Chapter 55: The Scoundrel

Zhao Mengcheng had come prepared, pulling a small booklet from his robes.

“Lord Huang, please take a look.”

Magistrate Huang accepted it with a look of confusion, but as he flipped to the first page, he became instantly captivated.

The small booklet contained methods for increasing agricultural yields, covering everything from seed selection and germination to fertilization. It was so comprehensive that Lord Huang knew at a glance that if these methods were implemented, Shanghe Town would surely see a bumper harvest this year.

A surge of joy hit his heart, yet his brow furrowed even tighter.

Setting the booklet down, Lord Huang looked at Zhao Mengcheng. “The methods are indeed excellent. They benefit the people and are a fine strategy for the nation. It is a pity.”

Zhao Mengcheng acted as if he didn’t see the regret and frustration in the magistrate’s eyes. He asked, “If one could obtain a hundred stalks of rice, tie them into two bundles, and present them to the throne, would that not be wonderful?”

“A hundred stalks for a hundred years of life, a double presentation for double multiplication. It would signify a hundred years multiplied by a hundred years, a wish for the Sage¹‘s longevity to be without bounds.”

Magistrate Huang naturally knew that this idea sounded both pleasing and practical. More importantly, it would highlight his own merit as a local official who cared for his people. It was truly killing two birds with one stone.

But the prerequisite for all of this was that the Sage had to be a wise ruler.

Magistrate Huang’s expression turned grim. It was a long time before he spoke. “I once served as a minor official in the capital. Six years ago, a Censor² impeached the Sage in open court for indulging in pleasure and ignoring the people’s livelihood. It caused a massive uproar.”

“Do you know what happened to that Censor?”

Zhao Mengcheng listened intently.

Magistrate Huang recalled the events of that year, the scent of blood seemingly still lingering at the tip of his nose. “He was dragged out and beaten with staves in the courtyard. Three generations³ of his family were implicated. Since then, no one in the imperial court has dared to mention the suffering of the common people.”

“The Sage says that as the Son of Heaven⁴, he is naturally blessed by the heavens. The Great Zhou should naturally have bumper harvests every year and a surplus every season. Since that is the case, why would there be any need for methods to increase yields?”

He paced with his hands behind his back. “The court officials report only the good news and hide the bad. Disasters from all over are kept from the Sage. A method for increasing yields is good, but once presented, it is impossible to tell if it will bring fortune or calamity.”

Zhao Mengcheng understood the unspoken meaning. The current Emperor was a hedonistic tyrant who only cared for beauties and treasures, remaining indifferent to everything else.

The officials below him were terrified for their lives and resorted to constant flattery. As a result, governing a region properly was now less useful than fawning over superiors.

Magistrate Huang had ended up in Shanghe Town, which showed he had no backing in the capital. His repeated failed requests for tax exemptions further proved the attitude of the local Prefect.

It seemed the Emperor of the Great Zhou was even more absurd than he had imagined.

Zhao Mengcheng knew that the Great Zhou didn’t have many years left. That it could last as long as it did was a testament to its deep foundations.

“You have worked hard, My Lord,” Zhao Mengcheng said, rising to bow.

Seeing him like this, Magistrate Huang felt a deep sense of having found a kindred spirit. He hurried forward to help him up. “I only hate that my rank is low and my words carry little weight. I am powerless.”

Zhao Mengcheng took his hand in return. “Lord Huang, I have another idea.”

“The Sage’s birthday is approaching, and the focus is on auspiciousness. Why not take ten taels of gold and have a craftsman beat it into the thinnest gold foil? Then, have the people of Shanghe Town leave their fingerprints on it and write messages of congratulation.”

Magistrate Huang paused. “Is this… feasible?”

Zhao Mengcheng urged, “Ten taels of gold can be gathered if the wealthy families of Shanghe Town chip in. The difficulty lies in the sentiment. It requires the participation of every citizen in Shanghe Town, high and low.”

