Chapter 75: The Rural Lord

Chapter 75: The Rural Lord

When Qiu Huanian arrived at Qingfeng Academy, it was nearly evening. The academy's teachers had already finished their lectures, leaving the students to study on their own.

Qiu Huanian explained his purpose to the gatekeeper at the mountain gate, and soon Du Yunse came out.

Du Yunse was dressed in a white upper garment with a green collar, black lower garment, and a slim waist belt. Over it, he wore the lake-green outer robe of Qingfeng Academy. He walked gracefully in the sunset, as refined as jade.

"Brother Hua, what brings you here? Has something happened at home?"

Qiu Huanian shook his head, tugging at Du Yunse's sleeve. "Let Old Man Zhou watch the carriage. Come with me for a walk."

The mountain was alive with blooming flowers and lush plants, and a stream babbled nearby. Unidentified birds chirped from the shade of the trees.

Qiu Huanian told Du Yunse about the day's events, and Du Yunse squeezed his hand tighter.

"Are you doing something I don't know about?"

"If it's inconvenient, you don't need to tell me now," Qiu Huanian said, gently covering Du Yunse's lips.

"Today, I just wanted to see you."

Qiu Huanian smiled gently amidst the scenic mountains and flowing water.

Du Yunse's deep eyes fixed on him.

"Three days from now."

"What?"

"Three days from now is the next day off. I'll accompany you to Mr. Gu's place to get a new medical prescription, and then we can enjoy some time together."

Qiu Huanian blinked.

Did this mean the issue would be resolved within three days?

Du Yunse stood with his back to the sunset, his handsome and noble face hidden in shadow, his silhouette sharp as a sword.

But the eyes that gazed at Qiu Huanian still held the familiar warmth and admiration.

"If you could tell me just one thing, what would it be?"

Du Yunse said softly, "Not long after arriving in the city, I received an imperial decree."

Qiu Huanian's heart missed a beat. Though he had thought of this possibility before, he still felt anxious.

Du Yunse took his hand and kissed it tenderly.

"Brother Hua, concentrate on growing your cotton, writing your books, and realizing your dreams for the people. I will definitely protect you."

This wasn't the first time Du Yunse had vowed to protect Qiu Huanian, but this time, Qiu Huanian felt it more profoundly.

In places beyond Qiu Huanian's sight, Du Yunse had already accomplished much in silence.

Qiu Huanian realized that after returning from the abrupt changes in the capital, Du Yunse had spent a year in quiet preparation and refinement. Both his temperament and plans had reached a higher level.

Qiu Huanian, who had been living a steady life by his side, hadn't noticed this right away, as he was too close to see the broader view.

What kind of person had Du Yunse become, away from Qiu Huanian's sight, shedding his gentle exterior?

Qiu Huanian thought of this and felt a tinge of excitement.

Du Yunse, who spoke of the imperial envoy and the imperial edict without changing his expression, calmly mentioning the three-day deadline, presented a stark contrast to his usual demeanor, making him all the more intriguing.

Qiu Huanian returned home feeling both hopeful and at ease.

On the first day, a messenger from the estate arrived to inform him that the steward from the imperial envoy's residence had come to demand Wei Li. Qiu Huanian did not tell the distraught Wei Li about this, making up an excuse to buy some time.

Su Xinbai told Qiu Huanian that Zhao Tianyu had identified several merchants from Liaozhou involved in border smuggling, all of whom had been raided and imprisoned, sowing fear among the merchants.

On the second day, Zhao Tianyu visited Su Yi, the Left Administration Commissioner of Liaozhou, and left looking quite pleased. Shortly after, Su Yi claimed to be ill and took a leave of absence, not going to the yamen.

Meanwhile, rumors began to circulate among the locals of Xiangping Prefecture that the imperial envoy intended to move grain from the official granaries to the border, with the shortfall to be made up by increased taxes on the people of Liaozhou. Qiu Huanian heard this from Auntie Qiao when she returned from the market and frowned.

