Chapter 83: Dreams
When Chen Ping'an climbed out of the well with a basket of dirt on his back, he was a bit dazed.
Standing outside the well were a group of scholars in tall hats and wide sashes. The man at the head was the elderly gentleman from the Ministry of Rites, who had previously stood on a ladder under the archway's plaque, loudly reprimanding the supervising official. Beside him stood the former supervising official who had built the covered bridge before leaving office—the man rumored to be Song Jixin's father, Lord Song. His skin was slightly paler than when he had been in the town. The other five or six people were mostly in their thirties or forties, all with extraordinary bearing, looking even more like high-ranking officials than Lord Song.
In fact, Chen Ping'an wasn't the only one with a blank expression. These Ministry of Rites officials, the most prestigious of the six ministries of the Great Li dynasty, were also shocked to see the town's only magnate who possessed three bags of gold-copper coins. Was this ragged, dirt-covered youth really the one holding wealth equivalent to half the Great Li emperor's treasury? And had he thrown away a thousand gold coins to buy up five entire mountain peaks, including the Desolate Mountain?
Ruan Qiong was not present, but the green-clad girl Ruan Xiu stood side by side with the Longquan County Magistrate, Wu Yuan. The latter kept his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart, his expression indifferent, his gaze slightly lowered. It gave the impression that the young Magistrate Wu, whose backing was terrifyingly powerful, was sulking at the Ministry of Rites gentlemen. After all, having a piece of fat cut away from his territory by outsiders would make anyone unhappy.
The turmoil under the archway had ended with Wu Yuan unexpectedly backing down completely, allowing the Right Vice Minister of Rites, Dong Hu, to take rubbings of all sixteen characters on the plaque. Even though a seventh-floor Qi refiner acting as a secret escort had confirmed that the characters on the plaque had lost all their spirit, making it unnecessary to use the precious Wind and Thunder Paper, Vice Minister Dong still acted as if he wanted to dismantle the plaque and take it away. He stubbornly persisted, using all the Wind and Thunder Paper he had brought to complete the rubbings before leaving contentedly with his subordinates to stay at a wealthy family's residence in Peach Leaf Lane.
Wu Yuan had finally gained some reputation and praise among ordinary people for overseeing the town's massive construction projects, but it was instantly shattered. Fu Lu Street and Peach Leaf Lane welcomed this development, making it a topic of idle gossip. Most took pleasure in his misfortune, saying Wu Yuan was just a showpiece, useless. Some said if Wu Yuan had the backbone to stand firm against the Ministry of Rites people, they would admire his grit, but now it seemed he was just a coward who would only be tough at home.
Carrying his basket of dirt, Chen Ping'an lightly jumped out of the well and stood before these Great Li officials. Vice Minister Dong Hu, his face full of smiles, stroked his beard and said, "You are Chen Ping'an, right? I am an old man named Dong, serving in our Great Li Ministry of Rites. This time I'm looking for you, not on official business, but simply because I had a whim to see what the owner of five mountain peaks looked like. Now I have gotten my wish, and this trip has not been in vain."
As he spoke, the old vice minister looked left and right and laughed heartily.
Except for Lord Song, the former kiln supervisor, who remained still, the other Ministry of Rites officials joined in the laughter, as if Vice Minister Dong had told a great joke.
Chen Ping'an felt a bit awkward. "Sir, the official Great Li language you're speaking, I can't understand a word."
Wu Yuan's mouth twitched into a subtle smirk.
Lord Song, who was proficient in the local dialect, showed no intention of helping the vice minister out of his predicament.
The two belonged to different factions, and they had recently completely fallen out. If the emperor had not personally ordered Song Yuzhang to accompany the delegation south, he would have had no part in this pleasant assignment. The Ministry of Rites was full of scholars, elite seeds who had fought their way through a thousand armies on a single-plank bridge. The verbal battles within that ministry were refined, elegant, and brilliant. Fortunately, Song Yuzhang was a strange man who could get used to living even in this small town. After returning to the capital, he simply kept his head down and worked, feeling neither stifled nor resentful.
Vice Minister Dong had spent most of his career climbing the ranks in the Ministry of Rites. As the only ministry in the Great Li court that could rival the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Rites had Dong Hu as its third-in-command. He was clearly a sharp old fox. He immediately realized his misstep and sought a graceful way out. Turning to smile at the daughter of Master Ruan, he hoped she would help him convey his words.
But Dong almost instantly abandoned the idea. A military sage of the Wind and Snow Temple, whom even the emperor treated as an honored guest. How dare he, a mere vice minister of rites, trouble Master Ruan's daughter to do things? If the girl was a difficult and discourteous character, feeling slighted, she might complain to her father. Then Master Ruan would only need to send a few casual words to the capital, and his position as a third-rank official might remain, but it would certainly become uncomfortable. The old man's thoughts raced, but it was all over in an instant. He decided to change his approach, smiling at the girl as he was about to ask if Miss Ruan was comfortable here, and whether the Ministry of Rites could help secure a tasteful and clean residence on Fu Lu Street or Peach Leaf Lane.
But the next moment, something jaw-dropping happened. The daughter of Master Ruan, whom all the Ministry of Rites officials regarded as unapproachable, quickly walked over to the dirt-covered boy and presumably repeated Vice Minister Dong's words to him. The boy listened with a completely ordinary expression, stunning these officials.
Chen Ping'an had no idea that such a small matter could make these esteemed capital bigwigs's minds wander thousands of miles away. After seriously listening to Ruan Xiu's relay, he smiled and said to her, "Xiu Xiu, could you please tell this old gentleman that I am just a dragon kiln worker, now doing odd jobs at the blacksmith's shop. The reason I could buy those mountains is thanks to Master Ruan."
