Chapter 45 Visiting Relatives in the Underworld Before Departure
Bai Yan's expression remained unreadable.
Jiang Yuzhi tapped the table lightly, "Zhi'er, you go ahead and do your own thing. I'll go back to the underworld to visit them when I have some free time."
Zhi'er covered her mouth and withdrew as instructed.
Di Ting patted the table with its paw, "Don't interrupt, okay? It's not easy to find the Weaver Girl, but isn't it easy to find Huang Daopo? As far as I know, she lives in Wannan and is a kind person. Weaver is so likable, if we say a few nice words, she might be willing to answer our questions."
Jiang Yuzhi looked at the gold thread on her wrist, lost in thought. "If we really want to go to Wannan, we need to make arrangements in the capital first."
The funeral clothing shop wasn't very busy, but it occasionally received a few pre-orders.
Since we made the funeral clothes for Lord Yicheng, many families have come seeking to absorb his noble aura, hoping that their weaker descendants will be reborn as loyal, righteous, and compassionate people.
There's no rush with the work in the shop, and you can also take some time to make clothes while you're out.
Jiang Yuzhi had already guessed about the golden thread, but she still needed to find an opportunity to verify it.
“I’ll go with you,” Bai Yan said without hesitation.
Sui Gu glanced at Bai Yan with a subtle look in her eyes, then glared fiercely at Fang Xiangshi.
Bai Yan's ears turned slightly red, but he remained calm and composed. "The power of the Map of the State is shared between the two of us. We're far apart, so it's difficult to resolve any problems that might arise. Besides, the origin of that golden thread is unknown; what if it gets damaged along the way..."
"With me here, what could possibly happen?" Di Ting curled his lip. "Besides, you're just a mortal. If something really happens to you, I'll have to protect you."
"Listen!" Jiang Yuzhi saw that Bai Yan was getting more and more depressed, so she quickly tried to smooth things over. "The more people there are, the more help we can provide. If Mingze can persuade the Emperor, it wouldn't hurt for him to come along."
Jiang Yuzhi herself wasn't sure whether she wanted to go with Bai Yan, so she simply decided against it. Bai Yan had been slacking off for days, and it was uncertain whether Xiao Ji would be willing to release him.
"I will persuade my uncle myself," Bai Yan said, only concerned about Jiang Yuzhi's attitude and nothing else. "I'm just worried. Yuzhi still has to deal with mortals, and I will handle things for her."
Jiang Yuzhi suddenly felt a little afraid to meet his eyes. Di Ting slapped Bai Yan's shoe with its paw, "You talk too much. Hurry up and go back and tidy yourself up. Judge Lu is not easy to talk to."
"You don't need to worry about it, A-Ting." Bai Yan smiled politely, then turned to Jiang Yuzhi, who was looking down and seemingly lost in thought, and said no more.
Bai Yan went back.
In the stillness of the night, Jiang Yuzhi lay in the courtyard, the gold thread on her wrist shimmering in the moonlight as she gently stroked it.
Tonight, another member of the Remnant Force came to see her. As before, he first tried to probe stealthily, and then happily burrowed into Jiang Yuzhi's body, a warm feeling flowing through his entire body.
One difference is that the residue was diverted.
A very small portion of it enters the skin from the gold thread. Jiang Yuzhi doesn't know if it's just her imagination, but she always feels that the gold thread has become longer. Originally, it couldn't even cover the entire wrist, but now the gaps at the unconnected parts seem to have become smaller.
Jiang Yuzhi became even more certain of her suspicions.
It's very familiar.
She once repaired the Sheji Map for He Ji, the piece of cloth that had been hidden under the bed but had disappeared.
Now she knows that it didn't just disappear without a trace, but vanished along with He Ji.
The thread He Ji gave her was just like that; Jiang Yuzhi meticulously wove the damaged parts together, stitch by stitch. She didn't know what the missing pattern on the fabric looked like, but once the gold thread was woven in, it naturally connected to the old parts.
