Longing for Love (Twice Reborn) - Chapter 68

The Yuzhang Qiancheng government office had been bustling lately. The previous magistrate had been transferred back to the capital, and the new magistrate sent down by the court was rumored to be a young woman, only twenty years old.

In the current Liang Dynasty court, the Empress Dowager presided over state affairs, and female officials were already a common sight in the Eastern Capital, right under the emperor’s nose.

But Qiancheng was remote, far from the emperor’s reach, and less receptive to modern trends. Traditional values held sway here, with the townsfolk clinging to old customs, generally adhering to the belief that men should work outside while women managed the household, that women should abide by feminine virtues and regard their husbands as their heavens.

Now, the court had actually sent a woman to govern them. The local gentry and wealthy elites were far from pleased, all planning to welcome the new magistrate with a banquet on her first day, eager to test her mettle.

They reserved the most famous restaurant in Qiancheng for the occasion, specially inviting County Deputy Zhang to deliver the invitation. Privately, they had devised a little spectacle to present to the magistrate. But to their surprise, only Deputy Zhang returned, announcing that the magistrate, being new to the area, had decided to follow local customs and would not be attending that evening.

“What do you mean, ‘follow local customs’ and not come?”

“The magistrate said that the women of Qiancheng generally avoid appearing in public. Since tonight’s banquet is exclusively for men, it wouldn’t be proper for her, a young woman, to attend. However, as a gesture of gratitude, she has already arranged to cover the cost of tonight’s drinks.”

“But isn’t she the magistrate? Does she plan to hide away in her chambers forever and never show her face?”

Laughter erupted around the room. Deputy Zhang gave a noncommittal hum. “That is indeed a question. So, the magistrate has proposed a temporary compromise one that neither makes her stand out nor prevents her from building relationships with the local gentry. Tomorrow, in this very place, the magistrate will host a banquet and invite the wives of all present.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the room fell silent.

What could they say? That their wives were unfit to meet the magistrate? They were all women what was there to hide? Or that they, too, were eager to see the magistrate’s grace? She had already cited local customs. If they insisted on seeing her, wouldn’t they seem boorish, no better than street ruffians leering at young girls?

After much deliberation, the banquet concluded without their planned spectacle ever seeing the light of day. Gradually, it dawned on them: this wasn’t her “following local customs” at all. She had seen right through their ill intentions.

They didn’t welcome her, and she clearly had no intention of welcoming them either.

Juchen settled into the inner government office, refusing the welcoming banquet. When Mingluan asked why, she replied, “It’s hard to say whether tonight’s dinner was meant as a greeting or a warning.”

She couldn’t be bothered to expend energy negotiating with them from the very start.

Mingluan only half understood and wasn’t one to overthink things. She wrapped her arms around Juchen’s and pleaded cheerfully, “Since you’re not going to socialize, let’s take a stroll by the river instead! On the way here, I kept hearing about how beautiful Qiancheng’s riverside scenery is. There are night markets lining both banks, full of all sorts of interesting little trinkets!”

Juchen curled her lips. By now, she no longer put much stock in Mingluan’s scouting reports. Still, she changed into casual clothes and accompanied her for a walk.

Official duties wouldn’t begin until tomorrow, and there were no documents to review. Left alone, she feared her thoughts might spiral out of control.

Unexpectedly, this time Mingluan proved reliable. The riverside scenery of Qiancheng truly was breathtaking. As night fell, lanterns lit up the banks, and the streets teemed with vendors and crowds. There were indeed plenty of curiosities to behold.

She was led by Mingluan through the bustling streets, stopping at nearly every stall to browse their wares. Having just received her monthly allowance, Mingluan couldn’t resist splurging, and soon her hands were full of cloth wrapped parcels and brocade boxes.

Juchen only bought a nine-linked puzzle and had been solving it the entire way.

Mingluan chattered away beside her, recounting how since the news of the Empress Dowager sending Juchen to this post had been announced, Li Ling’s expression had turned cold and Lady Wen had been sighing all day. Yet upon arriving in Qiancheng, Mingluan found the place quite picturesque not much inferior to the capital and perfect for helping her mistress change her mood.

However, she had always heard that men in Qiancheng were traditional and conservative, believing women to be long haired but short sighted, unwilling to work alongside them. Knowing that “a strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake,” Mingluan had worried that Juchen might face neglect or covert obstruction at the yamen on her first day. To her surprise, Deputy Magistrate Zhang had been waiting respectfully in the main hall with all six departments and the bailiffs.

Mingluan marveled, “Young Master Lin truly lives up to being a leading merchant in the capital his connections are impressive.”

This she learned from the yamen’s gatekeeper. The reason for their deference was that Lin Zongbai had sent letters and gifts in advance, asking them to show consideration. Deputy Magistrate Zhang, who had once received Lin’s help with lodging during the imperial examinations, naturally honored this request.

Juchen gave a noncommittal hum, her fingers pausing briefly on the puzzle.

She couldn’t help wondering how a mere merchant like Lin Zongbai had learned of her appointment earlier than she had even before the imperial decree and made arrangements so promptly.

Had someone told him?

Her thoughts tangled like the metal rings in her hands. After turning them over twice, she forgot where to begin unraveling them again.

Mingluan had intended to explore the entire night market before heading back, but noticing Juchen’s delayed responses her replies coming several beats too late she assumed her mistress was exhausted from their journey and turned them homeward.

They hadn’t gone far when a hawker selling candied hawthorns appeared by the roadside.

