Chapter 29

Lin Yanchao had already found out the way to the office of the Inspector of Schools. From the end of the government office street, one would leave the Scholarly Virtue Lane. This bustling street, known as Scholarly Virtue Lane, continued south to Heavenly King Ridge, which was at the foot of the city wall. If one went east from Scholarly Virtue Lane, they would reach the bustling South Gate Street of the provincial capital, and further east led to the prefectural school, the county government office, and the county school.

However, the Inspector of Schools was not in this direction. Lin Yanchao walked west along the road, and after passing a few intersections, he arrived at the foot of Wushi Mountain.

The provincial capital was known as the "City of Three Hills," and Wushi Mountain was one of them. During the Northern Song Dynasty, Fuzhou was frequently flooded by the Min River, and the southern part of the city was low-lying, with the river stretching endlessly. When the governor of Fuzhou, Cheng Shimeng, climbed Wushi Mountain, he looked out over the vast river flowing into the sea and then back at the bustling town, feeling a moment of unreality.

Cheng Shimeng then slapped his head and said to his attendants, "This mountain can be compared to the immortal mountains of Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou. It should be renamed Dao Mountain." Later, countless scholars and literati inscribed their calligraphy and carvings on Wushi Mountain as a refined pastime. What today might be considered a casual visit was, in ancient times, a refined activity.

The office of the Inspector of Schools was built at the foot of Wushi Mountain, originally converted from an academy during the Jiajing period, and had only been moved here a few years ago.

The office had been renovated and looked brand new. Before coming, Lin Yanchao was not sure if Inspector Hu would definitely see him. Although he was his student, once the results of the college examination were announced, he would have hundreds of new classmates. However, since he had come to the provincial capital, it was proper to visit Inspector Hu. Even if he didn't see Inspector Hu, at least he could get familiar with the office of the Inspector of Schools.

Moreover, County Magistrate Zhou's words seemed to hint at something.

Lin Yanchao, holding his name card, arrived at the office of the Inspector of Schools and was stopped by a gatekeeper.

The gatekeeper, with a haughty demeanor, said, "What are you doing here, little boy? The office of the Inspector of Schools is not a place for you to enter."

Lin Yanchao handed over his name card and said, "I am Lin Yanchao from Hongtang, and I have come to pay respects to my teacher."

Upon hearing that Lin Yanchao was the son of a supervisor, the gatekeeper's expression improved.

Lin Yanchao then offered a gift. The gatekeeper weighed it, seemingly finding it a bit light, and said irritably, "Wait here." He then took the name card and went inside to report.

After a while, the gatekeeper came out with a blank expression and said, "Follow me."

Lin Yanchao followed the gatekeeper, crossed the threshold, and passed through a screen wall to reach the main hall. The gatekeeper led him to a side hall on the west side.

"Stay here and don't wander around!" The gatekeeper said this and then closed the door and left.

Since he was here, Lin Yanchao sat on a chair and waited. After a while, the door opened, but it was not Inspector Hu who entered, but a servant bringing tea.

The teacup, with blue and white patterns, was very exquisite. If it were in the future, it would be worth millions. He lifted the lid, and a wisp of steam rose, the aroma of tea filling his nose, making him feel very comfortable.

"Hmm, this is top-quality Pu'er tea. The officials really live in luxury."

Lin Yanchao picked up the tea and sipped it, finding it much better than the large bowls of tea he usually drank at the community school.

After a long time, the door opened again, and a voice speaking authentic Shaoxing dialect came: "Sorry, sorry, the master is busy with the college examination and has no time to come here. I am surnamed Xu. If you have anything to say, you can tell me."

This person was likely a secretary to Inspector Hu, a trusted confidant. Lin Yanchao put down the teacup and stood up, saying, "It's Mr. Xu, nice to meet you."

Seeing that this young man had waited for so long without showing any anger, Mr. Xu nodded.

For Lin Yanchao, although he was slightly disappointed that Inspector Hu didn't have time to see him, it was expected. He had just come to pay a visit.

They both sat down.

Mr. Xu smiled and said, "I still remember the day at the Hongtang community school when you outperformed everyone. You are truly a young hero. I fear that in a few years, I will only be able to look up to you."

"I wouldn't dare say that. I, a junior, still have much to learn and need to seek guidance from Mr. Xu."

Mr. Xu got straight to the point, "No need to be modest, young friend. What brings you to the provincial capital this time?"

Lin Yanchao said, "To be honest, I came to the provincial capital because my family got involved in a lawsuit."

Lin Yanchao briefly recounted the lawsuit between his family and Xie Zongjia.

Mr. Xu's expression softened, and he smiled, "I see. It's just a village head. I am from the same hometown as the secretary in Houguan County. Would you like me to write a letter to inquire about it?"

It seemed that even without seeing Inspector Hu, this trip was not in vain. As the books said, the Shaoxing secretaries were indeed interconnected.

Lin Yanchao bowed and said, "Thank you, Mr. Xu, for your help. However, I have already resolved the lawsuit and won."

"Oh, congratulations, young friend. So, you came to the office of the Inspector of Schools just to pay a visit to the master?"

