Di Ming

Chapter 134 Patrol of Nanzhuang (Large Chapter)
Zhuang Shu actually wore makeup today.

She had her eyebrows drawn upside down and wore a rosy makeup style. She had a small grass leaf decoration on her forehead, shad scales on her cheeks, and a yellow chrysanthemum in her hair.

Tang Rong also used the "drunken makeup" look, but she drew small, arched eyebrows. As usual, she wore a white chrysanthemum in her hair.

The two young girls' clothes had also been scented, giving them a pleasant fragrance. One was graceful and charming, the other alluring and spirited; they were like lovely twin sisters.

Ning Qingchen couldn't help but inwardly criticize their attire.

What are you doing? Women dress up for men they want to please? How old are you two? Already trying to seduce men?
Hmph, with your two deformed little hooves, Zhu Yin wouldn't even look at you. It's laughable, like an old peacock spreading its tail—self-deluded.

Ning Qingchen felt contempt, but dared not underestimate his opponent.

Although these two little girls had bound feet, they were very pretty and quite attractive.

Although it's not as good as me and my demon sister, it's still pretty good.

Men, regardless of age, are fickle; be careful, little tiger. Otherwise, what if the devilish older sister comes back demanding him after he's been entangled by them?
Zhu Yin felt somewhat helpless upon seeing Zhuang Shu's "malicious intentions."

He could only force a smile and say, "What brings you two young ladies here? You are truly rare guests."

Zhuang Shu covered her mouth and chuckled, "I can't come? Doesn't Zhihu welcome me?"

"Welcome, welcome," Zhu Yin said perfunctorily. "I was just about to go to the manor to check on the fields and get familiar with them."

Zhuang Shu looked around with bright, intelligent eyes and asked, "Where's Caiwei? Isn't she going? She has big feet and is nimble in the fields; she should go with us."

Zhu Yin said, "She went out to do some work and hasn't come back yet."

Zhuang Shu said "Oh," and then added, "She's out working. Sigh, she walks so nimbly with her big feet, she must be very hardworking."

Ning Qingchen cursed under his breath, "Diligent my ass!"

Zhu Yin also harbored resentment in his heart.

Tang Rong exclaimed, "Oh, I remember now. Zhihu is already a big landowner, with over three thousand acres of fertile land and eight medicinal herb gardens. He's really become rich now."

She smiled sweetly, her dimples appearing, her smile a mix of languidness and playfulness, "I'm so happy for you to hear the news."

Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Zhu Yin.

When Zhuang Shu saw Tang Rong's gaze, her smile faltered.

My cousin won't... try to steal it from me, will she?
That's true, why can't my cousin take it? After all, it's still far from certain. Why can't she fight for it?
Thinking about this, Zhuang Shu suddenly regretted coming with her cousin.

She was right.

Tang Rong did indeed have the desire to compete.

Why should you want to marry Zhu Yin, but I can't? You haven't proposed yet, so it's not a matter of first come, first served.

Ever since she heard that Zhu Yin had the support of Tian Yi and had obtained a lot of fertile land and medicinal gardens, Tang Rong had been tempted.

With so many properties and Tian Yi's help, even if Zhu Yin fails the imperial examinations, he'll still be considered a highly desirable husband.

Only a fool wouldn't argue. Am I, Tang Rong, worse than you, Zhuang Shu?

But Zhuang Shu laughed and said, "That's perfect. I'll go with you and take a look. It'll be a good way to relax in the country estate. It's been a long time since I've been close to the countryside."

Turning to Tang Rong, he said, "Didn't you say you were a little tired? Why don't you come into the yard and rest..."

Tang Rong shook her head: "It's not too tiring. I'll go take a look too. My cousin is right, it's been a long time since I've been close to the countryside."

Zhuang Shu glanced at Tang Rong, then could only purse her lips and say with a smile, "Then let's go together, it'll be more fun with more people."

