Chapter 372

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

Everyone fell silent for a moment, when suddenly someone said: "If you're not a Censor, can you not write essays?"

Not being a Censor, one can naturally still write essays.

Hearing such nonsense, everyone couldn't help but turn to look at him.

The man immediately added another sentence, saying: "Could it be that only Han Li knows how to write essays, but you and I don't?"

"He can talk about the Cao Family Chicken, can't we talk about the servants of the Lu Wang household?"

Once these words were spoken, everyone in the room grew restless and eager.

To speak honestly, seeing Han Li's former glory, who wouldn't be tempted—it's just writing essays, isn't every Taixue student writing every day, wearing out their brushes?

Even if one might not match him, one must still give it a try!

If one truly enters the Censorate in the future, would one stop writing just because one feels inferior to others? Once an official, if one can't do things better than others, would one stop doing them?

Moreover, there has never been a first in literature, nor a second in martial arts.

What if this time, one writes a piece full of brilliance, and through this matter, becomes famous under heaven?

Almost immediately, someone asked cautiously: "Then... who should write it? Should we nominate someone?"

"What dynasty is this! Do you think we're still recommending filial and incorrupt officials!"

"Exactly! What select, everyone writes! If quality can't compare, can't quantity? Censors fear him, but we are students, and we don't fear! We won't submit memorials, just write essays to circulate privately, signing no names, then who will know who wrote it?"

"Right! We all write, then mix the essays together, and no one can tell who is who!"

That was utter nonsense.

Essays have quality; poorly written ones naturally sink into the crowd and are hard to distinguish, but well-written ones mostly have their own style.

Those who can enter Taixue, many of their essays have noteworthy points, and acquaintances can tell at a glance who wrote it.

But what does it matter.

Will the teachers step forward to say? Will the classmates step forward to say?

Of course not!

Even if they do, just deny it to the death.

"What exactly is the origin of this matter? Should we go find out clearly? See who the Wu Family steward is, and who spoke up for the Lu Wang Fu—is this matter troublesome for us to investigate?"

"Definitely troublesome! You're just a student, if you run to the Capital Prefecture Office to ask, who will bother with you! Furthermore, if you find out clearly, and you still write it out, wouldn't you be harming the person who leaked the information to you?"

"Exactly, we study to be Censors, hearing rumors and submitting memorials, we're not like the Court of Judicial Review or the Department of Corrections investigating cases, what evidence do we need—is that person from the Lu Wang Fu? Was that Wu Family steward involved in the case? Was he caught, and then released? These are all facts, right? We speak according to facts, as for what the details are behind the scenes, what the situation is, it's none of our business!"

"Right, the salaries of the Court of Judicial Review and the Department of Corrections aren't paid to us!"

Once their ideas were unified, everyone gathered together and began to discuss the details.

"Then should we bring these detailed circumstances behind it over?"

"Not only bring them over, but perhaps it's best not to mention Song Ji either?"

"Mentioning it isn't good; once mentioned, wouldn't that draw even more attention from that Lu Wang Fu to Song Xiaoniangzi?"

"Then... how should it be written?"

"As long as we don't mention the overly detailed things behind, don't mention Song Ji or Song Xiaoniangzi, the rest can be written however; too many restrictions, and it's hard to put pen to paper!"

Everyone here was discussing heatedly, Wang Chang interjected a sentence here, added a word there.

Cheng Zijian hurriedly presented that food box of Liang Ban Zhu Wei and bean sprouts, calling out: "This is made by Song Xiaoniangzi—everyone eats her good things, the essays must be written with care!"

"What words! Even if it weren't Song Xiaoniangzi's matter, knowing of such injustice, we can't just stand by! Otherwise, haven't we read books in vain?!"

"That's the way to put it; Taixue has always had many scholars who lament and sing sorrowful songs, are we just sticking our heads out for this mouthful of food?! —Who has chopsticks?"

"What chopsticks, this is food made by Song Xiaoniangzi, such a meticulous person, there must be bamboo skewers inside!"

As they spoke, someone truly found bamboo skewers from inside.

A group surrounded the food box, gnawing on Liang Ban Zhu Wei while beginning to discuss how to write the essay, where to break the topic, how to narrate.

The pig tail skin was bouncy and crisp, with few bones in the middle, more skin than meat; one bite down, the mouth was full of skin and meat, beside it were pickled cheese cucumbers, inside paired with roasted walnut crumbs, paired with cilantro, such a mix of fragrant, sour, and spicy, they ate with slurping sounds, then peeled the bean sprouts beside to take a bite, fragrant and sweet.

—Many years later, the students present, scattered across heaven and earth, each with different fortunes, but when classmates and schoolmates occasionally gathered and spoke of past events, they could never get past this night, calling it "Liang Ban Zhu Wei Memorials".

