Chapter 17: Encounter (I)

Chapter 17: Encounter (I)

As Le Wuya gazed with a heart full of worry at their lifespans taking a sharp, simultaneous nosedive, the Sixth Prince said softly, “Rise and speak; the ground is cold.”

Le Wuya did not move: “I am guilty—I dare not rise.”

The Seventh Prince bent down, supporting him by the arm.

So Le Wuya had no choice but to go along and get up.

He heard the Seventh Prince whisper teasingly, in a tone so intimate only the two of them could hear: “What's with the act?”

Le Wuya: “...” You little brat, Teacher is giving you permission to lose another stick of incense's worth of life.

He obediently rose and stood with his hands at his sides, respectfully silent.

Xiang Zhijie asked, “What crime have you committed?”

Le Wuya replied respectfully, “I knew a noble had arrived in Nanting, but being short on manpower, I presumed to borrow the noble's influence to cut out this chronic sore from the town.”

Jiang He stepped out from the shadows, staring fixedly at him.

An ordinary person, faced with someone staring blankly with that cold aura, would surely have their knees go weak.

But Le Wuya was familiar with him and knew that this direct gaze was how he showed confusion.

“When this gentleman stood at a distance, I already noticed his demeanor was unlike that of ordinary men, so I deliberately called him up to the hall. Speaking with him, I could tell he had a capital accent; when he took the skull in hand, I observed calluses on his fingers, from years of archery practice; his back was straight, his legs slightly apart—a common stance for guards on duty; although his pouch was ordinary, the drawstring was made of silk thread, and according to the dress code of the dynasty, merchants are not allowed to use silk.”

Jiang He: “...”

He lowered his head expressionlessly, blushing slightly.

How could there be so many tells?

Le Wuya continued, “A capital military officer shows up incognito to hear a case—there must be a reason. Fortunately, my wild guess proved correct. I put this gentleman through some trouble...”

He signaled with his eyes.

Jiang He lowered his brows: “Jiang He of the Jinwu Guard.”

Le Wuya apologized sincerely, “Lord Jiang put himself in danger—this is my fault.”

The Seventh Prince said, “Turning a borrowed banner into a real tiger's skin—truly brilliant tactics.”

The Sixth Prince smiled quietly: “You're very good at this.”

Le Wuya said, “I presume to ask, what are the identities of the two nobles?”

The Sixth Prince's voice was calm: “We are on an imperial tour to inspect governance and investigate affairs.”

Though spoken lightly, those eight words carried immense weight, enough to make even the highest nobles and the lowliest clerks tremble and their knees go weak.

But Le Wuya was neither flustered nor overjoyed.

With composed and calm bearing, he knelt again and prostrated himself: “This humble official greets the Imperial Commissioner. May I ask the Imperial Commissioner, though it was my duty, could it count as some merit for having endured heavy pressure to conclude this case and clear Scholar Ming's name? I have one request; I hope the Imperial Commissioner will hear me out.”

The two young imperial envoys: “...”

They had never seen anyone skip all the formalities and brazenly ask for a reward.

The Seventh Prince said, “Let's hear it.”

Le Wuya prostrated and knocked his head once on the ground: “I wish to preserve Scholar Ming Xiangzhao's scholarly title and allow him to continue with the imperial examinations.”

The two raised their eyebrows in unison.

Since the founding of the Great Yu dynasty by its first emperor, whenever a scholar was implicated in a rebellion case, once the case was filed and reported, even if the situation was unclear, the court would immediately strip the person of his scholarly title, so the yamen could use torture and interrogate accomplices.

Even if the case was later proved to be a false accusation and the victim exonerated, his title was often not restored.

After all, the Mandate of Heaven is clear—how could it be casually revoked?

And most scholars who survived such an ordeal had been so worn down that escaping with their lives was already a stroke of luck. How dare they ask for their titles back? They just wanted to keep a low profile and never dare to stand out again.

Fortunately, Wen Renyue had previously resisted the pressure from above to rush the case, insisting on a thorough investigation. Thus, the case file hadn't been submitted yet, and Ming Xiangzhao's xiucai rank was still intact.

The two knew in their hearts that his request was perfectly reasonable.

In officialdom, many sticklers would consider a scholar who had been entangled in a rebellion case, even if exonerated, to be “tainted.”

