Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Ten-Day Pact

He Ru’s scheme was actually quite clear. Now that Liu Quan and Du Jingzhi had joined forces against Guo Mian, the Zhan family had lost their most reliable support in Qiantang for the time being. Without Guo Mian’s protection, with the likes of Dou Qi—a rogue—at the front and Zhan Ting—a traitor—at the back, it was easy to imagine that within ten days, the Zhan family’s wealth would be plundered clean.

He Ru chose to intervene at this critical moment, which not only resolved the Zhan family’s urgent crisis but was also a timely favor for Guo Mian. Since ancient times, adding flowers to brocade is easy, but sending charcoal in the snow is rare. With such a beginning, his future dealings with Guo Mian would naturally follow.

As for why He Ru was so eager to befriend Guo Mian, his ultimate goal was nothing more than to one day knock on the doors of the Prince of Jiangxia’s mansion.

But was Prince An Xiuruo of Jiangxia really so important?

In Chu, apart from Emperor An Zidao and Crown Prince An Xiuming, An Xiuruo’s status was second to none. Since Xu You was unwelcome by the Crown Prince, for the sake of future plans, forging a connection with An Xiuruo was indeed a viable strategy.

Xu You paced back and forth a few times, finally making up his mind. “If you suspect a man, don’t employ him; if you employ him, don’t suspect him.” At least for now, He Ru’s goals aligned with his own. Though he was confident in his intelligence, he was after all new to Chu and unfamiliar with its people and affairs. With He Ru’s years of careful preparation, he could avoid many pitfalls.

“Qi Yi, Du Jingzhi is the head of the Three Wu Dao and has immense influence over his followers. If he says the venison Dou Qi lost is from the divine deer, then it’s the meat of the divine deer without question. If we can’t refute him on this point, no matter how much Zhan Ting compensates Dou Qi, it would be natural. But to refute Du Jingzhi—how difficult is that? The sacrificial wine of Yangzhou, his position in the Heavenly Master Dao is likely no less than the seven great sacrificial wines of Hemu Mountain. In our time, aside from Sun Guan, perhaps no one could make him change his words. Du Jingzhi is shrewd and calculating; what appears to be a simple setup is actually a deadlock with no solution!”

He Ru’s gaze flickered. “Seventh Young Lord, you are right. If we try to confront Du Jingzhi directly, with our current strength, we have no chance of winning. So whatever he says, so be it. We don’t need to refute him!”

He gave a cold laugh. “Divine deer? Truly, old villains are the worst, inventing any shameless story they please. This time, I’ll make him suffer the consequences and take a good tumble!”

At that moment, voices of dispute came from outside. Qiufen’s angry voice rang out: “We paid to stay at this inn. What right do you have to evict us? Is this how guests are treated at the Zhibin Pavilion?”

“Miss, please don’t be angry. It’s not that our establishment is evicting you, but your travel permits are somewhat improper, so—”

“Silence!” Zuo Wen, who had been waiting outside, hurried over. “From Jinling to Qiantang, we’ve been checked at countless passes, at least ten times if not a hundred, and never were they found improper. You’re just a small inn—do you really think you know better than the government officials?”

“Sir, you mustn’t say that. Your permits state you’re to be registered in Qiantang, but we’ve just checked at the county office—your names aren’t listed in the yellow register. If a dispute arises and the county sends someone to investigate, you won’t be able to escape blame! So I advise you to leave soon, for everyone’s sake.”

At the time, household registers were divided into yellow and white. Yellow registers were for natives of Jiangdong—southerners—while white registers were for northerners who crossed the river after the Five Barbarians Rebellion. The main difference was that white-register people weren’t required to pay taxes or perform labor.

The door opened and Xu You and He Ru emerged, one after another. In the courtyard stood six attendants in blue, and a middle-aged man in embroidered robes, apparently the steward of Zhibin Pavilion. His manner was arrogant, and his words were enough to irritate anyone.

“Is that so? Did Magistrate Gu of Qiantang personally tell you our permits are fake?”

The steward looked over, recognizing the principal guest, and bowed with a smile. “Gentlemen of your rank wouldn’t trouble the Qiantang magistrate…”

He Ru stepped forward and stood by Qiufen’s side, unleashing a barrage of words at the steward: “Qiantang has fifteen hundred households, hence a magistrate is appointed. Under him are the assistant, the constable, chief clerk, record keeper, secretary, and clerks of various departments—public works, households, officials, finances, military, law—plus wardens, pavilion chiefs, and constabulary officers, totaling eighty-six officials. I wonder which one you’ve managed to bother?”

