Chapter 106 Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate

Chapter 106: Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate

In the height of summer, Song Tingzhou and Meng Wan returned to Huaxi Lane against the evening glow. Meng Wan stepped lightly out of the carriage, the evening breeze brushing away the trace of heat on him. He stepped forward and knocked on the tightly shut door. "Ma, we're back!"

After a short while, light footsteps approached. Bi Yun cautiously confirmed from inside, "Fulang? Is it you?"

Meng Wan felt like he was practically marinating in his own sweat and hastily replied, "It's me, Bi Yun. Open the door quickly."

Bi Yun pulled out the door bolt from inside, and as the courtyard gate opened, he was pleasantly surprised to see his masters back. "Langjun, Fulang, you're back! I'll heat up some water and make dinner."

"First heat the water; I need a bath." Meng Wan couldn't stand the smell on himself anymore.

Chang Jinhua had already lain down. Meng Wan and Song Tingzhou spoke with her through the window, not asking her to get up.

He'd bathe and rest after eating; no need to disturb her.

In their room, there was only one bathtub. Meng Wan soaked comfortably first, while Song Tingzhou and Xue Sheng roughly sorted out the stuff from the carriage.

By the time they finished, Meng Wan had also finished his bath. He dried his dripping hair with a cloth towel, watching Song Tingzhou empty his bathwater and refill the tub.

He fetched a long robe of satin cloth from the wardrobe for Song Tingzhou—the inner layer was made of plain silk gauze that Meng Wan had splurged on—eight taels a bolt. Made into undergarments for sleeping, it was soft, light, and breathable.

Now that they had money, they should enjoy themselves a little; otherwise, summer would be too unbearable.

Song Tingzhou changed and came out. Bi Yun had made cold noodles with cucumber and egg sauce and brought them directly to their room. He also took Xue Sheng's portion to the door of his room.

Eating too much at night was hard to digest, so Meng Wan only had a little over one bowl to settle his stomach.

Song Tingzhou had a large bowl; he ate two, then put the bowls back in the kitchen, brushed his teeth, and rinsed his mouth before getting into bed. Meng Wan fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

Song Tingzhou washed up, came in, pushed open the window, lit some mugwort to repel mosquitoes, let down the mosquito net, and got into bed. He half-embraced Meng Wan, fanning him, and after a while, he too fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, Chang Jinhua got up quietly, whispered a few words with Bi Yun, and the two of them, basket in hand, headed to the nearby market.

That was a good sleep. When Meng Wan woke up, he felt completely boneless.

"Zhou Lang~" He lay in bed, not wanting to get up. The morning was cool and comfortable; even with the mosquito net lifted, there were no mosquitoes.

Song Tingzhou heard him and came from the study with a cup of water. "Awake? Want to get up?"

Meng Wan took the cup and downed it in one gulp, tilting his snow-white neck back, revealing a perfect curve.

"No, want to doze a bit more." He handed the cup back, half-closing his eyes, drifting off again.

"Take your time resting." Song Tingzhou took the cup and gently stroked his jet-black hair.

Under his palm, Meng Wan was half-lying on the thin quilt, wearing light trousers and a vest-like undershirt, his round shoulders and fair arms exposed, slender fingers clutching the corner of the blanket. It was a perfectly normal scene, but with his alluring face, it carried an inexplicable sexual tension.

A dark look surged in Song Tingzhou's eyes. He kept watch beside him for a while, and only when his breathing grew even did he return to the study.

The courtyard was peaceful and still. Even Xue Sheng, who usually got up early to practice martial arts, didn't make a sound.

When Chang Jinhua returned, Meng Wan learned a shocking secret from her and Bi Yun.

"That new concubine the Jiang family took is gone. So young, just like that, and she was gone." Chang Jinhua sighed heavily.

"Really?" Meng Wan's expression was calm—after all, he had long ago learned from Xiao Liu that he had killed Concubine Tao, and there was another person who was seriously injured.

"And what about Master Jiang?"

As Bi Yun cleaned the fish in a basin, he said, "After Concubine Tao died, Master Jiang seemed to be ill for a while. It was only a few days ago that he recovered a bit and went back to the shop." He was getting more and more skilled at cooking, and he did housework efficiently. He handled many things now, and quite properly.

Meng Wan's lips curled into a sly smile. "Oh, ill for a while, huh?"

Chang Jinhua asked suspiciously, "Do you know something about the Jiang family?"

Meng Wan put on a straight face. "No, I don't. I just thought of something funny, hahaha!"

Throughout the latter part of August, there was finally not a single day of rain. The blazing sun seemed intent on scorching the earth until it cracked.

Though the weather was so hot, both Meng Wan and Song Tingzhou felt relieved.

The heavens were uncooperative, but at least it gave commoners a chance to catch their breath.

