Chapter 35: Student Watch and Drone
Chen Bai wrapped himself in his quilt and rolled around inside it.
He must have been insane. Why had he split off an identity called Mountain Lord back then? But at the time, there had been no other way. Back then, he could not even walk down the street without people chasing him and throwing rotten eggs at him, much less use Chen Zixiu’s identity to approach Qi Zheng and ask him to help him avoid punishment from the court.
With Qi Zheng’s personality, if he had approached him back then as Chen Zixiu, never mind helping him—Qi Zheng probably would have kicked him while he was down.
Chen Xiaobu looked at Chen Bai, who was occasionally howling from inside the quilt, and scratched his head. What was wrong with his brother? Had his head gotten caught in a door?
“Brother, are we going to the teahouse to listen to storybooks today?”
Chen Bai stuck his head out and said weakly, “Your brother is about to die. I’m not going out today. Go play with your skateboard in the courtyard and walk the dog by yourself.”
This time, he really could not escape disaster.
The king had personally issued an edict. It was impossible for him to defy it.
But he and his alter ego could not appear in the same place at the same time either.
The king had even specifically sent someone to pass along a message, saying that master and disciple meeting the king together would surely become a fine tale in the streets and alleys.
What fine tale? He felt that the execution ground was about to gain one more bloody head.
This was an unsolvable dead loop.
Chen Bai worried so much over finding a solution that his hair nearly turned white.
When Qi Zheng video-called Chen Bai, he saw Chen Bai hanging over the edge of the bed like a dead dog. He could not help asking, “What happened?”
Chen Bai said in a voice that sounded like he was about to breathe his last, “Undergoing tribulation. A death tribulation.”
Qi Zheng: “…Why are you demons undergoing tribulations every day?”
Chen Bai thought to himself that living in this world was basically undergoing tribulation every day. If one survived it, one could live freely for a while. If not, one would end up like him now, half-dead and barely alive.
Chen Bai asked, “The king has summoned me into the palace, but I don’t want to go. What should I do? You know I’m a demon. If the king insists that I take off my mask, do you think I should take it off or not?”
Qi Zheng frowned. “…”
This demon’s identity was now the first retainer of his residence. If he defied the imperial edict, Qi Zheng would probably be implicated too.
And as he had just said, if the demon’s identity was exposed, he was a nonhuman demon. If the king became angry and punished those connected to him, Qi Zheng would still be unable to avoid involvement.
In the past, he had not thought too deeply about it. He had not expected that he and this demon were already so deeply entangled. There was actually a feeling that they were in the same boat, sharing honor and disgrace.
Qi Zheng frowned, then suddenly said, “Actually, it is not completely impossible.”
Chen Bai abruptly lifted his head. “What?”
It was like walking into a dead end and suddenly seeing a life-saving straw. Right—why had he not thought of it? Rather than trapping himself alone in a mental corner, it would be better to find someone to discuss it with.
Qi Zheng knew most of his situation. Was he not the best person to discuss this with?
Qi Zheng continued, “Since the king has issued an edict, you definitely cannot defy it. But…”
“You can make the king give up on summoning you of his own accord. That way, you do not need to enter the palace, and it will not count as defying the edict.”
Chen Bai sat up with a whoosh. “Explain in detail. How do I make the king voluntarily give up on summoning me?”
Qi Zheng said, “I need to know why the king is summoning you into the palace.”
Chen Bai froze. He had forgotten. The matter of the new weapons had not been made public yet, so Qi Zheng probably had not received the news either.
But replacing weapons in the army could not be kept hidden. The news would come out sooner or later.
Chen Bai explained the source of the matter. “So the king is probably summoning me into the palace to reward my merits.”
Qi Zheng’s expression became wonderful. “…”
Was there anything this demon did not know how to do?
He was like a lamp in the night, so bright in the darkness that it was impossible to ignore.
Qi Zheng said, “Since it is to reward you, that makes things easier.”
Chen Bai asked, “What do you mean?”
“To formally reward a person, that person cannot have a flawed character. At the very least, at the time of the reward, no stain can appear. Otherwise, the king cannot lavishly reward someone at the same time that person has committed a mistake.”
Even if he wanted to reward him, it would probably only be with a written edict. He would not summon him into the palace.
Chen Bai said in surprise, “You mean I should deliberately tarnish my own reputation? That way, the king will be unable to summon me at this time for a reward?”
“It does not have to reach the point of truly ruining your reputation. You only need to commit a small mistake that is neither too serious nor too light.”
