20demayo Chapter 570 23 Things About Pei County
Chapter 570 23 Things About Pei County
“Master,” the butler entered quietly and said in a low voice, “Fan Kuai and Lu Wan have come again, inquiring about Master Liu’s situation, and would like to…see him.”
Lu Gong rubbed his temples: "Tell them that Ji'er's condition is as before, and a doctor is treating him regularly. The household affairs are busy, and it is inconvenient to receive many guests. Please rest assured." He needed to control the situation and not allow Liu Ji and his old brothers to have too much contact, lest any complications arise.
The steward acknowledged and withdrew. Looking at Liu Ji on the bed, Lü Gong murmured to himself, "Ji'er, oh Ji'er, when will you wake up? This world is no longer the world you knew when you were asleep..."
Fan Kuai and Lu Wan left the gate of the Lü residence with a belly full of doubts and dissatisfaction. They still needed to make a living and carefully search for a new way to survive under the Qin law.
Lu Gong continued to guard his comatose son-in-law and his family, which had become prominent because of his daughter, striving to maintain a balance between the old Chu and the new Qin.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Xianyang, in the Ministry of Rites and Literature, Empress Lü Zhi sat at her desk, carefully drafting the various rules and regulations for the next imperial examination.
She was dressed in a well-fitting Qin-style official robe, her hair neatly styled. The naivety and confusion she had shown in Pei County had long since faded from her eyes, replaced by a calm and capable demeanor, with sharp and focused eyes.
Two years ago, she fled Pei County with her two maids, Chunhua and Qiuzhu, and came to Xianyang, a desperate move born out of desperation. Unexpectedly, by chance, her abilities were appreciated by Princess Jiayang, Ying Wuyou. From assisting in the establishment of the Daqin Academy, the Women's Academy, and the Medical Academy, to participating in the imperial examination question setting and supervision, to being granted the title of "Gongcheng" for her contributions to education and culture in the "Flowers of a Hundred Professions" campaign, and finally entering the Ministry of Rites through the proper imperial examination route, every step she took was solid and swift.
For her, Ying Wuyou was not only a teacher and a friend, but also a guide who led her from one small world into a wider one. By Ying Wuyou's side, she not only learned unprecedented knowledge, but also witnessed firsthand how this princess strategized and planned for the future with a vision ahead of her time. Subtly, her perspective, character, and even ambition were greatly stimulated and reshaped.
“Lu Dianji,” an official respectfully presented a document, “This is a briefing sent by Her Highness Princess Jiayang regarding the trial implementation of the state-run ‘White Snow Salt’ and tax system reform in Hedong County. Her Highness asked you to take a look and consider the potential impact on local education and customs if this were promoted, so that it can be reflected in future policy proposals.”
Empress Lü took the document and began to read it carefully. She knew that the significance of this "Snow White Salt" went far beyond mere sustenance. She had long recognized its economic value and potential impact on the social structure.
"Your Highness, I have received the document and will study it carefully. I will submit an analysis in three days," Lü Zhi calmly instructed. She was already accustomed to this high-intensity, high-demand training. Here, her value was demonstrated through tangible political achievements, not by dependence on any man.
Occasionally, in the quiet of the night, she would think of Liu Ji, her comatose fiancé, the man her father once regarded as having the destiny of an emperor. What had become of him?
She didn't actually have much affection for Liu Ji. Their engagement was merely an arranged marriage, a matter of parental consent and matchmaker's words. She neither liked nor disliked him. However, facing someone whose fate was uncertain, she sometimes began to wonder what to do about the future.
She certainly hoped Liu Ji would wake up, since dissolving the engagement required the consent of both parties. As long as he had a breath left, there was still room for negotiation. At that time, she could easily break free from this bondage and be free forever by simply giving him some money as compensation.
But if fate plays a cruel trick and Liu Ji truly never awakens, then she will likely have no choice but to take action. As time goes by, she grows increasingly fond of the power she holds; she feels a deep love for it and wields it with ease. A useless, half-dead husband would only become a stumbling block in her path.
Empress Lü was keenly aware that her thirst for power was growing ever stronger, and she would not allow anything to hinder her ascent to the top. Even if it meant remaining unmarried for life, she would never allow Liu Ji to become a burden to her. Two years, at most two more years! If Liu Ji remained unconscious during this time, Empress Lü would not hesitate to personally eliminate this threat completely.
Time flies, and three years have passed in the blink of an eye. Lin Xi has spent three years in Pei County. Back then, he was on a mission, disguised as an ordinary merchant, and quietly sneaked into this place, where he opened a small shop selling stationery.
During this period, Lin Xi, with his exceptional wisdom and social skills, successfully forged deep friendships with Liu Ji, Fan Kuai, Lu Wan, and others. However, since Liu Ji was still in a coma, Lin Xi could not easily return to Xianyang to report back, and had to remain in Pei County, silently carrying out the task of closely monitoring Liu Ji and those who associated with him.
In fact, monitoring Liu Ji was not difficult. All it took was placing a few reliable informants in the Lü residence, disguising them as servants to infiltrate the compound. They could then keep track of everyone Liu Ji came into contact with, ensuring absolute security. In this way, no matter who approached Liu Ji, they would find it difficult to escape Lin Xi's watchful eye.
However, what truly troubled Lin Xi was another arduous task assigned to him by the princess: to find Han Xin's whereabouts. For three whole years, there had been no news of this man named Han Xin. Faced with this predicament, Lin Xi couldn't help but feel deeply helpless.
That day, Lin Xi went out to gather intelligence as usual. He sat on the second floor of a tavern, where he could see the side gate of the Lü residence. Fan Kuai's dog meat shop was also nearby, and Fan Kuai's loud voice could be heard from time to time. From this position, Lin Xi could obtain all the information about Liu Ji, Fan Kuai, and Lu Wan.
Sure enough, Lin Xi had barely sat down when she heard a faint, intermittent string of curses drifting from afar. A closer look revealed the voice to be none other than Fan Kuai's!
The shouts and curses were interspersed with the sounds of chopping meat—the sounds were as if someone was wielding an extremely sharp knife, hacking at a huge chunk of meat with all their might!
At this moment, Fan Kuai was selling dog meat cooked by himself. Although Fan Kuai usually liked to grumble and curse, he was honest and kind in business: as long as the customer wanted to buy a certain amount of dog meat, he only needed to make a light stroke of his knife to ensure that the cut meat was neither too much nor too little.
Through the gaps in the crowd, Lin Xi could vaguely make out the figure of a burly man with one arm exposed—this man was none other than Fan Kuai. Fan Kuai's muscles were taut and bulging like a writhing dragon, and he held a heavy cleaver in his hand. With each swing of the cleaver, a gust of wind whistled past. As the cleaver fell, the originally hard bones on the chopping board instantly shattered, and countless fragments shot out in all directions.