Chapter 63 Remembering Jiangnan (Part 3) - Deadly.
The moonlight shines gently, and the river flows softly.
What Xie Yicheng touched first was the warm, dampness.
He had genuinely believed she was starving when she said she hadn't eaten, thinking that she had been running around from afternoon until late at night and probably hadn't even had a proper drink of water.
She secretly blamed herself for being so careless and neglecting the most important thing. Her stomach wasn't very good to begin with, and her appetite had only recently started to improve. All the treatment she had given in the past few days was for nothing now that she was going through this ordeal.
Later, when I went south to Suzhou, it became even more difficult to find suitable food.
He was still here discussing physiognomy and fortune-telling with her, spouting nonsense. Xie Yicheng wanted to get up and search for food, even if it was in the middle of nowhere.
However, the thought had barely formed when he was drawn by her soft hand and unexpectedly touched that delicate, warm touch on Xie Yicheng's slender fingers.
Hearing her shy and coquettish chuckles and subsequent words, he pondered for a few moments before realizing what she was talking about.
Xie Yicheng slowly raised his eyes, meeting her gaze. His eyes were calm, but as Ye Mu let go, they darkened inch by inch.
Have you thought it through?
Ye Mu didn't answer, but instead pursed her lips, "Do you expect me to teach you next?"
She met his gaze, seemingly displeased, "You're the master, do you expect your disciple to teach you everything step by step?"
Xie Yicheng was amused by her bold provocation and chuckled very lightly.
But Ye Mu felt as if his soul had been stolen away.
He was born with a cold and aloof appearance, with sparse features and an air of detachment when he wasn't smiling. But when he slightly curved his lips, he suddenly became tinged with the warmth of human life, bringing the world to life and making one's heart flutter.
It was only when desire was added to that cold and desolate background that Ye Mu realized what it meant to be moved and mesmerized.
Why would she think he needed to be taught step by step?
Over the years, he, a monk, had plucked the prayer beads hundreds of times with his fingers. He knew them by heart. His thumb gripped the round beads, and his fingertip pressed down slowly. His middle and ring fingers followed, deftly plucking them inward.
He was so adept at it.
Although Ye Mu couldn't see it, she could sense it.
Can the clinking of prayer beads really produce such an embarrassing sound?
Ye Mu grew increasingly feverish and thirsty. Xie Yicheng noticed this and deliberately reached out to touch her slightly parted lips. "Fourth Sister, are you happy?"
So this is what I taste like.
The first time she tasted it, it wasn't the scent of gardenias that belonged to summer. The flavor was more complex, more primal, and more like the seaside in winter, with a fishy and bitter taste.
Her maternal grandfather's family lived in Jimo, on the coast. The first time she went back was the winter when Xie Yicheng lost all contact with her. She was depressed and everything seemed shrouded in a cold fog. She wanted to go to the sea to clear her mind, but she couldn't. Only then did she realize that the sea could freeze over.
But his hands didn't freeze; they were glistening with moisture, the thin thread almost broken. Xie Yicheng wiped some on his lips, leaned down, and kissed her. "Let's try it together."
Beneath his collar, his shoulder blades jutted out sharply, like two steep cliffs, suspending her legs high above the ground. Each time she seemed about to fall to the bottom, he would catch her and toss her back up, making her dizzy and disoriented.
The chill of the riverbank was kept out of the swaying carriage; the river flowed gently, masking the woman's soft sobs; the whole night seemed to boil.
The distant peaks are shrouded in mist, and the yin and yang energies are in conflict.
Will you miss me?
She lay on the soft cushions, her gray coarse cloth clothes tossed haphazardly to the side like shed cicada wings, and she looked languid.
Xie Yicheng thought her question was silly, and couldn't help but chuckle. He kissed her sweaty temples, his voice still trembling with emotion, "Do you even need to ask?"
He heard her laugh too.
He propped himself up to look at her eyes and eyebrows, and seeing that the corners of her eyes and brows still held a hint of allure, he foolishly asked, "Can you do that?"
