Chapter 122: My Story Written in History

In the city gate cave, Zhang Zhuo stands with his horse. He looks towards Chen Ji, his eyes bright and full of spirit, "Do you have a way to find the Liu family people? If you can find them, this official... this official..."

Zhang Zhuo originally wanted to say, "This official will ensure you gain merit and get promoted." But upon second thought, Chen Ji is an inner court person. Even with great power, he cannot give Chen Ji an official position or advance his rank. He thinks for a moment and says, "Today, my black gauze hat was only saved because of you. If you can find these people again, this official owes you a huge favor. In the future, if you encounter difficulties or need something, as long as this official can do it, I will absolutely not refuse."

Chen Ji doubts, "No additional conditions? For example, 'cannot violate principles'?"

Zhang Zhuo smiles and pats Chen Ji's shoulder, "Rest assured, this official has no principles."

Chen Ji: ...

Zhang Zhuo smooths the wrinkles on his official robe, his eyes bright and full of spirit as he looks towards Chen Ji, "Tell me, what method do you have to find them?"

Chen Ji looks towards the dark mass of disaster victims and softly says, "They will reveal themselves."

At this moment, a dusty and travel-worn carriage drives over from inside the city, accompanied by over a hundred yamen runners.

Zhang Zhuo subconsciously glances at Chen Ji and casually says, "This is the carriage of Chen Liqin, the Assistant Magistrate of Luocheng. Presumably, he just heard about the rebellion and hurried over despite the danger. *Cough*... Although our Assistant Magistrate is a bit pedantic, he is also a rare upright gentleman in the official field."

Speaking to this point, Zhang Zhuo changes the topic and proudly says, "Of course, compared to me, Master Chen is still far behind. At least I am more easygoing!"

The carriage drives closer.

Before the carriage even comes to a complete stop, Chen Liqin lifts the curtain, takes a kill-power stick from a yamen runner, and walks over with great momentum, "Master Zhang, how is the situation now?"

Zhang Zhuo teases, "Master Chen, if we waited for you to help at this time, perhaps several thousand households in Luocheng would have already suffered calamity."

Chen Liqin's expression falters, "Last night, after drinking wine at the Lu Ming banquet, I went to bed early. I..."

Zhang Zhuo smiles and waves his hand, "No harm, no harm. The rebellion has been temporarily quelled. Master Chen, there's no need to blame yourself. Later, Master Chen can oversee the overall porridge distribution."

Chen Liqin lets out a breath.

Zhang Zhuo sizes up Chen Liqin, "Master Chen, where have you come from?"

Chen Liqin's face sinks, "Today is the attendance day at Zhi Xing Academy. I sent Wen Zong and Wen Xiao there early. It was also a good opportunity to visit Mister Wang and ask him to discipline my sons more strictly. Who would have thought that on the first day of entering the academy, that boy Chen Ji would make me lose face completely."

Zhang Zhuo is startled and subconsciously wants to glance at Chen Ji, but he forcefully restrains himself.

Today is Chen Ji's enrollment day.

Wang Dao Sheng's rule is to be there by Mao time, but it is now already a quarter past Mao time.

Yet, he hears Chen Liqin continue, "Master Zhang, yesterday you still said Chen Ji promised Jing Wang. At that time, I thought as long as he could study wholeheartedly, the rest didn't matter. But this child is simply stubborn and untrainable, beyond help."

Zhang Zhuo's mouth hangs open, and he doesn't speak for a long time.

After a while, he hesitates, "Could that boy Chen Ji have more important matters?"

Chen Liqin sneers, "What more important matters? I originally thought he was overslept, and that could be forgiven. After all, it's understandable for young people to be fond of play and sleep. But I still specifically went to the medical hall once, only to find he wasn't there at all."

"Did Yao Imperial Physician not say where he went?"

Chen Liqin says with increasing anger, "Yao Imperial Physician is unwilling to say, and his two senior brothers are also unwilling to say. But presumably, this child went to the gambling house again and didn't return all night. He talks about washing his heart and reforming, but I see he's a dog that can't change its habit of eating shit."

Zhang Zhuo sees him speaking more and more unpleasantly and immediately feels some anger, "As a father, why do you always suspect your own child? When someone initially said Chen Ji was a gambler, did you seriously investigate?"

Chen Liqin doesn't understand, "With IOUs written in black and white from the gambling house coming to my door, can it still be fake?"

Zhang Zhuo's eyes widen, "So, you believed it just by seeing the IOUs? If someone slandered my family's child, I would have to pursue the matter thoroughly until the truth is revealed. Master Chen, it's a good thing you are the Assistant Magistrate and not the Circuit Intendant, otherwise how many wrongful cases would there have been in the Luocheng government office over the years?"

Chen Liqin glares angrily, "You..."

A voice interrupts their argument, "Two adults, how about we discuss the important matters first?"

This voice is as calm as a basin of cold water poured over their heads.

Zhang Zhuo turns his head.

He sees Chen Ji still wearing his bamboo hat, covering his face. Only a pair of eyes are visible, without ripples.

He is somewhat worried but doesn't know what to say to comfort him.

However, Chen Ji only analyzes, "Two adults, quickly arrange the porridge distribution matter. Not only might delaying it longer cause more incidents, but I observe those people, and they are indeed at the point of exhaustion. If they don't eat again, I fear they cannot hold on."

For some reason, Zhang Zhuo suddenly has a feeling in his heart that this medical hall apprentice has truly cut off all ties with the Chen family.

Like a wild grass on the wilderness, no matter where it comes from, no matter where it goes, it grows wantonly.

But the other party's actions in standing out last night were like a heavy rain in August, majestic and powerful.

Chen Liqin looks towards Chen Ji, "This one is?"