If he could get the Imperial Commissioner's spoken endorsement, Ming Xiangzhao's future official career would face no obstacles.

However, the strange thing was that this county magistrate, so young and only half a year in office, could be so thorough and far-sighted.

The Sixth Prince pondered for a moment: “I can grant your request. But please answer one question for me.”

Le Wuya, still in a kneeling posture, kept his back straight and composed: “Thank you, Imperial Commissioner. Please ask your question.”

The Sixth Prince asked, “How are you getting along here?”

Le Wuya: “?”

Now it was his turn to not know how to answer.

He was best at reading between the lines and discerning hidden meanings, but this question was too plain, which made it even more puzzling.

While Le Wuya was pondering, the Seventh Prince smoothly cut in: “My elder brother's not great with words. What he means is, do you think this sparrow of a county can accommodate a talent as great as yours?”

Le Wuya immediately relaxed.

He knew how to answer this kind of question.

He said calmly, “Though the sparrow is small, it has its advantages. Look into its heart, and you see heaven and earth, and perceive the natural laws.”

That clearly meant he didn't want to be transferred and preferred to stay in Nanting.

Le Wuya had long had his own plan.

Once this matter was concluded, Wen Renyue would return to his original body, and he'd return to the underworld to rest. As for Scholar Ming, they would let it be known that after such a wild swing of emotions, his body could not bear it and he passed away.

At that time, his scholarly title would be preserved, his mother would get a pension, and with Wen Renyue's help, her future wouldn't be too hard.

Given Wen Renyue's current abilities, though he had the potential of raw jade, he still needed more training to accomplish great things.

If he took it upon himself to arrange some important task for him, but his abilities weren't up to it, that would truly be a case of the bigger the stage, the bigger the shame.

The Seventh Prince looked him up and down: “You passed the provincial exam. Wanting to climb the ladder on your own is a commendable ambition, but aren't you afraid that your future might be limited and your time wasted?”

Le Wuya lowered his brows and said, “To use the finite to chase the infinite is dangerous.”

The Seventh Prince was taken aback, then laughed: "As an official, you take 'Zhuangzi' as your guiding principle?"

"To answer Your Excellency, the Hundred Schools of Thought each have their own way."

"A cluttered mind—that's not good, is it?"

This question was hard to answer, but Le Wuya remained undaunted: "Your Excellency, I often have this thought in mind, but it's a bit bold. I hope Your Excellency will forgive me."

The Seventh Prince: "Go ahead, say it."

He was deliberately giving him a hard time, just to see what this minor official was made of.

Who would have thought that Le Wuya would utter such outrageous words: "Confucianism, Legalism, Buddhism, Daoism, Mohism — no matter which school, they all speak of the methods of the Great Way. Studying them all in pursuit of more is indeed inappropriate. However, the Nine Provinces are vast beyond measure; imperial power stops at the county and township level. The Great Way, though exquisite, ultimately cannot reach there."

Fortunately, Deputy Magistrate Sun was not present; had he heard Le Wuya's wild remarks about "imperial power stopping at the county and township level," he'd probably have fainted dead away.

The Seventh Prince nodded: "Hmph, treasonous words indeed. The Emperor is master of all under heaven; how dare you say that?"

Le Wuya didn't flinch, spoke straight out: "In reply, Your Excellency, allow me to give an example."

"To be honest with you two lords, tonight's affair has been long in the planning by this humble official. I aimed to overturn the entrenched gentry forces in Nanning County in one fell swoop. Secrecy was paramount, and I had to strike decisively. But I am new here, with little influence and shallow roots, unable to rely on anyone. To suppress this local power, I had no other option but to go myself, risking my life to bring justice for all. Had Your Excellencies not arrived, and Lord Jiang not assisted, Xiaofu Mine would never have coughed up the miners that easily."

Jiang He nodded slightly on the side.

He saw it with his own eyes tonight.

He believed that, given how vicious those mine thugs were, even Magistrate Wenren himself would've ended up the worse for it.

The Seventh Prince had nothing to say.

This example was indeed irrefutable.

Le Wuya said: "I am a Tribute Student by origin, not much of a scholar. I can only gather the strengths of various schools from the Great Way, and finally came up with two words..."

