest of his life, but he had no choice but to leave. His Majesty the Emperor had urged him to enter the Capital City twice already.
His wife, Lady Lu, handed her husband a cup of water while pretending to be relaxed to comfort him, "We will have the opportunity to come back and take a look in the future. To tell the truth, I really can't bear to leave the backyard gardens either. Over the past few years, the crops and vegetables I planted have been more abundant each year."
Jiang Wenyuan held his wife's hand, "Alright, we will come back and take a look if there is a chance in the future."
As autumn winds brought Pleasant weather, their journey along the road was smooth all the way from Su Prefecture straight towards the Capital City.
In the Capital City,
The Emperor looked at the note handed over by the secret service agent: "Wenyuan departed Su at midnight, commoners lined the streets with torch lights to send him off. Wenyuan was on his knees with tears to thank them!"
Emperor Xia Jing sighed deeply. To be an official like Jiang Wenyuan is truly unprecedented in history.
While in Qingzhou, in three years he made the citizens of the entire county well-fed with surplus food in every household.
And in the six years at Su Prefecture, he painstakingly transformed a bitterly cold place shunned by all into "Jiangnan North of the Pass", becoming another granary of Great Xia. Since then, the Northern Frontier changed from a desolate wasteland into a plentiful storehouse.
How fortunate is Great Xia, to have such a capable minister.
Emperor Xia Jing had even begun to envision the bright future after Jiang Wenyuan became a certain Imperial Secretary.
