Le monde des arts martiaux est un véritable cloaque

Chapitre 35

“Even though we’re in a carriage, it can’t be too plain. I love seeing you all dressed up beautifully.” Yang Huan had already pushed her back onto the stool. He rummaged through the box and took out a kingfisher feather butterfly hairpin. He looked at it and said, “Why is there only one? It looks better in a pair.”

Xu Shirong glanced at it and casually said, "There was originally a pair. But one of them is missing and can't be found."

Yang Huan said "Oh," then picked out another long hairpin with a double peony design and inserted it into her hair. He then looked her over from side to side and said with a smile, "My lady is indeed a beauty of unparalleled grace. What else could one do but be intoxicated by the flowers?"

Seeing that he was acting like the little sparrow was invisible, reciting sentimental poems and flirting with her, making the little sparrow's face turn bright red, Xu Shirong felt a little embarrassed herself. She quickly stood up and interrupted, "I'm done. I'll go have breakfast now, take some dry food, and set off early." With that, she went out, and Yang Huan followed her out.

When the group returned to the Qingmen County government office, it was already dusk of the next day. After being away for half a month, the grapes on the trellis in the back courtyard had grown plump and pink, looking delightfully green. Yang Huan casually picked one and popped it into his mouth, immediately spitting it out with a grimacing expression, his teeth chattering from the sourness. Xiao Die, Qing Yu, Xiang Er, and the others who remained at the government office were all delighted with the rouge and face powder given to them by Xu Shirong. The cook also did her best to prepare delicious dishes and warm wine, and everyone enjoyed a hearty dinner. Yang Huan, however, only drank two cups of wine before Xu Shirong stopped him, saying that he had just recovered from his illness and had been traveling for the past two days, so he shouldn't drink too much. Yang Huan smiled and put down his wine cup, without throwing a tantrum. That night, although the two shared a room, they each had their own blankets. Although Yang Huan had some ideas, he dared not act rashly because of his previous lesson. He pestered her for a while and said some silly things. When she yawned, closed her eyes, and said "sleep," he had no choice but to go down and blow out the lamp. He had originally thought of secretly doing something to her while she was asleep, but he fell asleep as soon as he closed his eyes. He was really tired.

During Yang Huan's absence, County Magistrate Mu handled most of the affairs in the former yamen. This County Magistrate Mu, being a scholar by birth, had once harbored ambitions and ideals, but his career had been unsuccessful; even in his forties or fifties, he had only managed to attain the rank of eighth-grade county magistrate. Coupled with a ruthless and unscrupulous superior, he naturally became disheartened and focused solely on self-preservation. Now, with a new superior, seeing that this man was decisive and efficient, and had powerful connections, he was certain of future promotion and naturally put in his best effort to help him, hoping for a chance to rise in the future. When Yang Huan arrived at the former yamen, he pretended to glance through the official documents, listened to reports on the yamen's affairs during his absence, and seeing that everything was handled smoothly without requiring much effort from him, he was naturally happy to save himself some trouble. He praised him a few times and casually said, "If I am promoted in the future, I will definitely recommend you to succeed me."

Although Magistrate Mu was pleased, he repeatedly said he dared not. Yang Huan slammed his hand on the table and said, "What do you mean by 'dare' or 'dare'? I despise hypocrites the most. If I say you can do it, then you can do it!"

County Magistrate Mu was dumbfounded and dared not be modest anymore. He hurriedly nodded in agreement and thanked him repeatedly. Only then did Yang Huan leave with a smile.

Mid-Autumn Festival was just around the corner. In previous years, the coastal areas of Qingmen had been hit by numerous hurricanes and high tides before this time. However, this year the wind and rain were not as frequent as in previous years. Just as Mid-Autumn Festival arrived, the wind and rain raged all night, but the clouds dispersed and the rain stopped the next day. The yamen received reports from the village officials that the high tide had not reached the area, but some low-lying areas were flooded up to their calves, and some roof tiles and thatched huts were blown off. Several pigsties had also collapsed, killing about ten pigs and injuring the pig farmer, but there were no other casualties. It was also said that the people all called the newly arrived Magistrate Yang a lucky star, and that even the heavens seemed to be on his side since he took office.

