But the observant noticed... Henry Benson now had a small item at his waist that he didn’t have before!

Chapter 8: Governing with “Virtue”

Riding his horse back and forth between the county town and Chengguo Canal, Henry Benson’s clothes were covered in dust kicked up by hooves, his headscarf was askew, and his cheeks were a bit wind-chilled.

Yet his presence was in no way inferior to that of his grandfather. Striding forward with great energy, he first bowed to Robert Benson and said loudly, “Grandfather, I have returned from the county magistrate!”

Robert Benson immediately understood and responded in a loud voice, “What did the county magistrate want with you?”

At these words, the previously noisy The Cooper Family, who had been clamoring for the three families to go to the village to seek judgment from the steward, quieted down for the moment.

Henry Benson only smiled and said nothing. He had already learned what had happened from his clansmen. After straightening his attire, he glared righteously at the The Cooper Family brothers and said sternly, “The Cooper Family, do you still not admit your fault?”

Leo Cooper wiped away the blood, stuffed a few leaves into his nostrils, looking especially comical. But this man was not one to remember pain; he jumped up again. Seeing that Henry Benson was not tall, he grumbled in a muffled voice, “You little brat, you sure talk big. Is this an adult matter for a child like you to meddle in?”

“Funny you say that, but I really can meddle.”

Henry Benson took off the item tied at his waist and flashed it before the The Cooper Family brothers: it looked like a square seal cut in half, rectangular in shape, hence called a “half-pass seal,” held by low-ranking minor officials. On it were the four characters: “Linqu Filial and Brotherly.”

“Just now, I was appointed by the county magistrate as the Linqu Township Filial and Brotherly!”

Everyone was a bit stunned, but not overly surprised—after all, this was just “Filial and Brotherly,” not “Filial and Incorrupt.”

“Filial and Incorrupt” is a big deal—it’s the official path to office, with only two slots per county each year, harder to get than entry to the Imperial Academy. Once recommended, you could become a court official without exams. After a year or two in the capital, you’d be posted elsewhere, starting at worst as a county constable or assistant with a salary of 400 bushels, but more often as a county magistrate with 600 bushels.

“Filial and Brotherly” is far less prestigious, just an honorary title, given to those of virtue in the county, dating back to Emperor Wen of Han. As the assistant to the village’s “Three Elders,” it carried no rank, not even a fixed salary. Only since the Yuancheng era, thanks to Prime Minister Kuang Heng’s efforts, did “Filial and Brotherly” gain exemption from corvée and taxes, and a couple bolts of cloth as gifts during festivals—nothing more.

Compared to the two, one is a child of heaven, the other a minor local moral model—the gap is huge.

Still, though “Filial and Brotherly” has no real power, it is indispensable. From the Yuancheng era of Han to the Xin dynasty, for decades the country has been ruled by virtue, promoting the “Three Elders” and “Filial and Brotherly” as teachers of the people, moral exemplars for the masses to emulate.

Disputes over inheritance among brothers, quarrels between couples, rifts between fathers and sons—matters the officials and legal clerks are unwilling or unable to handle—are resolved by the “Three Elders” and “Filial and Brotherly.” They are, in effect, the mediators of the Han dynasty.

This was the job arranged for Henry Benson by the county magistrate Matthew Hayes, perfectly matching the reputation for virtue he’d earned by yielding pears and study opportunities.

Henry Benson spoke forcefully: “The Cooper Family, now there is only one path before you!”

“Listen to the advice of me and my grandfather: settle this privately, and both families sign an agreement to restore the old water-sharing arrangement.”

“If you refuse, there’s no need to trouble the village steward. I will report this directly to the county magistrate and take it to the county court.”

Seeing Henry Benson also pulling out his “backer,” the surprise on Bill Cooper’s face slowly faded, and he even felt like laughing.

“This kid really is young—he thinks that just because he’s a minor ‘Filial and Brotherly’ he can order me around. He has no idea how deep my connections in the county go.”

If he didn’t have some channels, where would the iron weapons in The Cooper Family’s hands come from? How could his family have run roughshod over the village for more than ten years without any officials causing trouble? If he hadn’t given advance notice to the county’s water official, how would he dare to openly fight The Miller Family over water?

Moreover, as a pavilion chief, Bill Cooper often went to the county town and had shared several meals with the county magistrate. The bribes Matthew Hayes received from The Cooper Family came every year!

So he simply said, “Good idea, little ‘Filial and Brotherly.’ Since we can’t settle it here, going to the county office is fine by me!”

Henry Benson sneered, “Bill Cooper, are you sure you want to take this to court?”

“Let’s do it.” Bill Cooper kept up his tough act. In his view, whether the matter went to the village or the county made no difference—it was just a contest of whose backing was stronger, and the county magistrate would side with whoever he favored. With his family’s connections and the support of The Walker Family, he wasn’t afraid at all. Henry Benson bringing up the county magistrate—who was he trying to scare?

“Good, very good.”

Henry Benson glanced back, then suddenly smiled.

“In fact, I’ve already reported this to the county magistrate. Why don’t you see what he has to say?”

Only now did Henry Benson pull out the wooden tablet from his waist. This time, it bore not the half-pass seal, but the bright red official seal of the county magistrate!

Bill Cooper took the tablet in a daze, not even having time to read the words on it, when the sound of approaching hooves was heard. The crowd parted, and several black-robed, black-capped clerks strode in with swords at their sides, led by the county’s water official, his face dark with anger.

It turned out Henry Benson had come together with the water official, but had deliberately whipped his horse ahead to set a trap for Bill Cooper.

Henry Benson immediately went over to make his accusation first: “Water official, I showed Bill Cooper the county magistrate’s tablet, but he refused to obey and even threatened to take the dispute to the county.”