nycdaug Chapter 248 (The End) (Part 1)
Chapter 248 (The End) (Part 1)
After seeing Zisu and Yu Zhe off, Yu Han began posting notices to recruit talent from the public. He not only recruited constables and yamen runners from the community, but also planned to recruit county magistrates and registrars from the public.
Zisu left him with five guards to help him through the crisis. A month later, the five guards would return to the palace.
Now, everyone in Yangshu County knows that the newly arrived magistrate is the son of the former Minister of Personnel, Yu Zhe, and the beloved younger brother of Princess Duan, Shangguan Zisu. Yu Zhe was an honest and good official, and few scholars did not admire him. Many ordinary people also know this and genuinely respect Yu Zhe.
As for Princess Shangguan Zisu, this legendary and extraordinary woman, she was like a goddess in the hearts of the common people. She discovered sweet potatoes, potatoes, and coal, invented the waterwheel, and pioneered the practice of topping cotton in June. Each and every one of these achievements was praised by the people.
Moreover, the magistrate had just joined forces with the Princess of Yulin to suppress the two notorious tyrants of Yangshu County, ridding the people of two great scourges. From now on, everyone would no longer have to live in fear, and no longer have nowhere to seek redress for their grievances.
Therefore, as soon as the job posting was published, a constant stream of people came to the county government office to apply. All sorts of talented individuals emerged from all directions, like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. Many even came from the two neighboring counties of Yangshu County, drawn by its reputation.
In just five days, Yu Han recruited enough people. The applicants were carefully selected. The fifteen constables recruited were all upright and skilled, including veterans, members of martial arts families, and hunters.
There was even a man with superhuman strength, who looked very honest and simple, and Yu Han assigned him as his personal bodyguard. This honest-looking man was unlikely to be wary of, and he was also very thin and frail, appearing to be completely weak. This man could be Yu Han's trump card, making him impossible to guard against.
The county magistrate was a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations and was very knowledgeable in criminal law. He was also very upright and had served as a county magistrate for a year. Later, he offended a local bully and was forced to resign and go into seclusion. The registrar was also a talented man, and his experience was similar to that of the county magistrate. When Yu Han posted the recruitment notice, the two of them applied without hesitation.
The remaining minor officials were all talented individuals with their own strengths, and all of them were of good character. To put it simply, even these minor officials were selected from among a hundred people. Clearly, it was the result of a rigorous selection process.
However, this doesn't mean that those selected this time are all set for the future. Regardless of the position, there are always a number of candidates. If anyone is found unqualified during the probationary period, they will be ruthlessly dismissed, and a replacement will be appointed.
Everyone who was accepted was extremely cautious and hardworking, daring not to slack off. Thanks to everyone's efforts, all the work of the Yangshu County government proceeded very smoothly. Within a year, Yu Han had achieved several accomplishments and done many practical things that benefited the country and its people.
Yu Han, newly appointed as a local official, gained a good reputation and tasted success. He then showed a strong interest in the position of a seventh-rank county magistrate. He felt that being a minor county magistrate was far better than studying at the Hanlin Academy.
At this moment, Yu Han's achievements are even more dazzling than those of Fang Heng, the former county magistrate. This is because his county government staff consists of his confidants, almost all of whom he personally promoted and are talented individuals in various fields.
If you start from a higher point, you'll naturally achieve better results.
The Yu family of Quanshui Village in Yangshu County gradually became famous. Yu Han even persuaded the old clan chief to select five seven- or eight-year-old boys and three seven- or eight-year-old girls to be sent to Wuliping Academy.
Half of the tuition and fees for these eight students were covered by their families, and the other half by their clan. Yu Han gave each of them a set of primers and a set of writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.
When Zisu learned of this, she discussed it with the shareholders and waived the tuition and fees for the three girls. In addition, there was a boy from an extremely impoverished family, whose tuition and fees were also reduced by half. Although Yu Han had money, it was all given to him by Zisu and Prince Duan. It was unreasonable for him to use that money to gain merit for himself.
He couldn't bring himself to do something so shameless. In the future, when he earns his own money, or when someone in the clan faces a life-threatening situation that requires money, he can still lend a helping hand.
Furthermore, there are elderly people living alone in the village, and orphans who can't even afford to eat. He could make a cotton coat or two for the elderly to keep warm, buy a bag or two of grain for the poor orphans, and give them ten or twenty taels of silver for emergencies. Doing such good deeds, even with the money Zisu gave him, is acceptable. I believe Zisu would be very gratified if she knew.
From then on, several scholars began to emerge from the remote village of Quanshui. The status of girls also gradually improved, and the phenomenon of selling daughters to pay for sons' marriages gradually decreased.
Yu Han stayed in Yangshu County for six years. During those six years, he did many good deeds and practical things that benefited the people of Yangshu County. In particular, with his help, ten students from Quanshui Village became scholars, three became xiucai (a lower-level scholar), and two became juren (a higher-level scholar).
It can be said that his contribution to Quanshui Village was enormous.
Many, many years later, when Yu Zhe returned to Quanshui Village to retire with his wife, Princess Jiahe, and their eldest son, Yu Han, they were warmly welcomed by the villagers. When the old clan chief stepped down, Yu Zhe was elected as the new clan chief, becoming the leader of the Yu family in Quanshui Village.
Under Yu Zhe's leadership, the Yu family of Quanshui Village gradually developed into a large clan. Later, under Yu Zhe's leadership again, the Yu family of Quanshui Village developed into a well-known and prestigious family in the area.