"I have so many things to do all day long, how can I have time to think about you?"
Unlike him, Ye Mu didn't answer honestly. Her tone, which was soft and languid after being satisfied, was as cold as a heartless man who would turn his back on his promise after eating and drinking his fill. "I'm so busy, I can't help it."
“Then think about it before you go to sleep,” Xie Yicheng reached out and pulled his loose white undergarment over her. “No matter how busy you are, you still need to sleep.”
"I can't fall asleep if I think about it before bed."
She sat up, wrapped in his undergarment, crawled to the window, and pushed it open a crack, wanting to let out some of the sweet, cloying atmosphere. Only then did she realize that it was already getting light.
The eastern horizon was no longer a thick, inky black, but rather a faint, crab-shell-like blue, and the outline of the river in the distance became clearer, shimmering with a soft light.
Has it been this long?
The exchange of breaths felt like it happened in an instant.
Am I happy? Of course I am incredibly happy. It turns out that what the book said was true and completely realistic. But Ye Mu felt that it still didn't fully express what he felt. It was far more moving than words could capture.
The deadly time was far too short.
Ye Mu simply opened the car window even wider. It was still early spring, and the wind was still biting. Just as she felt cold, a warm and firm chest pressed against her from behind.
Xie Yicheng wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his embrace, and rested his chin gently on her neck. "If you can't sleep when you get to Suzhou, write to me."
"Will you come to see me after you receive the letter?"
She leaned back, nestling closer into his arms. Xie Yicheng could hear the longing in her voice; her earlier feigned nonchalance was nothing but a bluff.
Xie Yicheng's heart softened. He turned his face and kissed the small red mole on her left shoulder. "I wish I could go with you."
"That won't do." Ye Mu thought of her mother and immediately shook her head. "You have to stay in the capital so I can focus on my work."
She wasn't as decisive as she had imagined; at least when facing him, the willingness to let go became incredibly difficult.
But you have to be tough on yourself eventually.
"I was just trying to coax you into coming to see me, don't actually come."
Xie Yicheng chuckled softly and hugged her even tighter. "Aren't you sleepy yet?"
Ye Mu was actually sleepy, and her eyelids were getting heavy, but she wanted to stay with him a little longer and didn't want to waste the little time she had left. She looked at the river in the distance and answered irrelevantly, "I'm not too tired yet."
A moment of silence.
Xie Yicheng pondered the meaning of her words for a moment and asked, "Are you sure you still want it?"
Ye Mu squinted her eyes and smiled, nodding gently in his arms.
He spoiled her a little too much.
Ye Mu gazed at the crab-shell-green expanse in the east, slowly being devoured by gold, and vaguely thought, of course, it was also possible that it was indulging himself.
As the first rays of the rising sun suddenly splashed across the river and poured into the carriage without reservation, he arrived at the exact moment.
In that instant, it was as if the world had just been created, and light had broken through the chaos. In Ye Mu's vision, the sun exploded, golden and red.
Light and darkness, cold and heat, pain and joy, separation and possession.
She drifted off to sleep in the warmth, her mind no longer clearly defined, sinking into a cozy void.
——
When Ye Mu opened his eyes again, he saw a plain blue cotton bed curtain, the top of which was half-lit and half-dark by the light coming through the window.
Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, her eyes showing the bewilderment of someone just waking up. She was dry, wrapped in her well-fitting undergarments, her mind still lingering in the lukewarm water, slowly rising, not yet fully clear.
My whole body felt sluggish and sore, and my limbs felt so heavy I couldn't lift them.
She turned her neck blankly, her gaze fixed on the window.
Warm light streamed in through the windowpane, floating and swirling among the dust motes in the room. Beneath the window, Xie Yicheng, dressed in a moon-white undergarment, was bending down to sew the gray outer trousers she had worn the day before.
Ye Mu watched quietly for a while, and realized that he was altering the hem of her shorts.
Those trousers were too long for her. She had originally planned to buy a few more men's long gowns when she got to Suzhou, but she didn't expect him to be so meticulous.
