Fish Meat – Chapter 70

The Ninth Year of Shenchu

Needle Tip versus Wheat Awning (Part 7)

When Zhen Wenjun and Lingbi arrived at Ah Liao’s residence, Wei Tingxu’s face was as calm as ever, but Ah Liao had an undisguised solemnity, and she didn’t even banter with Zhen Wenjun, only managing a bitter smile.

To see the usually unserious Ah Liao become so serious, they wondered what had happened. The invisible pressure weighed down Zhen Wenjun and Lingbi, leaving them without smiles and even afraid to speak loudly.

“What happened? Did you encounter some trouble?” Zhen Wenjun asked curiously, while approaching Wei Tingxu to apologize, “Did I wake up late and delay something important for you, sister? Please punish me then.”

Wei Tingxu pinched her face, a familiar smile appearing on her face: “The Eldest Princess wants to distribute grain to relieve disaster in Quxian today and has chosen me to accompany her. You woke up only now, aren’t you making the Eldest Princess wait for us?”

Zhen Wenjun exclaimed “oh no,” feeling annoyed: “Sister, next time if you can’t wake me, just let Lingbi kick me up! Don’t let me ruin things.” Zhen Wenjun thought, worried about Li Yanyi waiting for them, but noted that Wei Tingxu wasn’t anxious, as she was plotting something with Ah Liao.

Wei Tingxu said, “I really can’t bear to.”

But you could bear it when you spanked me. Zhen Wenjun smiled on the outside, but cursed inwardly. Wei Tingxu didn’t mention anything about the trouble, so she stopped probing.

The group got on the carriage, preparing to meet with Li Yanyi. At the door, Ah Liao bid farewell to Wei Tingxu, who called her back.

“No need to worry about that matter, and don’t wear it on your face. Even if things are as we suspect, Li Yanyi won’t bring it up at this critical moment.” She patted Ah Liao’s belly, “Hide your brilliance and pursue the wilds, conceal your talents until they’re needed. Whatever you like or hate, whatever you want to do, don’t let others see through you.”

“If I hadn’t always acted so recklessly, no one would have found the opportunity. Tingxu, please don’t be angry with me. I will do my best to make amends.” Ah Liao felt uncomfortable, feeling particularly useless.

Wei Tingxu pinched her waist gently and said no more, allowing Zhen Wenjun to come and help her onto the carriage.

Yesterday, Li Yanyi gave County Magistrate Hu a stern talking-to, instructing him to come see her early this morning. County Magistrate Hu obediently brought over thirty strong men, arriving at the guesthouse early to set off with Li Yanyi.

“Distribute grain?”

The recent incident at Nanya was such a big deal, and naturally, County Magistrate Hu had heard a few things about it. He just didn’t expect that right after the Eldest Princess collected grain, she would come to Suichuan to distribute it… It seems she is indeed targeting Suichuan. Her targeting isn’t trivial, as the Emperor will surely take action as well. County Magistrate Hu felt unlucky; of all the counties in Suichuan, she chose his, as if he hadn’t suffered enough from the refugee crisis.

County Magistrate Hu reluctantly followed behind Li Yanyi to distribute the grain. The distribution location was chosen on the main road in Quxian, in front of the tents used to settle disaster victims.

Here, most people are from other counties of Suichuan who suffered from the Jixi refugee disaster. Upon hearing that someone would come to distribute grain, they crowded the main road early in the morning until not even water could pass through. The grain transport carriages were arranged neatly, surrounded by the mighty and tall Tiger Ben army, holding knives and wearing armor. The disaster victims stood nearby, not daring to approach, yet all eagerly looked at the grain carriages, whispering continuously.

“I heard the Eldest Princess is personally coming to distribute grain and even wants to comfort us common folks. She is a high and mighty princess, a person only capital dignitaries can see. Can we really see her?”

“I don’t know, perhaps she’ll just stay far away, and we won’t be able to see clearly. But look at the spirit of these soldiers; our county’s soldiers can’t even compare to one of their fingers.”

