Chapter 188 - 103: Subduing the Troops of the Three Counties

Chapter 188: Chapter 103: Subduing the Troops of the Three Counties

The commoners entering and exiting the gates of the county city were all people from surrounding villages and towns who came for important matters or trade. Zheng Jun was, naturally, extremely good to them.

Upon seeing Zheng Jun, they erupted with an enthusiasm even greater than that of the Black Officials and soldiers. Some vegetable farmers even held up the fruits and vegetables they intended to sell, offering them to Zheng Jun. They knew who treated them well. Before Zheng Jun arrived, they had been filled with fear every time they entered the city, terrified of being intercepted and killed by bandits on the road. The Black Officials and soldiers at the city gates would also extract their share of grease, extorting silver coins or taking a few fruits. In short, they used every means possible. When they returned to their villages and towns, they faced the oppression and humiliation of the local Gentry, working as Tenants to till the land and pay taxes for the landlords.

But ever since Zheng Jun arrived, the blue skies of justice had truly come.

On all the major arterial roads, the joint defense teams of the Tongzhou Association made their presence known. Even the County Soldiers would sometimes carry out patrols. Bandits had been basically eradicated. The Black Officials and soldiers at the city gates had been completely replaced. The new gatekeepers were all personally promoted by Zheng Jun and no longer took a cut of grease. As for the landlords in the villages and towns, it went without saying—their land and wealth had all been redistributed by Zheng Jun.

As for any dissatisfaction from these landlords and Gentry... Zheng Jun struck out heavily, completely beating the defiance out of them!

As for the residents of the county city, they hadn’t received as many favors from Zheng Jun. They only knew that Black Mountain County had produced a hero named Zheng San, whose methods were exceptionally brilliant. As people of Black Mountain, they too shared in the glory. However, a portion of the commoners who were related to the Gentry naturally harbored dissatisfaction toward Zheng Jun in their hearts. Even so, they didn’t dare to show it. Speaking out against the tide was purely idiotic.

Looking at the commoners and Black Officials surging around him, Zheng Jun’s expression turned odd for a moment as he experienced the feeling of a "Sun God."

However, observing the growing number of commoners around him, Zheng Jun took a deep breath. He stood at the front of the carriage and imbued his voice with True Qi, letting out a resonant sound that echoed like a giant bell.

"Elders and fellow townsmen! Sanlang still has important matters to attend to and cannot stay here to chat with you all at this moment. We shall definitely catch up on another day!"

"Make way! Let Third Master Zheng handle his official business!"

"May the Third Master live a long and prosperous life! If only he could be our County Magistrate..."

"The Third Master is a General now, how could he come back to be a County Magistrate?! The way I see it, his official rank should be promoted as high as possible, straight to Prime Minister!"

Amidst the chaotic clamor of voices, a path was spontaneously cleared in front of Zheng Jun. He nodded. After cupping his hands in thanks to the surrounding crowd, he had Cai Liu drive the carriage through the city gates. Afterward, Zheng Jun returned to his seat.

Recalling the surging, bustling crowd from just moments ago, Qingdai couldn’t help but feel a surge of delight. The smile on her face was almost unstoppable.

She thought, "The hearts of the people are with him, and his reputation is stellar! This is my Young Master’s control over Black Mountain County! He is a True Dragon among men! Those blind old fools at Jishi Hall actually felt that investing too much in the Young Master was a waste. Keeping your eyes is the real waste!"

At this thought, Qingdai couldn’t help but pout. She decided that as soon as she got back, she would furiously pen a ten-thousand-word testament to persuade the Chief Shopkeeper to increase their investment in the Young Master.

She thought, "If you don’t invest in a True Dragon like this, why invest every day in the nephew of some manager in Songheng City of Yunzhou? The man is born of noble blood—does he even need your measly investment?!"

While Qingdai’s mind was racing with plans, Cai Liu also felt a shared sense of glory. Driving a carriage for such an outstanding hero was the crowning achievement of a coachman’s life. This was an experience he hadn’t even felt when driving for his own young master!

Soon, the carriage arrived at the Zheng Mansion.

Zhou Pu and Zheng Ping were already waiting at the entrance. Upon seeing Zheng Jun, they were overjoyed and hurried forward to greet him. Zheng Ping looked him up and down, terrified that something untoward had happened.

"You didn’t get hurt going to the Commandery city this time, did you?"

"Zheng Ping, the Commandery city is extremely safe. How could I get hurt?" Zheng Jun stepped down from the carriage and replied with a smile.

He then looked at Zhou Pu. Seeing him dressed in the Official Robe of a Great Zhou Ninth Grade Military Officer, Zheng Jun immediately cupped his hands in congratulation. "Congratulations on your glorious promotion to Historian, Zhou Pu. In the future, I’m afraid I’ll have to address you as Lord Historian!"

"Ah." Zhou Pu patted Zheng Jun on the shoulder, saying with great gratification, "Others might not know how I got this Historian position, but don’t you know? Come on, let’s go home and drink!"

With that, Zhou Pu threw an arm around Zheng Jun’s shoulder and walked swaggeringly toward the house.

Seeing this, Zheng Jun felt rather helpless. He simply gave Qingdai and Cai Liu a look. The two understood implicitly.

As for Zheng Ping, her eyes immediately lit up when she saw Qingdai. Before Qingdai could even set down the luggage, Zheng Ping stepped right up, grabbed her slender jade-like hands, and spoke with great intimacy. "You must be Qingdai, right? I’ve heard about you for a long time. Where do you live? How many people are in your family?"

Faced with Zheng Ping’s immense enthusiasm, Qingdai was startled, suddenly becoming flustered and at a loss for what to do. Seeing that no one around could help rescue her from this situation, she could only stumble through her answers. "Replying to Mrs. Zhou, I am from Yunzhou. My parents are no longer around, and I have six siblings in my family..."

As she spoke, Zheng Ping held onto her hand, pulling her along behind Zheng Jun and Zhou Pu while continuing to chatter about everyday family matters.

Seeing this, Cai Liu merely chuckled softly before driving the carriage toward the County Captain’s Mansion. As for the luggage in the carriage, someone would naturally deliver it to Zheng Jun’s residence later.