Chapter 24

Chapter 24

A dou of spring wine costs at most seventy coins.

Yet, in Jiang Yuxun's calculation, it had somehow increased by more than a hundredfold.

Eunuch Sang's ears buzzed, and he nearly collapsed in the hall.

How dare Jiang Yuxun...!

Unbeknownst to them, the bright moon had hidden behind clouds, leaving only the flickering candlelight in Liuyun Hall.

Drunkenly clutching the abacus, Jiang Yuxun kept blinking to stay alert.

Seeing Ying Changchuan not responding, he couldn't help but frown in confusion and called out again, "Your Majesty?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Jiang Yuxun's legs suddenly gave way, and he lost his balance, falling forward.

He instinctively closed his eyes.

“Ah—”

The abacus fell heavily from the young man's hand onto the floor.

The rosewood beads shattered, scattering across the hall with a clatter, rolling in every direction.

After a long while, the noise around him finally ceased.

But Jiang Yuxun was still standing in his original spot.

And at some point, a faint scent of dragon's saliva had appeared under his nose.

He opened his eyes groggily, only to see the dim firelight flickering in Liuyun Hall.

For a moment, he couldn’t distinguish whether all this was a dream or reality.

……

The next day, under the bright mid-morning sun.

Jiang Yuxun abruptly opened his eyes on the bed.

Help! What on earth did I do last night?!

He tried to get up but fell back onto the bed, weakened from the hangover.

“Ouch…”

Sunlight filtered through the paper window, falling on Jiang Yuxun.

The young man lay sprawled on the bed, desperately using the back of his hand to shield his eyes.

Jiang Yuxun had drunk himself into oblivion last night.

His last memory was of insisting on splitting the wine bill "AA" style with Ying Changchuan, then losing his balance and falling towards him, only to be caught by the other's arm.

He couldn't remember anything beyond that.

...But that was already explosive enough for him.

What was I thinking last night?

Seven hundred taels of silver? Not only did I dare to calculate it, but I also dared to ask for it...

Just as Jiang Yuxun was wallowing in despair, sudden footsteps outside the door brought him back to reality: last night, he had not only 'dug earth on Tai Sui's head' but also overslept this morning.

Jiang Yuxun abruptly lowered his arm and looked out the window.

Judging by the sky, it was at least 10:30.

At this time on a normal day, he would have already been working for three hours.

Jiang Yuxun's heart sank.

He quickly propped himself up with his arm and sat up.

...Oversleeping was one thing, but why didn't any eunuch come to remind me this morning?

However, before Jiang Yuxun could gather his emotions and get ready to leave, the scene before his eyes completely froze him in place.

—On the table in the duty room, lay a heap of silver ingots.

Under one of the silver ingots was a piece of paper.

Jiang Yuxun took a deep breath and slowly walked to the desk to pick up the paper.

Sunlight streamed through the window, gently illuminating the paper.

The words "Wine Money" were written in bold, forceful strokes with a cinnabar brush.

If not the handwriting of Ying Changchuan, whose else could it be?

"...Just kill me now."

Jiang Yuxun threw himself back onto the bed, unable to resist rolling around with a pillow in his arms.

After a while, he finally struggled to get up and resignedly began to collect the silver ingots from the table.

—One can lose face, but never the money.

-

Fortunately, Ying Changchuan was busy discussing military affairs with the General of the Northern Defense this morning and had no time for Jiang Yuxun.

His absence from work due to a hangover might just be overlooked.

"Master Jiang, are you there?"

Just as Jiang Yuxun had struggled to wash up and was about to go back to sleep, he heard a knock at the door.

He adjusted his breathing and opened the door.

Surprised to see who was outside, Jiang Yuxun exclaimed, "Weng Guang? How did you get up so early?"

Weng Guang of the Xuan Yin Monastery, still feverish yesterday, appeared at the door with Gu Yejiu.

Though Weng Guang had regained consciousness, his complexion was still poor, clearly not yet fully recovered.

"I owe my life to you, sir," Weng Guang sniffled, and started to kneel before Jiang Yuxun, "Without you, I would have been long gone."

