From Hoarding to Time-Travel: My Supplies Saved Him

Chapter 439: Chapter 440: Smooth Handover

Early the next morning, He Gaofei and his companions arrived at the Prefect’s Office.

They were eager to see how this new official, Ancient Wen Heng, planned to shake things up.

Anticipating a good show, they all arrived at the main hall of the government office bright and early, despite their lingering fatigue. They settled in their seats, poised and ready for the drama to unfold.

Ancient Wen Heng surveyed the still-empty main hall. "Magistrate Wang," he said, "did you not send someone to notify them?"

"My lord, I’ve already sent someone to inform them," Wang Ping replied. "The other gentlemen may have been delayed. I’ll send someone to hurry them along right away." He had suspected all along that things wouldn’t go so smoothly today.

Vice General Wang had promised yesterday that he would come this morning. But the other officials, who were injured, had all hemmed and hawed, claiming their wounds hadn’t healed and that they feared they would only cause delays.

Ancient Wen Heng didn’t actually need to conduct a handover with the previous Magistrate. He just needed Vice General Wang to hand over the sealed official items.

Military and civil affairs were managed separately, so even if the other party wanted to cause trouble for him, they likely had little grounds to do so.

He noticed the gloating looks from He Gaofei and his cohort. Picking up the freshly served tea, he sipped it unhurriedly. ’Might as well enjoy this last moment of peace!’

Vice General Wang, a saber at his hip and flanked by two escorts, was the first to appear in the main hall.

The men already seated scrambled to their feet to pay their respects.

His gaze swept over the officials before finally settling on the youngest among them—Ancient Wen Heng.

"Mr. Gu." Wang Liqiang, himself a Third-rank Military Officer, nodded at Ancient Wen Heng. "I have been managing Lu City in the interim. Now that you’ve arrived, it’s the perfect time to hand these things over."

Ancient Wen Heng had long suspected he wouldn’t face any major difficulties today. He smiled politely and said, "You’ve worked hard these past days, General Wang. Shall we speak over here?"

Wang Liqiang had no objection. "Thank goodness you’re here. As a military man, I’m sick to death of dealing with these administrative matters every day."

"All this long-winded nonsense with these officials... I’d rather be out killing a few more bandits."

"You’ve done more than enough, General Wang," Ancient Wen Heng said. "From now on, you can leave these matters to me. I will certainly help you secure the home front."

"Now that’s what we like to hear..."

...

Watching the two men chat and laugh as they led their people to a side hall, He Gaofei and the other two were utterly dumbfounded. ’This wasn’t how things were supposed to go.’

Wang Ping licked his lips. ’Could I have been mistaken all this time?’

’All this time, Vice General Wang has been keeping a close eye on every single matter in this government office. Wasn’t it because he wanted to keep control of Lu City in his own hands?’

His gaze shifted to the other three officials. "I’ll go hurry the others along."

He Gaofei and his companions snapped back to their senses. The Lord Prefect had taken over his duties smoothly. ’So, what about us?’

The color drained from their faces. They had assumed that with Ancient Wen Heng at the top, they would be in for a prolonged battle of wits against Vice General Wang.

Who would have thought it would be this easy for him? Now, they were the ones in a thorny situation.

Unlike the former Magistrate, their predecessors hadn’t died on the spot. They were either here, recuperating from their injuries, or waiting to be held accountable by their superiors.

As the ones coming to take their places, they were essentially stealing their posts. It would be a miracle if the handover went smoothly.

"What do we do now?" The tea in Lu Shenggen’s hand had lost its flavor. "I wonder how badly our predecessors were injured. Should we go pay them a visit?"

"We should. We can’t expect them to handle official business while they’re ill!" Wu Yichen couldn’t sit still either.

In stark contrast, Ancient Wen Heng had already received the Magistrate’s official seal, the keys to the accounting office, and other items from Vice General Wang.

"The current accountant is the same one as before. I’ve had the army’s accountant check the books, and there are no discrepancies," Wang Liqiang said, glancing at Ancient Wen Heng with a hint of sympathy. "However, there aren’t many Silver Taels in the coffers, either. You have your work cut out for you, Mr. Gu."

Ancient Wen Heng had long anticipated this situation. If he hadn’t been acquainted with Brother Zhou, this handover might not have gone so smoothly.

If it weren’t such a mess, the post of Magistrate would never have landed in his lap in the first place.

The two men finalized a few more details. Seeing that everything was in order, Vice General Wang stood up and said with a smile, "You’ve all had a difficult journey. By rights, I should host a welcome banquet for you."

"But the situation outside is grim, and many of the shops are closed. Once things have settled down, I’ll be sure to make it up to you."

The implication was clear: it wasn’t safe outside, and he was advising Ancient Wen Heng to stay indoors unless necessary.

"I understand completely," said Ancient Wen Heng. "Once my own residence is in order, I’ll be sure to invite you over for a gathering, General."

"Of course," said Wang Liqiang. "Now that business is concluded, I must return to the barracks. Mr. Gu, we’ll get together again when we have the time."

"I’ll see you out, General."

The two men walked out side by side. When they reached the main hall, they found that He Gaofei and his companions were nowhere to be seen.

’Vice General Wang’s opinion of the three men soured even further. This is a border city, yet those three officials show me no respect. It seems they still view military generals with the same arrogance as the civil servants back in the Capital.’

’To just leave without a word to two officials who outrank them... they certainly think highly of themselves.’

’Let’s see if they still have that same confidence after some time has passed.’

Ancient Wen Heng’s expression remained unchanged as he escorted him to the entrance. "Thank you for your hard work, General Wang."

Wang Liqiang straightened his uniform and lowered his voice. "The Great General is... unavailable to see you these days."

Ancient Wen Heng laughed and replied in a loud voice, "The generals work tirelessly to defend our borders! This subordinate will most certainly guard Lu City well."

Wang Liqiang gave him a meaningful look, then took the reins of his horse and swung himself into the saddle. "Farewell."

As the general galloped away, Ancient Wen Heng stood at the entrance to the government office. He looked out at the common folk who were curiously sizing him up and even gave them a friendly nod. While they stared back, momentarily stunned, he turned and entered the back office.

He paid no mind to whatever struggles He Gaofei and his men were going through, instead beginning to sort through the affairs of the government office.

General Wang had been remarkably efficient, handing over power without a moment’s hesitation. Not long after he left, every matter that a Magistrate was expected to handle had found its way to Ancient Wen Heng’s desk.

Although he had no one to guide him and had never served as a regional governor before, Ancient Wen Heng had done his homework before his appointment.

That, combined with the accumulated experience of two lifetimes, allowed him to get up to speed quickly.

There was one downside, however. Matters that should have been handled by He Gaofei and his men were now all piled on his desk. It seemed their handover was not proceeding as smoothly as his had.

Sure enough, around noon, the men returned to the government office, looking utterly dejected. When they saw Ancient Wen Heng already at work on official documents, their expressions soured.

They had come this morning expecting to see him made a fool of, but now the three of them had become the laughingstocks.

Ancient Wen Heng tossed the documents belonging to them over. "Get these processed right away."