Yang Huan returned to the back office with great delight and reported the news he had obtained to Xu Shirong, embellishing the "lucky star theory" to an even greater degree. Xu Shirong ignored him, only urging him repeatedly to take men and investigate. Helpless, Yang Huan counted his constables and went out to inspect the area with the county magistrate, returning only in the evening with a grim expression. After Xu Shirong pressed him for a few questions, Yang Huan burst out cursing, "Damn it, thank goodness I listened to you and went to check it out myself. What do you mean by 'ten or so pigs were crushed to death'? Clearly, many houses were collapsed, ten or so people were crushed to death, and dozens were injured. Damn it, they even tried to fool me with some lucky star theory; it was all made up by the local officials. Arrest them and give them a beating tomorrow!"

Seeing his extreme anger, Xu Shirong stepped forward to help him remove his official robes, which were stained with mud, and said, "Just as there are superiors who like to hear flattery, there are servants who use flattery to deceive them. Weren't you initially pleased with yourself after hearing those flattering words? I suppose they were using the same methods they used on the previous magistrate to deal with you. Now that you know the truth, tomorrow you should properly compensate those whose houses were damaged and people died. And teach those people a lesson, so that next time something like this happens, they will naturally not dare to deceive you again."

Yang Huan was speechless, uttering two mumbled sounds, a hint of shame on his face. After a pause, as if suddenly remembering something, he pulled a letter from his clothes and said with a grin, "A letter from home in the capital. My father praised me." He then hurriedly handed it to her.

Xu Shirong took the letter and read it. It was indeed from Grand Commandant Yang. First, he said that everyone at home was well and told not to worry; then he said that the court had learned of the construction of seawalls in the coastal counties of Tongzhou Prefecture, and the emperor had approved the petitions of Zhang, the transport commissioner of Huainan, and Lu, the prefect. Although the national treasury was tight, the emperor had ordered the Ministry of Revenue to allocate 300,000 strings of cash, and the documents and money should arrive soon; he also mentioned that last month, the Dangxiang people, who originally lived in the Gansu and Liangzhou areas and were subjects of the Song Dynasty, suddenly established the Western Xia Kingdom, with their leader Yuan Hao proclaiming himself emperor and mobilizing 100,000 troops to invade Yanzhou, provoking the court. The officials were divided into two factions, attacking and appeasing, arguing fiercely, and judging from Grand Commandant Yang's words, he seemed undecided. The document, spanning several pages, ended with a brief mention that Lu Tongpan had praised Yang Huan highly in his memorial to the emperor, expressing his satisfaction at learning that Yang Huan was popular with the people and had not disgraced the emperor or himself. He encouraged Yang Huan to remain humble and serve the court with even greater dedication.

Xu Shirong finished reading the letter and was still pondering it when Yang Huan beside him kept urging, "Well, did you see it?"

Xu Shirong looked up at him and saw that he didn't mention the other two important national and family matters mentioned in his father's letter at all, but only stared at the last sentence praising him. She was both amused and annoyed. Just as she was about to scold him for being spineless, she heard him say with a grin, "Jiaoniang, this is the first time my father has praised me since I can remember!"

Xu Shirong was taken aback. Seeing his smiling face, even his eyes were as bright as stars in the night sky, she suddenly felt a pang of sadness. She covered it up with a smile and said, "I knew it. I saw it too. Your father was indeed praising you. If you study even better in the future and make him proud, he will be even happier."

Before she could finish speaking, she cried out in surprise. Yang Huan had suddenly grabbed her around the waist and spun her around in mid-air. After only a couple of spins, Xu Shirong felt dizzy and disoriented, so she closed her eyes and clung tightly to his shoulders, refusing to let go. After being spun around ten or so times, Yang Huan finally released her, planted a kiss on her cheek, and chuckled, "You've made your wife proud!" He then swayed a few times before collapsing to the ground with a thud; it turned out he too had been dizzy from being spun around.

Author's Note: Updated.