"Please don’t do this!" Jiang Yuxun hurriedly helped him up with Gu Yejiu, "Come in first."

"Yes, Master Jiang."

"You two sit down first, I'm afraid my place is a bit cramped." As Jiang Yuxun spoke, he casually poured water for both of them.

The duty room was simply furnished, with only a reed mat beside the desk for seating.

Although small, Weng Guang and Gu Yejiu, who had been "human sacrifices", had never been treated so courteously in their lives.

Seeing Jiang Yuxun bend down to pour water, they became somewhat flustered: "You’re being too polite."

"It's just a glass of water, please don’t feel awkward about it," Jiang Yuxun said, sitting across from them.

Normally stern and decisive in the Xuan Yin Monastery, it was rare for them to interact so "normally" with someone.

To ease their tension, Jiang Yuxun casually asked Gu Yejiu, "Is there any of last night’s wine left? If so, remember to seal it well for future use."

Gu Yejiu was momentarily stunned, then quickly nodded: "It’s already sealed in a pottery jar."

Weng Guang, who had regained his composure, held the cup of water and said earnestly to Jiang Yuxun: "I cannot thank you enough for your great kindness. If there’s anything I can do for Master Jiang, just ask—"

His eyes reddened, his tone was earnest.

...At this point, not allowing him to do something would probably leave Weng Guang feeling uneasy.

Jiang Yuxun also took a sip of water and paused before asking, "I noticed yesterday that the Xuan Yin Monastery seems familiar with the use of distillation barrels?"

There was no time to think about it in the urgency of yesterday.

Only now did Jiang Yuxun realize that the round shape and double-layer structure of the distillation barrel, which looked seamless, would normally take anyone some time to figure out how to open.

But last night, the Xuan Yin Monastery handled the barrel naturally without needing his introduction.

Weng Guang quickly nodded: "Yes, Master Jiang, as you know, we were previously human sacrifices. As such, we naturally learned a bit of the 'divination and sacrificial' arts, and that’s when we were exposed to distillation barrels..."

"I see."

"Human sacrifices" of the former dynasty's nobility were mostly home-raised, not bought from outside.

Before using them for sacrificial rituals, the nobles and shamans wouldn’t just keep them without purpose; they often required them to assist in alchemy.

"In that case, I have a task for which I need your assistance," Jiang Yuxun said, setting down his porcelain cup.

Weng Guang immediately perked up, "Please feel free to tell us, Master Jiang."

"Regarding the brewing of liquor using distillation barrels, do not mention it to outsiders for now," Jiang Yuxun cautioned.

"Of course!"

Jiang Yuxun nodded slightly, recalling as he continued, "If I'm not mistaken, spring wine is made from barley, right?"

Weng Guang and Gu Yejiu nodded together: "Yes, it’s brewed after the harvest of spring barley, hence the name ‘spring wine’."

In this era, the main crop in the north was not wheat but millet and corn.

Wine made from barley, a relatively uncommon crop, was consequently more expensive.

Jiang Yuxun took out paper and pen, started to write and draw: "Not only barley, but also sorghum, millet, and rice can be used to ferment and distill liquor. If you have time these next few days, try to see which of these grains has a higher yield and produces a better-tasting liquor."

He then handed out the paper filled with the names of various grains.

Weng Guang's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.

He eagerly took the paper and nodded, "Rest assured, Master Jiang! We will start brewing as soon as we return to our station. As soon as it’s ready, we’ll bring the first batch for you to taste!"

Gu Yejiu also nodded in agreement.

Jiang Yuxun: !!!

Weng Guang's words once again triggered Jiang Yuxun's memories of his hangover.

The self-aware Jiang Yuxun quickly shook his head, "No need, I... I don’t hold my liquor well. Just taste it yourselves after it’s brewed."

Weng Guang and Gu Yejiu still wanted to invite him to try.

But before they could speak, footsteps suddenly approached from outside the duty room.

The doors to Liuyun Hall opened, and someone carrying something entered.

Jiang Yuxun glanced back and said, "It’s noon, probably someone bringing lunch for His Majesty."

Realizing it was getting late, Weng Guang and Gu Yejiu exchanged glances and stood up, "Then we won't disturb Master Jiang any longer. Rest well, and we’ll report back as soon as the wine is ready."

