Volume 2 Chapter 37: The Moon Drunk on the Tumultuous Rack
Seeing that Yuan Xingjian didn't say anything and the atmosphere was extremely dull, Lin Jianlan could only say, "Su Shushu used both hands to write in class, and his writing was very fast. I really admire him."
Su Shushu has a cheerful personality and said, "I am often sent by my family's inspectors, so I have gained experience."
Xie Xunan stood up again and said, "Su Shushi and I are not good at drinking, but we thought that you chivalrous people might like it, so we asked someone to buy a jar of wine. But after fiddling with it for a long time, we still don't know how to open it, so we have to ask you to do it yourselves."
Lin Jianlan smiled and said, "I don't drink on weekdays, but Brother Yuan can drink quite a bit. But today, I haven't had enough to drink yet, and the store owner urged me to come and watch the fun. Watching Lord Xie's trial is really like watching a play. Brother Yuan and I thought several times that you were a corrupt official who was in cahoots with Gao Deshun, and we even thought that you might come to 'visit' at night."
Xie Xun's face flushed, and he said, "I have to apologize to you two for mentioning this matter. I stopped you from punishing Wu and Cai this morning, but unfortunately the emperor's golden medal was delivered just in time, allowing Wu Hong to escape the law."
Lin Jianlan nodded and thought to himself, "I'm afraid that as soon as he leaves Chang'an, King Liang will send 'Luansong' here, but considering his status, it's really a waste of his talent to do this job. Maybe he has other plans." Thinking of what they talked about today, he couldn't help but show a little melancholy on his face.
His silence made the atmosphere at the table even more quiet. The four of them sat around the table, no one spoke, and no one even touched the food. After a while, Su Shushu smiled and said, "Thank you, sir. The great hero and knight you always talk about is right in front of you. Why are you silent?"
Inspector Xie took the wine jar down and held it on his lap, fiddling with it, without looking up, and said, "Heroes who are chivalrous and righteous are admired by everyone, not just me. But it seems that Brother Yuan still has a grudge against me, and I am too restrained here. It is true that it is better not to meet than to invite you... Alas, I still don't know how to open this wine jar." As he spoke, his slender fingers tried hard to pry open the mouth of the jar, but it wouldn't open. He was still holding the wine jar with his face flushed, but saw a pair of big hands picked up cut it off with force. The mouth of the jar, along with the sealing mud and oil paper on it, fell to the ground with a crisp sound.
Yuan Xingjian picked up the wine jar and filled the wine cups on the table one by one. He raised his glass and said, "I am not a petty person. I just don't usually come into contact with people in official circles and I'm not good at speaking. In fact, I admire what Lord Xie did today. I'll drink first as a sign of respect." After that, he drank the wine in the glass in one gulp.
Xie Xunan looked up in surprise and saw that his expression was very sincere, and it didn't sound like he was flattering. Just as he was about to answer, he saw him smile warmly and said, "Although you call me brother, I don't even know your name."
Xie Xun'an's arm trembled and he almost spilled the wine cup on the table. He was surprised and excited, and said, "My name is Xie Zhongju. After I finish my inspection in the Jiangnan area, I will return to the capital to report Wu Hong's evil deeds in person. Even if the emperor cannot bear to hurt his life, there must be some ways to restrain him. Although I am not good at drinking, I will accompany Brother Yuan to drink to my heart's content today!" He raised the wine glass and took a sip, then drank it all in one gulp. However, like Lin Jianlan in the morning, he opened his mouth and exhaled repeatedly, fanning his lips with his hands, and his face turned red immediately.
Everyone smiled. Lin Jianlan picked up the wine and clinked it with Su Wenshu's. However, the two did not drink it all. Instead, they took a sip. The atmosphere became lively.
Seeing Xie Zhongju's resolute expression as he made his promise, Yuan Xingjian couldn't help but smile and said, "Although I want to kill them today, it seems that Brother Xie's approach is better. Dealing with them in public will firstly deter other local tycoons who rely on their power to bully others from doing evil again. Taking their lives will destroy their tyranny. Secondly, the people of the Three Wus are already extremely disappointed with the court. This move will help the court regain public opinion, which is much more useful than killing one or two traitors in private."
Xie Zhongju shook his head and said, "It is not something I can do alone to win back public opinion. After the inspection, I will submit a detailed and complete memorial. Corrupt officials should be punished, and incompetent officials should be replaced. Only when the court officials are united, stop the powerful, and strictly enforce the law, can the world be peaceful."
Yuan Xingjian said, "I see that Brother Xie seems to know a lot about Jiangnan and has a local accent. If I'm not mistaken, you are from Jiangnan, right?"