The Sheji Tu (a map of the land and grain) was closely related to He Ji. Although she had completed the repair of the cloth, He Ji's condition did not improve at all, and he eventually perished.
Something must have been overlooked.
As for what exactly it is, perhaps only Huang Daopo can answer that question.
...
The next morning, Bai Yan went to the palace.
An invisible tension lingered between the uncle and nephew.
No palace servants dared to stay in the Imperial Study; they all stood guard at the door.
"You may go. You will be in charge of all the inspection matters south of Kyoto, and you will also be the chief examiner for the special imperial examination in late July."
Bai Yan's dissatisfaction was palpable.
In less than two months, the inspection tour of the south was a must. Corrupt officials were investigated, and it was also necessary to organize local government files. This made room for the newcomers who would take the imperial examinations in July.
Emperor Huizong was calculating his options.
"What can you do if I don't agree?"
"You wouldn't want your mother to be caught in the middle, would you?"
Although Bai Yan didn't care about the people of the world, Xiao Yao was one of the few people he included in his world.
He gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, but you have to give me a mature team."
"That's natural. The Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel is newly transferred, so it's a good opportunity to send him out for training. Also, you can choose a few people from the three departments of personnel selection, merit evaluation, and performance appraisal to solve the problem of selecting replacement officials on the spot."
"Heh, it seems Uncle had planned this all along."
Xiao Ji stubbornly insisted, "How could that be? How could I have predicted that you would be heading south?"
Bai Yan turned and left, which was taken as agreement.
Emperor Huizong has been much more relaxed lately. Grand Secretary Zhang has recovered from his illness, the council hall is almost complete, and the cabinet personnel are being assessed. The piles of memorials on his hands have been reduced by more than half, and his mood has improved.
I also had time to visit the sales home.
Jiang Yuzhi was discussing their departure time; they had only been back for a short while, and now they were about to leave again.
Bai Yan went straight to the Jiang residence after leaving the palace.
"Young Master Bai, please wait a moment. Miss has gone to see Master Xie and Master Fan, and it will take some time."
Bai Yan nodded, sat alone on the small couch in the main room, took out a new storybook, and began to read it carefully.
...
Having not returned to the underworld for some time, Jiang Yuzhi suddenly felt a sense of familiarity.
The flowers and plants in the Jiang residence made her miss the scenery of the underworld even more.
Jiang Yuzhi was about to return from her long trip again, so she thought she would come back to visit and ask about some things. She was worried that she might not be able to come back again if she got busy again.
She was now walking through the true gates of hell, and the Eastern Ghost King guarding the gate recognized Jiang Yuzhi, having seen her before at the Fengdu Emperor's place.
"What brings you back, young lady? The Emperor should be free; you can find him in the palace. I'm too busy to guide you right now."
"You're too kind, sir. I know the way."
The two ghosts looked at each other and smiled.
The path to the Gates of Hell was illuminated by eerie blue phosphorescent lights, which Jiang Yuzhi navigated with practiced ease. Passing ghost messengers bowed and greeted her, and those she knew would stop to exchange a few pleasantries.
"Young Lady Jiang is back? Long time no see, what have you been up to?"
"When will you have time to make me another soul-binding lock, young lady?"
"Young Lady Jiang, please put in a good word for me with Master Xie and Master Fan. The two of them have been acting like they've been hit by a firecracker lately."
Jiang Yuzhi responded to each of them, a smile unconsciously spreading across her face. Compared to the human world, the underworld gave her a sense of homecoming—there weren't so many twists and turns here, and the ghosts and monsters were mostly straightforward, liking what they liked and disliking what they disliked.
Passing through a blank stone tablet and stepping into an invisible barrier, the outline of Fengdu City gradually becomes clear.
"Isn't this Miss Jiang!" A loud voice came from not far away.
Jiang Yuzhi looked up and saw Ox-Head and Horse-Face waving at her. "The Emperor is reading in the back hall, and Master Xie and Master Fan are training the new ghost messengers. Just go in and see whoever you want!"