“If only Suichuan’s garrison had this spirit, we wouldn’t have been bullied by those Hu bandits into leaving our homes. It’s a pity that my whole family escaped, but only I made it!”

“This is the Huben Army, said to be the Emperor’s guards, only used by the Emperor. Is the Eldest Princess’s action somewhat against the rules?”

“Hmph! We’ve fought the Hu tribe for so many years, enduring endless humiliation! If it weren’t for the Eldest Princess, how could we have reclaimed the three northern counties? I’ve heard she even killed several major generals of the Hu tribe, which is truly satisfying! In my opinion, only the Eldest Princess is worthy of the illustrious Huben Army!”

“Hush! Are you out of your mind?!”

“What do I have to fear! My son died on the northern front line, and I’ve long lost hope. The Eldest Princess has avenged me, and now I can die with my eyes closed!”

Li Yanyi’s carriage slowly arrived, driving directly to the front of the main road. The disaster victims knelt on the ground; as she got down from the carriage, she saw a sea of bowed heads covering the whole street. County Magistrate Hu stepped forward to assist Li Yanyi off the carriage, but as his hand raised, she jumped down herself and went directly into the crowd of disaster victims. County Magistrate Hu hurriedly said, “Your Highness, you mustn’t! They’re just dirty lowly people; who knows what diseases they carry? If they inadvertently harm Your Highness or spread some illness, what can be done? Even dirtying Your Highness’s clothes would be a capital offense for them!”

The surrounding disaster victims, upon hearing this, hurriedly knelt and backed away, fearing they might taint the Eldest Princess’s robes and shoes.

Li Yanyi raised her voice and angrily scolded County Magistrate Hu: “You bastard! Is this what you, as the head of a county, should say? These are my Da Yu citizens! Not dirty lowly people! If not for the disaster caused by the former prefect, how could they be separated from their families, unable to return home? I hate that I have only one pair of hands, one pair of eyes, and cannot protect all my Da Yu people! But I, Li Yanyi, here today, in front of my citizens, swear! I will definitely do all I can, for Da Yu and for Da Yu’s people, to seek welfare, drive out the Hu bandits, and ensure everyone has clothes to wear, food to eat, and fields to till!”

As soon as Li Yanyi finished speaking, Zuo Xu immediately shouted: “Eldest Princess’s holy virtue! Eldest Princess forever!”

The disaster victims, moved by Li Yanyi’s words, also shouted in unison: “Eldest Princess’s holy virtue! Eldest Princess forever!” Their voices were loud, echoing through the skies.

Li Yanyi personally stood in front of the grain bags, holding a gourd ladle, waiting for the disaster victims to come one by one to receive grain. At first, the situation was somewhat chaotic, and some people, in their urgency, ended up scratching the back of Li Yanyi’s hand. Yet, Li Yanyi’s smile did not waver; she casually treated her wound and continued distributing the grain.

“Everyone, don’t rush. I brought enough grain; there’s plenty for everyone! Slow down, don’t rush and hurt the elderly or children,” Li Yanyi patiently persuaded, showing none of a princess’s airs. When a child was pushed and fell, she picked him up, coaxing him, and used her own fine handkerchief to wipe the dirt and snot from his face.

When Wei Tingxu and the group arrived, they just heard the heartfelt cheers of the disaster victims for the Eldest Princess. Zhen Wenjun got off the carriage, brought down a four-wheel cart, and helped Wei Tingxu sit on it. As they walked, they saw the disaster victims continuously kowtowing in the direction of the Eldest Princess, and she couldn’t help but say, “The Eldest Princess truly wins the people’s hearts.”

Wei Tingxu replied, “To most people, who the Emperor is doesn’t matter; whether this land is in the hands of the Wang family or the Li family, it’s all the same. The common people only want to be warm and well-fed.”

The grain distribution took a full one and a half hours to complete. Many disaster victims from nearby counties came upon hearing the news, and their numbers kept growing. Those who received grain held it tightly in their arms but still didn’t leave, watching from not far away, hoping Li Yanyi might distribute more things. The newly arrived ones saw the carriages were empty and clamored for grain.

