Chapter 144: The Year End (1)

The Lunar New Year was around the corner. After one busy month harvesting the autumn fruits, the entire Fan Hua Town started to prepare for Lunar New Year. 

During this time, many things, big or small, happened in Fan Luo City.

The most popular topic of Fan Hua Town was about their neighbor Qing Tian Town. That town was bought by a mysterious rich man. 

The price and the proposed planning were quite similar to Fan Hua Town. 

It had been a buzzing topic in Fan Luo City for a long time until a newer event took its place: The Fan Luo City’s castellan was replaced. It made the Fan Luo City, which had rarely any official news, unable to stay quiet even after a whole month. puretl.com is the original translator, please do not repost

It was said that the Castellans of thirty-one cities in Da Hui were personally selected by the Emperor among the excellent nominated officials. The Emperor would choose them by the test result of their characters, talents, skills, power, management skills, etc.

Of course, there were still many nominees that got the Castellan position through improper means. However, most of them had to depend on their real competence. 

No matter what, before the officials were nominated, they had to take a general examination including literature, martial arts, talents, and even emotions. The three that topped the examination every year would become the candidates for the Emperor’s Castellan. 

Year after year, the list of candidates was full. Thus, after the incumbent Emperor Li Wen Xiu took the throne, his very first reform was to reduce the time of holding the Castellan office from fifteen years to eight years, and increase the gap between two examinations from one to three years to solve the problem with stacking-up talents. puretl.com is the original translator, please do not repost

However, Fan Luo City’s Castellan was replaced before his terms of eight years finished. Ah, it was a promotion, to be exact. The Shui Yue City’s terms of governance were due, and the Fan Luo City’s Castellan still had three more years of his office. So, he was mobilized to Shui Yue City. And, it was a promotion because Shui Yue City was several times more developed than Fan Luo City. More precisely, Fan Luo City was small and remote, so it was the city ranked last among the thirty-one cities.

Before the new Castellan came to take the office, people from inside and outside the city had guessed  who was the guy with bad luck that the Emperor had sent to this city, a city they called the cushion for the other cities. 

“So, the rumors are true? We have to congratulate you, Castellan, Sir. I heard that Shui Yue City is twice the size of Fan Luo City!” 

In the front hall of the Yue Yun Embroidery House, Manager Jiang Ying Yue was smiling, using tea, instead of liquor, to congratulate Castellan Xi Yu Dao, the Castellan of Fan Luo City, who was about to leave the city for his new office. 

“Manager Ying, you’re too polite! On my visit this time, I came to say farewell. And, I have a presumptuous request, I wonder if you Manager…”  

“No need to be polite. Just tell me your request. As long as Ying Yue could help, I would try my best.” 

“Cough… All right, then let me get straight to the point. It’s just… Cough… My young son, Jing Rui, has always adored Miss Ying Yun. When I received this transfer, he asked me to come here for a marriage proposal. However, our family has chosen a wife for him. She’s also from a noble family from the imperial city. So, if Miss Ying Yun comes to our house, she will feel wronged. Anyway, Miss Manager, don’t worry, I’m sure I will…” 

Jiang Ying Yue listened to him and she knew right away what Xi Yu Dao would say next. He would promise that they would take good care of her sister. But it wasn’t what she or Ying Yun wanted.

“Castellan, forgive me that I interrupted you. But after this year, my sister will turn twenty-four. I remember Mister Xi is just nineteen. Talking about age…” Did he want Ying Yun to become his nanny? 

“Cough… I think you don’t know something, but my mother and his mother have tried to use this to persuade him many times. We couldn’t change his intention. That’s why I have to bring my old face here to settle the marriage proposal.” 

So he said it was a marriage proposal? Ha! Ridiculous! He just wanted to take Ying Yun sneakily and make her his son’s concubine!

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