Chapter 133: Secretary Qi’s Far-Reaching Foresight

More than a decade ago, banditry was rampant across the Liang Kingdom. To encourage the populace to combat these outlaws, the imperial court issued a decree: anyone who captured or killed a bandit would, upon verification, be entitled to a bounty paid out by the local county treasury.

Because the funds were drawn from local coffers, the bounty rates varied significantly across the Liang Kingdom. Wealthy districts could afford up to five taels of silver per head, while moderately prosperous ones offered two or three. In a poverty-stricken county like Xinzhou, the reward was a mere one tael per person. Xu Mo had killed thirty bandits and captured six, meaning the total bounty amounted to only thirty-six taels. To a county, such a sum was trivial, yet even this pittance was something Magistrate Hu was loath to part with.

"Sir," Advisor Qi said, "it wasn't Xu Mo who asked to see you. He was already planning to leave; I was the one who insisted he stay and invited him in."

"Ah! It was you?" Magistrate Hu asked, looking puzzled.

Advisor Qi immediately replied, "Sir, Xu Mo is not going to demand the bounty from you!"

Magistrate Hu frowned slightly. "Advisor Qi, honestly, if he was going to leave, you should have just let him go. Why invite him in?"

"Sir," Advisor Qi explained, "Xu Mo and his men killed so many bandits; they have effectively rid the people of a menace. As the magistrate of Xinzhou, you really ought to meet them and offer a few words of praise."

Magistrate Hu shook his head helplessly and muttered to himself, "Sigh, what a nuisance."

Advisor Qi continued, "Sir, I hope you will meet Xu Mo for reasons beyond that... Tell me, have you wondered how the Ning family’s 'Delicacy Pavilion' went from obscurity to being a household name?"

"Why?" asked the Magistrate.

"It is all because of this Xu Mo!" Advisor Qi emphasized.

"Oh?" Magistrate Hu was taken aback.

Advisor Qi proceeded to recount everything he knew about Xu Mo. Although the Magistrate was surprised, he still did not quite grasp the implication and asked, "Advisor Qi, could you be more explicit?"

Advisor Qi nearly rolled his eyes, thinking to himself that he had been clear enough. He pressed on: "Sir, that Xu Mo was able to make the Delicacy Pavilion so successful in such a short time, and he even invented scented soap and laundry soap. This shows he is well-versed in the ways of commerce—he is a rare talent!"

Magistrate Hu could not deny this and gave a slow nod.

"The Prefect has mentioned several times," Advisor Qi continued, "that the current commercial tax revenue in Xinzhou is far too low. This not only affects the court's impression of you but is also quite detrimental to your official performance reviews."

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Hu frowned, as this concerned his next appointment. He desperately wanted a transfer to a wealthier county; he could no longer bear the drudgery of this impoverished one.

Advisor Qi seized the moment: "Sir, why not take this opportunity to ask Xu Mo for help? If he is willing to lend a hand, it is highly likely that our commerce in Xinzhou will flourish, and wouldn't our tax revenue increase significantly?"

Magistrate Hu finally understood. A look of realization dawned on him, and he nodded. "True, true! You have great foresight, Advisor. This godforsaken place has such poor and scarce farmland; only by developing commerce can we truly increase tax revenue!"

Speaking of Xinzhou’s geography, it was the closest county to the northern border of the Wei Kingdom. Under normal circumstances, it would be the most efficient transit point for foreign caravans traveling into the Liang Kingdom. However, in reality, the vast majority of foreign merchants chose to detour through the neighboring Heyang County, even though the journey from Heyang to the border took nearly an extra day. This had led to Heyang’s commercial prosperity far outpacing Xinzhou’s. In other words, over eighty percent of the commercial taxes that should have been collected by Xinzhou were being siphoned off by its neighbor.

When Magistrate Hu had first taken office, he had been ambitious, hoping to attract these foreign merchants. That was why he had organized the local militia to suppress the bandits—to provide a sense of security for travelers. Though the bandits were eventually cleared, the merchants still did not come, continuing to favor the route through Heyang. Magistrate Hu had become deeply depressed and frustrated; over time, his fighting spirit waned, and he had gradually resigned himself to a life of apathy.

Now enlightened, Magistrate Hu straightened his robes, puffed out his chest, and declared, "Advisor Qi, accompany me to meet this Xu Mo!"

With that, he strode out of the study, followed by the Advisor as they headed toward the secondary hall.

Xu Mo had been waiting until his patience began to wear thin. Just as he was contemplating whether to leave and ask what was going on, someone appeared at the doorway.

"Apologies for the wait, Young Master Xu. The Magistrate has arrived!" It was Advisor Qi.

Xu Mo immediately stood up to greet the official. Moments later, Magistrate Hu, dressed in his seventh-rank robes and official boots, stepped into the hall. The moment he entered, he was already nodding toward Xu Mo with a smile.

"Sir," Advisor Qi introduced, "this is the proprietor of the Peony Brand soap, Young Master Xu Mo."

"My apologies, Young Master Xu, for keeping you waiting," Magistrate Hu said with a smile.

Xu Mo bowed. "I am Xu Mo, greetings, Magistrate."

"No need for such formalities, please, sit!" The Magistrate sat in the seat of honor, while Advisor Qi stood to his side. Soon, a clerk brought in hot tea. Once the clerk had departed, the Magistrate began: "Young Master Xu, I heard that you encountered bandits today and managed to kill thirty and capture six without a single casualty on your side. Such a result is truly astonishing and deeply inspiring!"

Xu Mo offered a few modest words in reply.

Following this, Magistrate Hu showered Xu Mo with endless praise—calling him a promising youth, a talent to be reckoned with, and a man of great brilliance. He piled on so many compliments that even Xu Mo began to feel embarrassed.

Just as Xu Mo was wondering when he could finally leave, Magistrate Hu suddenly stood up. "By the way, Young Master Xu, I just remembered a piece of calligraphy that would suit you perfectly. Wait here a moment, I shall go fetch it." He turned to the Advisor. "Advisor Qi, keep Young Master Xu company while I am gone."

"As you wish, sir," the Advisor bowed.

The Magistrate exited the hall and walked away. Xu Mo was puzzled. Why would a magistrate handle such a trivial chore himself? Shouldn't a subordinate or a servant be sent for such things? Perhaps, he thought, the Magistrate was simply being cautious, fearing that someone else might bring the wrong item.

Just then, Advisor Qi spoke: "Tell me, Young Master Xu, I hear it took you only a month to turn the Delicacy Pavilion from a failing business into one so busy that a table is hard to come by!"

"It was merely good fortune, Advisor," Xu Mo replied modestly.

"Young Master Xu," the Advisor countered, "if those were just luck, what of the soap? Why hasn't anyone else been 'lucky' enough to invent soap and scented soap?"

Xu Mo smiled. "Advisor, if you have something to say, please be direct."

Advisor Qi smiled slightly. "Since you are so well-versed in commerce, would you be willing to help our Xinzhou County resolve a difficult problem?"

Hearing this, Xu Mo instantly understood why the Magistrate had insisted on fetching the item himself. The Magistrate had a favor to ask, but he did not wish to be present when the request was made. Why? Because if Xu Mo agreed, the Magistrate could return with the gift, present it as a reward, and both parties would remain on excellent terms. However, if Xu Mo refused, the Magistrate would avoid the embarrassment of being rejected to his face. In that case, he wouldn't even need to reappear; the Advisor could simply send Xu Mo on his way.