UCTOOT CH41

In the faint light of dawn, the carriage wheels rolled over the dew, waiting to depart from Shaoxing Prefecture City.

Outside the gates of Shukang Prefecture City, Shi Shu bent down, scooped up Fuling under his arms, and tossed him up.

“Up you go, up you go! Time to go, back to the Eastern Capital!”

The boy climbed into the carriage with a “thump” and curled up into a ball in the corner.

“Oww, oww, oww~”

Shi Shu grinned, showing his white teeth. He turned his face away from the sunlight. Xie Wuchi, who had been walking shoulder to shoulder with Xu Hengmen and Xu Hengfeng, came over, his figure tall. Shi Shu’s smile didn’t fade. “Finished chatting?”

Xie Wuchi held a gift box. “Finished.”

Just as Shi Shu was about to jump onto the carriage, he suddenly caught sight of a graceful figure under the mulberry branches, wearing a peach-colored veil, being supported by several maids, looking over in their direction from afar.

Shi Shu tutted. Xu Hengmen also noticed. “Brother Xie, your heart is like iron. The Little Immortal has a heart of ice. Why don’t you just take her back to the Eastern Capital with you?”

Xie Wuchi: “I am not worthy. No.”

Shi Shu, squatting on the carriage plank with a blade of grass between his teeth, raised an eyebrow.

In private: They are not worthy of me.

On the surface: I am not worthy of her.

Xu Hengmen fanned himself and smiled. “She cried all night after you rejected her yesterday. This morning she’s about to cry again. I’m afraid her eyes will be as swollen as eggs.”

Xie Wuchi didn’t speak, but his eyes were extremely cold.

“Then we shall meet again in the Eastern Capital next time. My brother and I will find you for drinks when we arrive. Although you are a monk who has returned to secular life, you should also break your vows.”

After the two left, Xie Wuchi turned around and placed the letter and ginseng for Pei Wenqing in the carriage.

Shi Shu squatted in front of him until Xie Wuchi also got into the carriage. He moved over a little to make room for him. “We’ve been away for a long time. I haven’t seen Laifu in ages. I wonder if he misses me.”

Xie Wuchi: “You raised him well. Of course he misses you.”

The carriage rumbled along the official road, heading further away.

After drinking some water, Shi Shu wiped his mouth. “I met Xu Shouchun yesterday. He said a lot of strange things to me.”

“What things?”

Shi Shu recounted what Xu Shouchun had said. “He seems to have a demon in his heart.”

The green shade cast shadows on the carriage. Xie Wuchi said, “As a Qingyuan scholar, a graduate of the three lists, and from a scholarly family that has been a Confucian lineage for a hundred generations, Xu Shouchun should have served as a role model among scholars. However, the more one has, the more one fears losing it. The wealth and prosperity of the thousands of people in the Xu clan of Changyang rest on his shoulders alone. Therefore, he cannot and dares not take any drastic actions, which is why he is so depressed.”

“Drastic actions?”

Shi Shu turned his head to look at him. The moment he met Xie Wuchi’s gaze, he turned his face away again.

The morning light shone on his fair, elegant nose. Shi Shu sat cross-legged, a few strands of his hair blown messy by the wind, not diminishing his clear and refined feeling.

Xie Wuchi averted his gaze. “Families that rely on the glory and wealth of their ancestors exist as dogs to their masters, biting wherever they are pointed. Ten years ago, he and Pei Zhi stirred up trouble. Pei Zhi, being of humble birth, was beaten to death in court, but he survived because his family vouched for him.”

Shi Shu was taken aback. “What did they do?”

“Participated in the emperor’s power struggle. To meddle in power without permission means to die without a whole corpse. However, their desire to assist the emperor was only to achieve another goal—‘political reform’.”

Shi Shu had heard this term before and paused. “Political reform?”

“Hasn’t an article been written about it? In a crumbling era, some people immerse themselves in the joy of holding power, turning clouds into rain, manipulating politics, and displaying their schemes and intelligence. But some people wake up early, guessing the demise of the dynasty, and desperately think of ways to prevent it.”

Xie Wuchi took out a tortoise shell for divination and some yarrow stalks, shaking them, seemingly divining something.

