Ling Shuang

While they indulged in fine wines and delicacies day and night, the Prince of Jin was living a life of hardship, struggling to make ends meet.

All of you gentlemen are from various counties of Chang'an. Now that you have arrived in this warm and humid Jingzhou, you have suffered from acclimatization problems and are vomiting and having diarrhea. You are lying sickly in the governor's mansion, looking like a few unlucky birds.

The only one who was unharmed was Tang Zexue.

With the important matter at hand, Yan Ji lay on the couch, coughing violently, and held Ling Shuang's hand, instructing her, "Ling Shuang, go and see if Cheng Zhi and the others have arrived?"

Tang Zexue sighed and subtly withdrew her hand: "Your Highness, the point is not Lord Liu."

What is Lord Liu's current status?

Does this sickly prince really want the rich man Liu Si, who is adorned with gold and silver, to manage the flood?

Yan Ji was momentarily stunned, then nodded: "Yes, Chengzhi has other important matters to attend to... How are the arrangements for building the platform going?"

These words struck Tang Zexue's heart like a hammer blow.

You should know that in the few days since he arrived in Jingzhou, all his colleagues have fallen ill, but he has been running around all day long. In the morning, he was working with the foreman to draw up the blueprints for Langtaotai. At noon, a servant came in a panic to report that something bad had happened to Lord Yang!

He rushed back in a panic, and when he looked down, he saw that the Minister of State had just eaten a bite of wild vegetables and had lost consciousness. In his shock and grief, he almost collapsed and died!

Thinking of this, Tang Zexue carefully considered her words: "Yes, Your Highness."

"The disaster relief grain has been distributed. The floods should be dredged and canals should be built to reach the surrounding four counties. As for the construction of the platform, the site selection and manpower have been prepared. It is up to you gentlemen to make the decision."

After listening, Yan Ji nodded wearily, then heard Tang Zexue say, "Your Highness, about the bandits..."

The mountain bandits came with great force. The people of Jing County are known for their fierce and valiant nature. Many people who suffered from the floods have turned to banditry.

Even without personally experiencing the banditry of more than a decade ago, in Jingzhou, the mere mention of bandits still evokes fear and sends shivers down one's spine.

Yan Ji had come to Jingzhou this time to make a name for himself, and upon hearing this, he frowned. "It's nothing. Just finish what you're doing. General Pei will handle the matter of the bandits."

It means they don't intend to get involved.

Tang Zexue lowered her gaze, returned to her simple dwelling which contained only a pot of orchids, paced back and forth, and finally sat down to write a letter to Liu Xu.

——

"What?!"

"Ling Shuang is sick?"

Liu Xu's hand holding the letter trembled, startling Xie Lingxi, who was feeding the chickens nearby.

She threw down the feed, took the letter, and read it. Tang Zexue's flamboyant handwriting clearly revealed how miserable her life was in Jingzhou, how official duties had made her hair turn white, and her desire to resign and return to her hometown to farm.

Xie Lingxi frowned, clutching a piece of letter tightly. "He wants to resign?!"

This is a big deal!

What difference is there between Tang Zexue resigning from his official post and him dying?

Seeing that Xie Lingxi was even more excited than him, Liu Xu forgot about Tang Zexue's letter about faking illness and quickly put his arm around Xie Lingxi's waist, saying, "It's just talk, don't take it seriously."

"Too."

Raindrops dripping from the eaves dampened a corner of the letter, revealing a few faint traces of resignation.

The two men, having driven a scholar to the brink of despair after his exam papers were stolen and he nearly lost his official position, both closed their eyes and gave a bitter smile.

"Ling Shuang said that things are on the right track now, and he wants to pretend to be sick for a few days and tell us not to look for him unless necessary."

Wouldn't the imperial envoy have perished as a result?

Xie Lingxi: "But right now, there really is something."

Yesterday, the county magistrate hosted them to enjoy flowers and wine in the city. After several exchanges, they learned some of the governor's hidden family matters from Magistrate Hua.

For example, when the governor was not yet governor, he often brought his young son to the porcelain workshop in the west of the city. His home was filled with snow-white and clear glazed products, all of which were smashed and destroyed a few years ago.

For example, the governor dislikes incense, but lately, whenever you get close to his residence, you can smell a strong floral fragrance.

What surprised Magistrate Hua the most was that the Prefect was frugal and would never covet fine clothes and wine, but last month when Magistrate Hua sent him several boxes of expensive wine, the Prefect actually accepted them and swallowed a hundred taels of silver.

At that time, Liu Xu asked, "If you are reluctant to part with it, why do you want to give it away?"

Magistrate Hua said confidently, "Mr. Liu, you don't understand. How can matters of officialdom be measured by fine wine?"

"The important thing is the sentiment."

That was true. As the two remained silent, they heard Magistrate Hua let out a long, mournful roar—

"How could he accept such an expensive gift? He understands what I mean, doesn't he? That's a bottle of fine wine worth a thousand gold pieces!"

...

According to Xie Lingxi, this Magistrate Hua was rather simple-minded and his speech and behavior were quite amusing. Despite this, he had done his fair share of bullying men and women.

In the struggle for power and wealth, it is always the common people who suffer.

Tang Zexue, who had served as a county magistrate for some time, wholeheartedly agreed with this statement.

However, if it were merely a matter of expressing their feelings about the world and its affairs while gazing at the moon, the couple could simply enjoy a drink together in the courtyard; there was no need to invite this poor man, who had fallen ill from exhaustion, to join in the pleasure.

