Prime Minister.

Chapter 108, Section 107: [The Public Does Not Cross the River]

The seventh year of the Taihe era?

A memory that Jing Yanqing had deliberately sealed away quietly surfaced deep within her heart.

She is twenty-nine years old this year and is one of the four most beautiful courtesans in Yangzhou. Although she is not as talented as Jiang Xue and the other two, she is more favored by high-ranking officials and nobles because of her almost impeccable appearance and figure, as well as her natural charm.

In recent years, she has lived a life of luxury, with nothing but the finest food, clothing and daily necessities. Outsiders who want to see her have to pay hundreds or thousands of taels of silver.

If it weren't for the presence of two high-ranking officials from the prefectural government tonight, and the fact that the newly appointed Prefect Xue is said to be a renowned young talent in the capital, and the fact that the owner of the Liuxia Boat had specifically sought her out to give her some instructions, she would not have been willing to lower herself to come.

She was well-informed and could tell that Xue Huai's seemingly gentle but actually distant attitude was not an act. Instead, she felt a surge of competitiveness. If she could win over this Xue Tongzhi tonight, her position on the pleasure boat on Slender West Lake would be even more unshakable.

With fame comes a steady stream of substantial income, and many people will send her money. Jing Yanqing is well aware of this, so she is determined to use all her resources and absolutely cannot go back in disgrace.

To everyone's surprise, Xue Huai's simple question caused her to freeze in shock.

"Miss Yanqing?"

Hearing Xue Huai's calm voice, Jing Yanqing quickly pulled herself out of her thoughts and said sadly, "Your Excellency, I was in Yizhen County that year, but it has been so long that I no longer remember my childhood."

Xue Huai remained noncommittal and continued, "Then do you still remember your family?"

Jing Yanqing lowered her head slightly, looking somewhat conflicted, and after a moment shook her head and said, "I don't remember."

Women of the night like them, unless they have no other choice, naturally do not want to mention their families.

Looking at the harmonious scene of guests and hosts enjoying themselves in the hall, Xue Huai slowly said, "I lived in Yangzhou that year."

Jing Yanqing looked slightly surprised.

All she knew was that the young high-ranking official beside her came from the capital, was very famous there, and was said to have powerful connections; she knew nothing else.

Upon hearing Xue Huai's statement, she couldn't help but ask curiously, "Are you also from Yangzhou, sir?"

"No."

Xue Huai said softly, "In the fifth year of Taihe, my father was transferred to Yangzhou as the prefect, and I came to Yangzhou with him. I have a deep impression of the seventh year of Taihe because that year the Yangtze River flooded, and Yizhen County, Jiangdu County and other places were severely affected. As the local official, my father was busy day and night, and I had not seen him for a long time. My mother once said that one day at the end of July that year, the dike in Yizhen County broke, and my father led people to take charge of the situation and almost drowned in the raging flood."

"Your father...your father is Master Xue?"

Jing Yanqing raised her hand to cover her mouth, forcing herself not to look at the others.

There are countless people in this world with the same name, let alone just the same character "Xue". She really didn't expect that Xue Huai and Yangzhou had this connection at first.

"Exactly."

Xue Huai turned to look at her, his gaze calm and serene: "Because you mentioned coming from Yizhen, I see that you are about seventeen or eighteen years old, and you should have experienced that great flood."

"Yes."

Jing Yanqing's face showed difficulty as he slowly said, "To be honest, my lord, I did indeed experience that flood. At that time, my family and I lived in the suburbs of Yizhen County, which was close to the river embankment. After the embankment breached, our house and fields were all flooded, and my second brother and younger sister both died in the flood."

Seeing that she was no longer deliberately feigning timidity, Xue Huai softened his tone and asked, "Did you end up in prostitution because of that incident?"

"Yes and no."

Jing Yanqing took a deep breath and sighed, “After the flood, the government organized relief efforts under your father’s command, and my family was also allocated a few acres of new land, but it was naturally much more difficult than before. My father then found a broker and sold me for twenty taels of silver.”

Her tone remained calm, but compared to before, the bitterness seemed to come from the bottom of her heart.

Xue Huai stroked the wine cup in front of him and asked, "How is your family doing these days?"

"This servant does not know."

Jing Yanqing shook her head and forced a smile, "Perhaps it's alright. Two years ago, Father brought my eldest and third brothers to the prefectural city. The first thing he asked me for was five hundred taels of silver, saying that he wanted to help my two brothers get married. If I didn't give it to them, they would make a scene. In the end, the manager of the pleasure boat gave them one hundred taels and sent them back."

Xue Huai paused for a moment, then asked, "So when they saw you again after almost ten years, all they wanted to do was continue to exploit you, without asking how you'd been all these years, without even asking if you wanted to leave?"

These words, calm yet cruel, instantly tore open the deepest wound in Jing Yanqing's heart.

She stared blankly ahead, tears welling in her slightly red eyes.

Just then, Jiangxue stopped what she was doing, and the hall fell silent.

While everyone appeared to be indulging in sensual pleasures, they were all secretly watching Xue Huai.

First, Jing Yanqing used her skills, and Xue Huai did not show any obvious resistance. Everyone couldn't help but sneer in their hearts. Even Liu Rang temporarily suppressed his dissatisfaction with Jing Yanqing serving Xue Huai, waiting for the most famous courtesan in Yangzhou to become a gentle touch and bewitch the country bumpkin from the capital.

As long as Xue Huai falls head over heels for her, they will naturally feel at ease.