“What could better prove your devotion to the sovereign and your loyalty to the country than the combined congratulations of the entire population of Shanghe Town? It shows the people’s hearts are with the ruler.”

Magistrate Huang understood immediately. Zhao Mengcheng meant for the wealthy households in the town to provide the money. While ten taels of gold was not a small amount, the rich families of Shanghe Town could certainly scrape it together if pushed.

Gold was highly malleable. Ten taels was enough to create a scroll. When the citizens added their fingerprints and the scroll was rolled up, it would look quite impressive.

If it still wasn’t enough, he had some savings of his own.

If all else failed, he could mix in some silver and call it “The Sun and Moon Shining Together.” That also seemed viable.

Several ideas flashed through Magistrate Huang’s mind as he followed Zhao Mengcheng’s train of thought.

“Let me think on it further,” he said aloud.

Zhao Mengcheng didn’t press him for a decision. Instead, he said, “Then I shall take my leave, My Lord. Please keep the farming manual. Though it may be useless to those above, it might save countless lives here.”

Magistrate Huang allowed a small smile to appear and patted Zhao Mengcheng firmly on the shoulder. “Mengcheng, it is the yamen’s loss that you will not join us.”

“My ambitions do not lie there, but as long as I am in Shanghe, I am still a citizen under your rule.”

Zhao Mengcheng smiled slightly. Magistrate Huang walked him all the way to the yamen gates, which left several yamen runners filled with confusion. They began to view Zhao Mengcheng with even greater importance, silently resolving to stay on his good side.

After seeing Zhao Mengcheng off, Magistrate Huang wasted no time and immediately called people together to discuss the plan.

After some deliberation, the Sub-official Clerks⁵ all felt it was feasible. Although gold was precious, it was far easier to obtain than priceless, unique treasures.

As for getting the commoners to leave their fingerprints, that was just a matter of a single order from them.

Zhao Mengcheng drove his donkey cart, swaying as he headed out of the city.

He had been thinking about ways to increase yields ever since the floods last year. According to the plot of the novel, this was only the beginning of the Great Zhou’s descent into chaos.

One couldn’t get rich just by selling tofu. After all, when people couldn’t even afford to eat, who would have money for tofu?

Zhao Mengcheng didn’t want to end up like the characters in the book, forced to take the three little ones and flee as refugees.

Since he intended to stay in Qingshan Village, he had to figure out a way to make staying possible. The first step was promoting the farming methods.

Fortunately, Magistrate Huang was an official with some ambition and a heart for the people. If he could win the man over, perhaps he could create a sanctuary in the midst of a chaotic world.

These thoughts flashed by. There were still over a dozen years before the fall of the Great Zhou, so Zhao Mengcheng had time to plan slowly. There was no need to rush.

The donkey cart slowly rolled out of the city gates.

Zhao Mengcheng was preoccupied with his thoughts, and his hands were somewhat distracted. Fortunately, the donkey knew the way and continued forward on its own.

Suddenly, Zhao Mengcheng’s brow furrowed, and he looked toward the side of the road.

A bush trembled. In early spring, the leafless shrubs couldn’t hide the child crouching behind them.

Zhao Mengcheng felt a bit of a headache coming on. “Why are you here?”

The child stepped out from behind the bushes. It was indeed Tang Tang, who was supposed to have gone to the Jici Courtyard⁶. He had somehow managed to hide by the road ahead of time to wait.

Upon being discovered, the child’s face turned deathly pale. He looked at Zhao Mengcheng timidly. “I… I want to go home with you.”

Zhao Mengcheng raised an eyebrow. “Get up here. I’m taking you back to the Jici Courtyard.”

Tang Tang gritted his teeth and turned to run, clearly having no intention of going back to the city with him.

In a few strides, Zhao Mengcheng caught the child by the back of his collar and lifted him up. “What are you running for? You were lucky last time. If you faint in the mountains again, you’ll lose your life.”

To his surprise, the child grabbed his arm and burst into tears. “You don’t want me anyway, so why do you care if I die?”

