Miao Chu

Chapter 127 Becoming a Spirit
Tang Shuai was just a student and didn't know much. He only repeated what he heard: "The councilor has already spoken up. Moreover, once the Liuta River is completed, the contribution will be enormous. Surely no one would refuse such a good thing that they can get for free?"

He continued, “We students study to make a name for ourselves. Han Li is famous for his writing and often criticizes the affairs of the court. If he is summoned this time, he will not respond. How can he have the nerve to criticize the current situation and personnel in the future?”

He then gave an awkward laugh and said, "I'm not afraid to tell Brother Cai the truth. If I weren't unable to enter the Imperial Academy and had no reputation, I would like to recommend myself."

Cai Xiu immediately took it to heart.

From the late Yan Dynasty onwards, the Yellow River flooded far more frequently than before.

In the decades following the fall of the Great Yan dynasty, several dynasties rose and fell. During the wars, the river dikes were often breached to flood the enemy. From then on, the river was no longer restrained and could flow wherever it wanted. During the Yongyou era, it even almost merged with the Yangtze River.

After Emperor Taizu established the dynasty, the river flooded even more, breaching its banks almost every year, with three minor breaches a year and a major breach every three years.

Throughout the imperial court, everyone had something to say about the way to manage the waters, and everyone had their own ideas about whether to manage them and how to manage them.

Not to mention the court officials, even students like Cai Xiu felt they had gained a lot of insights.

The Liuta River project was the result of several rounds of debate and arguments. It aimed to divert water from the Yellow River into a new channel, and construction has been underway for almost half a year since the autumn floods last year.

Cai Xiu wholeheartedly agreed with the Six Towers River Method and felt that as long as the matter was completed, he would gain merit.

He didn't ask about the temporary transfer to the Water Conservancy Bureau, but instead said, "Such a rare opportunity, why don't you go back and ask your elder brother? The saying 'recommend the worthy without avoiding relatives' applies here."

He added, “Thanks to your reminder, my brother, I am somewhat tempted. It’s not about whether it’s a meritorious act or not, but rather that such a beneficial event for generations to come would be a wonderful story to tell in the future.”

The two sat for a while longer, and seeing that it was getting late, Cai Xiu made an excuse and left in a hurry.

He agreed to come down to this literary gathering of local businessmen in order to "coincidentally" meet Tang Shuai.

Knowing that Uncle Tang belonged to the Xiangshan Academy faction, which was under imperial command to compile the "Records of Ancient Books".

Rather than personally handling the task of organizing and compiling documents at the Kyoto Prefectural Government, it would be better to be temporarily transferred to the Hanlin Academy and have a nominal position there.

With his family's talent and reputation, he would surely be the leader if he went there. He could lead a group of students to revise books and leave a name for himself, which would be better than being all alone in the Kyoto government office.

But now that he has learned that his second uncle, Tang Shuai, has taken on a new post at the Water Conservancy Bureau, and that Liutahe is urgently requesting more manpower, it is hard for him not to waver.

Staying in the capital to compile books is simple and comfortable, but since it involves compiling the history of the previous dynasty, the overall achievement is limited.

If I go to Liutahe and restore the Yellow River to its original course at Henglong, this matter is supported by both Prime Ministers Cao and Li. As long as I can make an appearance, I can freely choose from the six ministries when I am appointed to a position.

It will be completed in April, but there's still a month or so left. We'll see what jobs come up then and pick a good one; it'll be worth it.

Although Li Canzheng has temporarily decided on Han Li, things can be done with human effort, and it is not impossible to make it work.

Once Cai Xiu had an idea, she immediately took action.

He had many connections in the capital, and it didn't take him long to confirm the matter. So he used all his connections and influence to get his name on the desk of the Director of Water Conservancy through a teacher at the Imperial Academy and an official at the Ministry of Revenue.

With everything in place, whether or not it can take its place depends entirely on the favorable winds.

***
In Yanjin County, after the group that had gone out to search arrived at the official post station and had eaten, Han Li was the last to return.

He sat in Xin Feng's room, flipping through the results compiled from various sources, and casually picked up the leftover fried dough sticks to eat with the soup.

The soup might taste better when it's hot, but now that it's been sitting for half a day, a layer of cold oil floats on top, and the fried dough sticks have cooled down and become dry and hard.

The person who could eat several bowls of cold porridge without batting an eye the day before now, for some reason, frowned as he ate, whether it was because the information he was compiling was bad or for some other reason.

Xin Feng, lying to the side, though a rough fellow, hurriedly said, "The soup and bread are all cold, how can we eat them? Let someone heat them up!"

That's just how it is; no matter how hot it gets, it won't become delicious.

Han Li shook his head, didn't drink the soup, and ate the bread with cold water before saying to Xin Feng, "There are no clues today either."

