Chapter 302 - Three Years in Langye (II)
Chapter 302: Three Years in Langye (II)
Liu She did not ask Jiang Pengji to explain it in detail. Instead, he raised his hand to stop what she was about to say. He shut his eyes a little. The light shone on his eyelashes, leaving two small shadows that covered the greenish color under his eyes.
“You don’t have to explain further. The Feng residence may not be completely safe.” Liu She did not know what Jiang Pengji’s perception was and he was afraid that there were eavesdroppers. He looked gentle. “I’ll agree to whatever you want to do. Chongzhou is actually not bad.”
Jiang Pengji opened her mouth. Words seemed to be stuck in her throat. She could not say it outloud, but she could not suppress it either.
Based on Liu She’s experience in the officialdom, how could he not know the danger of Chongzhou?
Seeing her facial expression, Liu She laughed. He caressed the top of her head and said gently, “You don’t have to worry about me. Hu County was so chaotic back then. Haven’t I made it this far? The Northern Borderline is greedy and full of wild ambitions and has coveted Chongzhou for a long time. However, since there’ll be a marriage between the two royal families, they’ll pretend to be well-behaved. Before the Northern Borderline princess turns the royal family upside down, the Northern Borderline will not make any moves.”
In other words, for the next few years, Chongzhou would still be in a relatively safe state and could be safely governed and developed. However, after that period, Chongzhou would have to first face the threat from the three tribes of the Northern Borderline and their cavalries.
Jiang Pengji clenched her fists, pursed her lips, and solemnly promised, “Please work hard for another two years. I’ll definitely let you live without worries for the rest of your life.”
Liu She could not help but laugh. His facial expression became alive. “You still don’t understand. Although Chongzhou is threatened by the Northern Borderline, it’s indeed been a very safe place to go over the past two years.” He shook his head and carefully explained it to Jiang Pengji, “Even if Nansheng can escape from being destroyed this time, they definitely have to cede their territory, pay their indemnities, sue for peace, and make tributes. The south isn’t stable. On the contrary, the north is more peaceful. Even if the Northern Borderline is greedy and has wild ambitions, it’ll only happen after a few years’ time.”
Liu She was only going there to become the magistrate. He would be in charge of Chongzhou for two years. When the world was really in chaos, it would be time for Jiang Pengji to take over.
It was not a huge risk, but it was scary. Liu She understood that principle.
After a while, he took out a piece of paper, which was neatly folded, from his sleeve. The paper was stained with ink and some of the words could not be seen clearly.
“What’s this?” Jiang Pengji took it from him.
Liu She replied, “This was written by Master Yuan Jing’s outstanding disciple. He’s the one who was assailed with obscenities today and left angrily.”
Jiang Pengji had watched the assessment from afar, so of course she knew who Liu She was talking about. “Why did you bring his answer sheet out?” As she was speaking, she carefully unfolded the piece of paper. Judging from the handwriting, she would have thought that it was written by a gentle and graceful aristocratic lady. It was very delicate.
“If this paper is seen by anyone, he may be in trouble. Master Yuan Jing is really splendid. Sure enough, he recruits disciples by looking at their fate.”
Liu She shook his head. Nowadays, many people complained that it was difficult to study. Revered Confucius scholars had also advocated and appealed, hoping that everyone could study and be literate. However, that was just lip service. If it really happened, that group of people would be the ones to oppose it the most.
Even if it was an embroidered piece of work, based on the implicit meaning of the essay alone, Wei Ci “could not be put in an important position.”
Jiang Pengji was quite interested in it and read the article attentively. Although some words were covered with ink, she could guess the meaning of the entire essay.
“I really didn’t expect this. He has a brain apart from a pretty face.” Jiang Pengji smiled. She folded the paper back and stuffed it into her sleeve.
Liu She was taken aback by her words. What did Wei Ci do? Why did his daughter not get along with him?
“It’s useless to just have a brain. Who doesn’t know how to indulge in empty talk?” Jiang Pengji curled her lips. “Therefore, he still has to be observed carefully.”
Wei Ci could not avoid her attention.
Tsk. One would really want to see her shocked facial expression when she learned the truth.
Liu She came back to his senses. “Wei Ci was born of the Wei family in Langye. Although the Wei family is now down and out, they’re still lofty and unyielding. They may not be easily convinced by you.”
Upon hearing what Liu She said, Jiang Pengji raised her eyebrows. “I heard from Huaiyu that the Wei family has moved back to Zhongzhao, but Wei Ci is still in Dongqing…”
She thought that Wei Ci was born into a poor, common family or was a son of an ordinary farmer because of what Feng Jin had told her about the Wei family. Looking at it now, it seemed as though Wei Ci had a background.
Liu She replied without certainty, “He probably can’t leave for the time being because of the assessment.”
“If it’s because of the assessment, he wouldn’t have written such a radical essay. He clearly has no intention of being selected.” Jiang Pengji smiled and said, “I’m not sure about the others, but I’m confident I can win Wei Ci over.”
He originally came for her. Where could he go?
The father and “son” talked for a quarter of an hour. Jiang Pengji put on Liu She’s coat and went straight back to her room.
It was late autumn, so the temperature was growing colder day by day. Jiang Pengji hugged the coat tightly in order to avoid the cold air. Taxue led the way in front while holding an orange lamp.
The master and servant passed through the courtyard. Jiang Pengji suddenly felt cold water was dripping onto her eyelashes. She could not help but raise her hand and touch it.
“Is it raining?” She looked up at the sky. The moon was as white as a jade plate as it hung high in the sky.
Upon hearing the sound, Taxue identified it carefully and said, “Langjun, it’s snowing.”
It’s snowing? Jiang Pengji blinked her eyes. She reached out her hand and tried to catch the white snowflakes falling from the sky.
The snow was very small, like tiny, silver beads. It melted into liquid as soon as it fell into her palm due to the temperature of her palm, leaving only a tinge of chill. Jiang Pengji blinked and mumbled, “It’s pretty small.”
At that age, it was the first time that she had seen such a mild and harmless snow. In her memories, snow usually fell in pieces, or it was hard like white pearls as it clattered down from the sky.
Taxue chuckled, her eyes bending into a crescent shape. “I think this is the first snow of the year. It’s still early. Even if it’s snowing, the snow is very small. After another month or two, there’ll be real, large snowflakes. The heaven and earth will be boundless and it’ll be very beautiful.”
Jiang Pengji had Liu Xi’s memories. She naturally knew when it would normally snow. The snow had come early that year indeed.
The snowfall was not big. Jiang Pengji went back to her room and drank a bowl of ginger soup to fend off the cold. She then took off her clothes and went to bed.
The next day, as soon as she opened the door, an ice-like chill greeted her and the courtyard was blanketed with snow.
“It was still fine yesterday. How did the snowfall grow overnight?” Jiang Pengji looked up at the sky. Fine snow fluttered down.
Feng Jin was obviously used to it. He ordered his servant to prepare a tea boiler and brewed some tea while he sat in the verandah in the courtyard with Jiang Pengji.
He frowned and looked at the courtyard. Overnight, the snow had thickened. The weather was indeed unusual. However, Dongqing had always had natural calamities and man-made misfortunes ever since its founding. It was either a drought here or a flood there.
What was worse was that the aristocrats led a befuddled life as if they were drunk or in a dream as they admired the snow in the garden. Banquets, poetry parties, and gatherings were always being organized. They did not care about the lives of the commoners.
A fall of seasonable snow gave promise of a fruitful year. That was a good thing, but if the snowfall was too heavy, that would bring a winter storm.