Chapter 467 - 284: When You Become Left King...
Chapter 467: Chapter 284: When You Become Left King...
The moment he opened the door,
Chen Yi saw Pei Guanli on the floor, her head cocked to the side as she listened intently.
’What is Brother-in-law saying to that little barbarian?’
’I can’t hear a thing. Why can’t they speak up...’
"You mean, loud like this?"
"Gah!"
Pei Guanli jumped in fright at Chen Yi’s sudden shout.
When she saw it was him, Pei Guanli’s face flushed red, and she giggled sheepishly. "Brother-in-law, I—I wasn’t eavesdropping. I didn’t hear a thing."
Chen Yi flicked her on the forehead and chided with a smile, "I don’t know what goes on in that head of yours all day."
"I’m leaving."
"Brother-in-law, you—you’re going back already?"
"Yes. I have some business at Guiyun Academy."
Pei Guanli hummed a dejected "oh," then followed closely behind him.
Chen Yi glanced at her sideways and said with a smile, "Just hang in there for a few more days. This will all be over soon."
Pei Guanli pouted and nodded. "I know."
Seeing this, Chen Yi lowered his voice. "Don’t sleep too soundly tonight. I’ll take you to see a show."
"Really?"
When Chen Yi nodded, Pei Guanli’s face lit up. "It’s not that I want to go out, you know."
"But since Brother-in-law is being so considerate, I’ll reluctantly agree. I wouldn’t even mind staying here a few more days."
Chen Yi tapped her on the head. "When did you learn to be such a tease? You’re being improper."
Pei Guanli covered her head. "What tease? I’m not!"
"That counts, too."
"Oh..."
After a bit more banter, Chen Yi glanced at the sky, then zipped away from the residence.
Pei Guanli watched him disappear with a delighted smile, then turned and went back to the main hall to practice her Meteor Butterfly Step.
’A tease... what does he mean by that?’
’Is Brother-in-law telling me to speak the Mountain Race language?’
...
Chen Yi went to Guiyun Academy for one reason: to ask about the Annual Examination.
Previously, Mr. Yue Ming had asked Yang Ye to go and mediate with Ma Shuhan.
Although he only received a very perfunctory reply, it wasn’t a total loss.
At least, thanks to Yang Ye’s intervention, Ma Shuhan had been much more restrained lately.
But while he was restrained on the surface, he was constantly making moves in the shadows.
He was inspecting academies throughout Shu State, recruiting Vice Examiners, and hiring staff officers, one by one.
Even Liu Hong had issued a statement from the Governor’s Office, essentially saying that he expected good performances in this year’s Shu State Annual Examination.
"Qingzhou, no matter what tricks that Ma Shuhan tries to pull,"
"I believe in one thing—in the Dao of literature, what is true cannot be made false, and what is false cannot be made true."
Mr. Yue Ming’s expression was righteous. He snorted, "If that man Ma dares to defy the world and make things difficult for any student during the Annual Examination, I will certainly not let him off the hook!"
Chen Yi smiled and nodded. "You are right, Headmaster."
"I don’t think he’d dare."
However, Ma Shuhan might not dare, but that didn’t mean Liu Hong wouldn’t.
Mr. Zhuo Ying, standing to the side, had the same thought. With his hands tucked into his sleeves like an old farmer, he said pointedly,
"Headmaster, I wonder if you’ve heard about the recent situation in Shu State City?"
Mr. Yue Ming was taken aback. "What situation?"
"I’ve heard that because of the changes to the Annual Examination this year, many people from the Noble Families have been visiting the Liu Mansion."
"Liu... Liu Gongmo?"
"Who else could it be?"
"I’ve also heard that while our Lord Liu didn’t accept the things these people brought, they looked as if they had successfully delivered their gifts when they left."
"Why is that?"
Seeing that he still hadn’t caught on, Mr. Zhuo Ying glanced at Chen Yi and said, "What else could it be?"
"I suppose our Lord Liu put their minds at ease."
Mr. Yue Ming frowned. "Are you saying Liu Gongmo leaked the questions?"
Hearing this, Mr. Zhuo Ying didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Even Chen Yi felt the same.
"Headmaster, cheating is such a disreputable business. Even if Liu Gongmo could do it, he wouldn’t."
"Think about it. The purpose of this Annual Examination is to urge students to study hard. As long as they don’t get the lowest grade, there’s leeway with all the other scores."
Mr. Zhuo Ying gave a wry smile. "Do you think there’s any real difference between a C-plus and a C-minus?"