Lin Yanchao said, "It has been about a month since I left the Hongtang community school, and I have been thinking of my teacher. I regret not being able to listen to his teachings every day. I came to the office of the Inspector of Schools to pay my respects."

Mr. Xu smiled, "You are very thoughtful. I will convey your words to the master."

Lin Yanchao said, "By the way, I have a question and would like to ask Mr. Xu for guidance."

"Please go ahead."

"Today's lawsuit, I was almost certain to win, but in the end, it was a close victory. County Magistrate Zhou said he would let me off this time for the sake of the grand master. I don't understand this, so I would like to ask Mr. Xu for guidance."

Mr. Xu's eyes narrowed, but he then smiled, "That's a tough one. I am not Zhuge Liang, and without knowing the full context, how can I figure it out?"

Lin Yanchao saw the expression on Mr. Xu's face and said, "I was not thorough enough. The details of the lawsuit are as follows..."

After listening to Lin Yanchao, Mr. Xu nodded, clearly understanding, but he asked, "I don't know about this. What do you think?"

Lin Yanchao said, "At first, I thought County Magistrate Zhou might have some favor to ask of my teacher, so he deliberately did me a favor."

Mr. Xu smiled, "That seems possible."

Lin Yanchao continued, "But then I thought, I am just a junior with little influence. What favor could I do? I think County Magistrate Zhou anticipated that I would come to the office of the Inspector of Schools to visit my teacher after the lawsuit, so he wanted to use me to feel out the situation."

Mr. Xu smiled, "Clever, very clever!"

Lin Yanchao was pleased but said, "I am still dull, please enlighten me, Mr. Xu."

Mr. Xu said with satisfaction, "I haven't seen such a clever young man in a long time. Alright, I'll tell you. In fact, County Magistrate Zhou does have something to ask of the master, but he is embarrassed to send someone to inquire, so he used you to hint at it."

Lin Yanchao was impressed that his guess was correct. The political arena was indeed full of subtleties. Understanding the intentions behind the words was like breaking the topic in the eight-part essay.

Lin Yanchao said, "I understand and will not reveal a word."

Mr. Xu nodded, and Lin Yanchao continued, "Is there anything I can do to assist my teacher?"

"You... hehe, it's a bit early for that," Mr. Xu smiled, "But your willingness to help is enough to make the master happy. You have a bright future, and I see great potential in you!"

How could it be like this? It's clear that I'm not at the right level yet, and they don't want to involve me!

Lin Yanchao said, "Since that's the case, should I reply to County Magistrate Zhou?"

"Um," Mr. Xu nodded, "That's the proper thing to do. Here, I'll write a letter to Secretary He, who is close to the county magistrate. This will resolve the matter."

Mr. Xu picked up his tea.

By offering tea, he was clearly dismissing him. It seemed he was being sent away without any benefit. But wait, delivering a letter? That could be an opportunity.

Lin Yanchao seized the opportunity, "Mr. Xu, why not let me deliver the letter myself?"

Mr. Xu looked at Lin Yanchao with appreciation, thinking that this young man was not to be underestimated.

Mr. Xu said, "Alright, you can deliver it to Mr. He personally. The master won't make you do this for nothing. If you have any matters in the future, you can directly contact Mr. He."

Lin Yanchao understood.

This was a way to introduce himself to County Magistrate Zhou's secretary, Mr. He, through the secretary of Inspector Hu. It was like the modern strategy of getting to know a leader by first getting to know their secretary, driver, or guard.

It seemed that this trip was not in vain, and he had gained something. Lin Yanchao left the office of the Inspector of Schools with the letter, and it was not yet noon. He then hurried to the county government office.

When he arrived at the county government office, the notice board for accepting complaints had already been taken down, and the office was much quieter without people filing lawsuits.

Lin Yanchao approached the gate, and a guard stopped him, saying, "The time for accepting complaints is over. If you want to file a complaint, come back in three days."

Lin Yanchao smiled politely, "Please inform the secretary, I am looking for Mr. He."

"Which secretary?" The guard stared at him, "Go away, go away, who are you? There is only the county magistrate in the county office, no Mr. He."

Lin Yanchao instantly understood his mistake. He silently cursed himself for not knowing the rules and almost ruining his reputation as a穿越者. Fortunately, no one saw.

Lin Yanchao walked around the county office, from south to north, and saw a small door.

As a Chinese person, he had forgotten the rule of using the back door, which was shameful!

Lin Yanchao knocked on the small door, and a servant came out, asking irritably, "What is it?"

Lin Yanchao said, "I am sent by Mr. Xu from the office of the Inspector of Schools to deliver a letter to Mr. He."

Lin Yanchao was about to offer a gift, but the servant's expression changed upon hearing that he was from the office of the Inspector of Schools. Without waiting for Lin Yanchao to offer anything, he said respectfully, "Please wait a moment, I will inform Mr. He."

The door was left slightly open, and after a moment, the servant returned, saying, "Mr. He is helping the county magistrate with official business and will be here shortly. Please follow me."

"Done!"

Lin Yanchao suppressed his joy and entered the county office of Houguan County again.

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