Mysteries of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Chapter 140 Building Dams for the People
The next day, as soon as night fell, Yan Mingzhang sat alone at the stone table in the garden, drinking wine.

Old Man Wuji pushed open the courtyard gate and entered, only to see Yan Mingzhang drinking there. He hesitated for a moment, then ignored him and turned to go inside. As he reached the doorway, he heard Yan Mingzhang adding more wine to his cup, filling the air with its aroma. Old Man Wuji swallowed hard, sighed, and shook his head: "Alas!"

The old man removed his hand from the door, turned around, and sat down next to Yan Mingzhang. Yan Mingzhang, seeing the old man sit down, merely smiled and greeted him, without inviting him to drink. The old man was somewhat annoyed, smacking his lips and glancing at the dwindling wine in the pot, growing increasingly anxious. He stroked his beard and said, "You young man..."

Yan Mingzhang, however, paid no heed. He poured himself another drink, downed it in one gulp, and ate a bite of snacks. "Senior," he said, "the peach blossom wine from Taoyuan Town is truly excellent. However, I heard from Brother Xiao that you can't drink much. If I insist you drink, Brother Xiao will be displeased. Although Brother Xiao went to a neighboring town today and won't be back until tomorrow, I can't force him, can I? I had hoped to share a drink with you, Senior, but alas..."

The old man Wuji looked around and, finding Xiao Mu was indeed gone, his eyes lit up instantly. He licked his dry lips and grabbed an empty wine cup. "Young man, come, come, come! Life is short, so why be afraid of that brat! Let me teach you. This peach blossom wine isn't drunk like that. You're wasting such good wine, like a cow chewing on a peony. This wine has to be warmed... Go to the bottom cabinet in the kitchen and get my wine-warming utensils. They're hidden behind a stack of ceramic bowls... Be careful, this is the only set left."

Yan Mingzhang was running around making arrangements.

Hidden in the shadows, Rong Wanyin and Xiao Mu saw everything clearly. Rong Wanyin watched Yan Mingzhang act so enthusiastically and laughed, "This guy is quite the conman! He acts so realistically. If I didn't know the secret behind it, I'm afraid I would have been fooled too."

Xiao Mu frowned and stared at the old man Wuji, saying, "He's quite the liar... So Master hid the wine warmer in there without telling me. No wonder I couldn't find it anywhere. It turns out the most dangerous place is the safest place. I'll find some time to put away his wine warmer."

The two talked at length, their words seemingly contradicting each other, yet the conversation continued harmoniously nonetheless.

After a few rounds of drinks, both of them were a little drunk, and Rong Wanyin's legs were numb from squatting. Rong Wanyin nudged Xiao Mu and gave him a look. The two of them sneaked from the corner of the wall to the window at the back of the house, opened the window that Xiao Mu had left slightly ajar, climbed inside, and began to search the house.

When Yan Mingzhang saw that the furry little head that had been sneaking around in the corner was gone, he couldn't help but smile knowingly. He had thought it was a little fox, but it looked more like a little mouse.

After drinking a cup of warm wine, the old man felt completely comfortable. He then ate a few bites of snacks to go with the wine, feeling as happy as an immortal.

The two chatted over drinks, and their conversation eventually turned to the border conflict.

The old man Wuji put his empty wine glass on the table, sighed, and said with utter helplessness.

Yan Mingzhang filled the cup with wine and asked, "Why do you sigh, senior?"

The old man Wuji sighed, "The world is in turmoil, and society is in ruins. I wonder when this will end!"

Yan Mingzhang couldn't help but sigh, "The wise ruler has unified the country, and the strife will eventually end."

The old man Wuji smiled and said, "Oh? A wise ruler? The one sitting in that high position now? A few years ago, I could barely be considered one, but these past few years... forget it..."

Yan Mingzhang smiled but did not answer directly: "I dare not presume to comment."

Although the old man was somewhat drunk, his eyes were clear: "Then why did you take this official position?"

Yan Mingzhang replied solemnly, "Senior, what do you think is the right reason for becoming an official? For fame? For profit? For the people? For the country? For the world?"

The old man Wuji did not answer, but asked again: "What is the explanation for 'nation' and 'world'?"

Yan Mingzhang smiled and said, "An ancient saying goes: 'Changing the dynasty and the name is called the fall of a country; when benevolence and righteousness are filled to the point that people lead beasts to eat each other, it is called the fall of the world.' Those who protect a country are its rulers and ministers, those who eat meat; those who protect the world are even the humblest commoners." Yan Mingzhang's words had a rather treasonous tone.

The old man Wuji smiled slyly and then pressed on, "So, are you protecting the country or protecting the world?"

Recalling what he had seen along the way, Yan Mingzhang felt a pang of sorrow. He did not give a direct answer, but only said, "What have the common people done to deserve this?"

The old man Wuji exclaimed, "Indeed, what have the people done wrong! If I can protect the people of this region, what does it matter if I am infamous for ten thousand years?"

Yan Mingzhang knew that the Old Man Wuji had served four dynasties and ten emperors, holding the position of prime minister for over twenty years. He was known as the "unshakeable figure" of officialdom, and many criticized him as a shameless opportunist. However, the Old Man Wuji did not care about his reputation.

Yan Mingzhang had once had doubts, but now, after having a long talk with the old man Wuji, he was deeply impressed by his wisdom and suddenly understood. So he stood up and bowed deeply: "Sir, you are very righteous."

There's no need to say anything more.

The old man Wuji waved his hand, not caring at all, just as he didn't care about the insults.

Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny? The people don't care who the emperor is. As long as the world is at peace, the people can live and work in peace and contentment, and taxes are light, what does it matter who the emperor is?
The old man Wuji raised his wine cup and said, "Come, let's drink."

After drinking together, the two developed a mutual respect and appreciation for each other.

Rong Wanyin emerged from behind the house, carrying a small box. She stood behind her master, winking at Yan Mingzhang, but Yan Mingzhang was clearly drunk and just smiled as he watched her sit there motionless.

The old man Wuji turned his head and saw Rong Wanyin and Xiao Mu hiding in the night. He smiled and waved to her, "Yin'er, Mu'er, come, come, have a couple of drinks with your master."

Rong Wanyin tried to hide the box in a panic, but it was too big to be hidden in her sleeve. She accidentally dropped it on the ground and the box broke open. Rong Wanyin hurriedly picked it up, but as soon as she picked it up, the copper bell inside rolled out and rolled all the way to her master's feet.

The master, slightly tipsy, staggered and bent down to pick up the copper bell: "Huh, how did this copper bell get here?"

The master held up the copper bell and examined it in the moonlight. It was so beautiful; it was still so bright after all these years.

Seeing that her master wasn't angry, Rong Wanyin smiled and tentatively asked, "Master, is this copper bell yours? Is it a token of love between you and... Aunt Yun Zhao?"

Master frowned and glared at Rong Wanyin: "You brat, what are you saying? This copper bell belongs to Lord Meng."

Rong Wanyin was somewhat surprised: "Lord Meng, which Lord Meng?... You mean Lord Meng Yong?"

The master nodded in agreement.

Everyone was quite surprised; no one had expected that this copper bell actually belonged to Lord Meng, the one who built the dam!