A Glimpse of Fourteen
With everything arranged, all that's left is to wait for news.
During this time, the Su family set a wedding date for Wang Pan'er and Su Lingzhao, but Wang Pan'er tried her best to delay it, setting the date for March. In March, the entire Su family would probably be singing "Tears Behind Bars" by then, so there was no need for her to actually get involved in this mess.
In the remaining days, Wang Pan'er also took the time to accompany Su Lingzhao to visit three small towns.
The more Wang Pan'er got to know him, the more she realized why Master Su looked down on his son, saying that all he had to offer was his face.
He couldn't distinguish right from wrong at all, yet he considered himself extraordinary. His loyal servant offered kind advice, but he found it annoying; the shops under the guild flattered him, but he thought he truly possessed the worth they spoke of. Wang Pan'er stood beside him, unable to bear watching.
Fortunately, after Wang Pan'er saved Su Lingzhao's life, she gained Su Lingzhao's trust. In addition, Su Yuanwai highly approved of the insights that Su Lingzhao shared after returning, which came from Wang Pan'er. She was still able to barely control Su Lingzhao and prevent him from completely becoming a runaway horse.
Wang Pan'er's status in the Su family skyrocketed. With the wedding date already set, she became a member of the Su family and was even eagerly invited to the storeroom by Master Su, where she was forced to look through the account books to familiarize herself with the business of the Chamber of Commerce.
Master Su desperately needed a "wise wife." Ever since his first wife gave birth to Su Lingya, she was severely weakened and unable to have children again. So he took a concubine in hopes of producing an heir.
He knew this move would inevitably damage his relationship with his wife, but what was the importance of a husband and wife relationship compared to an heir? Perhaps he was destined to have few children, and after casting a wide net, only one concubine became pregnant, which he naturally treasured.
After the concubine gave birth to Su Lingzhao, and Su Yuanwai had an heir, the first wife completely relinquished control of the business guild and demarcated the Chu-Han River boundary.
Master Su cast a wide net, judging by looks but not by intelligence. His concubine was a spoiled and arrogant woman, incapable of managing the household. Master Su dared not let her interfere in business matters, lest she cause utter chaos. Finally, when Su Lingzhao began to speak and entered the private school, he discovered that this wretched child's temperament was exactly the same as his concubine's. Master Su was heartbroken and devastated.
He finally managed to bring Wang Pan'er, a capable but powerless woman, into his household and "forced" her to learn how to manage the merchant guild. "Forced" was Su Yuanwai's interpretation, because Wang Pan'er said that the medicinal cuisine restaurant was already keeping her busy enough, and if she wanted to meet Su Yuanwai's requirements, she had to go to the storeroom at 5 pm every day and could not leave until 9 pm.
She feigned a desire to be a good daughter-in-law of the Su family, successfully misleading Master Su. From then on, she entered and exited the storeroom as if it were her own, and every day she would copy down any potentially questionable entries from the account books onto scrap paper, putting them in her pocket to take back to Mu Chuan.
During this period, Wang Pan'er was exploited too much, and her temper flared up considerably. Whenever she returned to the manor from the Su family's storeroom and delivered the copied account books to the west wing, she would always find Mu Chuan to complain and grumble.
It was hard work, but the results were plentiful. Not to mention Mu Chuan, even Wang Pan'er herself was reluctant to give up this opportunity to reap the rewards. After all, infiltrating the enemy's ranks required not only strength but also seizing every opportunity. It was impossible to find a more cost-effective method than this.
In the end, Mu Chuan could only sell his body and let Wang Pan'er manipulate him at will, being "bullied" in every way, and then having to smile and coax her back.
After all, one shouldn't live off a woman's kindness.
About half a month later, everyone finally started sending in updates on the case.
When Wang Pan'er handed the manuscript to Mu Chuan, Mu Chuan was organizing the evidence.
The table was covered with all sorts of papers and booklets, many of which were written in her own hand.
She was also very curious about the results of her hard work over the past few days, so she dragged a chair over and sat down next to Mu Chuan, and then started tidying up the scattered papers together.
Seeing that Wang Pan'er was interested, Mu Chuan gave her the catalog that he had already organized and categorized.
In the 21st century, university students with demanding courses and thesis writing skills must be adept at classifying and organizing materials. Before long, she grasped Mu Chuan's organizational approach and joined in the work.
The attendants who infiltrated the border gates kept count of the number of Liuyun Merchant Guild members who left the border and the number of their wagons during his duty period.
