Chapter 46: Getting to Work

Chapter 46: Getting to Work

After the New Year, the atmosphere in Xinfeng County relaxed. The New Year always brings a few days of rest and visiting relatives. Zheng Shanci's family was at home, while Yu Lanyi's family and relatives were in the capital. He was lucky to get a good night's sleep after the New Year's Eve celebration, without the need to visit relatives for New Year greetings.

Both the Duke of Ying and the Marquis of Changyang had lots of relatives. Yu Lanyi usually spent the New Year visiting relatives, but now he found it comfortable to stay in bed and sleep in.

Zheng Shanci also didn't get up early this time. Although he dozed off during the celebration, he didn't sleep well. With the rare seven-day holiday for the New Year, Zheng Shanci didn't want to get up early either.

The two of them slept until noon.

After Jin Yun attended to them, they got up and had lunch. Zheng Qingyin saw his second brother and his wife getting up so late, but as a junior, he didn't say anything. His eldest brother and sister-in-law had already gone to the Zheng family's food shop early in the morning.

Yu Lanyi thought for a moment and said, "Qingyin, do you want to go to the temple in the outskirts to offer incense? There's a beautiful plum blossom garden in the temple's backyard. I haven't seen it, but Xu Geer told me about it."

On the first day of the New Year, many people go to the temple, making it lively. Yu Lanyi loved the lively atmosphere.

Zheng Qingyin had never been to the town's temple fairs before, but now, hearing Yu Lanyi's suggestion, he felt like going to see it. Zheng Shanci had nothing pressing to do recently, so naturally, he followed the two to the temple.

That afternoon, they took a carriage, with Jin Yun buying a basket of incense and candles.

Zheng Shanci, recalling Yu Lanyi's tendency to overspend, reminded him, "Don't overspend on the incense money."

Zheng Qingyin also noticed his brother's wife's generosity.

Yu Lanyi was annoyed and embarrassed by Zheng Shanci's reminder in front of Zheng Qingyin.

He said, "I know."

He shot Zheng Shanci a defiant look, raising his chin.

Zheng Shanci: "..."

As expected, the temple was crowded. Their carriage inched forward, and a young monk greeted them upon arrival. Zheng Shanci spotted scholars in flowing robes paying homage to Manjushri Bodhisattva, as well as many women and young men praying to the Matchmaker. There were also couples praying to the Goddess of Fertility.

Zheng Shanci went to the side room, while Yu Lanyi and Zheng Qingyin went to worship the Buddha. Bored, he strolled through the corridor and saw a familiar figure tugging at a young monk. Zheng Shanci quietly followed.

Deputy Magistrate Qi and the young monk slipped into a secluded spot, away from prying eyes. Zheng Shanci hid behind a rockery.

"Was there any trouble transporting the gold and silver this time?" Deputy Magistrate Qi looked around and whispered.

"Don't worry, Deputy Magistrate Qi. This isn't the first time we've worked together. We stored the gold and silver in an abandoned temple in the outskirts, so you don't need to worry. Besides, even if we get caught, there's no evidence against you," the young monk cooed.

Deputy Magistrate Qi chuckled. That's why he trusted his lover with his gold and silver. His wife enjoyed worshipping Buddha, so he had his lover placed in the temple, allowing them to meet occasionally, finding it thrilling to do so in a sacred place.

Zheng Shanci silently memorized the location.

Deputy Magistrate Qi and the young monk, overcome with emotion, embraced.

Zheng Shanci shuddered and slipped away unnoticed.

He had only read about such things in books and was shocked to witness such misconduct in a temple. He planned to tell Archivist Zhu as soon as he got back and assemble a trusted team to retrieve the gold and silver from the abandoned temple for public use.

Yu Lanyi and Zheng Qingyin went to worship the Buddha together. Yu Lanyi followed Zheng Shanci's advice and held back on donating too much. He thought about saving some money to buy new jewelry in the future.

Zheng Qingyin prayed for his family's well-being. Yu Lanyi became solemn in front of the Buddha, praying for his family's safety and Zheng Shanci's prosperous future. Only if Zheng Shanci had a bright future could Yu Lanyi return to the capital, a fact Yu Lanyi was well aware of.

After Zheng Qingyin and Yu Lanyi were done, many others stepped forward to pray. Zheng Qingyin thought for a moment and said, "Sister-in-law, since we're here, do you want to worship the Goddess of Fertility?"

The Goddess of Fertility?

He hasn't consummated his relationship with Zheng Shanci yet, and now he's supposed to go and pray to the Goddess of Childbirth? Yu Lanyi's face turned a deep shade of red.

He said, "We're not in any rush."

Yu Lanyi pulled Zheng Qingyin to pray for marital blessings.

Zheng Qingyin, still harboring some hope for marital blessings, closed his eyes and knelt down devoutly.

The two men returned to their room, and Zheng Shanci brought in vegetarian food.

"Let's have the vegetarian meal first."

After finishing the meal, Yu Lanyi privately tugged at Zheng Shanci's hand: "I need to talk to you about something."

Zheng Shanci followed Yu Lanyi, and the two walked out of the room alone.