Chapter 42

After Xu Shirong recovered from her dizziness, she saw him still sitting there, supporting himself with his hands on the ground. She suppressed a laugh, went over and pulled him up by the hand. Seeing that his boots and trouser legs were covered in mud, she pushed him over and told him to take a bath. Only then did they go to have dinner together.

The official document from the prefecture regarding the construction of the seawall arrived within a few days and was posted at the entrance of the county government office, attracting countless county residents who gathered to watch, all beaming with joy. The entire Qingmen County had fewer than ten thousand households, and within just a few days, several thousand people had volunteered to work as laborers on the seawall. Even elderly people with white hair and young children came in droves, crowding the area, but they were all persuaded to leave. The officials in the county government office were so busy they were sweating profusely that they simply moved to the entrance to register and record the volunteers. The county magistrate, being thoughtful, specially invited several experienced elders who had participated in seawall construction to provide guidance.

Outside the county government office, preparations were in full swing, but inside, Yang Huan was furious, cursing incessantly. It turned out that Grand Commandant Yang's letter clearly stated that the Ministry of Revenue had allocated 300,000 coins, but by the time it reached him, only 50,000 remained. Besides the neighboring counties each receiving 50,000, the remaining 150,000 was nowhere to be found. Two days later, he received a letter from Prefect Lu, firstly instructing him on some precautions for dike repair, and secondly specifically mentioning this matter. Lu explained that the money, after coming from the Ministry of Revenue, had been skimmed off by various checkpoints in the provinces and prefectures, and that having only half left was already considered good. He added that this was an unwritten rule in officialdom, and after a sigh, concluded that the shortfall would have to be found by the lower levels themselves.

The coastal line within Qingmen County stretches for about eighty li (approximately 40 kilometers) according to the county annals. Excluding the mountains, the sea dike that needed to be built was actually over fifty li (approximately 25 kilometers) long, no small undertaking. According to an elderly resident of the county, when this old dike was first built, it was originally planned as a stone dike, but it ended up being a muddy dike mixed with wooden stakes and gravel. The local people knew the reason for this, but they were helpless to change it. This muddy dike could barely withstand normal tides, but during hurricanes and high tides, it couldn't withstand them at all, and was inevitably washed away, flooding fields and houses. Although it was repaired several times afterward, it only patched up the damaged sections, treating the symptoms but not the root cause, and it only became more and more dilapidated.

"I roughly estimated that if we were to build a sturdy stone embankment, it would cost at least 100,000 strings of cash. We only have 50,000 now, which is less than half."

County Magistrate Mu quickly calculated on his abacus before cautiously speaking.

After hearing this, Yang Huan remained silent, then angrily returned to the back office. He found Xu Shirong in the courtyard and berated the corrupt officials who had embezzled funds meant for dike repairs. Finally, he ordered her to produce the gold coins he had obtained from the Xu family in connection with the Xu Dahu case. He counted them, then tossed the last coin back into the box with a clink, frowning. "These are hardly enough. I should have taken more last time!" He paused, then added viciously, "Never mind, let's start the repairs early, one section at a time. If we really run out of options, I'll make a scene in Tongzhou Prefecture and make everyone who took it spit it out! At worst, I'll take it to the imperial palace and we'll all be wiped out!"

Xu Shirong saw him troubled by money, a sight she had never witnessed before. If it were a small amount, she could easily afford it herself, but 50,000 strings of cash was a real problem. Even the highest-ranking official in the court, the Privy Councilor, only received a monthly salary of 300 strings of cash, excluding subsidies for silk, charcoal, salt, and tea. She herself couldn't come up with that much money and couldn't think of a good solution, so she could only try to persuade him gently. As Yang Huan's anger subsided, he was about to head back to the yamen when Xiang'er practically skipped into the courtyard, beaming, "My lord and madam, it's so lively at the yamen! The villagers know there's not enough money to repair the seawall, so they've all come to donate!"

