Chapter 9

The bamboo sedan chair was the most stable for mountain paths, but the swaying made one drowsy. Before he knew it, Wang Fulin had fallen asleep.

He slept comfortably, but among the three fast runners, Xu Jie rode a weak horse, while Ma Neng and Liu San each rode a donkey. Xu Jie and Ma Neng were fine, but Liu San, jolting on the back of a skinny donkey, felt pain in his legs, waist, and teeth, cursing Wang Fulin a thousand times over. They had run back and forth for forty miles of mountain paths and only earned thirty-seven coins! Moreover, the person being escorted was dozing comfortably in the sedan chair, while he, the real fast runner, had run himself to the bone. What kind of logic was this?

"Wait until your degree is revoked, and see if anyone will protect you!"

Jin Bao followed the sedan chair all the way. When they stopped for a short rest, he busily fetched water for Wang Fulin to quench his thirst and asked, "Father, are you tired? Since we need to reach Huizhou City before evening, we have to move quickly. If you feel dizzy, I have some medicinal oil to rub on you."

"How can I complain about being tired when I'm sitting in the sedan chair, while the bearers and you are walking?"

Wang Fulin deeply appreciated the sedan chair he was sitting in, which was made from carefully selected bamboo from the mountains. It was not only sturdy but also polished smooth and round. The backrest was designed with a clever curve, perfectly supporting his entire back, and it was cushioned with soft padding. The two bearers walked with extremely steady steps, and he had essentially slept the whole way while they walked.

He had calculated the time and response. Although the three fast runners had come suddenly, he had long ago retrieved the lucky money that the previous Wang Fulin had saved over the years, all in small silver ingots, and had secretly cut them into pieces and weighed them with a balance scale, ready for any emergency. Therefore, he did not intend to use the money given to him by Wang Erniang. At this moment, he gave about one tael of silver to the two bearers and the two attendants and said, "Thank you for your hard work today."

The four people happily accepted the money, and one of the bearers smiled and said, "Young Master, you're too polite. Not to mention the master's orders, but as the youngest scholar from Songming Mountain in recent years, you deserve this effort."

Seeing the straightforward response, Wang Fulin personally thanked the other three villagers who had volunteered to accompany him to Huizhou City, giving them steamed cakes from home and promising to thank them again when they returned. Finally, he greeted the three fast runners. Xu Jie and Ma Neng both politely responded, but Liu San only sneered and did not reply.

He did not bother to feign politeness with this insidious man. Glancing back, he noticed that Jin Bao's steps were a bit unsteady when he was packing things and walking. He walked over and glanced at the little guy's feet, saying casually, "Take off your shoes and let me see."

"Father, it's fine. I'm used to hardship from a young age. Walking a few miles of mountain path is nothing," Jin Bao said, but seeing that Wang Fulin did not retract his words, he hesitantly added, "Just the soles of my feet are a bit worn, but it's really nothing. Just now, Uncle Kang from Mr. Nanming's house said we have half the distance left to Huizhou City..."

"Take them off when I tell you to!"

Wang Fulin's tone grew stern. When Jin Bao hesitantly took off his shoes, the soles were indeed worn with a few blisters. Wang Fulin's brows furrowed.

"Father, it's really nothing. I usually wear straw shoes, and the new shoes made by Second Mother a few days ago might be a bit uncomfortable..."

"I'll ask the bearers; they must have some folk remedies. Don't tough it out, or you won't be able to walk when we reach Huizhou City."

As Wang Fulin had expected, the four bearers assigned to escort him were used to walking long distances and had thick calluses on their feet. They were very experienced with blisters. One of them used strong liquor to clean Jin Bao's feet, then carefully lanced the blisters, applied medicine, and tightly wrapped them with cotton bandages. When Jin Bao put on his shoes and walked, the pain was much less. As for Wang Fulin's idea of letting Jin Bao ride in the sedan chair for a while to rest, the little guy shook his head vigorously and refused.

After a fifteen-minute delay, they set off again. This time, Wang Fulin was not sleepy. Moreover, as they approached Huizhou City, the road became wider, and there were fewer mountain paths. Most of the pedestrians were traveling in groups, but a group of over ten people, with horses, donkeys, and a human-powered sedan chair, attracted many curious glances.

Seeing the crowd, Liu San, who had been seething with anger, seized the opportunity and shouted, "Young Master Wang, although the chief examiner has issued a summons, it's probably too late to reach Huizhou City today. You should rest for the night and be well-rested to meet the chief examiner tomorrow. If you're unlucky, your degree will only last one more night!"

His words drew many glances from the surrounding pedestrians. Among these gazes were curiosity, investigation, disdain, and sighs. Many people were discussing, clearly influenced by the widespread rumors.

However, Wang Fulin noticed that those heading in the same direction as him were more curious and investigative, while those coming from Huizhou City were more disdainful and contemptuous. At this point, he was clear in his mind. This was clearly a family matter, but the rumors had spread from Huizhou City outward, not from his hometown of Songming Mountain!

Therefore, under the focus of many gazes, he did not feel guilty, ashamed, remorseful, or uneasy. Instead, he calmly replied, "As a scholar, I should first pay my respects to the chief examiner, regardless of the time. As for any punishment, since I have a clear conscience, I will accept it as my fate. Why should I rest and prepare?"

Although this was not the era of the Tang Dynasty, where people valued demeanor and grace, a person who could handle things calmly was always better than someone who panicked and lost composure. Hearing Wang Fulin's response, some of the passersby who had paused moved on, some nodded in approval, and some whispered to their companions, saying the rumors were false, which infuriated Liu San.