Needlework has always been considered a trivial matter for young ladies or old women at home, but at this moment, Ye Mu looked at Xie Yicheng's focused profile and saw that he was not at all awkward or uncomfortable, and did not show any femininity. On the contrary, he was very skillful.
Last night, he held her with such force, his arms like iron hoops, trapping her firmly in a small space. Perhaps it was the first time, even though he had been moistened for a long time beforehand, when he actually surrounded her, he was a bit reckless and lacked restraint.
Strong and gentle are not contradictory.
Ye Mu looked up at the sky and asked, "Is the sunrise still going on?"
Hearing the noise and seeing that she was awake, Xie Yicheng opened the window and strode over.
“It’s not sunrise,” he reached out and brushed a few stray strands of hair stuck to her cheek with sweat. “It’s sunset.”
Ye Mu was stunned.
Her gaze passed over him, and she could see the eaves of the opposite house outlined with a fuzzy golden edge by the light. The vast expanse of the sky was not the rosy dawn, but the fading sunset.
She slept for a whole day.
"Where are we?" Ye Mu tried to sit up, but her wrist went limp.
Xie Yicheng reached out to support her and placed a soft pillow behind her back. "Wanping County."
He explained succinctly, “It’s a large town about 30 miles from the capital, with many merchants and travelers coming and going, so it’s not easy to attract attention. The oxcart will arrive around noon. Seeing that you were sleeping soundly, I didn’t wake you up and rented this riverside inn.”
Wanping...
Ye Mu recalled the travel permit the Crown Prince had given her, which indicated that her place of origin was Wanping County in the capital region. Xie Yicheng must have intentionally brought her to the hometown of Ye Mu's identity.
He was always thorough, so if anyone questioned her about her place of origin in the future, she would be able to give a clear answer, rather than just relying on written records and imagination.
"I've prepared several sets of men's clothing for you, and the trousers and shirts have been shortened to your measurements."
Xie Yicheng took a blue cloth bundle from the foot of the bed, opened it, and inside were several sets of men's clothes in plain colors such as indigo, gray-brown, and dark blue, neatly folded. "You can change into these on the way. After you arrive in Suzhou, once you have settled in, don't be stingy with money. Buy what you need and don't deprive yourself."
Ye Mu sat up straight, wrapped himself in a thin blanket, and peered at the clothes.
The fabrics were all sturdy cotton, and clearly carefully trimmed, unlike hers from yesterday, which was rather sloppy.
Feeling a warm glow in her heart, she smiled and said, "I'm just a down-on-his-luck scholar, penniless. If I dress too well, it will only attract attention and give me away. What should I do then?"
"It is only natural for a scholar who has just entered officialdom to buy a few nice clothes."
Xie Yicheng unfolded a set of indigo clothes, compared them to her shoulder width, and said indifferently, "If you are afraid of causing gossip, buy a few ordinary clothes, but the inner clothes must be comfortable and fit well. Don't be greedy for cheap clothes and buy cheap materials that will chafe your skin."
"Xie Yicheng, how can you be so caring?" Ye Mu leaned over and hugged his strong waist tightly. "I really can't bear to part with you."
Even though they had already done intimate things, Xie Yicheng's ears still burned when faced with her straightforward praise. He lowered his eyes and whispered, "I also applied medicine for you."
Ye Mu rotated his wrist and saw that the red marks from the hemp rope had faded considerably. "It's much better now, and it doesn't hurt anymore."
"Not here."
Ye Mu was stunned for a moment before she realized what was happening. Her face flushed red, and she released her arms from his embrace. She shrank back and grabbed the thin blanket next to her, trying to cover her face, leaving only her eyes, filled with embarrassment and shame, staring at him, but unable to utter a single word.
He sincerely apologized to her, saying, "I promise I won't be so reckless next time."
"Stop talking."
"It looks very painful."
"Xie Yicheng!"
Hearing her loud voice, he figured she must have had a good night's sleep, and a smile spread across his eyes. "The shopkeeper said there's a Spring Festival market in town tonight, much livelier than usual. Shall we go check it out and grab some food?"