“What a shame we didn’t see him earlier,” Mingluan lamented, pouting slightly without noticing Juchen’s sudden stiffness. “We could’ve enjoyed these all the way.”

“Would you like some, miss? We could buy some for later.”

“I don’t.” Juchen lowered her eyes, her voice feather soft.

That night, whether from an unfamiliar bed or other reasons, Juchen slept little. She’d never been one for such delicacy before. Tossing restlessly, she finally sat up and gazed at the moon outside her window.

Qiancheng’s moon hung distant in the vast sky, nothing like the enormous, seemingly touchable orb she’d seen over Tibet. She wondered if the moon shone as beautifully tonight over the eastern capital.

The next day, Juchen invited the local gentry’s wives for tea and needed to go out in the afternoon. To show respect, she bathed and changed, while Mingluan spent considerable time dressing her hair and applying makeup.

It had been a while since Mingluan had taken such care with Juchen’s appearance. Normally, her main concern was concealing those telltale marks on her neck, while Juchen’s dewy complexion required little more than lip rouge to glow.

There were no red marks to conceal now, but Juchen’s face looked much more haggard. Though she claimed it was just a sleepless night, her sharply defined jawline couldn’t have thinned overnight.

Mingluan realized Juchen had cut ties with that man the next day, from the pillow soaked through with tears.

At first, Mingluan felt some joy her mistress would no longer need to engage in those unspeakable affairs. Juchen had announced the separation with such calm detachment that Mingluan assumed the tears were of relief.

But today, watching Juchen subtly lower her eyes in the bronze mirror to avoid concerned glances, Mingluan gripped her eyebrow pencil tightly.

Suddenly she remembered the words that had followed Juchen’s declaration of “repaying kindness” all those years ago: “But it’s not just repayment. I wanted it too.”

Those hadn’t been empty words of comfort after all.

Still, Mingluan styled her mistress into radiant health this being Juchen’s first day in office, she couldn’t let people think the new magistrate was some frail willow easily bullied.

At the evening banquet, the ladies, clearly briefed by their husbands, probed with veiled questions. To Mingluan’s surprise, Juchen abandoned all pretense of meek deference. She spoke bluntly, with an edge that warned against provocation.

“I meet you ladies as courtesy to newcomers. But if friendship isn’t your intent, I shan’t impose.”

With that, Juchen rose to leave. The stunned women only grasped her meaning after she would exited, then swarmed after her in apology all the way to the yamen gates.

That official seal in Juchen’s hand carried real authority she was the court appointed magistrate. These inner quarter women rarely got chances to befriend county leaders. Having her ear could make them indispensable to their husbands.

Watching the retreating figures from the gate, Mingluan returned to the courtyard laughing freely. Juchen sat at the stone table beneath the tree.

“What amuses you so?” she asked when their eyes met.

“This servant prefers when the young mistress seems unapproachable.”

Juchen paused, then smiled faintly. “I won’t pretend anymore.”

Perhaps the world favored her docile version. But the Li Juchen he’d loved had never been docile.

Not that his preference made her original self better rather, that original self had received unreserved affection, proving her worth. She wouldn’t devalue that love by denying it, nor herself by rejecting his choice.

The relief was immense, like a weight lifted from her chest. No more straining for others’ approval.

Her only regret was realizing too late to tell him: she’d received his feelings, treasured them, rejoiced in them.

The local gentry still resisted accepting their female magistrate. Within days, they sent a villager accusing his neighbor of assaulting his wife.

In standard procedure, when a case is accepted by the government office, the victim must be summoned for questioning before the trial. This was a perfectly legal process, but according to the folk customs of Qiancheng’s people, having a woman publicly interrogated in court was considered a profound humiliation.

The townsfolk waited eagerly to see if the newly appointed magistrate would drive a woman to shame and suicide on her first day in office. They loitered outside the government office all day, anticipating the trial.

Yet after a full day and night, the courtroom remained deserted, with no sign of activity.

The next day, however, the verdict was posted on the announcement wall the neighbor’s guilt was confirmed, sentenced to fifty strokes of the cane, and already imprisoned.

The local gentry were shocked. They rushed to the villager’s home to inquire and learned that the magistrate had personally visited the wife in plain clothes, recorded her testimony, and even had her sign the statement. As a woman herself, she moved seamlessly through the inner chambers, resolving the case almost unnoticed.

The gentry realized she understood Qiancheng’s customs inside out and avoided direct confrontation. A sinking feeling settled in their hearts.

How could a young woman fresh out of the gate possess such shrewdness? They had truly underestimated her.

For a long time afterward, Juchen lived a quiet yet fulfilling life. She chose to be herself, but not without growth. She was not in a hurry to prove to Qiancheng’s people that she was fit to be their magistrate, nor did she let provocations from local bullies or ruffians unsettle her. She simply waited for the right moment to strike back swift and precise.

Every day, she remained composed and unshaken. Mingluan sometimes found her terrifyingly strong, like a still lake that only reflected one’s own image, never revealing what lay beneath.

This version of Juchen unsettled Mingluan. Whenever Juchen left, even on official duty, Mingluan stubbornly insisted on tagging along.

Juchen reassured her not to worry, but Mingluan refused to believe her. In truth, there was no need for concern Juchen valued her own life too much.

Day by day, Mingluan gradually relaxed as Juchen maintained her usual demeanor. Having no experience with love herself, Mingluan had only read in stories how heartbroken people wailed, drank themselves into stupors, or made dramatic scenes.

Juchen was nothing like them. She must have truly moved on.