Chapter 53

Chapter 53

When Shen Yuan returned to Dashu Village, Village Head Liu had already led the group back and was busily continuing to build the houses.

"Xiao Yuan is back!"

Upon seeing Shen Yuan, Village Head Liu immediately called out to him, asking with some concern, "With today's business, did I cause you any trouble, kid?"

The original intention of bringing people to the Fan family was to back Shen Yuan up.

His thinking was simple: he couldn't let the kid face it alone.

The Lius wanted to go, and Wang Sanhu brought his kin along too. Their actions couldn't be hidden from the villagers, and once word got out, everyone said they wanted to go.

What nonsense about not being able to rent land anymore—that was all bullshit.

If the whole village stopped renting land from that landlord, it would be the landlord who'd be crying.

They were poor and hadn't seen much of the world, but they understood the principle: if they backed down now and let outsiders bully someone from their village, no one would ever take the people of Dashu Village seriously again.

Everyone would know they were weak and could step all over them.

When they arrived and saw that group of people, along with the bailiffs, Village Head Liu couldn't help but feel nervous. He was afraid that by taking matters into his own hands, he might not only fail to help but actually make things worse.

Especially later, when they were all protected behind the bailiffs.

The courtyard was littered with bodies—it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say the ground was a river of blood.

If they hadn't seen bandits looting homes before, or if some hadn't been on the battlefield, they might have been scared stiff on the spot.

Shen Yuan quickly shook his head, sincerely grateful. "Not at all! Thanks to that yell of yours, Uncle Liu, the timing for our side to act was even better. Uncle, were any of you injured?"

Village Head Liu spread his arms and turned around for Shen Yuan to see. "All in one piece, not a single scratch. That elder brother of yours kept ordering people to protect us, and some men in black were also very attentive in guarding us. Everyone's fine."

"As long as we didn't cause you trouble, that's what matters. No matter what happens in the future, Xiao Yuan, just call on us—we'll face it together without fear!"

Shen Yuan rushed over and hugged Village Head Liu, calling him "Uncle" over and over. Village Head Liu's dark face flushed red as he chuckled warmly.

"If there's any news about your aunt, let us know too."

The girl they'd watched grow up—no one could truly rest easy.

Shen Yuan nodded seriously. "Okay."

The matter with the Fan family was settled for now. They would have to wait for further news. At the moment, what Shen Yuan needed to do was go to the Xie family ancestral residence to learn characters.

Shen Yuan had actually wanted to learn the characters of Wu for a while now. Being illiterate was a bit of a hassle.

However, since most people here were illiterate, daily life wasn't particularly affected. It was just that if he wanted to write stories, using Wu script directly would save him a step and some time.

Unfortunately, he never had a way to learn. So when Xie Yulin suggested he go to the Xie family ancestral residence to learn characters, Shen Yuan was quite pleased.

The next day around noon, Shen Yuan finished lunch early at the teahouse and rode his horse to the Xie family ancestral residence. The gatekeeper saw Shen Yuan and, without asking much, respectfully led him into the courtyard.

The one teaching him was a young man. Seeing how unsmiling and upright he was, Shen Yuan guessed he was probably one of the shadow guards.

All the necessary materials for learning characters had been prepared by the Xie family.

There was even a servant specifically tasked with grinding ink, waiting on them.

Here, teaching writing wasn't systematic—they didn't learn radicals, components, phonetic symbols, or pronunciations.

The young man would write a character, tell Shen Yuan how to read it and what it meant, and then Shen Yuan would follow along, reading and writing.

Originally, the plan was to learn three to five characters a day, but unexpectedly, Shen Yuan not only had a good memory but was also very perceptive, grasping many things with just a hint.

In less than two hours, he had completely memorized twenty characters.

His handwriting wasn't very neat, but he had indeed remembered them.

"Your aptitude is excellent. If you still remember them all tomorrow, we will pick up the pace. Don't forget to practice more when you return," the young man instructed Shen Yuan before letting him leave.

The servant escorted Shen Yuan out, while the young man took the practice slips Shen Yuan had written on to the study in the main courtyard to request an audience.

On Xie Yulin's sandalwood desk lay bamboo slips covered in writing. He listened as his subordinate reported, "Shen Yuan has strong aptitude and learns quickly. It's just that his handwriting is not neat—he writes as he pleases, and it's quite messy."

Literate people of the time preferred writing that was as square and orderly as blocks.

They considered that beautiful.

Xie Yulin stared at the characters Shen Yuan had written in a free, running-hand style, looking at them for a long time. Even after his subordinate left, he couldn't tear his gaze away from what was described as "messy" handwriting.

