Miao Chu

Chapter 350: Forced
Upon seeing the thick stack of official documents, Li Zhai frowned involuntarily before even reading them.

Again!
The Sixth Route Transport Office sent several reports, offering conflicting explanations. At first, they kept emphasizing the difficulties and taking precautions, saying that the river transport capacity of boats and horses was limited, and there was insufficient manpower to deliver the large quantity of goods required, let alone deliver them quickly.

But when he received the latest official document, the amount of grain and supplies that could be delivered was more than ten times that of the initial report, and they kept asking him for craftsmen, timber, bamboo and other materials.

The proposal suggested using shovels and timberwork to raise the water level and allow boats to pass. While there were precedents for this approach, the complex river conditions made setting up the shovels and timberwork a major challenge. Moreover, shovels are not like the sluice gates, which are inconvenient to open and close, making it impossible to both block and open the water.

If Wang Shuji weren't generally reliable and not one to boast, Li Zhai wouldn't have bothered with him at all, seeing him so fickle and making such empty promises.

He took the document handed to him by his subordinate, and after reading the beginning, his brow, which was originally just a slight frown, barely enough to trap a mosquito's leg, suddenly became a deep, deep frown, so deep that it could trap a fly.

"You need more people? Haven't we already sent several batches of craftsmen and laborers over there?!"

But this time, the subordinate official who was usually in charge of coordinating supplies from various places and who often complained about Wang Shuji's salty food did not agree with him.

The man chuckled dryly and said, “Counselor, I think… it’s alright. This time, Master Wang didn’t ask for craftsmen, he only wanted those students. Anyway, we’re too busy to take care of them right now. No one’s watching over them, and they’re all novices. We can’t make the most of them, and they’re just wasting food here. If we do as he says, having more students can help increase our transport capacity by 20%, then we might as well give them to him!”

Seeing his subordinates' reaction, Li Zhai was somewhat surprised and couldn't help but look up.

The other party chuckled and said, "I've looked at what's inside, and it seems quite reliable. Official Wang has been in the Jianghuai region for many years and has a good reputation. As for Han Li, although he's just a student, wasn't he one of the main forces who dredged the Wangjing River in Huazhou along with Official Wu from the Water Conservancy Bureau? I suppose the student is asking for it on Han Li's behalf..."

He pointed to the stack of official documents on the table and said, "Students using other students is usually easier for them than for us. I remember last time when people from Huazhou were applying for merit, many of them were students, and they weren't even Imperial Academy students. This group is even better. If we send them, they can get more grain back faster. It's a win-win situation!"

Upon hearing this, Li Zhai lowered his head and began to examine the official documents in his hand.

A stack of documents, each addressing only one matter, clearly divided.

First, Wang Shuji explained the progress of the grain and fodder supplies: they were already halfway there, and if nothing unexpected happened, the fastest batch would be able to enter the territory of Chanzhou in just two more days, but at present there was not enough manpower, which greatly affected the progress.

Then he asked for students, explaining what benefits he could gain from having students.

In addition, there is a separate detailed document explaining how the goods from the south were originally planned to be transported to the north, and how the current method of using shovels to block the water is now planned.

Both routes are illustrated with diagrams showing where to set up sluice gates, how to set them up, and where to call on students to handle boat scheduling and hydrological monitoring, as well as to help calculate how many craftsmen and materials are needed.

They also provided comparisons, explaining why using the sweeper could save time and increase the total amount of goods transported, and so on.

The diagram was drawn very clearly, and the calculation method was also clearly written on the paper.

As Wang Shuji had previously explained, the content was actually quite similar to that in the drawing, but with the drawing as a reference, it was truly clear at a glance.

This document was unsigned, but Li Zhai looked at it over and over again, and suddenly said, "This must be Han Zhengyan's handwriting."

"This... I have no idea..."

Whether he knew it or not, Li Zhai already knew the answer without the other person saying anything.

Judging from the writing style and the meticulous yet accessible approach, along with the simple and straightforward illustrations, it is exactly the same as the report that Wang Jinghe sent to the capital that day. It is hard for anyone who reads it not to believe what is said and to act accordingly.

Soon, Li Zhai summoned several clerks and asked them to check the various calculations and numbers inside.

But he already knew Han Li very well and trusted him a lot. He knew that anything from Han Li would be foolproof, no matter what.

Sure enough, after everyone finished calculating, there were no mistakes.

“Give it to him.” Li Zhai made the decision immediately. “See who can be transferred right now, and send them over as well.”

The matter had just been settled when the official in charge of distributing grain and supplies rushed over, explained the situation, and handed over the document.

This time, Li Zhai was much more cautious.

Wang Shuji only needed some students and asked the city of Chanzhou to prepare to receive the grain and fodder, so the cost was not high. But here, it had a real and immediate impact on the food supply of the entire city, the soldiers who went out to provide relief, and the disaster-stricken people.

