Chapter Nineteen: A Thousand Miles of Help

Autumn.

The osmanthus flowers in Guazhou Town, Zhenjiang Prefecture, are in full bloom all over the mountains and fields. The golden petals fall on the bluestone road, and stepping on them fills the air with a sweet fragrance.

Su Moqing carried the food box and walked along the winding mountain road toward Scholar Li's residence. The food box contained lotus seed soup that she had cooked that morning. The old scholar had recently caught a cold, and she wanted to give him some nourishing soup.

The vermilion gates of Scholar Li's residence were tightly closed, and the plaque above the gate that read "Hanlin Residence" gleamed warmly in the sunlight.

As soon as Su Moqing reached the door, the steward rushed out to greet her, saying in a flustered tone, "Miss Su, you've finally arrived! Something has happened at the manor!"

Su Moqing's heart tightened, and she quickly asked, "Butler, what happened? Is the old gentleman feeling unwell?"

"It's not the old gentleman! It's the young master!" The butler sighed and lowered his voice. "Yesterday evening, the county yamen runners suddenly came to the door, saying that the young master was colluding with bandits, and took him away without saying a word! The old gentleman was so upset that he fell ill and is still lying in his bedroom!"

"Colluding with bandits?" Su Moqing's expression changed drastically. "Young Master Li is an upright man, how could he possibly collude with bandits? There must be some misunderstanding here!"

She strode into the mansion and went straight to the old scholar's bedroom.

The bedroom was filled with the strong smell of medicine. The old scholar lay on the bed, his face pale and his breathing weak. Madam Li sat by the bed, wiping away tears.

"Old sir!" Su Moqing walked to the bedside and called softly.

The old scholar slowly opened his eyes. A glimmer of light flashed in his eyes when he saw Su Moqing, but it quickly dimmed again. He said weakly, "Miss Su... I'm sorry you had to see this... What a misfortune for my family..."

“Old sir, please don’t worry,” Su Moqing said gently, holding the old scholar’s ​​hand. “We all know Young Master Li’s character. The accusation of colluding with bandits is definitely a slander. You should focus on recovering first. I’ll go to the county government office to inquire about the situation and see if we can find a way to get the young master out.”

The old scholar shook his head and sighed, "It's no use... It was Zhang Haoqiang from town who did this. Our family has a piece of ancestral woodland, and Zhang Haoqiang wanted to buy it by force. We refused, so he held a grudge and bribed people in the county government to falsely accuse my son of being a bandit... In this world, money and power can turn black into white..."

Su Moqing's heart sank. She hadn't expected that the seemingly peaceful Guazhou Town would have such an arrogant and powerful local tyrant.

Although she wanted to help, she was just a teacher with no one to rely on in this unfamiliar place, and she didn't even have anyone to ask for help.

In the following days, Su Moqing ran around everywhere—she went to the county government office to see the magistrate, but was stopped at the door by the bailiffs and could not even see him; she went to the town to ask the gentry for help, but Zhang Haoqiang had a lot of power in Guazhou Town and no one dared to offend him; she even thought about writing a petition to Zhenjiang Prefecture, but she didn't even have a way to submit the petition.

What alarmed her even more was that Zhang Haoqiang seemed to have noticed her actions and sent several servants to Li Xueshi’s residence to intimidate her.

The servants blocked the entrance to the mansion, pointing their fingers at Su Moqing and cursing, "You outsider brat, mind your own business! If you dare to run errands for the Li family again, we'll make you regret it!"

Suppressing her fear, Su Moqing looked at them coldly: "How dare you be so arrogant in broad daylight! Aren't you afraid of being investigated by the authorities?"

"The government?" a servant sneered. "Our master is sworn brothers with Magistrate Wang of the county government. Even if we arrest you, no one will dare to interfere! If you know what's good for you, get out of here before we make a move!"

.

Li Xueshi Mansion

The old scholar's condition worsened, and Madam Li spent her days in tears, causing widespread panic among the servants in the household.

Looking at the predicament before her, Su Moqing felt a sense of powerlessness—she knew perfectly well that Young Master Li was innocent, but there was nothing she could do.

In the stillness of the night, Su Moqing sat under the lamp, looking at the paper and pen on the table, and suddenly thought of Manager Chen, who was far away in Yangzhou.

Manager Chen is a kind person and has dealings with the Shen family, so perhaps... perhaps he can help?

She hesitated for a long time—she didn't want to have anything to do with Yangzhou anymore, and she didn't want to trouble Shen Rulan any further.

But now, the Li family is in dire straits. If she doesn't ask for help, the young master Li might really be wrongly imprisoned, and the old scholar's life will also be in danger.

In the end, she picked up her pen and wrote a letter.

In the letter, she described in detail the predicament of Scholar Li's residence, but deliberately did not mention Shen Rulan, only hoping that Manager Chen could help think of a solution.

After writing the letter, she handed it to the postman that very night, instructing him to deliver it to "Moxiangzhai" in Yangzhou as soon as possible.

