Chapter 57: The Public Carriage System
When Chen Bai attended court again, it could be considered a satisfactory answer to their flood-control mission.
In the hall, Qi Zheng was reporting every detail of this assignment.
The officials’ expressions were fascinating. They had always thought this was an unlucky task, one that would fail nine times out of ten. Yet in such a short time, Prince Zheng and Grand Scholar Zhaoxue had actually solved it.
Word had already begun spreading through Shangjing. Prince Zheng and Grand Scholar Zhaoxue had left behind a great reputation in Ye City and the other two places.
Precisely because they had accomplished something others could not, the merit this time could not be called small.
But the officials’ expressions were somewhat strange, because… this moment was different.
The position of crown prince was vacant, and the eyes of all the princes were practically glowing green. Yet at this exact time, Prince Zheng had made such a great name for himself.
Moreover, many officials in the hall had already heard some rumors, saying that of the two slips of paper carrying Heaven’s warning found in the turtle’s belly, one referred to Crown Prince Jiao, and the other referred to Qi Zheng.
The rumors had spread everywhere.
Looking at Qi Zheng, who was reporting the situation word by word, without greed for glory or exaggeration, countless minds began turning rapidly.
“When governance is smooth and people are harmonious, all under Heaven shall have great fortune,” was it?
To be honest, among all the princes, Qi Zheng was actually the one who had shone the brightest. Earlier, he had displayed almost inhuman military ability. Now, by using this flood-control mission, he had also displayed extraordinary skill in internal governance.
Unfortunately…
Who knew how many people secretly glanced at the majestic king seated on the dragon throne, whose presence was so oppressive it made breathing difficult, and sighed inwardly.
Unfortunately, he was disliked by the king. Otherwise, what would the other princes even have to fight over?
As Qi Zheng’s voice fell, the entire hall fell so silent that a dropped needle could be heard.
Only after a long while did the king lift his eyelids slightly. “The flood-control work was handled properly. It is a contribution to Great Qian. It should be rewarded.”
The corners of Chen Bai’s mouth lifted almost imperceptibly. As expected, even if the king disliked Qi Zheng, on the surface he still had to be fair and impartial. Though, of course, there was plenty of room to maneuver in the phrase “should be rewarded.”
This flood-control mission was officially concluded.
After that, the Three Dukes subtly reminded the king to resolve the vacant crown prince position as soon as possible, so as to settle the people’s hearts.
After court was dismissed, Chen Bai planned to go to the academy. He had been away for so long; who knew what the students left behind had done to the academy they had worked so hard to build.
Before he even reached the academy, he heard Gu Bao’er’s sharp little voice.
“You should all go back and review your lessons now. Brother Bai said that while he was gone, classes were still to continue on time. Self-study class.”
In the end, a group of students sat in a row on the flower terrace, swinging their two little legs and shaking their heads. “Gu Bao’er, come drag us back to class, then. If you’ve got the ability, drag us back.”
“The sun is so nice today. We want to bask under the osmanthus trees.”
They had even carried the cats out, each of them smiling as they stroked the cats.
Gu Bao’er: “…”
Wuwuwu, hadn’t they agreed that once the master was gone and Brother Bai was not there, he would be the biggest person in the academy?
In the end, these lawless students did not listen to him at all. He was so angry.
“I wrote it all down in my little notebook. When Brother Bai comes back, just wait and see how he punishes you. He’ll cut off all your internet.”
The group of students shook their little heads. “Not listening, not listening. A turtle chanting scriptures.”
Suddenly, a voice cut in. “Good. All of it will be cut off.”
“Huh? Am I hearing things? Why did I hear Brother Bai’s voice?”
“Aiya, I heard it too.”
Thump. Their hearts jumped, and they all looked toward the source of the voice in unison.
“Ah!”
It was like a pot had exploded. They turned and ran into the tower. “Why am I here? At this time, I should be in the multifunctional electronic classroom doing self-study.”
“It’s all Gu Bao’er’s fault. He didn’t remind us.”
Gu Bao’er: “…”
He had almost worn his mouth out talking, and their ears had practically grown calluses from listening. How had he not reminded them?
Hmph. Just now, they had been acting like little ruffians who refused to listen. Now they knew fear.
When Chen Bai walked into the multifunctional electronic classroom, the group of students were being extremely obedient. They were wearing headphones and deliberately reading aloud the material they were reviewing.
Chen Bai: “…”
Heh. It seemed that during his absence, they had indeed been quite free and undisciplined.
Chen Bai took the little notebook Gu Bao’er handed over and glanced at it. He could not help being startled.
Gu Bao’er was suited to being an observer. He had actually recorded everything in such detail. Mm, he would do well as a spy too. No one had taught him, yet he had recorded every mistake these students made without missing a thing.
“Eating irregularly for a whole day, and even getting up in the middle of the night for extra meals?”
“Not washing stinky socks for several days? Forgetting to take them out of the washing machine after washing them?”
“Going to pet the cats during class time?”
“…”
“Not bad. Your little lives have been quite carefree, haven’t they?”
It perfectly proved the saying: when the tiger is not on the mountain, the monkeys claim kingship.
“Every day, the internet will be cut off one hour earlier.”
“Ah!”
The students who had still been pretending to study instantly exploded.
“Brother Bai, we were only disobedient today. Usually, we were very serious about self-study.”
“Don’t cut off the internet. My little heart won’t be able to take it. My life will lose all meaning.”
Chen Bai was too lazy to pay attention to them.
Not long after Chen Bai arrived, the students who had gone with him to control the floods also returned to the academy. They were like fish entering the sea, so excited they could hardly contain themselves. How long had it been since they had returned to the academy?