Chen Bai quickly asked, “For example…”
Qi Zheng’s face suddenly became strange. Then he pointed at his own arm.
Chen Bai was completely confused. “What does that mean?”
“I am merely giving you a suggestion. I have no other meaning, so do not overthink it. For example… if rumors suddenly spread in the marketplace that you have fallen for someone in the imperial family.”
After Qi Zheng finished speaking, he pointed at himself expressionlessly. “I can reluctantly help you with this. If you choose someone else, other problems may arise. Aren’t people outside already guessing why you became a retainer of my residence in the first place? This can also give them an explanation.”
Chen Bai: “…”
Again with him fooling around with the imperial family?
Chen Bai frowned. Chen Zixiu’s reputation had become so miserable precisely because of that filthy matter involving someone from the imperial family. Although Qi Zheng was voluntarily offering himself, so it probably would not get to that extent, after what happened before, Chen Bai still felt a little uncomfortable in his heart.
Qi Zheng continued, “Do not worry. Once this matter passes, we can clarify it. It will not damage your reputation…”
The more he spoke, the more reasonable it sounded. No matter how one thought about it, he was the most suitable candidate. His identity was sufficient, he did not mind his reputation being temporarily stained, and he was also the strong, muscular man this demon liked.
Qi Zheng thought to himself: he was only helping a friend make plans. There was no other meaning. As a friend, making a little sacrifice was only proper.
He did not mind, so surely this demon would not mind either.
Qi Zheng said, “At the moment, this is the most suitable method. What do you think? As a friend, I can reluctantly sacrifice a little…”
Chen Bai: “…”
Qi Zheng’s method was indeed good, but… the target could not be Qi Zheng.
After all, they would still have to see each other in the future. Even if both of them knew it was a fake performance, it would still be somewhat awkward.
No one knew what Chen Bai was thinking… If the target were changed to Zuo Qiu, Zuo Shanqin, who had already left, then it would be completely different. Zuo Qiu had already returned to Lu. Would it not be whatever Chen Bai said it was? Once the matter passed, he could explain a little.
Since Zuo Qiu had used him like that, he had to use him back. Otherwise, would he not lose too much? Even if he saw Zuo Qiu again in the future, Zuo Qiu would be too embarrassed to demand justice from him, right?
Chen Bai said, “Then let’s do it.”
Qi Zheng’s heart thumped. He… agreed?
He coughed. “Then I will go prepare.”
But before he could finish speaking, Chen Bai ended the video call.
Qi Zheng paced back and forth. “It is clearly just putting on an act, so why does it…”
He had to prepare properly.
Today, in the Second Prince’s residence, everyone who saw Qi Zheng could not help freezing. Their second prince had changed into a particularly indigo-blue robe today, looking like a fancy peacock. They could even hear him humming softly.
Those who saw him thought they must have looked wrong. Their ice-faced second prince was actually in such a good mood that it showed on his face?
Even the steward could not help carefully asking, “Your Highness looks to be in a good mood. Did something happy happen?”
Qi Zheng actually answered him. “It is not exactly a happy matter. I am only helping a friend.”
The steward: “…”
Could helping someone make him this happy? Why did it feel more like someone was helping him?
In any case, throughout the whole day, Qi Zheng’s figure could be seen around the residence.
At dusk, the steward suddenly hurried inside.
The corners of Qi Zheng’s mouth lifted as he asked, “Has Mountain Lord come?”
The steward answered, “No, but it is indeed news about Mountain Lord.”
Qi Zheng froze. At this hour, why had he not come to the residence?
But the corners of his mouth continued to lift, because Mountain Lord had said, “Then let’s do it.” Was that not asking him for help?
He asked, “What news about Mountain Lord?”
Only then did the steward begin reporting. “Today, Mountain Lord drank at a restaurant and became completely drunk. When he was drunk, he was somewhat unrestrained with his words. He actually… actually called out Zuo Qiu’s name as if no one were around. One ‘Zuo Qiu, don’t go’ after another. His expression was infatuated, and his manner clearly showed longing…”
“Now the news has spread all over the marketplace. The first retainer of our residence is infatuated with Zuo Qiu of Lu to the point of losing all restraint. Your Highness, this news may be unfavorable to our residence. How can our retainer fall in love with a foreign young master? If word spreads, people will gossip. Those with ulterior motives may even say our residence has ties with Lu.”
The steward thought: no matter what, His Highness had to break up this pair of lovebirds.