Xie Zhongju sighed, "Yes, but I have been seeking fame in Chang'an since I was young, and I haven't been back home for many years. I didn't even have time to see my father for the last time when he died. I could only read the last letter my father left for me in a foreign land. After reading the letter, I realized that Jiangnan has come to this point now. Officials are incompetent and collude with wealthy families. Many land laws are not only not enforced according to orders, but they try every means to find loopholes to annex land, which has caused the people in this prosperous land of Jiangnan to be displaced, and many people are wandering around with their children and wives."
Lin Jianlan glanced at Yuan Xingjian and saw a look of doubt in his eyes. He thought to himself, "I don't know when his father died. Not only did he not return to his hometown to observe mourning, but he became an inspector instead. This shouldn't be the case, and it's not in compliance with the laws of the court." But listening to his words, his patriotism was evident in his words, which made people respect him. So he said, "Since Mr. Xie's father mentioned the current situation in Jiangnan in his letter, he must be very worried about the country and the people."
Xie Zhongju's eyes turned red as he said, "My father was not successful in his life. He failed several exams and ended up being a teacher in the countryside. He placed all his life's wishes on me. Therefore, even if I have to die to serve my country, I will..." But Yuan Xingjian interrupted him and said, "Only when you are still alive can you serve your country. Why do you talk about death so easily?"
Lin Jianlan was a little surprised to hear his unhappy voice. Seeing that his brows were tightly furrowed and he looked a little worried, he asked, "Brother Yuan, what do you mean by 'again'?"
Yuan Xingjian said in a deep voice, "If the seal in your hand is lost, I will apologize in front of the hall. I will never be humiliated by such a petty thief. If they snatch the seal, they will never pay attention to you again. They will escape in the chaos and tell His Majesty what happened today."
Xie Zhongju and Su Wenshu were immediately surprised. Su Wenshu opened his mouth wide and stared at Yuan Xingjian in a daze. After a while, Xie Zhongju lowered his head and whispered, "So that's how it is. Brother Yuan is a master of martial arts, so his hearing and vision are naturally outstanding. I guess Brother Yuan must have settled the chaos for me."
When Lin Jianlan heard this, he remembered that when he was watching the battle on the rooftop, Yuan Xingjian's expression changed drastically after he saw Xie Zhongju and Su Wenshu whispering. It turned out that he heard the conversation between the two in the noise, and realized that Xie Zhongju wanted to die to prove his integrity, so he was so angry that he killed someone. But he felt it was too much. He didn't know why Yuan Xingjian was so concerned about the life of a government official since he was already a bandit.
Xie Zhongju said calmly, "When things come to a point of no return, one can only sacrifice one's life for justice. However, different things are worth sacrificing one's life for. Just like when Zhou Xing was exiled, he hired several people from the Imperial Guards and Jianghu to escort him. There were so many experts, but he was still killed. I heard that the knight himself had to fight his way out of death before he succeeded. He knew that his life was hanging by a thread, but he was determined to kill this evil villain who was hated by the world. If it is as Brother Yuan said, should he cherish his own life and let Zhou Xing go?"
Yuan Xingjian was speechless, his face became solemn, and after a moment he sighed, "Thank you, brother, please don't talk about these old things. You have a sincere heart and aspiration to repay your master, and I can only admire you, nothing else."
Lin Jianlan said: "Zhou Xing was exiled, but the people and loyal officials were still afraid that he would regain favor and make a comeback. On that day, he was killed by that righteous man on the Lingnan Road. Although he was praised by the world, he regarded this false reputation as a floating cloud and disappeared without a trace. It is really admirable."
Su Wenshu clapped his hands and said, "Yes, every time my inspector mentioned this righteous man, he would tell me that if all officials in the world were as chivalrous and courageous as him, there would be no need to worry about a peaceful and prosperous world."
The four of them drank and chatted. Xie Zhongju was drunk and just supported his cheek with one hand while gently waving a folding fan. Although he hadn't drunk for a long time, the drunkenness on his face still seemed to have not subsided. Su Wenshu only drank a little and had already brewed a pot of strong tea and put it on the table. Lin Jianlan, however, always felt uneasy and mostly listened silently, taking a sip from time to time. The wine jar had been moved to his side by Yuan Xingjian and replaced with a large bowl. It seemed that he was also worried about something.
The moonlight was shining outside the window, reflecting on the rosewood frame. The fragrance of flowers was overwhelming, and the sound of night insects chirping could be heard occasionally. Su Wenshu helped Xie Zhongju up and walked to the window. The place near the window was quite cool, and there was a breeze from time to time. After a while, Xie Zhongju shook his head at Su Wenshu, and Su Wenshu let go of his hand and returned to his seat. Lin Jianlan was also staring out the window in a daze. Seeing Xie Zhongju turned around, he said, "Brother Yuan, do you know why I invited you today?"
