TTTQF Chapter 141

Stash of Private Money

“…It's a common occurrence now; every year, it collapses a few times. In the first couple of years, many people die when it starts collapsing. All of a sudden, stones and dirt from above come crashing down, burying people underneath. By the time we try to rescue them, they’ve already passed away.”

An elderly man with a graying beard says this while weaving a bamboo basket. His hands, dark and strong, handle the bamboo strips with ease, threading the scattered bamboo pieces on the ground into a finely crafted basket in no time.

Jiang Miao and his group sit under the dripping eaves, watching his movements as they listen. Even Xiao Bai is similarly intrigued, its big cat eyes wide open. Occasionally, its front paws twitch, as if it wants to play with the bamboo itself.

“In recent years, people have wised up. During the rainy season, they avoid this area, so they don’t lose their lives for nothing.” The old man sighs. When there were more merchants, his baskets sold well, but as fewer people came by, his business slowly declined.

“Uncle,” Jiang Miao asks, “from what you’re saying, this mountain path didn’t always collapse, right? When did it start?”

The elderly man pauses, thinks for a moment, and then replies firmly, “Seven years ago. Before that, it never collapsed. Then one day, seven years back, out of nowhere during heavy rain, it just gave way.”

He remembers that day clearly. The rain is so heavy it stings his skin, and he can barely keep his eyes open. He’s just returned from draining the fields when he hears the village head banging a gong, saying the main road several miles away has been buried and that there are people trapped underneath. The head calls for the strong men in the village to bring tools, ready to see if they can rescue anyone once the rain stops.

Summer storms come swiftly and fiercely, but they pass just as quickly. In less than half an hour, the rain clears. They grab their gear and rush over, and after a lot of effort digging into one corner, they are stunned by the scene before them. Beneath, both people and horses are frozen in expressions of terror, some of the people still posed as they had been when they were buried alive. The sight is heart-wrenching.

“Have there ever been earthquakes here?” Jiang Miao asks.

"Earthquakes?" The old man thinks for a moment before realizing, "Ah, you mean when the 'Earth Dragon turns over'? No, we’re under the protection of the local land god. There’s never been an Earth Dragon disturbance here."

No earthquakes, no volcanoes within Daliang’s borders, and nowhere near the sea—what kind of intense tremor could cause the mountain to collapse like this? Could it really have just been the rain that washed down all the dirt and rocks? Jiang Miao can’t make sense of it.

Pei Che also frowns, though his concerns lie more with how to manage this area going forward, as the territory beyond the boundary marker ahead is under the jurisdiction of Cangzhou.

Apart from the three from the first rank, Pei Che ranks eighth in the second rank and is granted the title of jinshi. Since ancient times, there’s been a saying that only jinshi could enter the Hanlin Academy, underscoring the higher prestige of the jinshi over those titled tongjinshi. When a jinshi takes a local post, they naturally don’t start as a county magistrate like a tongjinshi would; instead, Pei Che is appointed as the prefect of Cangzhou.

Cangzhou, like Suizhou and Ruizhou, is part of Chengtian Prefecture, under the oversight of its prefect. Generally, the prefect doesn’t interfere much in local affairs unless something significant occurs, in which case he would send someone to inspect. In other words, Pei Che holds the top position in Cangzhou.

In theory, a prefect holds a fifth-rank official title, while the zhuangyuan (the top jinshi candidate) appointed to the Hanlin Academy is only sixth-rank. Why, then, would an ordinary jinshi outrank the zhuangyuan by one level? This reflects the difference between serving at the emperor’s side and serving in a remote region.

Although the three top-ranked jinshi enter the Hanlin Academy with modest titles, their prospects are boundless; when the time is right, they can rise swiftly, reaching the heart of power. Officials in remote areas, on the other hand, are unlikely to advance far. Without connections in the capital, they could end up stuck there for a lifetime. The higher rank is just a form of consolation. Only poor regions have vacancies for the fifth rank; in prosperous areas, even a county magistrate’s position is fiercely coveted.

Of course, Pei Che's status is different, so he doesn’t have to worry about whether he can be transferred back to the capital in the future. He simply wants to accomplish this task well through his own abilities.

…

“It’s been three days now, and the rain stopped yesterday, so why is there still no movement over there?” Jiang Miao asks, puzzled.

They’ve been staying here for two or three days. The first day, it’s still raining; it stopped yesterday, but now it’s already afternoon, and no one’s come to clear the road. This is the official road—aren’t they worried that a blocked path could delay important government matters?

“They probably aren’t planning to clear it anytime soon,” Pei Che replies.

“Why not? Could it benefit them somehow to leave the road blocked?” Jiang Miao, longing for a modern excavator, thinks that with one, this path could be cleared in no time.

“Well, it doesn’t hurt them, either,” Pei Che replies. “Although vehicles can’t pass, a single rider on horseback can still navigate the edge. This way, government business won’t be delayed, and they can make those in a hurry pay for clearing the road themselves, saving manpower and resources.”

Jiang Miao is stunned for a moment before he finally manages to mutter three words: “Shameless, indeed!” As someone who’ll have to pay to clear the road himself, Jiang Miao finds these unseen officials of Cangzhou thoroughly detestable.

“Don’t get upset. This stretch of road isn’t long, so it won’t cost much. I’ve already instructed someone to take care of it,” Pei Che says, knowing full well that Jiang Miao tends to get “worked up when it comes to money.”

“It may not cost much, but just thinking about the government’s lack of action really gets me mad!” Jiang Miao offers up a convenient excuse, though it’s not like he’s actually worried about the money!

"Wait a minute, didn’t you say last time that you handed over all your money for me to manage? So you actually kept a stash on the side?" Jiang Miao looks at Pei Che with a “you little liar” expression.

Pei Che doesn’t expect the heat to turn on him. He blames himself for going overboard last time just to please Jiang Miao—if he had known, he wouldn’t have said so much!

“Here’s the thing… I normally don’t carry any money on me; it’s always kept with the others. When I give the order today, they simply take whatever is left over from before—no secret stash involved!” Pei Che racks his brain for a plausible excuse, hoping to convince Jiang Miao.

Jiang Miao gives him a skeptical look, staring into Pei Che’s eyes that are doing their best to radiate sincerity. Remembering the time at the lantern festival when Pei Che hadn’t even had thirty wen to buy a lantern, he reluctantly accepts the explanation.

“Fine, let’s just write off whatever is left from before. It’s been so long; we’ll consider it theirs now. If we want people to do things for us, we can’t be too stingy. Here, take this silver and give it to them later.” Jiang Miao goes back to his room, brings out two taels of silver, thinks it over, and then returns with a few more loose pieces to make sure the payment is sufficient. After a few days here, he has a good sense of the local wages, and this amount should be just right.

Pei Che loves watching his frugal little habits—it makes life feel especially genuine. As long as they are together, he can find joy even in the small, everyday things like rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and tea.

Jiang Miao, on the other hand, feels no happiness, still mourning the unnecessary expense.

In the end, the money is well spent. With payment settled, the road is cleared in just a day and a half.

As the carriage passes through the landslide-prone section, Jiang Miao remains on high alert, fearing rocks or debris might suddenly roll down and hit the carriage. Only once they are safely past does he finally relax.

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