Top Scholar

Chapter 634 The matter of lineage

In the living room of the top scholar's residence, a gentle spring breeze in March blew, warm yet carrying a touch of annoying dryness.

Hearing the Duke of England's words, Su Lu frowned slightly. No wonder these nobles suddenly came to him with such shamelessness; they were utterly shameless. It was as if everyone in the world should tolerate them and let them take advantage of them.

Even this Duke of England is no good. He says he's sorry, but he's actually more shameless than anyone else, trying to exchange a mere tiger penis for the incomparably precious peach blossom water in his possession.

The Duke of England chuckled, his old eyes narrowing as he kept a close eye on Su Lu's reaction, only to see a half-smile on his face, a look of utter confusion on his face:
"If that's the case, why did they hold me back in the first place? If we had all worked together then to repair the water tanks in the Chaobai River or the Juma River, we wouldn't be short of water today."

"Sigh..." The Duke of England slapped his thigh and cursed, "That's why they're so short-sighted! A bunch of fools with eyes bigger than vinegar dishes, thinking that it's impossible for God to have a drought for four years in a row. When the drought struck again this spring, they were all dumbfounded."

"This damned heaven is truly wicked; for four consecutive springs, it hasn't rained more than a drop." He sighed dejectedly. "Alas, it's no pity if those people die of stupidity, but the villagers in their village are innocent."

The old man raised his head, looking at Su Lu with pity, and said emotionally, "The past three years of severe drought have left every household destitute, even the landlords have no surplus grain. If there is another crop failure this year, the area outside Beijing will be filled with starving corpses."

As he spoke, he covered his face with his hands and cried out in grief, "Truly, an incompetent general can lead to the death of an entire army. They are so stupid that even if I wanted to speak up for them, I would have no way to do so."

Su Lu couldn't help but chuckle to himself: 'You've said quite a bit on their behalf.'

However, he said with a serious expression, "What you say makes sense, sir. Those people are certainly hateful, but the tenants on their estate are, after all, the Emperor's people. With years of drought, their livelihood is truly difficult. How can I, a junior, sit idly by?"

"..." The Duke of England nodded, but showed no joy; he knew the important part was yet to come.

Sure enough, Su Lu changed the subject: "However, the peach blossom water stored in the Yongding water tank is not as much as I imagined. The imperial estate is barely enough for its own use, and it still has to share the profits with the hardworking people..."

"Really... not a single drop can be squeezed out?" The British Duke stared at Su Lu expectantly.

Su Lu pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Since you have spoken, I will do my best to help. However, the water in the Yongding water tank is really not enough to share with others."

"Understood." Since Scholar Su had already given him enough face, the Duke of Ying could not be too ungrateful. He gave a wry smile and said, "They brought it on themselves and have no one else to blame. Nephew, you don't need to feel any burden."

With that, he leaned heavily on the chair back and stood up, saying, "I'll go back now and put an end to their hopes, so they'll never bother you again."

"Please wait, my lord." Su Lu then raised his hand to stop him and said leisurely, "Actually, there are other ways to get them to water the land."

"Oh?" The Duke of England plopped down and stared at him with wide eyes.

"However, I can't do this favor for nothing. Anyone who uses my method to irrigate their land must hand over 20% of their grain this year. I'm not trying to retaliate, but—this year's grain transport might not be able to proceed smoothly northward, so we must make plans early!"

As he spoke, he picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea, and said, "If you think it's feasible, I guarantee they'll have water to irrigate their fields."

"What method does the top scholar have?" the British official explained. "The water in the Yongding water tank is not enough, and the rivers and wells elsewhere are dry. Can you conjure water out of thin air?"

“The groundwater is practically inexhaustible,” Su Lu said casually, “It’s just that the water level has dropped so drastically that their wells are too shallow to be able to drill any out.”

The Duke of England's gaze sharpened: "Does the top scholar have a solution?"

“Of course.” Su Lu nodded calmly and said, “I am from Sichuan. The salt wells in my hometown can be as deep as a thousand feet. It is not difficult to drill a deep well and extract deep groundwater using the deep well drilling technology of my hometown.”

"I see..." Although the Duke of England didn't know the salt wells in Sichuan were so deep, he knew who Su Zhuangyuan was and wouldn't make such a casual remark. He pondered for a moment and then asked:

“Scholar, even if you can dig the well deep, how will the water come up? Are you going to use a windlass to carry it bucket by bucket? This method is fine for people and livestock to drink water, but if you use it to irrigate the land, you’ll work yourself to death and still not be able to irrigate more than a few acres.”

"Hahaha, Your Excellency, you worry too much. Our brine from the salt wells isn't brought up either. Don't worry, we have a way to irrigate the fields!" Su Lu laughed loudly.

"The 20% harvest I mentioned is not a fixed figure. If their land yields nothing, the imperial court will also have no grain to collect. Therefore, in order to collect more imperial grain, I will also ensure that your land has water to use."

"Indeed." The Duke of England chuckled sheepishly, then said with some reluctance, "Isn't 20% a bit too much? Could you reduce the charge?"

“How could a junior like me haggle with the Duke? Twenty percent is the bottom line.” Su Lu’s tone was slightly cold: “For so many years, families of officials have never paid taxes or performed official duties. Consider this a way of making up for it this time.”

He then smiled brightly, "Just as the Duke said, we can't only talk about sharing the fate of the country when we're enjoying the benefits, can we?"

“Very well, I understand!” The Duke of England was decisive, and nodded heavily. “I will go back and tell them right away!”