The boy was handsome. Even with the scars on his face still visible, his crying was enough to make anyone’s heart ache.

Unfortunately, Zhao Mengcheng’s heart was like stone. “In that case, you can stay here and cry.”

Before the child could react, Zhao Mengcheng set him down. Tang Tang was stunned.

By the time he looked up, Zhao Mengcheng was already back on the donkey cart. With a shout, the cart began to move forward.

Tang Tang scrambled to give chase, but his short legs were no match for the donkey. He stumbled and fell flat on his face. This time, he didn’t have to fake it as he wailed in pain.

The sound was so loud that even the donkey let out a protestant bray.

Zhao Mengcheng pinched the bridge of his nose and finally pulled the donkey cart to a stop. “Are you going back or not?”

Tang Tang remained on the ground, sobbing. He asked between gasps, “If I tell you everything, will you take me home?”

Zhao Mengcheng jumped off the cart to help him up. This child was quite resilient for his age. The fall had scraped his chin, and blood was smeared across his face, yet he didn’t even blink.

“Tell me first.” Zhao Mengcheng used a handkerchief to wipe away the bits of gravel.

Tang Tang looked at him and suddenly said, “Actually, my name isn’t Tang Tang.”

“Then what is it?” Zhao Mengcheng asked.

The child sniffled, looking hesitant, but his desire to leave with Zhao Mengcheng outweighed his caution. “My name is Tang Baichuan. My father was an official. On the way to his post, my parents were killed by mountain bandits. A family servant helped me escape, but then he died too. I was sold as a girl after that.”

Zhao Mengcheng’s entire body jolted. “What did you say your name was?”

Tang Baichuan was startled by the coldness radiating from him. “Tang Baichuan.”

Zhao Mengcheng’s expression became complex as he stared silently at Tang Baichuan.

It was no wonder he was shocked. The leader of the rebel army who would rise up in a dozen years and overthrow the Great Zhou, the future Emperor, was named Tang Baichuan.

Tang Baichuan was the male lead of this revenge-driven novel⁷. Protagonists in such stories almost always started with the worst possible hand, destined to be lone stars⁸ whose parents and families all perished. This book was no exception.

The book had mentioned that the Tang family’s relationships were intricate and their internal struggles fierce. His parents had died due to political enemies and internal strife.

Tang Baichuan had grown up wandering after being rescued by a loyal servant. At this moment, Tang Baichuan was only five years old, a year younger than Zhao Xin.

Even as a child of destiny⁹, the five-year-old Tang Baichuan was still just a child. Though he had some schemes, he was still naive.

He only knew the downsides of entering the Jici Courtyard and was convinced of the Zhao family’s kindness. He was determined to go home with Zhao Mengcheng, even going so far as to reveal his true origins.

Zhao Mengcheng’s head hurt even more. Giving him the three little ones wasn’t enough; now he had been sent a future trump card.

Since it was Tang Baichuan, he really could not just leave the boy to his own devices.

But why would Tang Baichuan appear in Shanghe Town at this time? The book had never mentioned this plot point.

Suddenly, Zhao Mengcheng pressed further, “You said you were sold as a girl. To whom were you sold?”

“I don’t know whose family it was. From beginning to end, we were kept in a side courtyard. People from above would come to pick children from time to time.”

Tang Baichuan realized his expression was off and carefully stole another glance at him. Seeing that he did not intend to harm him, the boy added, “There were many other children locked up with me. One of them was named Zhao Xin, exactly the same name as Sister Xin.”

He sniffled and added another sentence, “She was so annoying. She intentionally hurt my face and was ugly, nothing like Sister Xin at all.”

“Zhao Xin.”

A flash of insight crossed Zhao Mengcheng’s mind, and he immediately guessed most of the story.

If he was not mistaken, Tang Baichuan had been sold to the Wan Family because of his outstanding beauty. By chance, he had met Zhao Xiaohua, who was impersonating Zhao Xin. Zhao Xiaohua, jealous of his looks, had framed him.