When the green-clad girl heard the familiar nickname "Xiu Xiu," her autumn-water eyes narrowed into crescent moons. Happily, she repeated his words in the orthodox elegant language of East Treasure Bottle Continent. Vice Minister Dong and all the Ministry of Rites officials were, of course, fluent in the "Great Elegant Speech" of the continent—otherwise, wouldn't it confirm the fallacy that the Great Li dynasty was just northern barbarians? In the Great Li capital, being able to speak fluent, refined Great Elegant Speech had become an important criterion for distinguishing noble families from commoners.
Dong Hu's expression became even more genial. He nodded lightly with a smile, and after hearing Miss Ruan's explanation, he said they would not disturb Chen Ping'an's work. He asked Miss Ruan to convey their farewell to Master Ruan. Since Master Ruan was busy forging swords, they dared not disturb him further, or else the emperor, who had long admired Master Ruan, would surely punish them.
Ruan Xiu had little interest in such polite formalities. She simply said "Oh" and nothing more. The old fox, seasoned as he was, dared not show any dissatisfaction. After introducing a few scenic spots in the Great Li capital to Miss Ruan, he calmly led his team away.
Song Yuzhang walked at the back of the group, with Wu Yuan behind him.
Ruan Xiu accompanied Chen Ping'an to dump the dirt from his basket. As they walked, she said, "My father said the matter of buying the mountains will be settled soon. Besides this batch of Ministry of Rites officials, geomancers from the Imperial Observatory will also need to be present. The three parties together will sign and seal the documents to finalize the deal. But the geomancers, led by two Black Tortoise gentlemen, are still carefully surveying the terrain and feng shui of all the mountains. They'll probably take a few more days."
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment, set down his basket, and looked at the busy figures around. "How about we go to the stream and talk while walking?"
Ruan Xiu smiled. "Sure."
Lowering her voice, she said mysteriously, "Besides the Black Tortoise gentlemen and ordinary geomancers, the Imperial Observatory has also sent many Qi refiners from various schools and sects. They brought two young mountain-moving apes—a silver-backed ape and a long-armed ape. They're usually let loose in deep forests and only called upon when needed to split mountain peaks or move hills."
"And there are also Armor-Piercing Warriors crafted by the Daoist Talisman Sect. Amazing things—a thin piece of talisman paper, infused with true qi by a Qi refiner, can turn into a giant armored warrior seven or eight zhang tall, with immense strength. Not as powerful as mountain-moving apes, but they are obedient and never cause accidents. Mountain-moving apes are ferocious by nature, especially young ones, and very hard to tame. If one gets out of control, casualties would be heavy, and even if they're suppressed and killed, it's a huge loss. I've also heard there are Unrobed Puppets personally crafted by the Mohist Master. I've never seen one before. If I get the chance, I'll definitely go see them in person."
"My father picked out two shops for you—one is a New Year's Press Shop, and the other is a Thatched Head Shop. They're right next to each other, and you're very familiar with them. If you have no objections, my father can help you close the deal immediately. These small transactions don't involve a dynasty's feng shui gains or losses or the qi movement of mountains and rivers, so they're not as troublesome as buying mountains."
Chen Ping'an thought it over and smiled. "Of course, no problem."
Ruan Xiu suddenly remembered something and said mysteriously, "My father told me privately that the Great Li emperor himself has decreed that since this town now belongs to Great Li territory, all magical artifacts and items left among the people shall be bought back into the national treasury at high prices. In the end, about twenty or so decent old items were collected in the town. Items from Fu Lu Street, Peach Leaf Lane, and ordinary people were split half and half, but the prices they sold for were not high at all. Finally, the emperor personally took out seven or eight more items to make a total of thirty, which will be offered as bonuses for thirty of the mountain peaks, effectively giving them away for free. Ordinary people naturally don't know which peaks have bonuses and which don't, but my father found out that Divine Beauty Mountain and Desolate Mountain definitely will, and the items are top-notch. Besides that, for my family's Lamp Lighting Mountain and your Desolate Mountain, the Great Li court might each appoint a mountain god to reside there."
Chen Ping'an took a deep breath, crouched by the stream, and frowned deeply.
It all seemed a bit unreal.
The boy from Mud Vase Alley had never dreamed of having such a day.
The straw-sandaled boy's dreams had only ever involved happy Spring Festival couplets, majestic door gods, fragrant meat buns, and a whole bag of jingling copper coins.
Ruan Xiu crouched down beside him, curious. "What's wrong?"
Chen Ping'an hesitated, but seemed unable to articulate it, so he just shook his head, casually pulled up a licorice root, and chewed on it as if it were second nature.
After a moment of silence, Chen Ping'an turned and smiled. "Miss Ruan, don't be angry that I called you Xiu Xiu in front of outsiders. I was so nervous seeing all those high officials that I wanted to pretend we were very familiar."
Ruan Xiu blinked and asked an unrelated question. "Mmm, have you heard any news about that friend of yours lately? The one who carries both a saber and a sword."
Chen Ping'an looked puzzled. "You mean Miss Ning? After she left, I have no news of her."
Ruan Xiu laughed.
Suddenly, Chen Ping'an turned his head toward the stone arch bridge. A familiar flash of bright red came running toward them, the legs spinning like cartwheels.
Chen Ping'an had a bad feeling and quickly stood up. The little girl in the dirty, wrinkled red cotton-padded jacket reached him, tilted her head up to look at him. Her face was covered in tears, her sunburned little face twisted in grief as she sobbed, "Teacher Ma at the school is dead. Before he died, he told me to come find you."
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(Tomorrow, "Sword of Coming" will go on sale. Welcome to subscribe. Also, Chen Ping'an will leave the town tomorrow.)