The corners of Qi Zheng’s mouth, which had been lifted, slowly lowered.
What was going on?
Wasn’t he supposed to act with him? What was this Zuo Qiu, who had already left, suddenly appearing for?
His heart thumped. Could it be that the demon had taken his suggestion, but changed the target?
The old steward continued, “Now everyone outside is saying that there are so many men in Great Qian, so why did Mountain Lord have to fall for a foreign young master? Where does that leave Great Qian’s men?”
Qi Zheng’s face turned black. “Where is Mountain Lord now?”
The steward answered, “Still in that restaurant.”
Qi Zheng strode outside.
The steward was somewhat confused. Why did it suddenly feel chilly? Hadn’t their Highness been especially happy today?
Inside the restaurant, Chen Bai smelled strongly of wine, his eyes hazy with drunkenness. He felt as if the spirit of an award-winning actor had possessed him, although his acting might look somewhat like an abandoned resentful wife.
But it did not matter. Look at his misty gaze. Look at his appearance, so crazed with longing that he had completely abandoned restraint.
There were many people around. They had probably never seen someone cause a scene in a restaurant because he missed a man so much.
That was even better. The news would spread faster.
With his current reputation, let’s see how the king would summon him and reward him at a time like this.
Only then, a pair of brocade boots suddenly appeared before his eyes.
Chen Bai froze. In his current state, someone actually still dared to approach him?
He looked up and saw an ice-cold face.
It was so cold that all the hairs on his body nearly stood up. He trembled, and although he had drunk a little wine, he was now shocked awake.
Why had Qi Zheng come here with an expression like Chen Bai owed him money?
However, Chen Bai said in a barely perceptible voice, “Prince Zheng, your method really works.”
Qi Zheng’s eyes narrowed, and he gave a cold snort. “Works, does it? Then do you know, as a retainer of my residence, what reaction I should have when you behave like this?”
Chen Bai froze. What did that mean? This idea had been Qi Zheng’s, had it not? What else could he do? Just watch the show.
In the end, he heard Qi Zheng say without a trace of emotion, “Men, tie him up.”
Chen Bai was stunned. What did that mean? Qi Zheng was an accomplice too, was he not? And now he actually wanted to tie him up.
Qi Zheng showed not the slightest expression. He had people tie Chen Bai up and left.
“Well tied! Which young master of Shangjing is inferior to that Zuo Qiu? Yet he had to fall for such a pale-faced weakling with no strength to even truss a chicken.”
“Exactly. We men of Great Qian are all strong and sturdy. Even if he likes men, he should like men of Great Qian like us.”
Discussions filled the air.
Chen Bai was dumbfounded. What did Qi Zheng mean?
Acting?
There was no need for Qi Zheng to act out such a scene. His own acting was enough.
By the time they arrived at Qi Zheng’s residence, Chen Bai still had not reacted.
After he was untied, Qi Zheng suddenly said, “Who told you to do this?”
Chen Bai was slightly stunned. “Wasn’t it the method you taught me? I carried it out very well.”
Qi Zheng: “…”
It seemed… the method had indeed been taught by him, but… “Do you know what consequences there will be from dragging a foreign young master into this?”
“I thought about it carefully. Zuo Qiu has already returned to Lu. As the saying goes, there is no witness when the dead are gone. Surely no one can summon Zuo Qiu back to ask whether it is true or false. Tsk, won’t I be the one who has the final say?”
Qi Zheng: “…”
This damned demon had quite a lot of excuses.
“If you behave like this, there will always be evidence left behind. If Zuo Qiu really sends a message back, let’s see how you clean up the aftermath.”
Chen Bai shrugged. “We’ll talk about it when the time comes. In any case, let me get past this hurdle first.”
Qi Zheng narrowed his eyes and waved his hand. “That is your business. If something goes wrong later, do not come looking for me to clean up after you.”
Ha. He did not even mind being used, yet the demon had instead gone and dragged in that Zuo Qiu. This demon was usually quite clever, so why did his mind fail to turn at the crucial moment?
Chen Bai: “…”
Why did today’s Qi Zheng seem like he was holding in some anger? Strange. Who had provoked him?
When Chen Bai left, he ran into the steward of Qi Zheng’s residence and specifically asked, “Did something unhappy happen to your Highness today?”
Qi Zheng and Mountain Lord had gotten along quite harmoniously in the past, but today, it felt like Qi Zheng was targeting him. Clearly, he had only done things according to Qi Zheng’s method.