Speaking again of the pickled cheese cucumbers from that night, the bean sprouts, and even more so that Liang Ban Zhu Wei, none failed to savor the aftertaste.

Inside Taixue, a group of students were busy discussing essays; in the Capital Prefecture Office, Chai Guan Dong, similarly carrying a food box and basket back, entered a room.

Inside, a group of officials gathered together talking and eating; seeing him enter, they all greeted him.

"Old Dong is back?"

"How did Song Xiaoniangzi say?"

"Is she afraid? Did you tell her to call a few people to help watch the house?"

Amidst a cacophony of voices, Xin Feng put down his bowl and also asked: "Old Dong, do you know about the Zhuque Gate Patrol Station?"

Chai Guan Dong opened his mouth and had two ears, almost unable to hear, unable to respond.

He hurriedly said: "Give me a breather! Finish one, then say another!"

After hearing clearly again, he answered them one by one, then placed the food box and basket on the table where everyone was eating, lifted the food box lid, raised his chin, and gestured: "Here—Song Xiaoniangzi asked me to bring this for you."

He also said: "Saying someone gave her good pig tails, she made them into a cold dish, the flavor is very good, just that she can't finish them, asking us to help share some—also saying this is good for eating with rice, cakes, or as a drinking snack."

Speaking, he also took out that bottle of pickled cheese cucumbers and that basket of bean sprout leaves, saying: "These were also given by her."

A room full of people, who had been clamoring and asking questions, upon seeing this full food box of Liang Ban Zhu Wei and many foods, suddenly quieted down.

Before long, someone couldn't help but say: "Old Dong, you say you—your face is thicker than pig tail skin, right?! How can you be embarrassed!! How can you be embarrassed to take it! We haven't helped with anything! We haven't even handled our own duties properly!"

"That's the point! Normally when a victim brings gifts, if the case isn't solved, we wouldn't even dare accept a pair of straw sandals — it hurts to see it. But this time it's Song Xiaoniangzi; just because she's an acquaintance, you've gone utterly shameless?"

Feng Er was even more embarrassed, saying: "To hell with it! That steward, I let him go myself — you bringing this back, isn't that slapping me in the face? Lao Dong, are you trying to shame me to death!"

Lao Dong said: "What are you yelling about! If you went, could you turn it down? Song Xiaoniangzi said it was for you lot, not for me — how could I refuse?"

He rolled his eyes, then said: "You put some effort in now, investigate the case to the bottom. Whether it works or not, at least you can give Song Xiaoniangzi a clear account — that way, won't it be worthy of all these fine things she sent?"

On the table were a few food items: one lotus leaf wrap of braised dishes, several heads of garlic, a packet of sauce, a stack of pancakes.

Unless there were special circumstances, such as urgent major cases or serious cases, the Capital Prefecture Office's public kitchen did not open in the evening. Everyone gathered here at this time to privately discuss the case of Wu Yuanwai's household steward colluding with an escaped criminal and directing thieves to break into a civilian residence at night.

Since they brought this trouble on themselves, naturally they had to provide their own meals.

For convenience, they had someone bring back these pancakes they usually ate, wrap some vegetables in them, add a bamboo tube of drink, and that was a meal.

Random vegetables, naturally not very tasty; just wolf it down and be done.

But today Lao Dong was exceptionally expectant.

He casually took a pancake; the garlic, sauce, and braised dishes that were normally indispensable he couldn't be bothered with. He casually took the coarse bamboo skewers placed in the small bamboo tube beside the food box, and from inside the food box fished out two large pieces of pig tail, then picked up several small pickled cucumbers, rolled it all up, and shoved the whole thing into his mouth.

While saying "You all have thin skin, only I have thick skin. I eat, I eat and I work — you all don't eat!", Lao Dong went "ao oh" and bit off half the pancake, his mouth full of pancake crust, pig tail meat, pickled cucumber, immediately chewing with relish, looking utterly absorbed in eating.

Seeing him like this, the others could no longer hold back and swarmed over.

"You old Lao Dong! Song Xiaoniangzi asked you to bring some for us, and you're the one eating!"

"You thick-skinned bastard!"

"Such a big piece of pig tail, the best middle section, you just picked it away — have you no shame!"

A group of people clamoring, no longer holding back, all scrambling for the food.

For several days in a row, they each finished their own urgent matters, then squeezed in time to visit and investigate.

Although this time they were investigating Wu Yuanwai's household steward, Xin Feng led the case and always erred on the side of killing rather than letting go. He extended the investigation to the entire Wu household, top to bottom. As the investigation deepened, the more they found, and when everyone pooled their findings, each felt the situation was becoming rather thorny.