Having slept all day without eating or drinking, Ye Mu was indeed very hungry.
As dusk settled, Ye Mu was still dressed as a young boy, only now she had changed into a new indigo outfit that Xie Yicheng had bought for her. It fit her perfectly and was comfortable. Xie Yicheng, on the other hand, was dressed in an ordinary blue robe and walked half a step behind her, like a gentle older brother accompanying his younger brother on an outing.
Various lanterns hang on both sides of the long street, their warm yellow glow forming a bustling river of light.
The shouts of vendors, the sounds of bargaining, the laughter and running of children, and the drumming of acrobatic performers... all intertwine to create a vibrant cacophony.
The air was filled with the aroma of baked goods, sugar figurines, fried dough sticks, and other treats.
Ye Mu had never been to a market before, and everything she saw seemed new and exciting.
Stopping in front of the dough figurine stall, watching the master craftsman's nimble fingers sculpt a lifelike Monkey King in just a few strokes, Xie Yicheng paid for it; attracted by the sweet aroma of roasted chestnuts, Xie Yicheng silently bought a packet; the velvet flowers on the stall next to her were bright and eye-catching, her gaze lingered on the feather-blue one for only a few seconds, and when she looked up again, Xie Yicheng had already gently pinned it next to her hair bun.
"This young man is so handsome, he looks really good in it!" the stall owner praised with a smile. "Your brother is so good to you."
In this dynasty, it was a refined and common practice for men to wear flowers in their hair. Ye Mu chuckled and said, "Thank you, brother."
Xie Yicheng's heart fluttered slightly at the arousal, but he didn't show it on his face, maintaining a calm expression, though he silently made a mental note of it.
The two sat down at a wonton stall. The steaming soup, the thin-skinned and generously filled wontons, sprinkled with bright green scallions and dried shrimp, were incredibly delicious.
Ye Mu was sweating profusely as she ate. When she looked up, she saw Xie Yicheng quietly watching her.
"What are you looking at?" she asked softly, scooping up a wonton and blowing on it.
He didn't say anything, but simply scooped two more wontons from his bowl for her, saying, "Slow down, be careful it's hot."
Then I heard someone on the street pulling their friend behind them and saying, "Hurry up, hurry up, the Dragon Gate Array in front of the City God Temple is already set up."
"I heard that the topic for this year's lantern display was personally set by the county magistrate, which is quite rare!"
"It's rare and interesting! Go check it out!"
"What is a Dragon Gate Array?" Ye Mu asked curiously, turning to the stall owner who was making wontons.
The stall owner, a ruddy-faced old man, smiled upon hearing this and stirred the boiling pot with his long ladle. "Young lady, you must be from out of town, right? This is a unique sight in Wanping—the Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate!"
“Our Wanping is located by the Caohe River. According to the old legends, in the early years, a carp spirit caused trouble in the river and ruined many grain ships.”
"Later, he was enlightened by an extremely capable accountant. Not only did he stop causing trouble, but he also helped the government count the grain and investigate the deficit, making great contributions. Later, he attained enlightenment and ascended to heaven as a dragon!"
The stall owner deftly scooped the wontons into a bowl. "To commemorate this connection, and also hoping that Wanping will produce more shrewd and honest accountants, we'll hold this 'Calculating Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate' lantern festival every year on the night of the fifteenth of the second lunar month. It's very lively! You should come and see for yourselves; I guarantee you'll be amazed!"
Ye Mu's interest was piqued. There were still a few wontons left in her bowl, but she had no appetite to eat anymore. She put down her spoon and looked at Xie Yicheng with bright eyes.
Xie Yicheng understood, paid the money, and the two followed the surging crowd toward the City God Temple.
When the two arrived, the area in front of the temple was already bustling with people.
Ye Mu and Xie Yicheng walked side by side to the front, where they saw eighty-one carp lanterns arranged in a nine-square grid.
Each lamp has numbers or simple titles written in ink on its gauze. When the evening breeze blows, the lamplight flickers, like account books turning in the wind.