"'For the people'—that's the Way I follow."

"My abilities are insufficient; I do not seek the Great Way, just to have a clear conscience."

Finally, he made sure to cover himself with a remark: "Those in high court also worry about distant matters. I'm sure His Majesty and I are of one mind."

The Seventh Prince: "..."

He opened his mouth, feeling a strange familiarity—he'd been silenced like this before.

In court, quick with words and full of wiles.

But when talking, he was orderly and stuck to the rules, never forgetting to drag in the Emperor to back him up.

Clearly, he was a very sly fox.

Seeing the two of them trade barbs, no one around dared to speak.

For a moment, the day was cold, the snow quiet, and not a creature stirred.

The Sixth Prince spoke, calm and gracious, breaking the deadlock of silence: "Magistrate Wenren."

Le Wuya: "Here, Your Excellency."

The Sixth Prince: "Your socks are a bit thin. If snow gets in, you'll catch a chill."

Le Wuya: "..."

How was he supposed to answer that?

Le Wuya: "...Thank you for your concern, Imperial Commissioner."

The Seventh Prince got back his usual cheeky look: "My sixth brother means—get up."

From afar came the sound of the night watch.

"It's getting late, and you've been at this case for a while. Rest early. Don't let anyone know we're here. We'll be back early tomorrow..."

The Seventh Prince fixed his eyes on Le Wuya again, and he swallowed the last two words, leaving them unsaid.

...To see you.

He was always good at hiding his feelings.

Saying those two words would cross a line.

Wuya was genuinely tired, so he didn't press them to stay: "I'll escort Your Excellencies to the inn."

The Sixth Prince: "The snow is perfect for a walk. Don't bother seeing us off. Get some rest."

Le Wuya lowered his head: "I humbly bid you farewell, Your Excellencies."

Though he said he would see them off, when the Seventh Prince had walked a hundred steps away and turned back, he found that Le Wuya, who should have been standing respectfully at the door, had turned around, warmed his hands, and hopped back inside.

The Seventh Prince laughed out loud: "Bold as brass!"

The Sixth Prince: "He's just a kid."

The Seventh Prince: "If my intel's right, he's actually two years older than us."

The Sixth Prince said nothing, folded his hands, and looked up at the sky.

The Seventh Prince: "Sixth brother, you don't hate snow anymore?"

The Sixth Prince reached out his hand, and two or three snowflakes fell on his palm, all beautiful hexagons.

The Sixth Prince said: "I have never disliked snow."

Once the two had gone far, Le Wuya cut loose.

There were two night constables at the yamen gate who had been eavesdropping the whole time, kneeling on the ground, not daring to breathe heavily.

As Le Wuya passed by them, he said nothing but gently patted each of them on the shoulder, making them shudder.

After using the authority of others, he walked towards the inner hall with his hands behind his back, shaking his head and wagging his tail, quite elated.

Before leaving, he still had many preparations to make.

About an hour later, when the water-clock arrow fell silent in the copper vessel, Le Wuya put down his brush.

He had just stretched when a tea attendant cautiously knocked on the window and reported: "Magistrate, someone is looking for you."

Le Wuya had a feeling, and he lifted the door curtain.

Through the heavy snow, he saw Wenren Yue standing across the courtyard.

He arrived in a hurry, without an umbrella, his eyebrows and hair white with snow, but his eyes burned with fire and light.

Le Wuya gave him a playful wink, gesturing for him to come in.

The teahouse attendant had heard of tonight's events and dared not utter a word, pretending not to see or hear, quietly slipping away along the wall.

Wenren Yue stepped into the hall, bringing in a dusting of frost and snow.

On the way here, he felt his chest full, with so many things to say, but standing before him, he couldn't utter a single word, he just wanted to smile.

Le Wuya: "Is Old Madam Ming taken care of?"

"Yes." Wenren Yue nodded. "She couldn't believe it was true. After arriving home, she cried, then took some medicine, and we coaxed her to sleep. Once I confirmed she was safe, I came to find Brother Gu."

Le Wuya: "That's good to hear."

Wenren Yue: "How did Brother Gu manage it?"

"Don't ask, I've written it all down for you." Le Wuya waved a thick stack of letters, slightly smug. "Delays bring danger. After you swap back, figure it out yourself."