Xu Shirong and Yang Huan exchanged a glance, then hurried to the front office. Sure enough, there was another uproar, with a large crowd of villagers who had come after hearing the news. Seeing Yang Huan emerge, they swarmed around him. An old man, around sixty or seventy years old, dressed in very tattered clothes, was helped down and knelt shakily, saying, “Lord Yang, I heard that funds are scarce for the construction of the seawall, so I came here specifically. I am sixty-five years old this year, and my ancestors have lived here for generations. The tides have surged and overflowed, washing away countless houses and farmlands. I still remember the first day of the seventh month of the second year of the Tiansheng era, when the tide broke through the seawall, flooding the entire county. One thousand two hundred families perished, including six of my eight family members, leaving only my grandson. Although more than ten years have passed, I still feel unbearable pain whenever I think of this. In the past, the county magistrate disregarded the people's livelihood, and we were all helpless.” "Heaven has opened its eyes, sending such a virtuous official as Lord Yang to oversee the construction of the seawall for the people. Such a beneficial undertaking for all must not be hindered by a shortage of funds! My family is poor and has little savings. These two strings of cash are what I've saved up over many years through frugality, originally intended for my grandson's wedding. Now, I'm donating it all to build the seawall. Even if it's only enough for one stone, it's still my heartfelt contribution!" He then pulled over a somewhat simple-minded young man beside him, saying, "This is my grandson, Huzi. I myself am unable to walk properly and cannot repair the seawall, but my grandson is strong enough. Let him go and do the work!"

After the old man finished speaking, the villagers behind him became even more excited and echoed his words, taking out money from their pockets and saying they would contribute money and effort.

Xu Shirong was deeply shaken. She glanced at Yang Huan beside her and saw that he was even more agitated, his eyes even seemed a little red. He shouted, "Fellow villagers, rest assured, I, Yang Huan, swear to heaven that if the sea dike is not built, I...I..." He paused, then stamped his foot and shouted, "My Yang family ancestors for eighteen generations are all cowards!"

Xu Shirong remembered that when he was sent to Tongzhou Prefecture by the villagers last time, he only made a vow by writing his surname backwards. This time, he even brought up his ancestors for eighteen generations to swear an oath. She hurriedly tugged at his sleeve, meaning to tell him to restrain himself. Yang Huan turned around, gave her an impatient sidelong glance, and then waved his hand and said, "I appreciate the villagers' kindness. Rest assured, every penny you donate will be used for the sea dike and will not be embezzled!" After saying that, he turned fiercely to the magistrate Mu and several other minor officials and yamen runners who were standing there in a daze, and said, "Keep your eyes peeled. If anyone has any crooked thoughts and dares to touch this money, I'll chop off their hand on the spot!"

County Magistrate Mu was taken aback. Before he could speak, the head constable Zhang Da said, "Don't worry, sir. Although we may have done some shady things in the past, we are all natives of Qingmen County. Your Excellency is dedicated to the people. If we dared to even think of taking advantage of this money, we would truly be unworthy of being born! I'll go back now and ask my wife to donate some money. But she's notoriously stingy, so I won't dare ask for too much..."

Before he could finish speaking, a woman pushed through the crowd, stormed up to Zhang Da, grabbed his ear, and yelled, "You good-for-nothing! You dare to talk such nonsense about me in front of others! So all that sweet talk you put on for me was just an act! If I weren't so stingy, wouldn't all the money in the house have been gambled away by you!"

Zhang Da was scolded but dared not retort, only quietly apologizing. Seeing this, everyone burst into laughter. Xu Shirong couldn't help but chuckle as well. The woman glanced at her, then released her grip on her husband's ear, and knelt before Xu Shirong with a smile. She pulled a packet of money from her sleeve and said, "Please forgive my rudeness, Madam. I came today to donate money after hearing the news. If the seawall isn't repaired, when the tide comes in, not only will money be lost, but lives might also be lost. Although I am an ignorant village woman, I still understand this principle."

Xu Shirong admired the woman's competence and understanding, and quickly helped her up, thanking her repeatedly. Zhang Da touched his ear, not coming to his senses for a long time.

Seeing this, those who had money on them naturally came forward to donate, while those who didn't hurriedly went home to get it. Magistrate Mu, having recovered his composure, had people line up without being told, and ordered his clerks to record and register each donation. This was to prevent the money from being stolen, and also to ensure that the list of donors would be engraved on a monument erected on the seawall for future generations to admire and be proud of.