After who knows how long, Xie Yulin called for someone to grind ink. He spread out a new bamboo slip, removed the silk gloves from his hands, and with clean, strong fingers, picked up a brush and began to write.

He was imitating Shen Yuan's handwriting.

Shen Yuan was very obedient. When told to practice writing at home, he did so diligently.

Using a small branch, he wrote back and forth on the ground in the backyard.

A burst of cheers came from the main hall. The servants the Ji family had sent to learn storytelling had fully mastered the craft and could now independently perform.

Those sent by the Xie family to learn the simplified version of "Love Between Human and Ghost" had also graduated, dispersing to various places and blending into the marketplaces.

There was one at the Qingyun County dock.

Shen Yuan had gone to listen before. When these people were learning from him, they were expressionless. But when they actually started telling stories in front of an audience, not only were their facial expressions rich, but their clothing and demeanor also completely resembled ordinary folks trying to make a living.

Nothing else could be detected—it was truly impressive.

Due to the novelty of the stories, recently in Qingyun County, from the nobility down to peddlers and laborers, everyone was discussing ghosts, life, and the afterlife.

The spread and influence were significant. When Shen Yuan returned home in the evening, he even heard people in Dashu Village talking about ghosts.

Because Auntie Liu and others went to the county dock to buy fish and heard the stories, they found them novel and interesting and came back to tell everyone. More and more people were captivated.

Shen Yuan hadn't previously told the villagers the stories he narrated. Because Wang Sanhu was also a storyteller, many knew what storytelling was, but the specific content was unclear.

Since the stories were so captivating, Village Head Liu figured Shen Yuan must know about them and specifically asked Shen Yuan if the stories were true and if ghosts really existed in the world.

Having said he would help spread the word, Shen Yuan naturally nodded.

He even supplemented some details about ghosts that hadn't been mentioned yet for the curious villagers.

Upon hearing that if someone committed enough evil deeds in life, even if they weren't punished while alive, they would face retribution after death, the faces of a few villagers who often stole from others instantly turned pale. Trembling, they asked Shen Yuan, "How are they punished after death?"

Shen Yuan's gaze swept over those men who even gave Village Head Liu headaches. "The King of Hell has many generals under him. The judge examines each person's life record—every detail is recorded there. Hell has eighteen levels of punishment, each more severe than the last. There's the Icy Hell, the Fiery Hell..."

After Shen Yuan finished describing the eighteen layers of hell, the entire room fell silent.

Wait, so it was true—after death, as a ghost, one would really be punished!

The villagers who had guilty consciences were terrified. Fortunately, Shen Yuan added at the end, "There is no greater virtue than realizing one's mistakes and correcting them. Just don't do it again in the future."

The first part was a bit hard for them to understand, but they could grasp the meaning of the latter part.

This greatly alleviated their fear.

Shen Yuan hadn't specifically added this part about the underworld and King Yama to the publicly shared *Love Between Human and Ghost*.

The system was simply too vast, and adding too much would make it hard for people to remember.

Moreover, it might cause panic and undermine the original intention of promoting ancestor worship.

After a few days of studying characters at the Xie family ancestral home, Shen Yuan could figure out many characters by analogy. Some characters also resembled traditional forms. With his good memory and diligent practice, he had already mastered most of them.

The people at the teahouse also knew that Shen Yuan was going to work as an official in the yamen. Fortunately, his schedule was relatively flexible. After handling matters at the yamen, he could still come to the teahouse.

Stories could be written anywhere, and many storytellers had been trained, so Shen Yuan could have more time to focus on writing.

Ji Pingan knew that with just a word from Xie Yulin, Shen Yuan had been given a modest official position in the yamen.

Although it involved miscellaneous tasks like record-keeping and management, it had to be said that all financial matters in the yamen had to go through the Scribe and required his approval.

It carried a certain amount of real power and status.

Moreover, since Shen Yuan was recommended by Xie Yulin, even Magistrate Pang had to bow and scrape with respect when he saw Shen Yuan.

Ji Pingan looked forward to Shen Yuan's arrival at the yamen. With his younger brother's personality, the yamen was bound to become lively.

One day, after practicing writing, Shen Yuan rubbed his sore wrist and stared at the secret guard who taught him, asking, "Master, why do you always collect the bamboo slips I practice writing on?"

After a few days of interaction, the secret guard had come to understand Shen Yuan's temperament. From initially refusing in a fluster when Shen Yuan called him "Master," he could now calmly accept the title.

He really couldn't resist this kid. Shen Yuan looked harmless and likable, but his personality was stubborn. Once he recognized someone or something, he would never easily change his mind.

Through persistent persuasion, he managed to soften the secret guard's heart and make him accept it.

However, regarding the matter Shen Yuan was asking about now, he really didn't know how to explain it to his little apprentice.

