Chapter 36: Peeking (1)

Chapter 36: Peeking (1)

Le Wuya sent his gift. As for what significance the recipient would attach to his own gift, he did not yet know.

The Village Elder and other local gentry were busy building pond embankments.

Guo Guzi was conveying Le Wuya's intentions to Qi Hongzhuang.

Deputy Magistrate Sun was dispatched to purchase tea saplings, and Le Wuya persuaded Qi Wuhu, the county magistrate of Jinyuan, to dispatch his trusted men skilled in land reclamation to "learn."

With outsiders present, Deputy Magistrate Sun probably wouldn't be able to cause much trouble.

Thus, only one major matter remained before Le Wuya.

Road construction!

Le Wuya first hired skilled craftsmen to carefully measure the main city roads and the smaller outer paths, drew maps and hung them on the wall of his study.

He left the detailed drawings to Wenren Yue.

This included marking on the map every detail: which spots crossed graves, which cut into farmland, which households were the kind of thugs who'd pluck three feathers off a passing swallow, and which families habitually stacked their belongings on the road. All had to be annotated properly.

If he knew the county's ins and outs beforehand, he'd be ready when trouble came.

In Yizhou, most roads were paved with yellow mud, which was cheap and convenient during construction.

But when it rained, the roads turned into a muddy mess, splattering muck up to your waist.

When a strong wind blew, the topsoil would get scoured away half an inch deep.

In his past life, Le Wuya had traveled far and wide on official business, seen wide, clean, flat streets, as well as muck-heaped, slippery paths.

He decided to copy the road design of Jinling City: first mixing lime into the base, then laying a thick layer of fired loess mixed with alkaline soil, tamping it down tight, and covering it with big stone slabs.

Since the roads would be used for commerce, heavy carts would naturally wear down the roads over time.

As long as the road foundation was laid firmly, it would save a lot in future repairs.

Once the plan was set, he needed to inform the people.

Daytime road construction would certainly inconvenience the residents.

Breaking ground at night would cause a clatter and disturb people's sleep.

The secretary wrote a typical official notice, quoting the classics and praising how the road project benefits the present and earns merit for a thousand years. It thanked everyone from the Emperor down to the Prefect.

After reading it, Le Wuya wrote in the margin: "Use this for toilet paper."

The secretary was useless, so Le Wuya took matters into his own hands. He seized his brush and wrote a public notice:

Roads open, business booms,

Bustling carts and constant blooms.

Fresh farm goods, city goods right.

Chickens, ducks, geese, fish right to your door.

Go to market, visit kin,

Opera troupes come and spin.

…

Once the magistrate posted this doggerel, the people found it amusing. They gathered around to read it, and as they read and laughed, they all saw the good in it.

Some locals even sent someone to the yamen to ask exactly when the magistrate would start building the road.

Even so, Le Wuya felt it still wasn't enough.

Watching Le Wuya pace back and forth in front of the road construction map, Wenren Yue was a bit puzzled: "Brother Gu, it's already very good."

Le Wuya: "I feel like we're missing something."

In his past life, Le Wuya had wined and dined with lots of officials.

At those banquets, plenty of them had complained bitterly: whenever they built a garden, estate, or paved a new road, the riffraff and craftsmen below all slacked off and cheated. At every step—buying materials, building—someone was trying to line their pockets. Even planting fifty trees in a garden, they'd find a way to make off with ten saplings. And every one of them had a sour face, like someone owed them ten strings of cash. Even a dog would give you a better look than that.

Le Wuya had taken those words to heart, but he couldn't think of a fix right then.

…Unless he grew three heads and six arms, there was no way he could personally oversee every step.

Seeing him anxious, Wenren Yue was troubled. He grabbed Le Wuya's hand and said, "Brother Gu, talk to me."

Le Wuya stopped and carefully studied him.

Wenren Yue had always been steady by nature, and Ming Xiangzhao's new body was pretty solid. After a month and a half of martial arts, he'd made great progress: he now knew how to grab someone so they didn't feel pain but couldn't break free.

…Maybe he should ditch the pen and pick up the sword, take the military exam.

Realizing he couldn't get away, Le Wuya sat down next to him. Without bringing up his past life, he just shared his worries.

