Chapter 123

Chapter 123

"Everything ready?"

Nan Wuxie indeed couldn't stand that. He wanted Wen Buchi to always keep a place for him in his heart, sharing everything naturally—good or bad, the first person he thought of should be Nan Wuxie.

He wanted to be the one who didn't need to be weighed or waited for "preparedness" to share everything.

"No, Wen Buchi, you can't treat me like this." He leaned forward, his gaze locked onto the man opposite, his voice filled with exaggerated grievance and accusation. "What do you take me for? Am I a stranger who has to wait for you to have 'everything ready' to know your movements?"

Wen Buchi looked at his accusatory look and couldn't help but chuckle inwardly, but his face still kept his composed expression as he leisurely closed the book.

"What does the Marquis mean by that?" he asked innocently and bewilderedly. "Would I ever treat you like a stranger? It's just that the southern journey involves many trivial matters, and the Marquis is busy with state affairs. How could I bother you over some unsettled business?"

"Disturb??" Nan Wuxie let out a laugh at his smooth deflection. He pointed a finger at him from across the room. "Wen Buchi, save me the official talk. You know that's not what I want to hear!"

What did he want to hear?

He wanted to hear that person instinctively share news: "Nan Wuxie, Li Sheng has ordered me to go to Nanchang. What do you think?"

He wanted to hear him consider his own safety: "The situation over there is unclear; I have some concerns."

He wanted to hear him be at ease, even if it meant complaining: "Ah, this task is tricky. So annoying."

He didn't want to hear a casual "Oh, I've already arranged everything" after everything was settled.

The more Nan Wuxie spoke, the more aggrieved he felt. "I want that 'spontaneity'! I want your first reaction when something happens to be to tell me about it. I don't want you to put me behind your 'important matters,' 'official duties,' and 'everything ready'!"

These words were straightforward and childlike. Wen Buchi listened quietly.

But he wasn't unaffected; it was just a little game.

"The Marquis's request..." He looked up, meeting Nan Wuxie's burning gaze, a quick curl of his lips, then flattening them. "Isn't it a bit unreasonable? Moreover, how does the Marquis know I haven't thought about 'telling' you? It's just that the timing and manner of 'telling' might be slightly different from what the Marquis imagines."

These words were ambiguous, neither denying Nan Wuxie's accusation nor fully admitting it, leaving an opening.

Nan Wuxie narrowed his eyes, catching the fleeting curve of Wen Buchi's lips, knowing that this man was deliberately teasing him again. Annoyance mixed with a trace of helplessness and competitiveness.

He gave a cold snort. "Lord Wen's skill at spouting official nonsense has indeed improved. So the only appropriate timing is when I come anxiously knocking on your door?"

The words were so sour that even he felt a bit over the top.

Wen Buchi was almost amused by his persistent pushiness.

"Ah, how do I even answer that?"

He tilted his head slightly, looking out the window as if mulling over this "tough question."

After a moment, he drawled, "Perhaps when the Marquis no longer gets all worked up over 'little stuff' and can sit here peacefully sipping tea, that would be an appropriate time?"

He turned back, his eyes playful, but his tone deadpan: "After all, the Marquis himself said he doesn't want to be a 'stranger.' Since we're close, what's the hurry? Don't you think so, Marquis?"

Nan Wuxie was caught off guard. He stared at him for a long moment, then suddenly slumped back in defeat, raised a hand to rub his forehead, and laughed and swore: "Wen Buchi, you are such a bastard."

There was nothing he could do; in this fight for "the right place," Nan Wuxie couldn't gain any verbal advantage because Wen Buchi always found a way to weave his direct demands into vague, elusive reasoning.

But the fact that Wen Buchi was willing to sit here trading words with him showed that he wasn't any more mature than Nan Wuxie.

"Forget it." Nan Wuxie lowered his hand, his expression returning to a lazy calm, though his gaze remained fixed on Wen Buchi's face. "I can't win an argument with you."

He gave up the tug-of-war, dropped the pretense, and after admitting defeat, only an unguarded softness remained, carefully laying out his raw worry.

"I'm actually worried. You know the situation in Nanchang better than me. Xu Yuxiu has already gone, He Shen's silver has already been delivered. Li Sheng is set on pushing through that land purchase and tree planting scheme. That place is now the eye of a storm. If you walk in now as the Surveillance Commissioner, how can I not worry?"

These words had been weighing on his heart for a long time. Now spoken, every word was heavy.

Wen Buchi certainly knew what Nanchang was like at this moment. With the land purchase order issued, interests and conflicts were interwoven and colliding. There were a pile of urgent tasks needing to be sorted out, and countless foreseeable and unforeseeable troubles waiting.

