Chapter 91

In the morning, another bright and sunny day dawned.

Looking out at the green mountains reflected in the misty water, the sky above was an especially deep blue.

Wu Fan practiced his sword techniques for over an hour, then after washing up and dressing, he bought a bowl of whole wheat noodles and a few sesame cakes for breakfast.

“Bang bang!”

Suddenly, there was a loud noise not far from the hundred-household office. Wu Fan lifted his head and shouted, “Commander Lin! Where is that sound coming from?”

Lin Xinshan arrived very early.

One could say that Wu Fan’s arrival, along with his strong and decisive methods, had instilled a powerful confidence in the originally weak Yingyang Guard of Zhengyang, making them stand tall and full of energy. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have come so early to start their work.

“Replying to the hundred-household, it’s the sound of firecrackers!” Lin Xinshan walked in from outside, smiling, “Today is the eleventh day of the eighth month! In a few days, it will be the Mid-Autumn Festival! Those firecrackers might be some mischievous kids playing around!”

Wu Fan was taken aback, “Mid-Autumn Festival?”

Lin Xinshan, full of surprise, said, “Yes! The Mid-Autumn Festival! A few days ago, when I was asked to send a message to the thousand-household office in Luoyang, you also asked me to take your family letter along! Wasn’t it for the sake of family reunion during the festival?”

Wu Fan shook his head, then nodded silently, not saying a word, and drank the last bit of soup in the bowl clean.

Wiping his mouth, Wu Fan stood up and said, “Let’s go for a walk!”

“Alright!”

Lin Xinshan followed Wu Fan’s steps with a happy face.

After leaving the Zhengyang Yingyang Guard hundred-household office and walking down two streets, they arrived at the bustling and lively Riverside Street of Zhengyang, where the crowds were continuous. It looked especially lively because of the upcoming festival.

Wu Fan looked around, smiling as if nothing was wrong, “It’s almost the festival! We can’t let the brothers go without! You should put more effort into it and make a list. Rice, wine, meat, and rewards—give more to those with elderly parents and those with children! The money... will come from our hundred-household office’s private funds. Calculate how much you need and take it! Also... be low-key, don’t let anyone catch you!”

“Understood!”

Lin Xinshan solemnly agreed.

Suddenly turning around, Wu Fan raised his eyebrows and stared intently at Lin Xinshan, “Brother! Let’s get the ugly things out of the way first!” He paused, his eyes burning, “I’m putting you in charge of the hundred-household office’s accounts, hoping you can manage them well. Money is a good thing, but some money we can touch, and some money... we absolutely must not touch!”

Wu Fan’s chilling tone made Lin Xinshan’s hair stand on end, and he quickly swore, “Hundred-household, I absolutely dare not embezzle a single coin! If I...”

“Pfft...!”

Wu Fan laughed, interrupting Lin Xinshan’s nervousness, and continued walking, “No need for that, let’s wait and see! No matter what, those 50,000 taels of silver are for the future of all the brothers in the hundred-household office. Whoever dares to touch it, I will take their life! Hahaha... Oh! Those koi over there look nice! Let’s go take a look!”

Lin Xinshan was drenched in cold sweat, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, feeling extremely uncomfortable...

After walking for a while, Wu Fan stopped.

Leaning on the railing by the canal, Wu Fan held a few pebbles in his hand, occasionally flicking one out, causing ripples and listening to the clear splashes.

“Commander Lin! Come closer! I won’t eat you! Come on, come on!” Wu Fan pointed to the Grand Canal, “I have a question! The empire dug this Grand Canal connecting the north and south a hundred years ago. I heard that the digging started from Zhengyang. You are a local, with ancestors who have lived here for generations. Have you heard anything about it?”

Lin Xinshan was taken aback, then lowered his head to think. After a long time, he said, “I haven’t heard much! My grandfather did supervise the digging of the canal when he was young. As a child, I only heard him talk about how the water of the Grand Canal was red, flowing with human blood... and that the bottom of the canal was filled with the bones of the dead buried in the mud.”

Wu Fan raised his eyebrows, falling silent.

“The management of the Grand Canal is handled by local officials. The supervision is mainly done by us, the Yingyang Guard, with the county troops as auxiliary.” Wu Fan asked, “Apart from that, can anyone else interfere?”