If not for Wang Fulin's instruction to Jin Bao not to speak casually, even when provoked, he would have spoken up long ago. At this moment, Jin Bao quickened his pace and closely followed the two swift bearers. But he faintly heard a mocking voice from behind.

"This little brat talks big! For his sake, the chief examiner rushed back from Ningguo Prefecture to Huizhou Prefecture, and his mood is already terrible. The chief examiner's cane is not for show. Now he talks big, but even if he keeps his degree, he'll be flayed alive!"

Jin Bao shivered, his mood heavy. Fortunately, at this moment, the speaker was apparently reprimanded.

"Enough, Liu San, say less! Right and wrong will be judged fairly; it's not our place to speak out of turn."

"Based on the charge of neglecting his father's illness alone, the chief examiner might just give him a light beating. Cheating requires evidence, but don't forget the two additional charges: buying a nephew as a slave and seeking pleasure while his father was ill. It's said he did this with that Cheng family's young master, who even gave him a servant. What does that mean?"

Jin Bao was deeply alarmed. He quietly turned back and saw Liu San, who was fuming, being reprimanded again by Ma Neng and then fell silent. He clenched his fists. His father was an ordinary farmer who, after saving some money and losing his wife, bought his birth mother at the age of forty and had him. A few years later, his father died, and his brother treated him as a thorn in the flesh, claiming his birth mother was just a bought servant. After selling his birth mother, his brother treated him with extreme cruelty. The most peaceful days of his life were spent with Wang Fulin. Moreover, he had received the greatest hope of his life!

He, a slave sold with a death bond, had never dreamed that he would one day be able to read and write openly! But he had become one of Wang Fulin's charges!

Wang Fulin, being far away, did not hear Liu San and Xu Jie's conversation. The rest of the journey was uneventful, and they entered the city without any further incidents.

For Wang Fulin, this was his "first" visit to Huizhou City. Compared to the ancient towns and cities of later times, this place had a more authentic ancient charm. Before it got dark, some people were shouting their last sales, some were hurrying home, and at the gates of some small courtyards with lanterns, heavily made-up women leaned against the doors, smiling seductively at well-dressed passersby—everything was real and vivid, reminding him that this was a real Ming Dynasty city.

Huizhou Prefecture and She County were not like other counties that shared the same city with the prefecture. Huizhou City was actually a city composed of two parts: the prefecture city and the county city. This unique phenomenon formed during the mid-Jiajing period. Before that, She County was part of the provincial capital and had no county seat. After the Jiajing 24th year, when the Japanese pirates passed through, a section of the city wall was built on the southeast side of the prefecture city, which had no moat, enclosing a county city. The She County government was set up here. The chief examiner, Xie Tingjie, did not stay in the Huizhou Prefecture government office or the prefectural school but temporarily stayed in the She County school.

Therefore, after entering the city from the west of Songming Mountain, Wang Fulin and his group had to pass through the prefecture city and then through the eastern De Sheng Gate to enter the county city on the east side of the prefecture city. They then had to go through the main street, cross the Xin Feng Bridge, and walk along the street in front of the county government for a short distance to reach the She County school, which was near the Ziyang Gate on the eastern side of the county city.

When they arrived at the school, the sun had already set, and it was close to the curfew time. Xu Jie personally returned the summons to the gate and reported that the person had been brought. He also hinted that Wang Fulin was sent by Mr. Nanming from Songming Mountain in a sedan chair. However, after the gatekeeper went in for a while and came out, he shook his head and said, "The chief examiner said that it is too late today, and Scholar Wang Fulin should arrange his own accommodation. He will hear the case early tomorrow morning. As for the summons, return them together tomorrow."

After a whole day of mountain travel, although Xu Jie and Ma Neng were not as shallow as Liu San, they were also exhausted. Hearing that they would not complete their task until the next day, they felt like cursing. Liu San was even more unhappy. If not for noticing that Xu Jie and Ma Neng were not on the same page as him, he might have said more derogatory words.

As for Wang Fulin, he had said what he said earlier, but he knew that in this era, things were done openly and honestly. A chief examiner would not hear a case at night. However, as a mere scholar, if he delayed meeting the chief examiner without permission, it would be like courting death. Now that the decision had been made, he saw Xu Jie take the summons and walked over, bowing and saying, "Thank you for your hard work. If you trust me, meet me at the Ma Family Inn on the cross street behind here tomorrow morning. Otherwise, you can book three more rooms at the Ma Family Inn."

The Ma Family Inn was where he stayed during the last examination. He only knew about it because his uncle Wu Tianbao had mentioned it in a letter; otherwise, he would not have remembered it!

"Whether you trust me or not, can you run away?" Liu San sneered, then said arrogantly, "Since that's the case, I have things to do at home, so I'll leave first. Meet at the Ma Family Inn at dawn tomorrow."

Seeing Liu San ride his donkey and leave, Wang Fulin looked at his back and smiled, "I was going to say that after all the trouble you've gone through, I should at least treat you to some wine and food. Since someone is eager to go home, I won't force you to stay."

As he spoke, he discreetly shook hands with Xu Jie and Ma Neng, slipping a piece of silver into each of their hands.

It was not easy to do this without drawing attention, but it was easy to do it smoothly.

The moment the silver was in their hands, the two experienced men's faces turned from gloomy to sunny. Especially Ma Neng, who was always smiling, now looked like a flower had bloomed on his face.

"Young Master, you're too polite! Since we have a task, we can't be like Liu San. We'll take you to the Ma Family Inn!"

Seeing Xu Jie nod and smile, Wang Fulin felt relieved and decided to reward the four bearers and the three villagers who had accompanied him to the city.

Silver was not always effective, but without the momentum from Songming Mountain, would these officials have been so cooperative?

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