Chapter 29: The Exonerating Scholar
There really was no one at Chen Bai’s medical station.
So he had people carry him to visit those old court officials again.
Why would he not go? Such a perfect chance to kick someone while they were down—could he really just watch it slip by?
If he did not go vent some anger for himself, he would feel sorry to himself.
He had to visit the Three Dukes and the Nine Ministers one by one. He had to make all these old officials develop some resentment toward Crown Prince Jiao.
When Chen Bai arrived at the door, the steward went in to report, “Master, Chen Zixiu of the Court of Judicial Review requests an audience.”
“Why isn’t he staying properly at that medical station or whatever it is? Why has he come here?”
After hesitating for a moment, the old official still had him brought in. Chen Zixiu was now an important figure in treating this great illness. After all, that Mountain Lord had gone off to gather herbs, saying there was not enough medicine for the treatment. Right now, only Chen Zixiu, his student, knew how to give injections.
When Chen Zixiu was carried in on a stretcher, the sight of him was truly shocking. The old official, who had originally been prepared to scold him a little, could not even open his mouth.
Chen Zixiu was still gravely injured. How many people could be like him, carrying such severe wounds and still stepping forward to think of treating the people of Shangjing?
In the end, before he could rebuke him, Chen Bai spoke first. “I truly do not know what Crown Prince Jiao is thinking. The situation in Shangjing is urgent now. It is like a dead city. Can Crown Prince Jiao not see that? Can the court not see that? We are merely asking Crown Prince Jiao to come out and clarify things. One sentence could change the current situation. Such a simple matter, yet after waiting all these days, there is still no movement. Is the court really just going to watch? Are all you great officials and the Emperor really going to ignore it like this?”
Do not blame him for kicking someone while they were down. Who told Crown Prince Jiao to act so foolishly this time?
“When facing a matter of right and wrong, how can one… how can one disregard the bigger picture like this?” Chen Bai concluded, his face filled with grief and indignation.
Standing on the moral high ground—who did not know how to do that?
His words made the great official’s face flush red, and he was unable to refute him. The crown prince loved face and refused to come out and admit his mistake. In fact, they were not even asking him to admit his mistake. They only wanted him to clarify things. Unfortunately, he had stubbornly refused to make the slightest movement.
Who was right and who was wrong was already very clear now. Those people who had been called “demons” had shown obvious improvement after receiving injections. This had already proven Chen Zixiu’s words: this was an illness, not some demonic possession. The execution order back then had certainly been wrong.
On top of that, Chen Zixiu’s earlier warning that the disease was highly contagious on a large scale had also been proven true, one point after another.
The truth had already come to light. Everyone knew it. Yet Crown Prince Jiao had actually shrunk back like a turtle.
Crown Prince Jiao’s face was face, but theirs was not? Now, a junior had come to their door and questioned them until they were speechless.
But speaking of it, it was also strange. The Emperor had summoned Crown Prince Jiao three times, yet the other party had refused each time with all kinds of excuses. At a time like this, he would not take up the responsibility of the crown prince and even refused to answer the summons. To be honest, this was no longer something that could be explained by willfulness or loving face.
Chen Bai added, “I am responsible for treating the illness, and I will fulfill my responsibility. But how to make the patients come is your responsibility—and Crown Prince Jiao’s responsibility. Whoever planted the cause in the first place must take responsibility.”
“What exactly does hiding away and refusing to meet anyone mean? Is that worthy of the people of Great Qian?”
Only then did Chen Bai begin to speak of the main matter. “The situation is now uncontrollable. Shangjing City must be sealed off. If the illness spreads beyond the city walls, then even if there is enough medicine, it will still be a heavy burden for Great Qian. Medicine is not cheap.”
Chen Bai had not expected before this that Crown Prince Jiao would actually hold out stubbornly and refuse to come out to say even one word, letting the disease continue to spread.
“The disaster of Shangjing should not become the disaster of Great Qian.” His tone was earnest and weighty.
Closing the city was no small matter. It would certainly cause even greater panic, but things had already reached the point where they had no choice.
The listener’s pupils contracted.
After Chen Bai finished speaking, he prepared to leave. He still had to hurry to the next old official’s house to kick Crown Prince Jiao while he was down.
But before leaving, he suddenly said, “Right, I need to borrow the students of your family’s Mountain Lord. Please allow them to go.”
Watching Chen Bai being carried out, the old official felt depressed.
A person covered in filth and infamous enough for anyone to spit on was now carrying injuries and thinking of every possible way to save people.
Yet Crown Prince Jiao, who had originally been known for virtue and carried a splendid reputation, had acted like this in the face of a matter of great right and wrong…
The difference was so great that it made one’s chest feel blocked.
