Qin Zhao didn't answer for a while. Jing Li frowned and continued to recognize the characters: "Is this the secret? Then what is this character..."
"It's the Spring Examination." Qin Zhao took the book from him and lied without changing his expression, "This is a reference book for the Spring Examination. Most of the contents in it are about rules and methods of doing things. You don't need to read this."
"So this is how the word '闱' is written. I won't read this anymore. It sounds so boring."
Jing Li had no doubts at all. Without even looking at the book in Qin Zhao's hand, he turned his head away and said, "How about I read the Analects? I still remember a few sentences..."
As he spoke, he began to search on the bookshelf.
Qin Zhao breathed a sigh of relief silently.
After buying the book, he didn't have the time or opportunity to read it, so he just put it somewhere on the bookshelf. Unexpectedly, Xiaoyu found it.
Fortunately, there is neither the word “boudoir” nor the word “闱” in “Thousand Character Classic”.
The difference of one word can lead to a huge difference in meaning.
Jing Li's Thousand Characters were not memorized in vain, and he quickly found a copy of the Analects from the pile of books. Qin Zhao stuffed the book that almost caused trouble into the innermost part of the bookshelf and led him back to the table.
As usual, Qin Zhao would read it through to Jing Li first, and then teach him to recognize it word by word.
Along with the sound of rain outside, Qin Zhao's voice of reading could be heard slowly, his voice slightly deep: "… Governing with virtue is like the North Star, which stays in its place and all the stars revolve around it."
After reading this, he paused slightly.
—“Governing with virtue is like the North Star, which stays in its place and is surrounded by other stars. This is the foundation of a country.”
— “… You must remember that a ruler should treat people with courtesy, be diligent in government and love the people, and officials should serve the ruler with loyalty. This is the truth Confucius said.”
— "Ah Xuan..."
Qin Zhao suddenly came back to his senses and noticed that Jing Li was calling him: "Qin Zhao, what's wrong with you?"
"No, nothing." Qin Zhao's face was terribly pale, with a thin layer of sweat on his forehead. He closed his eyes and said softly, "I seem to... remember something."
Jing Li was startled: "What did you remember?"
Qin Zhao didn't answer.
He stared at the words on the scroll for a long time before he slowly said, "It's very vague. I can't remember it clearly."
"If you can't remember clearly, don't think about it. If you keep thinking about it, you'll have a headache." Jing Li poured him a glass of water, took the book from his hand and put it on the table, "Read here first, I'll help you lie down for a while?"
Qin Zhao glanced at him, smiled and shook his head: "You just want to be lazy."
"No..." Jing Li muttered softly and helped Qin Zhao to the bed.
Qin Zhao had just laid down when there was a knock on the door, which was somewhat unclear in the sound of the drizzling rain. Jing Li did not let Qin Zhao get up, but went to open the door himself with an umbrella.
He is the village chief.
Jing Li said: "Qin Zhao is not feeling well and has gone to bed. What does the village chief want to see him about?"
"It's nothing important. Since he's not feeling well, you can just tell him later. There's no need to wake him up." The village chief waved his hand and said, "I have to leave for the county town early tomorrow morning, so I came here to tell him."
Jing Li asked: "Has the proposal for building the embankment been signed?"
"Yes." The village chief said, "Last night's rain almost flooded the shore. The last few farmers who refused to give in agreed this morning after seeing this. But it rained too hard today and it was too late, so we can only wait until tomorrow morning to set out."
"Thank you, village chief." Jing Li said.
He is actually very old, and has been busy these days, looking more haggard than before.
The village chief smiled and said, "Do your best and leave the rest to fate. This is what I should do."
The village chief did not stay long and left in the rain.
Jing Li kept watching his slightly hunched back until it disappeared in the rain, then he withdrew his gaze and closed the gate.
The rain never stopped. Jing Li returned to the main house. Qin Zhao was lying quietly on the bed with his eyes slightly closed.
Jing Li walked over quietly. Qin Zhao coughed twice and asked, "Who is it?"
"You're not asleep." Jing Li said, "It's the village chief. He said that all the villagers have agreed to your proposal. He will leave for the county town early tomorrow morning."
Qin Zhao responded softly.
"You don't have to worry about it anymore. Once the village chief brings people back to repair the embankment, we will be able to survive the flood season safely."