Instead of having his men check for errors, he first did the mental calculations himself, then took another pen, wrote down several numbers, and instructed: "Based on these, calculate it again and see how we can use less grain, laborers, and soldiers."

He had many things to do, and once the agenda was set, his subordinates would naturally handle it without him interfering in the details.

So one of the subordinates who had received the order went to get the roster and discussed with his colleagues the list of students to be sent to Wang Shuji and Han Li.

When asked who could be mobilized, some people hesitated to speak.

"Those students were originally doing measurement work, but with the river breaching the dike, they haven't been assigned any proper tasks for a long time. They can all be reassigned, except for a few who are injured or frightened from the gathering on the high platform..."

Ever since those young masters got into trouble, Li Zhai has received countless letters from the capital asking for favors.

A cousin of a certain marquis, a distant relative of a certain high-ranking official, an old friend of a certain member of the imperial family, and so on...

There are no secrets in the world. His subordinates, who were always by his side, naturally knew that those people were difficult to deal with—something had already happened, and if they were sent to such a far place, something else might happen to them...

The group looked at the roster and picked out the young masters—thankfully, Cai Xiu had done a thorough job, clearly marking each person's background, which saved them a lot of effort in distinguishing them.

After the selection was completed, the judge arrived upon hearing the news and said, "Everyone else can be transferred, but there is only one—Cai Xiu from the Imperial Academy. You must keep him here. I have work to assign him!"

It turned out that Li Zhai had just assigned the task of recalculating according to different standards, and his superiors had entrusted the task to him.

The magistrate had a lot of work to do, so he naturally couldn't do it himself. He had no choice but to pass it on to Cai Xiu again, so he decided to leave it to Cai Xiu.

Before he could even throw it away, he heard the news halfway there. He knew that once the yamen had selected the people, the group of students would immediately set off south to do odd jobs for the Sixth Route Transport Office. Without thinking of anything else, he quickly came to stop them.

Keeping a few more students wasn't a big deal; the lower-level officials could decide on their own. They quickly drafted a document, confirmed the list, and reported it to Li Zhai. Because it was an urgent matter, and Li Zhai had just convened a meeting of officials, with all the superiors present, the approval was completed in no time. They then arranged for someone to take the transfer order to the students to inform them.

When the messenger arrived at the door of the room where the students were, it was a noisy place inside.

“I’ve told you he’s no good. You’ve all suffered so many losses and stumbled every time, how come you still haven’t learned your lesson? If I hadn’t happened to see the document on Magistrate Liao’s desk with only the two characters ‘Cai Xiu’ on it when I was helping to deliver the official document, we would all still be in the dark!”

"You're talking about us, aren't you? Weren't you the one who calculated the numbers for the four districts in the west of the city? You even stayed up two nights in a row the other day because he was pressuring you! And how much better are you?"

"Exactly! We're all brainless idiots, so let's not make fun of each other!"

Amidst the commotion, someone still clinging to a sliver of hope couldn't help but say, "Could there be some misunderstanding? Didn't Cai Xiu say he'd try to get credit for us this time..."

Before the man could finish speaking, a cold snort rang out from the side, saying, "If you're going to daydream, go ahead and dream it. Why are you trying to excuse him? I didn't believe it at first either, so I asked someone to help me find out. Magistrate Liao doesn't even know who we are! He just thinks that Cai Xiu wrote and calculated it all by himself. I heard that he even praised him to his face for a long time and patted his chest to promise to speak well of him to the councilor!"

The people in the room were already angry, and hearing these words only made them feel even more resentful. "If he comes looking for me again, and I respond to him, I'll be a fool!"

“You’re a fool, and so am I! If he comes looking for work, are we supposed to refuse? What if he tells his superior and sends a letter back to the school saying we’re bad…”

"Your thinking plays right into his hands. Who else would he bully if not you!"

"Then tell me what to do?! When he arrives, let's see how you deal with him!"

"Fine, I'll deal with him then! I'll curse him out and make him suffer a bloody and shameful death!"

The man was indignant when the person sitting next to him pointed it out, saying, "Aside from saying a few harsh words behind people's backs, when people come, you always just hide behind them and glare, not daring to even spit!"

The person in front wanted to argue, but after opening his mouth several times, he couldn't say anything good. After a long time, he could only purse his lips and sit down dejectedly.

"Seriously, we need to think of something quick! What if he makes us work again?"

The room fell silent, everyone at a loss. After a while, someone suddenly said, "I have an idea, but I don't know if it will work—why don't we pretend to be sick?"

"That's a great idea! I'm sick, how can I do any work for him?"

"Yes! Yes! I'm sick! I...I have diarrhea!"

I have a fever!

"Then I have a cold! I have a chill!"

"I also caught a cold; you're the one who gave it to me! But we're sharing a room, what can I do?"

"I have diarrhea too, we ate the same thing!"

Just as a group of people were racking their brains, wishing they could find some medical books and "explain" all the common diseases in the world, the official came in with a summons.