The steward froze. “Why does Mountain Lord say that? His Highness was in an especially good mood today. This old servant has not seen His Highness this happy in many years.”
Chen Bai: “…”
Could it be that when Qi Zheng was happy… this was actually how he acted? The happier he was, the angrier he looked?
He muttered, “Sure enough, he is an unreasonable and unpredictable person.”
The next day, sure enough, palace attendants came to pass along a message, saying that Chen Zixiu could enter the palace alone.
Chen Bai was delighted. Qi Zheng’s method really was useful.
He also breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. Otherwise, when the trick was exposed, he would be finished. He only felt somewhat emotional. Mountain Lord’s contribution was the greatest, after all. He did not know whether this merit could still be claimed.
When Chen Bai entered the palace, Chen Shouye even specifically sent him there by carriage. Chen Bai was surprised for a long while at the time.
Although it was said that he was entering the palace, Chen Bai thought it would only be a private audience, followed by the announcement of his rewards.
In the end, the place where the rewards were bestowed was actually the Golden Hall.
And it was in front of the Three Dukes, the Nine Ministers, and the hundred officials.
This counted as Chen Bai’s second time entering the Golden Hall.
The voice of the inner attendant reading the edict was somewhat sharp. The content at the front was all the usual unchanging wording, roughly praising his youthful promise and so on.
The important part was the specific content of the reward at the end. Chen Bai perked up his ears. It would be best if they rewarded him with more gold, silver, and treasure. He was a vulgar person.
But…
“Grand Scholar Zhaoxue is hereby appointed as Grand Scholar of the Golden Hall Brush. Thus decreed.”
Chen Bai was stunned. That was it?
No gold or silver?
His contribution was not small.
But the hundred officials nearly sucked in a cold breath.
This Grand Scholar of the Brush was the person who held the brush for the king in the Golden Hall.
To be able to enter the Golden Hall at such a young age—what kind of honor was this? This was the king granting Chen Zixiu a bright future.
But thinking about the new weapon-forging method and the old weapon replacement plan he had submitted, this reward seemed reasonable too.
No one knew how many people revealed envious expressions as they looked at Chen Shouye. “Congratulations, Chief Judicial Officer Chen.”
Chen Shouye’s face was blooming with joy, yet he still had to pretend to be calm, making it unbearable to hold back.
Qi Zheng also looked at Chen Bai in surprise. Did he know who the previous Grand Scholar of the Brush had been?
It had been Gan Xun, one of the Three Dukes and the representative of Great Qian’s culture and education.
After Gan Xun, the position of Grand Scholar of the Brush had not been established again. Instead, the palace attendants in the hall wrote on the king’s behalf, because this position was far too sensitive.
From now on, Chen Zixiu’s handwriting would be treated as the king’s handwriting. One could imagine that Chen Bai could even directly forge certain imperial edicts that had not been stamped with the jade seal. Of course, that was a capital offense, but it showed how important this position was. That was why the king had always allowed powerless palace attendants to temporarily substitute.
There was also the matter of drafting edicts for the king, which meant learning many of the court’s decisions in advance.
It could be said that this position was someone every side would want to win over.
Qi Zheng’s brows furrowed deeply. Yet of all people, this position had fallen to Chen Zixiu.
The Grand Scholar of the Brush was someone he definitely needed to win over as well. Only now, it had become winning over Chen Zixiu?
He had not been pleasant to Chen Zixiu in the past.
Back when Chen Zixiu served as tongzhi lang in his residence, Qi Zheng had often summoned him to the residence at strange times, then left him cooling off to the side.
No matter how one looked at it, the other party did not seem like someone magnanimous enough to let such things go.
This was troublesome.
Chen Bai was still staring at the inner attendant who had read the reward edict.
Not only had he not received a single tael of silver, he now had to go to the hall and diligently work as Grand Scholar of the Brush?
It was Chen Shouye who coughed and said, “Why are you not quickly thanking His Majesty? Look at you, so happy you’ve gone silly.”
Chen Bai sighed. No matter what, this counted as establishing a footing in Great Qian. It was not as though he had received nothing at all.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” He quickly accepted the edict.
The king gave an “Mm.” “Stand to the side. From this moment on, begin your duty.”
Chen Bai: “…”
In truth, the work of Grand Scholar of the Brush was very simple: write exactly according to His Majesty’s requirements, without changing a single character. Altering even one word would be a capital offense.
So one could simply regard him as an emotionless typewriter. The only connection between him and an imperial edict was that he was merely the person who wrote it down.