"It's not that easy." Qin Zhao said softly, as if he had no strength left. "The village chief is more concerned with persuading the villagers, but in fact, the difficulties will come later. It's not known whether the county magistrate is willing to spend manpower and resources to assist Linxi Village. If he is not willing..."
"Don't worry so much." Jing Li knelt beside the bed and interrupted him, "The village chief said to do your best and leave the rest to fate. You have done your best, but as for fate, don't I still have it?"
Qin Zhao opened his eyes, tilted his head to look at him, and smiled softly: "Finally believe that you are a koi?"
"Believe it for the last time." Jing Li said, "If I can really bring good luck, then I hope this matter can be resolved smoothly. I hope Linxi Village will not suffer from floods this year. I hope..."
Jing Li paused, looked at Qin Zhao's face, and said seriously: "I hope you can get better soon."
Qin Zhao looked away and called softly, "Xiao Yu."
"Um?"
Qin Zhao: "If my past is different from what you imagined..."
"Different?" Jing Li blinked. "How is it different?"
Qin Zhao lowered his eyes and shook his head: "No, nothing..."
"You don't have to worry about me. I know you now, not the you of the past. No matter what you did in the past, it's all in the past. And..." Jing Li paused for a while, and then he mustered up the courage to whisper, "No matter what you were like in the past, I..."
He said the last few words very softly, and Jing Li looked away, not daring to look at the other person's expression. But the other person did not respond for a long time, and Jing Li looked up, Qin Zhao had closed his eyes again, and his breathing became steady and long.
Jing Li: “…”
I don’t go to bed early or late, but I choose to sleep at this time.
Hate.
Jing Li sighed heavily, leaned down on the edge of the bed with his head resting on his arms, and reached out with his other hand to quietly hold Qin Zhao's hand hanging by his side.
The room is quiet.
But no one expected that the village chief fell ill after returning home.
"… It's a cold." Qin Zhao let go of the village chief's wrist and stood up. "It's probably because you've been too tired these days and the evil wind has entered your body. I'll write a prescription, and you can ask someone to go to Doctor Ge to get a few pills. You'll be fine after taking them."
The village chief's family members gathered in the room, and a middle-aged man said, "Okay, I'll go to Huaixia Village right away."
"Ahem..." The village chief was still feverish, his face flushed with fever, and he struggled to sit up. "How long will it take for this medicine to take effect? I still have to go to the county town..."
Qin Zhao quickly supported him and said, "It's not suitable for you to travel so hard. You should take care of yourself first."
"But ahem... we can't wait any longer."
Several days have already been wasted in persuading the villagers to agree to build the embankment. If it is delayed any further, the embankment may not be completed before the flood season arrives.
If that's the case, then all our efforts will be in vain.
Qin Zhao said: "I'll go."
The village chief shook his head: "How can this be possible? Your body is so weak..."
"I drew the flood embankment myself, so I know it best." Qin Zhao said calmly, "I will go to the county town myself."
The village chief was unwilling to agree at first, but Qin Zhao insisted on doing so and no matter how he tried to persuade him, he would not agree.
Finally, several farmers negotiated together to raise money and rented a covered ox cart for Qin Zhao to take him to and from the county town.
Fortunately, the rain finally stopped and the sky cleared up that day, the temperature was suitable, and it was not difficult to travel far. Before leaving, the village chief even specifically asked the driver to drive slowly to avoid hurting Qin Zhao's body.
The ox cart moved forward steadily. Qin Zhao lowered the curtain and turned around to see the young man next to him with his head lowered, not saying a word.
"What are you thinking about?" Qin Zhao asked.
Jing Li whispered: "Nothing..."
His wish failed again.
Not only did it fail to resolve the issue smoothly, but it also forced Qin Zhao to travel to such a far place in person.
Qin Zhao felt very uncomfortable yesterday...
What is the use of his koi
The more Jing Li thought about it, the more depressed he became. Qin Zhao could roughly guess what he was thinking and raised his hand to ruffle his hair: "Xiao Yu, do you know there's a saying that goes, 'A blessing in disguise?'"
"I know, but..."
This may not work for him.
"Don't worry." Qin Zhao comforted, "This is not necessarily a bad thing."
However, having said that, Qin Zhao was not very sure whether this trip would be successful.
