Chapter 129: A Single Memorial Topples the County Magistrate

'Just as I suspected. What a disgrace to the family, to produce descendants who would willingly tear down the very legacy their ancestors built.'

'Lord Qian must have felt too ashamed to face the incense offerings of the city's people. That is why, when I collected the Xuanhuang Qi of Heaven and Earth earlier, not only did he not become angry, he even took the initiative to convey a message to me.'

'If I can help him cleanse his family of these disgraceful descendants, perhaps he may even bestow upon me another strand of fortune.'

Within the Fangcun space, Li Shun once again experienced the wondrous effects of the Xuanhuang Qi of Heaven and Earth.

The Fangcun space, which had only recently settled into calm, was once again stirred into towering waves.

Empowered by the Xuanhuang Qi, Li Shun, whose territory had long been encroached upon by the stone statues, immediately sounded the call for a counteroffensive.

Wherever his divine sense reached, it advanced with unstoppable force.

The core region that had previously been seized when he used Heavenly Being Authored the Codex was reclaimed almost instantly.

Riding the momentum of victory, he attempted to press onward and expand his territory even further.

Unfortunately, that single strand of Xuanhuang Qi was simply too meagre. Before it could restore him to his peak condition, the phenomenon quietly came to an end.

Li Shun withdrew his divine sense and gazed toward the central region of the Fangcun space, unable to suppress a trace of lingering regret.

'I've almost returned to the starting point.'

'The Heavenly Being Codex stone statue, the Threefold Self-Reflection stone statue, and I each control one-third of the territory.'

'It would be much clearer if I quantified the extent of the occupation.'

His divine sense spread like a vast net across the entire Fangcun space. After carefully calculating the situation, Li Shun arrived at a conclusion.

'With the aid of this new strand of Xuanhuang Qi, I've fully regained control over the territory that originally belonged to me.'

'As for the Heavenly Codex stone statue, its occupation has only recovered to about one percent.'

'The Threefold Self-Reflection stone statue is slightly higher, roughly two percent.'

'Far too little. Far too slow.'

'I need more Xuanhuang Qi of Heaven and Earth.'

'The descendants of the Qian Family...'

Returning his thoughts to reality, Li Shun noticed that Li Qing was still struggling to accept what they had discovered. He smiled faintly.

"'The grace of a noble house lasts but five generations.' Lord Qian has been dead for over a century. It is only natural that his descendants have lost their integrity and become blinded by profit. What is truly worth pondering, however, is the attitude of the people of Shangyu."

"You saw it yourself while we were making inquiries. The common people are already full of resentment. A great many of them have long since stopped visiting Lord Qian's shrine because they can no longer tolerate those incense sellers. Yet strangely enough, the local authorities have simply turned a blind eye. They have made no attempt whatsoever to suppress it."

Li Qing snorted coldly.

"If you ask me, this County Magistrate of Shangyu probably bears the surname Qian as well! The whole family must be in league together, protecting their own business by every means possible."

"I don't think so."

Li Shun slowly shook his head, his eyes growing distant.

"On the contrary. This County Magistrate may very well have held a deep grudge against Lord Qian all along."

Li Qing froze.

Only after a long moment did the implication dawn on him, causing him to draw a sharp breath.

"Brother... are you saying the County Magistrate has been deliberately indulging those scoundrels? That he's using those unfilial descendants to destroy Lord Qian's lifelong reputation?"

Li Shun let out a long sigh.

"Lord Qian's prestige is already far weaker than it once was. If they're allowed to continue trampling over his legacy without restraint, then within ten years, whenever the people of Shangyu hear the name 'Qian Yuan,' they will no longer think of reverence."

"They will think only of contempt."

"And when that day comes..."

"Lord Qian will truly be dead."

"Those damned bastards!" Li Qing clenched his fists angrily. Although he still did not know why Li Shun had come to Langya Commandery in the first place, he could already tell that his brother intended to right an injustice. Excitement immediately welled up within him.

"So what should we do?"

"A magistrate like this naturally deserves to be impeached."

Returning to the inn, Li Shun spread out paper, ground the ink, and lifted his brush.

Ideas poured into his mind like an overflowing spring.

In a matter of moments, he completed an eloquent memorial of several hundred words.

"It is said that those who govern the realm must first honour ritual and respect the worthy, while those entrusted with a single district must rectify customs and cultivate virtue. Yet the County Magistrate of Shangyu in Kuaiji Commandery enjoys His Majesty's salary while acting contrary to the Way. He permits villains to run rampant beneath the shrine of a revered sage, destroying the people's faith before their very eyes. Though I am but a humble scholar, I inherited the teachings of the Spring and Autumn tradition. Holding this brush, I dare not forsake righteousness merely because of my insignificant station. Therefore, I present these accusations with my utmost sincerity..."