In the Golden Hall, everyone looked at Chen Zixiu standing straight beside the king and could not help sighing over how unpredictable life’s fortunes were.
Originally, they had all thought he was someone whose future had been completely ruined. Now, he had actually reached a position that others of his age could never hope to attain.
The Court of Judicial Review would probably hold a grand banquet to celebrate again.
Chen Bai was on duty today, and he really did write an edict for the king.
Looking at the edict, Chen Bai felt somewhat indescribable inside. He was actually writing imperial edicts for a king in ancient times. Tsk, tsk.
He wondered how much monthly salary this Grand Scholar of the Brush received.
And this edict was actually related to Qi Zheng.
Hadn’t Qi Zheng previously been sent by the king to Hongwen Pavilion to compile the history of Great Qian?
In the end, that guy had really completed it in the shortest possible time, then submitted it to the king to report that the task was done.
Chen Bai did not even need to guess the king’s intention. He had meant for Qi Zheng to idle away in Hongwen Pavilion. He had not truly expected him to compile any history of Great Qian.
Now, since an adult prince had to be given something to do, the king issued another edict assigning Qi Zheng a new task.
As Chen Bai looked at the edict he had written, the corners of his mouth twitched.
The contents of the edict were very simple: Qi Zheng was to manage his own fief, in the hope that he could make something of it.
It looked proper, and on paper, it even expressed expectations.
But managing his own fief was already part of his duties. How could this count as a task assigned by the court?
It was only short of saying directly: let Qi Zheng go busy himself with his little patch of land and stop asking about court affairs.
Who did not know what Qi Zheng’s fief was like? There was not even farmland. It was all barren hills and wild ridges, without even villages for his people.
Under normal circumstances, it was almost the same as opening up wasteland. Without a few hundred years, he could forget about making anything of it.
Although Qi Zheng’s fief now had one mountain of rabbits and grapes, that little bit of stuff was, to a prince and to a fief, no more than sesame seeds and mung beans. He was like a slightly wealthier country squire.
Comparing a prince to a slightly wealthy country squire was such an insult, but that was exactly Qi Zheng’s current situation.
After Chen Bai finished writing the edict, he stepped back to his original place. Naturally, the inner attendant who announced edicts would take over the rest.
This kind of edict did not need the royal seal. It could simply be read aloud.
Chen Bai glanced at Qi Zheng. There was actually no change in Qi Zheng’s expression at all. He was probably already used to it.
The gazes of the people around them were rather meaningful. Some could not hold back and carried a little mockery.
Chen Bai finally understood why Qi Zheng was always so moody and unpredictable.
If a person constantly faced situations like this, no one would believe that nothing had gone wrong in his heart.
Chen Bai thought to himself that if, after court, he introduced Qi Zheng to a psychologist, would Qi Zheng beat him to death?
Great Qian’s court had one rest day every five days. Chen Bai sighed. This Grand Scholar of the Brush position was not as leisurely as being a grand scholar of Hongwen Pavilion.
A person lived one lifetime. Every day, aside from sleeping and working, there was truly too little time left to freely control. Why suffer like this?
But then again, if one wanted to live a splendid life, one had no choice but to face these things.
After court was dismissed, several officials actually came over to greet him. Chen Bai was left stunned.
It was Chen Shouye who came over and pulled him away. Otherwise, these people were so enthusiastic that Chen Bai would have felt a little embarrassed to leave directly.
In the end, Chen Shouye said, “In the future, when this sort of situation occurs, simply ignore them and leave directly. The Grand Scholar of the Brush is somewhat different from court officials. You can come into contact with too many secrets others want to know. From now on, even if I ask you, you are not allowed to mention any content from the edicts you draft. Remember that.”
Chen Bai froze. Only then did he remember the special nature of the Grand Scholar of the Brush. It looked supremely honorable, but if he could not do his duty as nothing more than a “typewriter,” his head could fall at any moment.
Chen Bai nodded. “I’ll be an emotionless person. If anyone speaks to me, I’ll give them a blank stare.”
The corner of Chen Shouye’s mouth twitched. “There is no need to go that far. Just judge the situation yourself. As long as you do not say what should not be said, that is enough. Could the king really treat you as a wooden man? If that were so, no one would dare take the position of Grand Scholar of the Brush.”
Chen Bai thought that was true. Had the previous Grand Scholar of the Brush not lived quite successfully? The officials he interacted with were probably not few either.
He only needed to keep his mouth shut.
After leaving court, Chen Bai felt that one worry had finally been settled.