But both knew this had to do with the emperor's civil governance ambitions and was inevitable. No matter how complex the situation, none of those who were supposed to go could get out of it.

Seeing Wen Buchi silent, Nan Wuxie let out a frustrated snort. He really couldn't deal with this guy.

"Let me tell you one more thing." He softened his posture, revealing his full worry without concealment. "Songnan Township is only about two hundred li from Nanchang. I've been getting repeated secret reports lately that the Xiaomi Kingdom's borders have been unusually restless. There are way more small elite squads disguised as merchants than in previous years. Chao Xiaochen has strengthened patrols, but the situation... is very unclear."

He paused, watching Wen Buchi's expression, and continued, "Once the southern border changes, Nanchang could easily get dragged into it. If you go at this time, Wen Buchi, I can't take that gamble, and I can't bear to lose you."

Wen Buchi looked at the undisguised fear and lingering dread in Nan Wuxie's eyes. The emotions there were so overwhelming and real. He knew exactly what he meant to the man in front of him.

The study fell silent, except for their slightly labored breaths.

After a long time, Wen Buchi sighed softly. "I know."

He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the desk, his gaze meeting Nan Wuxie's. "I love you too, you know."

The day Wen Buchi left the capital, the sky was clear.

There was no sadness of parting at a long pavilion. He traveled lightly, quietly leaving through the South Gate.

As he journeyed south, the scenery gradually changed.

Wen Buchi ordered the coachman to slow down, listening to those resentful whispers around him.

The land purchase order had been implemented for little more than a month, and wherever it cut, cracks had appeared in people's lives.

Wen Buchi's carriage entered Jiangxi territory. In the back hall study of the Nanchang prefectural office, a silent standoff had been going on for nearly the time it takes to burn an incense stick.

Xu Yuxiu sat in the main seat, with the latest detailed ledger on land purchase and the grain and money accounts spread out in front of him.

Below him, Zhou Bingheng and Jiang Chongxian stood at attention. He Shen sat on the other side, his expression also unpleasant, clutching a copy of a document.

The air felt heavy for a long moment. Finally, Xu Yuxiu closed the ledger and looked up at He Shen. "Master He, do you mean that the funds His Majesty ordered you to disburse can only purchase half of the expected acreage?"

His voice was steady. "And among those, less than half are top-grade paddy fields suitable for paper mulberry. The rest are mostly dry land or thin mountain fields. Master He, as assistant for finances, you must know that even if paper mulberry is planted on such land, the quality and yield of the bark can hardly meet the paper needs for the Grand Ceremony. If the construction timeline is delayed and the paper supply is insufficient, who will bear the responsibility?"

He Shen swallowed, putting down the document. "Lord Xu, please see clearly. The local situation is complex, and the difficulty of land purchase has been detailed by Prefect Zhou and Vice-Prefect Jiang before. The farmers cherish their land like life itself. Even with silver, it's difficult to make them willingly part with their ancestral good fields. At present... this is already the result of much persuasion, even some pressure."

"Some pressure?" Xu Yuxiu's gaze turned to Zhou Bingheng.

A chill ran down Zhou Bingheng's back. He quickly bowed. "In reply, my lord, we have indeed tried our best to proclaim the court's virtuous policies and explain the pros and cons. However, there are many stubborn and shortsighted people among the subordinates. For the sake of the overall situation, we were forced to take some... measures of urging."

"Is that all?" Xu Yuxiu uttered three words, his tone unreadable.

Now that public resentment had arisen, if they continued to push hard, there might be trouble. If it provoked civil unrest and disrupted the Grand Ceremony preparations, who would bear the consequences?

Everyone understood this logic, and everyone was troubled. The tasks handed down from above had to be completed, but completing them poorly was also unacceptable. It was a headache, a real headache, so much so that the faces of He Shen and Zhou Bingheng turned pale.

Jiang Chongxian had been silent all along, but now he couldn't help speaking. "Lord Xu, in my humble opinion, someone must be behind this, instigating the people and driving up land prices. The people are also innocent. However, the deadline is pressing and the imperial will is clear. We... have no other choice. Now that public sentiment is fierce and we are in a dilemma, I beg you to instruct us, my lord. Next... what should we do?"

Xu Yuxiu did not answer immediately. He stood up and paced to the window.

The banana plants in the courtyard had unfurled considerably after several summer rains, their broad leaves swaying gently in the breeze.

What was to be done?

He was well aware that the court could not endlessly increase funding; the emperor demanded results and efficiency. The difficulties of local officials paled in comparison to imperial power and achievements, and while the people's sentiments needed consideration, if they contradicted His Majesty's will, the only recourse was to "guide" or "suppress."

He did not blame the two men.