No. He had to enter the palace. First, the matter of sealing the city had to receive the Emperor’s approval. Second, they could not allow Crown Prince Jiao to continue behaving so absurdly.
Gritting his teeth, he thought that if one were to speak more harshly, the fact that today’s situation had developed to this point was something Crown Prince Jiao could not shirk responsibility for. But even now, Crown Prince Jiao was only thinking about preserving his own face. It truly had gone too far.
Chen Bai did not know what plans those old officials had. In any case, he went to visit them one by one. As for whose responsibility this was, he did not exaggerate or add fuel to the fire. He merely made it clear and let them think for themselves.
The other matter was borrowing his group of students.
These old officials had personally seen those patients recover completely, so when it came to borrowing people, although they were somewhat worried, they still lent them in the end. They did not want to be poked in the spine by others.
Especially when their children took a kind of medicine called banlangen, poured it into their mouths, then ran outside with howling enthusiasm, showing not the slightest fear.
The sight was truly comforting. Children of meritorious families ought to be like this. While enjoying privileges, they also had to shoulder responsibility. Unlike that…
Sigh.
Chen Bai could not help finding the sight of the excited students amusing.
“Brother Bai, what should we do?”
“We’re going to be little heroes who save people from suffering!”
Their words were a little childish, but at a time of crisis, being able to step forward without hesitation truly made them worthy of being called little heroes.
And so, on the deathly silent streets, a group of energetic, sunny young noblemen dressed in rich clothes began beating gongs and drums, passing by house after house.
Of course, Chen Bai also borrowed the patients with the poisonous red-swelling rash whom he had treated. They followed alongside these students. Some of these patients had already fully recovered, while others still had a few faint red marks on their faces, but they looked mostly healed.
Beating gongs and drums on such cold, deserted, deathly streets made them look extremely conspicuous.
But they were like a spring breeze, a beam of sunlight, a most comforting wave.
“People of Shangjing, come out and have a look!”
“Look at these people! They have all been cured! They don’t have any symptoms left at all!”
“It was only an illness, not demons! Just go to Brother Bai and get an injection, and you’ll be fine!”
“Look at us! We’re openly running around the streets, and we’re not afraid at all!”
“We are the children of the Three Dukes and the Nine Ministers. We are not afraid, so what are you afraid of?”
The message they conveyed was truly shocking.
That terrifying scarlet illness, as red as a ghost mask, had been cured?
Shangjing, which had once been prosperous and lively, had suddenly become like this. The people were already suffering in their hearts. Hearing this news, they could not help peering through their windows to take a look.
“Aren’t those the people from the execution ground back then? The red patches on their faces really seem to have disappeared.”
“And that patient who was taken away by the Shangjing authorities. Crown Prince Jiao actually didn’t kill him.”
“Hiss. That person still has red spots on his face. How do these young masters dare walk together with them? It could spread.”
When the students saw people looking at them through the windows, they flashed their white teeth, their eyes curving with smiles, and shouted at them, “If there’s a patient at home, hurry and go to Brother Bai for treatment! Don’t hide away and suffer.”
“Once you’re cured, you can walk openly on the streets just like them. We are all people of Great Qian. What are you hiding for? It’s not as if you’re rats.”
Someone asked in shock, “Are you really children of the Three Dukes and the Nine Ministers’ households?”
Such noble identities were far more precious than their lives. Were they really not worried at all?
When the students heard this, they were practically overjoyed, yet they still had to pretend to be shy, twisting their little hands together. But their voices when they called out were not quiet at all.
“I am Chen Xiaobu of the Court of Judicial Review…”
“I am Gan Thirteen of Duke Gan’s residence…”
“…”
Heavens, how embarrassing. But Brother Bai had said that heroes had to leave their names behind. Only then would more heroes step forward.
Being nameless was not the treatment a hero deserved.
Silence spread.
Children from meritorious families had such noble identities, yet they were not afraid. On the other hand, they themselves were timid and hesitant. It made them seem…
The group of students did not linger. Brother Bai had said they had to go from house to house. Today, they would walk through the Eastern Market. Tomorrow, they would walk through the Western Market. They had to let everyone see that Shangjing was not some demonic land. It was still the same Shangjing as before. There was nothing to panic over. People only needed to live as they usually did. If they were sick, they should get treated. If they were not sick, they could walk the streets, drink tea, and listen to storybooks.
Like warmth in the middle of a bitter winter, they blew into thousands upon thousands of homes.
When they passed by the mansions of meritorious families, because these were all children they knew, people inevitably came out to watch the excitement.
“Aren’t those the twins from Duke Shang’s family?”
“That one with the bob haircut is from the Court of Judicial Review.”
“What are you doing?”
The students quickly said, “Brother Bai said no one dares go to him for treatment because the people are afraid of this illness, so he asked us to take the lead and let everyone see that there’s nothing scary about it.”
