Miao Chu

Chapter 324 Taking Leave (This chapter does not advance the plot; readers who mind this are advised not to subscribe)
The letter that Master Cao wrote yesterday, and the invitation card that he sent to Han Li in the evening, surprised me quite a bit that my nephew came to visit this morning.

But he reacted very quickly. When he saw the person who came in behind him, he immediately called out to him, "Xiao Meng!"

After calling out, he pointed to the messenger ahead and said, "A nephew of mine has come looking for me. He has traveled a long way. I am, after all, his elder. It is noon now, and I cannot let him leave as soon as he arrives. I must invite him to a meal. But I will not attend the lunch banquet!"

The man who arrived later was greatly alarmed and hurriedly said, "Old Cao, please don't scare me! There will be Vice Minister Zhang and Left Selection Officer from the Ministry of Personnel at the banquet, as well as two officials from the Imperial Academy. The Chancellor specifically instructed that he wanted to invite you to take the seat of honor... This... this, how am I supposed to explain this to him!"

Master Cao feigned a troubled expression and said, "I can't help it either! After all, they are my nephews and nieces, and they are from far away. They don't know what important matter it is—isn't there Old Chen? As long as Old Chen is here, I'll ask him to help me apologize!"

At this time, clan tradition and filial piety were valued. Since the old scholar had this as an excuse to renege on his promise, his subordinates dared not strongly dissuade him and had no choice but to agree. Then they asked, "What about the Ministry of Personnel's examination papers…?"

"They're all contributing! It's alright, it definitely won't cause any delays!"

As he spoke, Master Cao gave instructions to his attendants, then slipped away without a moment's delay, his belly bulging as he quickly ran off.

Only after the people had gone far away did those behind gradually realize what had happened.

"...Huh? Does Old Cao have any nephews from out of town?"

"That can't be right, can it? His family is so small, he only has one nephew, and he's even a cousin—who's currently in the Censorate!"

"What 'traversing mountains and rivers'? 'Coming from afar'? It's just coming from the Imperial Street, riding a horse, it won't even take an hour!"

Everyone was skeptical.

"Are there any other nephews or nieces we don't know about?"

"That shouldn't be! We've never heard of anyone coming from out of town before, let alone any news from them..."

Just then, someone said, "Could it be that you're trying to avoid the banquet?"

Among the teachers at the Imperial Academy, there were many old ones and few young ones. Those in their forties or fifties were considered "young and vigorous." Whether by choice or by necessity, most of them had little interest in an official career and naturally did not want to dine with officials from various departments.

As soon as these words were spoken, someone immediately reacted, saying, "It's hard to say about others... but if it were Old Cao! He could do it!"

"What invitation to dinner—you must have gone to Song's Restaurant!"

"It's the obvious choice! Eating at this social banquet and then going to Miss Song's place for a good meal—even a fool would choose that!"

"How could he have bumped into me! Why didn't my nephew know to come at this time! Sigh!"

"Old man, give me a ride!"

"Old Cao is so unfair! He should have given me a ride! His nephew is Cao Xiaofu, right? I taught him for a year! Since I'm here, I should at least visit my old teacher!!!"

The man said something, then suddenly stopped, looked towards the door, and called out, "Old Hu, where are you going?"

The one called Old Hu, who had already crept halfway out, shrank back upon hearing this, turned around, and chuckled, "Go...go to the snow room!"

"Why are you wearing your waist tag to the snow room?!"

"I...I..." He stammered for a long time, then became angry and embarrassed. "I taught Cao Xiaofu for two whole years and even corrected his writings by hand. Now that he's here, can't I go and see him?"

Near the entrance, several teachers simultaneously dropped their pens, rushed over, and pulled the person back.

"What are you looking at! Old Cao has already slipped away, and you think you can escape too?!"

"You've left, leaving only us to dine with the officials from the Ministry of Personnel and the Bureau of Personnel Appointments?"