Zhao Mengcheng did not know how to judge this. If not for his interference, perhaps Zhao Xiaohua would not have appeared at the Wan Family, would not have clashed with Tang Baichuan, and Tang Baichuan would not have ended up in Shanghe Town.

Now it seemed Zhao Xiaohua had gotten her wish through calculation, but he wondered if she would regret it in the future.

Tang Baichuan looked at him cautiously. “Uncle, can I go home with you now?”

“They all think I’m dead. No one will come looking for me. Don’t worry, I won’t bring trouble to the Zhao Family.”

Zhao Mengcheng raised an eyebrow. This child was full of schemes. His words were half-true and half-false, with important information hidden away. If the name had not been real, Zhao Mengcheng might have been fooled.

Tang Baichuan met his gaze and gave a pleasing smile.

Zhao Mengcheng sighed and picked him up, placing him on the donkey cart. “I can take you back, but you aren’t allowed to tell anyone these things. If others ask, say you’ve been a beggar since childhood and don’t remember anything else.”

Tang Baichuan nodded vigorously, his clenched fists loosening slightly.

The next moment, he heard Zhao Mengcheng turn his head and say with a smile, “The name Tang Tang is quite good.”

“Then I’ll be called Tang Tang,” Tang Baichuan said without hesitation.

He sat obediently beside Zhao Mengcheng, looking small and fair-skinned. At first glance, he did have feminine features, looking like a refined and delicate little girl.

Zhao Mengcheng knew very well this was all an illusion. Tang Baichuan, the future founding emperor, was no poor little thing.

Noticing Zhao Mengcheng’s scrutinizing gaze, Tang Baichuan flashed a pleasing smile. He knew exactly how to smile to be most likable.

Zhao Mengcheng raised an eyebrow and said, “If you’re cold, hide behind me.”

Tang Baichuan was a bit surprised by these words, but he obediently moved back.

Zhao Mengcheng’s broad shoulders blocked the oncoming freezing wind. As the bone-chilling northwest wind dissipated, the boy suddenly felt warm.

Tang Baichuan peeked at his profile, thinking that this was indeed a soft-hearted good man. His decision to stubbornly follow him home would not be wrong.

Zhao Mengcheng’s thoughts drifted. Suddenly picking up a future emperor, a founding emperor who would lead armies and carve out a path through blood, was truly beyond his plans.

But on second thought, this was fine. He had been worried about the three little ones going astray as they did in the novel. Tang Baichuan’s appearance could serve as a double guarantee for them.

At home, the three little Zhaos did not know their father’s plan. When they saw him bring Tang Tang back, all three children were stunned.

Zhao Xin was the happiest. She hopped over and grabbed Tang Tang’s hand. “Dad, is the little brother staying?”

Zhao Mengcheng set him down. “He’s staying for now.”

“Great! I like playing with little brother.” Zhao Xin took his hand and led him into the house.

Tang Tang was a bit stiff. He clearly did not like Zhao Xin’s games of playing house.

Zhao Mao frowned and pulled his father aside to ask, “Dad, didn’t you say you were sending him to the Jici Courtyard?”

“There are some reasons why it’s not good to send him away now. Let him stay for a while.” Zhao Mengcheng patted Zhao Mao’s hair.

Zhao Mao pursed his lips and could not help saying, “He looks very cunning.”

Seeing the three little ones, Zhao Mengcheng suddenly remembered that these three were the stumbling blocks on Tang Baichuan’s path to becoming emperor. Zhao Chun’s martial prowess was too great, and Zhao Mao was uncannily brilliant. Their existence allowed the Great Zhou to linger on for several more years.

In the end, Tang Baichuan had to use a scheme to sow discord, making the Great Zhou emperor cut off his own arms before he could overthrow the Zhou Dynasty in one fell swoop.

The fated enemies from the book were meeting ahead of schedule.

