Chapter 697: Where Did You Go

After soothing the ginseng spirit, Pan Yun finally put the Three Treasures Cauldron away, hung it at her waist, and called for everyone to return to the city.

They had landed at the seaside outside the city. To return to Quanzhou city—if flying, half a quarter-hour; if walking, half a shichen.

In the end they found an ox cart about to enter the city by the roadside, paid ten wen, and climbed aboard.

The cart carried two baskets of green vegetables, two sacks of wheat, and a basket of bean sprouts.

Pan Yun and the others sat on the cart's edge, legs dangling outside, swinging back and forth.

Pan Yun glanced back at the green vegetables in the basket and asked, "Are these being brought into the city to sell?"

The old farmer gave an affirmative reply, saying happily, "Lots of people have come to the city lately, vegetables sell well."

Pan Yun's smile brightened: "Are they jianghu people?"

"Yes, carrying blades and swords, and Daoist Priests telling fortunes everywhere," the old farmer turned his head and smiled: "Their clothes are just like those of Young Masters and Misses, you can tell at a glance they're children from good families. They don't ask for much each time—one wen, two wen, they count it all—but they're generous when spending money to buy things. I can sell them one cabbage for five wen."

Pan Yun glanced at the big cabbage in the bamboo basket and nodded: "Such a big one, five wen is worth it."

The old farmer shook his head: "Normally that wouldn't work, no one would buy it even for two wen, it's all for eating at home."

Pan Yun then asked: "Have many fellow villagers been coming into the city to sell vegetables lately?"

"Not many from our village, but quite a few from the city outskirts," the old farmer said: "Our village is too far from the county seat—riding costs money, carrying a pole wastes time and labor. Besides, not long ago a big wind blew and a heavy rain fell, everyone's been busy in the fields. Few people have time to tend vegetable plots, the vegetables grown at home are just enough for the family to eat."

Pan Yun: "Still, old man, you have your plans and determination."

The old farmer smiled and said: "My family just has the advantage of many children, enough hands to put to work."

He sighed: "But flip the coin, many mouths also mean big expenses. Other families' rice lasts three days, in my house it only lasts one. The land is just that small—if I don't think of ways to earn more, we won't survive."

Pan Yun: "So these people gathering in Quanzhou city must be a good thing, right?"

"A good thing!" The old farmer laughed so hard the wrinkles on his face all opened up, saying happily: "They don't bully us, and they go fight the Japanese pirates—how could that not be a good thing?"

He said cheerfully: "Since they came, my fortune has improved a bit. Look, today when I set out, I picked up a few honored guests halfway, earned ten wen on the road."

Pan Yun smiled, carefully surveying this official road overgrown with weeds, and said: "If the sea ban is lifted, merchants will gather here in the future, old man, you'll be even busier."

The old farmer quickly went "shh" and said: "Don't dare mention that. If the officials hear it, they'll think we have grievances against the imperial court, that we're about to rebel."

Pan Yun fell silent.

The old farmer fell silent too.

After traveling forward another stretch, it was still the old farmer who couldn't bear the silence, and couldn't hold back the urge to unburden his heart, sighing softly: "When I was young, I saw what Quanzhou port looked like when it was open—the docks were full of people, carrying sacks and unloading cargo for ships, vendors selling food by the roadside, merchants' goods arriving by the cartload, even laborers were hard to find, you had to queue and wait, only after the ones ahead finished unloading could you抢 to be a laborer..."

"Unlike now—shout once anywhere in a village and laborers are easy to find. Originally one wen per sack, when cargo was plentiful and merchants got anxious, some paid three wen for two sacks. But now, two sacks for one wen and we still get the price haggled down. By the end of the day, we still have to give the foreman ten wen. That's the equivalent of twenty sacks..."

The old farmer grew more and more heartbroken as he spoke: "My eldest son, not long ago the Chen family hired him to unload sacks. To earn a bit more, he carried three sacks at once, and in the end he threw out his back..."

Pan Yun quickly asked: "Did he see a Physician?"

"The family found some medicinal wine to rub on. He earned less than thirty wen for half a day's carrying. If he goes to see a Physician, what he earned won't even fill the hole."

Pan Yun felt for him: "Although you might have to pour the earnings back in, the person is what matters most. A thrown-out back can be serious or minor, it can't be neglected, or it'll leave a chronic problem and be even more of a loss. After all, there will still be plenty of chances to earn money in the future."

The old farmer shook his head: "The boy doesn't want to go either. He's already in his thirties, has a wife and children. I can't make decisions for them."

Pan Yun said no more.

When they reached Quanzhou city, the group got off the cart. Seeing Miao Zhen took a medicine bottle from her sleeve and handed it to the old farmer: "This is a medicinal wine for relaxing tendons and activating the collaterals, better than what you brew at home. Take it back and have him rub it on. If it works, naturally good; if not, you can bring him to the Chen family villa in Quanzhou city to find us, I can treat him for free."

The old farmer was slightly stunned: "Miss, are you also one of those jianghu people here to exterminate the bandits?"

Seeing Miao Zhen glanced at Pan Yun, saw her give a slight nod, and said: "Yes, we are Daoist Priests of the Sanqing Monastery on Mount Sanqing, with a smattering of medical skill."

The old farmer's eyes lit up, he called out loudly: "I know Mount Sanqing! Mount Sanqing's Daoist Priest Pan Sanzhu, a half-immortal who rescues the suffering! Last year she even came here to kill Japanese pirates!"

Pan Yun:...

Seeing Miao Zhen nodded repeatedly, saying happily: "Yes, that's my little martial-uncle!"