The students huddled in this corner of the storeroom, where few people usually came. Like those who had been exiled to Qiongzhou and Leizhou, they never expected that an official would suddenly emerge from the ground. Therefore, they spoke without any regard for others. When they heard someone clearing their throats, they turned around and were all extremely embarrassed. They were caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to be sick or not.

The official pretended not to hear, and simply recounted the matter in a friendly manner. He then handed over the transfer order, saying, "The yamen is currently so busy that I can't get away from it all. The officials have asked me to come and see you off..."

He relayed the polite words, and finally said, "Right now, the land is flooded. You all come from Liutahe, so you know best how serious the disaster is. The shipping company is urging us hard. Once we get there, you all need to help out as much as possible. The faster they get there, the less suffering the people here will endure. The shipping company said they have a boat coming today, so you should quickly pack your things and gather at the dock before Shenshi (3-5 PM) to wait for boarding. If you are late, they won't wait for you!"

It was already past noon, and only a little over an hour before the late afternoon.

The students were not familiar with the official and dared not ask him any questions in person. Only after he left did they begin to whisper among themselves.

"What are we supposed to do at the shipping company?"

"They didn't even say where we were going! They just told us to get on the ship, is that reliable?"

"Whether he's reliable or not, we still have to go. What else can we do? Cai Xiu, you've put up with this for so long. I don't believe there's anywhere else where working for him would be worse."

"If someone we know so well is like this, then someone whose background we don't know might be in an even worse situation!"

"The transfer order has already been issued, isn't that terrible? We have no say in this!"

"Whatever, if I run into someone like Cai Lufen again, I'll just pretend to be sick!"

"Are you going to Cai Donkey Dung or not?"

Immediately, people scrambled to check the transfer order, reading it from beginning to end, but they didn't see Cai Xiu's name or any of those young masters. Everyone was overjoyed, feeling that there was hope for the future.

The group hurriedly packed up their belongings and rushed to the dock to wait. Seeing how urgently they were being urged, and not knowing what was going on, they couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Just as they were feeling uneasy, the three ships that were supposed to pick them up arrived on time. As soon as the ships stopped, a person came out of the cabin of the first ship.

In an instant, almost immediately someone shouted out.

"Kong Fuyang!"

"Revival!!"

"It's you?? Did you come to pick us up?"

"Now that you're here, doesn't that mean Han Li is here too?"

As he spoke, the man glanced towards the cabin behind Kong Fuyang, his voice filled with a mixture of surprise and delight, and then asked, "Are you going to the shipping company with you this time?"

"Han Li is here too?? Where is he??"

Seeing that everyone asked Han Li as soon as they saw him, and seeing their expectant looks, Kong Fuyang, who was originally full of resentment, calmed down a lot.

— Zheng Yan's letter wasn't wrong. With so many students and no reliable leader, and he being too busy, who else but himself could lead them?

We'll have to work harder ourselves!

It's such a pity! He was clearly about to return to the capital, with only a few days left. As the mainstay of Wang Jinghe who had no choice but to stay behind, he was truly thinking about the chef day and night without him. His mouth watered as he sweated bucket after bucket. He had even written a thick eighteen-page cookbook of dishes he wanted to eat as soon as he returned to the capital. He was just waiting to go to Suanzao Lane as soon as he entered the city to ask Miss Song to cook them for him in order so that he could eat to his heart's content.

Right now, they are forcibly taking a detour... Just as Yu the Great passed his home three times without entering, Kong Fuyang is now facing a situation where, in order to ensure the smooth flow of waterways and the timely delivery of food and supplies, so as not to delay disaster relief, he has also managed to stay put by sheer willpower!
Such an effort is worth an article... well, the last one to gain fame through a righteous article was Xin Feng, I'm too embarrassed to try and emulate him...

But even if there's no article, there should at least be something to eat!

He only hoped that his business would be finished quickly and that the bad consequences caused by Liutahe would be quelled as soon as possible, so that he could return to the capital as soon as possible and urge that Han fellow to apologize and spend money to hold a banquet at Song's for seven, eight, or ninety days in a row, so that he could eat to his heart's content!
As Kong Fuyang thought about it, he couldn't help but wipe the corner of his mouth with his hand to make sure no drool was dripping down before raising his head and urging everyone to get on the boat quickly.

After everyone had entered the cabin and hadn't even settled in, he had already taken out the roster and quickly divided the people into ten groups. Then, pointing to ten large crates in the corner, he said, "Everyone, take a break. While it's still light, let's get to work in a bit."

He explained what needed to be done and how to do it, and then emphasized again: "Remember to sign it after you're done. Write down who did it and who reviewed it. Whether it's for recognizing merits or assigning responsibility in the future, it will all be done according to this!"

Get to work!
If someone surnamed Han, with his heart of stone, tries to pressure him, he'll pressure others instead!

Hey! Nobody's getting away!!

(End of this chapter)