Zhao Mengcheng patted his son’s hair. “Then help me keep an eye on him. Don’t let him cause trouble.”

Having received a mission, Zhao Mao nodded solemnly. Especially seeing his blustering older brother and his younger sister treating the boy like a doll, he decided that no one in this family but himself could complete this task.

Thus, Tang Baichuan settled into the Zhao Family.

He had been to a Jici Courtyard and knew better than anyone what kind of place it was. What Tang Baichuan did not tell Zhao Mengcheng was that after the servant died, he had entered the Jici Courtyard in Fengzhou Prefecture. Then, he was sold to the Wan Family.

It was a chaotic and filthy place where everything depended on snatching. Being good-looking could also become a disaster.

The child had originally seen that the Zhao Family was kind-hearted and that Zhao Mengcheng was willing to spend money on his medical treatment and food. He had decided then and there to stay.

At least until he grew up and had the ability to protect himself.

Zhao Mengcheng’s attitude was unclear, Zhao Mao did not like him, and Zhao Chun did not care much for him. Only the little girl Zhao Xin liked him, but she treated him like a doll to be played with.

Tang Baichuan soon realized this and chose to deliberately please Zhao Xin, even willing to play hair-braiding games with her just to stay in the Zhao Family.

After settling in, Tang Baichuan found that the situation was even better than he had imagined.

Zhao Mengcheng no longer looked at him with those unnerving eyes. Although he was not nearly as affectionate with him as he was with the three children, never hugging or kissing him, he did not skimp on food or drink.

On the second day after it was decided he would stay, Tang Baichuan received his own set of cotton-padded clothes. They felt warm once he put them on.

He ate whatever Zhao Chun and the others ate, and he could eat his fill every time.

Tang Baichuan was surprised to find that Zhao Mengcheng loved cooking and enjoyed figuring out how to make things taste better. When they finished all the food, he was always smiling and never scolded him for eating too much.

The food he made was delicious. Tang Baichuan could not help but eat more every time. After half a month, his little face had rounded out.

In less than a month, Tang Baichuan had figured out his attitude and was no longer constantly trembling with fear.

Zhao Mengcheng did not pay much attention to the child. After spring arrived, he had many things to do.

First was the Zhao Family buying land. The three acres of land sold previously were bought back. After the Wan Family ran into trouble, they began selling off their fields and properties in Shanghe Town one after another, including those near Qingshan Village.

Buying land was cheapest during the lean season before the harvest. Although it felt a bit like taking advantage of someone’s misfortune, Zhao Mengcheng felt perfectly justified regarding the Wan Family. Those in the village with spare money all wanted to buy up the land around Qingshan Village.

Zhao Mengcheng followed the crowd and bought ten acres of land. This was the grain supply he prepared for his family. With the donkey and his willingness to spend money to hire help, farming was not too exhausting.

Second was finding masters for the two children. A private school was easy to find. Zhao Mengcheng took Zhao Mao there, paid the tuition, and bowed to the teacher. Zhao Mao could start school after the fifteenth¹⁰.

A martial arts master was harder to find. There were no proper martial arts halls in town, let alone experts who could pass on martial skills.

Later, he went to ask the Cao brothers. Cao Er said the boy could first follow him to the Escort¹¹ Agency as an apprentice and learn a few moves from the old masters there.

Zhao Mengcheng went to take a look and realized that even the guards in the Escort Agency mostly only knew some basic fist and footwork, which had nothing to do with high-level martial arts.

But for a child like Zhao Chun to start with, it was enough.

With Cao Er helping to keep an eye on him, Zhao Mengcheng had nothing to worry about and left the child there that day.

When he returned that evening, a sweat-drenched Zhao Chun gestured excitedly in the courtyard, saying, “Dad, I’ll become an expert very soon.”

Zhao Mengcheng really could not see it. When the boy got tired, he beckoned, “Come over when you’re done and practice today’s characters.”

Hearing this, Zhao Chun’s face fell. “Dad, I’m going to be an escort with Uncle Cao Er in the future. I don’t need to study, right?”