Song Tingzhou would soon go to the capital for the metropolitan exam, and Teacher Nie would frequently call him to Kongmo Bookshop for extra lessons.

Every month, Kongmo Bookshop received official gazettes from Shengjing. Teacher Nie would also analyze the situation in Shengjing and its pros and cons with Song Tingzhou.

Of course, it was only a broad overview; when it came to sensitive topics, both would stop talking.

Thus, when Song Tingzhou saw the August gazette, he learned that Vice Censor-in-Chief, the third-rank Lord Wang of the Censorate, had been sent by the King to the Northern Lands early last month to inspect the entire north on behalf of the monarch.

Fengtian was the first stop, Jianping Prefecture the second, and the third, barring any surprises, would be Changping, which bordered Fengtian.

So the person Xiao Liu had seen earlier in Prefect Wu's study must have been a colleague who came to tip off Prefect Wu. The entire bureaucracy of Changping Prefecture had long been complicit with Prefect Wu.

"Birds of a feather flock together" was not a compliment here.

In early August, Prefect Wu received the news early and began preparations. So, as expected, this ten-day to half-month inspection wouldn't uncover the true state of Changping Prefecture.

Song Tingzhou was used to this kind of disappointment.

At the end of August, Imperial Censor Lord Wang arrived in Changping and was warmly welcomed into the prefectural office by Prefect Wu. The two old foxes would surely probe each other—something beyond what Song Tingzhou and Meng Wan could reach. For now, they had to focus on their own lives.

"They'll be going to the capital soon. It will be cold by then, and they'll have to spend the winter in Shengjing, so they need to bring thick clothes." Chang Jinhua and Bi Yun were packing the luggage for the capital trip, muttering words of worry. Her son had only just returned, and now he would soon be leaving again.

Meng Wan grabbed a peach, eating it as he said, "Ma, aren't you preparing too early? There's still a month to go."

Chang Jinhua rummaged through the clothes. "A month early? Let's see what's missing so we can buy more." This was all she could do for the children.

Meng Wan couldn't bear to see the worry in her eyes. He pulled her up, called Bi Yun, and said they were going to the theater to watch a play. Chang Jinhua was so bugged by him that she had no choice but to drop what she was doing and go with him.

As soon as they stepped out, they ran into Jiang Fulang carrying his child. The tiny baby, only four months old, was as delicate as jade, dressed in fine soft satin, held in Jiang Fulang's arms, his dark, pure round eyes curiously exploring the world around him.

Meng Wan stepped forward to talk to Jiang Fulang, and the baby kept arching his body, wanting Meng Wan to hold him.

Meng Wan fumbled as he took the baby, his movements flustered and clumsy, making everyone laugh.

When Master Jiang returned from his shop, he didn't look too happy. Seeing outsiders there, he forced a smile. "The child is too young; it's not good to keep him in the sun too long. Better to take him inside."

Maybe because he knew in his heart that Xiao Liu had done the dirty work, Meng Wan felt that Master Jiang's beard had thinned quite a bit.

"Ma and I are going to the theater to see a show, so we'll head off now."

Jiang Fulang handed the child to a servant, caught up with Meng Wan, and said, "Going to the theater? That's perfect—I haven't gone in ages. Let's go together."

Master Jiang stared at him in disbelief. "You're going to watch a play? And what about Yu'er?"

Jiang Fulang smoothed out the wrinkles from holding the baby. "There are plenty of servants at home. Not everything has to be done by me."

Master Jiang's chest rose and fell a couple of times, but he held himself back, merely staring fixedly at Jiang Fulang's back, a trace of regret in his eyes.

——

When Meng Wan and the others arrived at the tile-roofed market, they found a drama theater to enter. He actually preferred listening to storytelling over watching operas, but Chang Jinhua enjoyed the plays. Since they were heading to Shengjing in early October, he figured he should spend more time with her.

Once inside, Meng Wan got a private box. The previous play was wrapping up, and the next one required a little while, so he took Bi Yun outside to buy some snacks.

Bi Yun carried the items behind him, and they walked back single file.

"Well, if it isn't Meng Fulang. Fancy meeting you here." The owner of Baojin Studio, clad in purple, sauntered out of a theater, followed by a big-headed, potbellied man eyeing Meng Wan lecherously.

Meng Wan held the preserved cherries, thought hard for a moment, and then suddenly realized, "So it's Baojin..."

He stopped mid-sentence and stammered, "Sorry, what was your surname again?"

The young man in purple hissed through clenched teeth, "It's Liu."

Meng Wan understood, "Right, right, right. Same surname as Prefect Wu's wife. Silly me."

The owner of Baojin Studio had both parents alive, so for Meng Wan to say he shared a surname with his aunt was a subtle jab, implying he was lording it over others by relying on the Wu family's influence through his aunt.

