They've all become top scholars in the imperial examinations, and you're telling me this i

Chapter 163 Bi Mawen

"My lord, you... sigh! Why argue with the Heavenly King? The affairs of the Imperial Stables are complex and cannot be handled by one person alone. The Heavenly Horses' loss of weight has been a long-standing problem, not something that happened overnight. How easy is it to reverse it in a hurry? Besides..."

After Li Jing left, Ding Chou was still trying to persuade Chen Guangrui. He paused halfway through his sentence, his gaze sweeping meaningfully over the silent crowd behind him.
"Manpower is the most important thing!"

Ji Yong was also rubbing his hands together, his honest face full of worry.
"Yes, sir, Brother Ding is right. We may be dull-witted, but we are skilled at everything. Feeding, watering, cleaning, observing the horses—which step requires careful attention? Now that you've set new rules and expect the horses to get better immediately, our enthusiasm is really a bit..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear:
People are scared of you and look down on you. No one is willing to take risks and work hard under you, especially since you are about to offend Li Tianwang.

Chen Guangrui didn't look at Ding Chou and Ji Yong, but instead focused his gaze on the dead celestial horse, then slowly swept it over the indifferent faces around him.

Finally, his gaze fell on the constable who had been called out earlier for keeping the horse dead.

"You, go."

Chen Guangrui's voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to every corner, leaving no room for negotiation. It wasn't a discussion; it was a conclusion.

The constable trembled, his eyes instantly shifting from fear to resentment, and finally he gave up entirely.

He didn't look at Chen Guangrui again, but instead spat out a cold laugh, turned around and left. Once there's a first, there's bound to be a second.

People began to step forward one after another.
"My lord, I am not feeling well today and need to take the day off."

"My lord, my stomach hurts, I need to ask for a few days' leave..."

"My little hand was scratched by a blade of grass, and I'm afraid it will soil the stable, so I'd like to rest for a couple of days."

The reasons varied, but they all pointed to the same goal: to leave this place of trouble.

Ding Chou and Ji Yong exchanged a glance, both seeing the relief in each other's eyes.

The two continued their act, their faces contorted in distress, and bowed deeply to Chen Guangrui.

"Sir, the brothers have indeed been quite frightened and inconvenienced today. We really can't persuade them otherwise. But the stables still need someone to look after them. We are willing to help... Alas!"

Chen Guangrui's gaze finally fell on their faces, his eyes calm and unwavering.

"Follow the rules." He only said four words.

The last vestiges of feigned concern on their faces crumbled, and they silently stepped back a few paces.

As they moved, as if receiving some tacit approval, the crowd surged silently toward the gates of the Imperial Stables, like a receding tide.

No one spoke, only the rustling sound of footsteps, like countless ants moving house.

They kept their heads down or stole glances at Chen Guangrui, who stood alone in front of the stable, their eyes filled with complex emotions.

The once vast Imperial Horse Stables suddenly became eerily empty.

The wind swirled up a few dry grass clippings from the ground, sending them drifting past.

From the rows of stables, one could hear occasional listless snorts and the clattering of horses' hooves as they nervously rubbed their hooves.

The sunlight slanted in, casting a long, solitary shadow of Chen Guangrui on the empty ground, making him appear exceptionally lonely.

The entire space was filled with the mixed smells of withered grass, dust, and horse excrement, creating a dull and oppressive atmosphere. Only he and the listless, emaciated Pegasus filled the stable.

After a long while, Chen Guangrui slowly exhaled and walked to a Pegasus with prominent ribs, reaching out to stroke its mane.

The horse seemed startled by the previous events, or perhaps simply exhausted, it turned its head away and let out a weary breath.

No one believed that Chen Guangrui could handle such a huge mess on his own.

Just as the deathly silence was broken by the sound of horses' breath, a golden light, accompanied by a familiar strange cry, fell without warning onto the stone brick ground in the center of the training ground.

"Young official, you're doing a terrible job as the stable boy!"