“Look at the people following behind us. They all used to be sick, but they’ve been cured.”
“We’re helping our master treat the illness.”
“Although this illness is contagious, it only spreads to people who have caught a cold. Healthy people have no need to hide at home. Isn’t it boring?”
“Even if you get sick, it doesn’t matter. Just go to Brother Bai and get an injection. It’s… it’s just like an ordinary illness. Who has never been sick? What is there to be afraid of?”
These children really were…
Why did it sound as though the ghost-face illness that had thrown all of Shangjing into panic was only so-so, just like catching a cold? It was not some demon, and it would not kill people either.
Chen Bai’s goal was precisely to have these students bring everyone two words: peace of mind. Nothing else.
Illness was not terrifying. What was terrifying was thinking that one had contracted a terminal disease and frightening oneself.
When these students passed by the posthouse, Crown Prince Sudan of Zhao, dressed in white, actually walked out and began rubbing the dogs beside the children.
These past few days, he had not even been able to see people, let alone dogs. How many days had it been since he last rubbed a dog?
The sight made people cover their eyes.
“Sudan, those are our dogs.”
“Sudan, why do you like dogs so much?”
The Zhao envoys and guards behind Sudan were so frightened that their hearts trembled. Their crown prince had just walked out like that?
This was still during a great outbreak.
They hurried forward to advise him against it.
In the end, Sudan not only refused to listen, he even followed the group of students—no, he followed behind the few dogs with unwavering determination.
For some inexplicable reason, the group of students… grew a little larger.
The identities of these people were also extremely special. Among them, that peerless young master as gentle as jade was even the crown prince of Great Zhao.
The people behind the windows looked at one another.
The sight made their hearts feel even more stifled.
This was Shangjing, the Shangjing of Great Qian. A crown prince from another country was leisurely walking dogs on the streets of their Great Qian, while they had to hide behind their windows and watch the people outside…
That feeling was truly strange to the extreme.
It was precisely such a group that began to move through the streets and alleys of Shangjing, large and small, soothing the panic brought about by this great illness.
The effect was also quite obvious. Previously, everyone had been terrified. But now, they had seen cured patients. They had seen young masters from meritorious families whose status was far more noble than theirs. They had even seen the crown prince of another country walking fearlessly and happily down the streets.
That impact could not be described.
They were not afraid, so what were commoners like them afraid of?
At last, someone could no longer resist the bright sunlight outside. They opened the door and walked out.
Chen Bai also received his first patient. The person had probably truly been unable to endure the torment of the illness anymore. This illness tortured not only the human body, but also the human heart.
Looking at the patient’s face, perhaps because of panic, he had scratched himself until he no longer looked human. A person like this might already have chosen to face death directly. Now that Chen Bai’s place offered hope of being cured, since he was not even afraid of death, why not come and try?
There was no expression on Chen Bai’s face. He lifted his hand and gave the injection, as if he were merely carrying out a routine task.
“You’ll see results in three days. The wounds on your face are scratches you made yourself. They’re only superficial injuries and won’t be a problem.”
The patient said, “That’s it?”
Chen Bai replied, “That’s it. Go back and wait for recovery.”
He did not even lift his head, as if this illness really were nothing more than a tiny, insignificant cold.
The patient: “…”
Before coming, he had imagined countless possibilities. Endless mockery, countless people pointing fingers at him, and perhaps even being seized and beheaded on the spot.
In the end…
He had merely been pricked once with a strange needle, then told to go home and wait to recover.
There really was nothing else.
The patient suddenly laughed, a bitter laugh. What had he been doing all these days? What had he been panicking over?
Clenching his teeth, he walked out just like that, without covering anything, exposing his face as he stepped onto the main street.
Looking at the few people around him who scattered away, he said with mockery on his face, “Making a fuss over nothing.”
He was mocking others, and also mocking himself.
The sight left people dumbfounded.
Someone who had been regarded like a demon had entered that medical station and then come out as if he had become a different person. He was even mocking others for making a fuss over nothing?
A few people’s eyes shifted, and they hurried back home.
Then… Chen Bai began to become busy.
Patients came one after another.
Chen Bai sighed inwardly. Finally… things were on the right track.
As long as people were willing to come out for treatment, this great illness could eventually be brought under control.
As for the patients seeking treatment, when they looked at Chen Zixiu, who could only sit in a chair and treat them because of his severe injuries, their feelings became complicated.
So complicated that they did not even dare meet Chen Bai’s gaze.
Suddenly, someone said, “You… are a good person.”
After saying that, they ran away in a panic.
Chen Bai froze for a moment, then the corners of his mouth lifted.
Fortune really did take turns.