Wenren Yue, not understanding: "...Swap back?"

Le Wuya, holding up the letters: "..."

He was stunned for a moment. "What else? I've already handled everything for you."

The two bewildered men looked at each other for a moment before realizing what the other meant.

They spoke in unison:

"You're leaving?"

"You're not coming back?"

Wenren Yue blinked.

After confirming Scholar Ming's innocence, he had already planned everything out: that they would let the mistake continue, each staying in their roles, as that would be the safest.

He came with countless apologies brewing, feeling that his humble origins and bleak prospects were unfair to Brother Gu.

But he never expected Brother Gu had no intention of staying any longer.

Wenren Yue said softly, "Brother Gu, I know my background is humble, and your talents are outstanding. Making you wear an identity like mine is an insult to you."

Le Wuya: "No."

"It's not that it's bad—it's too good."

Pure background, clean official reputation, a blank slate.

Those were things Le Wuya had desperately wanted in his past life.

And precisely because of that, he should not take them.

Hearing he didn't look down on him, Wenren Yue was also a bit confused. "Then... should we not swap back?"

Le Wuya grabbed his collar and just got stubborn: "No, you swap me back."

With that pull, Wenren Yue had to lower his head.

Seeing his own face with such a lively, unfamiliar expression, he licked his lips. "Why?"

Le Wuya: "My work here is done. I'm no use to you anymore."

Wenren Yue: "..."

He felt his Brother Gu's words were strange, as if he saw himself as nothing but a convenient tool.

"I'm not asking you to stay because you're useful to me." Wenren Yue asked, "Brother Gu, if I go back, what about Scholar Ming?"

Le Wuya said with justified confidence: "That Scholar Ming was going to die anyway!"

Wenren Yue: ...That's true.

Even if they hadn't swapped identities, Ming Xiangzhao wouldn't have survived the night they went to find him.

Wenren Yue sighed lightly. "But he still has an old mother to support. He can't just die and be done."

"Once we swap back, are you worried you won't get a chance to care for his mother?" Le Wuya thought he was quite reasonable. "I promised Scholar Ming that Wenren Yue would look after his mother after his death, and I never specified which Wenren Yue!"

Wenren Yue: "..." Had he never planned to stay from the start?

Le Wuya, tired of arguing, got up and left.

Wenren Yue: "...Brother Gu, what are you doing?"

Le Wuya said calmly: "I'm going to go die. Remember to come get me."

Hearing this, Wenren Yue was alarmed and rushed over, and hugged him from behind: "Brother Gu! You can't!"

Ming Xiangzhao was tall and sturdy, with long limbs. Although a scholar, he often worked outside to supplement the family income, so he was strong, and with one move, he wrapped Le Wuya in a full bear hug.

Le Wuya struggled in his arms for a while, to no avail.

Wenren Yue's body was that of a frail scholar, who could only draw the lightest bow. Facing this big man with brute strength, he really couldn't sustain it. Moreover, the man was using all his strength to stop him from leaving, and Le Wuya had been out of shape for years, so he couldn't even use the martial arts from his youth.

Le Wuya, panting from exhaustion, said: "What exactly do you want?"

Wenren Yue didn't speak, afraid of losing his strength.

Le Wuya said aggrievedly: "I'm already dead. Can't I just go back?"

Wenren Yue still didn't speak.

Le Wuya: "..."

It was his bad luck to be reborn into this stubborn, single-minded person's body.

He gave up and went limp in his arms. "Squeeze away, squeeze away. Squeeze me to death."

Sensing that he had stopped struggling, Wenren Yue intended to let him go, but based on his shallow understanding of this Brother Gu, who had a crafty nature, what if it was a trick?

So, he scooped Le Wuya up in his arms, used his foot to close the door, then placed him on the bed, sat down beside him, and stared straight at him.

Le Wuya, stared at so directly, was almost amused into anger: "With those big eyes staring straight at me, what are you thinking?"

Wenren Yue said sincerely: "I'm thinking whether it would be inappropriate to tie Brother Gu up."

Le Wuya said with feigned seriousness: "It's not just inappropriate, it's repaying kindness with enmity. I'll bite you to death."

Wenren Yue gave a wry smile: "Brother Gu, can we discuss this properly?"