Tomorrow was a rest day. His Mountain Lord identity could go out and wander again. He could go see the grapes on the mountain, since Qi Zheng had said they were ripe.
The next day, a strange sight appeared again in Shangjing City. Groups of young noblemen sat in carriages, each carrying a basket, heading out of the city.
Yesterday, Chen Bai had sent people to notify his students to go up the mountain together to pick grapes.
Mm, these students were going to act as shills again. With a mountain full of grapes, they had to attract the people of Shangjing to buy them.
“Why did Master make us carry baskets so conspicuously through the city?”
“No idea. Anyway, he told us to wait at the city gate.”
“Master hasn’t taken us to the multifunctional electronic classroom for lessons in so long. The weather is so hot now. I really want to stay in the classroom.”
“And drink chilled sweet water.”
When Chen Bai arrived, the city gate was full of carriages blocked by these students.
Once everyone had arrived, Chen Bai waved his hand. “Set off.”
Chen Bai was using the identity of Mountain Lord and rode in the same carriage as Qi Zheng.
To avoid awkwardness, Chen Bai found a topic. “I heard the king asked you to focus on governing your fief? Actually, that is a good thing. Your fief really should be managed properly. Otherwise, if it stays like it is now, most of it barren and desolate, how does it look like a proper fief?”
Qi Zheng did not speak. When he suddenly opened his mouth, Chen Bai nearly trembled.
“Before I returned to Great Qian from Zhao, I once imagined many possible situations I might face. I even foolishly hoped that the king would feel guilty because I had spent so many years away from home. But now it seems it was nothing more than my own wishful thinking.”
Chen Bai: “…”
Qi Zheng had always been so cold that he seemed to have no friends. He had probably never opened his heart to anyone before, right?
Actually, when someone was willing to open up to you, you should treasure it, but… Qi Zheng was treating him, this demon, as a friend, right? Perhaps even his only friend.
That pressure was a little heavy.
Qi Zheng continued, “Do you think it would be appropriate if I took the initiative to fight for some things?”
Chen Bai did not dare speak. Why did this sound a little frightening?
Besides, Qi Zheng was a marginal prince whose father did not dote on him and whose grandmother did not love him. What could he use to fight?
Wasn’t this seeking death?
Qi Zheng looked weighed down with thoughts. Chen Bai kept feeling that something big was about to happen.
At any rate, Qi Zheng was his online friend in ancient times. Chen Bai did not dare promise anything. He could only listen quietly.
When a person changed, it was usually after suffering unbearable pressure, and Qi Zheng was likely standing at such a critical point now.
But to advise Qi Zheng not to fight? He really could not do that. Although he had only glimpsed a little of Qi Zheng’s experiences, he knew how unfair they were.
He sighed and could only let things take their course.
Fortunately, after they arrived at the fief, the atmosphere became much better.
A group of students gathered around. “Prince Zheng, teacher said whatever we can fit in our baskets today belongs to us. We can also eat as much as we want on the mountain.”
Qi Zheng: “…”
This demon was truly generous.
Qi Zheng nodded, and a wave of happy voices followed.
Chen Bai also carried a basket and walked toward the grape trellises on the mountain.
The grape leaves had already yellowed a little, and bunches of grapes hung tied on the trellises. They looked especially beautiful, like strings of black crystal.
Chen Bai also smiled. Finally, harvest time had arrived.
He said, “Pick the ripe ones. They’re sweet.”
The group of students had long since run off quickly. Their small figures carried baskets, and whenever they saw grapes that looked good, they picked one to taste.
“So sweet.” Their eyes were full of surprise.
“When we looked at them from far away before, I didn’t notice, but every grape is this big.”
“Hehe, if we could put them in the fridge in the multifunctional electronic classroom and chill them, they would definitely taste even better.”
As they ate, they picked the grapes they liked. Large bunches were placed into their baskets, looking especially lovely.
The people of Shangjing who had come for outings could not help showing surprised expressions when they saw the group of students picking grapes.
In the past, the commoners guarding the grapes would not let them pick any. With so many people along the road, even if someone wanted to pick some, they would be embarrassed. These were grown by someone else, and moreover, by Prince Zheng, so they definitely had reservations and did not dare pick them.
They were still surprised when they heard someone shout, “Anyone want to try picking grapes? You can go in and eat as much as you want, but you must pay some silver before entering, which counts as the money for the grapes you eat. Then after you pick them, bring them to me and we’ll calculate the price…”
Chen Bai listened to the arranged workers explain the rules.
