The first letter Qingchen opened was from Lu Shenyun.
His first sentence in the letter was: "I heard you went to Yunnan. How are you?"
As the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, his intelligence network was naturally very extensive. However, for the past two months, he had been suffering from a persistent fever. Although the Embroidered Uniform Guard in Yunnan had sent him a letter, it was intercepted by Huang Yu after being delivered to the Northern Garrison Command.
Without even opening the letter, Huang Yu could roughly guess its contents just by seeing that it was sent from Yunnan. The reason he kept the letter was that he was afraid of receiving bad news from there. He knew that if Qingchen were even slightly unwell, Lu Shenyun, despite his ailing body, would rush to Yunnan without hesitation.
He himself had several wives and concubines, but had never experienced the taste of love. Seeing Lu Shenyun like this, he finally understood what it meant to love deeply.
He only gave Lu Shenyun the letter when Lu Shenyun had almost fully recovered, and as he expected, he was reprimanded by Lu Shenyun. He wanted to explain, but Lu Shenyun didn't even give him time to explain. He just opened the letter, read it quickly, and then went to write a reply.
The word "love" is truly difficult to define.
In Qingchen's study, the candlelight was bright.
She sat down at the table and read the letter Lu Shenyun had sent. As she read, a feeling of guilt and bitterness welled up inside her.
Because he said, "I'm sorry, I lost you on my way to Yunnan."
She pursed her lips slightly. It wasn't that he had lost her; it was clearly that she had deceived him, choosing a path he could never catch up with.
After arriving in Yunnan, she was too busy to even write him a letter. Being busy was an excuse she couldn't even convince herself of; the more important reason was that she didn't know how to write the letter.
He said that Yunnan is in full bloom, but asked if the prosperity of Beijing is still the same.
She picked up her pen, but it seemed there was nothing she needed to say, so she eventually put it down again.
Now, apart from her second uncle, Qingchen hasn't written to anyone else. Reality is busy enough, and she's content with this way; as for attachments, she'll leave them at that.
After putting down Lu Shenyun's letter, she glanced at another letter lying beside her, reaching out to take it, but stopped before she could touch it.
After a moment of silence, Qingchen withdrew his hand, then unfolded a piece of white paper, intending to reply to Lu Shenyun first.
“I’m sorry, I’ve failed to live up to your kind intentions… Yunnan is a long and arduous journey, and I couldn’t bear to let you see me off like this.” She wrote as she recalled the scene. “I’m doing well in Yunnan, so you don’t need to worry. The scenery in Yunnan is beautiful, the people are very kind, and the sky is always blue, unlike the many cloudy days in the capital. The affairs in Yuanjiang Prefecture are also progressing smoothly, and I haven’t encountered any major troubles yet.”
Then she told him not to worry, that she would take care of herself, and also reminded him to take care of himself.
Lu Shenyun didn't mention in his letter that he had been burning up for two months and almost didn't make it, so Qingchen naturally didn't know. Therefore, she didn't ask too much about his condition. In her mind, he was the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, such a resolute and strong person, so nothing should happen to him.
At the end of the letter, Qingchen hesitated for a moment, but still added a sentence: Please give my regards to my aunt.
After she finished writing, she put the letter in an envelope, carefully sealed it with glue, and set it aside.
Then she lifted the lampshade, cut the not-so-long wick with scissors, and finally turned her gaze to the remaining unopened letter.
Whose is it?
As she thought about it, she opened the envelope.
The lamplight fell on the letter, and the ink reflected a faint light. However, the handwriting on the paper looked unfamiliar; to be precise, it was completely unfamiliar.
Qingchen could feel a little bit of disappointment in her heart, but it was quickly driven away.
The letter was actually written by Zhao Qiran.
While in the capital, Zhao Qiran and Qingchen were acquaintances, but they had never met alone; Song Yue was always present at their meetings. They weren't close friends yet, so the fact that he would write her a letter surprised Qingchen.
Zhao Qiran's letter didn't mention anything special, only inquiring about her well-being in Yunnan and saying that everything was normal in Beijing. He told her to stay put and that he would return to Beijing eventually. Later, in his usual impatient tone, he asked her if she had any conflicts with Song Yue. If so, he said that their teacher-student relationship was precious and she should cherish it, and apologize as soon as possible... Zhao Qiran also said that he didn't understand why Song Yue would do this. He had initially strongly opposed Song Yue's actions, but unfortunately, he couldn't stop that stubborn person.
Finally, he said that if she encountered any problems, she could write to him and he would do his best to help. He also mentioned that the newly appointed Yunnan governor, Cheng Yuanzhi, was an old friend of his and a good man, so she could contact him if she needed anything…
Zhao Qiran wrote more words than Lu Shenyun, and the content was more detailed and trivial, just like his usual words.
Qingchen read the two pages of letter twice, still unable to tell whether he had written it himself or if someone had instructed him to do so…
After staring blankly for a while, she shook her head.