Zhang Zhuo points to Chen Ji, "Quelling the rebellion was mostly thanks to this colleague from the secret spy office. Despite his young age, he has the style of a great general."

Chen Liqin, in his red official robe, examines Chen Ji up and down, and slightly frowns, "Secret spy office?"

Zhang Zhuo says somewhat ill-humoredly, "Master Chen, you really should thank him properly. If it weren't for him alone outside the city as a hostage delaying the disaster victims last night, neither you nor I would have kept our black gauze hats."

Chen Liqin calmly says, "This official will not associate with the eunuch party just because they occasionally do a good deed. Master Zhang, this humble official advises you to also stay away from the eunuch party."

Zhang Zhuo laughs in anger, "Master Chen, you will sooner or later suffer a great fall because of your pedantry."

Saying so, he turns his body and waves his hand to call the government office yamen runners, "What are you all standing around for? Quickly borrow iron pots from nearby people's homes to boil porridge."

Sixteen large iron pots are set up outside the city. White rice porridge in the pots bubbles, releasing a thick fragrance. The disaster victims crane their necks one by one, standing on tiptoe to look over.

But in front of the porridge shed, they are blocked by a row of yamen runners tightly holding hands, so nothing can be seen.

Behind the human wall, Chen Liqin patrols each pot.

He holds up the long sleeve of his official robe with his left hand, and with his right hand, he inserts a chopstick into the thick porridge until he is sure it doesn't fall over before he is satisfied.

Zhang Zhuo purses his mouth, "Master Chen, it's good enough for these disaster victims to have a mouthful of thin porridge. Why are you still talking about rules like chopsticks not falling and towels wrapped without leaks at this time?"

Chen Liqin solemnly says, "Master Zhang, chopsticks not falling and two meals a day are the iron rules for porridge distribution by the court. You and I serve the court and naturally must obey. Without rules, there is no order. If everyone doesn't follow the rules, the powerful will benefit in the end, and only the people will be harmed."

"Isn't your Chen family powerful?"

Zhang Zhuo mocks, "Do you know that if you distribute porridge this way, the grain in Luocheng can only last for at most two weeks? After two weeks, what will they eat and drink? If you are truly capable, then according to the law, reclaim all the aristocratic families' fields and distribute them to the people. At that time, why would the people need you to distribute porridge?"

Chen Liqin waves his hand, "Master Zhang, when it comes to sophistry, I am not as good as you. I only do things according to rules and the law."

While the two are arguing, they see Chen Ji carrying a bag of sand and soil back and grabbing a handful of sand to throw into the pot.

"What are you doing?"

Chen Liqin grabs Chen Ji's wrist and glares angrily, "This is porridge being boiled for the disaster victims. You are throwing sand into it, aren't you deliberately humiliating people?"

Chen Ji lifts his head, glances at him, and without a word, struggles his wrist free to continue throwing sand into the pot.

But Chen Liqin angrily shouts, "Come on, block him for me."

Several yamen runners with kill-power sticks block in front of Chen Ji.

Jin Zhu then leads the secret spies to block in front of Chen Ji, smiling, "What are you doing? We just saved the two adults' black gauze hats, and the two adults are greeting us with kill-power sticks?"

Chen Liqin says with anger, "Furthermore, putting aside the matter of black gauze hats or not, these disaster victims are already miserable enough. Why still mix sand in the porridge to humiliate them?"

Jin Zhu hesitates for a moment and turns his head to look at Chen Ji.

Chen Ji explains, "There are dead men from the Liu family mixed among these disaster victims. If we don't find them out, a rebellion will happen again sooner or later. But there are so many disaster victims, and from the outside, it's impossible to distinguish who is a disaster victim and who is a dead man."

"What does this have to do with you mixing sand?"

Chen Ji carries the hemp bag and grabs out a handful of sand, saying, "Those disaster victims have even gnawed on tree bark until it's bare. How could they care if there is sand in the porridge or not? But those dead men are different. They are not hungry, so they will be especially bothered by the sand in the porridge. Perhaps they will even actively reveal themselves, taking the opportunity to incite another rebellion."

Chen Liqin shakes his head, "This act does not conform to the laws of Da Ning. Distributing porridge is distributing porridge. We cannot break the rules. Moreover, if the disaster victims think that the court officials are mixing sand in the grain to embezzle disaster relief grain, then we won't be able to explain ourselves."

Chen Ji sees him insist and throws the hemp bag aside, "Then there is still one method. There are many large-leaf hollies on the roadside in Luocheng. Have the yamen runners gather them and throw them into the pot to increase the bitterness of the white porridge."

"When people are extremely hungry, the brain's arcuate nucleus and lateral region neurons are especially active. At this time, human sensitivity to sweetness increases, and tolerance to bitter and sour tastes strengthens. This is also the reason why all people feel food is more fragrant when they are hungry. So, adding large-leaf holly to enhance bitterness is also a method. But it is not as direct and effective as adding sand."

Chen Ji looks towards Zhang Zhuo, "Master Zhang, have the yamen runners go pick large-leaf holly."

But Zhang Zhuo considers for a moment, yet directly takes the trouble, handful after handful grabbing sand and soil and throwing it into the pot, "What dog fart rules? If we wait until now to pick large-leaf holly, when will we be finished? Those who achieve great things do not stick to trifles. If a problem arises, I alone will bear it."

Chen Liqin flings his sleeve and stands to the side, "Master Zhang indeed has boldness, but by not cherishing your reputation like this, how do you know how history books will criticize you?"

In front of the large pot, Zhang Zhuo's hand throwing sand suddenly stops.

After several breaths, he again grabs a handful of sand and throws it into the pot, and picks up a kill-power stick to stir the white porridge in the pot, "Let history books write about me however they want. This Zhang has no regrets in his heart!"

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