The world of film and television begins with Hikaru no Go

At the end of the year, the winter wheat fields along the official roads in Jiangnan were still green, but the green was heavy and covered with a thin layer of gray.

The villages I passed through had many tiled houses but few cave dwellings. Strings of dried chili peppers and corncobs hung under the eaves. Occasionally, one or two women would sit on the threshold sewing shoe soles, tucking the needle between their hair and then sticking it into the cloth.

Farmers carrying loads on shoulder poles walked along the field ridges, their short cloaks billowing with radishes and cabbages at one end, while a half-grown child sat at the other end, clutching the hemp rope with both hands, giggling and revealing a gap in his missing front tooth.

Occasionally, an oxcart would slowly roll by on the official road, with several bundles of firewood stacked in its bed. The old man driving the cart would doze off with his hands tucked in his sleeves, the reins draped over his knees, letting the ox walk on its own.

Di Renjie leaned against the carriage wall, the curtain half-rolled up, holding the rolled-up map of Huzhou in his hand, but not unfolding it.

We've been traveling for several days since leaving Chang'an, passing through Tongguan, Luoyang, Ruzhou, and then southeast to Huzhou.

He didn't talk much on the way. He would lean against the car wall, close his eyes for a while, and then open them to look out the window again. His eyes were always clear and bright, and he was not sleepy.

Wu Xiaojie has already succeeded in this step, and the books have been put away safely.

The second step, how to proceed after arriving in Huzhou, depends on Zeng Tai and Liu Chali.

Zeng Tai is an officer of the Internal Security Department, but he still has a conscience. We can try to win him over.

Liu Chali imprisoned Li Gui and corresponded with Xu Shide, but Xu Shide was in Chang'an and could not reach Huzhou no matter how far he extended his reach.

If we act quickly enough and capture Liu Chali before the news leaks out, the case can be closed in Huzhou.

"What is Grandpa thinking about?"

"I was thinking of Zeng Tai, who ranked first in the palace examination in the first year of the Tian Shou era and served as a county magistrate for nearly ten years. I have reviewed his resume and the judgments he wrote."

"How was the verdict?"

"Most of them are reasonable and understanding." Judge Di paused, tapping his finger lightly on the scroll of the map. "There was a case involving a dispute over an irrigation canal. Two villages had been at odds over a canal for over a decade, and no successive magistrates had been able to resolve it properly. In his judgment, he drew a water distribution map, calculated the water volume by acre, and changed the sluice gate to be jointly repaired and maintained by the two villages on a rotating basis. This kind of judgment wasn't just copying the law; it showed thoughtful consideration of how to ensure the survival of both sides. For a top scholar to serve as a magistrate for nearly ten years and still be able to judge such a case to this extent... is quite rare."

The carriage swayed and rolled over a rut, tilting slightly before slowly straightening itself.

There was a moment of silence in the carriage. The copper kettle on the charcoal stove had stopped making noise. Occasionally, the lid would be lifted by the remaining steam, gently tapping the rim of the kettle with a tinkling sound before falling back down.

"Grandpa, are you thinking about your time as magistrate of Pengze?"

"Hmm." Di Renjie folded the map and put it back in the book box. "Before Pengze, I worked as a legal officer in Bingzhou, in charge of criminal cases. Later, I came to Pengze, a small county with a population of only a few thousand. The cases I tried were nothing more than petty theft, land boundary disputes, and neighborhood grudges. None of them warranted a major punishment or the application of the most severe laws. In short, it all boils down to this: let people finish explaining their reasoning before rushing to a conclusion. Zeng Tai probably understood this principle. He was able to make solid judgments on such cases because he had the foundation, but he went astray later."

Huzhou is much more humid than Chang'an. Even in December, the wind is still gentle, and a layer of damp moisture floats in the air. Thin winter water accumulates in the paddy fields on both sides of the official road, reflecting the hazy sky. Occasionally, birds are startled from the ridges of the fields, their wings fluttering across the water before landing in the withered grass in the distance.