"Old Cao is entertaining his nephew, what are you doing getting involved! Is he even his nephew?! What will you say when the chief priest asks about it?!"

A group of people made a racket and dragged Master Hu back.

Once Master Cao was out the door, he had long forgotten about the upcoming legal troubles. In high spirits, he arrived at the tea room in no time.

The nephew was waiting, and when he saw his uncle arrive, he quickly put down his teacup, stood up to greet him, and, since there was no one around, first said hello, and then hurriedly said, "I saw in your letter that it was very important, saying that there was a case of an official accepting bribes and perverting the law, and that I should take the documents, inquire about the matter, and then work hard and not be perfunctory—is this your intention?"

Master Cao nodded and laughed, "Who else could it be but me? I'm just a teacher, who else would be so bored as to impersonate me?"

The nephew hurriedly said, "That's right. When I received the letter, I was a little worried. Then, the next day, Han Li personally delivered a visiting card. I really didn't know what was going on, so I took leave and came to ask my uncle for some peace of mind. What could be so important that you would write a personal letter and get Han Li to come forward?"

It turns out that in recent years, Master Cao's correspondence has mostly been written by his son. Recently, after his son went to Chanzhou to take up his post, he began to dictate to his family members, who then wrote the letters on his behalf. He rarely wrote them down himself anymore.

Master Cao didn't think much of it and just laughed and said, "It's alright, it's alright, don't panic! I was in a rush at the time and I was afraid they wouldn't write it clearly and it would cause problems, so I took up the pen myself. I never thought that I would be so diligent for once, which you would think is unusual!"

"She's a young lady we know well. She used to run a breakfast stall behind the Imperial Academy, and now her business has grown quite large. Her skills are truly excellent, and her character and personality are also superb..."

He gave a brief introduction, then said, "Everyone has been with her for a long time and saw that she was in trouble, so everyone wanted to lend a hand. If it weren't for the fact that Zheng Yan has not yet entered officialdom, many things would be more convenient for him to investigate and follow up than for someone of your status. He wouldn't need you at all; he would have handled everything himself!"

Hearing this, Cao's nephew finally breathed a sigh of relief and then asked about the so-called case of accepting bribes and perverting justice.

Master Cao said, "I don't know the specifics either, but Zheng Yan has already given a detailed account of what happened..."

At this point, he suddenly slapped his forehead and said, "Oh dear, how could I be so stupid! Since you're here, I'll go with you to Song's shop and ask the person involved for clarification. Wouldn't that be better than anything else?!"

“Uncle is busy here.” The nephew quickly waved his hand. “How could I bother you? But I don’t know where that restaurant is? If it’s nearby, I’ve already taken leave and come over to ask!”

Master Cao laughed heartily and said, “No way! I was the one who started this whole thing, and since you’ve come all this way, I, as your uncle, can’t be negligent—come on, it’s very close, I’ll take you there!”

He said this and walked ahead with great interest.

Once outside, although a servant led the horse, Master Cao was old, so he still called a carriage and didn't bring any servants. So the uncle and nephew went together to Song's place.

By this time, the people who had gone out to set up stalls and deliver goods in the morning had all returned to Song's shop. He needed to strike at their root, cause trouble for those who had been plotting against him, but he also had to take care of the business.

Song Miao first arranged for Wang Sanlang to go to the Chen family to retrieve the corresponding manuscript mentioned in Han Li's letter. She then asked everyone about the morning's stall setup and delivery arrangements, and only after confirming that everything was alright did she go to the backyard to check on the newly purchased ingredients.

Cheng Erniang was also tidying up when she saw Song Miao arrive, and she quickly came over to introduce each item one by one.

"They are all seasonal vegetables. Once, my wife praised the winter melon and loofah she bought, saying that they were both sweet. Today, I finally met that old woman who sells melons again. I quickly bought a big winter melon and selected a few pounds of tender loofah. I also asked her where it came from."

