I added some details in the middle of Chapter 116; the honeymoon phase requires...
After Yue Hanlin finished speaking, he was still not entirely sure what to do, but Lin Xin didn't think too much about it. He knew there might be a drought and was just reminding the court to make preparations in advance. It didn't involve any shady dealings or tricks, so why not do it?
Yue Hanlin was swayed by his determination, frowning and then smiling bitterly: "Truly, a newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger. Fine—I'm hopeless anyway, so I'll accompany you this time!"
He led Lin Xin into his duty room. He had spent more than ten years sitting on the sidelines in the Hanlin Academy. He might not be good at other things, but his writing skills were honed to an unparalleled level. He quickly wrote a memorial and then looked up at Lin Xin.
Lin Xin understood, stepped forward to take the pen, and neatly added his name after Yue Hanlin's. He had just received his official seal and was carrying it with him, so he took it out and stamped it.
In order to ensure the smooth flow of information, the imperial court theoretically granted all officials the right to submit memorials to the court. However, in practice, due to old customs such as subordinates not overstepping their bounds, lower-ranking officials would always inform their immediate superiors before submitting their memorials to avoid any obstacles that might catch their superiors off guard—except for those who clearly intended to turn against their superiors and impeach them.
After Yue Hanlin saw that the memorial was completed, he said, "Come with me to report to Scholar Xia."
The two went out again and walked towards a government office in the center, which was hidden by trees.
Inside the government office, not only was Scholar Xia present, but Lü Boming was also sitting in a corner of the room, holding his breath and writing furiously.
Yue Hanlin explained his intentions to Xia Xueshi.
Scholar Xia remained expressionless, his gaze sweeping over the faces of Hanlin Yue and Lin Xin before slowly saying, "Zhongling, you have always been devoted to scholarship; this probably wasn't your idea, was it?"
The memorial was already written, and Hanlin Yue was quite accommodating, saying with a smile, "What does it matter whose idea it is? It's a matter of my hometown, so I'm naturally concerned. If you have no objections, I'll have someone send it to the Office of Transmission."
“Middle-aged man, you are being too rash,” Scholar Xia said calmly. “If there were a real drought, the Shaanxi Provincial Administration Commission would have remained silent, and the Prefect of Pingliang would have submitted his memorial by now. Now that everything is calm, you are going to submit a memorial because of a family letter. What if Pingliang is fine? You have stirred up panic for nothing. How will you clean up this mess?”
Yue Hanlin hesitated for a moment, then said, "Scholar, but according to my father's letter, after the Spring Equinox until near Grain Rain, the days will be sunny and clear. This omen is not right—"
"You don't need to tell me that. You're not the only one who's read agricultural books," said Scholar Xia. "What happens after Grain Rain? The climate in the Northwest is different from that in the South. A series of hazy rains after the Spring Equinox may not be a good thing, as it could trigger a cold snap and cause more harm than drought. We should wait and see what happens after Grain Rain."
But Yue Hanlin only received a letter from home, which wasn't very timely, and he didn't know what had happened after Grain Rain.
Yue Hanlin couldn't answer. Lin Xin paused for a moment, then stepped forward and said, "Scholar, you said that haze and rain are harmful, but Pingliang is not experiencing haze and rain; it hasn't rained at all. Such a long period without rain can already lead to reduced crop yields."
Scholar Xia shifted his gaze: "Are you picking on my words?"
Lu Boming, who was sitting in the corner, paused while writing and quietly looked up.
Lin Xin said, "That's not what I meant."
"I see you're just showing off your talents." Scholar Xia sneered, then ignored him and said to Hanlin Yue, "Zhongling, I've already explained the reasons to you. If you still insist on listening to the whims of this young upstart, I won't stop you."
Yue Hanlin smiled wryly. Seeing that Scholar Xia had nothing else to say, he cupped his hands and led Lin Xin out.
After he came out, he called over a minor official, gave him the memorial, and asked him to run an errand.
Lin Xin paused for a moment, then said, "Senior, the scholar said—"
"He said it, so he said it." Yue Hanlin waved his hand. "Do you think he'll respect me more if I give up halfway?"
He glanced at Lin Xin jokingly, "I won't last many more years, but you, the top scholar, have a long way to go."