The newcomer was none other than Sun Wukong, who had secretly ascended to the mortal realm! He jumped to Chen Guangrui's side, poked at the air with his hairy fingers, and then pointed to the empty stables in the distance.
"Back when I first arrived in Heaven, I took your position. Back then, every single one of my celestial horses was sleek, plump, and strong. They could shatter clouds with a single hoofbeat. Who's as pathetic as you? You've only been here a few days, tsk tsk tsk..."

After the monkey finished bragging, Chen Guangrui said,
"Great Sage, you are truly valiant; Guangrui admires you. Since you are so proficient in this art, why not fulfill your promise?"

Sun Wukong chuckled and pointed at Chen Guangrui with his finger, indicating that he knew what Chen Guangrui was thinking.

"You little rascal, you're the most cunning one. I always thought I'd been tricked by you. But what's so difficult about raising horses? I'll show you what I, Old Sun, can do!"

……

On the other side, the group of officials who had "asked for leave" had not actually dispersed. They huddled in twos and threes in a corner not far from the Imperial Stables, exchanging glances and whispering among themselves.

"Is it really not a single person left behind?" someone asked anxiously.

"Hmph, what's there to be afraid of? He's capable, didn't he make a promise to the Heavenly King? Let him handle everything by himself!"

"That's right. Without us, I don't think he could even fetch clean water or move fodder."

"Yes, yes, let's just take a few days off. Once he's completely overwhelmed, he'll naturally come begging us to come back."

Someone made a guarantee.

"When the time comes, you'll have to include our hard work as compensation..."

Ding Chou and Ji Yong remained hidden on the outer edge of the crowd, saying little. Ding Chou squinted at the tightly closed palace gates, a mysterious smile playing on his lips. Ji Yong, on the other hand, frowned, seemingly deep in thought. The crowd, reassured by the suggestion of "taking a few days off," gradually dispersed.

No one expected that three days would pass in the blink of an eye.

There seemed to be no movement from Chen Guangrui's side.

Several constables, still uneasy, secretly gathered again near the gates of the Imperial Horse Stables. One of them couldn't help but say...
"How about... we peek through the crack in the side door? Let's see what's going on inside. What if we find even more dead horses? That would be disastrous."

They hesitated, and finally sent out the smallest and most agile groom to a relatively secluded spot under a low wall.

On the other side of the palace wall, several loud whistles could be faintly heard, along with the sound of sweeping vigorously.

The constable's heart tightened. This voice... it didn't sound like someone who was dejected.

He squinted hard to look inside.

When I took that look, my eyes almost popped out!

Just two days ago, the black-scaled steed was so hungry that it was listless and its fur was matted. Now, it was exceptionally magnificent. Although it could not be said that its hooves could shatter the clouds, its scale-like black fur was faintly gleaming in the occasional sunlight!

The skeleton doesn't seem to have changed much, but the originally deep rib contours seem to have become a little rounder.

Even more noticeable was his eyes. That day, Nama raised his head, and his eyes were no longer unfocused and weak; they had gained some strength.

The constable thought he was seeing things and quickly turned his eyes to look at the stables further away. His field of vision was limited, but he could vaguely see several Pegasus horses approaching from this direction. Their coats seemed to have changed color, no longer the withered and dull kind.

Moreover, the stable floor was excessively clean; the smooth stone slabs seemed to reflect one's image!

"This is wrong..."

He muttered to himself, the sound stuck in his throat.

Just then, that familiar, slightly unruly, and quirky voice rang out again, this time closer, as if it were near the stables not far from the low door he was peering through.

"Hey, you little black guy, stop looking around! Focus on chewing your grass! I just gave you some marigold sprouts, picked by my own hands. You need to eat well to have the energy to kick the heavenly soldiers! I see your butt's gotten thinner again. If you don't eat properly, I'll take half a pound off your fodder tonight, you hear me?"

That voice, that tone!
This familiarity, tinged with a touch of bravado, struck the constable like a bolt of lightning.
It's been so many years since I've seen this person!
That name, carrying memories from five hundred years ago and the Heavenly Court's prohibitions for five hundred years, exploded in his mind!

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out; only his teeth chattered, and his whole body trembled like a leaf in the wind.

(End of this chapter)