Why Does Mr. Xie Favor Me? Chapter 33

Chapter 33 Green Lantern and Yellow Scroll

I worked overtime to write the plan, but the students thought it was too slow

The bamboos in the back garden of Xie’s residence were rubbed by the night wind, making a continuous rustling sound as they passed through the corridor and fluttered Xie Heng’s untied belt.

He was wearing a plain white brocade robe, and the dark cloak he wore didn’t even notice it slipping off his shoulders.His face looked extremely pale under the candlelight, and there were two thick blue shadows under his eyes.

He put down his pen, took a delicate bamboo stick, and held his breath to pick apart the two pages of the manuscript that were stuck together with blood stains.The paper is extremely brittle and will break if touched slightly.The handwriting written with charcoal scraps was blurred and difficult to read in some places after being stained by the humidity and blood of the prison.

He had to move the lamp closer, almost touching the paper, before he could read out intermittently: “The disadvantages of the overseas counties are that the land properties are unknown and the household registration is chaotic. The generals take the opportunity to hide the population and compete with the natives for profits. If within three years, the hidden land acres are cleared first, and then the household registration of the refugees is compiled, and then taxes and corvee are adjusted accordingly, the effect of stabilizing the land and the people can gradually be achieved…”

After reading this, he sighed heavily, picked up his pen and wrote in neat small letters next to it, “This policy has insight into the crux of the problem, but if it is implemented too hastily, it may lead to radical changes. We can first choose three pilot locations in Xu and Yanjiu Qiaojun where the refugees are concentrated and the conflicts have eased. The detailed rules need to be drafted in detail and mapped out slowly to observe the reactions of all parties.”

After writing the annotation, he was not relaxed and turned his eyes to the newly spread Xuelangxuan next to him.The six words “Ten Discussions on Gradual Earth Breaking” on the paper have just begun to dry, but they show a cautious heaviness through the back of the paper.The first discussion, “On the Order of Priorities,” has just been completed.He stared at the word “Xuan”, but his mind wandered far away.

How slow is it to be considered as letting down the sparks that Yuan Wuyou risked his life to light up?

Every drop of blood on the manuscript seemed to be burning his hesitation.How anxious can you be to shake the intertwined interests of a family without triggering a full-scale counterattack, overturning all efforts in an instant, and causing more young people like Yuan Wuyou to sacrifice in vain?

He took a deep breath, got rid of distracting thoughts, and continued to write under the “Order of Urgency”: “Husband’s reform is like controlling floods. Gun blocked and collapsed, but Yu Shu was safe. Therefore, it is better to implement government orders hastily than slowly. However, slowness is not impossible. There should be definite strategies, steps,Time limit.If the disease is serious, the medicine will be delayed.If the disease is mild, the medicine will be strong, which will only damage the vitality.The current discussion should be based on ten years and be carried out in three phases. The goals of each phase must be clear and there is room for advancement and retreat…”

“Master, it’s the third watch.” Uncle Cheng’s voice sounded softly at the door. He was holding a cup of steaming ginseng soup and silently placed his steps on the edge of the table without disturbing the sea of ink.

Xie Heng did not raise his head, his eyes were still glued to the paper, but he suddenly asked: “Uncle Cheng, when Wuyou wrote these words, did you ever think that they would become his talisman?”

Uncle Cheng stood with his hands lowered, his gray eyebrows trembling in the dim light.After a long silence, he said in a low voice, “Yuan Langjun is a sensible person. In my humble opinion, I know that he can’t do it, but he does it.”

“Knowing that you can’t do it, you do it…” Xie Heng repeated in a low voice, with a very faint bitter smile on his lips, which looked particularly tired on his pale face, “What about me? What I am doing at the desk now, am I seeking something that can be done, or am I trying to avoid a danger that cannot be done?”