Lin Xin didn't take it to heart; it was something he had to do, and once it was done, that was the end of it.
He had other things on his mind, but after the joint signing, he and Yue Hanlin were closer. It was more natural for him to inquire about the situation in Pingliang. After returning to the chessboard, Yue Hanlin continued to chat with him.
"I haven't been back for many years. I only heard from my father that Pingliang is better now, and the population has increased. It is still not comparable to many other places, but it is not as desolate as before." Yue Hanlin smiled, then changed the subject, "Speaking of which, it is also thanks to that Prince Qing."
This was unexpected by Lin Xin. He asked, "Senior, what do you mean? I've heard that Prince Qing's reputation seems to be—"
He didn't finish speaking, but Yue Hanlin naturally understood: "Prince Qing is unpredictable and difficult to serve. He's practically a local tyrant. Not to mention the common people, even the government doesn't dare to provoke him. But such a noble prince needs food, drink, and servants. He has no less than a thousand servants. These people are also tied to other things. Many luxurious items that Pingliang didn't produce and didn't need before are now available in the market because of this prince. So some people are having a hard time, but others are doing well..."
In short, demand creates the market.
It can also be said that Prince Qing single-handedly boosted domestic demand in Pingliang.
These two sentences are the conclusions that Xu Rong drew after hearing Lin Xin's account after he returned home.
Lin Xin hadn't heard of it before, but after thinking about it for a moment, he nodded and said, "Yes."
“It seems that Prince Qing doesn’t always resort to robbery; he pays for things too,” Xu Rong added.
If they had continued looting like that, Pingliang would have been emptied of almost everything long ago. How could the population have actually increased? For the people of Pingliang, this might be a case of misfortune being a blessing in disguise.
But Bai Quan was unlucky; not only were his goods stolen, but he was also robbed.
However, one piece of information we can glean from this is that Prince Qing's madness is not yet obvious; he still possesses reason. Therefore, negotiation becomes possible.
"At worst, I'll just pay to redeem Bai Quan," Xu Rong decided.
According to Yue Hanlin, Prince Qing appears to be very wealthy, but he is not favored by the emperor, so the emperor will not give him any extra rewards. Yet he maintains such a large daily expense. Even a prince would not be without money.
Lin Xin nodded; he shared the same thought. If they couldn't intimidate Prince Qing with power, then they would have to use money to influence him.
"I'll go tell Dad that you can use the money in the house as you like."
He was about to go find Lin Ding, which amused Xu Rong—her father-in-law really had a unique way of spoiling his child. Last year, Lin Xin barely spoke to him and wouldn't even call him "Dad," but now he was willing to squander his family's wealth.
Lin Xindao: "What are you laughing at?"
Xu Rong didn't think much of it and just said it, but as soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly realized: if Lin Ding spoils him like this, then in the end the money ends up in her hands, so who spoils whom?
Lin Xin smiled at her.
He clearly understood, but remained silent out of understanding. His smile was somewhat deep, suggesting that this understanding itself pleased him—he had truly become her husband, and these were things he should do; the more he gave, the more satisfied he became.
"..." Xu Rong couldn't help but laugh, then stopped him: "No need, have you forgotten? Bai Quan gave me the business. I'll sort it out quickly, and it should be enough to redeem him. The money he earned can be used on him, which is just right."
Bai Fu happened to come in to serve tea, and her eyes immediately reddened when she heard this—an entire trading company! How much money would that cost? Although it was Bai Quan who earned it, which master would be willing to squander it like that?
Xu Rong didn't feel sorry for her and laughed, "Silly girl, why are you crying again? Your brother is worth much more than a trading company. If he doesn't come back, I'll only have this one. If he comes back, he might earn me three or five more."
Bai Fu nodded vigorously, feeling both touched and happy as she left.
Feeling that Bai Quan's matter was under control, Xu Rong calmed down and went back to Lin Xin with a smile, asking, "How was your first day on duty? Busy?"
"It's nothing, just a letter—"
**
At this moment, in the Changxing Marquis's residence, Marquis Xiao also asked the same question in a kind manner.
"Reporting to Your Excellency, everything is fine." Lü Boming bowed respectfully before the desk. "The scholar has assigned me the task of copying documents, which is quite a promotion for me."
Lord Xiao nodded: "That's good."
