Chapter 36: The Yearning of Ye He and the Other

There was no need to ask; they knew at once the letter was from Chen Ping.

Both young men felt a surge of spirit and sprang up almost simultaneously, snatching the envelope and tearing it open with impatient fingers. Beneath an old, verdant pine tree, the two youths each claimed a side of the trunk, leaning against it to read the letter that had traveled dozens of miles to reach them.

Tucked into the envelope was a colorful feather, half-protruding—a "Feather Dispatch," signifying an official government communication that brooked no delay. It seemed that to ensure these letters arrived quickly, Chen Ping had borrowed Magistrate Wang’s authority.

Ye Chongwen held the letter, his eyes drawing closer to the paper as he read, a glimmer of longing dancing in his gaze. According to Chen Ping, the road repair project, seemingly a grueling task, was in fact a treasure trove of beauty. Especially on starry nights, when the moon set over a frosty sky and the world fell into absolute silence, gazing out at the endless galaxy from the wilderness was a breathtaking spectacle. Such grandeur was enough to inspire any sincere scholar to a torrent of literary creation, leaving them desperate to compose hundreds of masterpieces on the spot.

And when the morning sun rose, thousands of people would set to work at once. It was a heart-stirring sight: an endless crowd moving in unison along the winding old imperial road, carrying the future and their hopes upon their shoulders, all dedicated to the cause of benefiting the common people. In short, Chen Ping wrote, if you, Ye Chongwen, didn't get to witness this, you have truly missed out on something monumental!

Having finished the letter, Ye Chongwen could not help but smack his own head hard, filled with regret. Why, why had he shown hesitation back then? If he had only insisted, might he have seen these sights for himself? Might he have been struck with inspiration, his brush dancing across the page?

While Ye Chongwen was busy thumping his thigh in frustration, He Qingxuan stood not far behind him, biting his lip. According to Chen Ping’s letter, he was spending his days helping the teacher and the magistrate handle vital ledgers. His main task was performing complex calculations. The examinations at the academy were nothing more than rehashing old, stale problems from arithmetic texts—the same old soup, just with a different ladle. But the problems Chen Ping solved daily were the genuine, knotty challenges encountered in the reality of construction.

For instance, how to estimate the weight of massive, irregularly shaped piles of earth and jagged rock. Or, how to calculate the time required to drain a vast, murky pool with winding banks when limited conditions allowed only a narrow drainage ditch to be dug. Such issues arose every single day. Without relatively accurate estimates, rashly deploying a large workforce would inevitably lead to a waste of labor and time. Uneven distribution of resources could cause one problem to be solved at the expense of another, delaying the entire project. In this situation, a failure in any single link would affect the whole. Only precise and rational coordination could ensure maximum efficiency, and only numbers could provide a truly solid foundation. All of these tasks relied on the strategic planning within the study to make the most of every hand and every heartbeat of time, ensuring the road project was completed quickly and efficiently.

He Qingxuan’s lips were nearly bleeding from his biting. This fellow Chen Ping was truly hateful; he was practically twisting the knife in his gut!

At the same time, he was filled with deep regret for not seizing such a golden opportunity. The best place to practice and pursue knowledge of mathematics was not in the classroom or the civil service examination hall, but in the thick of earthworks, river defenses, and city construction! Looking at the letter, He Qingxuan felt he had missed the most precious experience of his life. For a student of mathematics, missing out on engineering calculations was a regret no less profound than that of a scholar missing the autumn examinations in the capital. He felt like crying!

After a moment, Ye Chongwen struck the tree trunk hard and shouted, "I want to go see these scenes with my own eyes! I want to go find Chen Ping!"

Hearing this, He Qingxuan paused, then gave Ye Chongwen a strange look. Had this guy gone mad? Why the sudden change in character? Could it be that, under his and Chen Ping’s influence, Ye Chongwen had unknowingly developed an interest in mathematics? If so, that was certainly a piece of good news.