"She said she was a farmer from the countryside and would come to the capital to sell vegetables on market days (the 3rd, 6th, and 9th of each month). She usually sold vegetables near the Xiangguo Temple. I was thinking, if the taste is good this time, why don't we have someone come to the restaurant to pick out some vegetables for us next time they come to the capital?"

Song Miao nodded and said, "The loofahs that time were really good, and the winter melons were extremely sweet. Let's try them again today. If the taste is similar, you can discuss with her next time how to arrange it."

Cheng Erniang followed closely behind, and when she saw Song Miao looking at the meat, she said, "The meat this time is quite good, isn't it, my lady?"

She added, "Butcher Shen said this pig was a good one, so he specially saved it for us. It has pork belly, spare cuts, and a spare rib. The mutton is also good in terms of fat and lean. However, the fish at the fish market isn't very fresh anymore. I don't know why. Madam Feng said that the muddy smell of the fish caught from the river has become stronger lately. But Madam Feng instructed that even if there aren't any good fish, we should bring back some shrimp, crabs, turtles, snails, whatever we want. When Old Lady Feng heard this, she knew we wanted some, so she went to someone else and got two buckets of blue crabs from the south."

"They come in all sizes. The males are alright, but the females are tiny. Not only can you not choose them, but you have to buy the whole bucket at once—and I heard they were snatched from the docks, so the price is ridiculously high!"

Cheng Erniang pointed to the wooden bucket next to her and said, "I was thinking that we have guests who have booked a high-class banquet tonight. Although I didn't dare to ask for too much, I still gritted my teeth and brought back a bucket. Wife, take a look, is it too small? Can you use it?"

Song Miao lifted the straw lid and saw that the crabs inside all had their claws and pincers tied up. She picked one up by the two sides of its shell and looked at it in the sunlight.

Just as Cheng Erniang had said, it was very small.

The one in her hand weighed at most three ounces; its shell was bluish-green, but its claws were white with a touch of muddy red in the middle.

After picking up several crabs, Song Miao carefully examined them again before nodding and saying, "These are good crabs, especially the female ones. I heard that in the south, they have a name for this kind of crab: 'Yanzi crab.' The good ones have more roe than meat, and they are extremely delicious when salt-baked. When the guests come to check the menu after noon, we can ask if it's okay to replace the fish with crabs and use this cooking method."

As she was speaking, she heard someone outside calling "Xiao Song" repeatedly.

Song Miao immediately recognized that it was Master Cao's voice. She carefully washed her hands before going outside.

At this moment, Master Cao had already gotten off the carriage, and someone next to him was paying the driver.

The man looked to be in his thirties or forties, and his clothes and appearance didn't resemble those of a servant.

Song Miao greeted him first, then couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you setting exams at the academy, sir? I heard from Young Master Han that you're so busy you barely have time to breathe. How did you find the time to come over?"

Master Cao chuckled and said, "Your business here is urgent. Since Xiao Fu is here, I thought it would be better to bring him along. You can talk about it face to face, rather than choosing a time to visit later!"

As he spoke, he introduced the two parties, and finally said with a smile, "My nephew in the Censorate is talking about him!"

After exchanging greetings, Song Miaoxian ushered the people into the house. Once they were seated and tea was served, she didn't shy away from Master Cao and explained the whole story in front of the two of them.

The Imperial Censor Cao listened very attentively to Song Miao's words, asking questions throughout. After listening for a while, he asked again, "What the young lady has said, I wonder if there is any evidence or proof to support it? No need for further details..."

Song Miaoying said, "There are records from various departments as proof. I made copies when I checked them before. The day before yesterday, I asked Han Li, the young master, for help. He took them home, and I sent someone to get them. I think they will be back soon."

There were questions and answers from both sides. Song Miao then asked, "May I ask, Lord Cao, if this matter is indeed true and there is evidence, what will be the final outcome if your impeachment is successful?"