He was actually being casual in his words, but Lu Boming, having just entered the Marquis's residence, was so dazzled by what he saw along the way that he didn't realize what he was saying. He quickly thought of something to say and said, "This junior also met Scholar Lin."
Lord Xiao's hand, which was resting on the table, suddenly tightened: "Oh?"
Lu Boming was taken aback. He was not stupid, having achieved the third-highest rank in the imperial examinations. He sensed that Lord Xiao's attitude did not match his expectations, but he couldn't quite understand what it meant. He subconsciously added a few more words: "Scholar Lin is an introverted person and doesn't talk much. However, I didn't expect him to be so decisive in his actions. On his first day as an official, he dared to submit a joint memorial, and even the academicians couldn't stop him."
Lord Xiao's eyes were filled with suppressed emotion: "What memorial did he submit?"
Lu Boming then said with concern, "In my opinion, Scholar Lin meant well, but for some reason, the scholar seemed to dislike him from the beginning."
When Lord Xiao heard the name "Pingliang," his expression changed, but he quickly suppressed it, gave a perfunctory reply, and then ordered someone to lead him out to enjoy the scenery.
This so-called "enjoying the scenery" was actually requested by Aunt Ruan. Xiao Shan's marriage had gone wrong one after another. Finally, Lord Xiao told her about the new son-in-law. She was happy but also incredulous. She had tried to find a scholar before but failed. How could she be so lucky this time?
He insisted on meeting her in person and also wanted Xiao Shan to take a look.
Because Lu Boming was also very proactive, Lord Xiao thought that this time it would definitely succeed. Xiao Shan had been bedridden until she heard the news, and she seemed to be better and was able to struggle out of bed. Lord Xiao probably wouldn't let her see him, so she made up her mind and went back to bed. After careful consideration, she agreed and invited Lu Boming to the mansion under the pretext of inviting him to dinner.
Lu Boming knew what was going on. After coming out, he was led to the garden by a servant. Logically, he should have focused all his attention on his future daughter and wife, but Lord Xiao's reaction just now kept replaying in his mind, making him feel that something was wrong. He was absent-minded until he saw the girl standing next to the beautiful flowering tree and was suddenly amazed.
Xiao Shan has always been good-looking. Although she has become quite haggard due to her long illness, she still has the good looks. Lu Boming comes from an ordinary family, and his previous wife was only of average appearance. How could she compare to Xiao Shan?
Moreover, she also has the aura of being the daughter of a marquis.
Lu Boming's mind immediately changed. Seeing that the servants did not stop him, he hurriedly went over to greet them.
Xiao Shan returned the greeting weakly. Her spirits were now mostly broken. She only wished to get married as soon as possible and leave this place that made her tremble with fear. Lu Boming was not handsome, but his status as a third-place scholar was really remarkable. Even in the past, she could have reluctantly agreed to marry him, let alone now.
The two of them, standing at some distance and under the watchful eyes of Aunt Ruan and her servants not far away, exchanged a few words and surprisingly got along quite well.
Unconsciously, Lü Boming brought up Lin Xin again. He had awe for Lord Xiao and dared not ask aloud, but the question was in his heart and he subconsciously wanted to bring it up. Lin Xin had lived in the Marquis's mansion for nearly twenty years and was also a close brother and sister to Xiao Shan. Perhaps he could learn something from Xiao Shan?
Ultimately, he was truly satisfied with the marriage and didn't want to lose it, which is why he paid special attention to Lord Xiao's wishes.
To his surprise, Xiao Shan's expression changed, and she immediately said, "Don't mention him. You can't talk about him in this mansion."
Lü Boming: "..."
He was stunned.
Seeing that things were not going well, Aunt Ruan hurried over and said, "Young lady, you are tired. Go back and rest."
Xiao Shan was in no mood to speak anymore. Not only could she not mention it in this mansion, but she also couldn't bear to hear it—it wasn't about how she treated Lin Xin. She was like a frightened bird right now and didn't have that much energy. Just hearing it would make her think of herself.
Supported by Aunt Ruan, she turned and left.
Lu Boming remained stunned.
Xiao Shan's reaction means that everything he said to Lord Xiao when he tried to find a topic to talk about and build rapport was completely wrong.
If this makes Lord Xiao dislike him, then this marriage...
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