Ye Mu's gaze swept over the question on the nearest lamp: "Three hundred shi of grain, each shi worth seven qian and two fen of silver, plus a 1% loss, how much silver is in total?"
She smiled slightly; that was easy.
"Give it a try?"
With Xie Yicheng encouraging him from the side, Ye Mu, who already had this intention, was further motivated by Xie Yicheng's encouragement and entered the lantern array with the other participants in twos and threes.
Entering the formation requires following a specific route. At each lamp, one must memorize the question and the answer, and must not linger for too long, nor write anything down; one must rely entirely on mental calculation and memorization.
At the exit, you need to write down the answers you've obtained along the way on a piece of paper.
Initially, the questions were simple, involving the exchange of rice and wheat, and the pricing of cloth.
As they entered the formation, the questions became increasingly complex.
A lamp reads, “Last year we had 120 bolts of silk in stock, this year we have 80 new bolts. Two-thirds of the total have been sold. The price was 1.2 taels per bolt. However, 20 bolts were sold to our regular customers at a 10% discount. How much did we actually receive?”
This question requires clarifying the total amount, distinguishing the prices, and calculating the discounts. Some people around have already frowned and shaken their heads, no longer daring to move forward.
Ye Mu didn't stop walking; his mind was already racing: with a total of two hundred horses, if two-thirds were sold, that would be one hundred and thirty-three horses. Twenty horses would be discounted by 10%, meaning each horse would be sold for one and a half qian less...
Her gaze was calm, and with a slight tap of her fingertips inside her sleeve, the answer was already clear in her mind.
Xie Yicheng followed her at the edge of the crowd outside the formation, his gaze like a clear stream under the moon, following her as she traveled through the river of numbers. When she was focused on her work, she was very different from the cunning and teasing woman who had teased him. She showed no trace of tenderness or charm, but rather an independent and intelligent side, possessing the talent and temperament to make a living.
His heart warmed slightly; she deserved to be in a wider world.
Finally, they were approaching the "Dragon Gate" at the end of the formation.
The lights were brightest here, and a long, plain white silk cloth hung on a wooden frame, inscribed with "The Golden Dragon Manifests Its Power." Only the scales on the dragon's body were blank, waiting for the participants to fill them in with red ink.
Many who have already passed through here have picked up their pens and left their ink marks among the dragon scales.
The final question was posed on the largest carp lantern, surrounded by a large crowd: "The county government was repairing its warehouse. The records stated that 5,000 blue bricks were purchased at a price of 8 qian of silver per 100 bricks; however, the craftsmen reported that 5,200 bricks were actually used, while the market price was 7.5 qian per 100 bricks. What is the discrepancy? How much silver is short?"
This problem is no longer just a simple calculation; it also involves auditing, directly pointing to discrepancies between the accounts and the actual situation.
For Ye Mu, this question was indeed not extremely difficult. In the Marquis's mansion, she had dealt with plenty of tricks by those old women and stewards who made false reports on purchases and used inferior goods to pass off as superior ones.
She did not rush forward, but waited a moment. Then she saw a young man in a lake-blue silk shirt walk out from the crowd. He looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a clear face and a refined demeanor.
He walked steadily to the table, picked up the vermilion brush, pondered for a moment, and then wrote on a scale on the dragon's belly. He not only wrote down the difference in silver, but also added a note in small characters: "It is suspected that the purchase price is higher than the market price, or the quantity used is inaccurate."
This move drew a murmur of admiration; clearly, this young man had not only calculated the number but also pointed out the key to the matter.
Seeing that someone had answered first and their thinking was similar, Ye Mu decided not to try to steal the spotlight.
She was about to quietly retreat when she heard the elderly man in charge beside her raise his voice: "The deeper meaning of this question lies in examining the thought process. How well did this young master answer? Does anyone else have a different opinion?"
The crowd's gazes swept around, and the young man in the blue shirt turned around gently, wanting to see if there were any others like him.
Ye Mu paused slightly.