The Taixue and the Capital Prefecture Office each received a food box of cold-tossed pig tail from Song Miao. Both sides had their own matters to attend to, both thinking to exert their abilities and contribute their share.

As for Song Miao herself, she was not idle either.

That very night she asked Xu Biaoju to send a few more guards, same as last time, to help stand watch day and night guarding the courtyard, so she could sleep peacefully.

Next morning, after busy with the food shop's proper business, Song Miao greeted everyone, took a guard, went to the street, searched around, and bought back a basket of sour dates.

Knowing the Taixue had just held examinations and all the masters were grading papers, not easily coming out, she didn't go looking for Masters Cao and Chen.

Fortunately she still had Cao Fuzi's name card.

She sent someone ahead with the name card and her own visiting card, stating her identity, and saying she would visit the next day.

Because she had previously overheard Cao Fuzi speaking with Cao Yushi, Song Miao knew his household still had an Old Lady and a wife, and that wife Lady Liu was currently pregnant.

Taking advantage of the good weather, she washed that basket of sour dates clean, scalded them with boiling water until their skins cracked, then peeled off the skins along the cracks, put the sour date pulp and pits together into a sieve, continuously stirred and pressed, extracting only the sour date paste, and simmered it together with maltose and rock sugar.

When the fruit paste sugar mixture became sticky and thick, heavy and dense, she stopped. Using washed banana leaves as a base, she poured it into flat bamboo baskets, spread it evenly, dried it in the sun for two days, repeatedly flipping sides, until it became brownish-yellow semi-transparent thin dry sheets.

When done, a bite: sour and sweet, intensely sour and intensely sweet, very appetizing — this is sour date cake.

Song Miao used a knife to cut these sour date cakes into square pieces, then rolled them into small rolls, put them in boxes, also made a box of "Fu" character cakes and a box of "Shou" character cakes early on. She took some food from the food shop, bought some fresh fruit on the road, then carried everything, hired a carriage, brought a guard, and went to the Cao Mansion.

At this time Cao Yushi was indeed at the Censorate for roll call. In the mansion were only his Old Lady and his wife.

Song Miao held Cao Fuzi's name card. The Old Lady and Lady Liu both gave full face, coming out together to receive her.

Seeing the two, Song Miao first performed a bow, announced her name and origin, then told how she got Cao Fuzi's introduction to Cao Yushi, and how the latter had helped her greatly.

She was always sincere, describing Cao Yushi's actions in great detail, her tone full of gratitude. Finally she set out the food boxes she brought, saying: "I don't know the situation inside the Censorate, it's not good to enter casually, afraid of disturbing Official Cao. Thinking it over, though I have no other abilities, a bit of skill I can still show. Rather than that, I'll send some snacks to Old Lady and Madam as thanks."

Speaking, she pointed to that box of sour date cakes, smiling: "Other things I wouldn't dare make randomly, but the ingredients here are only sour dates, maltose, rock sugar — three things, no taboos. When my mother was pregnant with me, she often used this to stimulate appetite and relieve cravings. I heard Official Cao say Old Lady takes medicine from time to time and doesn't like purely sweet things, and Madam also has a pregnancy..."

"It's all a token of sincerity, please don't disdain it."

Everyone loves to hear words of thanks. Someone specially coming to the door, sending a personally made thank-you gift, and thanking their son and husband face to face — the Old Lady and Lady Liu exchanged a glance, both feeling deeply honored. They hurried to keep Song Miao for a meal and chatted idly with her.

Song Miao only stayed a moment. When taking leave, taking advantage of Lady Liu momentarily stepping away to look at the return gift, she took a letter from her sleeve, handed it to the Old Lady, and softly said: "Just now Madam was here. Knowing she is pregnant, I feared speaking would make her anxious — this is a letter for Official Cao. Please help pass it on. My matter, please ask Official to act cautiously, and let it rest at that!"

She told how Lu Wang's men went to the Capital Prefecture Office and had the Wu family steward released, then said: "I originally didn't know such a powerful figure stood behind him, still willing to step forward. Really can't drag Official Cao into this."

The Old Lady finished listening, pinching the letter, but asked: "You tell my son to let it rest. Then what about you yourself?"

"I have no constraints, alone, I'll find another way — under the clear sky, in the bright universe, there's always a path to walk."

?? Thanks to Book City Queenie. ° (some symbols couldn't be typed TOT) for sending me full-format chicken blood, a small token, spent a lot!

? Thanks to Book City my cat called Egg Egg, Ao Te Man Xiao Jie two dears for sending me a Codeword Tool each:)

? Thanks to I Love Nong Nong, Cola, A Wang Zai Yan three dears for sending me a small token each =3=