Beauties in Simulation Cross over into Reality

Chapter 63: Chapter 55: Mother, Is the Imperial Scholar Really Smiling?

Taxes lowered, new crops sown. Granaries filled, happiness grown.

Written in ink, a song of peace.

After five years of service, Xiao Mo was transferred from Jianshui County and promoted to a position in Xueyang County of Qingyang State.

On the day of his departure, the common people escorted him for ten li, weeping and begging him to stay.

Before heading to Xueyang County, Xiao Mo first returned to Shiqiao Village to pay his respects to old acquaintances and then to meet the new County Magistrate.

The previous Magistrate Sun had also been promoted, largely because Xiao Mo had put in a good word for him in his correspondence with Zhang Qianzhi.

Xiao Mo went to She Mountain to visit Ruxue, and also to see Xiao Qing.

Xiao Qing had grown much taller and was starting to look like a young woman.

However, Xiao Qing’s cultivation Realm couldn’t compare to her sister’s. Xiao Qing was likely in the Dragon Gate Realm now.

Xiao Qing had thought that after five years, Brother Xiao would have married, but he was still single.

“In these past few years, has Brother Xiao found someone special?”

In the courtyard, Xiao Mo and Xiao Qing were having a rare meal together.

Xiao Mo shook his head and said with a smile, “My official duties have been too demanding. I haven’t had time to think about such things.”

Xiao Qing lowered her head. “Brother Xiao, if my sister were here, she wouldn’t want you to be alone forever.”

Xiao Mo didn’t respond, simply placing some food on Xiao Qing’s plate. “Eat up. I haven’t seen you in four or five years, and you look like you’ve lost weight.”

Xiao Qing’s mouth opened slightly, as if to say something more, but in the end, she just closed it.

「A few days later.」

Xiao Mo arrived in Xueyang County to assume his post as Prefectural Magistrate.

The Governor of Xueyang County was very polite to Xiao Mo.

Everyone knew Xiao Mo was a disciple of Zhang Qianzhi, which by extension made him a junior to the current Prime Minister. He had also earned the admiration of Your Majesty himself. Moreover, his poems from the imperial examination, “When Will the Bright Moon Appear?” and the “Spring Li Palace Ode,” were known throughout the entire Qi Kingdom.

It was even rumored that the original draft of the current Edict of Propagation had come from Xiao Mo’s own hand.

Not to mention, his reputation had soared over the past few years. The tale of the common people escorting him for ten li had become a celebrated story, one that had long since reached the ears of Your Majesty.

Xiao Mo’s future prospects were limitless!

During his first few months as Prefectural Magistrate, Xiao Mo focused on familiarizing himself with local affairs, building relationships with the local Noble Clans, and understanding the personalities of his subordinates and superiors. His approach was to speak little and listen much.

Only after he felt he had a firm grasp on things did he formally take over his duties.

Xiao Mo was a humble man, typically presenting the refined and gentle appearance of a scholar.

But when it came to work, he was swift and decisive, at times even showing an unconventional streak.

In Xiao Mo’s second year as Prefectural Magistrate, a great plague struck Xueyang County!

An unknown pestilence spread throughout Xueyang County. The infected suffered from fever, nausea, and vomiting, their bodies breaking out in pustules, before finally dying from severe diarrhea.

The Prefect of Xueyang County had never encountered such a thing and was instantly thrown into a panic.

Xiao Mo stepped forward to take charge. He locked down the towns with confirmed cases, allowing people to enter but not to leave.

All supplies could only be delivered to the city gates, where they would be collected and distributed by people from within.

Having gathered medicinal herbs to survive since childhood and later read various medical texts, Xiao Mo possessed a fair bit of medical knowledge.

He personally went to examine the symptoms. After identifying the cause, Xiao Mo mandated that cold water must not be drunk directly and had to be boiled first. He also had the infected quarantined in different zones and established various epidemic prevention guidelines.

A Medical Cultivator dispatched from the Imperial Palace arrived in Xueyang County and proposed a treatment, but the medicinal ingredients in his prescription were too expensive. Expensive ingredients meant limited supply, so many people couldn’t obtain the medicine.

Therefore, Xiao Mo worked tirelessly to find alternative herbs, personally tasting hundreds of plants alongside the Medical Cultivator.

’Besides, with a Medical Cultivator present, I’m not likely to die from it.’

Ultimately, Xiao Mo extracted a key component from the “White Snow Flower,” which proved highly effective against the illness!

For nearly half a year, Xiao Mo slept less than five hours each day. Whenever he had a free moment, he would head straight into the patients’ quarters.

The Medical Cultivator was already prepared to treat Xiao Mo at a moment’s notice.

And yet, Xiao Mo never fell ill.

Although Xiao Mo possessed the Mountain and River Fortune, this Qi Fortune did not protect officials from life-and-death illnesses.

