Chapter 80

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Protagonist:

Song Miao

Song Miao was busy for a whole day, and when she returned home, she was truly exhausted; after tidying up a bit, she went to sleep, and the night passed without a word.

But inside the Capital Prefecture Office, in the Left and Right Military Patrol Academy, everyone from top to bottom did not rest for a single night; even Qin Jie had his family send a change of clothes and stayed in the government office.

Although everyone was taking turns resting according to the duty roster, most had stayed awake for two days straight, and even sleep was snatched in haste; quite a few were yawning incessantly.

So when, at the end of the hai hour, they saw Dabing's two small workers — one carrying a bamboo basket on his back, the other carrying large pots in both hands — delivering drinks room by room, everyone was very happy.

On a normal day, it would just be a drink, but in the middle of the night, with people drowsy and weary, getting something piping hot to perk them up was truly an unexpected delight.

After taking a sip, they were even more pleasantly surprised.

That sweet fermented grain base carried a very rich grain fermentation aroma, yet it had not over-fermented, so there was no sour wine stench.

The oats had completely softened; a slight sip and the fermented sweet juice inside burst out, while the remaining grain kernels were soft and smooth.

The hulless barley had not turned mushy; biting into it gave a bit of spring, with plenty of chew, and it was very fragrant.

If only a little water was added, it would be a mellow, fragrant, and sweet drink, but most people in the office had to stay up all night, and almost every single one added tea, pouring strong tea into the water; the overall mouthfeel then became refreshing and sweet.

The two from Dabing delivered drinks everywhere and refilled tea water several times; by the time they came out, not even a drop of dregs was left.

Following Song Miao's instructions, the two also gave the two bamboo tubes specially set aside to the guards at the rear yamen gate.

The two on duty were both startled and delighted; they knew it was the sweet fermented grain base from the Song Xiaoniangzi who had come today, and sticking a reed straw in for a taste confirmed it was delicious; recalling the flavor of today's canteen food, they couldn't help asking, "Will this young lady come again tomorrow?"

"Exactly, those cooks in the public kitchen aren't they in trouble? It would be just right to have her take over!"

Both Dabing men were small workers, young in years, so they spoke without much reservation; they sighed here for half a day, then urged the guards, "Our words carry no weight; you should go more often to your front superiors and mention it to the higher-ups — maybe they can invite that Song Xiaoniangzi back."

This sweet fermented grain base in the first half of the night was snatched up by everyone, and some, to stay alert, didn't even add water, just brewed it with that strong tea, thinking nothing of it.

However, little did the crowd know that the tea was not a single variety, but several kinds of cheap tea leaves Song Miao had blended together, steeped first then boiled, strong beyond measure.

Everyone poured that tea water into the sweet fermented grain base; it removed the astringent taste and bitterness, and diluted the sweetness, and drinking it was enjoyable, but if they didn't add more water, it was equivalent to drinking a large cup of strong tea.

More troublesome was that after finishing one cup, almost everyone was still unsatisfied and nearly all refilled a second time.

Others were fine, but those who only used strong tea to brew — by the time dawn broke, when they should have changed shifts, each stared with wide, bright eyes, you look at me, I look at you; not only was there no sleepiness, but a surge of energy rushed straight to their heads, making them wish they could learn from a rooster, go to the courtyard and crow a few times, so everyone else would stop sleeping and hurry up to practice swordplay.

In such a state, even lying down dead asleep they couldn't fall asleep.

Everyone hurriedly found the roster manager, only asking to either swap a shift or see if the prisoners in the back could be brought forward, so they could wait for this tea energy to pass before going to rest.

If it were just one or two it would be fine, but there were a good ten or more in this condition, and several examining judges from the Criminal Investigation Department were among them; the roster manager dared not decide and had to go find Han Li.

Even though Han Li had turned through many government offices, this was the first time he had seen people pull an all-nighter and then eagerly want to keep working, refusing to rest.

When he learned the inside story, he was momentarily quite at a loss for words.

Fortunately, last night he had managed to free up a few rooms and also rearranged the order of today's prisoner interrogations, and in the end got through the matter.

As for those examining judges and inspectors who had begged to keep working, by the time the tea effect wore off the next day, it was nearly noon; each returned to their dormitory as if they had never slept in their lives, and the moment their heads hit the pillow they were out.

When they woke up again, several examining judges from the Criminal Investigation Department surprisingly still thought of it, and quietly went around asking people from the Capital Prefecture Office, wanting to know if there would be that sweet fermented grain base to drink tonight.

The people of the Left and Right Military Patrol Academy had good dishes like fried pork belly and minced beef braised tofu to eat, and during the night watch they even had sweet fermented grain base to refresh and quench thirst, but in the Taixue, the upper-she students who were also reviewing papers did not have such good fortune.

Reviewing papers is boring enough, especially when it's the Classics; after a whole day, everyone was dizzy and bleary-eyed, and by dinner time, the clerk's subordinates naturally brought food over.

