"Third Master, you've truly worked hard this time. Ten days and ten nights without sleep. Come, come—I'll raise a cup to you on behalf of the people of Chun'an County."
Inside the county yamen, at the county magistrate's assistant's residence, Tian Youlu had his wife prepare a lavish meal and hosted Wang Yan, who had only recently awakened from a long sleep, for drinks.
Wang Yan smiled and shook his head. "How could anyone go ten days and ten nights without sleeping? Wouldn't I have dropped dead long ago? I did sleep in between. And if we're talking about hardship, who in Chun'an hasn't suffered? Haven't you worked hard too, Second Master? Without you running about arranging money, grain, and supplies, how could the problem have been resolved so smoothly? You're my senior, Second Master. It ought to be this junior who offers you a toast."
"Hahaha..."
Tian Youlu laughed happily, clinked cups with Wang Yan, and drank. "Brother, hearing you speak like that puts me at ease. I was afraid you were some greenhorn who understood nothing—refusing bribes and corruption, determined to stand up for the people."
"Can't stand up for them?"
"Can't!" Tian Youlu shook his head repeatedly. "You said it yourself: in this place, it's the wealthy households and those petty officials and clerks below who call the shots. We answer to those above us, and they answer to us. Everyone muddles through together. We have something to report upward, and they have something to report to us.
"But if the two of us start fighting each other first, we won't be able to answer to those above, nor can we keep the people below under control. Neither of us will make a single tael. You became a juren at such a young age and came out