Tang Rong smiled knowingly, then suddenly reached out her hand to Ning Qingchen:
"Little sister, let me hug you. Shall I take you there?"

Zhuang Shu sensed a hint of gloom in the baby's eyes, yet she also liked the baby's beauty and cuteness, and opened her arms, saying:
"How about I take you with me? It's too tiring for Zhihu to carry you."

Ning Qingchen glanced at them, then turned her head away, ignoring them completely, and simply hugged Zhu Yin's neck.

I don't want you guys. You're all no good.

Besides, you two little girls walk with a waddling gait, carrying a duck by your side.

Zhuang Shu and Tang Rong sensed Ning Qingchen's resistance and couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

Zhu Yin chuckled and said, "Qingchen is used to being with me. She's shy and clingy, so please don't mind her."

Tang Rong suddenly pointed to the bustling construction site not far away and asked:
"Child Tiger, did you hire those craftsmen? Are they building a house?"

Zhuang Shu shook her head. "It doesn't look like a mansion. It looks more like a large workshop to me."

Zhu Yin didn't hide anything, "That's right, it's a factory, not a residence."

Tang Rong's eyes lit up, her gaze becoming even brighter. "Zhihu, your family is going to open a workshop? What kind of business? Weaving, embroidery?"

Zhuang Shu said, "Zhihu, you're not going to do business yourself, are you? You're a scholar, after all."

Zhu Yin shook his head: "It's dried ferns. As for what to make it, she wants to make desserts."

"Making desserts...hehe!" The two girls giggled together upon hearing this.

Nowadays, factory owners primarily own textile and dyeing factories, followed by shipyards, furniture factories, paper mills, and wine and vinegar factories.

Even at the very least, it's a clothing workshop that makes garments, shoes, and hats.

Making desserts is really a small-scale operation; it's usually just a small workshop, and it's hard to grow it up.

How much money can Ning Dajiao make from selling desserts?
Indeed, Ning Dajiao is not a pampered young lady from a wealthy family, so it is only natural for her to engage in these small-scale business ventures. It cannot be considered that she has willingly fallen into depravity.

Upon hearing about dessert, Zhuang Shu took an exquisite paper box from a maid and handed it to Zhu Yin, saying:
"This is Chongyang cake from Midufang. Although the Chongyang Festival has passed, I still brought it to you."

"Thank you, Fourth Miss." Zhu Yin accepted the Double Ninth Cake, smelled the fragrance of osmanthus, and smiled.
"I didn't celebrate the Double Ninth Festival this year, nor did I wear dogwood. I just climbed the mountain to take a look."

Zhuang Shu had clearly come prepared; she then took out a folding fan from her sleeve and said:

"I personally selected this folding fan from my home as a gift for you. Please don't find it unsuitable."

"Give."

Seeing Zhuang Shu's serious expression, Zhu Yin couldn't very well refuse, so he thanked her and casually accepted the gift.

This folding fan is a Suzhou-style folding fan with gold flecks. The outer frame is made of ivory carving, inlaid with mother-of-pearl, and pasted with tortoiseshell. The fan pendant is a red jade, which is extremely exquisite.

The fan is painted with a picture of a vast and misty sea by a famous artist, with a lofty artistic conception and four characters on it: "咫尺天涯" (meaning "so close yet so far").

So close yet so far? That seems to have a hidden meaning.

This fan is probably worth more than ten taels of silver, enough for an average family to live on for a year!
Zhu Yin felt the fan was a bit too hot to handle, but he couldn't refuse it, so he hesitated.

When Ning Qingchen saw the fan, she wanted nothing more than to tear it to shreds.

Is it a love token fan?

Even an idiot would know what Zhuang Shu is up to.

It's easy for a woman to pursue a man.

Little tiger, if you can be swayed by a fan, then you're not worthy of being a secret agent; you can't even resist a honey trap.

