Tang Shijun turned to face the Songliu Water God Temple, slightly raised his head, and puffed out his chest.
"If there really is a Songliu Water God, he should benefit the commoners of this place. If he stirs up trouble and harms the innocent, this official will definitely lead troops to crusade against him, and will definitely execute him without pardon!"
These words were spoken with a stern voice and severe countenance!
Everyone in the world revered Immortals and Gods, even officials were no exception.
Tang Shijun believed that there might really be an Immortal or God protecting this place.
But he was completely fearless, his arrogance soaring to the sky.
Whether it was an Immortal, a God, a Demon, or a Devil.
If it hard the Zhangnan County he had painstakingly managed for eight years, it would be executed!
Just because he was Tang Shijun!
The "Shi" of unparalleled in the world.
The "Jun" of a single word weighing a thousand catties!
Eight years as a County Magistrate had not smoothed his edges.
Instead, it had ground this sharp piece of tal and stone to be even sharper.
The twenty-ninth year of the Kingdom of Jing.
Tang Shijun was twenty-nine years old.
The new dynasty was newly established, thriving and prosperous.
Passing the imperial examination as the Second Place Graduate, high-spirited and vigorous!
Chu Xun watched Tang Shijun walk towards the sedan chair. Seeing his heavy steps, he knew what he was worried about.
In mid-air, a crow flapped its wings and swept over the Songliu River.
Caw—
A hoarse cry exploded in the air.
Boom—
Water waves surged and shot up into the sky.
Tang Shijun, who had already lifted the cloth curtain and was preparing to enter the sedan chair, heard a shout in his ear, "Your Excellency, please look!"
Tang Shijun turned his head and saw a large white python darting up from the water.
Its body, nearly two zhang long, was full of oppressive force.
There was also a turtle the size of a washbasin, being propped up by the white snake, clearly visible.
The commoners on both banks of the Songliu River had all heard the rumors that the Songliu Water God controlled a turtle and a snake.
Therefore, seeing this snake and turtle, they all hurriedly threw down the things in their hands and knelt down to kowtow in panic and reverence.
Tang Shijun did not do so. He was a certain distance away from the Songliu River, and the scene he saw was completely different.
The giant white python and the large green turtle were certainly conspicuous, but in front of them was a tall and straight figure.
Vaguely, Tang Shijun's vision seed sowhat blurred.
It was as if Chu Xun's figure had beco incomparably tall and large, and even the large turtle and giant python were rely foils.
He had been to the Songliu Water God Temple and seen that statue with a blurred face.
And now, the blurred statue seed to overlap with the figure before his eyes.
Splash—
Water splashed in all directions as the giant python and large turtle hid underwater and disappeared.
In Tang Shijun's field of vision, only Chu Xun remained.
Still clear, still real.
At this mont, a thought suddenly arose in his heart.
Even if there was no Water God in the Songliu River.
But there was still Chu Xun.
He didn't know why he felt this way, only that his heart was suddenly extrely agitated.
He raised his arms, cupped his hands, and said aloud, "You must take care of yourself!"
Chu Xun also cupped his hands and saluted, "Your Excellency, take care."
Tang Shijun didn't say any more words, nor did he look at the Songliu Water God Temple again.
The worry in his heart, at this mont, was like a clear sun, forcefully tearing apart that touch of haze.
The light was like a tide, endless and continuous.
Whether there really was a Songliu Water God in the world, even after seeing the giant python and large turtle, he couldn't be certain.
But in the world, there really was a person nad Chu Xun!
Chu Xun watched Tang Shijun get into the sedan chair and gradually drift away along the forest path.
Only after a long ti did he turn around and look at the commoners kneeling and bowing on both banks of the river.
Back when Zhang Anxiu pulled him to kneel and bow to the Songliu Water God, he knew that statue was himself.
Now the commoners were sincerely kowtowing, yet they didn't know the manifestation of that statue was right before their eyes.
At this mont, Chu Xun suddenly felt his shoulders beco a bit heavier.
As if the few pats Tang Shijun gave him before leaving had never faded.
Or perhaps, he finally understood the aning of those pats.
Ti is like a long river, surging forward without end, never turning back.
Only he would stand on the riverbank, watching batch after batch of people.
Coming.
Going.
Like the spray crashing against the shore, little drops of water splashing on the damp soil.
As if they existed.
——————
When Tang Shijun was promoted, he didn't take a single cent of silver, leaving it all at the county office.
He only took away the calligraphy and paintings he had wielded his brush for in Zhangnan County over the years. Besides that, there was also an exceptionally long stalk of rice.
This was the good thing he had wanted to present to His Majesty the Emperor back then, but kept as a warning because of what Chu Xun said.
