ATFCM ~ 08

Chapter ~ 08

What If This Official Says I Can Grant You All Civil Registration

Dare to touch her county residents!

Shen Zheng rolled up her sleeves and immediately began rallying her people!

“Summon all the constables in the county office, equip them with weapons, and come with me at once!”

With that, Shen Zheng trotted off to the county office’s armory. She needed to pick a suitable weapon!

The moment she opened the door, Shen Zheng was dumbfounded.

There were wooden staffs shedding splinters, bows with barely a handful of feathers left on their arrows, and rusted long knives.

Shen Zheng: “…”

The awe-inspiring staffs used in the courtroom and the constables’ iron rulers were probably the best weapons the county office had to offer.

Helpless, Shen Zheng had to run back to her room and stick all her wooden and silver hairpins into her hair.

As long as she used them properly, they could each serve as a sharp weapon!

By the time Shen Zheng reached the county office gate, Assistant Registrar Xu was staring at her with a peculiar expression, eyeing the multitude of hairpins adorning her head.

The constables were already assembled and ready to go—except for the two guarding the prison, there were only eight of them in total…

Shen Zheng sighed inwardly. Once the county office had money, she would definitely hire more people, including bailiffs. Poor Tong’an County had constables doing the work of bailiffs.

Then she raised her arm and shouted: “Brothers, time to work!”

“Ho!” the constables responded in unison. It had been a long time since the entire county office force had mobilized—their blood was beginning to stir!

“Move out!”

Erniu, the village head’s grandson, led the group in a grand procession toward Huaihua Village!

By the time they reached the entrance of Huaihua Village, over an hour had passed.

Though the March sun was not particularly fierce, walking non-stop for over an hour had left everyone somewhat fatigued.

Erniu had been running ahead to guide them the whole way, occasionally turning back to urge them on.

“We’re almost there! It’s just south of the village!”

It was the slack farming season, so there were few people in the fields of Huaihua Village. Perhaps because the villagers had all gone to deal with the refugees, the village was eerily quiet.

As soon as the group reached the south side of the village, the villagers of Huaihua Village spotted them.

“The officials are here!”

Shen Zheng looked closely—the situation had already stabilized.

The villagers, armed with farming tools, had surrounded a group of refugees in layers, inside and out.

At that moment, an energetic elderly man trotted out from among the villagers, heading toward the county office contingent.

When he reached the group and saw that Shen Zheng was leading them, he immediately dropped to his knees.

“Magistrate!”

The surrounding villagers murmured in surprise, secretly sizing up Shen Zheng.

They had long heard that the newly appointed magistrate was a woman. A woman serving as an official was a rare novelty—they wondered whether she had an extra head and pair of arms compared to ordinary women!

Shen Zheng looked at the elderly man before her, who carried a scholarly air. This must be Zhang Deben, the village head of Huaihua Village.

“Elder Zhang, no need for such formalities. Were any villagers injured?”

Shen Zheng helped Zhang Deben to his feet and asked.

“Two young men sustained minor injuries and have gone for treatment. The rest are unharmed,” Elder Zhang said, looking at the villagers.

Upon hearing this, Shen Zheng furrowed her brow. Injuries made things somewhat more complicated.

“The county office will cover the medical expenses for those two. Once they recover, they can come to the county office and ask Assistant Registrar Xu for the silver.”

Elder Zhang was flattered—the county office had always been notoriously tight-fisted!

“Thank you, Magistrate! But, Magistrate, what should be done with these refugees?”

Shen Zheng did not answer. An idea had formed in her mind—she just did not know if it would work.

“Tell the villagers to disperse for now. This official will first take a look at these refugees.”

As she spoke, Shen Zheng walked forward. The constables beside her immediately followed, flanking her left and right.

Elder Zhang stepped forward to block her: “Magistrate, refugees are vicious and dangerous. I fear they may harm you.”

“It’s fine.” Shen Zheng shook her head, raising her hand to gently brush Elder Zhang aside.