Tang Rong had neither prepared Double Ninth cakes nor folding fans, but instead looked down at Zhu Yin's shoes, wondering how big they were.

After exchanging a few meaningless words, the group got into the car and set off.

Both women had originally arrived by carriage, but now they both wanted to get into Zhu Yin's carriage.

The reason is that a carriage drawn by two horses is more stable and comfortable than a carriage drawn by one horse.

Zhu Yin couldn't refuse, so he had no choice but to let the two of them board his carriage. In any case, the carriage was spacious and could seat several people.

Tang Rong lifted her skirt and carefully sat on the stool in the carriage, smiling:

"The poem says: 'Holding the reins like silk, the two horses like dancers.' Young Tiger, you are so young, yet you are already riding in a carriage with an umbrella as a canopy."

Her tone was slightly teasing, implying that Zhu Yin was being a bit too high-profile. It was actually a well-intentioned reminder.

Zhu Yin smiled but offered no explanation.

This carriage also belonged to the Wang family. After the Wang family fell from power, Zhu Yin bought all their cattle, horses, mules, donkeys, carts, and boats.

This canopy-covered carriage, simple yet precious, was used by Wang Chaoque when he inspected the estates. According to ancient custom, only high-ranking officials were permitted to ride in it.

The bells on the carriage were made of silver, the carriage was carved with cloud patterns, and the canopy was made of oilcloth, which could both shield the sun and keep out the rain.

The wheels were wrapped in leather and cotton, a practice known as "using leather and cotton to cover the wheels." This greatly reduced vibrations and made the wheels less prone to wear and tear.

Zhuang Shu, not to be outdone, laughed spiritedly:

“Cousin, Sima Xiangru said: ‘I will not return to my hometown without riding in a high carriage drawn by four horses.’ Sooner or later, even a young tiger will ride in a high carriage drawn by four horses, let alone a carriage with a canopy. He is a student of the Imperial Academy, so it’s not that he can’t use it.”

Tang Rong's smile faded. "Cousin, when did I say that a baby tiger couldn't be used? Oh dear, I'm not talking to you anymore. You're doing this on purpose."

Zhuang Shu smiled enigmatically, "Didn't my cousin do it on purpose first?"

Zhu Yin was completely bewildered. He had no idea why the two of them, who had come together and were as close as family before, were now acting so strangely.
Ning Qingchen chuckled inwardly.

Difficult to stretch.

These two little devils haven't even managed to catch the wild goose, and they're already fighting amongst themselves. With the devilish eldest sister around, what are you two fighting for?

Even if we eat tiger meat, you won't get any.

The group boarded the carriage, with Lancha driving. Their attendants then boarded the single-shaft carriage carried by the two women.

Meh followed on horseback, carrying a bow. Niman was still at Baohua Mountain, helping Li Jiayi train several hundred "mountain bandits" of the Bright Camp.

With Lancha and Meh protecting him, Zhu Yin was no longer afraid of being attacked. However, this protective force was still somewhat weak.

The trainees are all too young. There aren't enough guards around them.

After Ding Hongying and the others left, Zhu Yin didn't dare leave Ning Qingchen alone at home.

Next time I go to Daishan, I should still select a few strong men to strengthen my personal guard.

The carriage traveled along a road covered with fallen leaves. Looking around, one could see the deep autumn colors, the withered grass, the vast fields, and the high, clear sky.

Only the osmanthus and chrysanthemums in the fields and streams still retain their fragrant aroma.

After the autumn harvest, the scent of straw and rice bran mingled with the fragrance of osmanthus and chrysanthemums, creating an intoxicating aroma.

In the open fields, a few sorghum stalks could be seen swaying gracefully in the autumn wind.

Several water buffalo chased each other along the ridge of the field, making cheerful mooing sounds.

On the tall haystacks, children played and frolicked, their laughter echoing through the air.

A few magpies, crows that flew from the temple, and flocks of sparrows searched for grains of rice that had not been picked clean in the fields.