Uncle Cheng opened his mouth, but didn’t say anything. In the end, it just turned into a softer sigh: “I don’t understand these big principles. I only know that Master Lang, you haven’t closed your eyes for two whole days.”

Xie Heng did not respond, but stood up silently, walked slowly to the window, and opened the window facing the tributary of the Qinhuai River.The dreary room was suddenly filled with the gentle afternoon wind.

On the bank of a secluded tributary of the Qinhuai River, the pines and flags of Song Tao House are half-worn, swaying lazily in the afternoon breeze.In the private room facing the river on the second floor, when you open the window, you can see the turbid river water and the low houses on the other side.

Hanging on the wall is a faded “Picture of Fishing Alone on the Cold River”, which a group of cash-strapped students from poor families pooled their money together to buy it for decoration a few years ago.

The spicy taste of bad alcohol in the air mixed with the smell of fried beans, creating a typical atmosphere of social interaction between humble people.

Bai Ce sat in the main seat, his thin face flushed abnormally with excitement.He was a native of Wu County, and his parents died young. He was able to gain a foothold in Guzang Imperial College thanks to the meager support from his clan and many financial aids from Yuan Wuyou during his lifetime.

Far from worrying about him, he is both a teacher and a friend, and he is also a spiritual banner.Next to him was Li Yun, a descendant of Yuzhou refugees with an impatient personality, Yu Wenyuan, who was older and more cautious, and five or six other young students with simple clothes and good looks.

“Bang!” Li Yun slammed the earthenware wine bowl on the table, and the wine spilled, “Have you all heard? The day before yesterday at the Lao Shizi Poetry Party, Wang Xinlu, the little girl, said in front of so many people that some children from poor families dare to discuss the pros and cons of government affairs without even being able to distinguish between the elegant and the minor in the Book of Songs?”

The blue veins on his neck bulged, “Bah! How many of those rare books in her Wang family’s library were written by our poor ancestors, and were taken away by them, and now they use them to ridicule us.”

The conversation quickly ignited, but soon the flames burned towards another person they once looked up to.

“That’s enough.” Bai Ce suddenly shouted, his knuckles turning white as he clenched the wine glass, but his voice trembled due to suppression, “The Wang family is so arrogant, it doesn’t happen in a day. The person who chills me the most is Mr. Xie.”

Bai Ce looked around his companions, with undisguised disappointment and pain in his eyes: “Brother Yuan died so tragically? The bones are not yet cold, and the blood is probably not yet cold, but what is Mr. Xie doing? Thanking guests behind closed doors! What about studying manuscripts and drafting new strategies…”

He sneered, with a thick nasal voice, “But I’ve asked, what does his “Ten Discussions on Gradual Earth Judgment” mean when you read it in its entirety? It’s about slowing down, it’s about gradualness, it’s about compromise and reconciliation. The cry that Brother Yuan paid for with his life has become a smooth and comprehensive official article in his writing.”

Yu Wenyuan sighed and tried to calm down, “Brother Bai Xian, you can’t say that. Mr. Xie is in that position, and his whole body can be affected by a single move. Maybe he has difficulties and deep intentions.”

Bai Ce interrupted him abruptly, his eyes slightly red, “Brother Wen Yuan, do you still remember what Brother Yuan shouted before he was executed?”

His voice became louder and louder, attracting vague glances from the neighbors, “When we are all like Brother Yuan, being put on the execution ground and killed at the neck, will the overall situation be taken into consideration?”

“Well said!” Li Yun jumped up and said excitedly, “Xie Gong is waiting for his opportunity, and we want our justice. The opportunity may come, but justice will not fall from the sky on its own. In my opinion, we jointly submit a letter to the imperial court, requesting the court to immediately restart the investigation of Yuanxiong’s case, severely punish the Wang family who framed Zhongliang, and immediately implement a comprehensive and thorough settlement. We cannot let them delay it any longer.”