The followers working at the copper mines made little progress. After all, they were at the heart of the profits, and the Liuyun Merchant Guild and the government would undoubtedly be extremely vigilant at the most crucial juncture. The fact that they were able to send back news of a large metallurgical plant within the copper mines and the export of many copper artifacts to the Northern Barbarians was already quite remarkable.
To the other two's surprise, the Xinglong Gang became the mainstay of the evidence search.
After Wang Pan'er visited Fang Jiming, he replied within three days, confirming the smuggling case. Wang Pan'er was already extremely grateful for this result, but she never expected that Fang Jiming would risk continuing to follow up on the leads.
The message that Fang Jiming delivered again today has completely connected the case.
It turned out that the wheel tracks were incorrect. It wasn't that the trucks they suspected were hiding ironware, but rather that the Liuyun Chamber of Commerce had disguised the smuggled ironware as ordinary goods.
For example, the pottery jars they saw earlier weren't real pottery jars. They were made by casting iron into the shape of pottery jars, then brushing a layer of clay onto the surface and firing them to make them look like ordinary pottery jars. The weight of pottery jars and iron is incomparable, so naturally, the wheel tracks would not be the same.
There are also military ironware counterfeited using everyday utensils such as woks, knives, and axes, with numerous records of them leaving the country.
Wang Pan'er exclaimed, "So you ironworkers also distinguish between household iron and military iron."
Mu Chuan chuckled and explained to her, "The forging processes for household iron and military iron are different. Household iron has more impurities and is prone to rusting and cracking, but it is used by ordinary people and the wear and tear is not significant. Moreover, the forging cost is low enough to allow it to be widely used among the people. However, forging weapons, armor and other military equipment requires stronger and more wear-resistant iron to support them. These are used to improve the combat effectiveness of the army and are of great importance to national defense. They cannot be taken lightly and the best smelting technology must be used."
Civilian products prioritize cost-effectiveness, while military products emphasize high precision and sophistication—this has been true in every country and dynasty. Furthermore, distinguishing between military and civilian products facilitated the implementation of the government's "iron and salt monopoly" system.
Wang Pan'er replied, "Different forging techniques will inevitably result in different textures in the ironware produced. If you pay close attention, you will definitely be able to discover the differences."
"Indeed." Mu Chuan nodded. "Whether it's the sound or the color, you can tell the difference. At worst, you can use a suicidal method, comparing household iron with military iron, and the household iron will definitely leave a deeper mark."
It seems that most of the handicrafts that the miners' attendants saw being transported out of the country had their iron cores replaced.
These handicrafts are mostly religious ritual objects, including bronze statues of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
Wang Pan'er said indignantly, "Using the name of Buddha to do such heinous things, aren't they afraid of damaging their own virtue?"
Mu Chuan laughed in anger, saying sarcastically, "They've built Buddhas with hearts of stone. Aren't they afraid of going to hell after they die and having to go through mountains of knives and seas of fire?"
Organizing the case files was a complicated task, and the two of them couldn't afford to dwell on their emotions for too long. After their sarcastic remarks, they still had to keep working.
The two worked until the wee hours of the morning, finally managing to organize all the clues clearly.
Wang Pan'er slumped back in her chair and stretched: "It's been a long time since I stayed up all night."
She turned to look at Mu Chuan beside her, wanting to coax him to carry her back to her room, but Mu Chuan was still staring at the catalog, seemingly lost in thought.
Wang Pan'er waved her hand in front of his eyes: "What's wrong? Are you exhausted?"
"No." Mu Chuan regained his composure. "I was just looking at the catalog and comparing it with the tasks that were assigned back then."
"Is there a problem?"
"Hmm." Mu Chuan frowned. "The secret message I sent has not received a reply. Sending a message from the post station takes more than enough time for a round trip, and the carrier pigeon is only faster."
Wang Pan'er's heart tightened: "It's most likely that it was intercepted."
Mu Chuan sighed: "If we continue sending messages, we'll probably just repeat the same mistakes."
Carrier pigeons are unsafe, and sending them from post stations is certainly not safe either. One needs an absolutely trustworthy person, and a legitimate excuse to go to the capital, so as not to attract attention. Mu Chuan and his group were already hiding and on the run; if they suddenly turned back and headed straight for the capital, they would be easy targets.
Wang Xiaoyao's side had many people, but they couldn't openly screen out those who needed to go to the capital. Such a large-scale operation would attract attention.
