After exchanging pleasantries with Registrar Gao Fei, Lin Ze paid a one-cash entrance fee.
After that, Gao Fei rode ahead on his horse to lead the way, accompanied by several soldiers as guards. Lin Ze followed behind in his donkey cart, heading toward the County Government Office.
Fengping County wasn't very large. It was laid out as a square, with each side measuring about three kilometers and a total area of roughly nine square kilometers within the city walls.
However, because the city stood beside a river and occupied a vital transportation hub, its economy was far more developed than that of other ordinary counties, and its population was much denser.
Lin Ze drove his donkey cart along the straight streets, passing all kinds of shops.
Grain shops, oil shops, restaurants, cloth shops, rouge shops, brokers, the County School, martial arts schools...
The streets were packed with pedestrians.
Aside from the people who lived in the city itself, most were ordinary villagers from the surrounding countryside, who had come into town to sell food and daily necessities or look for work.
As he took in the shops and passersby along the way, Lin Ze wore the curious expression of a newcomer.
Although he had seen these sights countless times through a drone's camera while preparing for trade between the two worlds over the past five years,
he had watched the County School and the martial arts school in particular—not only through his drone, but also by installing cameras at both locations for extended periods to record lessons and help him learn the language, writing, and martial arts of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
But observing from afar and immersing himself in the scene firsthand were two entirely different experiences.
Now, Lin Ze was experiencing that difference for himself.
If he had to describe it, watching the city in this Other World from afar had been like watching a television drama that had nothing to do with him.
Now he was immersed in this world, and it had become part of his own life.
Before long, Lin Ze followed Gao Fei to the area near the County Government Office.
The entire County Government Office was an expansive complex, covering several thousand square meters.
Besides serving as the County Magistrate's residence, it was also where all the county officials worked.
Gao Fei stopped his horse in the courtyard, and Lin Ze pulled up beside him with his donkey cart.
There were yamen runners here to keep an eye on the carts and horses, so there was no need to worry about them being stolen.
Still, to keep anyone from rummaging through his belongings, Lin Ze decided to carry his luggage with him.
Then Lin Ze followed Gao Fei toward a study behind the main hall of the County Government Office.
Whenever there was no court session, County Magistrate Li He would stay in this study and read. If his colleagues had business with him, they could come find him there.
"Lord Li, just look who I've brought along!" Gao Fei called from a distance, alerting the County Magistrate in the study so he wouldn't be caught doing anything awkward.
"So it's Teng Yue. Please, come in."
When Lin Ze and Gao Fei entered the study together, they saw a handsome, middle-aged man in official robes, with a scholarly air about him.
This was County Magistrate Li He. He glanced briefly at Gao Fei before turning his attention to Lin Ze.
Before Gao Fei could introduce him, Li He stood and greeted Lin Ze with a smile. "At a glance, I can tell this outstanding young man is no ordinary person. You must be Lin Ze, Young Hero Lin Zi Yi?"
A first-rate expert had emerged from Fengping County. It was no small matter.
Li He had looked into Lin Ze's background, build, and appearance in detail, so he recognized him at once.
Gao Fei, who had brought Lin Ze here, further confirmed his identity.
Lin Ze cupped his hands modestly. "Greetings, Lord Li. I don't deserve your praise. I'm Lin Ze, courtesy name Zi Yi."
Li He returned the salute, just as Gao Fei had, without putting on airs.
"Zi Yi, there's no need to be so formal. I'm Li He, courtesy name Boqian. This isn't an official occasion, so you needn't call me 'Lord.' You can address me by my courtesy name."
Seeing County Magistrate Li's attitude, Lin Ze realized that Gao Fei's earlier praise of Li He's regard for him hadn't been mere courtesy. It was a sincere description of the facts.
Having the most powerful local officials in Fengping County treat him warmly would be a tremendous advantage as he settled here.
"Then I'll presume upon your kindness."
Lin Ze answered politely.
Li He approved of the worldly savvy and composure Lin Ze displayed.
"Zi Yi, have you come this time intending to settle in Fengping County?"
Seeing that the two had formally met, Gao Fei explained Lin Ze's purpose.
"If Zi Yi wishes to settle here, he is more than welcome. What plans do you have once you make Fengping your home?"
"If you have no pressing matters, the post of Chief Constable is currently vacant. Once public order is restored, it wouldn't be impossible for you to become a county clerk and gain an official position."
Li He welcomed him, then immediately made him an offer.
The foundation of society's day-to-day operations was force.
The standing forces in Fengping County consisted of one hundred yamen runners employed by the County Government Office and around one thousand temporary laborers without official posts.
In addition, since Fengping County lay along a major transportation route, a five-hundred-man company of regular troops was stationed outside the city. That was the full extent of Fengping County's military strength.
But what did it mean to be a first-rate expert?
One could easily kill fifty Armored Soldiers without suffering a scratch. In a fight to the death, one could kill at least a hundred Armored Soldiers in a head-on battle.
If a first-rate expert tried to flee, it would take thousands of troops pursuing and surrounding them to pose any real threat.
Thus, Lin Ze, who could be called a first-rate expert throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty, had immense value as an ally in battle.
This was true for Registrar Gao Fei, County Magistrate Li He, and even more senior officials.
Compared to making an enemy of another first-rate expert, it was obviously more worthwhile to gain a discerning first-rate expert as an ally.
That was why they had welcomed Lin Ze from the start.
"I'm grateful for your favor, Lord Li."
"To be honest, aside from practicing martial arts, my greatest pleasure has always been reading. I believe I have some learning. I left home this time not only to travel and broaden my horizons, but also to prepare for the Children's Examination, which will be held sometime soon."
"So I'll be devoting myself to my studies for the time being and won't be able to take up the post of Chief Constable."
"However, I'll be living in the county for a while. If you run into any trouble, Lord Li, you can simply give me the word."
Lin Ze had a rough idea why the officials before him were so welcoming.
In terms of martial arts alone, he was only at the third-rate level.
But he had a gun, and his actual combat strength was no weaker than that of an ordinary first-rate expert—if anything, it surpassed them.
Still, as someone occupied with trade between the two worlds, he had neither the time nor the energy to be trapped in this small county as a constable.
Yet he couldn't simply refuse and offend them, so he offered this explanation instead.
In theory, the Great Zhou Dynasty's Imperial Examination required candidates to prove that their family had been blameless for three generations. But since everyone acknowledged him as a first-rate expert, he naturally enjoyed certain privileges.
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