His face changed instantly, but he didn't want to make a scene on the street arguing with a xiaoge like that. He snorted coldly and said, "Now all over the prefectural city, word is spreading about Scholar Qingxiao's ability to bring dead things to life with his writing. Who knows if this word will blow all the way to Shengjing."

Meng Wan couldn't have asked for more. He said sincerely, "If you don't help me spread the word, and it does reach Shengjing, I'll probably make a tidy profit."

Believing Meng Wan was just putting up a brave front, the Baojin Studio owner passed by him and muttered grimly, "After all, you're just a xiaoge. Don't just think about making money. If your husband's official career is ruined because of this, I doubt the Song family will tolerate you."

Zhang Jizu lagged a few steps behind, his eyes casting a disgusting, slimy gaze at Meng Wan. "If Brother Song finds fault with you, I am willing to take you as a secondary wife."

Meng Wan nearly puked from disgust. These two were like grasshoppers after autumn—he could endure a few more years, and once Prefect Wu fell from power, he'd have plenty of ways to settle the score with them.

"Do you know you look like pickled cabbage fish?" — meaning sour, pathetic, and superfluous.

Running into these two ruined Meng Wan's mood for the play, but he was good at hiding it, so nobody noticed.

When they returned home in the evening, Chang Jinhua and Bi Yun got dinner ready. After returning from the prefectural school, Song Tingzhou first changed his clothes and then headed to Kongmo Bookshop, because he had gotten some inspiration for the essay Teacher Nie had assigned last time.

He politely greeted everyone he knew, as well as those he didn't, then headed straight upstairs.

Master Nie nodded as he read the finished essay. "Not bad."

"If it were the year I took the imperial exams, this essay would have placed among the top."

Song Tingzhou remained calm, showing no arrogance. "The metropolitan exam is full of talented candidates. Even if I fail, I'm prepared to try again in three years."

"Ah, in my youth, I was not as composed as you." Master Nie's gaze grew distant. He had once been young, brilliant, and arrogant, but he had a rude awakening, learning that beyond the sky, there were not only bright suns and auspicious clouds but many treacherous and strange phenomena.

"Keeping your feet on the ground and steady progress naturally avoid mistakes, but the soaring ambition of youth—that is even more admirable."

A warm, steady voice came from outside the door, followed by unhurried footsteps.

Master Nie suddenly remembered something and immediately stood up with Song Tingzhou to greet the newcomer. "Could it be Lord Wang, the Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate?"

The footsteps paused, and a middle-aged man with an elegant demeanor and a beard stepped out from behind the screen.

"Xiuyuan, we haven't seen each other for years."

Lord Wang had been Master Nie's examiner during the imperial exams, so Master Nie could call him his mentor. They had met a few times in Shengjing in earlier days, and Master Nie hadn't expected Lord Wang to still remember him.

Seeing that it was indeed a third-rank official of the court, Master Nie promptly motioned for Song Tingzhou to bow with him.

Lord Wang helped them up. "Enough, we are not in the yamen or officialdom. No need for those empty formalities."

The three sat down. Lord Wang picked up the completed policy essay on the table, read it over, and pointed at Song Tingzhou. "Is this a disciple you've taken on? The essay is well written. What is his name?"

Seeing that Lord Wang had misunderstood, Master Nie explained, "I am merely a humble teacher at the prefectural school; I shouldn't hinder these kids' futures. He is a student at the prefectural school, named Song Tingzhou, and he hasn't yet taken a style name."

He himself was only a jinshi without an official post. In his eyes, Song Tingzhou would have great achievements ahead and could have the opportunity to study under a renowned teacher. Offering occasional guidance was fine, but how could he ruin the boy's future?

Lord Wang stroked his beard and smiled kindly. "Song Tingzhou? Not bad. A youth is to be regarded with awe."

Song Tingzhou stood up humbly and said, "You praise me too much, my lord." His bearing was straight and strong; he had completely shed his youthful immaturity and become more handsome and steady.

"I said today we're not going to observe those tedious formalities. Sit down."

Lord Wang was completely without airs. He chatted freely with Master Nie in Kongmo Bookshop about everything under the sun until late at night before letting the two go their separate ways.

Meng Wan guessed that Song Tingzhou might be late due to studying with Master Nie, so he had dinner with Chang Jinhua first, then sent Xue Sheng to wait outside Kongmo Bookshop.

By the time it was a quarter past the Hai hour (around 9:15 PM), the clatter of horse hooves came from the front door.

Meng Wan had already washed up and was practicing calligraphy in the study while waiting. Hearing the sound, he draped a robe over his shoulders, picked up an oil lamp, and went out. "Why so late today?"

Usually, when Song Tingzhou went to see Teacher Nie to discuss studies, he would return by the latest at Xu hour. Today, it was pitch black outside.

Song Tingzhou was silent for a moment. "Mm, it was a bit late today."