Having said that, he stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Thank you, Scholar. Whether they agree or not, I will be the first to comply! It is my duty to share the burdens of the country!"

Su Lu also smiled and stood up, clasping his hands in a fist salute. "Your Excellency is truly a model of nobility. If everyone were as understanding and considerate of the big picture as Your Excellency, what mountain of flames could we not overcome?"

"I'm ashamed to say, I'm just an old scoundrel..." The Duke of Ying sighed, "I may not accomplish anything, but I can't let things go wrong either." "Your Excellency is too modest," Su Lu said with a smile as he saw him out, "You are the pillar of the Ming Dynasty."

He then accepted the brocade box offered by Xiaoyuer and handed it back to the British official with both hands, saying, "I appreciate your kindness."

"Really not going to accept it?" The British Duke wanted to try one more time.

"I really don't need it," Su Lu said speechlessly.

"Ah, youth is wonderful. Alright, I'll keep it for you. Just let me know if you need anything." The Duke of England then accepted the brocade box, waved goodbye to Su Lu, and got into his carriage.

The old man was very cautious. Although the rule of "civil officials ride in sedan chairs and military generals ride horses" had long been ignored, the Duke of England still traveled by carriage and never by the more comfortable sedan chair.

Su Lu watched the Duke of England's carriage disappear into the distance and let out a long sigh.

This old man can still keep those nobles in check; if he were gone one day, who knows what kind of outrageous behavior they would become. They're truly a bunch of good-for-nothings...

After Yu Shaobao abolished the old three major battalions and reorganized the training battalions, the nobles, as a political force, completely withdrew from the power arena and found it difficult to return to the stage.

He had originally intended to use the opportunity of rebuilding the three major camps to give them a helping hand. But now it seemed that rather than wasting time on incompetent officials, it would be easier to advise the Emperor to start afresh and promote new talents…

~~
Su Lu was young after all, and he fully recovered in just seven days.

Huang E no longer restricted him from working from home. However, Su Lu still had plenty of time to spend with his wife and make the most of the spring season, even without leaving the house.

The weather was fine that day, and the crabapple blossoms in the courtyard were as beautiful as brocade, the willow branches drooped with tender gold, and the wind was filled with the fragrance of flowers.

Su Lu and Huang E set up a small table under the crabapple tree, with warm wine and clear tea laid out on the table covered with fallen petals. Huang E had just composed a southern tune, and was gently pressing the clappers, playing the melody with a clear and melodious voice, blending with the cooing of pigeons in the wind, exuding an indescribable sense of leisure and contentment.

"On a sunny day, a gentle breeze sweeps away the light chill as it rises above the small building."

The crabapple blossoms are a uniform red, and the willow branches droop with golden slenderness.

Ah, the clappers play a clear melody, and the smoke from tea lingers on my sleeves.

"With leisurely companionship, I envy not golden seals and ribbons, but share the spring scenery of the courtyard with a cup of wine..."

As the song ended, Su Lu clapped his hands and laughed, "What a beautiful 'crabapple blossoms are evenly red, willow branches hang down with golden slenderness'! My wife's skill has greatly improved, and I can only look up to her in admiration."

"My husband is preoccupied with national affairs right now, how could he have the leisure to compose lyrics and music?" Huang E said softly with a smile, "It would be wonderful if you could just listen to me sing a few lines when you have time."

The young couple were whispering sweet nothings when there was a knock at the door. Su Youpeng, who was acting as the steward, said from outside, "Brother Qiu, the Grand Secretary has come to visit."

Upon hearing this, Huang E immediately got up and asked Guan Qi Ru Hua to bring her a crown and robe, so that her husband could dress properly and welcome her master.

Su Lu waved his hand, not only refusing formal attire but also removing his casual robe, leaving only a plain white undershirt, and went straight into the study, lying down on the bed.

He then raised his voice and instructed the chess player under the eaves: "Quickly start decocting the medicine we prepared earlier."

Guan Qi was taken aback, then leaned closer to the window and asked in a low voice, "Young Master didn't drink that medicine when he was sick, so why does he need to drink it now that he's better?"

“I’m done drinking,” Su Lu said, removing her hairpin and letting her hair down. She then asked Ru Hua to apply some powder to her face to make her look even paler. She chuckled, “Hey, I was just going to smell it. Oh, and get me some cold water to cool my hands…”

"What are you trying to do with Master, my husband?" Huang E followed in, looking amused.

Su Lu blinked. "In the past, when I visited my master, he always looked frail and sickly, which was actually a way to make it easier for him to extort money from me. Today, he's come to me of his own accord, so I should at least return the favor, right?"

"Hehehe..." Huang E and Guan Qiruhua couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Don't laugh," Su Lu quickly put on a serious face. "Stop it, everyone. Your faces need to be more serious, and add a little bit of sadness, so that you can help me squeeze this money out of you."

"Very well, we'll do as you say, sir. We'll be your accomplices too." Huang E agreed, suppressing a laugh. He turned and went out, instructing Su Youpeng to invite the Grand Secretary inside for a meeting.

A short while later, Li Dongyang followed Su Youpeng in. Huang E greeted them at the foot of the hanging flower gate, curtsied, and said apologetically, "I am unable to come to bed because of my illness, and I cannot personally welcome my master. I hope my master will forgive me."

"It's alright, it's alright." Li Dongyang was taken aback, not expecting Su Luzhen to fall ill.

(End of this chapter)