One could only say that his luck was truly exceptional.

Five and a half months later, the plague in Xueyang County was finally eradicated.

The common people saw everything Xiao Mo had done.

The people spontaneously erected living shrines in Xiao Mo’s honor.

Although Xiao Mo was only the second-in-command of Xueyang County, in the hearts of most common folk, they had already forgotten who the number one official was.

As for the Prefect of Xueyang County, he naturally had no objections.

He knew that Xiao Mo’s future achievements would not be in a local post, but at the very heights of the imperial court.

In fact, Xiao Mo refused several times, but the people simply wouldn’t listen.

And so, living shrines were erected all across Xueyang County. Within each shrine stood the statue of a scholar, “a book scroll in one hand, and a medicinal herb in the other.”

Xiao Mo could clearly feel more and more Mountain and River Fortune gathering upon him.

“The waters of the Yellow River descend from the heavens, rushing to the sea, never to return.”

On one occasion, to test his Official Skill, Xiao Mo specifically went to slay a Fierce Beast in Xueyang County.

As Xiao Mo finished reciting the line of poetry, the sky tore open. A phantom Yellow River appeared and crashed down, smashing the Fierce Beast to pieces.

Afterward, however, Xiao Mo felt a significant amount of his Mountain and River Fortune dissipate. It took several days for it to recover to its original level.

「Two years later.」

The former Prefect of Xueyang County was transferred to the Qingyang Prefecture, and Xiao Mo became the new Prefect of Xueyang County.

During the three years of Xiao Mo’s governance, Xueyang County enjoyed peace and prosperity. It was a time when people didn’t lock their doors at night and no one would pick up valuables left on the road.

The people of Xueyang County hoped that Prefect Xiao could continue to govern them forever.

To the people of Xueyang County, Prefect Xiao was a paragon of justice.

But there was one thing that puzzled many people.

Prefect Xiao was already in his twenties; he should have been married long ago.

So why was Prefect Xiao always alone?

In truth, many of Xueyang County’s Noble Clans were also puzzled. Believing that Xiao Mo simply hadn’t found a suitable match, they eagerly introduced their daughters to him.

But Xiao Mo politely declined them all.

Later, more and more stories about Xiao Mo began to spread among the common people.

It turned out that Prefect Xiao came from an impoverished family, so humble he couldn’t even be considered a scholar from a poor background.

Prefect Xiao had a childhood sweetheart. The two had grown up together as innocent playmates, depending on each other for survival.

After they grew up, Prefect Xiao succeeded in the imperial examinations, but his childhood sweetheart left with an Immortal to pursue cultivation, forever separated from the mortal world.

Yet Prefect Xiao continued to wait for her return, refusing to marry any other woman.

The “Story of Prefect Xiao” spread far and wide, and was even adapted into popular storybooks by numerous scholars.

Faced with these embellished tales, Xiao Mo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“My Lord, we’ve brought the Osmanthus Tea you asked for.”

In the Governor’s Mansion of Xueyang County, as Xiao Mo was reading, two Maids entered the courtyard carrying two packets of tea.

“Mm,” Xiao Mo said without looking up, his eyes still on the page. “Did you pay for it?”

“Yes, My Lord, we did,” Cai Die replied with a nod.

Wang Yue added, “Shopkeeper Li didn’t want to accept payment at first, but I managed to persuade him after a great deal of effort.”

“Good. You are dismissed.”

“Yes, My Lord.” The two Maids curtsied, set down the tea, but did not leave immediately. Instead, they began nudging each other.

Xiao Mo looked up at Cai Die and Wang Yue. “Is there something else?”

“N-no…” Cai Die shook her head quickly. “I have nothing else, My Lord…”

Xiao Mo chuckled. “Then why are you still standing here?”

Cai Die’s face flushed red. “I…” she began, mustering her courage. “My Lord, can… can I ask you something?”

“Mm.”

Wang Yue quickly jumped in, “My Lord, there have been rumors lately that you have a childhood sweetheart who joined an Immortal Sect, and that you’ve remained unmarried because you’re waiting for her to return. Is it true?”

In truth, Cai Die and Wang Yue only dared to ask because they found their lord so approachable.

This wasn’t a sign of disrespect toward Xiao Mo. On the contrary, they believed their lord was the finest man in the world.

The “modest Gentleman, as gentle and warm as jade” described in books could be no better than him.

Xiao Mo shook his head. “Those rumors are too outrageous. There’s not much truth to them.”

“Then, My Lord, why haven’t you married?” the two Maids asked, their eyes filled with confusion.

Xiao Mo smiled, rolled up his book scroll, and lightly tapped each of them on the head.

“It’s because…

A very foolish girl has fallen asleep.

And I am waiting for her to wake up…”