The villagers had already put on more clothes, mostly cotton robes, jackets, and armor. Their expressions also became a little more timid.

With the arrival of autumn frost and the increasingly cold weather, please be careful.

The women washing clothes in the river by the roadside chatted and laughed, their voices filled with the chill of late autumn, no longer as cheerful as before.

Seeing this scene, Zhuang Shu couldn't help but say, "The countryside in late autumn has a unique charm. Today's trip was worthwhile."

Tang Rong said, "When it snows, let's huddle together by the stove, wear brocade coats, and stroll through the snow to find plum blossoms. Let's brew tea in our thatched hut. Wouldn't that be a refined pleasure?"

Zhuang Shu said, "Then it's more beautiful when there's a lot of snow, the more the better."

Zhu Yin said cryptically, "The heavier the snow, the more expensive the charcoal."

Zhuang Shu laughed and said, "What are you afraid of? You can't even afford charcoal, Zhihu?"

When pedestrians saw Zhu Yin's carriage, after a brief moment of astonishment, they all stood by the roadside. The women silently offered their greetings, and the men silently bowed.

Zhu Yin was also somewhat taken aback.

These villagers' fear of the local gentry was truly ingrained. It wasn't without reason that the gentry were described as unruly emperors.

Beili Zhu replaced Xili Wang, and he replaced the Wang brothers to become the new tycoon, who would be respected by the villagers.

Zhu Yin quickly stood up, helped Shi to bow, and returned the greeting to these people without any arrogance.

When the crowd saw that this seemingly powerful and extraordinary child actually returned their greetings instead of accepting them with a clear conscience, they were not only surprised but also somewhat moved.

Tang Rong covered her mouth and laughed, "To bow to the emperor is an ancient custom. For Zhihu to bow to a commoner like this is truly gentlemanly."

Zhuang Shu also said with a mischievous smile, "A ten-year-old gentleman, showing respect to the virtuous and learned. It will be a good story in the village if word gets out."

Zhu Yin, dressed in a simple blue robe, possessed a graceful and slender figure, like a stalk of sorghum in autumn.

The late autumn sun shone on his face, making the soft, fine downy hairs clearly visible.

He turned to look at the two women and said solemnly, "I am not a gentleman, I only know propriety."

Upon hearing this, the two women could only stand up and bow to Wanfu, a villager by the roadside, both looking ashamed.

As the carriage passed by the Wang family mansion, it saw that the moat in front of the gate had been filled in, the gate was sealed, and the place was deserted and empty.

It truly is a case of watching him build a tall building, watching him entertain guests, and watching his building collapse.

All direct descendants of the Wang family were to be executed, and the male members of the close relatives were to be exiled. As for the women, most were to be enslaved by the government. Treason was a crime punishable by the extermination of the entire clan.

Zhu Yin looked at the Wang family without feeling the slightest bit of guilt.

Logically, the Wang family was innocent; the accusation of treason and rebellion was a colossal miscarriage of justice. Yet, despite years of wrongdoing, the Wang family still deserved to die.

They did everything except rebel.

Tang Rong and Zhuang Shu knew that it was the Wang family's residence. The two women observed Zhu Yin's expression, but only saw a calm indifference.

Cruel person!

Zhu Zhihu must be a ruthless person.

Zhuang Shu said, "I heard at the county government that Wangjiawu Fort has already found a buyer. Zhihu, don't you want to know who the buyer is?"

Zhu Yin looked at Qiu Yang, his eyes narrowed slightly, and a lazy smile appeared on his face. "Who is it?"

Zhuang Shu said, "It is Shang Ning, the prince of Ryukyu."

"Shang Ning?" Zhu Yin was somewhat surprised. "Is he the Ryukyu prince studying at the Imperial Academy? He doesn't live in the Prince's Hall in Nanyong, so why would he buy the royal family's house?"

