Top Scholar

Chapter 407 Welcome, welcome! A warm welcome!
The river wind howled, and Qian Ning was also sobbing; he seemed truly terrified.

“Godfather, don’t scare yourself.” The bearded man quickly advised, “Maybe the Chongqing prefect is just unhappy with Eunuch Liu and is deliberately trying to show us up. It won’t be like this when we get to Kuizhou…”

"Possibly." Qian Ning nodded, gazing at the city gradually appearing on the riverbank in the distance.

"I'm afraid that it will be the same when we get to Kuizhou, then we'll have really stirred up a hornet's nest."

"The answer will be revealed soon..." the bearded man prayed, "Nobody, nobody..."

Qian Ning glanced at this idiot, then couldn't help but start praying, "Nobody, nobody..."

~~
A moment later, the sound of gongs and drums was carried by the river breeze...

Qian Ning and the bearded man stared in disbelief at the colorful flags waving and the sea of ​​people outside Kuizhou City. A high-ranking official in a scarlet robe led a group of officials in blue and green robes, as well as local gentry, elders, scholars, and tens of thousands of ordinary people, filling the Nanmentuo Wharf to the brim.

"Here we go again?" At this very moment, just like back then, the bearded man rubbed his eyes hard, making sure he hadn't traveled back to yesterday.

Qian Ning felt dizzy and groaned, leaning against the railing, "I told you, this was a trap. They dug it and I jumped right in. I was so stupid, so stupid..."

"Why don't we turn around and send him back?" the bearded man suggested.

"What nonsense! I've already mobilized the troops with my warrant, why would I send them back?" Qian Ning kicked the bearded man and said.

"Wouldn't that be considered falsely conveying an imperial edict? They'd rather die already!"

As soon as the ship docked, officials on the pier shouted:

"The Prefect of Kuizhou, a Grand Master of the Palace, along with his associate prefects, sub-prefects, magistrates of Fengjie County, and all the officials, gentry, scholars, and common people of the prefecture, have come to welcome Scholar Su to our prefecture!"

As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of firecrackers went off at the dock at the same time, startling Su Lu and his wife in the cabin.

"What's going on?!" Su Lu put down his book and pushed open the cabin door.

"Just like the time at Chaotianmen Wharf in Chongqing, the prefect of Kuizhou also brought people to welcome you, sir." Hai Han clicked his tongue in amazement and said, "I didn't expect your reputation to have spread so far."

"I didn't expect this either." Su Lu was equally puzzled: "I'm just a top scholar in the provincial examination. Only one person in the whole province comes out every three years. It can't be that rare, can it? Apart from the people in this prefecture, who from other prefectures or counties would care?"

“Indeed, we shouldn’t act so naive.” Hai Han wholeheartedly agreed.

"Besides, how come they all have such good information?" Su Lu added.

“Yes, the news shouldn’t have spread this fast.” Hai Han also found it strange and asked, “Did you twelve scholars, both civil and military, also encounter such a scene on your way home after the autumn examinations?”

"No way," Su Lu shook his head and said, "Are they just bored and wanting to welcome the scholars from Luzhou?"

"So the officials and people of Chongqing and Kuizhou are all too idle to do anything?" Hai Han spread his hands.

~~
At this moment, the firecrackers stopped, and the shouts from before rang out again on the dock.

"Su Jieyuan, why don't you go and see them? Otherwise, they won't give up," Qian Ning said helplessly as he approached.

"Alright, alright." Su Lu had no choice but to ask Hai Han for the surname of the prefect of Kuizhou, then went to the bow of the boat, bowed deeply to the shore, and said loudly:
"I am Su Lu, how could I possibly deserve such favor from Prefect Xiong and everyone else? I am truly ashamed!"