Li Yanyi reassured everyone, “There is enough for everyone.” She pointed at the County Magistrate Hu and said, “The County Magistrate mentioned that he still has some grain in his private storehouse and is willing to contribute it all to everyone.”

County Magistrate Hu was stunned, his mouth opened, but he didn’t dare to actually deny it.

“Let’s go, we’ll get the grain now!” With one shout from Li Yanyi, everyone followed, moving in a throng towards the County Magistrate Hu’s residence.

Li Yanyi didn’t ride in a carriage; she walked with the disaster victims. They asked questions left and right, creating a noisy atmosphere, and Li Yanyi answered everything she knew, sharing in the people’s joy.

Wei Tingxu hadn’t yet had a chance to speak with her, so she followed her forward.

During Li Yanyi’s visit yesterday, she had people investigate and found that the County Magistrate Hu had privately hidden a lot of grain, all locked in his private storehouse. No matter how many people starved to death in the city, he wouldn’t release a single grain. Li Yanyi knew these local officials often thought the Emperor was far away and, especially in troubled times, would be as corrupt as they could. The best method to deal with corrupt officials is to hand them over to the people.

“Open the storehouse!” Li Yanyi commanded, and the grain storehouse was thrown wide open. The hungry disaster victims pushed past County Magistrate Hu’s soldiers and rushed into the grain storehouse, frantically looting.

County Magistrate Hu watched with wide eyes as the grain he had painstakingly saved over many years was looted completely. With the Eldest Princess present, he dared not utter more than a word, so angry that tears flowed.

Li Yanyi glanced sideways at him: “What, is County Magistrate Hu feeling heartache?”

“No, no, no, Your Highness, this official is moved. All along, I have been wholeheartedly collecting and storing grain for the people of Quxian, originally planning to release it all in the next few days. I didn’t expect the grain to be released with Your Highness personally witnessing it, this official is moved, truly moved…” County Magistrate Hu wiped his old tears, crying almost to the point of fainting.

Her pants were dirty, and her boots were covered in mud. Li Yanyi emerged from the crowd, carrying the smell of the disaster victims on her.

“Zizhuo, when did you arrive, why didn’t you say a word to me?” Li Yanyi walked up to Wei Tingxu, as kind as always.

“Zizhuo followed Your Highness all the way, but seeing Your Highness was eager to save the people, it was inconvenient to disturb, so I let my subordinates go to help. I only regret that my legs and feet are inconvenient, otherwise, I would definitely join Your Highness in this good deed for the people. Ah, Your Highness is injured.” Wei Tingxu noticed the cloth strip casually bandaged on Li Yanyi’s hand had come loose, and with concern, she pulled her hand over, took her own handkerchief from her sleeve, and carefully bandaged it.

“It’s nothing,” Li Yanyi said, not intending to pull her hand back, letting her bandage it.

Wei Tingxu bandaged it meticulously. Zhen Wenjun and Lingbi returned after clearing out three granaries and happened to see this scene. Zhen Wenjun, observing the scene, was somewhat dazed. How had Wei Tingxu become sweet with the Eldest Princess again? With a host of maids serving her, not to mention a continuous stream of confidantes, it closely matched Ah Liao. Zhen Wenjun thought, “Eh?” and remembered something.

Wasn’t Li Ju’s scheme to sow discord somewhat strange? Even if Li Yanyi favored women, Wei Tingxu did not. Even if Ah Xin appeared in Wei Tingxu’s bed, this provocation wouldn’t hold. Could it be that Wei Tingxu also had some special preferences known outside? Someone knows some secrets about Wei Tingxu, that she likes women, right? So before exposing her real identity, she was always active under the identity of “Wei Zizhuo,” the youngest of the Wei family…

Zhen Wenjun recalled the night before going to Nanya to collect grain, when they shared a bed, Wei Tingxu once had seductive intentions, which Zhen Wenjun rejected. Zhen Wenjun had once thrown herself into her arms, but Wei Tingxu was unmoved. At the time, she thought it was due to a lack of trust leading to failure, or perhaps Wei Tingxu’s preferences were the same as ordinary people, and she had completely chosen the wrong route and used the wrong method. But that night, Wei Tingxu’s initiative made Zhen Wenjun happy — she hadn’t been wrong, and even their thinking was completely aligned, both waiting for the other to become addicted first, to surrender first; the first to kneel would be completely controlled.