Especially when they heard that the students who had stayed behind were punished with the internet being cut off early every night, they nearly laughed themselves silly.
Then Qi Zheng came too, but he did not come alone. Behind him followed a young man whose smile was like warm sunlight falling at an angle.
That smile alone made people feel as though a warm beam of sunshine had entered their hearts.
Chen Bai was stunned for a moment, then immediately reacted.
In all of Great Qian, if there was anyone who could make people remember him with nothing but a harmless smile, it could only be Meng Huanchao, the Number One Soulmate Under Heaven.
Before Chen Bai could react, the students had already rushed over in a whoosh, their eyes shining like stars.
Great Qian had countless famous scholars, but Meng Huanchao was a famous scholar among famous scholars.
“It’s Meng Huanchao! Meng Jun, Meng Huanchao, who makes people yearn for him madly after three days apart.”
“The soulmate of everyone under Heaven.”
“Meng Huanchao, the man countless maidens in boudoirs swear they will marry and no other.”
Even Chen Xiaobu shyly led his Dalmatian over, raising his little head to look at him. “Meng Jun, do you want wontons? I can add a few quail eggs to your wontons too.”
Chen Bai: “…”
A pack of little bootlickers.
But it made sense. With such a great reputation, such prestige, and such looks, wherever he went, he would certainly be treated as an honored guest.
Looking at Meng Huanchao’s warm smile, then at Chen Xiaobu grinning so wide his face was all squeezed together, showing a row of white teeth, the contrast was simply too much to look at.
Chen Xiaobu actually dragged Meng Huanchao to the kitchen, insisting that he eat the wontons he made.
Behind them, the Shang brothers lined up, holding Chinese chess pieces. “Chen Xiaobu, once you’re done, it’s our turn. We’re going to play chess with Meng Jun.”
Behind them followed Gan Xin, rubbing his little hands together. “Meng Jun, do you want to cut honey later? The bees we raised made a lot of honey. Once we harvest it, we can make honey tea.”
Chen Bai: “…”
Little devils acting like adults. Did they think he did not know they had even dragged him to wash stinky socks together in the morning?
Meng Huanchao: “…”
Cloudtop Academy, which had been talked about all over Shangjing, really did seem to be different somehow.
This world was cold. He had known that from the moment he was born.
Therefore, he lived under many identities. For example, five years ago, when he met Qi Zheng in Zhao, he had been a fallen scholar, a fallen scholar who survived only through Qi Zheng’s help. So to repay the life-saving grace, Qi Zheng became his master. A person who had reached the end of the road and been saved would never betray him, right? But who knew that this had also been merely one of his identities…
Chen Bai did not pay much attention to Meng Huanchao’s arrival. After all, he had been sent by Qi Zheng to the king’s side, which meant he was one of their own.
Besides, looking at how this group of students followed Meng Huanchao around like little bootlickers, Chen Bai figured he would not even need to arrange anything. Meng Huanchao would somehow have endless things to do every day.
And that was indeed the case. Every time Chen Bai saw Meng Huanchao, he was either being dragged off to wash stinky socks together, or surrounded by students playing Chinese chess with him.
Meng Huanchao was truly so mild and easygoing that it was almost unbelievable.
With one more person in the academy, there did not seem to be any impact.
Chen Bai busied himself with his own affairs.
He knocked on Qi Zheng’s door. Qi Zheng happened to be waiting for him.
But what Chen Bai did not notice was that the moment he entered Qi Zheng’s room, Meng Huanchao, who had just been playing chess with the students, walked to the outside of the room with a harmless smile on his face and leaned against the door, as though closing his eyes to rest.
Inside the room, Chen Bai said, “The dragon turns into a serpent, virtue is lacking. Governance is smooth and people are harmonious, all under Heaven shall have great fortune. The first step has been preliminarily completed. Now we proceed to the second step: controlling Shangjing’s lifelines outside of the military…”
There was no other way. No matter what, the king refused to acknowledge Qi Zheng. Then they would force the king to acknowledge him. He would have to, whether he wanted to or not.
Several days later, something strange suddenly happened in Shangjing.
Shangjing’s roads extended in all directions. The main roads formed a cross shape, connecting the Eastern Market, the Western Market, and the north and south, with smaller streets branching out from those main roads.
On this day, when the people of Shangjing walked onto the main roads, they found that beside the streets where crowds were usually especially dense, a strange sign had suddenly appeared.
It was a very strange sign. A straight pole had been nailed into the ground, with a wooden board on top.
On the wooden board were eye-catching words: “Causeway Bay Station.”
Not only that, there was also a row of slightly smaller words:
“Xishui Lane Station, Chunxi Lane Station, Zhiji Stone Lane Station…”
Many street names.
They were familiar with these street names. Weren’t they all streets in Shangjing?
“I saw this sign somewhere else just now too. What is this?”
“I saw it too. We didn’t walk the same route, so why are they everywhere? Strange.”
At that moment, a carriage drove over from the distance. The carriage stopped beside the sign, and the coachman set down his whip. Then, with an expressionless face, he suddenly shouted loudly, “Anyone going to Xishui Lane, Chunxi Lane, or Zhiji Stone Lane? Get on. Two copper coins per person. No matter how far the distance, it’s all two copper coins…”
Everyone: “…”
Do not be fooled by the fact that Chen Bai and Chen Xiaobu always took carriages whenever they went out. That was because they were nobles. For ordinary commoners, a carriage was an extravagance beyond imagination.
A whole group of people were stunned.
Someone muttered, “Two copper coins? Then can it go to Xiangshui Lane?”
In the end, the coachman actually replied, “To go to Xiangshui Lane, you can get off at Zhiji Stone Lane and transfer to the Route 102 public carriage…”
