The world of film and television begins with Hikaru no Go

Zeng Tai decided to go to the back room, even if it was just to say a greeting as usual, it would be better than staying in the signing room all day.

Di Gong heard footsteps outside the door. They approached, paused, and then landed.

"Come in."

Zeng Tai pushed open the door and entered, bowing: "My lord, you must be tired from your journey. I don't want to bother you further, but I came to ask if you need anything else for tonight."

Judge Di placed the teacup he was holding on the table and pointed to the chair next to him.

"sit."

Zeng Tai hesitated for a moment, then sat down, even more reserved than Wu Xiaojie had been. His buttocks were only touching the front half of the chair, his back was straight, and his hands were also placed on his knees.

The candlelight in the gauze lantern shone steadily, illuminating Zeng Tai's face and clearly showing the fine lines at the corners of his eyes and the dry skin on his lips.

"Were you tired during your years in Huzhou?"

Zeng Tai was stunned for a moment, mentally prepared to answer every question from the inspector, such as why criminal cases were piling up, why the treasury was short of silver, and how to take the route of the inspection of the estates... But he never expected that the first question Di Gong asked was this.

He opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know how to answer.

Judge Di continued, "I've read the cases you've judged, and most of them are reasonable. There was a water diversion case where you drew a water diversion map in your judgment, calculated the water volume by acre, and ordered the two villages to jointly build a sluice gate. Such cases are not difficult to judge according to the law; who owns the irrigation canal and how much land they own can be easily found out. But you chose the most troublesome method."

Zeng Tai lowered his head, his hand slowly sliding from his knee to the edge of the table, his fingertips gently tapping the surface.

"My lord, I just feel that... laws are rigid, but people are flexible. Those two villages have been fighting over a canal for over ten years, and simply deciding who won or lost won't solve the problem. The only solution is to have them jointly build a sluice gate and share a canal, so that they won't fight anymore. I don't know if what I'm doing is the right thing to do."

"right."

Zeng Tai looked up, his eyes slightly red.

Judge Di leaned back in his chair: "It's rare for a top scholar to serve as a county magistrate for ten years. It's also rare for a county magistrate to think so carefully about the people in his judgments. If you still have the people in your heart, then you still have a path to walk."

Zeng Tai's lips moved, his Adam's apple bobbed a few times, as if he wanted to say something, but something blocked his way. After a long pause, he could only squeeze out, "My lord, some things... are not within my authority to decide."

After saying that, he lowered his gaze, his left arm subconsciously pulled to his side, his fingers touched the inside of his forearm, and then quickly moved away.

Di Renjie did not ask any further questions, but simply picked up his teacup and took another sip.

"No rush, you can come anytime while I'm in Huzhou."

After Zeng Tai left, the room became quiet.

After a long while, Di Renjie got up, walked to the window, and pushed it open to a width of one hand.

The night wind blew in, carrying the damp chill unique to a southern winter, along with a few sporadic barks from the distant fields.

The moonlight gently spread across the bluestone slabs in the courtyard, and the moss between the stones, having absorbed enough moisture, appeared a deeper color than during the day.

"Grandpa," Zhang Rui suddenly asked, "Will Zeng Tai come?"

Di Renjie looked out the window and remained silent for a while: "Yes, it will. Everyone makes mistakes. It doesn't matter if you make mistakes, what matters is whether you still have the will to turn back. When you distributed water to the two villages, your intentions were genuine. Based on that, there is a way back."

"What if he leaks the information?"

"With Yuanfang and Jinghui here, there's nothing to worry about."

The next day, Di Renjie went to the county government office under the pretext of reviewing the land registration map.

Zeng Tai found the map album and spread it on the table. Di Gong bent down and looked at it for a moment, his finger slowly tracing the boundaries of the fields. He paused briefly at the location of Liu Family Village before moving away.

That night, Zhang Rui followed the map and drifted into the backyard of Liu Family Village.

From the outside, the small building is an inconspicuous wooden building. The two lanterns on the eaves have been out for who knows how long, and a thin layer of dust has accumulated on the lampshades. The tassels have been knotted by the wind.

The door was tightly shut, not a single ray of light could get through the crack.

Go through the wall and you'll find the place empty. Several rooms are locked, and the locks are rusty.

After a careful inspection, they found a hidden door and went down a narrow stone staircase.

The steps were slippery, but it didn't affect Zhang Rui much.

At the end was a small, secret room with iron bars that stretched from the floor to the ceiling. Fine water droplets clung to the bars, rolling down and forming a small puddle on the stone slab.

Li Gui sat leaning against the wall, so thin that his cheekbones jutted out from under his skin, and the outline of his shoulder blades was clearly visible through the fabric of his thin shirt.

The wick of the oil lamp on the wall was very thin, and the flame was only the size of a bean.

Zhang Rui remained silent, memorizing the information, and retraced his steps.

As night fell, the group split into three groups.

Zeng Tai and his men blocked the gatekeeper at the main gate, and then knocked on the side door under the pretext of verifying the land registration map.

Liu Chali hurriedly arrived at the main hall wearing an outer robe, his collar still unbuttoned, and instructed the steward to make tea as he walked.

All the servants were moved to the front yard, the main hall was brightly lit, but the lanterns in the back yard were being extinguished one by one.

Li Yuanfang touched the knife and crept to the front of the small building, then slipped into the hidden door.

The stone steps were narrow and steep, allowing only one person to pass at a time. The soles of boots brushed against the moss-covered surface, making a very faint rustling sound.

In the secret room, Li Gui heard footsteps but remained silent. He sat against the wall, his hands resting on his knees, his fingers slowly curling up and then relaxing.

Li Yuanfang walked to the iron fence, and the lantern light leaked through the gaps in the railing, falling on Li Gui's sunken cheeks.

"Your Highness, we are here on Lord Di's orders to take you away from here."

Li Gui didn't ask any more questions. He slowly stood up, supporting himself against the wall, his frame stretching out section by section under his thin clothes.

Li Yuanfang carried Li Gui on his back, his steps extremely light. Only when he climbed over the courtyard wall did a withered leaf fall from his shoulder, drifting gently to the base of the wall.

From entering the building to leading people out, it took no more than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Liu Chali was still in the main hall with Zeng Tai checking the field map, completely unaware of what was happening in the backyard.

Li Gui was placed in a house in the west of the city. The house was found by Di Chun. It was three miles away from the county government office. There was a narrow alley in front of the house, at the end of which was a wasteland vegetable field, and beyond that were farmlands.

The courtyard wall is not high, with blue bricks and gray tiles. In front of the gate stands a crooked tree, its leaves all fallen, its branches swaying gently in the night breeze.

There were no neighbors around, and the nearest farmhouse was half a mile away. At night, all that could be heard were the chirping of insects on the ridges of the fields and the sound of flowing water in the irrigation ditches.

There was only a small oil lamp lit in the east wing, with the wick cut very short, the light only enough to illuminate a small area along the edge of the table.

You can see from the corner that a charcoal brazier used to be placed there; the charcoal ash has cooled completely, and half a charred piece of firewood is buried in the ash pile.

Li Gui sat on the edge of the bed, still wearing the old robe he was wearing when he was brought out of Liujiazhuang. The cuffs were frayed and his shoulders were covered in wall dust.

Li Yuanfang poured him a bowl of water, which he placed on the table without drinking it.

Inside the main room, Wu Xiaojie had already arrived and was sitting next to Di Renjie.

Li Yuanfang came out of the east wing, walked to Di Renjie's side, and whispered, "My lord, Li Gui has woken up and is asking when you will go to see him."

"Now."