Yu Lanyi: "Should we go pray to the Goddess of Childbirth?"

Zheng Shanci's mind was still on Deputy Magistrate Qi's matter. Hearing Yu Lanyi suggest praying to the Goddess of Childbirth, he was momentarily stunned, and his ears immediately turned red.

"We haven't done that yet, so praying might not do much good," Zheng Shanci whispered vaguely.

Yu Lanyi also lowered his voice: "Let's just go pray, since we're here."

Zheng Shanci thought about it and followed Yu Lanyi's steps. They went to the temple of the Goddess of Childbirth to pray, occasionally seeing young couples and pairs coming to pray together, which made Zheng Shanci feel a bit embarrassed.

This was blatantly telling everyone that they wanted children.

Yu Lanyi and Zheng Shanci walked in and asked for incense. After praying to the Goddess of Childbirth, they both felt a flutter of nervousness.

The three of them went to the temple to offer incense. On the way back, Zheng Qingyin noticed that the atmosphere had become somewhat strange. His sister-in-law spoke to him without making eye contact with his brother, and whenever she met her brother-in-law's gaze, she would dodge.

Zheng Qingyin had eaten vegetarian food and prayed to the Buddha, and he was already very satisfied. After talking with Zheng Shanci and Yu Lanyi for a while, he retreated to his room. Zheng Shanci had also given the textile workshop a holiday, so Zheng Qingyin didn't need to go to the workshop these days. He discussed some embroidery patterns with his colleagues at the workshop, hoping to embroider new designs. In winter, they made cotton clothes, and by spring, they would also make fabrics. The manager treated him with great courtesy, and Zheng Qingyin became more and more cheerful.

Zheng Shanci: "I need to step out for a bit today, I'll be back in the evening. Don't bother saving dinner for me."

Zheng Shanci was thinking about the matter of the ruined temple. This time, he would seize the gold and silver that Deputy Magistrate Qi was trying to transport out, and he imagined how livid Deputy Magistrate Qi would be. Yu Lanyi looked at Zheng Shanci's back and pouted.

"Always busy, that's all you ever are," Yu Lanyi was angry.

Jin Yun: "Young master, a colleague of Lord Zheng has sent New Year gifts."

Yu Lanyi said: "Log them in the inventory and select a few gifts of comparable value to send back."

It's acceptable to decline gifts on regular days, but it's not good not to accept them during the New Year. After accepting and returning gifts, there's nothing wrong to pick on. Yu Lanyi returned to his room, and he dawdled as he took out a picture book from the bedside table to look at, his heart filled with longing and desire.

But the thought of Zheng Shanci's indifference chilled his heart. And in the bitter cold of winter, he had no desire to budge.

...

Zheng Shanci instructed Archivist Zhu to lead a team to set up an ambush in the ruined temple, with sentries posted. When night fell, they would go to the ruined temple to seize Deputy Magistrate Qi's gold and silver. There was nothing in the ruined temple, and Zheng Shanci guessed it was underground. He observed that the Buddha's arm in the temple was spotless, free of any dust. His curiosity piqued, he twisted the Buddha's arm, uncovering a hidden passage beneath.

Archivist Zhu had the Yamen Runners go in first.

"Lord Zheng, Lord Zhu, it's full of boxes inside."

Archivist Zhu: "Bring the boxes up."

The Yamen Runners responded, and there were a total of ten boxes. Zheng Shanci signaled one of the Yamen Runners to open one of the boxes. The Yamen Runner used a hammer to break the lock, and when the box was opened, it was full of silver.

Zheng Shanci said, "Open another box and have a look."

The yamen runners gulped nervously and, as instructed, opened another box, which was filled with jewelry and ornaments. The remaining eight boxes were likely no different.

"Take all of this to the yamen's treasury."

"Yes, Lord Zheng."

This kind of wealth couldn’t have been amassed overnight; it must have been Deputy Magistrate Qi's ill-gotten gains over a long period. Zheng Shanci had been fretting over the silver problem, and now Deputy Magistrate Qi had conveniently handed it over to him. Zheng Shanci was in a great mood.

Archivist Zhu whispered, "Lord Zheng, isn’t this too obvious? Aren’t we tipping them off?"

Zheng Shanci, however, was blunt: "Archivist Zhu, look at all this gold and silver. Who would dare come to the yamen to claim it? We’ll just claim it was dug up from under the ruined temple and seized for public use."

If anyone dared to claim the gold and silver, Zheng Shanci would track them down and wipe them out.

Archivist Zhu: "..."

The yamen runners carried the ten boxes of gold, silver, and jewelry back to the yamen. The yamen was still closed for the holidays, with only rotating yamen runners guarding it in case of emergencies. The guards at the yamen saw their colleagues gleefully hauling boxes over but still barked orders at them.

They quickly told the warehouse keeper to unlock the treasury.

The warehouse keeper unlocked the treasury, and the yamen runners carried the boxes inside. Zheng Shanci had several boxes opened, all filled with jewelry, ornaments, and silver. Zheng Shanci smirked to himself, thinking about how much had been embezzled, but unfortunately, there was no concrete evidence. He then got an idea, called Archivist Zhu over, and whispered something in his ear. Archivist Zhu nodded and instructed several yamen runners to guard the ruined temple and capture the monk.