Hearing this, Wenren Yue was momentarily stunned, then smiled: "Brother Gu, rest assured. Just hire local craftsmen, and you'll avoid eighty percent of the trouble."

Le Wuya said, "But…" He chose his words carefully: "Whenever you break ground on a project, the costs are huge and the interests are tangled. If rats (corrupt officials) show up, the people will bear the brunt."

Wenren Yue nodded: "You've got a point. But when you mentioned building gardens or estates, were they using rotating craftsmen? Every three years, they'd have to go to the capital for three months of service, right?"

Le Wuya shot him a look: "Trying to trick me again?"

Wenren Yue couldn't help bowing his head and smiling: "Would Brother Gu let me trick him? If so, I'd be delighted."

Le Wuya was shocked: "Who taught you to talk like that?"

Wenren Yue: "...Huh?"

Le Wuya said gravely: "You were such a proper person. When did you become so frivolous?"

Faced with Le Wuya's accusation, Wenren Yue rubbed the tip of his nose, feeling somewhat guilty.

But he thought, was this really frivolous?

Didn't Brother Gu always talk to him like this?

He had carefully studied the tone and manner.

…It seemed not everything could be learned.

Le Wuya, after finishing his lecture to his new student, took a sip of tea to catch his breath and said, "Indeed, that's how it is in the capital."

Le Wuya had never built a garden himself. When the emperor granted him a mansion, he moved in as it was, and it remained that way until it was confiscated.

But it wasn't an isolated case in the capital for craftsmen to scheme and embezzle.

Wen Renyue hit the nail on the head: "But that's working for high-ranking officials."

"How many craftsmen are conscripted to the capital, traveling a long way, far from home, never knowing what might happen to them?"

"Going back a ways, about five or six years ago, a bricklayer who had worked at my place for years was conscripted to the capital. He was just painting a wall for an official, but the room exceeded the regulations. An imperial censor reported him to the emperor, and the bricklayer was thrown in jail as an accomplice. I heard he was later exiled. More recently, Scholar Ming's father was a rotating craftsman. He died of typhoid fever on the road and never made it home."

"They work hard away from home, so they have to plan for themselves and their families. If they can skim a bit, they will. Who knows if they'll make it back this time?"

Le Wuya fell silent.

He had spent too long in the capital, been an official too long, and hadn't thought of this angle.

Wen Renyue gently comforted him, "Brother Gu, repairing the road in Nanting County is for the people of Nanting themselves. The townsfolk are united in purpose. There's no need to worry about getting it done."

Wen Renyue had said many childish things, but this reasoning was sound, and it eased Le Wuya's mind considerably.

Seeing his expression improve, Wen Renyue smiled and asked, "Brother Gu, you used to be so carefree. When you raided Lucky Pavilion and Chen Yuanwei's home, you knew to line the pockets of the runners. Why are you so cautious now?"

Le Wuya thought, *Because this is Xiaoliu's money.*

A prince's stipend in this dynasty was neither high nor low—just average.

Xiaoliu, living so frugally, how much liquid cash could he have?

He probably spent his marriage savings for this.

Now that I've taken the money, I have to treat it with due seriousness.

If it were Xiaoqi's money, I wouldn't hesitate to spend it.

But that's the thing about people—speak of the devil, and he appears.

That morning, he had thought about Xiang Zhi.

That afternoon, a tailor arrived with five apprentices, riding an oxcart, dust-covered, at the Nanting County office.

The tailor's timing was poor—he showed up just as Le Wuya was about to leave to inspect the land.

Seeing the refined old man with a goatee bowing to him, Le Wuya remembered that Xiaoqi had mentioned in a letter that he would send a tailor.

Since it was a gift from the Imperial Commissioner, and the old man had come a long way, Le Wuya politely invited him into the office.

The tailor, surnamed Shou, had lived long enough to master the art of reading people.

He deftly measured Le Wuya with his tape: "Your Excellency, I won't take much of your time—at most, the time it takes for a cup of hot tea."

Le Wuya hummed in acknowledgment, his mind not on the clothes but on whether to plant flowers and grass along the road.

Master Shou was experienced; when he said one cup of tea, he meant it.

He picked up the diagram with the measurements, examined it carefully, and sighed, "Almost identical."

Le Wuya turned to him: "What?"