She didn't want to attract attention, but seeing Xie Yicheng smiling at her, she figured that since she was already there, it wouldn't hurt to leave a mark.
Ye Mu silently stepped forward, picked up another vermilion pen, and wrote with great steadiness, "Prices vary, and numbers may be inaccurate. The investigation should trace back to the purchase contract and examine the age of the warehouse bricks. The shortfall is about one tael of silver, but the problem may lie in the process, not just this amount."
After finishing writing, she gently put down her pen, nodded slightly to the old man in charge and the young man in blue, and then turned to leave.
"Please wait, sir," the young man in blue suddenly spoke, his voice clear and melodious.
He stepped forward and carefully examined the small characters written in vermilion ink by Ye Mu. His eyes were filled with admiration. "What you said, 'examining new and old traces,' is indeed a crucial step in the investigation process. I never thought of that. I admire you."
At this moment, a slightly noisy commotion arose, and several yamen runners cleared the way, causing the crowd to part automatically. Someone exclaimed, "It's the county magistrate!"
The magistrate of Wanping County actually came to see this lively folk event.
As he approached the "Golden Dragon Manifests its Power" painting, his gaze was first drawn to the blue-robed youth and the writings by Ye Mu. He lingered for a moment on Ye Mu's four characters, "Examine the old and new marks," and stroked his beard, nodding slightly.
The elderly man in charge hurriedly stepped forward to report, pointing to the largest carp lantern and saying, "Your Excellency, this question was set as you instructed. Two people have already answered the key points, especially this young man, whose method of 'examining brick marks' is quite practical."
The magistrate looked at the two men and said with a kind smile, "You two are quick-witted and meticulous, very good. According to custom, the one who passes the test and has outstanding insights will receive a prize."
A yamen runner presented a brocade box.
"But the abacus with pearls and jade is exquisite, with pearls made of serpentine and a frame of sandalwood. It is the only one of its kind." The magistrate looked at the two men standing side by side with a gentle gaze, seemingly somewhat troubled. "Your opinions are equally good, and it is difficult to say who should receive the prize?"
Ye Mu had no intention of competing for the limelight, nor did he want to attract too much attention in Wanping. Upon hearing this, he was inclined to back down.
She bowed again to the county magistrate and the young man in blue, her tone frank, "Your Honor, this young man answered first, so it is only right and proper that the prize should go to him."
Unexpectedly, the young man in blue shook his head.
He took the brocade box from the bailiff, turned around and stuffed it directly into Ye Mu's hand. "Young master, you are too modest. Your writing is to the point and is more beneficial to the investigation. This prize should be given to someone with more insight."
Having said that, he said no more, bowed to the county magistrate and Ye Mu respectively, flicked his clothes slightly, turned and walked into the crowd, his figure quickly blending into the dim lights, his posture elegant.
Ye Mu held the brocade box that had suddenly fallen into his hands. His fingertips touched the warm and smooth jade, and he was momentarily stunned. The abacus inside the box was exquisitely crafted and was certainly no ordinary item.
For two months in a row, she couldn't put it down.
When her eyes were getting tired from checking the tedious accounts in the household, she would gather them in her palm and scroll through them one by one with her thumb.
The sound of the clock ticking and ticking calmed her down.
But some things cannot be suppressed even by the sound of abacus beads.
For example, his longing for Xie Yicheng came uninvited and was ubiquitous.
Suzhou and the capital are separated by mountains and rivers, and the post roads are long and inconvenient for communication. After arriving, Ye Mu only sent his mother a short letter to let her know that he was safe, as promised.
As for Xie Yicheng, she dared not write about him.
She feared that a single word might reveal her feelings, that he might really disregard everything and head south to find her. The night wind on the riverbank, the madness in the car, the pleasures of Wanping—for her, these were things she could hardly give up.
My thoughts drifted away, only to be pulled back.
Before me was the cramped office of the Wujiang County Government.
Ye Mu's location was at the innermost side, right next to the damp back wall, where he rarely saw sunlight.