The old farmer praised her without cease, took the medicinal wine from Seeing Miao Zhen's hands with both palms, and his goodwill toward Mount Sanqing and Pan Yun shot up in an instant.

Of course, toward the little Daoist Priest standing right before him as well.

Miao Zhen: "I didn't expect little martial-uncle's reputation in the Quanzhou area to be this big. We have to thank Young Master Xue Shao for this—if not for his publicity campaign last year..."

Pan Yun: "Just say the point."

Miao Zhen: "I wonder how Young Master Xue is doing?"

Pan Yun said: "I wrote a few letters yesterday and sent them out, asking my father and second martial-brother to help Zhou Xuan."

However, the people she knew at court were limited, and most of them might not be willing to wade into this muddy water.

Actually, she knew one person who would definitely be useful—the little Emperor!

It's just that, Pan Yun always felt that contacting him would backfire.

That person—the probability of problems arising from communicating by letter was too great. Who knew which line of writing would rub him the wrong way. When the time came, don't talk about helping, it'd be good enough if he didn't add to the difficulty.

To deal with him, the most direct and effective method was face to face.

Especially when pleading—that kid responds to softness, not hardness.

It's a pity Xue Shao is not the sort who can soften his stance and beg.

Pan Yun scratched her head, decided to put the matter aside for now. Anyway, he couldn't die, at worst he'd be dismissed from office, driven out of Jingcheng like Xue Xuan.

The urgent task was to return to Yushan county for disaster relief.

"Let's go back to the villa first, today we'll meet everyone we need to meet, tomorrow we leave."

"Go where?" Li Wenying stood with arms folded leaning against the doorframe, first looked up at the position of the sun, then looked at her with a dark face: "Looking at the sun's position, it's almost shen-shi, isn't it?"

Pan Yun also looked up at the sky, and said to Li Wenying with a serious face: "One quarter past wei-shi, I suppose. This is where the benefit of clocks comes in, especially ones you can carry..."

"Cut the nonsense, I'm asking you, where did you go last night?"

Pan Yun frowned: "Is it the Prefect of Quanzhou and the naval government office who want to see me? Didn't I give you Zhang Weiyi, Qu Le, and Gao Zhiming? They know the situation, they understand what I mean, we just need to make a final confirmation..."

"Last night, three Daoist friends of the Upper Clarity Sect were attacked in the woods outside the city. They said they were robbed by four people with figures like youths—three women and one man—wearing... socks with holes. They not only released the fierce ghost the Upper Clarity Sect had captured, they also released a fox demon, and, stole a thousand-year ginseng worth a fortune."

Li Wenying's gaze fixed intently on Pan Yun, then slid to Hong Yan: "This is the fox you used to keep at the Academy, isn't it?"

Pan Yun reached out her hand, Hong Yan instantly transformed into her true form, then whooshed into Pan Yun's sleeve and vanished.

Pan Yun said without changing expression: "Li Shixiong, you must be seeing things — where is there any fox here?"

Li Wenying hadn't expected her to bury her head in the sand to such an extent, and for a moment gaped open-mouthed.

Pan Yun waited quietly.

It took Li Wenying half a while to come back to himself; with a deadpan face he stuck up his thumb: "You're something!"

He glanced at her sleeve, then turned and said: "Come on in. Prefect Lu and General Gong are both waiting for you."

Pan Yun: "Why are they waiting for me?"

Li Wenying gave a light snort: "Of course it's to build good relations. The silver mine was discovered by you, Seven-Tail Harbor nominally belongs to you, and half the usage rights of Onsen Jintinggang are also yours. Stepping back ten thousand paces — if the imperial court is crazy enough to refuse the silver mine and harbor you're offering, then couldn't you two quietly cooperate to mine it?"

Pan Yun's steps faltered slightly.

Li Wenying turned to look at her: "What? From the time you got off the ship yesterday until now, you haven't once mentioned submitting a memorial to present the silver mine and harbor to the imperial court. You only conveyed your meaning through Zhang Weiyi and a few others — isn't that just wanting to sound things out before deciding?"

Pan Yun relaxed, and said with a beaming smile: "Since Li Shixiong already knows, then you should have guessed — this partner of mine, I get to choose."

"Fine, then let's step back ten thousand paces and suppose — if the imperial court really does go crazy, who would you want to cooperate with?"

"I already have someone in mind," Pan Yun said. "Chen Wen of the navy. Of course, I can't leave Gong Xia out of it, but I don't like Wu Xiaoli."

Li Wenying: "…You're awfully kind to your partner, actually helping him fight his superior."

He rubbed his forehead and asked: "That's the partner inside the navy office. What about on shore?"

Pan Yun smiled and said: "Naturally, whoever the Prefect of Quanzhou is, that's who I'll cooperate with."

Li Wenying: "If Prefect Lu knew that's what you meant, he'd hate you to death."

"How could he? If he can't sit steady in that seat, it's because he lacks the ability — better to leave early and save his life. If he does sit steady, I'm giving him flowers on brocade. Either way you look at it, he should be thanking me."

Li Wenying: "They're waiting for you in the study. Go on in and talk to them."

Pan Yun wasn't afraid in the least; she turned back to Seeing Miao Zhen and the other two and said: "You three go back and pack up."

Then she went with Li Wenying to the study.

Li Wenying was very curious about her itinerary last night: "Where on earth did you go last night? You only came back so late today…"

Pan Yun said offhandedly: "Went treasure-hunting."

"The Kikuchi family's treasure map? Wasn't it said someone took it to the Wa country? Junior Sister Li has nearly turned the whole Wa country upside down. Oh, right — news received this morning: Ōuchi no Kyōhō of the Ōuchi clan is dead." (End of chapter)