“Ling Shuang, this county magistrate is not worth mentioning. I have summoned you here because I have important matters to discuss.”

Tang Zexue slumped in the recliner, slowly counting the stars. "How so?"

Liu Xu took a sip of tea and said leisurely, "After spending several days together, what kind of person do you think the Governor of Jingzhou is?"

These words somehow struck a nerve with Tang Zexue. He swayed in his rocking chair, but he didn't have the strength to jump up. All he could do was shout, "How would I know!"

"I leave early and return late! I work from dawn till dusk! I live worse than the governor's big yellow dog!"

It would have been better if this matter hadn't been mentioned. After hearing Liu Xu utter a few words of comfort, Tang Zexue covered his eyes and tears welled up. He grabbed Liu Xu's sleeve and opened his mouth to angrily berate him:

"What a useless prince who only knows how to give orders and doesn't do any real work! What a fussy official who uses morality to blackmail people! What a detached and amused Liu Chengzhi!"

Ignoring everything else, Tang Zexue wiped her snot and tears all over Liu Xu's sleeve and continued to wail, "Liu Chengzhi! I'm talking about you!"

"Why do you insist on making me go out today! It's been a month—a month since I left the capital! I've only had this one day of leisure in this whole month..."

Liu Xu wanted to pity him, but couldn't help laughing out loud. Seeing Xie Lingxi bowing down as if trying to hide something, he couldn't help but pat Tang Zexue's head.

"Alright, stop howling."

Seeing Tang Zexue staring at him with bloodshot eyes, Liu Xu laughed and said, "Be careful that those old foxes don't overhear you, or they'll make you work non-stop for three days straight."

"Hey!"

These words startled Tang Zexue, who instinctively shut her mouth.

The next second, he realized that he was in Tao Li's villa, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Turning around, he saw Tao Li leaning lazily against the door with his hands behind his back, saying leisurely, "Don't be afraid, sir. Although this place is not an impregnable fortress, it is not so easy to eavesdrop here."

Tang Zexue looked up at the sky and said, "The stars in this courtyard are so beautiful."

In this refreshing and pleasant place, with beautiful scenery and fine weather, and friends by my side, it is quite a rare pleasure.

"Chengzhi, what exactly do you want from me?"

He recalled what the Prince of Jin had said earlier that day and couldn't help but remind him, "This morning, His Highness the Prince of Jin was still asking me about your whereabouts. Who knows what kind of trouble he might be planning?"

Xie and Liu both felt a headache coming on as soon as they heard the name of the Prince of Jin, and covered their faces: "Why is he asking about me?"

This madman came to Jingzhou and is still relentlessly pursuing us; he's driving us crazy!

Xie Lingxi was unwilling to talk much about this person, and simply said, "Ling Shuang, we speculate that this governor may have had his soul replaced."

"Change the cartridge?"

Xie Lingxi told him what she had found out. Although Governor Tan had not yet been involved in Magistrate Hua's fraudulent and reselling business, this man's behavior was completely different from before. It was likely that he was also behind the serious flood in Jingzhou that had been difficult to control for so long.

"Did you sense anything unusual in the governor's mansion?"

Xie Lingxi recalled the incident of building the Wave Terrace and cautiously asked, "Did he handle those blueprints?"

Tang Zexue then remembered the blueprint; it must have been under those thick booklets on the table when she returned from the port last time.

He dared not delve into the implications, and stopped counting the stars. He was about to return home without stopping when Xie Lingxi gently pressed his shoulder. "No rush. You went out tonight to clear your head. There's no reason for you to go back sweaty."

He understood and looked at the two of them, "Do you already have a plan?"

Xie Lingxi smiled: "No, there really isn't."

"...However, Chengzhi and I thought that since he had finally returned home after passing the imperial examination, he should also go and see the local official."

...

The "acquaintance" that Liu Xu mentioned earlier was when he happened to meet the governor while plowing his field, and the governor gave him a few vegetables that he had grown himself.

There are many farmers in the world, and vegetables are nothing special, but the vegetables grown by this top scholar naturally rose in value and became extremely rare.

So Liu Xu, accompanied by his wife and carrying gifts, arrived at the governor's residence with great pomp and circumstance, attracting the attention of many people around the governor's mansion.

It was midday, and Tan Shijun was having lunch with his wife and children when he suddenly heard a commotion in the distance. A procession with gongs and drums was entering the gate, and people were dressed in red ribbons and making a lively entrance.

His expression hardened, and he put down his chopsticks and went out of the inner hall. There he saw the refined and easy-going prince talking to a young man.

He strode forward with a beaming smile, flanking Yan Ji, but his eyes seemed to glance casually at Liu Xu. "Your Highness! What brings you here?"

Yan Ji was smiling and exchanging pleasantries with Liu Xu: "Chengzhi, it's been a long time."

Having said that, he looked at Xie Lingxi and said gently, "Third Sister, how have you been in Jingzhou these days? I was wondering why Chengzhi hadn't been in touch with me. It turns out he's been neglecting me because of you, such a beautiful woman!"

Xie Lingxi turned to the side, using Liu Xu's chest as a shield, "Your Highness, what are you saying? It's really my fault now."

They don't even consider what kind of person they are.

Liu Xu subtly protected Xie Lingxi, "Your Highness, you keep talking about me. Could it be that you envy my idyllic life and are also thinking about finding a good wife?"

Yan Ji's expression changed, then he turned away with a gentle smile, about to speak, when he heard Liu Xuxi gleefully pull Tan Shijun away—

"My lord! I am Liu Chengzhi from Liu Family Village! Do you still remember me?"