Master Shou put away his measuring tape: "Your Excellency, the benefactor who hired me originally provided a set of measurements and wanted me to make ready-to-wear clothes and send them to you. But the benefactor changed their mind, saying clothes ought to fit properly, so they sent me all the way here."

He gestured: "You're just about two inches slimmer at the waist. Everything else matches the given measurements."

Le Wuya was in a hurry to leave, so he didn't dwell on the tailor's words.

It wasn't until that night, back in the office and lying in bed, that Le Wuya realized something was off.

... How did Xiaoqi know his measurements?

He had been reborn with a different body. He had only met Xiang Zhi briefly, twice.

The only time Xiaoqi could have observed his figure up close was when they sat together to jointly interrogate Chen Yuanwei.

Le Wuya remembered that during that session, Xiaoliu did most of the talking, while Xiaoqi was unusually quiet, only interjecting a few sarcastic remarks.

But could he determine his measurements through his clothes?

That would require some *very* close attention.

The more Le Wuya thought about it, the stranger it seemed.

After Master Shou took his measurements, he left and didn't return.

Half a month passed. Le Wuya was busy recruiting craftsmen and sourcing stone from the nearby Jing tribe, and had almost forgotten about the tailor. Then Master Shou showed up again out of nowhere, delivering fifty sets of clothes in three large chests.

Le Wuya wasn't at the office at the time. The runners, knowing the magistrate had ordered tailoring, accepted the delivery on his behalf.

But that very afternoon, another oxcart arrived.

Master Shou's apprentice brought five more large chests.

The runners were stunned: "Little master, are you sure this is the right place?"

The apprentice was equally puzzled and checked the address: "Nanting County office, right?"

A runner was confused: "Didn't you deliver this morning?"

The apprentice pointed at the chests: "Those were spring clothes. These are winter clothes. The benefactor specified top-quality fox fur and otter fur, so it's a bit more. Master already sorted it out—just put them in storage. Same as this morning—fifty sets."

The runners sensed something was off: "Little master, how many more?"

The apprentice, a straightforward boy, replied clearly: "Summer and autumn clothes are still being made. Master said it'll take at least another half month. He didn't want to delay, so he sent the winter and spring clothes first. Store the winter ones; let the magistrate wear the spring ones now!"

The runners gasped, their jaws dropped.

They had never heard of ordering clothes like this!

No wonder the old man traveled a thousand miles for this job—after this order, he wouldn't need to worry about income for two or three years!

Seeing their shock, the apprentice added, "Oh, and the hats, gloves, and matching headbands are still being made. Master said to apologize for the delay and ask His Excellency to bear with it."

The runners: "..."

... Who's bearing with it?

In Nanting County, with eight large chests like that, you could marry any fairy maiden you wanted!

When Le Wuya returned to the government office, the yamen runners hurriedly relayed the shocking news to him.

Le Wuya's reaction was quite indifferent: "Oh. I see."

It’s nothing new that this little brat doesn’t treat money like money.

If he actually managed to be frugal, that would be the real surprise.

The runners were dumbfounded.

They felt a pang of shame.

No wonder the magistrate had such high standards—he truly had a keen eye.

Seeing the runners' awe, Le Wuya let out a light smirk and strode briskly into the office.

He looked at the eight boxes neatly lined up in the yard, jumped onto them, and lay down, gazing at the dark indigo night sky.

Little Seven's move killed two birds with one stone.

It could both win his favor and boost his standing.

These boxes, carried in one after another with such show and noise, were far more effective as a gift than the wad of banknotes Little Six had sent.

But then Le Wuya’s mind wandered off again.

This reckless little spender—how many lovely women must he have checked out to develop the skill of determining a person's measurements at a single glance?

...

Meanwhile, in the capital, the residence of the Seventh Prince received a letter.

The letter was from Tailor Shou in Nanting, containing a string of numbers that no one could decipher.

The letter was soon delivered to Xiang Zhi.

He opened it, and couldn't help but smile.

He had instructed Tailor Shou to have a copy of the measurements sent once the tailor finished measuring Magistrate Wenren, so he could have a look.

Looks like he still had his touch.

As he read through each measurement, he paused at one.

One number was quite different from his visual estimate.

He reached out into the empty air, closed his eyes, and made a one-armed hugging gesture.

...Just like his teacher.

Magistrate Wenren's waist measurement was also one foot nine inches.