It was like back when he used to work in the city. Whenever fruit in the suburbs ripened, he would go pick some.
Tang Shen had once called it pretentious. It was not as if he could not buy fruit.
But after Chen Bai brought Tang Shen a few times, that guy became even more enthusiastic than him. Every time, he would calculate when each kind of fruit would ripen, then drive out and pick a whole carload.
The fun in it could be called the best way for busy people to relax.
Before long, quite a few people of Shangjing who had come for an outing paid money and gradually entered carrying baskets.
Gathering around bunches of grapes, people who knew one another and people who did not could discuss them for a long time.
Eating some grapes, buying some grapes, then going to the barbecue area to roast a rabbit—it was absolutely a very comfortable day.
Chen Bai watched for a while. This whole mountain of grapes had to be sold quickly. If too much time passed, they would easily spoil. Unlike rabbits, which could continue to be raised.
Not long after, some students came out.
The baskets in their hands were so full they were almost overflowing.
“If I’d known, I would have picked slower. It filled up in no time. There must be even better grapes deeper in.”
The little head kept shaking, but the face was full of smiles. The grapes he had picked now were not bad either. They were very sweet. He had tasted them. With just a slight bite of the skin, the inside was full of sweet flesh. There were not even seeds. They were especially delicious.
A tiny person carrying a basket of grapes looked especially interesting.
Chen Bai also picked a basket, enough for him to eat for a long time.
Then he went to wait for the other students.
In the end, he saw Gan Xin with a basket hanging from each shoulder and one basket in each hand.
Chen Bai froze. Wasn’t each student only given one bamboo basket?
“We gave our shares to Gan Xin,” Chen Xiaobu said. “Gan Xin is going back to his hometown, Shanggu City, to visit relatives. We told him to take them to eat on the road. Otherwise, once he leaves here, he won’t be able to buy them anymore.”
Gan Xin’s eyes curved with laughter. “It’s too much, too much. What if I can’t finish them on the road and they go bad?”
One basket alone was enough to eat for several days, but when he went back to visit relatives, he definitely would not be traveling alone.
“Gan Xin, once you leave, you won’t get to see the new movie. Master said he’s going to show a new movie in the big square outside Crown Prince Jiao’s gate. He’s also going to hold an art exhibition for us there, and a poetry competition…”
Chen Bai had indeed said these things. The topic Duke Gan had assigned, and this competition between him and the retainers of Crown Prince Jiao’s residence, had been dragged out for far too long. It was time to produce a result.
On top of that, there was the competition with Sudan. Sudan had been in Great Qian for quite some time now. Since Chen Bai was the last grand scholar of Hongwen Pavilion who had not lost yet, Sudan would definitely come to compete with him in the near future.
Chen Bai thought about it. Winning against Sudan would truly be somewhat dishonorable, so he had thought of a way to subdue the enemy without even competing.
As for why these things had to be held at Crown Prince Jiao’s gate?
First, the place really was large. Second, if he was going to slap someone in the face, going right to their door was the most satisfying.
Gan Xin’s mouth pouted. “My family insists I go back to visit relatives. I told them to wait until after we watched the new movie before going back, but they wouldn’t agree.”
It infuriated him.
Fortunately, today his classmates had given him many grapes, and they were especially sweet.
Today, Chen Bai had only brought these students to pick grapes. Mm, to act as shills. After all the students came out, he brought them back to Shangjing City.
Of course, once they arrived in the city, he directly had the students get out of their carriages and walk home with full baskets of grapes, showing them off along the way.
They did not need to say anything. Someone would naturally ask around.
That basket of large, black grapes looked delightful.
After doing this, the rest was left to Qi Zheng. It was basically handling the matters of receiving the people of Shangjing who came to pick grapes. Chen Bai only needed to wait to collect his ten-percent profit.
Now that Chen Bai had the position of Grand Scholar of the Brush, aside from rest days, he became busy.
Every day, he had to attend court and stand beside the dragon throne like a little eunuch. Mm, the inner attendants of this era were not eunuchs, but their functions were more or less the same.
Actually, it was not without benefits. Listening to the hundred officials discuss court affairs—he was the eldest young master of the Court of Judicial Review, and in the future he would definitely enter officialdom. Was this not the best way to learn?
He would treat it as building a foundation for the future.
Holding the brush and writing edicts also went from being a little exciting at first to numbness later.