"Alright, I appreciate your efforts."

Saying this, Jiang Yuxun also stood up to open the door for them, seeing them out.

The duty room was located near Liuyun Hall.

Out of concern not to disturb the Emperor, the two men bowed to Jiang Yuxun and then left the area.

At the same time, Eunuch Sang appeared nearby.

...Seeing him, the events of the previous night unavoidably resurfaced in Jiang Yuxun's mind.

The young man turned to leave.

But before Jiang Yuxun could retreat to his room to feign death, Eunuch Sang greeted the palace maids and eunuchs carrying meals, then approached him with a beaming smile: "Master Jiang, did you rest well?"

"Quite well," Jiang Yuxun smiled awkwardly, eventually venturing to ask, "Last night, uh... I troubled Eunuch Sang to help me back."

"Not at all, not at all!" Eunuch Sang waved his hands hastily, "Master Jiang is so slim, it was no trouble at all."

Phew...

Hearing this, Jiang Yuxun, who had blacked out from drinking, finally let out a sigh of relief and discarded a somewhat far-fetched thought from his mind.

Thank goodness! It was indeed Eunuch Sang who helped me back.

—Ying Changchuan not causing trouble for him was already fortunate enough, how could he possibly stoop to help?

Just as Jiang Yuxun was about to express his gratitude, he saw Eunuch Sang suddenly look around, lower his voice, and lean in to say, "Drinking is fine, but Master Jiang should be careful in the future, not to indulge too much."

After these words, Eunuch Sang straightened up and left the duty room to assist in serving meals in Liuyun Hall.

Wait! Can’t you finish talking before you leave?

Left standing there, a chill suddenly ran down Jiang Yuxun's back...

Eunuch Sang was not the kind to offer such advice without reason.

Did I do something outrageous after blacking out last night?

Jiang Yuxun pinched his palm harshly.

As the doors of Liuyun Hall opened and closed, he seemed to catch a whiff of the faint scent of dragon's saliva once more.

At that moment, a fragment flashed through Jiang Yuxun's mind:

Ying Changchuan was almost a head taller than him.

Last night, unsteady on his feet, Jiang Yuxun had leaned his chin on Ying Changchuan's shoulder and then... suddenly leaned in to sniff lightly.

Ying Changchuan frowned as if about to push him away.

Yet Jiang Yuxun... gently tugged at Ying Changchuan's sleeve, looking up at him seriously and mustering all his strength to say, "Your Majesty, you cannot renege on the debt."

※

Recently, when Ying Changchuan had feigned an assassination attempt and injury, not only did court officials fail to restrain themselves from trying to barge into Xianyou Palace.

Zhe Rou also made small incursions at the border, seemingly testing whether Ying Changchuan was indeed as gravely injured as rumored.

The matter discussed today with the General of the Northern Defense was exactly this.

Military affairs in the north were complex, and the discussion continued until the end of the lunch.

The Yi River repair work could not be delayed any longer.

After organizing his memorial, Jiang Yuxun went to find Tong Hailin, the Water Transport Envoy, who was also in the royal residence.

Around three or four in the afternoon is usually the hottest time of the day.

Jiang Yuxun didn't talk with Tong Hailin inside the house, but instead led him up the small hill behind the royal residence.

—Standing at the top of this hill provided a perfect overlook of a corner of the Yi River.

They hadn’t gone far before Tong Hailin began to falter.

"Cough, cough, Master Jiang, wait, wait for me," Tong Hailin gasped as he climbed, adding, "…I understand your idea, but there's a difference between theory and reality. Do you realize that straightening the bends of the Yi River is not as simple as just digging a trench?"

Seeing this, Jiang Yuxun slowed his pace.

He nodded and said, "First, we need to build new embankments, then excavate a new river channel, and there's also backfilling and leveling the riverbed. These are the most basic steps."

Tong Hailin couldn't help but look up at Jiang Yuxun.

He had thought Jiang Yuxun was just speaking off the cuff in front of the Emperor, but it turned out that Jiang knew more than he had expected.

