Daming: Internship also counts as work experience

Chapter 142 Acquaintance
Xu Gong, however, seemed wide awake. He pulled Jia Chuan to sit at the table, and a miraculous scene unfolded. Jia Chuan felt as if he were hallucinating, and steaming hot food appeared on the table in a short while.

"Eat quickly. You've really worked hard these past few days. I've only been here for a little over a day... and I've brought so many people with me. How did you manage those nights? I've already secretly informed the Emperor about this. You've really had a tough time..."

Jia Chuan wanted to say that he had only stayed overnight, but his cravings were too impatient and he didn't have time to explain.

"After you finish eating, they will take you to rest and get a good night's sleep. Chen Moli should arrive tomorrow, and then you'll inevitably have to stay up for a few more nights."

Jia Chuan hurriedly ate a few bites and asked, "Shouldn't we send the ones that have already been dug up back to the capital as soon as possible?"

Xu Gong laughed and said, "You reminded me before, how could you forget so quickly? I have to wait for someone from the capital to check before loading the carts."

Jia Chuan said "Oh" and continued eating.

"I don't know who the Emperor will send. The reason I didn't let you return to the county office is because I was afraid you would be too much trouble. I'm only in charge of those boxes, but the person who comes will probably want to ask about the case in detail and also monitor the situation on the mountain."

Jia Chuan then realized that Xu Gong was also showing him consideration, so he couldn't bring himself to make any more requests. No one could say for sure when the Emperor's decree would arrive, and even Xu Gong couldn't predict who would be sent. It was clear that after Gao Yuntian went back to report the news, they really didn't have time to discuss it. What would happen next depended entirely on how many boxes were buried on the mountain.

Whether this matter is done secretly or openly, the person coming from the capital must be of high rank. Moreover, their group will go straight to Xiaoshan. It is indeed unreasonable to ask an official of higher rank to wait for him to come from the county office to report back. It is not that Jia Chuan has done anything wrong, but letting Jia Chuan go back would be Xu Gong's fault. It is like a child being ignorant, and you, as an adult, being ignorant as well.
This was Jia Chuan's interpretation, based on his limited experience in officialdom. He had no idea that Xu Gong was... on guard against him.

But after Jia Chuan finished eating, Xu Gong said something that made him understand.

Xu Gong said with a smile, "Go and rest. You've brought everyone you wanted to see."

Jia Chuan immediately felt the hairs on his body stand on end.

……

Xu Gong's attendant led Jia Chuan to another farmer's house. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he heard Dong Yuanyuan's deafening snoring.

At this moment, Jia Chuan's face darkened.

He had been sitting alone by the fire, assuming that Gao Yuntian was working hard at the construction site, which was why he hadn't seen him. It turned out that Gao Yuntian had been sent back to the government office to pick someone up.

If Jia Chuan were as naive as Xu Gong thought, he should have naturally shown gratitude and excitement after hearing that Xu Gong had brought his people over. But for a moment, Jia Chuan was stunned. At that moment, his eyes revealed to Xu Gong that he had underestimated Jia Chuan.

If Jia Chuan knew that taking the villagers away from this dangerous place was a way to protect them, how could Xu Gong not know that?
However, Xu Gong brought Jia Chuan's favorite person to the center of the controversy at this very moment. This was to show his loyalty to the emperor and, on the surface, to do Jia Chuan a favor. Little did he know that Jia Chuan had just used this logic before and immediately thought of it. Although he expressed his gratitude at the time, how could Xu Gong not see through his insincerity?

After Jia Chuan left, Xu Gong sat at the table for a long time before going to bed to rest.

……

Jia Chuan walked straight into the main house and saw Gao Yuntian waiting there with a silly grin on his face and Gao Yunduo sitting to the side with a worried expression. Jia Chuan didn't know whether to be happy or worried.

Seeing that Jia Chuan did not show the surprise he had imagined, Gao Yuntian said with some disappointment, "I thought you would jump high."

Jia Chuan sat down at the table and, by the dim light of the oil lamp, looked at Gao Yunduo, trying to see if he had misread the hint of worry in her eyes he had just seen.

Seeing that Jia Chuan ignored him and looked directly at Gao Yunduo, Gao Yuntian said unhappily, "I'm still here!"

Jia Chuan confirmed that he hadn't misread it, and couldn't help but sigh, saying, "What's the use of you being here or not?"

Gao Yuntian glared and said, "If I weren't here, would you have been able to see them?"

Jia Chuan said irritably, "I do want to see you, but not here!"

Gao Yuntian turned his head and looked around, saying, "This place is indeed a bit simple, but fortunately, they won't care about that..."

"Are you staying here tonight?" Jia Chuan interrupted Gao Yuntian and asked.

"Yes, Vice Commissioner Xu said I should keep you company. Anyway, it's nearby, and someone will come to find me if anything happens."

"Then you should go and rest."