The arrivals spread the food out on the large table in the middle of the room; for convenience, it was just some pan-fried cakes, steamed cakes, meat and plain steamed buns, plus some pickled vegetables, and accompanied by bamboo tubes of cardamom and bamboo-dew boiled water drinks.

No food boxes were used either; they just carried a few bamboo baskets, and it was leftovers from the public kitchen to begin with, merely warm, and after traveling this long distance, it had long since gone cold.

Meat-filled flour foods, once cold, lose their flavor; especially if the meat carries a hint of gaminess, the taste is even worse.

The students had no choice but to make do, sitting around listlessly and eating.

While eating, complaints were inevitable.

Someone took a sip of that boiled water drink, sighed, and couldn't help saying, "Right now if there were a bamboo tube of radish pork rib clear soup, or failing that, some aged tangerine peel mung bean soup would do, anything to wash down these oil cakes..."

"Aren't those all sold at the Song Xiaoniangzi's stall in the back Food Alley? You're dreaming — she hasn't set up stall for several days!" Someone quickly caught on.

"Even if she sets up stall, you might not be able to snatch any!"

"Better than having nothing to snatch!"

"Didn't they eat that pig trotter rice last time? I passed by and saw it; the smell was truly fragrant. You think we could mention it to the clerk and have them order some food back from the Song stall owner?"

"Forget it, still 'Song stall owner' — getting them to bring back something hot would already be not bad!"

Someone then sighed, "This batch of papers is truly torture; sitting all day, waist sore and legs aching, my eyes are about to go blind, everything's blurry — if the teacher asks next year, I absolutely refuse to agree to come again!"

Others laughed at him, "You're only tough in front of us; next year when the teacher opens his mouth, you'll be the first to come running over to sign up!"

"Nonsense! No such thing!"

Seeing his stubborn mouth, a classmate exposed him, "Last year the first round didn't call you, and you secretly complained to the big guys, saying your learning was clearly not bad, so how come they forgot you — did you really forget?"

Everyone burst into laughter.

The others were just making the best of a bad situation, but this person's face flushed red with embarrassment, and he hurriedly said, "Nonsense! I just saw you all coming, and me alone not coming, it would be loss of face!"

Then he hurriedly changed the subject, "Don't talk about this, don't talk about this! This food really can't be eaten; how about we all go find the teacher and bring it up, best if we can get that Song Xiaoniangzi to sell some meals and send them over — last time that pig trotter rice was really good, failing that, that taro braised pork would be great too! I've been thinking of it for a long time!"

"Us together bring it up?" Someone asked.

Since it was serious business, everyone became serious.

Someone said, "Our words definitely won't work; better to find two people to take the lead, and the rest join in the clamor, maybe it'll have some effect?"

"Find who?"

"Han Li isn't here, otherwise if he were willing to step forward it would definitely work — what about Kong Fuyang? He was complaining yesterday that the food was bad too?" Someone suggested.

"Kong Fuyang isn't here either."

"Ah?" The suggester was startled, and immediately grew curious, "This paper-reviewing business, can one still ask for leave halfway through?"

The moment this person asked, he felt his foot stepped on, and looked over blankly, only to see several people at a table signaling to him with their eyes.

He froze, and following everyone's glances, saw not far away a man sitting alone at a table, with some barely touched food before him.

—This man wore a sullen face, and had been drinking from a bamboo tube drink for a long while; it was actually that Cai Xiu.

Cai Xiu always paid attention to his appearance; though today he was only grading papers in the room, while others wore plain robes and headwraps, he alone wore a brocade robe and official cap, a jade pendant at his waist, boots on his feet, and held a fan in hand, very much the bearing of a lineage scion.

Seeing it was Cai Xiu, the man from just now, though full of doubts, dared not ask further, and only used his eyes to question his tablemates.

The others all signaled him to be quiet, each busily lowering their heads to chew on steamed buns and biscuits.

For a moment the room was unusually quiet, only the sounds of eating and drinking and sighing.

Only after managing to eat their fill did the crowd drag on for another half a watch; seeing that if they dragged on further the papers would not be finished in time, they reluctantly cleared the tables.

While the others worked, Cai Xiu left behind a table of half-eaten steamed buns, baked cakes, and pickled vegetables, wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, rose first, and walked out.

Waiting until he went out the door, the man from just now hurriedly asked: "What's going on? Kong Fuyang isn't here, so what face is Cai Xiu putting on? Who's he putting it on for?!"

"Don't you know? Last night Kong Fuyang went to block Han Li at midnight, but ended up being taken away by Han Li!"

These words out, quite a few uninformed people in the room gathered around, asking for the whole story.

"Did they fight? Did Kong Fuyang lose?"

"He definitely lost, right? Year after year in archery and riding competitions, when has Han Zhengyan ever lost?"