He took three silver ingots, each worth ten taels, making thirty taels in total. Zheng Shanci knew these yamen runners were taking a gamble by siding with him. Once his three-year term was up, he would leave, but they would still have to live here. Therefore, Zheng Shanci planned to bring down the four major families within three years.

He couldn’t let his followers face payback down the line. Zheng Shanci always thought several steps ahead.

"Split these three silver ingots among yourselves."

"Thank you, Lord Zheng!"

"Lord Zheng is too kind!"

The yamen runners, now with silver in hand, grew even more devoted to Zheng Shanci.

...

That night, the moment the monk appeared, Archivist Zhu and his men nabbed him. With him were several burly men hauling a carriage, likely meant to move the boxes, and they were all rounded up. Lord Zheng's intention was not to imprison them in the yamen's jail but to detain them elsewhere.

Archivist Zhu led the men back, and the yamen runners handed him the three silver ingots to distribute.

Archivist Zhu split the money evenly, not taking a single extra coin for himself.

He pocketed the money, planning to save up so he could hire a matchmaker next year to find him a wife. He had been in Xinfeng County for many years, and he was no longer young. It was time to find a companion.

In winter, sleeping alone felt cold and empty. He was an orphan; his parents had died during a famine, and he was the only one of his siblings to survive. Thinking about others joyfully celebrating the New Year while he sat alone at home filled him with a deep, unshakable loneliness.

Zheng Shanci knew Deputy Magistrate Qi was corrupt, but he hadn’t expected this level of greed. This time, Zheng Shanci had wrongfully accused Deputy Magistrate Qi, as the gold and silver being transported belonged to all four families, not just the Qi family. Otherwise, the Qi family alone couldn't have amassed so much.

Originally, this batch of gold and silver was supposed to be transported out this year, but due to the arrival of the new county magistrate, they had been cautious. Only when they let their guard down during the New Year did Deputy Magistrate Qi hurry to transport the gold and silver.

By sheer chance, Zheng Shanci had stumbled upon it.

Zheng Shanci ate a bowl of chicken wontons outside. The wonton shop had been open for over ten years and was a well-known establishment in Xinfeng County. Zheng Shanci’s wontons were ready, topped with a sprinkle of green onions and a drizzle of sesame oil, their aroma filling the air.

After finishing his meal, he went home. Yu Lanyi was lying in bed reading a book. Zheng Shanci gave him a rare glance, thinking, "Is Yu Lanyi being this well-behaved?"

Zheng Shanci finished washing up and lay down, exhausted from the day and wanting to sleep early. Yu Lanyi put down his book, poked Zheng Shanci, and asked, "Zheng Shanci, have you ever thought about that?"

At the mention of this, Zheng Shanci was no longer sleepy; he was wide awake.

"I have thought about it," Zheng Shanci said carefully.

"Doesn’t it hurt to go in?" Yu Lanyi hesitated and asked.

"There’s scented ointment to help," Zheng Shanci replied.

Yu Lanyi nodded thoughtfully, as if settling a big question: "Alright, let's sleep then."

Zheng Shanci got up to blow out the candle, hugged Yu Lanyi, and kissed him.

Yu Lanyi touched Zheng Shanci's throat: "When the weather gets warmer, I won't be afraid of the cold anymore."

Zheng Shanci replied, "I’ll be very careful."

Blushing, he added, "It’s my first time too."

Yu Lanyi’s face flushed, and he playfully punched Zheng Shanci.

"Let's sleep."

Zheng Shanci: "..."

Deputy Magistrate Qi hadn’t yet noticed that his gold and silver treasures had been stolen. By the time he came to his senses, the other three families had already shown up. When Deputy Magistrate Qi found out Zheng Shanci had taken the boxes from the ruined temple to the county treasury, he was furious.

This time it was his mistake, and he had no choice but to calm down the other three families, enduring their sarcastic remarks. Deputy Magistrate Qi was so angry he was beside himself, but he still had to clean up the mess.

"What should we do now? Send someone to get the boxes back?" Patriarch Xia’s greed was still evident.

"If you go like this, Zheng Shanci will catch you and take you down, making you suffer in silence," Patriarch Cheng said gravely. "We must not let any word of this leak out."

Patriarch Gao sneered, "We thought Zheng Shanci only wanted to make some political achievements in Xin Feng County to get promoted, but apparently he wants to oppose us."

"Since Zheng Shanci wants to show his true colors, we won’t be paper tigers either."

Patriarch Xia still remembered the enthusiasm with which they had welcomed Zheng Shanci, and he still felt some fear. He had heard that Zheng Shanci personally visited General Yu when he arrived and even saw him off. Connecting this with the fact that Zheng Shanci's husband also had the surname Yu, Patriarch Xia felt even more uncertain and did not echo Patriarch Gao's words.

Even if Patriarch Cheng is a retired governor, having ties to the Yu family—whether you’re retired or not—would be enough to ruin you.