Watching the postman's departing figure, Su Moqing felt uneasy—she didn't know if the letter would bring hope, nor what awaited her.

Three days later, the Yangzhou government was destroyed.

Shen Rulan was in his study negotiating the import of glassware with a Western merchant when Shen Fu suddenly walked in with a letter and whispered, "Young Master, Manager Chen from 'Moxiangzhai' has sent a letter with urgent news about Miss Su."

Shen Rulan's heart tightened, and she immediately ended the negotiations, asking the Western merchants to wait in the side hall.

She took the letter, unfolded it, and saw Su Moqing's neat handwriting. The letter described in detail how Zhang Haoqiang failed to buy the forest land, falsely accused Young Master Li of colluding with bandits, and how the servants threatened him. The letter was full of anxiety and helplessness.

“Zhang Haoqiang…” Shen Rulan murmured the name, a fierce glint flashing in her eyes.

She never expected that Su Moqing would encounter such trouble so soon after settling down in Guazhou Town.

Zhang Haoqiang not only bullies the gentry, but also dares to intimidate Su Moqing. He is simply audacious!

She immediately stood up and said to Shen Fu, "Prepare the sedan chair! We're going to the Salt Transport Office!"

Shen Fu hesitated for a moment, then quickly said, "Young Master, should we go to the Salt Transport Office now? What about Lord Zhao's place..."

"No need for further words, just do as I say!" Shen Rulan said firmly.

She knew that Zhang Haoqiang had nothing to do with the salt administration, but his family was related by marriage to Lord Wang, the salt inspector of Zhenjiang Prefecture, who was under Zhao Dexian's command.

Zhao Dexian has been living in constant fear because of the downfall of the Cao family and wants to form an alliance with the Shen family to protect himself. If he goes to him now, Zhao Dexian will certainly not dare to refuse.

Half an hour later, the sedan chair of the Shen family stopped in front of the Salt Transport Office.

Shen Rulan alighted from the sedan chair and, without waiting for the gatekeeper to announce her arrival, went straight into Zhao Dexian's study.

Zhao Dexian was pacing back and forth in his study, pondering how to deal with a possible investigation by the imperial court, when he saw Shen Rulan's sudden visit. He quickly stepped forward, his face beaming with a smile: "Young Master Shen, what brings you here today? Please have a seat!"

Shen Rulan did not sit down, but went straight to the point: "Lord Zhao, I have come today to discuss something with you. I have heard that there is a powerful man named Zhang in Guazhou Town, Zhenjiang Prefecture, who is a local bully. When he failed to forcibly buy the gentry's woodland, he falsely accused the gentry's son of colluding with bandits and even sent his servants to intimidate him, disturbing the retired scholar Li in the capital. Such behavior not only disrupts local security, but may also affect your reputation. I wonder if you are aware of this matter?"

Zhao Dexian's heart skipped a beat. Of course he knew Zhang Haoqiang; Zhang Haoqiang's in-law—Inspector Wang—was someone he had promoted.

But he knew even better that Shen Rulan's bringing up this matter now was by no means a simple "discussion".

He was trying to curry favor with Shen Rulan because of the Cao family's affairs, so why would he offend her for the sake of a nobody like Zhang Haoqiang?

"Is this really true?" Zhao Dexian immediately feigned anger and slammed his hand on the table. "I had no idea that such an arrogant person existed in my subordinate territory! Young Master Shen, rest assured, I will immediately send people to investigate thoroughly! If the situation is true, we will punish him severely without exception!"

Shen Rulan watched Zhao Dexian's performance with a cold smile in her heart, but her face remained calm: "Then thank you very much, Lord Zhao. Scholar Li is a retired official from the capital. If this matter gets to the capital, it may be detrimental to you. I hope you will handle it as soon as possible and not delay."

"Of course! Of course!" Zhao Dexian nodded repeatedly. "I will immediately order the Prefect of Zhenjiang to personally oversee this case and give Scholar Li and Young Master Shen an explanation!"

Shen Rulan nodded in satisfaction, stood up and said, "In that case, I will not disturb you any longer while you are handling your official business. Farewell."

Watching Shen Rulan's departing figure, Zhao Dexian wiped the cold sweat from his forehead—luckily, he knew when to back down and didn't offend Shen Rulan, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable.

He immediately summoned his advisor and ordered, "Write a letter to the prefect of Zhenjiang immediately, instructing him to investigate Zhang Haoqiang's framing of Scholar Li's son, to uncover the truth and severely punish Zhang Haoqiang! Also, summon Inspector Wang here; I want to ask him how he disciplines his in-laws!"

Zhao Dexian's order was like thunder, quickly reaching Zhenjiang Prefecture.

The prefect of Zhenjiang Prefecture dared not neglect the matter and personally led his constables to Guazhou Town to thoroughly investigate the case of Zhang Haoqiang framing Young Master Li.

With the prefect personally overseeing the case, the county officials no longer dared to favor Zhang Haoqiang.