Some people were incited by this radical proposal, their blood surged, and they said yes again and again.Some people showed hesitation and whispered: “But didn’t Mr. Xie hint before that this is not the best time, and acting rashly may bring disaster.”

Bai Ce stood up, his posture upright, with a martyr-like determination, “What Mr. Xie is waiting for is the time for the noble family to make concessions, the time for the emperor to make up his mind. But we, the poor people, have nothing to lose? Apart from this life, apart from this trivial clearing of our name, what we want to fight for is justice that we need now, and there cannot be another Yuan Wuyou.”

His eyes swept over every young face: “Three days later, we will post the “Hanshibian” in front of the Imperial College, and openly tell the world our reasons, our grievances, and our appeals. Those who are willing to follow me, please leave your name!”

In the private room, heavy breathing intertwined, and the young eyes flashed with anger, fear, and ignited light.The faded “Fishing Alone on the Cold River” hangs quietly on the wall. The loneliness of the person in the painting seems to be in strange contrast to the restlessness in the room.

In the General’s Mansion, Xiao Jue was sitting on a stone bench in the courtyard. His left arm was a little sluggish in movement. Although the muscles and bones were not injured, it would take some time to heal.He was not wearing any armor, only a light-colored uniform with narrow sleeves, and the bandage on his right arm was vaguely exposed from the cuff.

There was a pot of crude tea on the stone table in front of him. He sipped it slowly while looking at the scattered lights that gradually lit up outside the courtyard wall.

There was a rhythmic tapping at the corner door, and then Uncle Cheng’s figure flashed in, holding a green cloth bundle in his hand.

“General Xiao.” Uncle Cheng saluted respectfully.

“Uncle Cheng, there’s no need to be polite.” Xiao Jue raised his hand to signal him to sit down, his eyes falling on the baggage he brought, “Did Xie Pushe ask you to come?”

“Yes. Master Lang ordered the old slave to send some good gold medicine for sores, and this.” Uncle Cheng unpacked the baggage. In addition to a few porcelain bottles, there was also a volume of handwritten pages. “Master Lang personally excerpted this from “Emergency Prescriptions”. It talks about the post-treatment and recovery of sword and arrow wounds. He asked the general to read it carefully.”

Xiao Jue took it and looked at it carefully. The handwriting on the page was neat and it was Xie Heng’s own handwriting.He looked at it silently for a while, carefully folded it and put it away.

“I’m interested.” He paused and asked, “How is he?”

Uncle Cheng’s face became more worried, and he sighed, “I didn’t eat or sleep, and spent all day and night writing those opinions on Yuanlang Jun’s manuscript. The crowd’s eyes narrowed again. The young scholars outside who used to admire him are now speaking more and more unpleasantly. When the old slave listened, he felt in his heart…”

Xiao Jue’s thick black eyebrows furrowed, and he tapped his knuckles on the stone table twice, making a dull sound, “Go and answer him,”His voice was low, “Just say: The arrow is on the string, but it is not fired. It is not cowardice, but a sure hit. Let him take care of himself. I left him a jar of buttermilk newly sent from the border to nourish his stomach. I am still waiting for him to free up and finish the remaining game of chess with me in the study.”

Uncle Cheng nodded and took note.

Xiao Jue looked at the darkening sky, as if he could see through the many houses and see the angry young faces in the wine shop.After a moment of silence, he then said: “If those young people really have nowhere to show their passion, they might as well come and have a look at our army. On the northern border, in the forts, there are many soldiers from poor families. They shed as much blood as any children from aristocratic families, but they understood one truth earlier: they can’t defeat the Hulu’s cavalry with their passion alone, and they can’t change the rules of this Guzang city. Some battles have to be endured, and some rounds have to wait.”

Having said this, he said no more. Uncle Cheng bowed deeply and retreated as quietly as he had come.

[The author has something to say]

After coding for a whole night, it burned out [changed]

But as I thought about it, my head felt empty.

Hey, don’t tell, don’t tell