The ox cart moved slowly, and the sun was about to set when they arrived at the county town.
This was the first time Jing Li had come to a county town like this since he had traveled to this world. Although it was only a small county town, one could see the bustle from outside the city, which was completely different from that of a rural town.
People were coming and going at the city gate. They waited in line for a whole incense stick before they were finally allowed to enter the city.
There was curfew shortly after dark, and the county government no longer accepted visitors at this time, so they had no choice but to stay in the city for one night.
The consumption in the county town is a completely different world compared to that in the town. After searching carefully, they found that the cheapest inn cost 100 wen per night.
Jing Li felt even worse.
"The scientific examinations will also be held here in the future, so just get used to it in advance." Qin Zhao said.
The next morning, Qin Zhao took Jing Li to the county government office.
They introduced themselves to the yamen runner and explained their purpose. After the runner informed them, they were led into a study room in the county government office.
The county magistrate was already waiting in the study.
The county magistrate was a fat man, and was reading something intently. When he saw the two of them come in, he said leisurely without even looking up, "I told your village chief last year that the county is short of manpower. I'm busy dealing with the several villages downstream that are seriously flooded, so how can I take care of you?"
"Besides, when the water rises in your place, at most a few fields will be flooded. Every year, countless people downstream are displaced by floods. We can't just ignore other villages for your sake, can we?"
This attitude is too much.
"You—" Jing Li was about to say something, but Qin Zhao raised his hand to stop him.
He shook his head at Jing Li, took out the blueprint from his arms, presented it to the county magistrate, and said calmly: "I have already drawn up the plan for the flood control embankment. You don't need to spend too much manpower and material resources. You only need to send more than ten people to Linxi Village to help us build the embankment."
The county magistrate was full of impatience. He took the blueprint and glanced at it casually. His expression suddenly changed: "Did you draw this blueprint?"
Qin Zhao: “Yes.”
The magistrate did not answer.
He carefully looked at the blueprint for a long time, and then told the person beside him, "Go and ask the master to come."
The county magistrate wanted to talk to the legal advisor alone, so Qin Zhao and Jing Li were asked to leave the study.
The two were led to the reception hall to wait. After the yamen runners left, Jing Li approached Qin Zhao and asked, "What is the county magistrate doing so mysteriously?"
"It's not a bad thing." Qin Zhao took a sip of tea and said leisurely.
Jing Li: “?”
Qin Zhao put down his teacup and said, "Didn't you see what book he was reading just now?"
Jing Li really didn't notice it, and even if he did, he might not understand it: "What is he looking at?"
Qin Zhao said: "Essentials of Water Control."
Jing Li: “…”
He understood.
It seems that they are not the only ones who are worried about the flood.
After waiting for less than a cup of tea, a tall and thin man in a light blue gown walked quickly into the main room.
The two stood up, and before they could say anything, the man walked straight to Qin Zhao and bowed to him: "My last name is Pei, and my given name is An. Mr. Qin has come from afar, so please don't blame me for being so rude."
Qin Zhao and Jing Li looked at each other and returned the greeting: "I don't deserve it."
Pei An asked again: "Mr. Qin is very knowledgeable and has an extraordinary bearing. I wonder where he is now?"
"Just an ordinary farmer in the village."
Pei An was obviously a little surprised: "But from the drawings you drew, I can see that you know how to control water. Have you not passed the imperial examination yet?"
"Not yet." Qin Zhao said calmly, "I just read a few books in my spare time."
Pei An's expression suddenly became extremely interesting.
We are all studying, so why is there such a big gap between people
He led the two to sit down, asked the servants to refill the tea, and then slowly said: "I won't beat around the bush with you. There have been floods in recent years. Next month is the flood season. The higher-ups have issued an order to the county, ordering my master to prevent and control the floods downstream. If he fails, I'm afraid he will lose his position as an official."
"… My master has been very troubled by this matter recently. He has read many books but still can't find a solution. Since you know how to control floods, I wonder if you are willing to stay in the county government and help my master?"
Qin Zhao didn't rush to answer.
Seeing his doubts, Pei An said, "Sir, don't worry. I have discussed the matter of Linxi Village with you. I will send someone there today to repair the embankment as soon as possible."
"Also, if you can successfully prevent and control the flood, my lord will reward you handsomely!"