Now, Yu Han's six-year term in Yangshu County had come to an end, and Fang Heng had been serving as Minister of Personnel for almost nine years. Before leaving office, Fang Heng transferred Yu Han to Yulin Prefecture and promoted him to Prefect of Yulin Prefecture.
Fang Heng left the Ministry of Personnel and entered the Grand Secretariat, becoming the Left Prime Minister.
The new Minister of Personnel was Tong Youcai, who came from Wulipai and was also a student in the first graduating class of the imperial examinations from Wulipai. Tong Youcai had a very good impression of Yu Han; the little boy he remembered was diligent, hardworking, and of excellent character.
After serving as the prefect of Yulin County for three years, Yu Han was transferred to the capital by Tong Youcai and became the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel under him.
Yu Han's meteoric rise to the position of Vice Minister of Personnel was the result of a joint effort by Fang Heng and Tong Youcai, who also consulted Yu Zhe. Yu Zhe did not object, and the two joined forces to secure Yu Han's appointment as Vice Minister of Personnel.
Having become a government official in the capital, Yu Han was already thirty years old.
At thirty years old, Yu Han was still unmarried, without even a concubine or a maidservant. Meanwhile, Shangguan Yi's son had already turned three.
Yu Zhe was extremely troubled, so he went to Zisu and said, "Zisu, Yu Han refuses to get married, always saying he hasn't met the right person. What should I do? I'm already fifty years old and haven't even had a grandson yet. What am I going to do?"
Yu Zhe and Princess Jiahe's sons, the eldest of whom is already fifteen years old, should be engaged by now. However, this son argued, "My elder brother isn't engaged yet, so why should I be? No, I'll wait until my elder brother gets married before I get engaged!"
Princess Jiahe was frantic. If Yu Han never married, would her son also never marry? She was looking forward to holding her grandson and enjoying the blessings of having a daughter-in-law. Over the years, she had grown weary of managing the household affairs. Only when her son got married quickly could she leave behind those tedious family matters and live a peaceful and carefree life.
Zisu was also a bit troubled. Fortunately, her younger brother, Shangguan Yi, had met a good girl and got married and had children early on. Otherwise, if one or two of them were like this, she would have a real headache.
When her uncle said that, Zisu could only smile wryly and say, "It's not up to him. Today I'll select all the unmarried daughters of officials and hold a flower fair to properly examine their character and choose a good girl from among them!"
Yu Zhe was still worried: "Yu Han is very stubborn. What if he doesn't agree?" You can't force a cow to drink water.
Zisu disagreed, saying, "He has no choice but to agree! He's not young anymore, he's thirty years old, and he's still not married. Is that reasonable?" In this era, many people are already grandfathers by the time they're thirty.
Yu Zhe couldn't help but sigh: "I can't do anything with this kid. If you have a solution, I'll leave it to you! If you can persuade him to get married, it will be a huge help to your uncle!"
Since his marriage to Princess Jiahe, Yu Han has become much more distant from him, no longer sharing her innermost thoughts with him. Conversely, Yu Han has become much closer to Zisu, treating her like a beloved older sister, and readily confiding in her. Even Shangguan Mufeng's relationship with Yu Han is much closer than that with his own father.
Alas, there was nothing he could do. He hadn't been a good father to his son in his life. He felt guilty towards his son; he had invested very little time and money in him. Especially after he married Princess Jiahe, his son rarely came home, and even if he wanted to be close to him, he had no opportunity.
Before the flower show, Zisu had a heart-to-heart talk with Yu Han.
Facing her cousin, who was nearly thirty, Zisu felt some pressure. After all, he was an adult, and a high-ranking official at that—a Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. She couldn't act like she did when she was a child, resorting to physical punishment for disobedience.
Zisu: "Han'er, you're not getting any younger, it's time to get married."
Yu Han: "Big sister, it's not that I don't want to get married, but there's really no suitable one. I don't want to end up like my father, getting married so many times and then letting my son suffer."
He didn't want his son or daughter to go through the same ordeal. He was lucky to have met Zisu, such a kind older sister; his son or daughter wouldn't have been so fortunate.
Zisu smiled and said, "Han'er, I know your concerns. But you can't throw the baby out with the bathwater, can you? There are still more good girls in this world than bad ones. How will you know if someone is good if you don't take the first step? I'm already this old and have a lot of life experience. I guarantee I can find you a reliable wife. Tell me what kind of woman you like, and I'll help you choose one based on your preferences!"
Yu Han said helplessly, "Big sister, I like girls with good character and cheerful personality. No matter how well they learn their manners or how beautiful they are, I can't stand those pretentious young ladies!"
He actually likes girls like his eldest sister, but unfortunately, in the entire Western Liang Kingdom, the only one who can match his eldest sister in beauty is Jin'er.
Zisu: "Okay, I understand! I will choose a good girl for you according to this standard! You don't need to worry too much. Although I can't guarantee that my judgment will be 100% good, before making a decision, I will personally investigate and find out everything about that girl, from her ancestors to the eighteenth generation! I will personally investigate who she likes to associate with, what her hobbies are, and how she treats her maids! In addition, I will also send out my secret guards to conduct an in-depth investigation!"
In this way, it's impossible to choose an unreliable person; at most, the woman might have some minor flaws. However, how many people in this world are perfect? As long as it's not a matter of principle, these flaws can be ignored.