Chapter 57: Confrontation (1)

Chapter 57: Confrontation (1)

The incident of Hua Rong being attacked by the vagrant beggars naturally reached Wen Ren's ears as well.

With his current experience and insight, he quickly sorted out the ins and outs of the matter.

Brother Gu's recent sweeping reforms and measures that benefited the people had stirred envy in others.

The influx of vagrant beggars into Nanting ultimately stemmed from Brother Gu's charitable act of road-building.

If Brother Gu had been slow to react or made a wrong move, and Hua Rong had truly died on the streets as a beggar, the vagrant beggars could have used the excuse of local beggars' exclusion of outsiders to start a big fight with Sheng Youde, throwing Nanting's streets into chaos.

By then, no matter how the authorities intervened, they would face a dirty, chaotic mess.

Once the matter escalated and reached higher-ups, those people wouldn't care about Brother Gu's original intentions for road-building. They would only conclude that Brother Gu had mismanaged things—that as soon as the Emperor and the Imperial Envoy elevated him, he got carried away, blindly pushing reforms for his own official reputation, overreaching, and thus inviting this disaster of vagrant beggars wreaking havoc in the county.

Realizing this, Wen Ren couldn't help but feel alarmed.

In the past, he had always thought many officials were stuck in their ways, clinging to the status quo, hoarding resources without thinking of benefiting the people—mere placeholders drawing salaries.

Now, seeing it firsthand, he understood the difficulty.

County stability and peace in the realm were what those in power most wanted to see.

And his colleagues didn't want to see him alone favored by the Emperor, too flushed with success.

Truly... difficult.

With a heavy heart, Wen Ren went to the yamen. At a glance, he spotted Xiao Huarong, whose head was wrapped up like half a zongzi, strolling in the courtyard.

He asked with concern, "How are you?"

Hua Rong touched his head and said cheerfully, "Scholar Brother, I'm fine."

He had indeed bumped his head and gotten a lump, but it only hurt for a while.

Other than that, his injuries were just two scraped patches of skin on his elbow.

The Magistrate had told him to wrap it up like this.

Feeling good, he shook his head and said, "The Magistrate said keep warm in spring and cool in autumn, so I'll treat it like wearing a hat."

Hua Rong was only twelve or thirteen, and pulling off such a big task showed he was indeed sharp.

But Wen Ren vaguely sensed that he couldn't quite control his tongue, unable to resist showing off, both openly and subtly.

He crouched down and said seriously, "Hua Rong, have you said these things to anyone else?"

Since meeting "Scholar Ming," Hua Rong knew he was a good-tempered person, so he wasn't afraid of him.

He thought for a moment: "...Just Brother Yang Zheng."

Hua Rong wasn't stupid. With just one question from Wen Ren, he knew Scholar Ming was hinting that he shouldn't be blabbing everywhere.

But such a clever child inevitably had some pride. Being pointed out for a flaw in his actions, he felt resentful and argued stubbornly, "Brother Yang Zheng is a good person! He won't go around talking!"

Wen Ren soothed him very gently: "Yes, Brother Yang Zheng is a good person. But are all the good people in this world as smart as our little Hua Rong?"

Seeing Hua Rong momentarily at a loss for words, Wen Ren softened his voice further: "Why are there so many vagrant beggars in our Nanting? It's because someone is stirring things up behind the scenes, trying to harm the Magistrate and make life hard in Nanting. Who knows how many eyes are watching Nanting right now? If others find out the Magistrate deliberately sent you..."

His tone was calm and gentle, without any hint of reproach, forcing Hua Rong to set aside his pride and seriously consider his words.

Upon reflection, Hua Rong felt a sinking feeling.

"How do you know?" He was indeed sharp, catching the deeper meaning in Wen Ren's words. "Did the Magistrate tell you about this too?"

Wen Ren slowly shook his head: "The Magistrate hasn't told me yet. But facing such life-threatening danger, you can still talk about it with relish, unafraid. Either you're a fearless novice, or you knew this danger was coming and were prepared."

Hua Rong's face changed dramatically.

If others guessed that the Magistrate had deliberately sent him to take the risk, wouldn't that hand them a weapon to attack the Magistrate?

He hung his head dejectedly: "When the Magistrate came to see me, he told me not to go out and meet guests for a couple of days. I thought he was just looking out for me..."

And here he was, running out to show off!

Seeing the little guy's look of shame, Wen Ren comforted him softly: "The Magistrate gave you a chance to figure it out yourself. It seems I've been too talkative."

