Chapter 50

(Sorry, sorry, I must have dozed off in the chair. When I opened my eyes, it was almost six...)

"This is too extravagant," Su Xun frowned at the table full of delicacies. "How can we continue to interact in the future?"

"You know I prefer simplicity, which is why I don't live in the large backyard," Chen Xiliang shook his head and smiled bitterly. "But when it comes to food, I have no say."

"Why?" Su Xun was very curious.

"Three years ago, my third son took on a disciple who runs a restaurant, teaching him some skills and helping him through a tough time," Chen Xiliang tried to remain calm. "That disciple has never forgotten this kindness and has been providing our family's meals ever since... This time, he must have heard we had guests, so he made it more lavish than usual."

"Third Son is so young, yet he could help someone so much?" Su Xun marveled. "What a fine story!"

"Speaking of which, where is Third Son?" Lady Cheng noticed only Fifth Son and Sixth Son were at home and naturally asked.

"Ah..." The pride on Chen Xiliang's face vanished, and he said gloomily, "He ran away from home..."

"Huh?" The Su family all exclaimed in unison, but they all looked at Su Shi, who was immersed in the food.

Second Son Su finally managed to pick up a piece of eel with his chopsticks, about to enjoy it, but he blushed and lowered his head, still not forgetting to put the eel in his mouth.

"How is it the same as my son!" Su Xun felt a deep sense of shared suffering, pointing at Su Shi. "This spring, he and a classmate named Chen Taichu went missing for over ten days. I and his uncle led a dozen clan members to search all of Meishan, and we only found them at the Huilong Temple in the depths of the mountains."

"What were they doing?" Chen Xiliang was very curious.

"They were begging a Taoist priest to let them become monks, and when he refused, they refused to leave."

"Such a young age, and already disillusioned with the world?"

"Not disillusioned with the world, but wanting to become immortal..." Su Xun said helplessly. "You know why I moved my family here, right? It's to keep this troublemaker in check!"

"..." Chen Xiliang was speechless for a moment, then smiled bitterly. "My Third Son, though he didn't say what he was doing, I doubt he was seeking immortality."

"Why didn't you go out to look for him? Did I delay you?" Su Xun suddenly realized.

"No need to look if there's no trouble," Chen Xiliang, who already knew that Third Son had gone out with Li Jian, said without much worry. "I'm just worried he might bully others."

"..." Su Xun was speechless. He looked at Third Son, who seemed quite experienced, and wondered why he was so irresponsible.

"Ah..." Sixth Son, who had been silent, suddenly said, "Every family has its own troubles."

Everyone smiled, and Chen Xiliang smiled bitterly. "I wonder if these two sets of troubles will be too much for your sister-in-law to handle."

"..." Lady Cheng also smiled bitterly. "It seems I was wrong. This money is not easy to earn."

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"Achoo..." On the boat returning from Luzhou to Qingshen, a young man sneezed several times in a row.

"Are you okay, Third Son?" The wine merchant Li Jian asked. "The wind on the river is strong. Come inside the cabin."

"Okay." Chen Ke rubbed his nose, lifted the curtain, and sat down by the small table, adjusting to a comfortable position. "It feels like someone is talking about me."

"That's for sure." This trip had lifted Li Jian's spirits, and he could even joke now. "You've been away from home for seven or eight days. Your bottom is going to be in trouble when you get back."

"It's all because of you!" Chen Ke said gloomily. "You could have handled it yourself, but you had to drag me along. I'm ashamed for you!"

"Hehe..." Li Jian was embarrassed and changed the subject. "But at least we got to meet Deputy Prefect Chen. This trip wasn't in vain." Deputy Prefect is a respectful term for a vice-prefect.

"Yes, at least Deputy Prefect Chen still remembers the favor." Chen Ke also smiled in relief.

The Deputy Prefect they were talking about was the former magistrate of Qingshen, who was later promoted to vice-prefect of Luzhou due to his outstanding performance. Chen Ke thought that while ordinary people were helpless against government affairs, officials might have some ways to help. Even if Deputy Prefect Chen couldn't do much, a few words of advice could change their current helpless situation.

The result was somewhat reassuring. Deputy Prefect Chen had not forgotten Qingshen, which had brought him success, nor had he forgotten Li Jian's years of service. Upon learning of the visit of an old friend, he received Li Jian and Chen Ke at his private residence. Here, Chen Ke had nothing to hide from Deputy Prefect Chen, who knew the background.

After hearing about the plight of Huangjiao Wine, Deputy Prefect Chen stroked his beard and said, "I did see the name of Huangjiao Wine on this year's tribute list. At the time, I thought it was a significant burden, but it would greatly enhance Huangjiao's reputation, so it should be worth it in the end."