Only when he wrote some strange content would he have some thoughts. But no matter what, he could not express opinions. That was the business of the hundred officials, not the duty of a Grand Scholar of the Brush. He understood this principle. Otherwise, it would be easy to offend people. As the saying went, one did not seek to govern matters outside one’s position.
Only, this edict Chen Bai was currently writing…
Chen Bai’s brows furrowed again and again.
It was a military transfer edict.
Shanggu City had been surrounded by Ba’s army. The situation was urgent, so border troops were specially ordered to go support it.
Shanggu City?
Wasn’t that Gan Xin’s hometown? Gan Xin should currently be in Shanggu City visiting relatives.
And the Ba army—hadn’t Zuo Qiu’s master died when Ba’s army massacred a city? They were extremely savage.
For the first time, Chen Bai felt the atmosphere of the chaotic wars between countries. He had not expected war to arrive so quickly.
Chen Bai glanced at Gan Xun. Gan Xin was his grandson, but Gan Xun did not express much opinion. Chen Bai did not know what that meant.
Chen Bai could not help listening to the officials’ discussion while drafting the edict.
He more or less understood the sequence of events.
It had something to do with the weapons sold to Lu. It was likely deliberate revenge from Ba that led them to surround Shanggu City.
Although Great Qian had announced that any country could come buy weapons, the first sale had been made to Lu, which had definitely harmed Ba’s interests.
The atmosphere in court was solemn. “Shanggu City is far from Shangjing. The actual situation is unknown. The border troops are all defending against the various states. How many should be transferred?”
“If too few are sent, it may not be enough. If too many are sent, we fear the other states will take advantage of the opening and cause chaos. Because Great Qian’s military strength is slightly superior to the surrounding states, it has always been a thorn in the eyes and flesh of the other states. We must not let them find an opportunity.”
After discussing for a while, they finally decided on the specific number of troops to be transferred.
Only after Chen Bai filled in the number was the military transfer order complete.
Chen Bai knew nothing about warfare. He was a little worried about that little fellow Gan Xin, but there was nothing he could do.
He could only pay more attention to news about Shanggu City.
When the news that Ba had surrounded Shanggu City spread to the marketplace, it also caused a great shock. Great Qian’s military strength was stronger than the surrounding states, so normally, not many people dared provoke them.
Chen Bai’s students became deeply worried.
“I heard the Ba people are especially brutal, especially their army. I wonder whether Gan Xin is doing well right now.”
“With the city surrounded, there’s no water and no food. He definitely isn’t doing well.”
“Gan Thirtreen fell into a well before and was finally saved by teacher. Now he’s surrounded inside a city again. He’s so pitiful.”
“I wonder whether they can hold it. I heard… I heard the Ba people love massacring cities the most.”
The next time Chen Bai received news of Shanggu City was several days later.
It was still in the Golden Hall, and it was an emergency military report delivered at top speed.
The troops transferred last time were actually too few and had been restrained by Ba’s army.
This was also because Shanggu City was too far from Shangjing. The court could not constantly control real-time information from Shanggu City, while Shanggu City happened to be much closer to Ba’s capital.
The good news was that Shanggu City, relying on its favorable terrain, was still resisting.
But no one knew how long it could hold out.
According to the military report, Ba had launched several surprise attacks. Although they had been repelled, Shanggu City’s losses were not small either.
Chen Bai’s heart trembled. Since Ba had decided to take revenge, they probably would not stop until they took Shanggu City.
And because Shanggu City was so far away, the court’s information lagged too much. It could not control the real-time situation, and there were many delays in adjusting troop deployments.
Chen Bai held in his hands a guqin still marked with bloodstains. How could he not worry? He had often heard of the Ba army’s savagery before.
After court ended, as soon as Chen Bai returned home, he video-called Qi Zheng.
“If the court could control Shanggu City’s situation in real time, would Shanggu City be able to avoid disaster?”
Qi Zheng froze. “That is true, but Shanggu City is a thousand li away. Even with the best horses and the fastest scouts, changing horses and running day and night, it would still take seven days.”
Chen Bai said, “I need to borrow your people to deliver my things to Gan Xin as quickly as possible. Perhaps I have a way to obtain real-time information from Shanggu City.”
Qi Zheng abruptly lifted his head. “Truly?”
If that were really the case, would this not also be an opportunity for him?
Chen Bai nodded.
Then he used his phone to buy two things.
One was a student smartwatch, and the other was a DJI drone.
Then he began writing a simple user manual.
He thought to himself: Gan Thirteen, whether you can save yourself now depends on you.