"Petty villains stirring trouble," Xu Yuxiu said, turning to face the three men. "The little progress in acquiring yigou fields—is it not because most of it lies in the hands of local magnates and wealthy households, who hoard it as a precious commodity, waiting for a higher price?"

Zhou Bingheng and Jiang Chongxian exchanged a glance, resigned and understanding.

It had finally come to this.

"Your Excellency is perceptive," Zhou Bingheng said reluctantly. "Indeed, some of the yigou fields are concentrated under the names of a few wealthy families in the city. I have sent people to negotiate, but they either avoid us or play games, claiming the land is ancestral property they dare not easily sell, lest they shame their forebears."

"Ancestral property?" Xu Yuxiu snorted derisively. "That statement is utterly wrong."

"Draft an invitation. In the name of this official and Prefect Zhou, three days from now, host a banquet at the yamen for the wealthy landowners of the city to discuss 'assisting the great undertaking.'" He walked back to his seat and sat down again. "From tomorrow, shift the focus of land acquisition to those smallholders who have already 'voluntarily' signed. Transfer the silver and register the land deeds quickly to make it a done deal. As for those still obstinate…"

He paused.

"Do what must be done."

Zhou Bingheng's heart skipped a beat. "I understand."

Jiang Chongxian lowered his head, his heart heavy.

Extraordinary times called for extraordinary measures, but where was the boundary of these "measures"? None could say.

How to speak? How to act? How to bear responsibility? These questions that eluded a single answer ultimately boiled down to one—

How to be an official?

The meeting adjourned, and the study fell silent again.

Xu Yuxiu sat alone at his desk, his gaze lost in the void. He had to deliver results, to tame the land of Nanchang into part of His Majesty's civil governance blueprint.

Even if it required an iron fist and sacrifices.

He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air and was about to review the documents again when a gentle knock came at the door.

"Enter."

He Xi pushed the door open.

He carried several summaries of recent land transactions and loan dealings among the city's major families, with a meek, unobtrusive demeanor.

"Your Excellency, the dossiers you requested are ready."

He Xi placed them precisely at the corner of the desk.

Xu Yuxiu's gaze lingered on him for a moment.

Compared to the former warmth and directness, He Xi now resembled a deep pool—calm on the surface, unfathomable within.

"Appreciate it," Xu Yuxiu said flatly, not immediately reaching for the documents. "Registrar He has been in Nanchang for many years. You must have a deep understanding of these local magnates?"

He Xi still kept his eyes lowered. "I hold a humble post and deal only with documents and archives. I know little of worldly affairs or the thoughts of the powerful, and dare not presume to speculate."

A watertight reply.

Xu Yuxiu looked at him. "Do you dare not, or are you unwilling?"

He Xi was silent for a moment.

"It is that I do not know."

Fine. A fine "I do not know."

Xu Yuxiu was indifferent and pressed no further. He understood that the former Number One Scholar He Xi had long wrapped his true self in layers of this cautious official robe and submissive demeanor.

"You may go," he waved his hand.

He Xi bowed and exited silently.

The study door closed again. Xu Yuxiu's gaze skimmed over the pile of documents and finally rested on the window.

Dusk was gathering, heavy clouds piling up at the horizon, blotting out the last rays of sunset.

A storm was brewing.

Meanwhile, in the eastern part of Nanchang, within the Luo family's sprawling estate that occupied half a street, a different scene unfolded.

In the waterside pavilion of the rear garden, Luo Qian, barefoot, crouched by the pond, watching a school of small fish. She toyed with a pair of warm jade walnuts, a smile tugging at her lips, listening to her subordinate's low report about the upcoming banquet at the yamen.

"Finally… can't hold back anymore?" the young mistress murmured to herself. The walnuts clicked softly in her palm.

"There's no such thing as a free lunch. Young mistress, do you intend—"

"Go, of course," Luo Qian interrupted, showing interest. "An invitation jointly issued by the imperial commissioner and the prefect—such an honor. How could I not go?"

With that, she sat down lightly on the ground, dipping her feet into the pond, kicking her legs playfully in the water.

"Not only will I go openly, but I will also prepare a 'generous gift.'"

"A generous gift?"

"I hear this Minister Xu is also an incorruptible parent-like official?" Luo Qian smiled.

Her subordinate was confused, but Luo Qian did not explain further. She waved him away.

The pavilion faced the pond, the evening breeze carried the scent of lotus and the faint clamor of the distant streets.

Luo Qian sat alone, watching the lantern reflections as they lit up one by one on the pond.

The chessboard has been set. Xu Yuxiu wants to use imperial might to crush the local snakes. But her Luo family has held sway in Nanchang for decades, its roots have already sunk into every inch of this land.

Imperial power was indeed fearsome, but could a strong dragon always overpower a local serpent?

The walnuts rotated slowly in her hand.