The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight shone through the window and fell upon the enormous umbrella of ten thousand people, Xiao Che had already woken up.
As the night passed, the profound emotion of the previous night did not dissipate; instead, it seemed to have settled into his very being, transforming into an unprecedented clarity and decisiveness. He was no longer the emperor filled with curiosity and weariness towards the world outside the palace, but a monarch who had truly found the weight on his shoulders.
When Lin Wanwan woke up, she saw Xiao Che sitting at the table, writing something with a focused expression.
Instead of using his right hand, which he was accustomed to, he deliberately switched to his left to hold the brush. The imperial bearing that was originally free and powerful in his handwriting was now replaced by a deliberate clumsiness. The characters he wrote were crooked and had a rough, unrefined air about them. No one could associate this handwriting with the emperor.
Lin Wanwan didn't make a sound to disturb him, but simply watched quietly. She knew that he was putting a final end to their grand "incognito visit to Jiangnan".
After finishing the last stroke, Xiao Che threw down the brush, picked up the still-wet "anonymous letter," and gently blew on it. The letter's contents were not complicated; it simply listed the numerous crimes committed by the Gao family father and son in collusion with the Jiangnan prefect, their monopolization of salt permits, and their disregard for human life.
At the end of the letter, he added that crucial line in an unquestionable tone:
"Copies of the above physical evidence have been submitted to the Censorate in the capital. The situation in Jiangnan is dire; please, the newly appointed prefect, 'take heed of this.'"
This short sentence serves as both a warning and a constraint. It tells the incoming official that a pair of eyes from the capital are watching him. He can act freely to rectify official corruption, but he dares not harbor any thoughts of protecting or enriching himself.
After doing all this, Xiao Che stood up and walked to the corner of the room. There, quietly, sat a heavy sandalwood box, the "gift" that Salt Commissioner Master Gao had sent the previous night.
With a "smack," he slammed the letter squarely onto the lid of the box.
This letter was like a talisman, suppressing the chest full of greed and evil, and also like a test placed before all those who came after.
"Alright." Xiao Che clapped his hands, turned to look at Lin Wanwan, and smiled easily. "We've finished all the dirty and tiring work, my wife, we can get going now."
Lin Wanwan smiled as she stood up and took out two sets of simple yet clean northern travel clothes that had been prepared beforehand from her bundle. The clothes were made of thick cotton, which was convenient for riding horses, and the color was a dirt-resistant grayish-brown.
"Is Master Xiao going to turn back into a poor relative on the road again?" Lin Wanwan teased as she straightened his collar.
"Poor relatives?" Xiao Che raised an eyebrow, deliberately puffed out his chest, and said confidently, "I am now a man loved by all the people. Who in this world is richer than me?"
Seeing his earnest boasting, Lin Wanwan couldn't help but chuckle. The heaviness and emotion of last night transformed into a tacit understanding through a shared smile in this relaxed atmosphere.
The two quickly changed their clothes, putting away their original scholar's robes and silks befitting their status as "wealthy merchants from Jiangnan." Xiao Che reverted to being the slightly weathered caravan manager, while Lin Wanwan once again became the unassuming and simple "Lady Lin" by his side.
They carefully and solemnly rolled up the enormous umbrella of ten thousand people and placed it in the most prominent position by their bedside. They couldn't take this gift with them, but it would welcome the new masters of the city on their behalf.
After settling the bill and leaving behind a silver ingot that was enough to cover the room and meal costs without being too ostentatious, the two of them, carrying simple luggage, left the inn quietly, like two drops of water merging into the ocean, and blended into the bustling atmosphere of a Jiangnan morning.
The newly purchased carriage was already waiting in the back alley. The driver was a temporary hire, only responsible for taking them to the next city.
The carriage creaked and groaned as it slowly made its way through the streets where they had once fought and experienced moments of profound emotion. The people on the street continued their busy lives, unaware that the "upright official" who had stood up for them in Jiangnan was now sitting in an inconspicuous carriage, passing right by them.
As the carriage approached the city gate, a sudden commotion arose ahead, and the once-smooth official road was completely blocked by a large crowd.
"What's going on?" Xiao Che frowned slightly.
The coachman leaned out and quickly brought back the news: "Sir, it's a high-ranking official from the capital! Look at that procession, wow, what a grand display! I heard it's the newly arrived prefect and the salt commissioner!"
Xiao Che and Lin Wanwan exchanged a glance, and a hint of a smile appeared in each other's eyes.
They arrived really quickly.
Xiao Che quietly lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and looked outside.
A troop of cavalrymen in gleaming armor escorted two official sedan chairs as they slowly made their way towards the city gate. At the head of the procession, signs reading "Silence" and "Make Way" were held aloft, and several banners proclaiming "Imperial Envoy" fluttered in the wind, creating an imposing and awe-inspiring sight.
At the city gate, officials of all ranks from the Jiangnan Prefectural Government were already waiting, craning their necks, their expressions tense yet respectful. The surrounding common people, kept at a distance, watched curiously and discussed amongst themselves.
"Look! That's the imperial envoy from the capital!"
"Now that the Gao family has fallen, surely the new leader will be a good one?"
"I hope so..."
In that instant, their simple carriage and the imposing imperial envoy's procession met in a remarkable encounter at the city gate.
On one side, the center of power, about to unleash a massive wave, is slowly entering the stage.
On the other hand, the instigator who ignited all of this is quietly retreating into the background.
Xiao Che could even see the serious and cautious face of the newly appointed prefect peeking out of the sedan chair window. He probably never imagined that the mysterious figure who had told him to "be careful" was right under his nose, observing him with great interest from inside a dilapidated carriage.
This feeling is absolutely wonderful.
It's like he personally laid out a magnificent game of chess, and then, at the very moment the game began, gracefully turned and left, leaving the world with only a silhouette that concealed his achievements and fame.
The carriage did not stop and smoothly drove out of the city gate, leaving the hustle and bustle far behind. The enchanting scenery of the Jiangnan water towns was gradually being replaced by the increasingly open landscape of the north.
After traveling several more miles, Lin Wanwan turned back and glanced at the now somewhat blurred outline of the city gate, the sounds of chaos still faintly lingering. She turned to look at Xiao Che beside her, whose expression remained calm and composed, and finally couldn't help but ask in a low voice:
"Your Majesty, are we... really leaving like this?"
Are they just going to casually hand over a shocking case and a box of wealth that would make countless people envious to two newly appointed officials they've never even met? Don't they care what will happen next?
Upon hearing this, Xiao Che smiled calmly. He reached out and pulled Lin Wanwan into his arms, but his gaze was fixed on the more distant north.
"certainly."
The moment he spoke, Lin Wanwan subconsciously looked up at the top of his head.
There, a brand new, incredibly flashy emoji was shining brightly—
It was a pixelated figure wearing cool sunglasses, who turned around with a flourish, not even glancing at anyone. Behind him, with a "boom," a huge, towering flame erupted.
Next to the emoji, there was a line of small text: 【朕只责任起火.gif】.
Xiao Che's voice, carrying a hint of barely perceptible laughter, drifted over:
"The drama in Jiangnan has only just begun."
"But our show is at the next stop."
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