Filled with a sense of gratification, He Qingxuan patted Ye Chongwen on the shoulder. With a voice full of sorrow and regret, he said, "Yes, I want to find him too. I never imagined that in just a dozen days, we would have missed so much! If not for the fact that Master Ye and Chen Ping are busy with serious business and would have no time to attend to us, I would want to jump on a horse and ride there right now."

In the end, this was just a fleeting complaint; as mere children, even mounting a horse was a problem for them. Ye Chongwen grumbled, "You, you math nerd, your essays and poems are all bone and no flesh—why are you lamenting like me?"

***

At the Yongshun County Yamen, Magistrate Wang, Zhao Jin, and Master Ye were discussing the donations for the road project. Chen Ping sat to the side, dazed, his eyes staring blankly at the calculation rods before him, while his heart was with his two friends far away at Huating Academy. He wondered if He Qingxuan and Ye Chongwen had received his letters and if they were, as he suspected, bemoaning their fate.

One could hardly blame Chen Ping for his mischievous letters; he had simply been too bored these past two days. As a magistrate, Wang would certainly not implement a suggestion that was merely promising in theory without careful consideration. Conferring with his aides, discussing with trusted subordinates, and floating rumors to test the public reaction were all essential steps. Now, the vague rumors had been circulating for two days. That was enough time for the opportunistic souls in the county to stir up plenty of trouble.

Some might spread omens to slander the Yamen; others might seek profit from the chaos; some might feign effort while doing nothing, all to snatch the credit; or merchants might find excuses to raise prices, exploiting a government crisis for gain.

*Free from the strife of the world, let not the hawk suspect the dove.*

Magistrate Wang was waiting, and Master Ye and Constable Zhao could only wait with him. Chen Ping, having the least presence, could only find some amusement in the small garden behind the Yamen.

Well, it wasn't always boring. Sometimes, in his leisure, Magistrate Wang would suddenly become fond of playing the mentor. He would corner the only child nearby, eager to stuff his years of study insights and examination experiences into Chen Ping’s head. Whenever this happened, Chen Ping would miss his two friends even more.

*Why haven't you come over yet? Gallop here on horseback! Come and share this pressure with me!*

And so, through this excruciating "duck-stuffing" education, Chen Ping became the de facto student of Magistrate Wang. Though Master Ye would stiffen his neck, not daring to flare up, he was certainly unwilling to let his own disciple be snatched away. Yet, Magistrate Wang was as happy as a fox who had stolen a chicken. *Whether you, Ye Wenchang, admit it or not, this little one has already learned so much from me. Regardless of the red tape of titles, he counts as my student.*

Just as Chen Ping was daydreaming, a bailiff came stumbling in from the back gate of the Yamen. Without bowing or announcing himself, he rushed right up to Constable Zhao. Seeing the man, Constable Zhao’s eyes lit up. This was the scout he had sent to investigate the reactions of the county's major merchants and gentry families.

Before Constable Zhao could even ask, the bailiff said in a low, anxious voice, "Things are looking bad. The major merchants in the city seem to be colluding in private. In particular, Sixth Master Huang of the Huang family—he has been the most aggressive, running to several places in a single day. I heard... I heard they are teaming up to cause trouble!"

The relationship between Sixth Master Huang and the Assistant Magistrate Huang was known to everyone in the city, but for lack of evidence of their collusion, they could not be purged. After all, Sixth Master Huang was no nobody; his Fuding Restaurant was a prominent business in Yongshun. Since he dared to stir up such trouble, who would believe he wasn't acting under the instructions of Assistant Magistrate Huang?

"Bang!"

Magistrate Wang slammed the stone table, his fingers tingling from the impact. He felt that in the previous corruption incident, he had already accommodated Assistant Magistrate Huang far too much, doing all he could in the name of benevolence. But his concession had not earned him the other man's gratitude; instead, it had invited even more brazen provocations, making him appear weak and easy to bully!