“An escort needs to know how to read even more, otherwise you won’t even understand the escort documents.” Zhao Mengcheng would not agree.

Zhao Chun could only start practicing his characters gloomily. His hands were good for martial arts, but his writing looked like chicken scratches, not even as good as Zhao Xin’s.

After writing a few, Zhao Chun could not sit still. He looked at his brother one moment and his sister the next, wishing he could grab them to write for him.

Zhao Mao was annoyed by this and scolded, “Brother, in this world, it’s hard for others even if they want to study. You have the chance but don’t take it seriously. Are you worthy of Dad, worthy of Mom, and worthy of our ancestors?”

Zhao Chun’s face crumpled into a ball. “Is it really that serious? I’ll practice hard, okay? Please, just stop talking.”

Zhao Mao gave a cold snort.

Zhao Xin was young and had little homework. Once she finished, she ran to Zhao Mengcheng’s side. “Dad, I’m done. Please check it, Daddy.”

Zhao Mengcheng checked it seriously, circling the well-written characters. “These characters are very neat. You must keep this up.”

He then circled the mistakes. “These two have an extra stroke. This is the correct way. Go back and copy them once more.”

Zhao Xin obediently went back to copy them.

Once she finished, Zhao Xin let out a breath and stretched. “Finally finished practicing. Dad, I’m going to find Tang Tang to play.”

“Go ahead.”

Before the words had even fully landed, Zhao Xin scampered back and squatted next to Tang Tang. “Didn’t you finish a long time ago? Why are you writing again?”

Zhao Mengcheng believed in teaching according to each child’s aptitude, and lessons lasted no more than an hour.

Zhao Mao attended the private school during the day and took extra lessons at night. Zhao Mengcheng let him manage his own schedule, mostly just checking his work and progress.

Zhao Chun, Zhao Xin, and Tang Tang all studied together. Of course, their curriculum was slightly different from Zhao Mao’s; they focused mostly on literacy and moved at a slower pace.

For example, Zhao Chun’s mind was entirely on martial arts. Zhao Mengcheng had to pressure and force him to keep learning. For now, his requirement for Zhao Chun was just basic literacy.

Zhao Xin had a child’s temperament and could not sit still, so Zhao Mengcheng required a smaller daily vocabulary from her.

Tang Tang clearly knew the characters but pretended to progress slowly, keeping pace with Zhao Xin. Zhao Mengcheng turned a blind eye to this.

At the moment, Tang Tang was scribbling on the ground. Seeing her approach, he blurred the marks. “I am drawing.”

“Do you like drawing? What did you draw? Why did you mess it up?” Zhao Xin asked curiously.

Tang Tang only said, “It did not look good, so I messed it up.”

Zhao Xin did not push further. She pulled him along and said, “Let’s play house. I will be the groom, and you will be the bride.”

Tang Tang’s little face turned red. “I am a boy. Why am I the bride?”

“Because you are fairer than me, of course. The fairer one is the bride, so you are the bride.” Zhao Xin had her own logic.

Tang Tang looked miserable, but he was still made to wear a bright red hair flower.

Zhao Mao looked up after finishing his writing and saw Tang Tang’s bitter expression. He suddenly felt he had been overthinking things. What kind of bad intentions could such a small child have? Even if he did, he spent every day playing house with his younger sister; he had no time for mischief.

Hmph, not a threat at all.

Zhao Mao put away his brush and ink. Just as he was thinking of talking to his father, Liu Bingkun rushed in. “Brother, something is wrong with the seed germination. No matter what we do, it is not right. Please come and take a look.”

Zhao Mengcheng stood up. This was one of the reasons he had been stretched so thin lately.

The high-yield farming method he had given to Magistrate Huang was being implemented. Whenever a problem arose in Qingshan Village, the first person they looked for was Zhao Mengcheng.

Zhao Mengcheng hurried over to check. When he saw the seeds, he frowned.

Translator’s Notes