Wang Pan'er quickly filtered through the familiar people around her, and finally locked her attention on Li Qingyan.
She asked Mu Chuan, "Do you think it's a safe bet to have Li Qingyan deliver the message?"
Mu Chuan's eyes lit up: "Summer has already begun, and he needs to take the autumn imperial examination. There are many students who are going to take the exam early to adapt to the environment of the capital. Besides, he is already a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examination). Before taking the exam, he still needs to go to the prefectural government to get his documents approved. This is considered to be going through the proper channels. So, who else but him is the best choice?"
Wang Pan'er chuckled and put her hands on Mu Chuan's shoulders: "Then there's nothing else to worry about. You have to take me back to my room."
With a great weight lifted from his heart, Mu Chuan felt no fatigue even as the night deepened. He carried Wang Pan'er on his back, familiar with the route, and headed towards the east wing.
The next day, Wang Pan'er slept until the sun was high in the sky, and Mu Chuan had to drag her out of bed for lunch.
Wang Pan'er said pitifully, "Who am I working so hard for? I can't even get enough sleep!"
Mu Chuan, unmoved and hard-hearted, said, "I specially asked the kitchen to make your favorite gourd chicken. Eat it before you go to sleep."
Upon hearing the name "gourd chicken," Wang Pan'er's stomach rumbled twice.
Mu Chuan dragged her to the sink, applied toothpaste and tooth powder, and rinsed the towel with water while Wang Pan'er brushed her teeth.
Even with her unclear speech, Wang Pan'er still teased, "How virtuous she is! I wonder who will be lucky enough to marry the beautiful Mu."
Mu Chuan was furious and threw the face towel at Wang Pan'er's face, then stood with his hands on his hips and glared at her coldly.
The tooth powder with mint was refreshing and invigorating; after washing my face, all sleepiness was gone.
Mu Chuan's cold face had no effect on Wang Pan'er. She smiled and took Mu Chuan's arm as they walked towards the dining room.
The gourd chicken was the main dish, placed in the center of the table. Wang Pan'er took off two chicken legs and shared one with Mu Chuan.
As the name suggests, gourd chicken is shaped like a gourd. The outer skin is crispy and crunchy, while the inside is tender and juicy. When dipped in special chili powder, it is incredibly fragrant.
Wang Pan'er enjoys lively meals and never pays attention to the rule of not talking while eating or sleeping. Anyway, she doesn't smack her lips or spit out food scraps while chewing.
She swallowed the chicken leg, put the bone in the bone dish, and asked Mu Chuan, "Have you finished writing the letter that Li Qingyan is supposed to deliver? I'm going out this afternoon, so I'll have Aunt Tian take it home."
“I gave it to Xiaoyao a long time ago.”
"So early? You have so much energy!" Wang Pan'er exclaimed, "It's true what they say, comparisons are odious."
Mu Chuan continued, "Xiao Yao and Li Qingyan are both at the academy, so it would be convenient to bring them along. Besides, letting Aunt Tian know about this would only cause her unnecessary worry."
"That makes sense." Wang Pan'er nodded and took the chicken wing off the bone. "Do you want some?"
Mu Chuan didn't stand on ceremony and reached out to take it: "If Li Qingyan agrees to travel with the letter, he can be considered a person of courage. I have also prepared a letter of recommendation to introduce him to my mentor."
"So, your mentor must have been an extraordinary person."
“Indeed.” Speaking of his respected teacher, Mu Chuan felt proud. “My teacher was a loyal minister of three dynasties. He once died for the people and was a role model for all students. Among my fellow disciples, I am not outstanding, but none of my teacher’s disciples dare to underestimate me.”
"To defend the people to the death and remonstrate is truly admirable." This is exactly the image of an upright and honest scholar in Wang Pan'er's mind. "The integrity of a scholar can be as extreme as this. If I had the chance, I would like to see such a great person."
"Once the case is closed, I'll take you there. Your mentor will be delighted to see you."
"..." Wang Pan'er suddenly stopped.
This is the consequence of casually making careless remarks in front of that arrogant and serious girl.
She looked up and met Mu Chuan's questioning gaze, then gave a guilty-looking dry laugh: "I really will thank you."
Mu Chuan smiled sweetly and said, "You're welcome."
The word "qi" was spoken softly, with a lingering tone, indicating that Mu Chuan was quite happy.
Oh well, what else can I do but spoil them?
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