The constables quickly discovered that Zhang Haoqiang, in order to forcibly buy the forest land, not only bribed the county government's runners but also forged letters between Young Master Li and the bandits; even Inspector Wang had accepted bribes from Zhang Haoqiang and secretly protected him.

After the truth came to light, the prefect immediately ordered: Zhang Haoqiang to be imprisoned and sentenced at a later date; Young Master Li to be released and apologized to Scholar Li; and the county yamen runners who accepted bribes and Inspector Wang to be dismissed, investigated, and escorted to Zhenjiang Prefecture for trial.

When the news reached Scholar Li's residence, Su Moqing was feeding the old scholar his medicine.

Upon hearing the news of his son's release, the old scholar was overcome with emotion, tears streaming down his face. He grasped Su Moqing's hand and choked out, "Miss Su... thank you... if it weren't for you, our family would truly be finished this time..."

Su Moqing was also filled with excitement, but she also knew that all of this was not due to her efforts.

Watching the osmanthus blossoms fall outside the window, she understood—Shen Rulan must have intervened. He was far away in Yangzhou, yet he could resolve a problem hundreds of miles away so quickly and accurately; his power and methods once again astonished her. And the fact that he didn't appear directly, but instead resolved the issue through Zhao Dexian, thus protecting her dignity, showed a thoughtfulness and consideration that quietly melted the frozen corners of her heart.

After returning to his residence, Young Master Li personally went to thank Su Moqing.

Su Moqing felt a surge of warmth as she watched the family reunion.

She knew it was time to write a letter to Shen Rulan—this time, she would no longer deliberately keep her distance, but instead express her sincere gratitude for his help.

In the stillness of the night, Su Moqing sat under the lamp and wrote a letter to Shen Rulan.

She described in detail what happened next—Zhang Haoqiang was arrested, Young Master Li was released, and the old scholar's condition improved. Her words were filled with lingering fear and gratitude.

In her letter, she also wrote: "If it weren't for your secret help, young master, Mo Qing and the Li family would have been in deep trouble. I have no way to repay your kindness, young master, but I will always remember it in my heart."

After writing the letter, she checked it carefully again to make sure nothing was missing before handing it to the postman.

Three days later, Shen Rulan received a letter from Su Moqing.

She unfolded the letter, and as she read the genuine emotions expressed between the lines, a slight smile appeared on her lips—this was the first time Su Moqing had expressed gratitude so directly in a letter, and also the first time she had revealed her dependence.

She picked up her pen and wrote back, her handwriting still steady, yet carrying a subtle warmth: "It's good that nothing's wrong. The Li Academy has a pure and upright academic atmosphere, suitable for teaching with peace of mind. If you encounter any further difficulties, please don't hesitate to let me know."

She didn't mention how she persuaded Zhao Dexian, nor did she take credit; she simply told her to live a peaceful life.

From then on, Su Moqing and Shen Rulan began to correspond more frequently.

In her letters, Su Moqing would share anecdotes about teaching with him—the children's excitement when they drew a complete orchid for the first time, and the old scholar's insights when discussing poetry and painting with her.

Shen Rulan would share with her what she saw and heard in Yangzhou—the novelties brought by Western merchants, the interesting stories of canal transport, and even the newly blooming chrysanthemums in Tingxuexuan.

Their letters contained no barriers of social status, no interference from worldly gossip, only a love for poetry and painting, insights into life, and a delicate and warm emotion that slowly grew in their writing.

After receiving the letter, Su Moqing would read it repeatedly, as if she could see Shen Rulan writing it between the lines.

Shen Rulan would carefully put Su Moqing's letter away in a drawer in her study, and take it out to read in her spare time, feeling a sense of peace and warmth in her heart.

Yangzhou and Guazhou Town are hundreds of miles apart, yet they are closely connected through letters.

The rift that once stood between the two gradually healed under the nourishment of distance and words, and new hope sprouted.

One late autumn day, Su Moqing received a letter from Shen Rulan. Enclosed in the letter was a maple leaf from Yangzhou. The edges of the maple leaf were golden and the veins were clearly visible.

The letter read: "Autumn has fallen in Yangzhou, and the maple leaves at Tingxuexuan Pavilion have turned red. I remembered you once said you liked maple leaves, so I'm sending you one. In Guazhou Town, autumn must be filled with the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms, right?"

Su Moqing held the maple leaf in her hand, held it to her nose and sniffed it, as if she could smell the scent of late autumn in Yangzhou.

She walked into the courtyard, looked at the osmanthus blossoms filling the air, and wrote back: "The osmanthus in Guazhou Town is still in bloom, its fragrance filling the air. Thank you for the maple leaf you sent, I have already tucked it into my favorite painting album. If you have time when it snows in winter, you are welcome to come to Guazhou Town to enjoy the snow. I will brew tea for you."

After finishing the letter, she handed it to the postman along with a pressed osmanthus flower.

Watching the postman's departing figure, a long-lost smile appeared on her face—perhaps distance and time are not all obstacles.