The official in crimson robes immediately returned the greeting with clasped hands, and said in a loud voice, "I am Xiong Da, the prefect of Kuizhou. I have long admired the name of Scholar Su. It is an honor to meet you today! All my officials and gentry in the city have long admired you. We are overjoyed to learn that Scholar Su is passing through our prefecture. We have prepared a small banquet to invite Scholar Su and his wife to come ashore and rest, so that we may do our best to show them hospitality."

The officials and gentry also stepped forward, cupping their hands in greeting, and chiming in with their own words. Each one spoke with utmost sincerity, their admiration as boundless as the surging river beneath their feet!
This time, not only Qian Ning and the bearded man, but all the other Imperial Guards were dumbfounded. This series of spectacular events made even the most oblivious warriors realize that this time they weren't after merit, but a huge problem!

"I am currently under investigation and not free, so I can only thank Prefect Xiong and everyone for their kind invitations." Su Lu naturally declined the invitation.

But Prefect Xiong and his men refused to comply, insisting on taking him off the ship. They even went so far as to threaten to board and "rob" him. Seeing this, Qian Ning had no choice but to plead with Su Lu again in a humble voice.
"Sir, rules are rules, but people are flexible. Let's go ashore for the banquet, otherwise they won't let us leave."

The boat is now moored, so leaving won't be so easy.

Left with no other choice, Su Lu and Huang E accepted the invitation to disembark and attend the grand banquet hosted by Prefect Xiong, where they also enjoyed the stunning scenery of the autumn moon over Kuimen.

The next morning, Prefect Xiong personally accompanied the couple on a tour of the famous Baidi City. It wasn't until nearly noon that he reluctantly saw them off as they descended the mountain and boarded a boat.

Before parting, Su Lu asked bluntly, "Prefect, please tell me what you're really up to? What merit do I, a mere top scholar, have that deserves your and the people of the city's utmost concern?"

Prefect Xiong chuckled and waved his hand, saying, "Ah, Scholar Su, you are mistaken. You certainly deserve it."

He paused, then lowered his voice and said, "Besides, the reason we're doing this to promote you is to let the whole world know your name, so that you can have more peace of mind when you arrive in the capital!"

"..." What could Su Lu say? He could only bow deeply and express his sincere gratitude to Prefect Xiong. Prefect Xiong saw Su Lu and his wife onto the boat. He said loudly, "The Three Gorges are just ahead. You two must enjoy the magnificent and breathtaking scenery!"

He then said with deep emotion, "Once we leave the Three Gorges, we will be leaving our hometown in Sichuan. Please take good care of yourself! Fortunately, everyone in the world knows you. Wherever you go, it will feel like coming home."

Su Lu bowed again to take his leave, and Huang E also bowed deeply in farewell.

~~
As the boat entered the Three Gorges, the river breeze suddenly became crisp and refreshing. The green mountains on both sides were as if cut by a knife, rising thousands of feet, like an ink painting sculpted by the hand of a master craftsman, piercing straight into the clouds.

The river flow also narrows here, the current gradually becomes rapid, and the waves lap against the side of the boat, splashing up spray like broken jade.

Su Lu and Huang E stood by the railing, their robes fluttering in the wind, exuding an air of elegance yet also a chill that seemed to seep into their bones. He wrapped his wife in a cloak, and the two nestled together, admiring the magnificent mountains and rivers—

The twelve peaks of Wushan Mountain appeared and disappeared in the clouds and mist, with light clouds swirling around the peaks, adding a touch of ethereal beauty to those rugged giants.

“The mountains on both sides are continuous, with no gaps, and the towering cliffs and peaks obscure the sky and block out the sun…” Su Lu exclaimed, “The ancients were right. Such magnificence can only be seen in the Three Gorges.”

Huang E nestled in his warm embrace, nodding contentedly. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she sat up excitedly, pointing to the cliff face. "Look! Isn't that the Ba people's plank road that my husband talked about back then?"

Following her fingertip, Su Lu saw a remnant of a plank road, like a thin thread embedded in the cliff face, appearing and disappearing in the clouds and mist, making one marvel at the wisdom and courage of the ancients!

