Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 129 Peace and Safety in the New Year
The real day begins after New Year's Eve.

Xu Xuan ate an egg in the morning, following a custom.

"The plan for the year starts in spring, and the plan for the day starts in the morning."

If anyone can maintain this habit, they should be able to succeed in most things.

For some reason, I suddenly thought of Zao. This student's understanding of the word "early" is still a bit lacking. I need to give him some pointers when we get back to the academy. After all, talent shouldn't be wasted.

After the literary gathering, there was the imperial examination. As a teacher, I certainly hope that every student has a bright future.

Then there was a bit of nothing to do. The Lunar New Year was a real holiday, and even debt collectors had to take a break.

Generally, people of all ages offer greetings in the morning.

People of all ages exchange New Year's greetings according to their seniority and age. Elders give blessings and words of encouragement to the younger generation, as well as gifts such as lucky money.

Mr. Xu was all alone, with no relatives or friends in Qiantang, and only maintained minimal communication with Suzhou.

Therefore, this step will be skipped.

Next comes the door-opening prayer, where talismans are pasted on the door or items such as mugwort are hung to ward off evil spirits and protect the peace of the home.

With two door gods who had received imperial edicts already in the dilapidated courtyard, there was naturally no need for them.

After much deliberation, having nothing else to do, I might as well begin refining the Heavenly Vessel.

Once refined, this thing will have the ability to change its size at will, and can be worn on the waist like a jade pendant, which is extremely convenient.

Then, if I were to pull out a sword from a pot, wouldn't I be able to show off in front of Miss Bai? How superficial, how superficial.

Such a useful tool should naturally be used in conjunction with tactics.

Those demons and monsters will be very fortunate in the future.

It must be said that Miss Bai cleverly used her appearance to enhance the Heavenly Law.

Rings and jade bracelets look more luxurious, but they are also more troublesome.

Generally, techniques of transformation use containers with internal space, such as pots or gourds.

The most famous one should be Fei Changfang from "The Legend of the Immortals".

This person is even more famous for another identity: the previous incarnation of Han Xiangzi, one of the Eight Immortals.

“Fei Changfang studied under Hu Gong. When Hu Gong asked him what he desired, he replied, ‘I want to see the whole world.’ Hu Gong gave him a shrinking whip, and when he wanted to go to a certain place, it shrank to his right in front of him.”

The idiom "to hang a gourd to save lives" originates from this story.

The more one refines, the more terrifying the art of transformation becomes; it requires not only magical power but also a profound lineage.

Tsk tsk, a woman like that is perfect except for being a bit fickle.

Mr. Xu is looking at the issue from a fair and objective perspective.

"Yes, that makes perfect sense."

In the morning, someone delivered an invitation to attend a banquet and celebration in the county that evening.

Similar to the small banquets held by the powerful class in Qiantang, from the emperor to the prefectural officials and even the minor county magistrate, they all liked to hold these kinds of events to build relationships.

Previously, Young Master Xu did not have this qualification or status.

As dusk settled, Xu Xuan was taken to Wangjiang Tower, where, as expected, he met several familiar faces.

Magistrate Song, Master Li, Uncle Ji, and several familiar-looking gentry from Qiantang.

Not a single member of a prominent family was present, nor were any officials from the education administration is here.

It seems this gathering isn't very high-level.

Of course, this is also because Xu Xuan has come into contact with too many big shots on a daily basis. Not to mention the cultivation world, not to mention the Jiangnan Literary Gathering, even the meetings of professors in academies are of a much higher level than this.

So when I arrived, I was very relaxed and greeted everyone casually.

Magistrate Song greeted them with a beaming smile, his demeanor even appearing somewhat more refined.

"Brother Xu!"

"Oh my, what a romantic and talented man! Hahahaha!"

The crowd behind him joined in with good-natured laughter, creating a rather lively atmosphere. Xu Xuan was somewhat puzzled; what did the word "romantic" mean?

I am a good teacher who only studies the classics, and I also have karmic debts from past lives.

Don't talk nonsense, what if someone misunderstands?

Song Youde gave him a "don't pretend" look and then held up two fingers with a slightly flirtatious expression.

"On New Year's Eve, such a beautiful night should naturally be spent with a beautiful woman. It is said that they are two fairy-like figures. Amazing, amazing."

I understand. Those people around the courtyard are quite something; they only took a day.
As a well-known figure in the county, Xu Xuan was naturally prepared to be the subject of gossip, but he didn't expect it to happen so soon.

Song Youde considered himself a good friend who could joke around with his younger brother like this, and it was also a way to get closer to him.

Xu Xuan's feelings were complicated. Hearing about the two of them and the door blocking, he didn't know what to say.

The more you try to explain something, the worse it gets; you can only laugh it off.

Next, the elder brother pulled the younger brother aside to whisper some serious matters.

"The matter we discussed that day has kept me tossing and turning at night. After much thought, I believe that in addition to making physical contact, I still need some long-term achievements."

"It is said that there are quite a few people keeping an eye on the higher-ranking prefects."

"My brother's position in the court is still somewhat weak."

"So, I'm planning to... there's someone who can..."

After listening, Xu Xuan looked at the fat man with a surprised expression.

You weren't this ambitious before?

In just two or three days, I came up with a surprisingly good idea.

Fengtai and Pinghu have long been overgrown with weeds, and even in years of plenty, people are still sparsely populated.

This involves selecting a river channel within the Qiantang River area for dredging!

The separation between West Lake and Qiantang River is formed by silt and sand filling the river and the construction of man-made dikes. If the lake water gradually dries up or the riverbanks are overgrown with weeds, it will seriously affect agricultural production.

Song Youde's cunning choice to repair the dike at this time was not because he truly loved the people.

Rather, it hasn't been long since the last major overhaul, and this time the scale of the operation is small, with the main focus on consolidation.

But it is indeed a genuine achievement.

Flooding has always been a major problem plaguing the south.

After all, the weather changes naturally, and even gods and immortals cannot interfere.

The environment can only be changed slowly by human effort, so the best achievement to be found in the Jiangnan region is dredging.

The idea that large-scale infrastructure projects equal great achievements was also common in ancient times.

The difference is that in ancient times, if you did it well, that was fine, but if you did it poorly, you could really be beheaded.

Under someone's guidance, Magistrate Song has transformed from an ordinary magistrate who was trying to extort money from Qiantang into a career man who wants to climb the corporate ladder through various means.

With a change in behavior, one's demeanor naturally becomes more capable and efficient.

The suppressed desire might only be released after eating the carrot hanging in front of them.

It's just unknown whether there will be another irresistible carrot later, or if a whip will appear behind them.

A seemingly insignificant move unexpectedly ignited this guy's ambition.

Xu Xuan is a good person, and naturally he will support his elder brother's ambition.

They helped come up with several good ideas to complete this task without affecting people's livelihoods as much as possible.

If he does a good job, he can ask the professor to write an inscription for this dredging project.

Song Youde was naturally even happier; finding connections to get him a position in Qiantang was definitely the right thing to do.

I have a feeling that things are going better and better for him as he becomes an official.

(End of this chapter)