As they talked, Jiang Yuxun picked up a long stick and drew the rough shape of the Yi River on the ground.

After a brief pause, he used the stick to erase the bends and connected the remaining parts of the river.

A glint of admiration flashed in Tong Hailin’s eyes.

As he drew, Jiang Yuxun explained, "The revised river channel will only be a third of the original river’s length. Although shortening the river is beneficial for navigation and flood control, it greatly reduces the irrigated farmland. Therefore, in addition to modifying the river, we also need to dig irrigation canals."

Finally, Tong Hailin couldn’t help but nod slowly, "Master Jiang makes an excellent point."

Initially, he hadn’t taken Jiang Yuxun's proposal very seriously, but now it seemed it warranted attention.

Seeing Tong Hailin had rested enough, Jiang Yuxun resumed his steps up the hill.

They didn't go much further before the Yi River came into view.

The Yi River, tranquil as flowing silk, meandered gently towards the southeast in the distance.

From this high vantage point, it was clear that the areas where the Yi River bends were the most severely affected by disasters upstream.

Seeing this, Jiang Yuxun's proposal indeed seemed necessary...

Tong Hailin paused for a long while, then couldn't help but turn to the young man, supporting his knee, "Master Jiang’s idea is quite comprehensive. You can certainly continue along this line of thought. I'm afraid I can’t offer much help."

With the lack of trees at the summit, sweat dripped faster from Tong Hailin's forehead.

Seeing this, Jiang Yuxun finally turned around with a smile, "I know."

"Ah? Then why did you still..."

If Jiang Yuxun knew, why did he ask him to climb up the mountain!

As Tong Hailin spoke, he stood up straight and involuntarily took a half step back.

...Somehow, seeing Jiang Yuxun’s expression, he couldn't help feeling like he had boarded a ship of thieves.

Just as expected!

The next moment, Jiang Yuxun leaned in and lowered his voice, "Master Tong, did you personally draft the Yi River renovation plan a few years ago?"

Jiang Yuxun asking this, could it be he already knows something?

Tong Hailin immediately shifted his gaze away, somewhat flustered, and dodged the question, "Cough, cough, well… As the Water Transport Envoy, I’m in charge of overseeing all river affairs. I don’t have much time to write everything word for word… But I closely monitored the entire renovation project and participated in every step!"

Tsk tsk, I knew it.

The Yi River renovation plan needs to be redeveloped every year, and each time it involves a great deal of data analysis and calculation, making it both laborious and thankless.

...Knowing Tong Hailin's tendency to shirk work, he definitely wouldn’t have taken it upon himself.

The renovation plans of the past few years were submitted to the Emperor in Tong Hailin's name.

Now caught out by Jiang Yuxun, Tong Hailin began to make excuses non-stop, quickly breaking into a sweat.

Finally, unable to hide his guilt, he said, "Master Jiang, you wouldn’t have brought me all this way just for this, would you?"

At this point, Jiang Yuxun stopped beating around the bush: "To be honest, I came to borrow someone from Master Tong."

Tong Hailin resigned himself to his fate, "Who are you looking for?"

Jiang Yuxun got straight to the point: "The real author of the renovation plans from a few years ago."

As he spoke, he looked deeply at Tong Hailin, leaving no room for further excuses.

Ying Changchuan had been busy with military campaigns in recent years and hadn’t had the time to personally oversee the Yi River fortification and renovation.

However, the renovation plan had indeed been submitted to him and meticulously reviewed to ensure its accuracy.

While Jiang Yuxun could propose a river renovation plan based on his knowledge from future generations,

How to handle relocation compensation, land acquisition, and project costs were not something he could calculate alone.

After much consideration, the most suitable candidate seemed to be the “ghostwriter” found by Tong Hailin.

Jiang Yuxun didn’t know the relationship between this “ghostwriter” and Tong Hailin.

Since Xianyou Palace was filled with Ying Changchuan's informants, to avoid trouble, Jiang Yuxun had brought Tong Hailin to the mountaintop under the scorching sun to discuss this matter.

"…With Master Jiang putting it that way, I can no longer keep secrets," Tong Hailin said through gritted teeth, "I will introduce them to you tomorrow."