"This should be it... right?" Su Lu said with an embarrassed smile, "Don't be fooled by how eloquently I've described it; it's actually the first time I've ever seen it before."

"'Entering the gorge, there was initially no path; suddenly, the mountains resembled a niche. Flying springs cascaded like scattered snowflakes, and strange rocks startled the horses!' If not for this long journey, how could I have witnessed the wondrous scenery described by my Su family ancestors?" Huang E exclaimed with emotion, yet also laughed, finding it all rather absurd:
"They were all prepared to suffer with you. But why are they lavishly welcoming you everywhere you go, turning it into a sightseeing trip? It's completely the opposite of what I imagined..."

"Isn't this good?" Su Lu chuckled. "I don't want you to suffer with me."

"It's good, but I still feel uneasy." Huang E also whispered, "It feels so unreal, like acting."

“Well said. Usually at times like this, we should ask—so, Gul'dan, what is the price?” Su Lu nodded, wrapping Huang E even tighter in his cloak.

"What is Gul'dan?" Huang E asked, puzzled.

"That's not the point," Su Lu said with a light cough. "The point is what price we have to pay."

"What price?" Huang E asked.

"I can't figure it out." Su Lu shook his head and said, "What would they want from me, a mere scholar who only passed the imperial examination?"

"Is it because you have a bright future?" Huang E pondered.

Su Lu chuckled self-deprecatingly, "I need to pass this hurdle first, then pass the imperial examination, and become a high-ranking official before I'll have the chance to repay their favors. By the time I can repay them, these old folks will all be home taking care of their grandchildren."

“They still have descendants…” Huang E said softly.

"Are you thinking that far ahead?" Su Lu wasn't from an official family and didn't have Huang E's way of thinking. He shook his head and said, "Forget it, let's not think about it anymore. Let's get through this first before thinking about anything else."

“Speaking of which…” Huang E frowned slightly and said, “Prefect Xiong said something that has been bothering me. He said, ‘We will make a good impression on you.’ Does ‘we’ refer to him and all the officials and people in the prefecture, or to him and Prefect Wen of Chongqing?”

“Of course it’s the latter,” Su Lu said decisively. “Local officials never use ‘we’ to refer to all the officials and people in the prefecture, because they are the ones they are responsible for overseeing. Just as no shepherd would confuse himself with his flock.”

“That’s rather chilling.” Huang E tightened his grip on his arm, his expression grave. “As soon as we were arrested, we were taken downstream by boat. The two prefects are five hundred li apart; how could they possibly have time to discuss things?”

“Indeed.” Upon hearing this, Su Lu’s expression turned serious. After pondering for a long time, he slowly said, “To be honest, I’ve had a feeling that I’ve been set up during this period. But I thought it was because of the special favor shown to Xiao Sanyuan, so I didn’t think about it too deeply.”

"When did it begin?" Huang E asked softly.

“After the imperial examination,” Su Lu said in a low voice, “and the essay that brought me trouble was also written during the imperial examination.”

"Where did this feeling come from?" Huang E pressed.

"It's taking a while, let me think..." Su Lu said, rubbing his temples.

"After the imperial examination results came out, the Grand Master gave a passionate speech—he talked about two things: first, he wanted to publish my article in schools throughout the province so that all teachers and students could read it; second, he said that after returning to the capital, he would have a good fight with the eunuch faction."

"Later, I privately advised him that the eunuch faction was powerful, so it would be better to avoid their sharp edge, wait for the right opportunity, and deliver a fatal blow." He paused, his brows furrowing even more deeply.

His answer was—you're right, but before the blow is delivered, who knows if it will be fatal?

Upon hearing this, Huang E's pretty face paled, and she said, "It seems that Xiao Tixue's actions are not simply about stating his position, but rather that he has already planned ahead and is preparing to clash with the eunuch faction!"

P.S. I'll read the next chapter tomorrow morning, okay?
(End of this chapter)