Chapter 109 Whether it is good or evil, all living beings can discern.
Heading south from Kyoto, the area becomes increasingly desolate.
Zheng Xiaotang was a lowly centurion in the Kyoto Garrison. This time, he was specially ordered by Prime Minister Xu to secretly investigate a corrupt official in Tongzhou Prefecture.
Xu Xiangqing was upright and strict, and had once saved her life. Zheng Xiaotang vowed to complete the mission perfectly and never let her benefactor down!
She planned her itinerary overnight and decided to take the route from Jeju Prefecture to Taeju Prefecture to Huzhou Prefecture to Tongzhou Prefecture.
The sun blazed high, and the heat was unbearable. Zheng Xiaotang had just reached the territory of Jeju Prefecture when she tethered her horse, found a stream to replenish her water supply, and scooped up a handful of the icy water buffalo water to drink. The water in Jeju Prefecture was truly exceptional—sweet and delicious!
She wiped her sweat, thinking that although life was tiring, being able to find evidence to bring corrupt officials to justice and rid the people of harm was a good deed for her!
Just then, Zheng Xiaotang's body stiffened. Suddenly, she heard the sound of water churning in front of her, followed by several voices.
"Zhang Xianshi is truly a good man who serves the country and its people!"
"Uncle, are you talking about Zhang Ting, the newly appointed top scholar?"
"Who else could it be but her? My maternal uncle's niece's nephew's sister-in-law was indebted to Zhang Xianshi. If it weren't for her saving her life, she would have died long ago!"
"Tch! You should start calling him Lord Zhang now. He's the one and only Kui Xing in the world!"
Zheng Xiaotang suspected that she was being monitored by that corrupt official, otherwise why would people be saying good things about her as soon as she left the capital?
She craned her neck toward the source of the sound and saw three or four men washing clothes, their feet still in the water.
Zheng Xiaotang followed the flow of water left by their large feet, her gaze finally settling on what was in front of her. She...she had just been drinking their foot-washing water!
She was horrified, her stomach churned, and she jumped up, clutching her throat and vomiting.
Before she could even vomit up the water from washing her feet, the group of men's expressions changed drastically. "That filthy scoundrel actually spied on us while we were doing laundry!" With that, they picked up the wooden sticks used for pounding clothes and ran towards Zheng Xiaotang.
The remaining three men picked up wooden sticks and followed, roaring, "Kill her! We'll break her legs!"
This group of lawless thugs!
Zheng Xiaotang's pupils dilated in shock; she was so frightened that she turned and ran away, forgetting even to retrieve her water bag.
She hurriedly untied the horse's rope, and the burly man carrying a wooden stick drew ever closer.
Zheng Xiaotang was so flustered that her hands were trembling. Finally, at the last moment, the rope was untied, and she leaped onto the horse and rode away with a slap on its rump.
With dust billowing behind her and a man cursing as he chased after her, she quickly quickened her pace.
Good heavens!
She drank so much foot-washing water without complaining, yet these wicked men still beat her with wooden sticks! Aren't the people of Jeju Prefecture too fierce?
"What would have happened if we'd been caught after that commotion?" Zheng Xiaotang clutched her chest, still shaken by the experience.
On her very first day away from the capital, she was struck by bad luck. She was dying of thirst because there was no water in her sack, and she cursed the corrupt official in her heart.
If it weren't for her, I would still be comfortably lying at home.
Bah! You heartless monsters who prey on the people! You deserve to be reborn as animals in your next life!
The more difficult the journey, the more Zheng Xiaotang hated the corrupt official, and the more fiercely she cursed him in her heart.
After finally arriving in Huzhou Prefecture, she tied up her horse, sat down in a straw inn, and took a good rest.
"Boss! Bring me a pot of tea and five large meat buns."
"Please wait a moment, sir/madam~ It'll be right there!" The shop was very busy, packed with customers, and the owner was busy carrying plates and moving among them.
There was no food for quite a while. Although Zheng Xiaotang was thirsty and hungry, she didn't urge the owner to hurry because he was busy managing the herb shop all by himself.
She sighed. They were all poor people struggling to make a living!
The grass shop was bustling with people, filled with laughter, anger, and banter. Zheng Xiaotang rested her hands on the rough, thin wooden table, smelling the aroma of food wafting from next door, her stomach rumbling with craving.
Suddenly, someone slammed their hand on the table next door, making a loud "bang."
The others were used to it, glancing at the person before turning away, but Zheng Xiaotang was startled and turned around with a frown.
The man stood with his hands on his hips and one foot on a stool, his face flushed and full of pride. "Now, let's talk about that young scholar who debated with the group of scholars and utterly defeated all the successful candidates in our prefecture, leaving them utterly humiliated and fleeing in shame!"