Those who are officials should tread on thin ice and be cautious in their words and actions.
Only then can they advance step by step and realize their grand ambitions!
The commoners lined the streets to see him off, and many even wept bitterly, reluctant to part.
Most of them were refugees who had fled from famine back then. Now they had gained a firm foothold in Zhangnan County and no longer had to live without a fixed residence or go hungry.
This was Tang Shijun's achievent, and even more so his rit, and also the source of the commoners' gratitude.
Those who were extrely puzzled by those few governnt decrees in the past now only felt deeply ashad.
In terms of long-term vision, they couldn't even hope to catch up.
The newly appointed County Magistrate was the forr Registrar Zheng Xiuwen, who was also considered an old acquaintance.
After his promotion, he specially called Chu Xun to the county office for a simple al.
He stated clearly that when Lord Tang left, he had instructed him to keep an eye on Secondary Guest Chu, so that he wouldn't go astray because of his increasingly abundant family property.
Chu Xun listened in silence. Although Tang Shijun didn't show excessive partiality towards him on ordinary days, he still left such an exhortation before leaving.
It could be seen that his regard for him had already surpassed how an official treated an Honored Guest.
Zheng Xiuwen also saw this and said, "Lord Tang truly has a heart of care and protection for Secondary Guest Chu. There are millions of people in the world, but very few who can appreciate each other. Secondary Guest Chu should use this to encourage yourself."
Chu Xun nodded. It should be so, in order not to make an old friend worry.
So people were promoted and cheered with joy.
There were also families with faces full of sorrow.
In this year's Autumn Examination, Li Chang'an went to take the imperial examination again.
He had studied hard for three years, reading late into the night every day, burning who knows how many hundreds or thousands of candles.
He went to the examination hall full of confidence, but on the day the results were posted, his na was not on the list.
The family returned with bitter faces, the carefully prepared red cloth as useless as it was three years ago.
Li Tianjian's wife didn't know how many curses she hurled on the way back.
She shouted resolutely, "They definitely used silver! My grandson is a hundred tis smarter than them, how could he not pass! It's all your fault, you dead old man, being so stingy. Silver can't be eaten, are you keeping it to take into your coffin?"
Li Tianjian was five years older than Li Shoutian, and now his hair was gray, showing his old age.
As people get older, their temper gets smaller.
When they were young, his wife had a loud voice at ho, and now it was even worse.
Being scolded like a grandson, he didn't dare to make a sound.
In his heart, he only felt that perhaps they really should use silver to exert so effort.
If he could pass the provincial exam and beco an official lord next year, how much silver couldn't be earned back?
Li Chang'an, however, gritted his teeth and shook his head, saying, "This year's examination questions were not what I am good at. For the next three years, I will study other classics."
"Even without using silver, I will definitely pass the provincial exam!"
Li Tianjian hurriedly chid in, "That's right, even without using silver, Chang'an can still pass!"
His wife glared at him, scaring Li Tianjian into hurriedly shrinking his head back.
Having a fierce wife at ho, there was nothing he could do.
"Then we'll wait three years and take the exam again." Li Tianjian's wife muttered, "Isn't it just failing twice? Even the County Magistrate Lord worked for eight years before getting promoted."
Whoosh—
A gust of wind blew over, the howling sound arriving in an instant.
The few people looked up and saw a dense flock of massive crows sweeping over their heads.
Li Tianjian's two sons were now in their thirties.
But seeing this flock of crows, their faces still turned pale, and they subconsciously held their heads and crouched down.
The angry old mother gave her two sons a kick each, "Get up! It's just a flock of beasts. It's been so many years, and you're still scared like this, completely useless!"
The two n cowered, their bodies trembling, peeking upwards through the cracks in their fingers.
Seeing that the flock of crows had flown far away, they finally dared to lower their hands.
The more Li Tianjian's wife looked, the angrier she got. Pointing in the direction the crows flew away, she cursed loudly enough to shake the heavens.
"It's all because this flock of crows disturbed my grandson's studying that he couldn't pass the provincial exam! Sooner or later, I'll slaughter you all and roast you to eat!"
Among the flock of crows, a few old crows seed to have heard.
They turned around and flew back. As they swept through the forest, they swooped down from the ground and picked up a few stones and branches.
When they reached the sky above Li's family, they dropped them directly.
Li Tianjian's family was hit and cried out in pain. The two sons even rembered the nightmare of their youth, holding their heads and running away screaming weirdly.
Just as Li Tianjian's wife was about to look up and curse a few words, a lump of sticky feces fell from the sky, blocking her throat tightly.
She was anxious, angry, and disgusted. Her eyes rolled back, and she actually fainted on the spot.
[End of Chapter]
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