Chen Yi chimed in with a smile, "It seems our Lord Governor has made some clever calculations."
Mr. Yue Ming began to understand, and he sighed with a complicated expression.
"Liu Gongmo..."
"No wonder he agreed to Ma Shuhan’s request earlier."
Mr. Zhuo Ying shook his head. "No, you’re wrong. The way I see it, it was probably Ma Shuhan who was following our Lord Liu’s orders."
"In any case, Qingzhou, you must be careful when you take the Annual Examination."
"It’s better not to write anything too fancy and just stick closely to the topic, to avoid giving those with malicious intentions an opening to cause trouble."
Chen Yi nodded, then shook his head.
"I’d actually like to see if they have the guts..."
...
As evening drew near, long lines still snaked outside several grain stores in the East Market.
Countless commoners clutched burlap sacks or wicker baskets, staring eagerly toward the front of the lines.
Some were looking at the price boards hanging outside the grain stores, pointing and murmuring at the price: thirteen taels of silver per hundredweight.
Others were eyeing the sacks of rice and flour, afraid there wouldn’t be enough grain left by the time they reached the front.
And still others were whispering amongst themselves.
"I wonder when these rising grain prices will ever stop."
"If this keeps up, who will be able to afford to eat?"
"I bet people will start starving to death in Shu State City sooner or later."
"Who knows how much those damn officials are getting from the grain stores. Not only do they do nothing, but they won’t even open the granaries to release grain and stabilize the prices."
"Heh, those high-and-mighty people... no matter how high the price of grain gets, they’ll always have food on their tables."
"Why would they worry about us common folk?"
The crowd was abuzz with discussion, some cursing the corrupt officials, some damning the black-hearted grain stores, while others offered a bit of hopeful gossip.
"The way I see it, these prices can’t keep rising for much longer."
"Oh? Do tell, brother."
The speaker was a disheveled man in tattered linen clothes, and he chattered on with a thick Mountain Race accent.
"I just heard it from someone else."
"Turns out, that brother of King Landu from the Poshisu Country didn’t actually die that night."
"He didn’t... he didn’t die?"
Someone immediately refuted him. "That night, lots of people outside the West Market saw ’Dragon Spear’ Liu Wu kill Lv Jiunan."
"So how could he not be dead?"
"That’s right."
"It’s not me saying it! A buddy of mine, a lone-wolf merchant, saw it with his own two eyes."
The man in linen clothes described it vividly. "He said that one night, he happened to run into ’Dragon Spear’ and Lv Jiunan."
"He said that ’Dragon Spear’ Liu Wu was incredibly heroic, dragging Lv Jiunan along like a dead dog while cursing him out."
"’You Poshisu dog! How dare you cause trouble in the territory of Great Wei! You’re courting death!’"
Hearing this, the others in line looked at him, half-believing and half-doubting.
Although they were reluctant to believe the words of a beggar, they desperately hoped it was true.
"But then again, if that Lv fellow isn’t dead, then King Landu’s horse bandits really have no reason to raid the border."
"So the grain prices... hmm... I hope what this young brother says is true."
"I hope so too..."
Similar scenes were playing out in front of nearly every grain store.
Some believed the rumors, some dismissed them entirely, and others used them as an opportunity to stir up trouble.
In a short while, the chief stewards of the several grain stores all received the news.
After exchanging bewildered glances, they didn’t dare delay and passed the message on to their respective masters.
In the Lin Mansion, not far from the East Market,
Lin Zhenghong, the newly appointed Patriarch, sat upright in the main hall, his hands gently stroking the back of his chair, a sentimental look on his face.
"Oh, Father."
"You really don’t know the cost of living until you’re the one in charge. Back when I was just a rich young master at home, how did I never realize that making money was so... so easy?"
During this period, thanks to the rising grain prices, the Lin’s Grain Store had made a fortune.
You could say they were raking in gold every day.
This left Lin Zhenghong, who had just taken control of the Lin Family, overjoyed. It even diluted some of the grief from his own father, Lin Huai’an’s, death.
Just as he was lifting his teacup with a broad smile, about to take a sip, he heard footsteps from outside the door.
"Master, Master, something terrible has happened!"
Lin Zhenghong frowned slightly, setting down his teacup. He asked imperiously, "Hm? What’s all the panic about?"
"Master, some—someone is saying that Lv Jiunan isn’t dead!"
"Who isn’t dead? If Lv Jiunan isn’t dead, then he isn’t—"
"Who did you say?!"