The Imperial Censor Cao answered in detail, saying that depending on the severity of the bribery and perversion of justice, the punishment would range from salary deduction and demotion to dismissal from office, and if it was particularly serious, there was even the possibility of imprisonment and exile.

"If what the young lady says is true, and a high-ranking official is indeed involved, the matter might end up being much more complicated..."

Seeing Song Miao's slightly furrowed brows and obvious worry, he added, "But you can rest assured. When we in the Censorate do things, we are most afraid that the officials involved are too low-ranking and the scope of the matter is too narrow. As long as the matter is true, once it blows up, even without my voice, my colleagues in the Censorate will continue to investigate!"

Master Cao had remained silent until now, and seeing that the important matters had been discussed, he comforted Song Miao, saying, "Don't worry. Although His Majesty is benevolent, he is also very discerning. In recent years, apart from the Prince of Lu, who has repeatedly been impeached by the court due to his special status, all to no avail, His Majesty is very receptive to advice on other matters. Even if someone is wearing a purple robe, he will not tolerate them if they commit a crime."

Song Miao knew that the late emperor had no sons and that the new emperor was adopted. When the late emperor was seriously ill, there was a considerable clamor in the court to invite Prince Lu, who was the emperor's younger brother at the time, to succeed to the throne.

However, the late emperor left a will after his death, and there was the empress at the time. Today, Empress Dowager Yang has a tough attitude and a group of ministers support her. In the end, the youngest son from a collateral branch, who is now the emperor Zhao Yu, succeeded to the throne.

Perhaps for this reason, the current emperor is somewhat hesitant to manage this uncle due to his reputation.

For many years, Prince Lu had always refused to go to his fiefdom, claiming that he was too weak to travel long distances or that he had received a dream from the late emperor instructing him to stay in the capital. At the same time, he befriended court officials and tried to interfere in politics. Although he did not cause any major trouble, he still made quite a fuss.

Master Cao had only mentioned it casually, and Song Miao naturally didn't think too much about it. While she was talking, she heard a commotion outside. Soon after, a mule cart stopped at the door. It turned out that Wang Sanlang had returned.

Upon seeing the man, Song Miao hurriedly asked him to bring over documents, manuscripts, and other materials for the Imperial Censor Cao to review.

The latter glanced at it briefly, put the items away, and said, "Young lady, you've organized things very meticulously. They're really useful! I'll take them back and tidy them up. After I check them again, I'll draft a memorial to the throne!"

As he spoke, he stood up.

Seeing that it was almost noon, Song Miao hurriedly stood up and said, "Since you're here, sir, please have a meal before you leave!"

Then he turned to look at Master Cao.

The latter had been waiting for half a day, and hurriedly pressed her nephew down, saying, "It's already noon, eat before you leave! Didn't you see that Madam Song has invited guests to stay? If you don't eat, I still want to eat!"

Imperial Censor Cao hesitated for a moment, about to decline, when Master Cao said again, "Your uncle is hosting a dinner party, so as a junior, you shouldn't be so talkative!"

As he spoke, he looked at Song Miao earnestly and asked, "Little Song, what's available for food right now? Just a few simple dishes will do!"

Song Miao said, "I have some excellent green-shelled crabs. I'll make two crab dishes, but crab meat is very cold in nature. I'll serve it with some ginger tea later. Would you like to have a cup?"

Master Cao frowned and shook his head, saying, "No need! My stomach is perfectly fine! I've never liked that spicy ginger taste since I was a child; it burns my tongue and hurts my throat!"

Even so, Song Miao knew that most of the elderly had weak stomachs and didn't dare to take it seriously. She went to the backyard, thought for a moment, and called Zhang Si Niang over, instructing her: "Si Niang, select more old ginger, peel it, crush it finely, squeeze out the ginger juice and take it out. I want to keep the ginger paste for myself."

(End of this chapter)