Xin Feng's face immediately turned ugly.

In fact, when he saw Lü Mao flee that day, he had already sensed that something was wrong.

Fugitives are the hardest to catch, especially such cunning ones. If they escape the first time, they will be even more cautious and careful the second time.

Sure enough, there was no news for the next two days.

Even Han Li came to help coordinate the manpower. They had been searching for several days without any news, which meant that the person was no longer within the designated area.

With twenty-four routes within the realm, the world is vast. If this person were to secretly hide in some rural area for a year or two, and the storm had passed, he might actually escape the law.

And if he were to return, who knows how many more families he would harm...

This person was someone I let escape myself!
Xin Feng felt both hatred and shame, and felt utterly humiliated.

Despite the bitter taste in his mouth, he still said, "In that case, let's stop searching here and continue the manhunt in the other areas as usual."

Han Li nodded.

The search has been extremely costly in terms of manpower and resources. Since we know it's fruitless, we can't afford to waste any more time on it.

Xin Feng then said, "Brother Han, your presence today has already been a great help. Although I am not very capable, I will remember everything that happened in the past and today clearly. If there is an opportunity in the future—but never mind, with your talent, there is no need for me to be of any use!"

He added, "This matter is settled. You should go back now. There are many important matters in the capital. Don't delay any longer."

Han Li didn't argue with him about these things, but said, "Let's put this aside for now. I was just about to ask you—Brother Xin, I went to the ship again today. The ship was very big, with two decks. Did Lü Mao jump into the river from the wooden window of the top deck cabin and escape in the end?"

Xin Feng nodded in agreement.

Han Li then asked, "I asked the boatman and the people who were there that day, and they all said that when Lü Mao entered the water, he made a very quiet sound—did you hear it?"

Xin Feng shook his head and said, "I was half dizzy at the time, and my ears were ringing. I couldn't tell what the sound was for a moment. If you want to find someone to confirm it, you'll probably have to ask Qin Zong. He's been back in the capital for a few days now. He only injured his arm, so it doesn't prevent him from speaking. If you have time, you can ask him then."

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Han Li just called out "Come in," and the person who entered pushed open the door was a government official.

The other person said as soon as he entered, "Young Master Han, an urgent letter has arrived from the capital."

Han Li took it, opened it, read it once, and then turned to Xin Feng, his expression becoming serious. He said, "I have something to do and need to return to the capital."

Xin Feng hurriedly said, "Go! Go! My injury is nothing serious. It's just rough skin and flesh. It won't take long to heal. As soon as I can move around a little, I'll know to go back to the capital myself."

"Your leg is injured, so take good care of it and don't move around recklessly, lest it cause future problems," Han Li advised. Then he added, "Now that Lü Mao is gone, it might not be long before we can catch him again. Have you thought about how to clean up this mess?"

Xin Feng remained silent for a long time.

He said, “Zhengyan, I know you are reliable, and I’m not afraid to tell you this—if it weren’t for Qin Zong’s chaos this time, Lü Mao might not have been able to escape.”

"But I was in charge of the search on the front line this time, so I can't escape the responsibility. Besides, he's new here and very inexperienced. How could he handle such a mistake? I thought that when I got back, I might as well take all the blame myself."

"With the credit for shutting down the gambling den ahead of me, at most my merits and demerits will offset each other. They'll say a few words to me, but in the end, they'll still ask me to follow up on this case..."

"It's just a pity that I haven't been promoted for many years. It's rare that I got the opportunity to speak with you and take two big cases as a stepping stone. I thought I could move up a bit." Xin Feng said with a bitter smile, "Before I left, I told your sister-in-law that I would definitely make a great contribution and get a raise."

"She complains a lot every day, saying this and that, and always complaining that she doesn't have enough to eat. Although I argue with her, I know in my heart that I'm always out working, while she takes care of the whole family by herself. She works so hard... It's a pity that I won't get a big reward this time, just a small one. I'm afraid I might not get a promotion or a raise. I really have no face to go back and see her."

When Han Li heard Xin Feng's self-narration, he knew that Xin Feng did not know what the report sent back to the capital said, nor did he know that the consequences might not be completely offset, and that he would not only have no merit but also be reprimanded.

But even if we point it out now, it won't make any difference.

Qin Zong's identity as the cousin of the Right Army Patrol Officer and Xin Feng's identity as the chief investigator both determined that things would eventually escalate. Even if they broke off relations now and clarified the matter, they would still have to take responsibility, and in the long run, Xin Feng would be the one to suffer.

He remained silent, and Xin Feng, sensing something was amiss, asked, "Zhengyan, what news have you heard? Is there something unpleasant going on in the yamen?"

Han Li did not answer directly, but said, "I have to go to another state this time, and I'm afraid it will be a month or two before I can return to the capital. I can't spare the time to take care of other things for the time being."

