Transmigrated to the Northern Song Dynasty as a County Magistrate (GL) - Chapter 28

28: Finally Returning to Kaifeng

Upon learning they were to be expelled from the estate, Steward Wu and the former manager were naturally resentful—especially the servants, who had no desire to leave. They tried to incite the manager to make trouble, but one look at the armed guards with their pudao swords was enough to cow them into packing their bags obediently.

When Tian Qingyi and Yun Jingchu arrived at the main hall, they saw a group of people being escorted out under the watchful eyes of the Jiufang family servants. A closer look revealed it was the former manager and Steward Wu, along with their families.

Spotting Yun Jingchu, Steward Wu and the others immediately tried to approach and plead for mercy, but the supervising servants blocked them firmly, anxious lest the Second Young Master think them negligent in their duties, and hurried them along.

“Do you think I’ve been too harsh on Steward Wu?” Yun Jingchu asked after sitting down, gazing in the direction Steward Wu had left. Since confining her the previous day, Yun Jingchu hadn’t visited—she had nothing left to say to the woman and no desire to listen to her excuses. Simply expelling her without further punishment was the last mercy she would grant.

“The path was of her own choosing, the deeds her own doing—naturally, the consequences are hers to bear. Expelling her from the estate is already lenient. How can that be called harsh?” Tian Qingyi felt no sympathy for Steward Wu’s plight.

“True enough. But Steward Wu was my wet nurse and cared for me for years. At her age, being cast out like this—who knows what outsiders will say of me now.” Tian Qingyi’s words resonated with Yun Jingchu, making her long to hear more.

“Pay no heed to those who judge without knowing the full story. If not for knowing she was your wet nurse, I’d have thought she served your fifth brother or sixth sister. A wet nurse like that—if she truly cared for you, I wouldn’t believe it.” Tian Qingyi watched as Yuanqi brought in steamed buns and noodles, realizing only then that the “steamed buns” here were actually stuffed.

Tian Qingyi’s words aligned perfectly with Yun Jingchu’s own thoughts. Could this be what the classics call a ‘kindred spirit’? Outwardly, Yun Jingchu appeared no different from anyone else, but only she knew how much effort it took to maintain that facade, how often she felt fundamentally out of place in this society.

Most people cared deeply about others’ opinions—even emperors were not exempt. But Yun Jingchu didn’t. Her conformity was merely a means to avoid being labeled an outsider and to secure a better life within the Yun family.

Moreover, her understanding of filial piety differed from the norm. Others believed blind obedience counted as filial piety; she did not. To her, only when parents were kind could children offer genuine piety.

Whether Tian Qingyi was her kindred spirit or not, their interactions over the past month had been pleasant—aside from the initial misunderstanding about Tian Qingyi’s disdain for merchants, which had made their early interactions awkward.

Ravenous, Tian Qingyi ate with single-minded focus, barely looking up. Yun Jingchu, meanwhile, watched her with a faint smile, the unnamed book in her hands forgotten.

Baoqin and Yuanqi, observing from the side, were delighted to see the Second Young Master so clearly favoring Yun Jingchu. Only Wei Shier was displeased—this behavior contradicted the filial, tradition-bound image the Second Young Master had once upheld. Even his tastes and habits had changed. At times, Wei Shier almost felt his master had become a different person altogether.

Having served the original Jiufang Xiyan for years, Wei Shier knew him better than most, despite his efforts to conceal his true self. Tian Qingyi and the original were fundamentally different—no matter how carefully she imitated him, certain discrepancies remained.

For instance, the original’s innate aloofness wasn’t something Tian Qingyi could replicate at will. Fortunately, Tian Qingyi wasn’t flamboyant by nature, or else more than just Wei Shier would have noticed.

Strict parenting had made Tian Qingyi mature early. While her classmates couldn’t sit still through a single lesson, she could study quietly at home for hours. A comfortable life had further softened her temperament into one of calm steadiness.