Outside the window, it was already April, with birds singing and grass growing, but the room was still filled with a chill. Ye Mu had to carry a small copper hand warmer with him all day long so that his fingertips wouldn't freeze and become numb, making it hard to even hold a pen.
Some of her colleagues, seeing her huddled at her desk all day, jokingly teased, "Secretary Ye, you're so young, how come you're more afraid of the cold than a young woman?"
The other man laughed and said, “You don’t understand, Brother Shen. Secretary Ye hasn’t yet tasted the warmth of real human fire! When he gets married and has a family, someone will be waiting for him in bed at night. After doing that… hehe, the yin and yang harmony, he’ll be guaranteed to have abundant qi and blood, and he won’t be afraid of this little spring chill anymore.”
A knowing chuckle rang out.
Although Ye Mu spent her days among those young men accustomed to romance and pleasure at Fuyou Pavilion, they never spoke carelessly or made irresponsible remarks towards her, and their words and actions were always measured.
But once she arrived in the officialdom, she heard these lewd jokes all day long and realized that for many low-level clerks and even minor officials, objectifying women had become a low-class pastime.
Ye Mu merely glanced at them blankly a few times, his face expressionless, and did not respond. He then lowered his head again to check the thick book in his hand.
Her colleagues, having spent a long time with her, had gotten used to her. They knew she was slow-witted and taciturn, but possessed some talent and kept clear accounts. However, she was also aloof and reserved.
Only Yu, the chubby clerk at the same table, frowned. He was an upright man and couldn't stand such vulgar words, especially directed at Ye Mu, whom he saw as just a somewhat timid young man.
He cleared his throat and retorted, "Secretary Ye is a scholar with a pure heart; you mustn't spread rumors."
The smiles on their faces froze instantly. They exchanged glances, awkwardly fell silent, picked up their pens, and pretended to be busy, not daring to say another word.
They weren't afraid of Yu Shuban himself, but rather of his family background. The Yu family were among the wealthiest merchants in Wujiang County, with not only large businesses but also extensive connections with officials. Ordinary clerks certainly couldn't afford to offend them.
Yu, the clerk, turned around and saw Ye Mu opening the hand warmer lid and replacing it with a new piece of charcoal using tongs. He leaned closer and said, "Clerk Ye, be on your guard this afternoon. I just heard word that Lord Zhou from Jiangsu Prefecture will be personally inspecting our room this afternoon. He's a sharp-eyed and meticulous man, extremely rigorous. We absolutely cannot afford any mistakes."
Lord Zhou, Zhou Chongli.
The Crown Prince ordered her to investigate the people.
Ye Mu felt a slight chill, but his face remained calm. He placed the charcoal into the stove, closed the lid, and then looked up and nodded slightly to Yu Shuban.
At the hour of Wei (1-3 PM), the previously scattered footsteps outside the government office suddenly fell silent, followed by the sound of orderly footsteps and the respectful guidance of subordinate officials.
The head of the household affairs office bowed and entered first, saying, "Lord Zhou, please, please watch your step."
Immediately afterwards, a tall figure in a blue official robe stepped across the threshold and into the dimly lit room.
All the clerks held their breath, bowed their heads, and stood up to pay their respects.
Ye Mu knelt down with everyone else, his forehead touching the ground, his vision filled only with the slowly swaying hem of his official robe.
"Get up, everyone."
Ye Mu found the name somewhat familiar, and her body stiffened slightly. She stood up as instructed, lowered her eyes, and glanced at the screen out of the corner of her eye.
With clear and bright eyes and a refined and elegant demeanor, his lake-blue official robe accentuated his slender figure.
It was the young man in blue who had given her the abacus with pearls and jade at the Wanping Lantern Festival.
Ye Mu lowered his head.
At this moment, Zhou Chongli's gaze swept calmly over the crowd, but when it passed over her, he seemed not to recognize her and did not linger.
However, a thin layer of sweat seeped from Ye Mu's back, and his fingertips quietly tucked into his sleeves.
Is he the biggest corrupt official in this dynasty?
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