How could it be instructed? If someone wanted to contact her, they would naturally do so on their own initiative; why would they delegate it to someone else?
Just like when he was with her, he was her teacher, and the closeness or distance in their relationship was always determined by him. He would take direct action on whatever he wanted to do, never beating around the bush.
On the surface, he appeared calm, composed, and aloof, with a timeless tranquility in his eyes. But in truth, she knew the untamed spirit within him, the rebellious soul that burned eternally within him. That flame, hidden yet intense, was completely different from the cold facade he projected to the world, and it was the source of his true charm.
She felt it the first time he kissed her.
That snowy night, his kisses were intense and lingering, attacking her heart again and again. She saw a fire in his eyes, but she wasn't sure if there was any passion within them. The Grand Secretary, high above in the Golden Palace, could only be admired from afar, never touched; he had always seemed like a man without passion.
Although they had kissed for so long and so deeply, his heart was beating so fast, his breath so hot, and his eyes so dreamy, he still so naturally withdrew and distanced himself from her later.
Like a bird and a fish, though the bird is so close to the fish as it skims across the sea, in the end, the fish can only watch from the sea as it flies into the boundless sky. The spray from its wings was once beautiful, but ultimately it leaves no trace.
Qingchen had thought that even if it was to end, to say goodbye, it should at least be done formally, with a letter or some words.
But now she finally understands. Farewell doesn't need any poetry.
Those who write poetry are those who do not want to say goodbye.
Song Yue, for example, didn't write a single word.
Shen Qingchen is very busy.
In the already scorching July sun, although the rice seedlings were growing well as expected, she still had a lot to do.
From accounting to punishment, from officialdom to water conservancy, from the resettlement of barbarians to dealing with the White Lotus Sect, nothing was easy. Her desk was piled high with files every day. Although these files would be read and replaced every two or three days, new ones would be quickly added to make up the gap, leaving no room to spare even a small piece of space.
Governing a region is like treating an illness. When Qingchen took over Yuanjiang Prefecture, it was already afflicted with a disease. And it was quite serious; in modern terms, it was like an autoimmune syndrome. In other words, many of its systems were outdated and no longer applicable, which led to problems that remained unresolved for a long time.
The first ailment Qingchen needs to cure is confusion.
Due to historical reasons, the governance of Yuanjiang Prefecture has always been chaotic. Whether it's grain production, taxation, officials' salaries, or expenditures, everything is in a state of confusion. No one can clearly define how much tax should be collected, how the money should be spent, or how much officials should actually receive in salary…
The root cause of this chaos is unclear accounting.
Logically, each prefecture should have an official in charge of money, grain, and taxes, specifically responsible for the prefecture's accounts. However, because the accounts of previous administrations were very disorganized, and many data within the prefecture were not updated in a timely manner, the numbers of land, population, officials, etc., had long since changed. In addition, the accounting methods used were still quite outdated, which resulted in Yuanjiang Prefecture having always been a mess of accounts.
Before coming to Yunnan, Qingchen had worked in the Ministry of Revenue as a registrar specializing in checking account books, making her very familiar with financial processing. Furthermore, her background in economics gave her professional knowledge of accounting, allowing her to innovate in solving bookkeeping problems.
Following her instructions, the officials in charge of bookkeeping in Yuanjiang Prefecture quickly compiled new account books, which even included some principles of Western accounting.
A month later, the accounts of Yuanjiang Prefecture finally improved. Every single transaction was clear, with income and expenditure clearly separated and without any confusion. How much tax should be collected and how much salary should be paid were all clearly understood and readily apparent.
After resolving this issue, she set about addressing the problem of official corruption. Corrupt officials exist everywhere; it's unavoidable. Qingchen's attitude was one of resolute indifference; anyone who accepted bribes or oppressed the people would be severely punished. Soon after, a rumor began to circulate among the people that a new official named Shen Qingchen had arrived in Yuanjiang Prefecture, and they called her Shen Qingtian.
The next issues to be addressed include punishments, water conservancy, and so on. Under Qingchen's leadership, the reforms in Yuanjiang Prefecture were proceeding in an orderly manner. Influenced by Qingchen, the officials were working non-stop.
During the reform process, the climate in Yunnan was very good, and the rice seedlings grew wildly. By July, the entire Yuanjiang Prefecture was lush and green, and the abundant greenery heralded a bumper harvest this year.
After seeing the report from Yuanjiang Prefecture, Cheng Yuanzhi, the governor of Yunnan, finally felt relieved about the three hundred taels of silver owed to him.
When officials from other prefectures heard that the situation in Yuanjiang had greatly improved, they came to Qingchen to inquire about his expertise, and Qingchen shared his knowledge with them without reservation.
Everything is fine; if you don't want to, there's nothing wrong with it.
Unfortunately, good times never last.