On the third day, Qiu Huanian kept Jiu Jiu and Chun Sheng home from school, sending Old Man Zhou to the schools to excuse their absence.

He felt uneasy, and the rest of the family, unaware of the reason, stayed put in the main house, waiting.

After lunch, shocking news finally reached the household.

The streets were already buzzing with chatter.

"Our imperial envoy in Xiangping Prefecture has been raided!"

"How is that possible? Don't the plays say the imperial envoy wields the Emperor's sword? Who could raid an imperial envoy?"

"Everyone saw it happen in broad daylight—how could it be a lie? The military command sent troops to surround the imperial envoy's residence. Rumor has it the leader is a very young scholar."

"To challenge an imperial envoy, could it be another imperial envoy?"

"Who knows? It's said the charge for the raid is corruption and abuse of power. He stole so much and even tried to use the people's grain for the granaries—he got what he deserved!"

"I heard that many big merchants in Liaozhou sent him countless treasures and antiques to protect themselves. Imagine the sight of all those treasures being seized!"

...

In the center of Xiangping Prefecture, the imperial envoy's residence, located in the bustling market, was surrounded by soldiers.

The soldiers responsible for the raid rounded up the imperial envoy's family in one spot, with several beautiful concubines trembling in tears.

Zhao Tianyu sat alone in the main hall, a half-empty cup of tea beside him. The imperial edict had not yet arrived, so no one dared to move against him.

From the flat stone path in the courtyard came the sound of unhurried footsteps.

Zhao Tianyu looked up. The sunlight outside was glaring, and he blinked several times before he could make out the appearance of the newcomer.

"...Du Yunse, so you are indeed the Crown Prince's man. The Emperor still holds affection for the Crown Prince," Zhao Tianyu's voice was hoarse and dark.

Du Yunse wore the lake-green robe of Qingfeng Academy, looking every bit the carefree scholar.

He stood outside the door, gazing down at Zhao Tianyu with a look of pity, as if gazing at a pitiful, failed actor. That pity deeply stung Zhao Tianyu.

"The victors write history, the losers are vilified. No need for further words, just announce the edict."

Du Yunse raised his hand to halt the soldiers behind him.

"Lord Zhao, do you think your defeat today is solely due to factional strife?"

"What else could it be?" Zhao Tianyu roared. "I have been loyal to the court. If not for your meddling and the evidence you fabricated, how could I have ended up like this?"

"Utterly loyal." Du Yunse slowly uttered these four words.

"Using the title of imperial envoy to extort merchants and amass wealth, those without connections or hefty bribes were indiscriminately raided and imprisoned. Is this your loyalty, Lord Zhao?"

Zhao Tianyu sneered, "So what? I was executing the emperor's orders to discipline the merchants of Liaozhou, which is within my authority! Merchants are mere lowly commoners; when one group is caught, another will take their place. As long as I perform my duties and curb border smuggling, such minor issues are of little consequence."

"And what about repeatedly exploiting the people, intending to siphon grain from the official granaries for personal gain? How do you explain that, Lord Zhao?"

Zhao Tianyu spoke with conviction, "The majority of the grain from the official granaries is sent to the border. I only took a tiny portion, which is negligible. The accusation of exploiting the people is unfounded. Without us, the imperial officials, guiding the ignorant masses with the wisdom of sages, how could the common people benefit? It's simply asking them to contribute a bit more of what they've gained through our benevolence."

"Since my arrival in Liaozhou, I've severed smuggling routes and replenished border supplies, working diligently without a single error."

"Du Yunse, stop your pretentious, twisted rhetoric!"

Du Yunse slowly nodded, a smile curling at the corners of his lips, though it did not reach his eyes.

"Lord Zhao, you are truly irredeemable."

"You—"

"In your view, merchants are lowly, farmers are ignorant, and only scholars are noble."