It seemed that infamy and good reputation would both have to be carried on his shoulders at the same time. No matter what, it was better than the situation before.
Chen Bai’s students no longer needed to go out shouting in the streets. They had actually come to his place to help.
Chen Bai thought about it and decided that was fine too.
It was just the right time to explain this infectious disease to the people who came, calm them down, and help Shangjing return to normal sooner.
“This is a complication from catching a cold. As long as you don’t catch a cold, you won’t get the illness. Look at us—we stay among the patients and we’re completely fine.”
“Don’t look down on us because we’re young. We are Mountain Lord’s students.”
“Brother Bai, who is treating you, is our senior brother. In the future, we’ll be just as amazing as Brother Bai too.”
One by one, they raised their little heads and began acting like physicians.
Recently, they had been extremely smug. Wherever they went, someone recognized them.
“They’re the Gong-Beaters of Shangjing City.”
They even had a title now.
It was they who had used the sound of gongs to bring people out from their houses and make the patients come out for treatment.
In this great illness in Shangjing, they had no small share of the credit.
Chen Bai watched them and smiled. For these students, this was probably a memory they would never forget for the rest of their lives.
Chen Bai became so busy that he could hardly stop.
And in the imperial palace, things were also extremely lively.
Crown Prince Jiao finally answered the summons.
Because too many ministers had gone to the Emperor, and the Emperor had also stamped the royal seal and issued an imperial edict.
If he still refused to answer the summons, Crown Prince Jiao would probably be in great trouble.
Only…
Crown Prince Jiao was very strange.
The group of ministers watched him, baffled.
The Emperor’s face showed displeasure. “In the past, you were able to say that all demons should be executed in order to uphold the laws of the court. That could still be considered somewhat spirited.”
“Even if the common people truly were wronged, it was still done to uphold the law of our Great Qian.”
“But now, look at what you have been doing. Shangjing has fallen into difficulty, and this is precisely the time when you, as crown prince, should fulfill your duties. Yet you avoided meeting anyone and even dared defy three verbal summons ordering you into the palace.”
The other ministers could not help nodding. Clearly, all that was needed was one sentence from the crown prince to clarify things, and the panic among the people could have been avoided. Yet he had insisted on letting the situation develop to this point.
This time, the crown prince’s actions had truly disappointed them.
The Emperor continued, “Your father has also made mistakes before. Making mistakes is certainly wrong, but what is even more wrong is knowing one’s mistake and refusing to correct it. Do you understand what I mean?”
The crown prince still said nothing.
The Emperor’s face grew even darker, and he said directly, “Starting today, you will go to the Eastern Market and the Western Market and clarify to the people that the ghost-face illness is not some demon, but an ordinary disease. The court will not punish them. Let them go to Chen Zixiu with peace of mind for treatment.”
No one knew which old minister muttered, “Even if the crown prince does not go clarify things, Shangjing will probably recover soon anyway.”
Their prejudice against him had probably reached the point where it had to be spoken aloud, so they took the chance to needle him.
No one said anything. After all, the person who had allowed the situation to develop to this point was none other than Crown Prince Jiao.
The Emperor’s face was dark as he rebuked, “Why are you not going yet?”
In the end, Crown Prince Jiao still did not move.
The group of ministers were all stunned. Had Crown Prince Jiao gone mad? Did he know what he was doing right now?
The Emperor’s face turned completely cold.
Finally, Crown Prince Jiao opened his mouth. His voice was hoarse. “Father, how do you expect me to face those commoners?”
“How can a person who said that every demon should be executed go out and meet people with this face?”
What?
They saw Crown Prince Jiao suddenly tear off the mask on his face. Earlier, they had found it strange. Why was he wearing a mask when he had properly entered the palace to meet the Emperor?
But once the mask was removed, everyone sucked in a cold breath.
That was… what kind of face?
Red patches, a ghostly face, countless scratch marks.
Hiss!
Crown Prince Jiao had actually…
He was the one who had repeatedly said that every case discovered would be executed. And now he himself looked like this.
They seemed to understand why Crown Prince Jiao had refused to enter the palace despite being summoned three times.
Now, there was truly no way to hide it anymore. If he continued to defy the edict, then his position as crown prince would come to an end.
Everyone fell silent.
This was a slap to Crown Prince Jiao’s face, and the kind where he had slapped himself.
Crown Prince Jiao looked extremely haggard. At a glance, one could tell he had been tormented by the illness until he was in unbearable pain. No, not tormented by the illness, but by himself.
The sight made people feel sorrowful.
But in their hearts, they also sighed. If Crown Prince Jiao had not cared so much about face and had explained the matter from the beginning, others could still have praised him for being open and free-spirited. Why would things have come to this?