Zheng Xiaotang glanced at her, thinking to herself: Looks like she's pretty drunk. Oh well, why bother arguing with this drunkard.
The people at the table were jeering, "Tch~ We're both from this place, how can you boost others' morale and diminish your own!"
"I've heard people talk about this before, they've said it eight hundred times already, can't you come up with something else?"
The woman placed her other foot on the bench and pointed at the people below, cursing, "You mediocre and ignorant lot! I always tell you to read more books, why won't you?" Then she continued, "If you don't know the difficulty of learning, how can you appreciate Zhang Xianda's unparalleled talent?"
She was standing on high ground, surveying the landscape and angrily rebuking these lazy and ignorant fools, when she felt her clothes being tugged. Turning around, she asked, "Who's there?"
Behind him stood a young woman in tattered clothes, standing ramrod straight, exuding an air of scholarly refinement.
Seeing that people were looking over, the young woman smiled shyly and asked, "Is the young scholar you mentioned earlier Zhang Ting, the virtuous scholar?"
The man jumped off the stool, dusted off imaginary dust, and proudly raised his chin, saying, "Of course, among the millions of wise men in the world, none are as outstanding as her."
The young woman was overjoyed to hear this and nodded repeatedly. "That's what I thought too." Her eyes shone brightly, and she had a hint of embarrassment on her face. "To tell you the truth, I'm a failed scholar who has studied hard but made no progress. I was so disillusioned with life that I was about to hang myself. But then I heard about the deeds of Master Zhang, which greatly inspired me and rekindled my confidence to strive for success!"
The man stroked the young woman's hand, his face full of disapproval. "You're in the prime of your life. How can you want to kill yourself just because you failed the exam? That's really wrong of you."
The other person lowered his head, looking embarrassed, and said, "I was just confused for a moment."
"It's good that you understand now. There's still a long road ahead. If you don't succeed this time, you can try again next time. Zhang Xianshi is kind and wise. I'm sure she would be very pleased to know that you have come out of this because of her deeds."
The man patted her on the shoulder, but then felt that his encouragement wasn't enough. Seeing that she liked Zhang Ting as much as he did, he added, "Scholar Zhang is waiting for you in the capital. When you pass the imperial examination, you will be able to chat with her about poetry, literature, and other interesting things in your leisure time."
Upon hearing this, the young woman's eyes shone even brighter, and she nodded firmly: "Yes!"
Zheng Xiaotang silently turned her head, thinking: This corrupt official is truly talented and has some skills; it's surprising that so many people idolize her. But then she thought again, "Pah! What use is profound knowledge? He's nothing but a bloodsucker clinging to the people!"
She continued her journey.
When they passed through Taizhou Prefecture, the people there not only did not despise Zhang Ting, but also praised her for her wisdom.
Zheng Xiaotang had become numb along the way, and she secretly scoffed in her heart: This corrupt official really knows how to embellish himself everywhere and find people to spread his good name. When we get to Tongzhou Prefecture, I'll see how he exposes his true colors!
She thought of how the people had praised Zhang Ting before, and she was filled with anger, determined to expose the true face of this black-hearted devil and let the world see her true colors!
To prevent anyone from discovering her whereabouts, they deliberately spoke well of Zhang Ting in front of her, attempting to confuse the situation. Zheng Xiaotang had disguised herself as a man to sneak into the city.
She confidently stepped into a restaurant. The lobby was bustling with people and the aroma of food filled the air, so it was impossible that the restaurant had been arranged for her at the last minute.
Just fifteen minutes later, Zheng Xiaotang slunk out. She gritted her teeth in anger; this restaurant was also colluding with corrupt officials! Their praise was even more outrageous than before, claiming Zhang Ting had saved the lives of an entire county? What a joke!
Xu Xiangqing is upright and honest; how could he falsely accuse a virtuous man who saves people from suffering of being a corrupt official? These people are truly heartless, speaking well of corrupt officials!
Since this place won't work, she'll go somewhere else. She really doesn't believe that no one will tell the truth. Humph!
But as time went by, Zheng Xiaotang ran from the east of the city to the west, then to the north, and even to the south, where all sorts of people gathered. Everyone he met, regardless of age or gender, praised Zhang Ting highly, their admiration and appreciation beyond words.
Zheng Xiaotang hesitated. Could it be that corrupt officials had such great power that they could make the entire city's residents change their minds?
She hesitated, telling herself that corrupt officials had connections to the heavens and were unforgivable, but another voice told her: that's not how it is.
But if Zhang Ting is truly wise and insightful, then why did Prime Minister Xu send him to investigate corrupt officials?