Lin Jianlan's heart skipped a beat and he looked at Yuan Xingjian in a daze. He saw him put down the wine bowl, smiled at Xie Zhongju and said, "Master Xie, did you invite me just out of curiosity to see a famous figure like me? 'God has his own way, and ordinary people cannot replace it.' Isn't that what you said to me?" Since the address was changed back to "Master Xie", the voice became much colder.
Xie Zhongju was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly and said, "Brother Yuan, do you think I'm curious? I really admire you."
Yuan Xingjian laughed and said, "If that's the case, don't be so fussy and just say what you want to say."
Xie Zhongju said, "If that's the case, I'll just speak frankly." Su Shushu was extremely anxious and winked at him. He gritted his teeth and said loudly, "If the Celestial Empire's army is going to Jiangnan soon, what are your plans, Brother Yuan?"
After hearing this, Lin Jianlan and Yuan Xingjian were both shocked. Su Wenshu sighed heavily and lowered his head helplessly. Yuan Xingjian forced out a cold smile and said, "Why did Lord Xie ask me? The failure of Heaven has brought Jiangnan to this point today. I am an ordinary person and do not want to replace anything. Although there is no arable land in Taihu Lake, I have done my best to ensure that the hungry have food. Who dares to stop the power of the Celestial Empire? At worst, the Taihu Lake area will be reduced to dust."
Although he spoke calmly, his hands were tightly grasping his clothes under the table. Xie Zhongju's face flushed, and he murmured, "Brother Yuan, do you really think so? The army has arrived here, and the people are suffering. You are so powerful in martial arts, so you can definitely deal with the government troops. Aren't those civilians pitiful?"
Su Wenshu quickly scolded: "For such a confidential matter, my inspector has no intention of getting close to you. First, it is because I love the people, and second, I have always admired you and believed that you are a gentleman who helps the weak. I didn't expect that you..."
But Xie Zhongju waved his hand to stop him and said, "Su Shushu, please stop talking. Brother Yuan has his own difficulties. Besides, I have only been in Suzhou for one day, so it is inevitable that I cannot win people's trust. It is late today, and I still have to make a list of the silver and distribute it. I am sorry that I cannot stay with you two for long. Turn right when you go out and you will find the wing rooms. I have arranged accommodation for you two. Please don't be disgusted."
After saying that, he put away his folding fan, bowed deeply, and walked out slowly with Su Wenshu. When they reached the door, they hesitated for a moment, then turned back and said, "Brother Yuan, your identity has long been no secret, but you are not on the wanted list of the Yukou Division. Do you know why?" But he did not answer, and left the flower hall one after another with Su Wenshu. The room suddenly fell silent.
Lin Jianlan didn't know what Xie Zhongju meant. He looked at Yuan Xingjian, but saw him shaking the jar, which was already empty. He frowned and said, "Brother Lin, you didn't drink enough during the day, and it's the same at night. It's really uncomfortable. Let's go out and drink a few more jars!" After that, he grabbed Lin Jianlan's wrist, like an iron clamp, and dragged him out of the government office. There were only two yamen runners guarding the door. They must have been taken care of by Xie Zhongju, so they were not surprised. Instead, they said, "Don't be too late, two gentlemen. I'll leave a back door for you."
The two of them found a tavern and sat down. They ordered a jar of wine and a few side dishes. Lin Jianlan couldn't eat or drink. Seeing Yuan Xingjian drinking several bowls of wine, he was already drunk. He thought to himself, "Brother Yuan should be able to drink quite well. How come he is already a little drunk after drinking less than a jar of wine?" Then he heard Yuan Xingjian say, "Are you wondering why I got drunk so quickly?"
Lin Jianlan asked: "Yuan, Brother Yuan?"
Yuan Xingjian smiled and said, "I have a problem with drinking. If I'm happy, I can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk. But if it's like today, I can't drink more than one or two jars."
Lin Jianlan said, "Brother Yuan, are you unhappy about anything today? Although Inspector Xie stopped us from getting rid of the evil, you said it yourself, and the handling of it would have been much better."
Yuan Xingjian leaned against the window and said, "I am not angry with him. He... really impressed me. I have never seen an official like him."
Lin Jianlan thought to himself, "Brother Yuan once said that he had no contact with the government, so how come he seems to have met many officials?"
But Yuan Xingjian drank another full bowl of wine, leaned on the table, and murmured: "I am not a righteous man, not a knight... I am not doing this for the people of the world, I am just... for myself..."