Hua Rong turned into a wilted little eggplant, mumbling, "Scholar Brother, I'm feeling dizzy. I'll go back and sleep for a bit."

Wen Ren gently patted his shoulder, and he tucked his tail between his legs, trudging back to his quarters.

Half genuine, half performance, he really looked like a child who had just suffered a near-fatal injury and hadn't yet recovered.

Wen Ren slowly exhaled.

Even if it was unnecessary.

No matter what, he had to carefully plan and help Brother Gu keep things under control.

When he arrived at the study, Le Wuya had just finished handling the day's government affairs and was reviewing his essays.

"You're here?" Le Wuya piled up over a dozen essays Wen Ren had written recently on the desk without looking up. "Pick three you think are good, copy them neatly—no typos."

"Alright." Wen Ren agreed first, then asked, "What for?"

Le Wuya: "Grand Secretary Xu Ji retired two years ago and went back to his hometown in Yizhou. I've sent a visiting card. I'll take you to see him and have him guide your essays."

Wen Ren blinked in confusion: "Huh?"

Seeing his lack of understanding, Le Wuya looked up: "When is the next provincial exam?"

Wen Ren answered truthfully: "A year from now."

Le Wuya picked up an apple from the table and threw it straight at him: "—So you know it's a year away! What's your status now? A scholar personally pardoned by the Imperial Envoy! If you don't seize this moment of fame to attach yourself to a teacher and gild yourself, what are you thinking? Haven't you suffered enough from being unknown?"

After the scolding, he sat back down and naturally ordered, "Peel it."

Wen Ren chuckled, picked up a fruit knife, and started peeling the apple for him: "I know Brother Gu means well. But showing up uninvited—won't it be too much of a bother for Grand Secretary Xu?"

"Hah." Le Wuya waved a hand. "He's retired. A promising young talent willing to visit his door should make him happy. Besides, he just needs to casually offer a few harmless pointers, and he can claim to be your teacher. In the future, if you achieve something, he'll have an extra connection in court. He'd be delighted."

The rest, Le Wuya swallowed without saying.

Xu Ji—didn't he know him?

An old fox, slippery as an eel, with students all over the world, especially fond of those well-read, soft, and easily manipulated scholarly types.

Such kids only had sages' principles and official essays in their heads, unlikely to stir up big waves. Taking them as students was perfectly safe.

Now Wen Ren's true colors are showing, which is right up his alley.

...At least on the surface, that is.

After peeling the apple for him like a good boy and washing his hands, Wen Ren started picking out essays.

"Next time there's a dangerous task like this, send me on it."

As he sorted through the papers, Wen Ren added, "I can play the beggar, too."

Le Wuya gave him a surprised look. "You?"

He stepped out from behind the desk and circled around Wen Ren, his sharp eyes blinking, instantly looking like a scruffy thug. "...Hey there, kid, where you from?"

Wen Ren paused, realizing Brother Gu was acting like a street beggar to test his reaction, so he said softly, "Jiangnan."

Le Wuya stuck his neck out and smacked his lips. "Oh, a little scholar, huh? All that book smarts, what's it good for? Ain't you still holding your hand out like me, begging for grub?"

Wen Ren pursed his lips, didn't say a word, and turned halfway away, not wanting to deal with him.

Le Wuya went after him. "How'd you wind up like this?"

"On my way to the capital for the exams, bandits robbed me."

"With a face that pretty, what a waste. Why not sell your ass?"

Wen Ren looked stunned, like he couldn't believe such dirty talk existed. He froze, blushing, then looked up, glaring. "You—"

He shoved the papers on the table and made to leave.

Le Wuya grinned and ran after him, grabbing his sleeve. "Hey, kid, don't go. Let's talk a bit more..."

He stepped forward, and as his sleeve fell, a paperweight dropped into his hand.

But before he could swing it, Wen Ren spun around fast, a brush with no ink swinging through the air. The soft tip of the brush swiped across Le Wuya's throat!

This time, Le Wuya was the one who froze.

After a bit, he yelled, "No fair! That's not a test—it's a fight! I needed you to be in the right. If you fight back, you lose the upper hand!"

He took Wen Ren's brush and went back to the desk. "You failed the test. I'm not using you next time."

After this, Wen Ren realized some things really weren't for a grown-up like him to do.

Brother Gu had his reasons for picking the kid gatekeeper.

First, a kid looks easy to trick, so the other guy lets his guard down.

Second, when a grown-up faces danger, they naturally fight back.

Once a fight starts, you can't sort out who's right or wrong.

Getting that, Wen Ren stopped pushing.

For a bit, the two went back to their calm mood.