Jiufang Xin and Fan Zhuzhu had also noticed changes in “Jiufang Xiyan,” but they attributed these to his success in the imperial examinations and marriage—positive developments, in their eyes.

As for Jiufang Qiyu, he had always disliked the original. After “Jiufang Xiyan” earned their father’s favor by becoming a Doctoral Graduate, that dislike had curdled into outright hatred. He deliberately excluded Tian Qingyi from social circles and forbade his associates from mentioning “Jiufang Xiyan.” Whether his younger brother had changed or not was of no concern to him.

Li Yan’s relationship with the original had been passable, but propriety kept them from private interactions. Since Tian Qingyi deliberately mimicked the original’s behavior around her, Li Yan noticed nothing amiss.

The other servants were even less perceptive. Even Zhou Ba, who accompanied the original on outings, knew far less about him than Wei Shier. Thus, within the entire Jiufang household, only Qingyu and Wei Shier sensed that “Jiufang Xiyan” seemed like a different person.

Qingyu had noticed earlier than Wei Shier. But after repeated testing confirmed this was indeed the Second Young Master, she dismissed her doubts—people changed, after all.

Wei Shier, however, kept scrutinizing his master. The face was the same, the memories intact, no signs of possession by spirits—just a markedly different personality. More talkative, newly fond of painting and staying home, no longer visiting pleasure quarters…

What a pity. Wei Shier missed the old days when he could tag along to those establishments, enjoying the sights and occasional treats.

For the first time in over a month, Tian Qingyi tasted pork again—in the bun fillings and noodle toppings. But the meat tasted oddly off, and she left half uneaten.

The day was pleasantly breezy. After the meal, once Yun Jingchu confirmed she would return to the ancestral home with Tian Qingyi, the latter excused herself to “aid digestion”—in reality, to explore the estate’s layout and landscaping. As expected, Bamboo Garden’s design surpassed the ancestral home, with careful attention to spatial harmony.

By noon, Niu Zhuang, the accountant, and Baoqin had come to report. Niu Zhuang had selected new hires, presenting their backgrounds to Yun Jingchu before bringing them for her approval. Only after her nod did he take them to sign contracts.

Baoqin and the accountant, tasked with auditing the books and inventory, had completed their work surprisingly quickly. Their findings revealed discrepancies between this year’s records and last year’s remaining stocks and funds.

The storerooms held nothing of value—just coarse hemp cloth and cheap liquor. The granary contained barely over 200 shi of unhusked grain, and the cash reserves amounted to less than 20 strings of coins.

The account books, however, painted a far rosier picture, showing just enough to keep the estate running—a hallmark of Yuan-shi’s style. Whether Yun Changliang knew about this, Yun Jingchu couldn’t say. Nor did she plan to bring it to his attention—not out of softness, but because the effort would likely prove futile.

She ordered the accountant to create new, accurate records while having Baoqin pack the old ledgers for her to review later, hoping to gauge this year’s expected output based on past yields.

The accountant also reported that summer taxes were due soon. According to the village head’s prior notice to the former manager, the estate owed over 300 feet of cloth and 60,000 coins, plus miscellaneous taxes. The current reserves of cloth and cash were clearly insufficient.

Though Yun Jingchu longed to curse Yuan-shi to the heavens, she had no choice but to pay. She instructed the accountant to come to the Jiufang residence in Kaifeng in two days to collect the necessary clothes and funds.

By the time Yun Jingchu finished her arrangements and returned to the Jiufang ancestral home with Tian Qingyi, the day’s ancestral rites were concluding. That evening, Jiufang Lai hosted another family banquet. Reluctant though they were, attendance was unavoidable. Thankfully, no repeat of previous incidents occurred—though two cousins who held sinecures as Third Class Attendants kept toasting Tian Qingyi relentlessly.