That day, after seeing off the officials who had come to seek advice, Qingchen summoned several officials to discuss the issues of grain harvesting and storage. Everyone was in high spirits because the topic of discussion was no longer about choosing who to starve to death due to insufficient food.
They had only been talking for a short while when a yamen runner rushed over to request an audience.
"Your Excellency, something terrible has happened! It's hailing!"
Xie Wenyuan exclaimed in surprise, "What did you say!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a crackling sound came from the eaves, growing louder and more frequent.
Qingchen immediately got up and hurried to the corridor. Then he saw ice blocks of different sizes fall down and shatter into pieces on the ground.
To ensure a bountiful harvest, she had already ordered dikes to be repaired and water stored, making every effort to prevent drought and flooding. However, she did not expect that what awaited her was a hailstorm that lasted half an hour and covered most of Yuanjiang Prefecture.
It had been more than ten years since Yuanjiang Prefecture had seen hail, but this time the heavens were quite generous with their bounty.
With hailstones this big, it's a miracle if anyone isn't killed, let alone someone trying to save the rice. She could only watch helplessly as the rice stalks, which were about to ripen and fill her granary, were bent and killed one by one by the hailstones.
Watching the hail fall silently, Qingchen felt her heart growing colder and colder. The hope she had so painstakingly planted was being so easily taken away by fate.
Her eyelashes fluttered, and her fingertips, which had been resting on the railing, drooped limply.
A group of officials stood behind her, exchanging silent glances. The atmosphere was somber.
After the hailstorm, Qingchen disregarded his own distress and immediately led his men to check on the rice crops and to comfort and assist the injured villagers.
Two days later, the damage figures were tallied—70% of the rice in Yuanjiang Prefecture had been crushed to death.
Xie Wenyuan was the first to receive the figure. His heart pounded, and his expression turned grave; the losses were more severe than they had anticipated. He lingered outside Qingchen's office for a long time, unsure how to tell her the result. He knew how much thought and effort she had put into it, and how much hope and anticipation she held in her heart.
Unfortunately, fate played a cruel trick on them, and the beautiful future they longed for was soon ruthlessly shattered by reality.
If there isn't enough rice to feed the people, they will starve to death, and naturally, the three hundred taels of silver owed to the Yunnan governor will remain unpaid. At that point, Lord Shen will be caught in the middle, facing both his superiors and the people. Being new to Yunnan, one can only imagine how difficult this hurdle will be for him.
What should we do?!
After thinking for a while, Xie Wenyuan returned to his cell, quickly wrote a letter and sent it out, and then went to knock on Qingchen's door.
Inside the room, Qingchen stood alone by the window, silently gazing at the two damaged orchids outside.
"My lady," Xie Wenyuan said from behind her, holding reports from various regions, "the details of the losses have been tallied..."
She didn't turn around, only asked, "How much?"
"Only 30% remains," Xie Wenyuan said in a low voice. "Fate is cruel, please don't be too sad, sir."
After a long silence, Qingchen turned around and said as he walked, "Come with me to the fields again."
In the fields, the weather was clear, the sky so blue it looked as if it had never hailed. Qingchen walked along the ridges of the fields she had walked many times before, and saw that the once vibrant rice, which had grown almost taller than her shoulders, was now all flattened, stalk by stalk.
She bent down, picked up a plant with both hands, and tried to prop it up, but it quickly fell over again.
The laughter of the people in the fields has vanished, replaced by endless sighs and silent protests against their fate.
Qingchen thought that not only would the people go hungry, but they would also lose the confidence they had finally regained. The situation in Yuanjiang Prefecture really couldn't get any worse.
This time, fate really gave her a harsh lesson.
Xie Wenyuan noticed that Qingchen's complexion was not good, and knew that she was feeling depressed, but he didn't know how to comfort her. He could only hope that the letter he sent would reach the capital as soon as possible.
On the way back to the government office, Qingchen's carriage was suddenly stopped.
Because there were still many things to deal with after the disaster, she sent all the yamen runners out. Qingchen only took two people with her on this trip, including Xie Wenyuan, who had difficulty walking.
Several masked men blocked their way at the entrance of an alley, knocked out Qingchen's entourage, and forcibly abducted her. The actions were swift and decisive, clearly premeditated.
Qingchen was masked and then taken to a secluded village.
When the mask on her face was removed, she saw a man sitting opposite her. He looked to be only in his twenties, wearing a plain, loose-fitting robe, and leaning casually against the back of his chair.
He looked at her with a smile, a playful look on his handsome face. "Prefect Shen, welcome to my humble abode."
Qingchen sized him up and roughly knew his identity, so he calmly asked, "Smiling Wolf Meng Gexing, why did you capture me?"
"I heard that the newly appointed prefect is very capable, and that he has grown a lot of rice." He picked up a fan from the side and fanned himself, then leaned forward and stared into her eyes, laughing, "I kidnapped you to see you make a fool of yourself."
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