The Emperor opened his mouth, and in the end, only said, “Take the crown prince to Chen Zixiu and have his illness treated. You may leave.”
Just as had been said earlier, even without needing the crown prince to clarify anything, the situation in Shangjing had already stabilized.
Crown Prince Jiao’s hands loosened and clenched, clenched and loosened again.
Why did the person capable of saving people have to be Chen Zixiu of all people?
The prisoner beneath his steps in the past. The person he had once humiliated from such a lofty position. Now, he actually had to beg for help from that same person.
But in the end, he did not dare say anything. He was also clear on just how many people his actions had displeased.
After Crown Prince Jiao left, the group of court officials and the Emperor looked at one another.
Crown Prince Jiao was honestly a little too pitiful. He had once been a perfectly fine crown prince who upheld the laws and order of Great Qian, yet he himself…
For a moment, no one had anything to say.
…
Chen Bai received the patient he least wanted to receive, but also had no choice but to receive.
There was not a single word throughout the entire process.
Crown Prince Jiao’s meridians were all stiff, and Chen Bai had to try several times before he inserted the needle correctly.
He really did not do it on purpose.
However, his mood was also indescribably refreshed.
So even a venomous snake that bit people had a day like this, appearing so miserable before him.
Chen Bai even thought that he might as well let Crown Prince Jiao keep a face full of scars. Someone like that certainly could not continue sitting in the position of crown prince. But he did not dare. Everyone else recovered, yet only Crown Prince Jiao did not; there would be no way to explain that.
Still, Crown Prince Jiao’s current mood must be extremely fascinating.
Chen Bai thought to himself that from now on, the person whose days would be difficult would no longer be him, but Crown Prince Jiao.
As for why Crown Prince Jiao never stepped forward in the end to say anything, none of the people of Shangjing knew. It was as if Crown Prince Jiao had started this matter, then stopped participating in it, turning it into one of Shangjing’s unsolved mysteries.
Meanwhile, the people who had participated—Mountain Lord, Chen Zixiu, and that group of students—rose to fame.
The most special one was probably Chen Zixiu.
Chen Zixiu, who had been cursed and spat on by the world, had actually saved many, many people in Shangjing. If Chen Zixiu had not struck the Grievance Drum, received the punishment for clearing an injustice, and returned innocence to everyone, those people truly would have been executed as demons.
“Chen Zixiu is not bad by nature. He is a good person.”
“Before, people were far too harsh on him.”
No one knew where it began, but this saying spread throughout the whole of Shangjing and reached Chen Zixiu’s ears.
When Chen Bai heard those words, he was drinking with Qi Zheng.
Cloud drinking—through the phone.
Qi Zheng lifted his wine cup. Why was this demon so happy today? He had actually taken the initiative to invite him to drink. Although this drinking was very strange, raising a cup toward a piece of stone.
Chen Bai answered, “The situation in Shangjing has eased. Patients are willing to come out for treatment now. Isn’t that worth being happy about?”
Qi Zheng said, “That is true. Shangjing now shows signs of returning to its former liveliness. These past days, it has been deathly silent and heavy, making one feel stifled.”
Chen Bai said, “Huh? I always see you with a cold face every day, so I thought you’d like this kind of atmosphere. I didn’t expect you were someone who liked liveliness.”
Qi Zheng: “…”
Did he keep a cold face every day?
They chatted idly for a while longer. Chen Bai really was in a good mood today. Seeing Crown Prince Jiao so unwilling and so humiliated, yet still having no choice but to come to him for treatment, was truly satisfying.
The resentment he had held in for so long could be considered vented.
In the days that followed, Chen Bai became even busier, because there were truly many patients.
Disease was indeed terrifying. Even though Chen Bai devoted himself fully to saving people, it still took an entire month to clear out the virus.
It was a busy month, so busy that he became dizzy and overwhelmed. He did not even have time to think about how ashamed and furious Crown Prince Jiao must be, nor to look at the gazes of those he had saved when they looked at him.
But in the end, this thrilling farce slowly drew to a close.
The order sealing Shangjing City was lifted.
The once lively and prosperous Shangjing returned to normal.
And the name Chen Zixiu resounded throughout Shangjing once again, because… the court’s reward had come down.
“By imperial decree, Young Master Bai of the Court of Judicial Review is appointed Grand Scholar of the Hong Pavilion and bestowed the title ‘Zhaoxue.’”
Grand Scholar Zhaoxue.
To be granted the title of Grand Scholar at such a young age was truly astonishing.
But who dared object? And who dared refuse to accept it?
This was something Chen Zixiu had earned by risking his own life to disrupt the execution ground, establishing a medical station while heavily injured, and saving hundreds of lives in Shangjing.
The Court of Judicial Review, whose gate had once been so deserted that it could not have been colder—where people had even waited at the entrance every day to point at their backs and curse them—finally began to change.