Zheng Xiaotang had some vague guesses in her mind, but she couldn't believe it at all.
She lowered her head in frustration, repenting for having cursed Zhang Ting, and with a hesitant heart, she set off for her final destination—Lvtian County.
Green Field County is bustling and prosperous, almost as lively as the prefectural capital.
Zheng Xiaotang got so hot while strolling around that the locals, being kind and hospitable, invited her to drink free herbal tea.
The herbal tea was refreshing and soothing to the lungs; she had never tasted anything like it even in Kyoto. The owner who offered the herbal tea for free was truly a kind person!
The simple old man straightened his chest in front of the outsiders, pointed to the plaque of Qingfeng Tower, and said, "This was specially given to the people of the county by Madam Zhang free of charge." He looked up at the sky and sighed, "If it weren't for Madam Zhang's relief back then, the county would have suffered countless deaths and injuries like Zhangzhou Prefecture."
The villagers who came later to get herbal tea also said, "Back then, the unscrupulous merchants colluded with the county magistrate to act tyrannically and raise the price of rice, making it impossible for everyone to afford food. Several people went hungry. Fortunately, Zhang Niangzi was kind-hearted and gave the owner of Qingfeng Tower advice, which saved the people of the county from disaster!"
Hearing this, the unsteady passersby stopped and echoed, "Zhang Niangzi is the guardian deity of our Lvtian!"
"It's clearly the God of Literature! The archway commemorating the top scholar in the east is about to be built!"
The crowd was noisy and chattering. Zheng Xiaotang, however, felt very complicated. This man named Zhang Ting was not only not a corrupt official, but also a good official who served the country and its people.
She silently withdrew from the crowd, her last shred of trepidation lingering, and walked toward the village where Zhang Ting lived.
After inquiring about a family with a sordid past with Zhang Tingsheng, Zheng Xiaotang led her horse over there.
It was dusk when Uncle Wang was pulling up a few radishes in the field next to his house. He saw a simply dressed woman standing in front of his door and, fearing she might be up to no good, he rushed over, put his hands on his hips, and yelled, "Where did this little hussy come from? Get out of here!" His daughter had gone back to her father's house with her husband and wouldn't be back until the next day. Uncle Wang was feeling uneasy.
When Zheng Xiaotang saw that the man who came was a fierce-looking man who was cursing loudly, and that he was not carrying a club, she breathed a sigh of relief and said in a good-natured manner, "Uncle, I'm here to ask you about someone."
"Who do you want to ask about?" Uncle Wang was wary of her, refusing to let her in. His sallow face was full of vigilance as he bluffed, "After you've asked, you can leave!"
Seeing that he was a man without family and living alone, Zheng Xiaotang was not angry when he was scolded. "Uncle, do you know Zhang Ting who used to live in the village?"
Uncle Wang looked at her suspiciously, "Why are you asking about her?"
Zheng Xiaotang said that he was sent by the imperial court to investigate the case, and that he should answer truthfully.
Uncle Wang was initially intimidated when he heard she was sent by the imperial court, but seeing her polite and courteous demeanor, he didn't take it seriously anymore.
He happened to be dissatisfied with Zhang Ting's daughter, so he poured out his grievances to her.
"You say I saved her life, such a great favor, and she's only worth ten taels of silver? How can she become such a high-ranking official? So stingy." Uncle Wang harbored a deep resentment after learning that Zhang Ting had passed the imperial examination. He wished he had forced the girl to sign more IOUs back then; his family would have become incredibly wealthy!
Zheng Xiaotang frowned, thinking to herself that repaying a life-saving debt with ten taels of silver was indeed a bit too little.
The next moment, when she learned from Uncle Wang that there were originally twenty taels of money for medicine, she was stunned and opened her mouth. Wasn't this a rip-off? A mere case of typhoid fever in the capital would cost less than twenty taels of medicine even if one were sick for a whole year. How could you, in a small county, spend twenty taels in just two or three days!
Keep in mind that even as a centurion, her annual salary was only twenty-five taels.
Not to mention that Zhang Ting was just a poor scholar with nothing at home at that time, and this heartless country bumpkin even tried to embezzle the money! He was still not satisfied when the other party gave him an extra ten taels as a thank you!
Zheng Xiaotang angrily flung her sleeve and shoved him, scolding, "You greedy and unscrupulous scoundrel!" If she were the one who had been cheated like this, she wouldn't have given him a single penny!
She took a deep breath, turned around, and rode away.
Zheng Xiaotang had very mixed feelings. Zhang Ting was not only a good official, but also a kind and benevolent saint. Otherwise, he would not have been tricked like this! How could such a person become a corrupt official or a treacherous minister?
Xu Xiang was wrong.
She was wrong too.
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