"How much are we supposed to contribute?" Chen Ke asked anxiously.

"It's not specified. There are some rules, and the specific amounts and prices are not mentioned in public announcements," Deputy Prefect Chen said. "Usually, only the Transport Commissioner and the local officials handling the matter know..."

"Can we try to find out indirectly?" Chen Ke asked hopefully. "If it's not a problem."

"Although I am still an official in Shu, Zizhou Road and Yizhou Road are two different systems," Deputy Prefect Chen shook his head. "In any dynasty, overstepping boundaries is a big no-no." In other words, seeing Chen Ke and Li Jian was already a violation.

"Sir, you must have many acquaintances, fellow students, and colleagues after years of service," Chen Ke said, not wanting to let this last chance slip away. "Surely some of them don't overstep boundaries."

"You little rascal..." Deputy Prefect Chen laughed and said, "You really can't be fooled." He nodded and said seriously, "Yes, I do have some good friends in Yizhou Road, but I don't recommend you start from there."

"Are you worried about alerting them?" Chen Ke asked solemnly.

"Smart!" Deputy Prefect Chen nodded. "You must have heard the saying, 'A county magistrate can ruin a family, and a prefect can destroy a clan.' Once they realize it, they have many ways to make your life miserable."

"Sir, do you also suspect there's something fishy going on?" Chen Ke asked, not taking it lightly.

"There is something unusual!" Deputy Prefect Chen said carefully. "The imperial tribute list often changes, so it's not strange for Huangjiao to be on it. However, in cases of first-time contributions, the initial amount is usually small, and it increases gradually. It's not normal to demand such a large amount right away. This is a matter of life and death!" In fact, he knew some of the unwritten rules of the tribute system but didn't want to reveal everything in case Chen Ke spread the word.

"Then, what do you suggest?" This was enough for Chen Ke, who no longer dwelled on the cause but focused on the consequences.

"I'll put in some effort and ask my fellow students in the capital," Deputy Prefect Chen said slowly. "By the way, I have a good friend in the Ministry of Revenue... although it's the Ministry of Revenue under the Secretariat, which has little power, it happens to oversee the local tributes."

"Great!" Even Li Jian was excited. To him, officials in the capital naturally had authority over Yizhou Road.

"This won't be easy," Chen Ke said, not so optimistic. "Sir, if you need anything, just say it."

"Right, right, we brought money." Li Jian quickly pulled out a thick stack of banknotes from his chest. "For Sir to use for personal connections."

Deputy Prefect Chen glanced at the stack of banknotes and said calmly, "You need to give me something else."

"What?"

"Proof," Deputy Prefect Chen sighed. "I can help you even without money, but without proof, I can only help you inquire. I can't do more."

Li Jian looked at Chen Ke, who let out a deep breath. "We are suspicious because the county refuses to give us the documents. We probably won't get a single piece of paper until the last moment."

"Then I'll help you inquire first," Deputy Prefect Chen said earnestly. "But Third Son, I must remind you, you are a civilian, not an official. Historically, civilians don't fight officials because the gap is too wide. Don't act rashly. Collect the evidence and give it to me, and I will pass it on to the censors."

"Thank you, Sir, for your warning." Chen Ke nodded deeply. "I will remember it."

"You should also learn from this experience," Deputy Prefect Chen looked at the precocious young man. "If your family had an official, others wouldn't dare to treat you this way. Remember, in this Song Dynasty, there are only two types of people: officials and civilians!" He added meaningfully, "The imperial family is also officials, and the wealthy are also civilians. The path you should take in the future, you, a smart child, should know without me saying more."

"Thank you for your guidance..." Chen Ke bowed deeply, feeling a bit moved. Deputy Prefect Chen didn't need to lecture him, an unrelated young man, but he still pointed out his mistake... the officials of this era still had some humanity.

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On the way back, Chen Ke became silent. Deputy Prefect Chen's words, combined with his recent experiences, made him re-evaluate himself—was a happy life really just about having wealth? He also needed the ability to protect it.

Before the rule of law, this ability could only come from power. For civilians, that meant becoming an official.

Although he had heard Chen Xiliang recite Emperor Zhenzong's promotional song before, the words of "Encouragement to Study" now resonated deeply in his heart:

"Go out without regretting the lack of followers, for the carriages and horses in books are many. A man who wants to achieve his lifelong ambition should diligently study the Five Classics by the window..."

Thank the Song Dynasty for being born here. If he had been born in the Han or Northern and Southern Dynasties, or even the early Tang Dynasty, his family, a typical poor household, would have no hope of rising and no peace.

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I'm feeling better, so I'll update normally today. The next update will be at 12 o'clock.

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