14. Who Is the New Prefect?

Inevitably, the conversation turned to the recent rumors about Zhang Xun’s daring feat of capturing a monstrous serpent. The key point was that Zhang Shijie had indeed seen the giant crocodile hanging at the city gate when he marched his troops through the town not long ago.

The crocodile was six meters long, its blood long dried, its belly slit open by Li Da and his men. Its grotesque appearance was somewhat off-putting, but the fact it was displayed there proved the story was true.

Zhang Shijie found it hard to imagine the tale of Zhang Xun plunging into the water, wrestling with the fierce serpent all night, and killing it to rid the people of a menace.

In truth, even Zhang Xun didn’t fully believe it, but there was no helping it. The villagers were so eager to embellish the story that they spun a complete legend without Zhang’s involvement. Coupled with the recent tiger hunt, Zhang Xun’s reputation in the county was nearly on par with the divine figure Erlang Shen. The entire county’s folk now saw Zhang Xun as a once unruly youth of great strength, who, with a little artistic license, had become a man of extraordinary might and valor.

So what could be done?

The reputation had certainly improved, but it was now veering into the realm of the supernatural.

No one mentioned Zhang Xun’s previous misdeeds of robbing wedding parties anymore; instead, he was hailed as an iron-clad warrior who could catch ghosts at midnight. Within three months, stories of Zhang Xun would likely be told to soothe crying children at night.

Such a fierce warrior—why not recommend him to the court? Zhang Shijie turned to Lu Xiufu and asked, “Isn’t this your brother-in-law? If you think recommending him will harm your own reputation, I can do it for you.”

After all, the front lines near Xiangyang were always in desperate need of courageous generals.

Sensing this, Zhang Xun quickly explained that these were just playful tales from village children; he had actually led three hundred men, raining arrows upon the serpent until it was slain.

“Oh... well, then you’re still quite formidable!”

His explanation was in vain; Zhang Shijie, who had not paid much attention to Zhang Xun before, now raised his cup in front of him to toast. “I saw that fierce crocodile myself. Anyone who can lead two or three hundred men to capture such a beast is truly a warrior. Ordinary folks would have been disheartened at the sight. For that alone, I raise my glass to you.”

What else could Zhang Xun say? He drank a cup with Zhang Shijie. Perhaps out of admiration for warriors, Zhang Shijie promised that if he ever passed through Changzhou again, he would surely pay a visit.

---

Fortunately, they were not sworn brothers.

Because of this diversion, Zhang Shijie drank a few more cups and did not mention recommending Zhang Xun to the court again. The next day, Zhang Shijie and Lu Xiufu broke camp and left, and the matter was put aside.

The other village elders took Zhang Shijie’s words as mere pleasantries. After seeing them off, they sighed, seeing another band of young troublemakers leave. It was a blessing that this military expedition had not brought disaster upon the village.

The last time, the court had dispatched eight thousand imperial troops to support Xiangyang. Whether due to supply shortages or lax discipline among officers, the village had suffered from scandals—robberies, theft of cattle and horses became commonplace.

When the imperial troops left, the ones harmed were the county’s own people. Avoiding another military calamity was no small feat.

In any case, Zhang Xun’s life returned to peace. Lu Xiufu went to Xiangyang; Li Rang returned to Wuxi, and all was calm at home. Had it been a different year, Zhang Xun might have even opened a shop.

But this year...

The rainy season arrived as expected. The three thousand guan of silver promised by Governor Shi were delivered to Zhang Xun’s household in cash and silk. Judging by the household’s appearance, Governor Shi might indeed have secured a promotion.

Whether it was the tiger spirit rod’s influence or the glowing pearls found inside the crocodile’s belly, no one could say.

Governor Shi was quite grateful to Zhang Xun and the Zhang family. For three years, the Zhang family had not led any resistance against heavy taxes, allowing him to serve peacefully. In the end, he also received two treasured artifacts from Zhang Xun, which helped him secure his promotion—how could he not be pleased?

It was said that Governor Shi had some connection to the once-powerful Prime Minister Wei Zhongxian’s family, the Shi clan. Today, their family’s highest achievement was to produce a county governor; in some respects, the Song Dynasty had done well.

Where Wei Zhongxian had once flaunted his power, Governor Shi now relied on a tiger spirit rod to advance his career—this was a testament to the decline of the scholar-gentry class, a legacy of the Song era.

Governor Shi had almost completed writing the account of Zhang Xun’s tiger-subduing serpent capture and asked if he should send a draft for Zhang Xun to review. Zhang Xun, with his modest education, politely declined, insisting the governor’s writing was sufficient.

As for the governor’s departure, who would succeed him as Changzhou’s magistrate? Xiangyang was on the brink of collapse. Unless some miracle occurred, the countdown for the Song’s downfall was nearly at zero.

If the new magistrate was a weak-willed surrender advocate, that would be one thing. But if a resolute, loyal official arrived, that would spell trouble.

If the magistrate refused to surrender, local gentry like Zhang Xun would either have to capture him and offer the city in surrender or kill him, delivering his head to the Yuan army’s camp as a sign of submission.

Surrender was already an eternal stain on one’s name; killing a loyalist and surrendering would be an even greater disgrace. Perhaps in the future, someone might even forge an iron statue of Zhang Xun to kneel before loyal officials, enduring endless punishment through the ages.

Therefore, it was best to find out in advance who the magistrate candidate was and hope for a weakling. Then, all could kneel together to welcome Boyan, ensuring the safety of Changzhou’s five or six hundred thousand inhabitants.

With this in mind, Zhang Xun turned and wrote to his elder brother in Hangzhou, asking him to inquire about the candidate for Changzhou’s next magistrate.

How fortunate to have a brother in Hangzhou, someone to consult directly. Though not as convenient as a phone call or instant message in later times, this was quite good for now.

Others seeking news from Hangzhou might face great difficulties, but Zhang Xun merely wrote a letter. After sealing it with wax, he asked his mother if she had any messages for his brother. She only mentioned loyalty to the king and asked if there was any good kudzu fiber to send back for making mosquito nets and window screens.

Adding these notes, sealing the bag, they had to find a trustworthy person to deliver it to Hangzhou. Inquiring about official matters privately was unorthodox; Zhang Xun had to be cautious since he had no “opposing intentions.”

Walking to the corridor, all he heard was the rain; no one was in sight. Just as Zhang Xun was about to call someone, he stepped forward and felt something amiss underfoot.

The plum rain season was harsh. In Guangdong, bread and cakes would mold the same day without refrigeration. Some were confined indoors, surviving only on the moisture brought by the rain for three or four days without dying of thirst.

Conditions in Jiangdong were better, yet why did his footsteps feel unusually dry?

Frowning, Zhang Xun called out and saw Chu Jiu running along the corridor, a few raindrops on his shoulders. Just as Zhang Xun was about to ask who had been waiting there, he noticed mud stains on Chu Jiu’s collar and that a corner of the mud on his own shoe had been scraped off.