Upon hearing the news, villagers flocked to donate money. Although they were all short of money, they donated fifty or one hundred coins at a time. After two or three days, the number of people donating gradually decreased, and the large sums of money collected filled more than ten baskets, totaling about one million coins, equivalent to more than one thousand strings of cash. All of these, along with the fifty thousand strings of cash allocated by the prefecture, were sealed in the county government's silver treasury.

Yang Huan had been busy preparing for the construction of the sea dike these past few days, and was rarely seen during the day, only returning to the back office at night. However, he returned after noon this day, and his eyes were darting around, indicating that something was on his mind. Sure enough, before Xu Shirong could speak, he said with a grin, "Tomorrow is my birthday. I'm inviting all the wealthy families in the county to the Spider Tower for a banquet."

Xu Shirong was taken aback and asked in surprise, "Is tomorrow really your birthday? I'm in such a rush, I don't even know what gift to prepare to celebrate with you."

Yang Huan laughed and leaned close to her ear, whispering something in his mouth.

Xu Shirong was initially surprised, but the more she heard, the more amused she became. She couldn't help but shake her head and say, "While these people may lack common sense, your method is rather unethical..."

Yang Huan snorted and said, "When I first came here, Master Chen hosted me at the Spider Tower, accompanied by about a dozen other wealthy men, all of whom were among the richest in the county. During the meal, he mentioned that he had spent five hundred strings of cash to buy those two twin maids, and they were all very rich. Now that the sea dike is being repaired, it's their farmland that needs to be protected. You saw it the other day; even that poor old man gave up the money he had saved for his grandson's wedding, but they didn't contribute a single copper coin! Since they're pretending to be deaf and dumb, I'll do them a favor and give them a chance to do good."

Xu Shiren suppressed his laughter, pointed a finger at Yang Huan's forehead, and then said seriously, "Although the money for repairing the seawall is not enough, the donation is all about willingness. You must not try to force it, or you will give people something to say."

Yang Huan felt a sweet sensation in his heart after she poked his forehead. He seized the opportunity to grab her hand and stroke it incessantly, saying, "Don't worry, my wife. I don't need to shrug. They will obediently deliver the money to our door."

Xu Shirong's palms felt a little itchy from his touch. She chuckled and pulled her hand back, but he pulled it away again, saying, "Tomorrow is my birthday, my wife should reward me with a sweet kiss."

Xu Shirong spat at him, saying, "Where did this ridiculous birthday come from! We'll talk about it when it actually happens."

Yang Huan refused to listen and was about to make a scene when he suddenly heard Xiao Que outside the door say, "Sir, Magistrate Mu requests your presence, saying he has something to discuss." Helpless, Yang Huan was then coaxed out the door by Xu Shirong.

That very evening, Master Chen of Qingmen County was at home, cuddling and joking with his concubine, when he suddenly heard his steward outside say that the county magistrate had come to greet him. He hurriedly pushed his concubine aside, straightened his clothes, and went to welcome him. After exchanging pleasantries, Magistrate Chen produced an invitation and said, “Tomorrow is Lord Yang’s birthday. Lord Yang is always cautious and self-disciplined, and does not like to make a big fuss. However, I thought that this is his first birthday since taking office in this county, and we might be disrespectful if we were too casual. Therefore, I took the liberty of booking a banquet at the Spider Tower. Master Chen is now considered one of the most prominent gentry in this county, so I came to inform you first.”

Upon hearing this, Master Chen immediately understood. He cursed inwardly, thinking that all crows are black, and this Magistrate Yang was just like the previous one, using his birthday to amass wealth. The much-discussed donations from the people to repair the seawall a few days ago—that money would likely end up in his own pocket. However, he dared not show it outwardly, and respectfully said, "Magistrate Yang's birthday is a joyous occasion, and it is certainly not something to be taken lightly. I will definitely go tomorrow, and I urge Lord Mu to make sure we convey our sentiments to Magistrate Yang upon our return."

County Magistrate Mu laughed and said, "Of course. Of course. Lord Yang also said that it is a great honor for Master Chen to come, so we must not give him any gifts."