These cousins had always hovered around her, but never so obsequiously. Fortunately, Jiufang Lai’s son ignored his father’s hints to emulate them, eating and drinking as he pleased, sparing Tian Qingyi one more sycophant to endure.

Without the original’s memories, Tian Qingyi might have been fooled by this show of warmth. Every relative at the banquet smiled ingratiatingly whenever she glanced their way. But knowing their past behavior made it clear: their newfound enthusiasm stemmed not from affection, but from the prestige of her Doctoral Graduate status and the benefits they hoped to reap.

Their eagerness to push these sinecure-holding cousins forward was transparent—they wanted her to promote them later. Not a chance!

The next day, as soon as the rites ended, Tian Qingyi and Yun Jingchu hastened back to Kaifeng. Jiufang Lai tried to persuade them to stay, but neither had any desire to linger.

Their first act upon returning was paying respects at Shangfuyuan. Jiufang Xin looked much the same, though his neatly trimmed beard suggested careful grooming. He dismissed everyone except Tian Qingyi for a private word.

Surveying his reformed, now-outshining-the-master second son with satisfaction, Jiufang Xin murmured instructions to Steward Liu, who soon returned with Zhou Ba in tow.

Zhou Ba stepped forward stiffly. “Zhou Ba pays his respects to the Master and Second Young Master.”

Jiufang Xin’s tone was cool. “You know what to do.” After Zhou Ba’s honest account of events, he had realized his son had grown into a man who understood the importance of loyal subordinates—a heartening development.

With a thud, Zhou Ba knelt before Tian Qingyi. The abruptness of the gesture made her instinctively step back. Before she could feign assistance, Zhou Ba declared firmly, “This lowly one apologizes for his earlier disrespect. Henceforth, I am at the Second Young Master’s command without question.”

Jiufang Xin nodded approvingly, but Tian Qingyi was stunned. She had anticipated scolding, Zhou Ba’s dismissal, or reassignment—not this.

Glancing at Jiufang Xin, who gestured for her to decide, then at the bowing Zhou Ba, she sighed. “Rise.”

Zhou Ba immediately took position behind her. As Jiufang Xin remained silent, Tian Qingyi prepared to excuse herself—until a servant announced, “Master, Official Zhang has arrived.”

“Show him in.” Jiufang Xin adjusted his robes, though the weather was warm, a thin blanket still draped over his knees.

The newcomer was a portly, benign-looking man with a mole on his cheek. Introducing himself as Zhang Sancheng, he bowed to Tian Qingyi at Jiufang Xin’s prompting. “At your service, Second Young Master.”

“Third Brother has served me for years—meticulous and capable, especially in fiscal matters. With him accompanying you to Huating County, I’ll rest easier. You may call him Uncle Zhang.” Rare for Jiufang Xin to explain so much.

Maintaining a neutral expression, Tian Qingyi’s mind raced. Why assign me both Zhou Ba and Zhang Sancheng the moment I return? Compelled by circumstance, she returned the bow. “Uncle Zhang.”

At Jiufang Xin’s wave, Steward Liu ushered Zhang Sancheng and the other servants out—all except Zhou Ba, who remained until Tian Qingyi ordered him to leave.

Men like Zhou Ba, stubborn and blindly loyal, had one advantage: once committed, they rarely betrayed. That was why Tian Qingyi kept him.

According to Jiufang Xin, Zhang Sancheng was a former clerk who had joined the household after a corruption scandal ended his official career. Competent and affable, he excelled in finance, law, and local affairs—a valuable aide.

“Both Zhou Ba and Zhang Sancheng answer only to you now. Their loyalty is assured—they won’t betray you or the Jiufang family. Employ them fully, but never trust them completely, especially Zhang Sancheng. Use his counsel, never grant him real authority.”

In short, Jiufang Xin had unilaterally arranged these two as Tian Qingyi’s entourage for her upcoming provincial post—everything settled without consulting her.