Lin Xinshan shook his head, smiling, “That’s impossible!” He paused, then slapped his head, “If we have to say who else can influence the operation of the Grand Canal, it would be the people left by the Ministry of Works!”

“Ministry of Works?”

Wu Fan was very puzzled.

Lin Xinshan explained, “This section of the Grand Canal in Zhengyang connects the Yellow River and the Luo River. Whenever there is drought or flood, the people from the Ministry of Works’ Water Conservancy Department stationed here conduct surveys to determine the water level, whether it is too deep or too shallow, to regulate the cargo of passing merchant ships. During the flood season, if large ships loaded with heavy cargo pass through Zhengyang, the entire city could be flooded. During the drought season, if the water level drops and the ships carry too much cargo, they could run aground and block the canal. That’s what they do!”

Wu Fan nodded in understanding, “Oh! I see!”

He fell silent again for a long time.

“Ding ding dong dong...”

Wu Fan threw all the pebbles in his hand into the Grand Canal, clapped his hands, and turned to ask, “How do we find them?”

Lin Xinshan said, “The Ministry of Works has set up a Water Conservancy Department by the Grand Canal. If you follow the canal north for a bit, you’ll find it. It’s easy to locate.”

“Alright! I’ll go take a look!” Wu Fan smiled, “You don’t need to come with me! Start preparing the gifts and deliver them to each brother’s home before the festival, so everyone can have a prosperous festival! Go on!”

“Understood!”

Lin Xinshan bowed, though he didn’t understand what Wu Fan was going to do, he didn’t ask. Or rather, he didn’t dare to ask.

Following what Lin Xinshan said, Wu Fan found the place with the sign “Water Conservancy Department” in front of it in less than a quarter of an hour.

However...

The entrance to the Water Conservancy Department had two imposing stone lions, and the red door was particularly eye-catching, but strangely, it was very quiet, with no guards at the gate.

Wu Fan found it a bit strange, walked up, and knocked on the door.

“Bang bang bang...”

“Who is it!”

After a series of knocks, someone finally responded, sounding as if they hadn’t woken up yet.

Wu Fan shouted loudly, “I am Wu Fan, the hundred-household of the Zhengyang Yingyang Guard! I have something to discuss!”

“Creak—!”

After a short while, the door was opened.

Inside stood an old man with droopy, sleepy eyes and a hunched back. He had a head of silver hair, a face like a withered tree bark, and was dressed in a very unkempt manner. He stood there, not even looking at Wu Fan.

Wu Fan bowed and greeted him, his eyes darting around the courtyard, “Is the head of the Water Conservancy Department here? Sir, could you please inform him?”

“No need to look, no one is here!” The old man saw what Wu Fan was trying to do and yawned, “Everyone else has gone to survey the Grand Canal! Only this old man is left. If you have something to say, just say it!”

【What bad luck! No one is here? Just an old gatekeeper? Hmm! Should I ask him?】

After much internal struggle, Wu Fan decided to give it a try and asked, “Sir, if there is a warship about twenty-seven or twenty-eight zhang long and five or six zhang high, with... with several hundred thousand pounds of cargo on it, how can I pull it out of the river?”

The old man, with his droopy eyes, asked, “Do you want the cargo or the ship?”

Wu Fan said, “Both!”

The old man counted on his fingers for a long time, muttering, “Find ten warships of the same size, fully loaded with grain, and connect them with ropes... I think it’s going to rain heavily soon, around the time of the Mid-Autumn Festival. When the water level of the Grand Canal rises, you can pull it out with the current!” He paused, glanced at Wu Fan, and said unhappily, “That’s all? You knocked on the door for this? Do you have anything else? If not, scram!”

“Bang!”

Before Wu Fan could respond, the old man angrily slammed the door shut, almost hitting Wu Fan in the face.

Wu Fan blinked, not angry but smiling, and hummed a tune as he left the Water Conservancy Department.

...

PS1: Request for favorites, recommendations, likes, and small red envelopes, anything is appreciated.

PS2: Thank you to the shy bachelor for the 100-point coin red envelope support, much appreciated!

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