"They didn't fight. Shame on you Taixue students, opening your mouths it's all about winning or losing fights, have some cultivation — who knows what Han Li said, but word is after Kong Fuyang went back, his dormmate said his skin was thin, he couldn't hold out, and went to the Capital Prefecture Office to help Han Li..."

"That works too?"

"What thin skin, couldn't hold out — more like he got scolded, couldn't win the argument, and had to obey orders?"

"That's still not a fight? Clearly a war of words! In a war of words, who can beat someone surnamed Han!"

A group of people clamored noisily.

"Yesterday Kong Fuyang was still talking tough, saying he'd go find Han Li to confront him face to face; now it's good, the confrontation made himself disappear!"

"Does Han Zhengyan's place still need people? Why not take me too! I really can't grade these papers anymore!"

Finally someone steered the topic back, asking: "Kong Fuyang went with Han Li, what does that have to do with Cai Xiu?"

"Han Li would rather call Kong Fuyang, whom he's barely met a few times, than him, and they're even in the same study hall — how do you expect Cai Xiu to feel? You think he really likes grading papers here?"

Just as they spoke, the Clerk happened to come over; everyone hurriedly shut their mouths and dispersed in a rush, but each exchanged glances from their seats, all with a look of sudden understanding.

The crowd worked honestly; the Clerk walked a circle in the room, asked about progress, encouraged them a bit, and when he reached the spot where Cai Xiu ate, he frowned and asked: "Whose is this left here? Eaten like this, why not clear it away? Never mind attracting mosquitoes and insects, what if it soils the papers?"

Someone beside answered: "It's Cai Xiu's, he just went out, hasn't come back yet."

Hearing it was Cai Xiu's, the Clerk no longer blamed anything, only said to the one who answered: "Young Cai must have had business to step away; everyone's in the same room, and fellow students, how proper is it to just watch dryly — you help tidy up first."

Finished speaking, he coughed twice, and left first.

The Clerk gone, the whole room burst into commotion.

"This works too!"

"Too much, right? He doesn't clean up himself, why should others clean up for him?!"

"The surnamed Cai always pulls this; last time too, went out on an excursion, everyone measured river depth together, he finished and threw his things aside, went straight to curry favor with the teacher, I couldn't stand it and collected for him, returned a bit late, and got scolded by the teacher!"

"Why'd you meddle and help him?"

"Would not helping have made it fine — look, this time I didn't help, so what?!"

The others just complained with words; only the student beside Cai Xiu's table was furious, the leftover food — throwing it wasn't right, not throwing it wasn't right; clearly he had a pile of papers waiting to be graded, yet had to spare time to specially go find a food box, pack it up, and set it aside.

As it turned out, Cai Xiu really had business to step away.

He learned of Kong Fuyang's matter during the day, his heart already stifled; just now hearing everyone's discussion, it stirred his worries, and he was even more enraged.

At this point even the most delicious food would be hard to swallow, let alone a few cold oil cakes and buns, and some ordinary-tasting pickled vegetables.

But Cai Xiu never loses heart when things happen; he ran through in his mind all the useful figures he could use, couldn't be bothered with grading papers anymore, went straight out the door, first returned to the dormitory, dug out a piece of top-grade Huizhou ink and a porcelain bottle of newly obtained Mengding tea, packed them in a box, and went straight to the Teaching Hall.

He passed by other buildings, and familiarly found his way to the Siye's official office.

These two days of the Taixue public examination, the Siye was naturally very busy, and had not yet left; the door was closed, but from inside came occasional sounds of clearing throats and drinking tea.

Cai Xiu waited outside for a moment, heard no one speaking, then stepped forward and knocked, entered, exchanged a few pleasantries, then presented the Huizhou ink and Mengding tea, only saying he had previously gone to a literary gathering and won first prize, but since he didn't like drinking tea and had no use for such fine ink, he happened to hear the Siye liked Mengding tea, so sent them both over as a student's respect.

The Siye did not accept, only smiled: "You hardly won first prize, such a good omen, you should keep it for yourself, what would giving it to me count for?"

Cai Xiu then said: "Actually the student has a matter to ask — today I got news that Han Li and Kong Fuyang were both borrowed into the Capital Prefecture Office, but I don't know what the selection method is?"

As he spoke, he already showed a look of deep blow, saying: "Since entering school, I consider my learning and character no worse than others, teachers have praised me many times, why can Han Li and Kong Fuyang be borrowed, but I cannot? I wonder where I fall short, please Siye make it clear!"

The reason Han and Kong were borrowed, the Siye naturally knew, but it was inconvenient to say more to Cai Xiu, so he said: "This time the Capital Prefecture Office sent a letter, Guozixue merely responded to the summons, likely no other reason, just random selection, don't overthink it."

"Since the Capital Prefecture Office specially came to select students, first selecting Han Li, then Kong Fuyang, it seems they're very short of people; I wonder if the school can recommend student names to that office?"

"The student considers his ability and knowledge no less than others, and his conduct and handling of affairs also good."

Cai Xiu said: "The student wishes to recommend himself!"