Elder Zhang had no choice but to wave his hand, signaling the villagers to make way.

As Shen Zheng drew closer, even though she had mentally prepared herself, the sight before her made her heart clench in pain.

There were about twenty to thirty refugees. All of them were barely clothed, unkempt and filthy, and most were nothing but skin and bones.

When they saw Shen Zheng and the constables flanking her, they trembled in fear and curled themselves up as tightly as possible. Perhaps they feared Shen Zheng would suddenly order them to be beaten—and if they curled up, they might just survive the blows.

Seeing this, Shen Zheng sighed inwardly. Refugees wandered everywhere, and it was true they would do anything to stay alive.

But if the times were not so harsh, who would be willing to abandon their own fields and not be a honest, law-abiding citizen?

“All of you, raise your heads. Is there anyone among you who can speak on behalf of the group?” Shen Zheng asked loudly.

At her words, the refugees all turned their gazes toward a thin young man.

That man also stood up. Though his clothes were tattered, his speech was clear and organized.

“This humble commoner, Li Hongmao, greets the Magistrate. We never intended to harm the villagers of your county. I beg the Magistrate to grant us all a way to survive.”

Shen Zheng raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, fixing her gaze directly on him: “Oh? But this official just heard Elder Zhang say that two villagers were injured.”

Li Hongmao gritted his teeth, as if pained, yet still named two people: “Zhao Shui, Zhao Tu.”

Two youths stepped out from among the refugees. Their eyes burned with resentment and anger. They met Shen Zheng’s gaze for a moment, then abruptly lowered their heads.

“Uncle Li, they pushed Mother first! Mother is carrying a little sister in her belly!” one of the youths said indignantly.

Li Hongmao did not respond to the youth. Instead, he knelt directly before Shen Zheng.

“Magistrate, the children are young. In protecting their mother, they did not know their own strength. This humble commoner is willing to accept punishment in their place!”

Shen Zheng looked at Li Hongmao kneeling before her, silently praising him in her heart. He was a daring and clever man willing to take a gamble.

He was betting that Shen Zheng, being a woman, would soften at the sight of two youths who had acted to protect their mother.

“Harming my county residents does indeed warrant punishment,” Shen Zheng said in a stern tone.

Li Hongmao’s back stiffened. He dared not look up at Shen Zheng’s expression, thinking to himself that he had gambled wrong.

“However, the manner of punishment will depend on whether Mr. Li can make the decision on behalf of everyone.”

Li Hongmao’s head shot up at Shen Zheng’s address. Surprise was written all over his face. He prided himself on understanding people’s hearts, but at this moment, he could not grasp what Shen Zheng meant.

“May I ask what the Magistrate intends to do?” Li Hongmao asked.

Shen Zheng summoned Elder Zhang and ordered him to have the villagers disperse for now, promising to inform him once she had handled the matter.

The villagers had been there for several hours already and had not yet eaten lunch. At this point, they were more concerned with other matters and went home one after another.

Seeing that most people had left, Shen Zheng cut straight to the point.

“Mr. Li, surely you don’t want everyone to continue living without a fixed abode, like rats scurrying through the streets, do you?”

Li Hongmao gave a self-deprecating smile: “Of course not, but this humble one is just a commoner. There is no other way.”

Shen Zheng clasped her hands behind her back and looked down at Li Hongmao kneeling before her: “What if this official says I can grant you all civil registration?”

Li Hongmao was stunned for a moment, then a gleam of light burst forth from his eyes.

The other refugees looked up at Shen Zheng, hope written on their faces. Since the great flood last year, they had been displaced and wandering for more than half a year. They dreamed of obtaining civil registration, yet everywhere they went, they were hounded and hunted.

But Li Hongmao understood—nothing in this world came for free. They would have to give something in return. At best, it would be labor; at worst, their lives.

“May I ask what we can do for the Magistrate?” he asked cautiously.