Zhen Wenjun’s indifference and lack of understanding that night were intentional, just like Wei Tingxu’s many rejections and coldness. They were both deliberate, both turning the ropes in their hands, waiting for the moment the prey relaxed to strike accurately.

Some things are not understood at the time, but only become clear upon reflection.

Zhen Wenjun’s gaze towards Wei Tingxu was tinged with a layer of ambiguous red.

“Thank you, Zizhuo.”

“Your Highness, Zizhuo would like to ask Your Highness for a person.”

“Who?”

“The Huben Zhonglang General Liu Feng.”

“Oh? You want him?” Li Yanyi asked, her expression unchanged, “What do you want him for?”

Wei Tingxu didn’t explain directly: “I need the Zhonglang General to handle a task, a dangerous one that only a brave and clever old general can accomplish. I don’t have such talent by my side, and after thinking it over, only the Zhonglang General seems suitable, so I dared to ask Your Highness for him. This is something Zizhuo has planned for a long time, just to present it as a gift for Your Highness’s birthday.”

“Zizhuo is still keeping secrets.” Li Yanyi’s smile at the corner of her mouth carried a hint of slight hesitation, while Wei Tingxu looked directly at her face, seemingly searching for clues to confirm the suspicion in her heart.

Li Yanyi did not hesitate long and quickly agreed: “My people are Zizhuo’s people, not to mention a Zhonglang General, even if it were the entire country, I am willing to share it with Zizhuo.”

“Your Highness speaks too highly,” Wei Tingxu said. “I only wish to assist Your Highness in ascending to the throne and fulfilling my duty as a minister. Moreover, these legs of mine are unresponsive to medical treatment, merely lingering on. Zizhuo seeks nothing else, only hopes to see Your Highness rule the world, with rivers clear and seas calm, opening an everlasting prosperous era within my lifetime.”

Li Yanyi squatted before Wei Tingxu, tightly holding her hand, eyes brimming with tears to stop her: “Zizhuo, do not say such things. I will absolutely not let anything happen to you. Zizhuo is a rare phoenix, an auspicious unicorn, one in a hundred generations. I, Li Yanyi, am so fortunate to have Zizhuo’s assistance in this life. Was the snake bone grass effective earlier? How do your legs feel?”

“Thank Your Highness for your concern, the snake bone grass is extremely precious, indeed a rare treasure. Unfortunately, using it on me is only a waste.” Wei Tingxu looked at her own thin, deformed, useless legs, feeling a moment of emotion. In the prime of life and possessing unparalleled talent, yet trapped by useless legs, Li Yanyi understands her pain.

Wei Tingxu spoke somewhat excitedly and suddenly started coughing, her face turning pale during the violent cough.

Lingbi wanted to step forward, but Zhen Wenjun stopped her, shaking her head to signal not to disturb.

At first, Li Yanyi helped Wei Tingxu by patting her back until Wei Tingxu finally stopped coughing. Li Yanyi then took off her own coat and covered her with it. The two leaning on each other looked very intimate.

They talked together for a long time, and Zhen Wenjun and Lingbi did not go over, only watching from afar.

These two often chat enthusiastically, appearing especially friendly. But Zhen Wenjun always felt that the atmosphere between them today had an indescribable strangeness.

Strange in what way? Zhen Wenjun pondered carefully and finally found the answer.

Wei Tingxu and Li Yanyi were both somewhat excessively enthusiastic today, to the point where it felt a bit pretentious.

It seemed as if some things were already secretly growing.

But she had not yet obtained Wei Tingxu’s handwriting.