Le Wuya read the essays, and Wen Ren picked them out.

After a long quiet, Wen Ren, still looking down, suddenly spoke up. "That move just now—Brother Gu didn't expect that, did he?"

Le Wuya was rubbing his neck, grumbling about getting caught off guard. At that, he turned red and snapped, "Shut up!"

Wen Ren smiled, but then, thinking of something, his smile faded a bit.

He got serious. "Brother Gu, don't talk like that anymore."

Le Wuya: "...What?"

Wen Ren flipped through the papers, making a nice rustling sound. "I mean... selling... that stuff."

Le Wuya barely raised an eyebrow.

Oh, he hates that.

So he looked down and said flatly, "Got it."

Wen Ren's fingers stopped.

He was sharp by nature, and feeling Le Wuya's mood shift, he knew he might've said something wrong.

But this touched on personal matters, and it wasn't appropriate to pry.

Distractedly sorting through the papers, Wen Ren thought:

Brother Gu cares so much about his appearance—he must be a handsome man.

Had someone once said such vile things to him?

In the mutual silence, Le Wuya welcomed back the Guo siblings.

The Guo siblings, who had spent several days in the barren mountains planting tea flowers, returned to find that the chaos of the wandering beggars in Nanting had been completely cleared up. The streets were orderly and well-regulated, and they couldn't help but feel a secret admiration.

Le Wuya had been waiting for them in the government office for some time.

"Hard work."

After listening with a smile to their report on the tea flowers, Le Wuya said, "Oh, and there's one small matter I need your help with. ...Please cover your faces with these cloths first."

Though surprised and puzzled, the Guo siblings complied.

Once he confirmed that most of their faces were hidden, Le Wuya waved his hand, and two yamen runners brought in two men who were tied up tightly.

"Do you two recognize them? Were these the ones following you with ill intent?"

The two beggars were shackled hand and foot, their faces pale and eyes darting.

Brother Guo's eyes lit up.

Seeing their reaction, Le Wuya waved again, and the runners immediately dragged the two men away.

Brother Guo removed his face covering, his admiration growing. "It really is them!"

"They tried to slip out through the west gate two days ago. Because they were carrying weapons, they were caught red-handed by the local soldiers. Seeing that they were sturdy and had calloused hands, and hearing your account of their suspicious behavior, I suspected they were repeat offenders. These past two days, I've had the criminal investigation office searching everywhere, cross-referencing wanted posters and arrest warrants to see if they were habitual thieves and robbers."

Le Wuya reassured them, "Your concerns were justified. When you're out and about, it's best to stay vigilant."

Guo Guzi bowed gracefully. "Thank you, Your Honor, for seeking justice on our behalf."

"Ah," Le Wuya said lightly, "Just don't let it disturb the county princess's peace."

The Guo siblings were left speechless.

The moment they paused, Le Wuya caught on.

He was just used to it—he was just casually bluffing!

Le Wuya leaned back, not sure whether to laugh or cry. "...They actually came?"

...

Qi Hongzhuang, at the post station, didn't stay cooped up in her room all day.

She was here to do business, so she had to act like a businesswoman.

She went out to collect fresh mountain soil, and after comparing it with the samples Guo Guzi had brought back and studied, she could confirm that the walnut trees on that barren hill had been a happy accident—an unexpected success.

After years of being left fallow, the soil on that barren mountain was quite fertile, indeed suitable for planting camellias.

Spotting that Nanting had a river, she also went to the market to check the price of fish guts. After confirming that this item was cheap, she made a mental note.

This winter, after the camellias faded, she would use fish guts as fertilizer, burying them in the soil, so next year's flowers would be even more vibrant.

On this day, she went out on her own as usual.

But as she came down the stairs to the first floor of the post station, her eyes swept the room—and then froze.

...She thought she saw someone she knew.

"Seventh..." She paused, considering how to address him. "Seventh Master?"

The person who had been looking around stopped mid-step, turned, and smiled before saying a word. "Ah, it's Sister Xiaoshu!"

"I am a woman of meager fortune and was demoted for lacking virtue. I really don't deserve to be called 'sister' by the Seventh Master."

Qi Hongzhuang sized him up calmly. "Why is the Seventh Master here?"

"I won't tell. And you, Master's Wife—why are you in Nanting instead of Tonglu?" The Seventh Prince gave a half-smile and added, "Surely you can at least accept being called 'Master's Wife,' sister?"

Qi Hongzhuang was speechless.

Even back when Le Wuya was still alive, she had always felt that the two disciples her so-called husband had taught each had their own annoying quirks.