Chapter 645: Naturally Have to Care for It a Little

As they spoke, the group left the estate and headed toward Jing Alley.

"I don't know if my sister is in the courtyard right now," Ping'an said. "I haven't been able to find her much these past two days."

"Ruyi has always loved to wander," Chen Changsheng said. "Having just arrived in Shangjing, she naturally wants to see the sights."

Jing Alley wasn't far; it was located within the same city ward. The courtyard there was where Ping'an had previously rented a place, but after receiving a reward from His Majesty, the small courtyard was gifted to him outright. Ruyi was staying there for the time being.

Chen Changsheng walked ahead, taking in his surroundings. He could not help but feel that Shangjing City had changed incredibly fast. Back then, this area had been somewhat empty, but now it was filled with sprawling mansions.

"Serving as the Metropolitan Governor must be quite exhausting, isn't it?" Chen Changsheng asked.

Faced with Chen Changsheng's sudden question, Ping'an replied, "It isn't too tiring. It is mostly just matters involving a few wards and markets, so it isn't difficult to handle."

Chen Changsheng gave a warm smile and said, "During my early years in Shangjing City, This Chen also met a county magistrate who could be considered your predecessor. Not only did he live in absolute poverty, but he also had to handle every matter, big or small, personally. As a magistrate, he couldn't even afford a small courtyard in the outer wards. And back then, those were just muddy lots and low houses, far less impressive than this place."

Ping'an recalled a piece of history upon hearing this. "Uncle Chen, are you talking about Magistrate Liu Huairen from Jingshi?"

Chen Changsheng nodded. "That's him."

It wasn't hard to guess.

From Jingshi until now, Shangjing City had seen a total of five county magistrates. Including those documented in historical records, Magistrate Liu was the only one known for such extreme poverty.

"Magistrate Liu possessed great talent," Ping'an could not help but say. "It's a pity he was born at the wrong time and went unrecognized by his sovereign, ultimately dying with regrets..."

He paused, then asked, "Did you know Magistrate Liu, Uncle Chen?"

"You could say that."

Chen Changsheng said, "I chatted with him about a few storybooks at the tea house."

"Ping'an has always had a question," Ping'an said. "The history books say that when Magistrate Liu passed away, tens of thousands of citizens in Shangjing City saw him off. The commoners used silver to pay respects at his grave, yet no one dared to take a single piece. Is that true?"

"The historical records aren't lying," Chen Changsheng replied. "That was indeed the scene that day. But whether those silver taels were taken away later, This Chen does not know."

Ping'an said, "Rumor has it that desperate beggars would occasionally go there to take some silver. After bowing and offering incense, they would only take two pieces of Broken Silver. It wasn't until the King of Jing later moved his entourage that all the sacrificial silver was taken away."

Chen Changsheng paused at the words, recalling that stubborn magistrate. In life, he had been a magistrate who brought blessings to the people; in death, he had left behind blessings for them as well.

He was good to all the commoners in the world, yet treated himself completely as an afterthought.

How foolish.

Chen Changsheng said, "His entire life was focused solely on how to be a proper official. He established a backbone for future officials to follow, unlike when Jing fell and seventy percent of the officials fled, abandoning their home and country."

Ping'an fell silent. From the sound of it, Uncle Chen must have been particularly close to Magistrate Liu. It wouldn't be good to press the matter further.

But it was undeniable.

Uncle Chen was right.

Magistrate Liu truly had established a standard of integrity for future officials. Whether it was the schoolmaster at the Hanlin Academy, the Grand Ancestor, or His Majesty, they all frequently brought up Magistrate Liu's story.

And before they took office, the schoolmaster would give them a special lesson specifically about that piece of history.

The predecessors had planted the trees, allowing the younger generation to enjoy the shade.

It must absolutely not be forgotten.

Ping'an said, "Speaking of which, when Ping'an first entered the bureaucracy, I intended to become an official who thought of the people, just like Magistrate Liu."

Chen Changsheng shook his head and said, "If it were anyone else, This Chen would naturally think they had lofty ambitions. But since it is you, This Chen thinks it is better if you do not end up like him. While being human, one must also think for oneself. Someone like him was an existence just short of becoming a Sage. Being a mortal is far better than being a Sage."

Ping'an stared blankly upon hearing these words. He could naturally hear that Uncle Chen simply didn't want him to live a hard life in the future.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but the words caught in his throat and wouldn't come out.

Suddenly, he didn't want to confess.

Truth be told, his life as the Metropolitan Governor was actually quite miserable.

Chen Changsheng looked at him and said, "You don't necessarily have to listen to This Chen. Ping'an is no longer a child either. Whatever you do, just follow your own heart."

Ping'an snapped back to reality and returned a faint smile. He nodded, indicating that he had taken his uncle's words to heart.

Mo Yuan, listening from the side, simply shook his head and sighed.

This Metropolitan Governor didn't seem to have much aura of wealth hovering above his head.

In fact, the moment he entered the estate, he had noticed it. The clothes and items used by the servants were all very ordinary, completely lacking the refinement of a wealthy household. Two of the maidservants even had patches on their clothes.

The entire Jingzhaoyin Office was indeed large and imposing, but in reality, there weren't many silver taels to its name.

The group walked for a while before arriving at Jing Alley.

After entering the alley, they stopped in front of a small courtyard.

Just as they reached the entrance, a figure suddenly darted up onto the wall.

Lihua had climbed onto the wall without them noticing, peering down at the gate.

Lihua froze in surprise upon seeing the people at the door.

It blinked and let out a surprised cry.

"Chen the Good Man!!"

At the sudden shout, three pairs of eyes turned toward the wall.

The Tabby Cat leaped down from the wall and quickly trotted over to Chen Changsheng's feet.

With practiced ease, Lihua scurried up Chen Changsheng's clothes and settled on his shoulder.

Ping'an, on the other hand, was startled.

"Just now... just now..."

He stared at the Tabby Cat in disbelief.

Mo Yuan looked over and asked in confusion, "Where did this civet cat come from?"

Chen Changsheng said, "This is Lihua. It previously traveled the same road alongside This Chen."

Lihua was quite excited. Wagging its tail, it said to Chen Changsheng, "Chen the Good Man, how did you get here? How did you know Lihua was here?"

Chen Changsheng patted its head and said, "Lihua has gotten quite a bit heavier, though."

"Urgh..."

Lihua looked down at its own stomach and insisted stubbornly, "Lihua isn't fat."

In past years, it would have been upset about this, but now it simply resorted to deceiving itself.

It was true. Following Ruyi all these years, even though it often missed meals, it had never lost any weight. Instead, it had only grown heavier and heavier.

"It actually talks..."

Ping'an recovered from his initial shock. On second thought, he managed to calm down.

A talking civet cat right next to Mister Chen didn't seem all that unreasonable.

Chen Changsheng then asked, "Is Ruyi in the courtyard?"

Lihua nodded and said, "Yes, Ruyi is fast asleep, and she's snoring! Very loudly!"

Chen Changsheng broke into a laugh upon hearing this.

Ping'an scratched his head beside them and said, "My sister has probably just been exhausted lately."

Changing the subject, Ping'an said, "Let's go. Let's head inside."

Hearing this, Lihua said, "Lihua will go open the door for you!"

With that, it hopped back into the courtyard.

Mo Yuan looked at Mister and said, "Mister seems to care for this little Lihua quite a bit."

"Lihua isn't very smart; it's like a child. When speaking to a child, you naturally have to care for it a little."

"Is that so..."