"It takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone, Brother Xin. If I ask you not to rush back to the yamen, and not to pay attention to what others say, no matter how angry you are, wait until I return to deal with it. Don't get into conflicts with anyone, don't argue with anyone, whether it's Judge Qin, Prefect Zheng, or any other inspectors or officials—can you do that?"

Xin Feng was no fool. Hearing this, he had already guessed the reason. His face turned ashen, and after a long while, he managed a forced smile and said, "Brother, I know you mean well. You don't need to worry about this. I've worked hard for half my life. If it's a problem with the higher-ups, why have so many superiors been replaced, and everyone else has been promoted, but I'm the only one who hasn't?"

"It's probably not someone else's problem, it's my problem!"

"After this injury, I've thought it through. In the future, I won't act so recklessly, only thinking about doing things and solving cases, without knowing when to advance or retreat, and without understanding human relationships."

"I just treat this inspection job like a bell to be rung, just getting by and making sure I get my salary!"

The resentment within was almost overwhelming.

Han Li did not try to persuade him.

He unusually refrained from addressing him as "brother," instead calling him "Xin Feng" and asking, "Do you trust me?"

Xin Feng, who had been leaning against the headboard with a pillow, sat up straighter upon hearing this and replied, "Of course!"

Han Li then said, "Then you should be patient for now and wait for me. Once I have some free time, I'll show you what fairness and justice are, okay?"

Although Xin Feng was stubborn and impatient, unwilling to curry favor or be subservient, he had worked in the capital's government office for many years, handled countless cases, and seen countless people and events. He naturally knew that behind rewards and promotions, besides being well-deserved, there was more of an exchange of interests.

Han Li was just a student, so the reason why Qin Pan valued him and was willing to listen to him was primarily because he did not seek credit, and all his words and plans did not harm Qin Pan's interests.

But if he were to fight for benefits for himself, the one who was holding him back, the situation would be completely different, and how could Judge Qin possibly agree?

“Zhengyan, I’m useless now. Don’t let me cause a rift with Judge Qin.” He couldn’t help but say.

"Why bother with him?" Han Li's tone showed no regard for Qin Jiefang. "I'm just asking you, can you tolerate this for the next month or two?"

"If you can't even do this, you might as well start ringing the bell every day!"

Perhaps his attitude was too certain.

Perhaps it was because this young student's abilities were truly extraordinary all along, and whenever he encountered trouble, he was able to do what others could not.

Perhaps it's because his character is truly reliable...

Too many possibilities led to Xin Feng's thick neck being unable to support that large head any longer.

He couldn't help but nod emphatically a few times, saying, "I'll listen to you! I'll tolerate this this time!"

As he spoke, he thought to himself: What can you do? What can you possibly do?

Despite his doubts, Xin Feng had no regrets whatsoever.

Even if you can't stand fairness and justice in the end, isn't it enough to have such a brother who is willing to fight for you?
***
As Han Li was making his way to the capital, more than ten professors from the Imperial Academy also waded through the water, heading towards Suanzao Lane with great joy.

Since the banquet that day, everyone has been finding all sorts of excuses to eat at the Song family's restaurant, and now it's the fourth day.

The team has grown increasingly larger.

The one leading the group was naturally Master Chen.

They walked quietly at first, but gradually some people couldn't help but start talking.

"I wonder what that young lady Song did for us today!"

"They said we'd be eating meat-filled steamed buns, along with a few side dishes and soup."

"Oh, it sounds delicious! But it would be nice to make the dishes from yesterday and the day before again!"

"Yes, yes! The stir-fried pork kidney noodles with chives yesterday were so good! I really want to have them again today!"

"She also said that the pork kidneys have a slightly gamey taste, but my palate is too old to taste it at all. I just think they are tender and fragrant, oh my, the sauce is so delicious! The noodles are also great, all the flavors are absorbed into them! How can they be so moist and oily without being greasy? If there were a culinary examination, she would definitely be the top scholar with this skill!"

"I think the scallion oil noodles yesterday were delicious too! How could the scallion oil be so bright and fresh! It was the first time I'd ever tasted scallions fried like that. They were crispy and crunchy, with the aroma of scallions, the sweetness of scallions, and the fragrance of oil. Ah!"

"I still crave that stir-fried carrots and pork from the other day. The carrot shreds were thin and soft, stir-fried with a spicy kick, and the sauce was used to mix with rice. She actually called that a home-style dish! Is there such an unreasonable home-style dish?? I've been thinking about that taste for the past two days!"

As the group approached the restaurant, each person was still enthusiastically listing their favorite dishes. As they drew closer, their voices gradually fell silent, fading into a single, unified murmur—

"It smells so good!"

"Unbelievable! How can meat buns smell so good? Are they some kind of sentient being?!"