“Xu Shouchun and that group of ‘New Learning’ partisans wanted to stop it but had no way, and they were slaughtered, utterly defeated, their spirit gone. This is why he is so frustrated. You have read so many ancient poems. Do you understand everyone’s aspirations?”

His dark eyes stared straight at Shi Shu. Looked at by him, Shi Shu slowly turned his gaze away. “I understand.”

Shi Shu lay down on the wooden plank. “Since political reform has benefits, why not allow it?”

“Power is limited overall. If the reforms are successful, this group of new nobles will replace those who are just occupying their positions. Do you think those people wouldn’t be anxious? In court struggles, no one looks at right or wrong, only at utility.”

“So that’s how it is.” Shi Shu raised his hand towards the sun, the white sunlight filtering through the cracks of his fingers onto his face.

The carriage gradually moved further away along the rugged mountain road.

Shi Shu: “You found the account books and contacted these people. Are you planning to pull certain people down?”

The bronze coins in Xie Wuchi’s tortoise shell fell onto the wooden plank. He looked down and examined them carefully. “First Nine: A hidden dragon, do not act.”

“A person with nothing, how can they enter the game?”

“Pulling certain people down and replacing them is the path.”

…

In the heavy rain, a column of soldiers escorted laborers carrying shoulder poles, hurrying along the official road.

The laborers were all sweating profusely from exhaustion but dared not stop, being urged on by whips.

“Hurry up! There are bandits ahead, how can we rest!”

“…”

Shi Shu flipped up from the carriage. “What are they doing?”

Those soldiers carried banners with the words “King of Liang” and “Longevity” written on them. Xie Wuchi was flipping through a book and looked away. “These are birthday gifts for the King of Liang.”

Shi Shu: “King of Liang, you mean that crown prince’s father?”

“Correct. Also the current Great Jing emperor’s biological father. The King of Liang’s birthday is approaching.”

“The birthdays of these great figures are no longer ordinary birthdays. They have symbolic meaning, and can easily become treacherous.”

A thoughtful look appeared on Xie Wuchi’s face. He said, “Let’s go back to the Eastern Capital first and see what the situation is like.”

The official road from Shaoxing Prefecture to the Eastern Capital was only a two-day journey. When they finally saw the gates of the Eastern Capital, Shi Shu jumped off the carriage and let out a huge sigh of relief. “Damn, I made it back alive!”

As soon as Xie Wuchi entered the gate, someone hurriedly came to escort him away. The first thing upon returning to the Crown Prince’s residence was to discuss matters with the Crown Prince. Shi Shu, on the other hand, returned to Liushui Nunnery. The grass in the courtyard had grown much wilder.

Shi Shu sent Fuling to the Crown Prince’s residence’s medical bureau, managed by Lin Yangchun. Someone who had already received the letter took the child. “Is this that orphan?”

Shi Shu patted his head and said, “That’s right. Have the divine doctors see if your muteness can be cured. From now on, you’ll learn a trade here first.”

Although Fuling was reluctant, children forget easily. Someone from the medical bureau gave him a piece of candy to eat, and he sat down on a small stool, completely won over.

“That little heartless thing.”

Just as Shi Shu finished speaking and walked out of the medical bureau, he suddenly heard a series of “Woof, woof, woof!” barks.

“Laifu!!!” Shi Shu’s heart bloomed with joy.

A large yellow dog suddenly rushed up from behind and jumped on Shi Shu. The impact knocked Shi Shu to the ground. Before he could even push himself up, he reached out and frantically rubbed its head.

“Laifu, Laifu, good Laifu!”

“Woof woof woof! Whine whine whine! Woo woo woo~”

It was being affectionate.

Shi Shu petted its head and heard laughter. Pei Wenqing stood behind him, holding a roasted goose. His complexion was worse than when Shi Shu had left, his handsome face pale. “Laifu missed you so much. This month you were in Shukang Prefecture, he ate at my place all day, and spent all his free time lying at the gate of Liushui Nunnery, waiting for you to come back.”

“Damn! That’s tear-jerking! A deep bond between man and dog!”

After the moment of misty eyes, Shi Shu saw Pei Wenqing’s complexion. “Why is your health getting worse?”

“Don’t worry about me. How are you? This trip must have been full of experiences. Has your mind become more mature and strong?” He shook the roasted goose in his hand. “Have you eaten? I’ll cut this roasted goose and make some rice for you to eat.”