It concerned his master, and he really couldn't reveal it.

After thinking for a moment, as his master, he had no choice but to deceive his only apprentice. "Your handwriting has a unique style. I collect it to admire and copy."

He always said his handwriting wasn't bad, heh heh.

The secret guard lowered his head, using all his training to prevent Shen Yuan from seeing the expression on his face.

In reality, he always felt that Shen Yuan's handwriting was so erratic it seemed about to fly away, making it hard to read.

He preferred steady, block-like characters.

The one who truly appreciated Shen Yuan's handwriting was someone else.

"Yes, that's right. Xiao Yuan's handwriting is excellent, truly excellent," the secret guard said, rolling up the bamboo slips. After assigning Shen Yuan some homework, he claimed he had something to attend to and needed to leave.

A servant waiting nearby stepped forward and said to Shen Yuan, "Lord Shen, your official uniform has been delivered. Would you like to try it on to see if it fits?"

Shen Yuan wasn't scheduled to report to the yamen until the next day. He smiled at the servant and said, "I'm not Lord Shen yet. That will only be after I'm registered."

The servant immediately replied, "The information on your household registration certificate was updated the day after Young Master Yulin discussed it with you. Even though you haven't entered the yamen yet, Lord Shen, you are already an official, not a commoner."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan frowned slightly, his smile fading and gradually turning into concern.

"Is Fifth Uncle in the residence?"

The servant answered truthfully, "Yes, he is. Does Lord Shen wish to see Young Master Yulin?"

Shen Yuan nodded.

Without saying anything more, the servant led Shen Yuan to the study in the main courtyard.

After the guard outside went in to announce him, Shen Yuan was quickly invited inside.

Walking through the excessively tidy space, Shen Yuan's steps were somewhat hurried, quickly catching the attention of Xie Yulin, who was sitting behind the desk.

"What's the hurry?" He looked at the floor and reminded, "Walk slowly. The floor was just cleaned; if you walk too fast, you might slip."

Shen Yuan took a few large strides to the desk, his chest rising and falling slightly. He said firmly, "Fifth Uncle, I think I shouldn't take the position of Scribe after all."

Xie Yulin slowly put down the bamboo slip in his hand and leaned back, his back against the wooden chair, as he scrutinized Shen Yuan. "Why?"

The worry in Shen Yuan's eyes was unmistakable. He spoke bluntly, "I know that appointing officials requires recommendations from multiple officials. Whether it's a local minor official or a high-ranking one, it needs to be reported. However, the servant told me that you updated my household registration status the day after we spoke. Overnight, it would have been impossible to send the news to Youyang."

Xie Yulin narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at Shen Yuan, waiting for him to continue.

Shen Yuan's persuasion came out in a rush. "I've heard that you have a good relationship with His Majesty, but after all, he is the ruler of the nation. If a subject bypasses him to appoint officials, even the deepest friendship can be eroded."

The meaning was clear—he was afraid Xie Yulin would incur Emperor Wu's suspicion.

The servant standing nearby stood straight, head bowed, not daring to move.

Given Shen Yuan's status, saying such things to Xie Yulin was truly presumptuous. It was not only insubordination but also crossing boundaries.

The servant held his breath, silently telling himself not to panic. After all, it was Young Master Yulin who had instructed him to deliberately reveal that the household registration had been changed early. Presumably, Shen Yuan's current reaction was within the Young Master's plans.

Sure enough, after an eerie silence, he heard Xie Yulin's familiar cold voice retort, "You don't want to be the Scribe because you're afraid His Majesty will suspect me?"

Shen Yuan nodded frankly. "Yes."

Before Xie Yulin could react, Shen Yuan added bluntly, "What I'm more worried about is your safety, Fifth Uncle. If His Majesty becomes suspicious, you might get hurt."

They say serving a ruler is like serving a tiger. Emperor Wu might not mind now, but who knows if he might later use this as an excuse to eliminate Xie Yulin?

Shen Yuan wanted to say more—that even without official protection, he would be fine. He could just be careful every day. Moreover, with the Xie family's secret guards protecting him everywhere, there shouldn't be any major problems.

Xie Yulin looked at Shen Yuan with an unreadable expression for a while, unsure whether Shen Yuan was genuinely worried about him being punished or concerned that if he were punished, he could no longer protect Shen Yuan.

He was an unfathomable child.

Xie Yulin had no intention of dwelling on this further and directly changed the subject. "The kitchen has prepared some pastries; stay and try them. Coincidentally, the investigation into your aunt's matter is complete. I'll have someone come and tell you about it."

Shen Yuan could sense that Xie Yulin didn't want to continue the previous topic. Plus, he was eager to know about his aunt's whereabouts, so he nodded. "Alright."