Zhuang Shu said, "My father told me that Shang Ning felt that living in the Imperial Academy was too restrictive and that he couldn't experience the customs and culture of the Celestial Empire. He hopes to buy a large house outside the city as a villa."

"Wangjiawu Fort no longer has any officials; it belongs to the Jiangning County government. The county government wants to sell it, but many people consider it unlucky and dare not make a move."

"Since the Ryukyu prince wanted to buy a large mansion, we might as well recommend the Royal Castle to him. He didn't mind the bad luck and transferred the property directly."

"I reckon he'll be moving to Qingqiao Lane soon. Zhihu, you and he are both at the Imperial College, and you'll both be living in Qingqiao Lane in the future, so you might just become friends."

Zhu Yin pondered the name Shang Ning in his mind and soon remembered it.

Isn't this the future king of Ryukyu?
It seems that within a few years, he returned to his country and ascended the throne. He had helped the Ming Dynasty resist Japanese pirates, was very respectful to the Ming Dynasty, and even wanted to submit to the Ming Dynasty.

Moreover, Ryukyu is now the most important trading hub in East Asia, much like Hong Kong in later times.

Trade with Japan doesn't need to go to Japan at all; it can be done directly in Okinawa.

Ryukyu is important both politically and economically.

If Shang Ning comes to Qingqiao Village, you must make sure to get along with him.

...

The carriage left the village and traveled south along the Sushui River for more than ten miles before finally arriving at Nanzhuang.

This Nanzhuang is one of the three manors of the Wang family, and it is also the largest manor.

Of the Wang family's 3,600 mu of fertile land, 1,800 mu were in Nanzhuang, and half of their tenant farmers also lived in Nanzhuang.

Now it all belongs to Zhu Yin. So Zhu Yin came to the most important Nanzhuang immediately.

Nanzhuang was originally an independent village, but it was annexed by the Wang family, and most of the villagers became tenant farmers of the Wang family.

These tenant farmers had no names on the government's official register and were not registered taxpayers.

They only paid land rent to the Wang family, and did not have complete freedom of identity; in fact, they were serfs of the Wang family.

They just call them tenant farmers to put it nicely.

As soon as Zhu Yin's carriage arrived at Nanzhuang, it immediately attracted the attention of the villagers.

The villagers from the nearby villages rushed over and prostrated themselves on the ground.

They didn't recognize Zhu Yin, but they recognized his carriage. Furthermore, they already knew that Nanzhuang had changed owners.

But no matter who it is, they are still the servants of Nanzhuang, and can only honestly cultivate the land of Nanzhuang and pay the land rent for the new owner.

If you offend the new owner of the manor and are driven out, you'll become a vagrant and a beggar.

Seeing a group of people bowing down to him, Zhu Yin felt extremely uncomfortable.

But living in this era, in order to establish the authority of the new master, he could not be too unconventional.

Soon, the head of the estate, who was in charge of managing the tenants, also arrived.

Several village leaders knelt down together and greeted the master, saying, "May I ask, young master, are you the master of the household?"

Zhu Yin nodded and said, "I am Zhu Yin, and I am now the master of Nanzhuang. Everyone, please rise."

Several village leaders immediately kowtowed, their voices trembling and uneven as they spoke:

“Master has arrived. We apologize for not being able to greet you properly.”

They had already heard that the new owner of the manor was a precocious child with a powerful background, so how could they dare to underestimate Zhu Yin?
"Please, everyone, don't stand on ceremony. I've just come to visit you all and get to know you. There's no need for formalities; we're all from the same village."

Zhu Yin spoke in a gentle tone, like a little adult.

Only then did everyone get up, go forward to feed the horses, and order chickens to be killed and wine to be prepared to entertain the manor owner.

Although these people were not exactly ugly or ragged, they still looked rather pale and somewhat distressed.

As tenant farmers, who were treated like serfs, their lives were still somewhat worse than those of self-cultivating farmers.