Shi Shu circled around him. “Let’s not talk about eating first. Let’s talk about you. What about you? Did you take the Yangrong Pills I gave you last time?”

“It’s no use. My body is just like this. Let’s eat first.”

Shi Shu said, “Forget it. I don’t know when my brother will be back anyway.”

Speaking of this, Shi Shu’s heart didn’t feel very happy.

“Your brother is a councilor hired by the Crown Prince’s residence. Naturally, the Crown Prince will hold a welcome banquet for him. You don’t need to worry about him. He must be socializing and feasting with people right now.”

Shi Shu: “Why are there so many drinks to be had?”

“That’s why your brother is amazing. He may not be willing to associate with those people in his heart, but he can do it with ease. But looking at the bustling mortal world, everyone is rushing for the sake of profit. I originally thought your brother was also seeking fame and fortune, but this time in Shukang Prefecture, driving away the plague, he has made me see him in a new light.” Pei Wenqing smiled. “Let’s not talk about others. Tell me how you were in Shukang Prefecture.”

As soon as this was mentioned, Shi Shu was no longer sleepy. He patted his leg and talked at length. As he spoke, Pei Wenqing listened, nodding from time to time. He also mentioned Xie Wuchi getting sick.

“Yes. An ordinary patient would need a doctor to wield the knife for bloodletting, but he was able to cut his own flesh. His willpower is unusually strong.”

Shi Shu held his bowl and took a sip of water, remembering something, a complicated look on his face. “He… is amazing.”

“Your brother will be busy again. For the King of Liang’s birthday, the Crown Prince will definitely prepare a lavish gift and have these councilors give their opinions based on the rites.”

“It’s good that he’s busy.”

Shi Shu stood up, washed the bowl, and placed the cut roasted goose on the table. He said, “I was just planning to find some work to do.”

Pei Wenqing: “You, looking for work?”

Shi Shu: “Of course. I have hands and feet. I can work.”

“You have no connections in this Crown Prince’s residence. Wait for your brother to come back and discuss it with him.”

Shi Shu felt as if he had been stung by a bee. “No, no, no, no, I’ll find it myself!”

“Had a fight with your brother?” Pei Wenqing held his fan and closed it. “Then you can only go to the medical bureau. Besides Imperial Physician Lin, you don’t know anyone else.”

“…”

Pei Wenqing sat with him for a while. The wind made his head dizzy, and Shi Shu had to help him back to his room. When he returned to Liushui Nunnery, it was afternoon. Shi Shu and Xie Wuchi had always slept in the left wing-room. The right wing-room, separated from the main hall by a door, was used for storing miscellaneous things. They had bought a new bed later, but it had never been tidied up.

Shi Shu swept the dust from the floor and moved the miscellaneous items away, choking on the dust and coughing.

“It’s time to be a little more independent. Isn’t there a spare room here? Always sharing a room, it won’t be convenient if either of us gets a partner in the future.”

“Besides, for someone as lustful as Xie Wuchi, he probably needs to get off in the middle of the night. My being here is such a mood killer.”

Shi Shu even blushed. “Could it be that because I was there before, he was too embarrassed and just held it in? My fault?”

There was a spider web in the corner. Shi Shu was staring at it when suddenly, “Wah!” the spider flew at his face. Shi Shu turned and ran out the door, waving the broom as he walked under the eaves. Xie Wuchi’s figure, in a stone-blue satin robe, disappeared into the night. He had just entered and latched the gate of Liushui Nunnery.

Shi Shu yelled frantically, “Such a big spider!”

“What are you doing?”

“I’m cleaning a room. This room next door has been empty for a long time. I plan to move in.”

Xie Wuchi was tidying his cuffs with one hand, taking off the prayer beads on his wrist and placing them on the table. His gloomy brow was pondering something, but hearing these words, his gaze turned to him.

“The original owner of that room died. Aren’t you afraid?”

Shi Shu: “So many people died in Shukang Prefecture. What’s there to be afraid of?”

Xie Wuchi picked up a bowl of tea and lifted the lid to skim the surface.

Shi Shu: “And I’m telling you, tomorrow I’m going to the medical bureau to help out.”

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