Gifts of congratulations arrived without end.
Chen Shouye, rarely moved, sighed with his eyes turning a little red.
How long had it been since he, too, had walked out this door only to have people point at his spine and curse?
Everyone tactfully avoided mentioning Chen Zixiu’s disgraceful past.
What surprised Chen Bai a little was that Qi Zheng had actually also sent a congratulatory gift.
“Hasn’t this person always found me unpleasant? Or is it because I still hold the office of tongzhi lang in his residence, so he sent a gift out of social courtesy?”
He shook his head and did not take it to heart.
There was also the matter of the families of the children to whom Chen Bai had previously given strange beasts. They had prepared extremely generous congratulatory gifts and sent them over, making Madam Ronghua repeatedly say warmly, “You have spent too much, truly too much.”
Chen Bai could not help sighing a little too. Sure enough, relationships between people were all about courtesy and reciprocity.
The gifts he had given out—others all remembered them clearly. They were all meritorious families, and no one would think of greedily taking advantage of such a small thing. They would all find a reason to return the gift in another form.
That being said, through this give and take, the relationship naturally became closer.
However, he heard from Chen Xiaobu that among their schoolmates, two had birthdays that happened to fall during this one-month city lockdown. During a great illness, no one dared hold any birthday banquets, so those two classmates of Chen Xiaobu’s had truly been so angry that they rolled on the ground, crying that they had been born at the wrong time.
But there was no helping it. Even gift-giving required the right timing. If one rashly went to give gifts, it would look like forcing a relationship. It would inevitably lead to people saying one was clinging to power and forming connections.
They could only wait until next year.
It was said that the two children did not even find their meals fragrant now. Every time they saw the others walking their dogs, their eyes filled with tears.
Among those who came to offer congratulations, there was also one unexpected person: Crown Prince Sudan of Zhao.
Although he only came to deliver a gift and then left—after all, it was truly inappropriate for the crown prince of another country to become involved with the Court of Judicial Review—it still surprised quite a few people.
Chief Judicial Officer Chen hurriedly said a few words. “It is only my son’s personal friendship. We are fortunate that Crown Prince Zhao thinks highly of him.”
Everyone: “…”
Speaking of Crown Prince Sudan of Zhao, everyone’s feelings were also complicated.
After all, Crown Prince Sudan of Zhao had contributed to helping Shangjing through this great illness.
A crown prince of another country had helped their Shangjing out of difficulty. The feeling was simply a mixture of every possible emotion.
However, when it was time to glare angrily at Crown Prince Zhao, that would not change in the slightest. Because of the one-month city lockdown, the contest between Great Qian’s scholars and Crown Prince Zhao had been suspended. In the end, this Crown Prince Sudan had actually not simply left. Instead, he remained in Shangjing.
As soon as the city lockdown was lifted, it was said that scholars from various places had begun competing with Sudan again. As for the results, better not to mention them. They were truly too embarrassing to speak of.
Whether they could preserve their border city was still uncertain.
Shangjing had recovered again, but Crown Prince Sudan was like a great stone pressing on everyone’s hearts, making it truly difficult to breathe.
Chen Bai looked at Sudan and felt that he seemed to be enjoying himself so much he had forgotten to return home. His favorite thing was holding one dog in each arm.
The Court of Judicial Review was truly lively today, so Chen Bai inevitably had to be forced into business mode and come out to entertain the guests for a while.
By the time it ended, he was as tired as a dog.
“Sure enough, there are good things about being deserted too. When it’s too lively, it’s also unbearable.”
At this moment, he suddenly received a voice message from Qi Zheng. “How long has it been since you went to look at the grapes on the mountain? They’ve already grown into patches of green shade. And those rabbits too. Just now, a steward came to ask me about them, saying the rabbits seem to be growing a little too fast, changing every day. They’re already bigger than wild rabbits now, yet they’re still growing.”
“If they keep growing like this, they won’t turn into demons, will they?”
Chen Bai: “…”
He had never even seen a demon. These were meat rabbits. Of course they grew quickly. How big could wild rabbits in ancient times be? Could they even compare?
But it had indeed been a very long time since he had gone to see the rabbits and grapes on the mountain. He had a ten-percent share of the profits there.
Also, because the city had been sealed due to the great illness, his classes had also stopped. Now, it was time to continue.
So the next day, he arranged to meet Qi Zheng, brought along a group of students, and prepared to spend the day sketching on the mountain.
Perhaps because the city seal had been lifted and everyone had been stifled for too long, even the people of Shangjing were heading out of the city in large groups, making up for the outings they had missed.
The people of Shangjing truly loved outdoor excursions. A family of several people would invite three or five friends, making the outing very lively.