The purpose of tonight's grand banquet was precisely this. Including Liu Rang, none of them intended to frame Xue Huai. After all, his background was too powerful, and offending the important figures in the capital would be troublesome. They only hoped to use decadent music to keep Xue Huai under control. Whether he loved beautiful women or enjoyed fine wine and women, the prosperous and bustling city of Yangzhou could satisfy him, as long as he lived a leisurely life like Tan Mingguang.

As for government affairs, these officials, supported by local powerful families, were perfectly capable of handling them.

However, the current situation puzzled everyone. Xue Huai remained sitting as still as Mount Tai, while Jing Yanqing, who was burdened with heavy responsibilities, was crying his eyes out. What exactly happened?

Tan Mingguang seemed to only now snap out of his reverie, captivated by Jiang Xue's beautiful pipa music. He looked towards Xue Huai and asked in bewilderment, "Brother Jingche, why is Miss Yanqing so heartbroken?"

Xue Huai gestured to the maid beside him to hand Jing Yanqing a warm towel, then looked at the officials in the hall one by one, his gaze finally settling on Tan Mingguang's face. He frowned slightly and said, "Your Excellency, do not worry. I was talking to Miss Jing about the past and touched on her painful memories. It's nothing serious."

"Oh?"

Tan Mingguang immediately became interested and asked, "Could you elaborate?"

"Your Excellency, this Miss Jing comes from Yizhen. She personally experienced the flood that swept through several counties in this prefecture in the seventh year of the Taihe era when she was young."

Xue Huai's face turned solemn as he sighed, "Actually, I was also in Yangzhou that year. My father was the prefect of Yangzhou and worked tirelessly on the flood control plan. Looking back now, I always feel ashamed of my father's earnest teachings."

The atmosphere in the hall changed again, and everyone, no longer able to continue their intimate moments with the beauties beside them, sat up straight.

Liu Rang felt a surge of disgust, but still said respectfully, "Why do you say that, Your Excellency? You became famous in the capital at a young age, and now you are able to realize your ambitions in Yangzhou. Lord Xue Wensu in heaven will surely be proud of you."

The others echoed his sentiments.

"Lord Liu is too kind."

Xue Huai remained serious, his gaze sharpening. "My late father devoted himself to the people of Yangzhou, and even after returning to the capital, he never wavered in his ambition. His last words before his death were still to instruct me to always keep the common people in mind. Last summer, the dikes along the Yangtze River in Yangzhou collapsed, leaving countless people homeless. It will take at least three to five years to rebuild their homes. I'm afraid that even now, many people are still starving and destitute, just like this Miss Jing was back then."

He looked at the delicacies on the table, picked up the wine cup, stared at the clear liquid in the cup, and said solemnly, "When I think of the extraordinary value of this cup of wine, which is equivalent to half a month's food for an ordinary person, I find it hard to swallow."

The hall fell into dead silence.

Liu Rang and the others were all surprised. They didn't understand what kind of temperament this young nobleman had, and why he could turn on them so easily.
This happened without warning; it was simply indescribable.

Xue Huai took in their reactions.

He was well aware of his situation from the beginning. He hadn't been trying to feign compliance with everyone; he simply wanted to see their intentions and methods.

These people have been observing him, and so has he.

The journey to Yangzhou was fraught with difficulties, but these people thought that a few flattering words, fine wine and beautiful women could ensnare Xue Huai. They were underestimating his experience of living two lives.

Holding his wine cup, Xue Huai spoke again amidst the silence, "I am naturally grateful for your hospitality, and I have no intention of using this as an excuse to make a fuss, however—"

He paused, staring intently at Liu Rang sitting opposite him, and said solemnly, "I, Xue, would like to make it clear in advance that tonight's banquet is not to be held. These delicacies are all made from the hard-earned money of the people. As officials of the court, we should care for and cherish the people. How can we satisfy our own selfish desires?"

With a "bang," Xue Huai slammed the wine cup onto the table.

Everyone stared blankly at Xue Huai. After a moment, Liu Rang, as the representative, said, "We will obey Your Excellency's order."

Regardless of their inner thoughts, at least in front of Tan Mingguang, they ultimately dared not question Xue Huai's attitude.

Seeing this, Tan Mingguang said, "Commander Xue is right. We will not do it again, we will not do it again."

Although he tried to smooth things over, the banquet was clearly beyond continuing.

The two courtesans and the other beauties had no choice but to retreat. The crowd looked at each other in bewilderment and could only return to their own homes.

This welcoming banquet ultimately ended in a sour note and unpleasant atmosphere due to Xue Huai's final statement.

Xue Huai and Tan Mingguang returned together, parting ways in front of the government office.

Tan Mingguang walked slowly back to the inner courtyard. Seeing that no one was around, his aide leaned closer and asked, "Your Excellency, what is this Xue Tongzhi up to?"

"Straight to the point..."

Tan Mingguang, who always maintained a friendly demeanor in front of outsiders, walked forward with his hands behind his back and remarked with emotion, "Indeed, his reputation is well-deserved."

The aide said in bewilderment, "Isn't he afraid of inciting his subordinates to band together and resist? I thought he would hold back for now and overturn the table when the time was right."

“He is different from me. I only want to pass away peacefully, while he wants to be like his father and let the people of Yangzhou live in peace and prosperity. Tonight, his sudden display of his sharpness was not a bad move. In my opinion, it was a decisive and prudent decision.”

Tan Mingguang sighed softly, revealing a hint of envy: "If he doesn't do this, how can those conscientious officials understand Xue Jingche's character? Yangzhou is a murky place. If he comes here thinking of playing along and plotting before acting, he will probably be stuck in the quagmire and unable to move, just like my current situation."

"Just wait and see, soon someone will approach him."

"Youth is wonderful...that's how it should be."

(End of this chapter)