The county government office was located in the east of the city, with a slanted wall and a gray tile roof, with a few clumps of withered pine trees growing in the gaps between the tiles.

There are two stone lions in front of the gate. They are not very impressive. Over the years, the edges of their manes have been worn smooth, but they are still quite dignified.

Zeng Tai was waiting at the door. He was not tall and was wearing a county magistrate's robe with the collar buttoned up tightly. He stood in front of the stone steps with his back very straight.

When the county magistrate greeted his superior, he was supposed to say a few polite words of welcome, but after weighing his words over and over in his mind, he felt that no matter how he said them, they were not quite right.

Being too enthusiastic might seem frivolous, while being too simple might seem negligent.

When the rumbling of the carriage came into view from afar, all the arranged sentences suddenly fell apart.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and Di Renjie stepped off the pedal.

Wearing an indigo robe, not an official uniform, and a pair of worn-out black leather boots, he stepped onto the bluestone steps, first looking up at the plaque of the county government office, and then turning his gaze to Zeng Tai.

Zeng Tai stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Zeng Tai, the magistrate of Huzhou County, greets Your Excellency."

"Magistrate Zeng, there's no need for such formalities." Di Gong offered a gesture of support, then withdrew his hand. "This inspection will begin with reviewing official documents, then checking the treasury, and finally taking a stroll through the estates. There's no rush."

Zeng Tai responded, stepped aside, and led Di Gong inside.

As he turned, his gaze swept over the attendants behind Di Renjie. A young man who looked like a servant was carrying a bundle of luggage. His cotton robe was washed until it was faded, and he looked like an old servant who had been with him for many years. Next to him was another man, wearing a gray cloth robe. He had an ordinary appearance and looked like Di Renjie's nephew or niece, but he had a straight back, heavy steps, and a temperament that was different from ordinary people. At the very back was a military officer with his hand on his sword. He wore a black cloak over his shoulders. The color of his fifth-rank official's uniform was particularly eye-catching in the dim light of the day.

Zeng Tai felt a tightness in his chest, but he didn't show it on his face. He just slowed his pace by half a beat and waited for the military officer to walk ahead before following him.

Zhang Rui floated behind Di Renjie, sizing up the top scholar of the first year of the Tian Shou era.

Zeng Tai has fine lines around his eyes, his lips are dry and chapped, and his steps are somewhat unsteady, a habit formed from years of hunching over a desk or walking with his head down.

All morning, Judge Di was in the main hall reviewing criminal case files from Huzhou.

The case files were brought up in stacks and neatly stacked in the corner of the desk.

Zeng Tai stood by, answering Di Gong's questions in a proper and respectful manner, not daring to utter a single extra word.

But Zhang Rui noticed that every time Di Gong reached for the next scroll, Zeng Tai's gaze followed his hand, going wherever his hand went, and then looking away before turning the page, as if afraid that staring too closely would make him seem guilty.

When Judge Di turned to an old case, he paused, read the verdict, put the file aside, glanced at Zeng Tai, and then moved on to the next file.

Zeng Tai tightened his grip on his sleeve, but said nothing.

The only sound in the main hall was the turning of pages. Outside the window, a light rain began to fall. The raindrops were as fine as mist, falling silently on the roof tiles. Only after accumulating on the eaves for a while did a single drop of water fall.

After nightfall, Di Renjie did not stay at the post station.

Two side rooms were prepared in the back hall of the county government office, one for Judge Di and the other for Li Yuanfang and Di Jinghui.

Di Chun watched over the luggage in the front yard, opened Di Gong's old rattan trunk to air it out, added a few pieces of charcoal to the charcoal brazier, and stirred the fire.

Zeng Tai lingered in the signing room for a long time, flipping through the official documents on the table countless times, but he couldn't absorb a single word.

Di Renjie did not summon him for questioning alone today, but the more he did so, the more uneasy he felt.

The way the old man glanced up while flipping through the files was more unsettling than any interrogation.