Chen Bai’s group had even more people. There were more than seventy students alone.
Each of them carried a drawing board on their backs, full of excitement.
Every one of them also held a flowerpot in their hands. The narcissus in the pots had grown very tall. Right now, they were still green leaves, but it looked like they would probably put out flower buds before long.
As soon as they left the city, they discovered something extraordinary.
On both sides of the road, plants had grown one after another in neat lines.
Because of the city lockdown, no one had been able to come out and see them.
The group of students practically went crazy.
“These are the sunflowers we planted!”
“Ahhh, they’ve actually grown this tall! They’re already up to my waist!”
They had also been unable to leave the city, so they had had no way to care for them.
One had to say, the vitality of plants had always been tenacious.
They ran over like a gust of wind, their faces full of pleasant surprise.
To be honest, these two rows of green plants stretching into the distance really did look beautiful.
Especially in Great Qian, where there was not yet much concept of road design, the two rows of green plants by the roadside looked uniquely charming.
Even Chen Bai was somewhat surprised.
He said, “Continue taking care of them from now on. The assessment for the planting class remains unchanged.”
All along the way, there were sounds of joy as the students ran to inspect the section of road they were responsible for. If they discovered one plant was missing, they would even stomp their feet angrily.
When they arrived at the fief, logically speaking, those commoner students should also have helped plant grapes and raise rabbits, so they should not have been surprised by the mountain’s condition. But when people walked together, their moods became different. They were still extremely happy.
The people of Shangjing who had not been here for a long time were also astonished.
“These grapes have actually climbed this high? The last time we came, the trellises hadn’t even been fully built yet.”
“They were even built into passageways one after another. This… this…”
Just thinking about strolling through these green, shaded passageways already felt comfortable.
This mountain was no longer the barren mountain it had been before. The greenery before their eyes was unbelievably beautiful.
From time to time, someone would cry out in surprise. “Come look at these rabbits! They used to be little rabbits. How did they suddenly grow so big?”
“This is too big. The wild rabbits we hunted last time weren’t even this big.”
Even Qi Zheng asked, “Have they grown enough already? Can they be harvested?”
Chen Bai glanced at them. “This is still far from it. They still have a lot of growing to do.”
Qi Zheng: “…”
They were still going to grow? At this rate, they really would end up raising a group of rabbit demons. Their current size was already astonishing.
Chen Bai’s attention, however, was on the grapes. Bunches had already appeared on the grape trellises. So many, many bunches.
What he had bought in the first place were mature grapevines, full-grown vines being sold because the garden business could no longer continue.
Judging from this, they would have a good harvest this year.
Qi Zheng also looked at those bunches. Although they were still small now, the dense little fruits were unmistakable. “I wonder what they will look like once they grow up.”
Now, his tenants came every day to weed the place. Every once in a while, they fertilized the grapes as well. The animal manure produced by the rabbits happened to be disposed of here.
So it was actually not surprising that the mountain of grapes had grown like this.
Chen Bai said, “Today, we’ll draw these grape trellises.”
In truth, the weather was already extremely hot now. The group of students hurriedly ran off to find a comfortable, shaded grape passage and began setting up their easels.
Sunlight filtered through the grape trellises, leaving mottled spots of light. With the mountain breeze blowing gently, if one could calm down, it did not feel too hot.
Holding their brushes, they measured the grape trellises back and forth. They were no longer beginners who had just started learning sketching.
For more than a month, although there had been no classes, Chen Bai’s requirement that they submit one sketch a day had never been dropped.
Chen Bai smiled. Hadn’t Tang Shen’s game company already opened? This was just right for letting these students practice. When the time came, they could also exchange their work for some useful things as payment.
For the commoner students, even paper alone was difficult for them to afford. It had been given to them by Chen Bai.
However, he had heard that Qi Zheng had arranged some things for these commoner students so that their lives were at least guaranteed.
At the time, Chen Bai had looked at Qi Zheng in surprise. To be honest, Qi Zheng’s attitude toward strangers was truly… indifferent.
Chen Bai already felt it was good enough that Qi Zheng did not oppress others.
In the end, Qi Zheng replied, “Once you’ve trained them well, I’ll buy them all as long-term workers.”
Chen Bai had been so angry he nearly slapped a shoehorn onto his face. Sure enough, he was a capitalist. Huang Shiren.
Chen Bai also set up an easel and leisurely began to draw.
In the end, Qi Zheng also set one up beside him.
One was bewitching in red robes, and Qi Zheng’s blue robe today was also carefree and elegant.
The two of them looked rather harmonious together. Of course, one could not look at Qi Zheng’s drawing board. Otherwise, Chen Bai would not be able to help laughing out loud.
“What are you drawing?” Chen Bai asked.