Xu You, well-versed in history, knew that since the Qin and Han, counties were divided by size, with magistrates for counties of a thousand households and chiefs for smaller ones, just as in Chu. But after the Wei and Jin, during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the one-province-one-prefecture-one-chief system was adopted, and assistants and constables were replaced by chief clerks. The chief clerk, once merely the magistrate’s secretary, became the deputy, holding both civil and military authority—sometimes even overshadowing the magistrate, eventually requiring central appointment.

But from He Ru’s words, Chu’s county system had clearly changed. This was one reason Xu You decided to keep He Ru close. If he relied on his memory of history, he might stumble into deep trouble. Having an advisor so familiar with worldly affairs was like carrying a living encyclopedia—a true relief.

“Er…,” the steward’s face turned red, but he had no answer. Xu You felt deep sympathy for him, for anyone who argued with He Ru would experience this helpless frustration. “I consulted the household clerk!”

“I thought so. That’s as far as you could go—just a lowly clerk without official rank. Even if he looked at our permits, could he really tell truth from falsehood?” He Ru swept his wide sleeves, his contemptuous gaze almost making the steward bleed from every pore. “We’re staying at Zhibin Pavilion. If you want to evict us, fine! Go fetch Magistrate Gu!”

“You, you—” The steward, furious, laughed in spite of himself. “Just wait. I refuse to believe there are guests here who can’t be evicted!”

With that, he left with his attendants in disarray. He Ru didn’t spare them a glance, turning to Qiufen. “You are Seventh Young Lord’s maid, of noble status. Why waste words on such servants? Next time they make noise, just have them thrown out!”

Qiufen said softly, “I fear I might cause trouble for Young Lord…”

He Ru smiled, not cold, not arrogant, not mocking, but gentle, with a touch of fondness. With his eyes shining like stars, his charm was unexpectedly moving.

“Would Seventh Young Lord be Seventh Young Lord if he feared trouble? Often, the more you fear trouble, the more trouble finds you. So don’t worry—do as you wish. If real trouble comes, you have Seventh Young Lord, Wind Tiger, and me. There’s nothing to fear.”

Though Qiufen was much favored by Xu You in the Xu household, she wasn’t spoiled. She only nodded gratefully at He Ru’s words, but didn’t take them as encouragement.

“Don’t corrupt the little girl!” Xu You glared at He Ru. “Qiantang is a land of talent and beauty. Who knows how many heroes lurk in the shadows? Even the three of us together would barely count for anything. You speak as if you’re the magistrate yourself—if you’re so mighty, why don’t you just claim Qiantang Lake for yourself?”

To seal off mountains and claim waters was the economic foundation of aristocratic politics. But Qiantang Lake was not yet famous, and its waterworks were unbuilt. After heavy rains, it flooded; after drought, it dried up. Its scenery wasn’t yet so beautiful, so it luckily escaped the clutches of noble families. Xu You had even fantasized on his journey—if only Qiantang Lake, the future famed West Lake, could become the Xu family’s private property, the sense of achievement would rival any underdog’s triumph.

Of course, this was only a fantasy. The world’s beauty should belong to all, not be fenced in as the plaything of privileged classes. That would be narrow and shameless.

He Ru snorted. “Seventh Young Lord’s taste is so poor, I won’t even comment. Mere Qiantang Lake doesn’t rank among the famous lakes of Three Wu. Even if I claimed it, what trouble would that be? How about a wager—if I ever claim Qiantang Lake, will you grant me a request?”

Xu You laughed. “Everyone has their own view. To me, Qiantang Lake will one day be renowned for millennia. As for betting—you’re so eager, it must be something difficult for me. Why would I be foolish enough to wager with you?”

He Ru wasn’t discouraged. Xu You’s caution pleased him, for no one wanted to advise a reckless brute. “No matter. I’m in no hurry. When the chance comes, we can wager again.”

“Oh? You seem determined… Very well, lest you accuse me of pettiness, I’ll give you a chance. Let’s make a wager that can be settled soon. If you win, I’ll consider your request, but I won’t promise to agree.”

“Agreed! Seventh Young Lord, what shall we wager?”

“I wager that within ten days, Qiantang Lake can become famous across Three Wu, crowned as the greatest of all lakes!”

He Ru’s face showed surprise. “Seventh Young Lord, are you sure? It’s not hard to make Qiantang Lake famous, but within ten days, to achieve that…”

Xu You replied calmly, “Not only within ten days, but I’ll also tie it to your plan to save the Zhan family. Fire rides the wind, wind feeds the fire—a two-pronged strategy!”

He Ru finally lost his composure. “Seventh Young Lord, you’ve already guessed my plan?”