Jiang Yuzhi smiled and nodded in greeting, quickening her pace as she passed through the city gate. The streets and alleys of Fengdu City were crisscrossed, filled with all sorts of ghosts coming and going, their cries of vendors rising and falling, making it even more bustling than a human market.
"The best Meng Po soup! It tastes just like the one Meng Po sells! Drinking it will make you remember your past life! And you can even taste it!"
"Newly arrived yellow paper, thickened with gold leaf, even our ancestors praised it! It's ready to be burned!"
"We'll write your underworld petitions, and we guarantee you a good reincarnation!"
Jiang Yuzhi skillfully avoided several overly enthusiastic vendors and turned into a secluded alley. After passing through another barrier, at the end of the alley was a solemn palace, unguarded by ghosts and no ghosts daring to enter.
The pitch-black gate was adorned with a wooden sign that read "No Unauthorized Personnel Allowed"—this was the Fengdu Grand Hall.
The main hall of Fengdu was quieter than usual, with only a few minor ghost messengers organizing documents in a corner. Jiang Yuzhi walked through the empty front hall and found the Emperor of Fengdu feeding fish with one hand and holding a book with the other in the back garden.
The Emperor was dressed in a simple, dark-colored robe today, looking like an ordinary wealthy man. Hearing footsteps, he said without turning his head, "Little Zhi, come and see my newly acquired bone fish."
Jiang Yuzhi took a closer look and saw that the water in the pool was pitch black. The so-called bone fish were clearly just a few unidentifiable creatures with only bones left, about the size of carp, swimming around and splashing in the water.
"This fish is far too blatant," Jiang Yuzhi couldn't help but chuckle. "Where are the koi from the pond?"
The Emperor was silent for a moment, then said, “The one in the pool is it.” He turned to look at Jiang Yuzhi and said, “Hmm, you look good, but you’ve lost some weight.”
His gaze fell on Jiang Yuzhi's wrist, his expression serious. "Where did this thread come from?"
Jiang Yuzhi raised her wrist: "Do you recognize this gold thread?"
"The Golden Thread of Merit is a rare find, perhaps only once in a thousand years." The Emperor gently touched the golden thread, and it immediately wrapped around his finger as if it were alive, then quickly released it. "It has sentience and has recognized its master."
Jiang Yuzhi asked curiously, "What is its origin? Why did it choose me?"
The emperor led her to the pavilion: "Sit down and we'll talk."
After the two were seated, he continued, "This golden thread is a supreme treasure of heaven and earth, and only those with great merit can wield it. It chose you, naturally because you are worthy."
"But I don't remember doing anything particularly meritorious..."
"Or perhaps, it's not impossible that it's trying to save itself," the Emperor said meaningfully. "Just like you now, aren't you also trying to save yourself?"
Jiang Yuzhi remained silent. She wanted to find her parents and brother. She couldn't find them until she found them. Guilt weighed heavily on her. She should have scattered like Bai Yan long ago, but she was forcibly gathered together by the Sheji Tu.
It's more like a punishment.
"Too much to say, too much to say." The Emperor waved his hand and, as if by magic, pulled a packet of pastries from his sleeve. "Try this, the new cook's Lycoris Radiata cake."
Knowing she wouldn't get any more information, Jiang Yuzhi had no choice but to accept the pastries. To her surprise, the spider lily cake was sweet, soft, and chewy, even more delicious than any earthly dessert.
"Isn't it delicious?" The Emperor proudly took out another plate. "I specially asked the cook to add some Meng Po soup base."
Jiang Yuzhi almost choked: "Meng, Meng Po soup?"
"Don't worry, I won't forget my past. I just missed one ingredient." The Emperor laughed heartily. "It was given to me by Meng Po. You'll most likely have to go find Huang Daopo with this thread. Meng Po and she have some connection. Go find Meng Po."
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