"What? What are you two going to do?" Gao Yuntian raised an eyebrow.

Jia Chuan glared at him, wanting to say, "Is it any of your business?" Fortunately, he didn't say it aloud, because Gao Yuntian really did have a say in his business.

At this moment, Gao Yunduo spoke up.

“My brother is simple-minded, he can’t think that far ahead. Brother, go and rest, I want to say a few words to him.”

Gao Yuntian was a little annoyed and lowered his voice, saying, "You two can forget about getting engaged! I'm here to listen."

Jia Chuan shook his head, too lazy to pay attention to Gao Yuntian, and asked Gao Yunduo directly, "You figured it out?"

“In the afternoon, I heard that the government was preparing to resettle the villagers. I thought it would be better if this place was far away. I also knew that you must have come up with this method to get the villagers to leave. But I didn’t expect that my brother would come here as soon as it got dark and say that he would bring us to find you. I feel that this was not your idea.”

“I just found out about this, too.”

As if realizing something, Gao Yuntian hurriedly asked, "Isn't this a good thing?"

No one cares about him.

Jia Chuan asked Gao Yunduo, "Did they check your luggage?"

"I wouldn't say 'check,' I meant 'help.' We helped load the food onto the carriage. Luckily, we brought a lot of food with us from Beijing, and Yuanyuan used all the baskets and jars. She even put them away as soon as we got back, otherwise it would have been a hassle," Gao Yunduo replied.

Jia Chuan nodded and said, "This case... I should say those things on the mountain are somewhat important. Xu Qianshi knew I was concerned about you, but he couldn't let me go, so he brought you here."

Gao Yuntian slammed his hand on the table: "That's exactly what I mean. Vice Commissioner Xu has been very considerate of you. He's so busy himself, yet he still remembers you..."

Gao Yunduo interrupted Gao Yuntian: "As long as you understand in your heart, it doesn't matter to us. We came here to celebrate the New Year with you anyway, whether it's at the county government office or in the village, it's the same."

Jia Chuan smiled wryly and said, "At least it proves that what you said on New Year's Eve was right."

"Go to sleep. You're overthinking it. You shouldn't need to go up the mountain tomorrow, right?"

Jia Chuan shrugged and said, "I'm useless; I can't lift a finger or carry anything. Since you're all here, Vice Commissioner Xu probably won't let me go up. But Chen Mo should arrive with his troops tomorrow, and the imperial inspectors will be here soon too. Once everything is settled, you can return to the capital." "No rush. There's nothing else to do back home. Don't worry, just explain slowly."

After Gao Yunduo finished speaking, she got up and went to the inner room.

Gao Yuntian was stunned for a moment, then asked after he got home, "Xu Qian Shi, is this... you don't believe me?"

“It’s not that he doesn’t believe it, but he’s just following the rules and avoiding trouble for himself. However, he shouldn’t have brought Duoduo and the others to this troublesome place.” Jia Chuan’s face darkened.

Gao Yuntian thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps he didn't think that much about it; he just wanted us to be reunited..."

Before he could finish speaking, Gao Yuntian sighed and said, "If he weren't a thoughtful person, he wouldn't have been able to become a vice commissioner."

"He is going to take over the position of commander. The bigger the matter, the more his composure will be shown. At least that's how the emperor sees it. You and I are just part of what he wants to show."

Gao Yuntian took a deep breath and lowered his voice, saying, "What will happen to those in the know in this kind of matter? It all depends on the Emperor's whim! Even you know to tell the villagers to stay away, he..."

Jia Chuan snorted and said, "Has he come to his senses now? He just wanted to show his loyalty to the Emperor. He didn't mean to harm me. If I didn't call him 'Big Brother' all the time, there would be nothing wrong with what he did. The Embroidered Uniform Guard is loyal to the Emperor, after all. But thinking that he can have it all is a bit greedy."

"I don't understand."

"It's okay if you don't understand. Come on, go to sleep. Just do what you always do."

“Then, His Majesty will not kill all those who know the truth…” Gao Yuntian gestured with his hand as if to behead someone.

Jia Chuan smiled and said, "Then I'll definitely have him go down and lead the way for us first."

……

Xu Gong fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. He was too tired. Even though he had just realized that Jia Chuan had seen through his intentions, he couldn't resist the drowsiness after falling asleep. But all he dreamed about were nightmares.

The next morning, Xu Gong was woken up by his attendants, and Chen Mo arrived with his troops.

……

Everyone was busy that day. Xu Gong led his men to work on the mountain, while the newly arrived soldiers and Imperial Guards familiarized themselves with the surroundings and laid out a road for the carriages to go up the mountain...

The county officials were busy settling the villagers elsewhere. The villagers brought all sorts of things, from large bundles to small ones, including pots and pans, which inevitably drew shouts and curses from the officials. Judging from the commotion, quite a few carriages had arrived. The horses were probably annoyed and were getting restless, so the drivers had to scold them...