Qi Zheng said solemnly, “A grape trellis.”
Chen Bai: “…”
All right. If he said it was, then it was.
Chen Xiaobu and the others had brought the dogs along, so the laughter never stopped.
Only hearing those sounds of playing and laughter made people feel that Shangjing’s crisis had truly passed.
He happily took them out to play for a whole day. It could be considered a way to relax after the tense month they had gone through.
After the students all returned home, Chen Bai went to the multifunctional electronic classroom.
Using the scanner on the control console, he scanned the sketches the students had drawn over the past month into electronic files.
He opened his phone and sent Tang Shen a message: “How is recruiting going for your game company?”
Tang Shen replied, “Not bad, I guess. Anyway, I didn’t plan on relying on it to make money. It’s just a personal hobby. Right now, I don’t even know what kind of game to make. The people I hired spend all day gossiping.”
The corners of Chen Bai’s mouth twitched. What an arrogant rich second-generation heir.
Chen Bai said, “I’ll send you some original art from the apprentices I’m teaching. Have your art employees render them. Treat it as practice for them too. How can hired employees sit around gossiping every day with nothing to do?”
“Brother Bai, I’ve discovered that you definitely ran off to some poor mountain village to volunteer as a teacher. Your hobby is way too noble. No wonder I haven’t been able to find you recently when I wanted to ask you out to have fun.”
After saying that, he added, “If they find out that it’s you, the original art god of the gaming world, asking them to render the original drawings, they’ll probably die of excitement.”
Chen Bai smiled. “They’re just drawings by my apprentices. They’re still very immature.”
He sent over the scanned image files.
Tang Shen probably opened them and took a look. “They’re pretty good. Quite a few of them have your shadow in them. I’ll have them render these now. Their salaries can’t be paid for nothing, right?”
Chen Bai said, “You only just realized salaries can’t be paid for nothing? If you keep giving them nothing to do, they’ll actually feel uneasy. Who knows, maybe they’re thinking every day about how long your fake company can last.”
Tang Shen laughed. “It was fake to begin with. Thinking about it now, I really don’t know what to do with it.”
Fine. Willful.
Chen Bai asked Tang Shen to find people to help render the drawings because he was actually planning to hold an art exhibition for his students.
The parents had entrusted their children to him, so he had to let the parents see what their children had learned.
Also, regarding the problem from his contest with the guest scholars from Crown Prince Jiao’s residence, he also needed to think of a way to give an answer.
Crown Prince Jiao must be in a very low mood right now. Then he would let him fall even lower.
There were truly quite a lot of these students’ drawings, so the rendering would probably take no short amount of time.
By the time Chen Bai finished scanning everything and sending all the image files, quite a lot of time had passed.
When he left the classroom, Qi Zheng was actually still tending to his sunflower field.
This guy really had perseverance. He had actually been doing it alone and had not let anyone help.
Only when he saw Chen Bai come out did he finally stop work and return to Shangjing.
Chen Bai’s current life had indeed become much easier. Even when he openly brought Chen Xiaobu out to a teahouse to listen to storybooks, no one would make sarcastic comments or gossip about him anymore.
Some people even stopped when they saw him, bowed, and called out, “Grand Scholar Zhaoxue.”
Chen Bai was stunned every time he heard it.
He was now the Grand Scholar Zhaoxue of the Hong Pavilion. Speaking of which, it seemed that all the grand scholars of the Hong Pavilion had been called away to compete with Crown Prince Sudan.
As for why he had not been called? It was probably because his title of Grand Scholar came not from talent and learning, but from merit.
However, he had heard that the registered grand scholars of the Hong Pavilion had nearly all been defeated one by one by Crown Prince Sudan. This was clearly a determined attempt to take that border city.
Once he truly finished competing against all the Hong Pavilion grand scholars, what excuse could the king use to delay things? Chen Bai felt worried on the king’s behalf. That was an entire city. And yet, just like that, it might be gone.
At this moment, the court of Great Qian was indeed in exactly such an awkward state.
The Zhao envoy directly asked, “Does your noble country have any Hong Pavilion grand scholars who have not yet answered the challenge? As far as I know, whether in Shangjing or in the regions, all the grand scholars have finished competing, haven’t they?”
The Emperor looked toward Gan Xun with a dark face.
The corners of Gan Xun’s mouth also twitched. The feeling of having one person suppress an entire country was simply indescribable.
Gan Xun stepped out, his expression also unpleasant. “There is still one person remaining.”
“Who?” The Zhao envoy was not polite in the slightest.
“The newly appointed Grand Scholar Zhaoxue.”
The hall fell utterly silent.
Chen Zixiu was a grand scholar appointed as a reward for merit. What learning or talent could he possibly have to defeat that monstrous crown prince of Zhao?