"Thank you, Master Tong," Jiang Yuxun immediately felt satisfied.

Tong Hailin leaned on a nearby stone, looking shakily down the mountain and muttered, "It’s been a while since we last met, and Master Jiang has matured quite a bit, probably influenced by His Majesty."

...Influenced by His Majesty.

Tong Hailin’s words were very tactful, but Jiang Yuxun understood his implication instantly.

What he really meant was — Jiang Yuxun had indeed picked up quite a few tricks under Ying Changchuan's influence.

-

The person mentioned by Tong Hailin lived near the city of Zhao.

Considering the urgency of the Yi River matter, Jiang Yuxun decided to visit him tomorrow and also take the opportunity to inspect the Yi River site.

However, to leave Xianyou Palace, he must inform Ying Changchuan.

In the evening, the General of the Northern Defense finally left Liuyun Hall.

Stepping into the palace again, Jiang Yuxun felt extremely heavy-hearted.

The gleaming seven hundred taels of silver and the embarrassing scene from last night seemed to reappear before his eyes…

At each corner of Liuyun Hall, huge bronze Boshan incense burners were placed.

Logically, the smell from last night should have completely dissipated by now.

Yet, Jiang Yuxun inexplicably felt surrounded by the scent of alcohol.

"Your Majesty, here is today's report," Jiang Yuxun said after completing the formalities, placing the organized memorials on the Emperor's desk.

He then took out a document and placed it beside Ying Changchuan, "Your Majesty, the matter of the Yi River cannot be delayed. Half of my report is complete, but there are still some unresolved issues. Therefore, I would like to leave Xianyou Palace tomorrow to visit the Yi River."

Ying Changchuan took the document and started to flip through it casually.

—The document listed some data that was currently missing.

The Emperor's expression was as usual. Just when Jiang Yuxun thought Ying Changchuan had forgotten about last night and was about to let him off the hook, he heard him suddenly ask, "Going to the Yi River? Weren’t you supposed to return home tomorrow?"

There was a hint of playfulness in his casual tone.

"Ah?" Jiang Yuxun was taken aback, inadvertently questioning out loud, "Why should I return home tomorrow?"

As they spoke, wisps of blue smoke from the Boshan incense burner slowly drifted past the young man.

A foreboding feeling suddenly arose in Jiang Yuxun's heart.

A sudden silence fell over Liuyun Hall.

Jiang Yuxun's heart sank bit by bit.

The Emperor then put down what he was holding and looked at Jiang Yuxun with a half-smile, "You requested it from me last night."

Jiang Yuxun: …

"No way, right?"

The young man who had blacked out from drinking had no memory of this conversation.

He instinctively wanted to contradict Ying Changchuan, but the next moment, he saw Eunuch Sang nodding and whispering, "Master Jiang did say so last night, and His Majesty had agreed. Have you forgotten?"

Instantly, Eunuch Sang's words from noon reappeared in Jiang Yuxun's mind.

—"Master Jiang, in the future, you should be careful not to indulge in drinking too much."

Intuition told Jiang Yuxun that besides "taking a leave to go home," he must have said other outrageous things last night...

Ying Changchuan returned the document to Jiang Yuxun, and, surprisingly, did not review the memorial but instead leaned back against the jade table, smiling at him.

It seemed as if he was patiently waiting for Jiang Yuxun to recall all his words and actions from last night.

Jiang Yuxun stood frozen in place.

The events of the previous night finally emerged in his mind like a movie playing.

He had gently tugged at Ying Changchuan's sleeve, incessantly babbling into his eyes.

Ying Changchuan softly asked, "Have you remembered anything, my official?"

Jiang Yuxun instinctively held his breath, spilling out everything in his mind: "I thought that a three-year salary penalty was too harsh, not having a single day off in a month was too exhausting, the duty room is too small and not suitable for living. Besides that, I also wanted to sleep until I naturally wake up..."

My fate is sealed.

At this moment, Jiang Yuxun truly wanted to cry but had no tears.

Just as he was in despair, Ying Changchuan unexpectedly asked, "Is that all?"

Jiang Yuxun: …

There's more besides these?!