"Yet it is precisely these so-called ignorant and lowly people who sustain parasites such as yourself, who neither farm nor labor, living high above. Lord Zhao, you likely can't even distinguish the five grains in the fields. How can you have the audacity to claim that you guide the farmers?"

"...Nonsense, utter nonsense!"

Du Yunse shook his head and took out a bright yellow imperial edict from his sleeve.

"I have no need to argue with you."

"The imperial envoy was tasked with investigating merchants, and I am tasked with investigating the imperial envoy."

"Let Lord Zhao know that in my eyes, no common person is a trivial matter."

He unfurled the edict and added, "This decree has been in my possession for a month. Your performance over the past month has been truly spectacular."

"You—"

"Don't expect Left Administration Commissioner Su to come to your rescue. The evidence you have against him has always been fake. The flaw in the Zhu family was intentionally leaked to you by Zhu Jingcheng."

The light, cutting words were the final straw that broke the camel's back.

Zhao Tianyu's mind was in turmoil, watching Du Yunse's lips move but hearing nothing.

Dismissal, confiscation of property, branding, and exile were now inevitable.

Along with the arrangements of Zhao Tianyu's backers in the border regions, most were uprooted in one fell swoop.

The raiding party worked until late at night, sealing and transporting dozens of carts of gold, silver, and treasures from the residence. The amount accumulated in just half a year was staggering.

Du Yunse returned home under the night sky, seeing the lights still on in the main room, and quickly walked in.

"I thought you wouldn't return today."

"I knew you were waiting; how could I not come back?"

"Is everything done?"

"That's done for now." Du Yunse pulled Qiu Huanian to sit down, momentarily at a loss for words.

Qiu Huanian yawned lightly, "If it's hard to talk about, let's just sleep for now. You must have been busy for days on end."

"Alright, I'll go boil water for you."

Qiu Huanian chuckled, "People out there are raving about how incredible the mysterious young imperial envoy is. Who would've guessed that when he gets home, he still has to boil his own water. If people found out, they'd probably be floored."

"What's the big deal about boiling water for my own husband?"

Du Yunse returned with the water, let down Qiu Huanian's cloud-like long hair, and held him close while helping to comb his hair.

Qiu Huanian, who had also been tense all day, snuggled comfortably into Du Yunse's arms, squinting and nuzzling against him.

Du Yunse had to hold him tighter to keep him from slipping off.

"What's next after all this?"

"Of course, I'll keep studying for the imperial exams."

Qiu Huanian pouted in dissatisfaction, "You're not even officially hired yet, and you're already working for the court without a paycheck. What a rip-off."

Du Yunse chuckled at his words, his deep, pleasant laugh making the candle flame flicker.

"Who says there's no salary?" Du Yunse mimicked Qiu Huanian's phrasing.

Qiu Huanian's eyes lit up, immediately perking up, "Is there a reward? Gold and silver?"

Du Yunse tapped his nose, "You little money-grubber."

"I've got a family to support, so I can't help being a bit money-minded," Qiu Huanian argued logically.

Du Yunse's eyes were filled with tenderness, "Not gold or silver, but I've secured an edict for Brother Hua. It'll make supporting the family much easier in the future."

"What?"

"I submitted a report on the cotton issue, asking the Emperor to grant you the title of Township Lord first. Once the agricultural book is officially presented, there'll be even greater rewards."

Qiu Huanian knew that the Yu Dynasty's titles for women and men came in four tiers.

They were Princess, County Princess, District Princess, and Township Lord.

The Emperor's children were Princesses, the Prince's children were County Princesses, the children of Princes and Dukes were District Princesses, and the children of concubines were Township Lords.

In addition, women and men who made significant contributions to the court could also be conferred the titles of Township Lord or District Princess. Higher titles were reserved for royalty.

For Qiu Huanian, the Township Lord title meant not just a monthly stipend but, more importantly, the ability to do things that were previously out of reach.