"So long as this memorial reaches the Sacred Capital, the difficulties here will resolve themselves."

Li Shun set down his brush, utterly confident.

"We're sending it to Senior Duan, right? He's always been upright. There's no way he'd tolerate something like this!"

Li Qing said excitedly.

Li Shun gently shook his head.

"This memorial must not be sent to Duan Jiuzhang."

"It has to go to the Censorate."

Meeting Li Qing's puzzled gaze, he patiently explained, "First, this matter falls within the authority of the Censorate. Senior Duan serves under the Grand Minister of Agriculture as the Commissioner of Imperial Fields. Though he enjoys an impeccable reputation, it would be inappropriate for him to interfere in such local administrative affairs."

"Second, I am ultimately a disciple of Master Fang Xun, inheriting the Spring and Autumn Brush lineage of the Confucian school. If I were to ignore the strength of my own sect and instead seek shelter from others whenever trouble arises, where would that leave my master's honour? Where would it leave the dignity of our lineage?"

Li Qing scratched his head.

"The twists and turns of officialdom really are enough to give anyone a headache. Still, if you say so, Brother, then it must be right."

Li Shun sealed the letter.

With a flick of his finger, he infused it with a strand of his own pure essence as a marker before dispatching it to the Sacred Capital through the official courier station.

"Just wait."

"In no more than three days, there will be a result."

"This is precisely the critical period when the Imperial Court is finalising the Nine-Rank Official System. With my memorial arriving at such a time, I'm afraid the County Magistrate of Shangyu won't be able to keep his position."

Li Shun had still underestimated the court's efficiency.

Only two days later, on the seventeenth day of the second month, the imperial decree arrived.

The County Magistrate of Shangyu, Xu Jingde, was immediately stripped of office and placed under investigation. His official rank and noble title were revoked, and he was demoted to the status of a commoner.

Effective immediately, the barriers at Lord Qian's shrine were abolished.

No fees would ever again be charged for offering incense.

All future expenses would be covered by the county government, allowing the people to freely pay their respects.

As for the descendants of the Qian Family, who had squandered their ancestor's legacy while contributing nothing of their own, they received severe punishment.

Every one of them was sentenced to ten years of hard labour in Youshan Commandery.

Until their sentence was complete, none of them would be permitted to set foot in their homeland again.

The entire county of Shangyu erupted into celebration.

The streets emptied as countless people rushed to spread the good news.

Lord Qian's shrine, once deserted, soon became packed with worshippers once more, its incense burning more prosperously than ever.

"Junior Brother Li, what remarkable skill. A memorial of merely a few hundred words was enough to strip a County Magistrate of his office. Truly, your words were arrows loosed from the brush."

The speaker was Kong Zhao, a grand-disciple of Dong Chunqiu.

According to seniority, he and Li Shun belonged to the same generation.

Having been ordered to oversee Shangyu, he was responsible for delivering the Imperial Court's decision.

"You flatter me, Senior Brother Kong."

Li Shun cupped his hands modestly, neither proud nor arrogant.

"I simply could not bear to watch the sacred reputation of Lord Qian, a worthy sage, be tarnished. That is why I used my brush to record the truth, hoping only to restore justice beneath heaven. Had Senior Brother been here instead, you surely would have handled the matter even more thoroughly than I."

Kong Zhao smiled and did not continue the exchange.

Instead, his expression became serious.

"There is something else."

"You acted according to your convictions and impeached the County Magistrate."

"However, the appointment of a new magistrate has not yet been finalised."

"A nation cannot be without a ruler for even a single day, nor can a county remain without a magistrate."

"And since this matter arose because of you..."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"The Imperial Court has decided that, until the new magistrate assumes office..."

"You, Li Shun, shall serve as Acting County Magistrate of Shangyu."

Li Shun stood frozen.

He had submitted the memorial solely to obtain more Xuanhuang Qi of Heaven and Earth.

Never had he imagined that the Imperial Court would issue such an extraordinary appointment.

He had not even officially entered government service.

Yet he was now being entrusted with the authority of an entire county.

Almost immediately, however, his expression changed.

"Has something happened to my master?"

Kong Zhao sighed.

He did not elaborate, merely saying, "Martial Uncle Fang has indeed encountered some difficulties. For the time being, the strength of our sect is tied down elsewhere. They are unable to provide any assistance."

He then changed the subject.

"Still, with this experience serving as Acting Magistrate, your future appointment as an official will proceed much more naturally."