It was very noisy outside.

The scene in the small courtyard where Jia Chuan lived was quite different.

Old Zheng, Dong Yuanyuan, and Shunzi discussed the three meals a day. Anyway, they had brought all the food they needed, and even if they didn't bring the food Chen Mo sent, it would be enough. Chen Mo said that the county government couldn't manage the food for so many people, and that everything was brought from Beijing.

Chen Mo and Gao Yuntian didn't stay in the courtyard for long. Chen Mo came to say hello, grabbed some breakfast, and then left with Gao Yuntian.

Right now, Jia Chuan is enjoying his tea and chatting idly with Gao Yunduo. Every now and then, he teases Gao Yunduo, making her giggle. Dong Yuanyuan wanted to sit down next to him several times, but Shunzi stopped her each time.

Old Zheng said, "Let them talk alone. You and Shunzi can see them all the time, but they don't even have a chance to meet normally..."

Dong Yuanyuan asked in bewilderment, "Won't we be able to see each other every day after we get married? Even if things are like they are now, my brother always has to go out on business, and my sister can come along."

"How do you know they'll get married?" Old Zheng asked curiously.

"Otherwise, who will you marry, sister? Brother Shunzi is going to marry me."

Old Zheng grunted and said, "Yuanyuan sees things more clearly."

……

No matter how bustling it was outside, the courtyard remained peaceful. Chen Mo and Gao Yuntian would occasionally come over for a chat, but they would only stay for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before going back to work. It was said that no more wooden boxes had been unearthed outside the courtyard wall, but there were still some underground inside the temple. Now the small temple was gone... Jia Chuan didn't ask how much had been unearthed, nor when it would be sent to the capital, nor how Xu Gong was currently being arranged. He only listened to what the two said and then told them to take care of themselves and get some rest.

Now Jia Chuan had no resentment towards Xu Gong anymore; in fact, he hoped that such days could last longer.

Unfortunately, after two days of peace and quiet, on the morning of the fifth day, another group of people arrived. Xu Gong sent someone to summon Jia Chuan. Jia Chuan knew that the people sent by Zhu Zhanji to monitor the situation had arrived, so he could only sigh, get dressed, and follow the people who came.

Gao Yunduo's heart was in her throat. She couldn't help but chase after him into the yard, but she didn't know what to say. She only asked, "Are you coming back for dinner tonight?"

Jia Chuan turned his head and smiled nonchalantly, saying, "If you don't need me to drink with you, just come back and eat."

Jia Chuan's smile reassured Gao Yunduo.

Jia Chuan felt a warmth in his heart. During the past two days of peace, only Gao Yunduo knew the unease in his heart. If Xu Gong hadn't brought these people around, Jia Chuan wouldn't have felt any burden. But since Xu Gong did, he felt like someone had caught him red-handed. A guilty conscience was one aspect, but the main concern was whether he could clearly explain the ins and outs of this case. The villagers had moved away because of his suggestion, but this case involved a foreign tribe, one that had always opposed the imperial court. Would the slightest mishap cause the original bond between the emperor and his subjects to vanish instantly?

Will all the people in the courtyard be taken in for questioning? Can Dong Yuanyuan and Old Zheng handle it?

On the way, Jia Chuan regretted having felt sorry for the villagers, realizing that good deeds don't always bring good rewards. He also regretted suggesting to Xu Gong that the villagers be settled elsewhere. Of course, he knew that Zhu Zhanji would send people sooner or later, and not much later than this day. As long as Xu Gong still sent people to bring Gao Yunduo and the others, he would still have to face the current predicament, regardless of whether the villagers were there or not. In the end, it was because his hands were not clean.

He felt a sense of unease, like someone going to report to the Discipline Inspection Commission.

But when he entered the small courtyard where Xu Gong lived, he saw several familiar faces in the yard, and all his worries disappeared immediately. He excitedly rushed into the small house.

Zhang Zheng was massaging his legs when he suddenly saw the door open. He looked up and saw Jia Chuan. He immediately laughed heartily twice, stood up and said, "You're really lucky, kid. I never thought we'd see each other again so soon."

In the courtyard, Zhang Zheng's entourage was packing their luggage. Jia Chuan had seen all of these people before, especially during his internship in Jinan, when he saw them almost every day. Although they had never spoken, they were still very familiar to him.

Upon seeing these few people, Jia Chuan felt relieved. Zhu Zhanji's decision to send Zhang Zheng on this trip meant that he had no suspicions about him. Was this just needless worry?

"You've been transferred to Beijing?" Jia Chuan asked excitedly.

"I'm temporarily serving as the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Beizhili." Zhang Zheng said with a smile, "Please sit down. My legs feel like they don't belong to me after riding horses all this way."

"Why didn't I see you when I returned to Beijing?" Jia Chuan asked, sitting down in the chair next to Zhang Zheng.

(End of this chapter)