Because the exploitation is too severe.

Several somewhat respectable women respectfully led Zhu Yin and the others into the villa of the manor.

The manor villa is not large, but it is very elegant, mainly consisting of thatched cottages.

This is where the Wang family patriarch stays temporarily when he inspects the manor. Whenever Wang Chaoque and his entourage visit Nanzhuang, they stay in the thatched cottage in the separate courtyard.

Most of the people here are surnamed Xu, and the village was originally called Xujiazhuang.

The Xu family were migrants who moved from Zhejiang a hundred years ago and later became tenants of the Wang family.

They had been tenant farmers of the Wang family for generations and were used to it. Now that the Zhu family had taken over, they couldn't quite describe how they felt.

But in their eyes, how could the master be kind-hearted? They were already thankful that the Zhu family wasn't more ruthless than the Wang family.

The group rested in the elegant and rustic thatched hut, and the eldest headman of the estate respectfully said:

"Master, we, the estate managers, await your instructions. Do you have any further orders?"

Zhu Yin was speechless upon hearing this. Although he was very young, in these people's eyes, he was still a master!

As for "young master"... sorry, the Ming Dynasty didn't have the title "young master." They only had titles like "master," "great master," and "great master."

Zhu Yin could only ask, "Head of Xu Village, how many tenant farmers are there in Nan Village? Including all of them, regardless of age or gender."

"Oh dear." Xu Zhuangtou slapped his forehead, his expression both fearful and honest.

"Please forgive me, sir, this old man truly does not know! I only know there are 152 households, but the exact number of people is a complete mystery, perhaps around 700 or 800?"

Zhu Yin rolled his eyes. "You guys really don't even know how many people there are... Never mind, go and do a population census first, and register the names for me."

He then softened his tone and said:

"Also, how much food do you have, how many children are in school, how many elderly, weak, sick, and disabled people are there, and how many widows, widowers, or orphans are there? All of these should be counted one by one."

"These are the details, so please keep a close eye on the statistics. As for the chicken slaughter and wine preparation, that's unnecessary. I'll be leaving soon and won't bother you."

Zhu Yin didn't blame them for being confused.

There were many tenant farmers in the Ming Dynasty who hid their household registration. This is why, although the Ming Dynasty had a population of one or two hundred million, the Yellow Register always showed sixty or seventy million.

The Yellow Register of the Ming Dynasty only recorded the number of taxpayers. It completely ignored everyone else.

Officials at all levels are well aware of this, but since it concerns their own interests, they naturally won't change anything, and over time it becomes taken for granted.

As for the emperor, he certainly knew that the actual population far exceeded the statistics in the Yellow Register, but bound by so-called ancestral rules and constrained by the resistance of interest groups, he could only pretend to be confused.

Zhu Yin recalls that during the Wanli era, a Spanish man named Lada recorded that there was a large family surnamed Xia with more than seventy members, but only four people were registered as taxpayers in the Yellow Register.

It is evident that the Ming Dynasty had completely lost control over household registration.

Otherwise, how could the Wang family have turned the population of a village into their own manor serfs?

Many people who criticize the Ming Dynasty attack it as a system of serfdom. While this criticism is extreme, it is not entirely without merit.

The village heads looked at each other in astonishment, all feeling that the new village head's style was very different from that of the Wang family.

They seemed quite amicable?

"Please wait a moment, sir, and rest here. We will take care of it immediately."

Xu Zhuangtou and the others bowed, accepted the order, and withdrew.

Zhu Yin finally understood the tenants' reverence for the large landowners.

But he didn't like that feeling!

The village leaders, however, were all perplexed when they stepped back.

"We can't even read a basketful of characters, we can only write our own and our family's names, how can we register them? It's a difficult task."

One of the old men scratched his head with his muddy hands and said, "Sir, would you mind helping him? We'll give him a pot of wine, and he'll surely be willing."

Xu Zhuangtou said happily, "That's right! Although the gentleman is from out of town, he is still considered a member of the same clan. He is an outstanding scholar. Let's ask him to do it while he's still here."

The group immediately prepared a pot of wine that they themselves were reluctant to drink, along with some salted beans, and then hurried together to the nearby mountain god temple.

Inside the mountain god temple, a refined old man with gray hair and dressed in blue robes was lounging in a recliner by the door, basking in the sun.

Upon seeing the crowd approaching, he immediately sat up, his once weary old face now radiant with joy.

"You're bringing me wine and food, as if you need something from me? Speak, what is it?"

"After I finish drinking this pot of wine and doing what you asked me to do, I'll be leaving."

.........

Inside the thatched hut, Zhu Yin said, "After they finish registering, we'll head back. While we still have some free time, we'll go to Dongzhuang."

Time was limited, and he didn't plan to stay any longer.

Zhuang Shu said, "Yes, let's leave as soon as possible. Don't eat lunch here. Look at them, they're all covered in dirt, their fingernails are full of black grime, and they smell of sweat. I wouldn't dare eat the food they make."

Tang Rong nodded and said, "Yes, I can't eat either. I'm afraid I'll get diarrhea if I eat. Let's leave as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yin was very displeased.

After a while, Kangxi came over with a grim expression and reported: "Your Majesty, our carriage has been stripped of its linchpin?"

"What?" Zhu Yin frowned. "The wheel axle was removed? Who did that?"

Kangxi shook his head. "I don't know. Both of their axle handles have been removed; someone must have done this on purpose."

The axle is the most important component on a vehicle, and it is the original meaning of "controlling". If the axle is removed, the vehicle cannot move.

Each vehicle's axle is slightly different, making it difficult to directly replace it with other axles.

Zhu Yin couldn't help but think of the story of "throwing the axle to keep the guest" in the Book of Han.

It is said that Chen Zun of the Han Dynasty was extremely hospitable. Whenever guests came to his house, he would have someone secretly remove the axle from the guests' carriages and throw them into a well. The guests' carriages would then be unable to leave and would have to stay temporarily.

Could it be that someone here wants to stay, so they removed their own axle?
This place is more than 20 miles from home. Without a carriage, he can't possibly walk back with an infant and two girls with bound feet.
Damn it.

But Zhu Yin estimated that this must have been the idea of ​​some scholar.

"Are there any wells around here?" Zhu Yin asked. "If we find the nearest well, I suspect this is a prank. That's really malicious."

"Yes!" Kangxi immediately went to find a well.

Although he didn't know the connection between the cart axle and the well, he only knew how to carry out orders.

……

Inside the mountain god temple, the old scholar, already slightly drunk, chewed on salted beans while sipping his wine.

His expression was one of utter contentment, yet also tinged with an indescribable air of unbridled melancholy.

The dilapidated mountain god temple seemed to him like a magnificent pavilion where birds sang and danced.

Meanwhile, the elderly farmers from the countryside around him seemed to be surrounded by distinguished guests.

His entire aura blended seamlessly with the surrounding scenery and the autumn colors.

A snotty-nosed child walked in, gave a proper bow, and said:
“Sir, we secretly removed the axle and threw it into the well as you instructed.”

The old man nodded and said casually, "And then? Did they look for a well?"

The snotty-nosed child reported, "They found it! The old man is amazing; they really sent people to look for the well. How did they know?"

Several elderly farmers looked at the old man with admiration.

The old gentleman downed the remaining wine in his glass in one gulp and laughed heartily:
"The young Zhu family lad is a scholar! Interesting, very interesting!"

"If he is as you all say, then I would like to have a look at this brat!"

P.S.: This is a long chapter of over 7,000 words! Thank you to all my readers who have supported me. Can you guess who this old gentleman is? Goodnight!
(End of this chapter)