Chapter 182: Wei Liang’s Doubts

Wei Liang checked the time on the exquisite pocket watch he bought from a Persian merchant for the third time. Outside, the scenery of the street changed, and the autumn wind blew leaves down in the Huaiyang region, with golden oranges filling the market, exuding endless charm and prosperity.

But he had no mind to appreciate it, feeling a growing sense of unease.

He was about to meet that person.

He began to worry if he had gone too far this time and whether it would bring trouble upon himself.

The story began last summer.

At that time, Wei Liang was still studying at Shuangzhong Academy in Yangzhou. Although not the top scholar, he was well-known in Jiangnan and a strong contender for the autumn examination.

Unexpectedly, one day while disembarking from a boat after a lake tour, he encountered a strange girl.

She was slender and delicate, adorned with gold and silver, with pearls worth thousands of taels of silver hanging from her earlobes. However, her yellow silk clothes were covered in mud, as if she had just been pulled out of a pit, and even her face and hair were not spared. Her face, hastily wiped, was even more smeared with mud.

When she saw the group of scholars disembarking, she immediately approached.

Wei Liang’s friends, all learned and talented young men, were used to bold girls throwing sachets and handkerchiefs at them during boat tours. Seeing a girl approach, they instinctively thought she was there to show affection, but her disheveled appearance made them pause.

Although Wei Liang was talented, his appearance was average and not particularly striking.

Usually, his companions received more attention.

So he stood among the group, waiting to see what would happen.

No one expected that when a friend asked, “Which gentleman are you looking for?” the girl glanced at Wei Liang and, without any shyness, said, “I’m looking for Master Wei Liang.”

The lakeside fell silent.

Wei Liang was stunned and surprised.

Everyone looked at him.

The girl, despite her dirty face, smiled brightly and said, “Master Wei, may I have a word with you?”

His friends, always eager for a spectacle, started to jeer.

Wei Liang felt his face heat up.

He stood rooted to the spot and replied formally, “If you have something to say, you can say it here. There’s no need to speak privately.”

The girl’s gaze turned curious, her eyes darting around as if pondering something. After a moment, she raised an eyebrow and said, “Do you really want me to say it here?”

Wei Liang’s heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively replied, “There’s nothing that can’t be said in public.”

She looked at him seriously and repeated mysteriously, “Master Wei, are you sure you want me to say it here?”

At that moment, a thousand thoughts flashed through Wei Liang’s mind, all sorts of self-doubt: Had he wronged any girl since coming to Yangzhou? Had he made any promises to a courtesan that he hadn’t fulfilled? Had he picked up something inappropriate on the street and not returned it? Had he offended anyone at the academy without realizing it?

But the answer was no.

His family was neither wealthy nor poor, and he had enough sense not to do anything too outrageous. Even if he had, he wouldn’t have left any obvious evidence.

But the girl’s demeanor…

Could it be that I missed something?

The gazes of others felt like needles on him.

Wei Liang felt inexplicably nervous.

In the end, he couldn’t withstand the internal struggle and coughed, uncertainly saying, “Then, let’s talk privately?”

Later, he often thought about this foolish decision, feeling like he had thrown his reputation under someone else’s feet—

If he had nothing to hide, why avoid it?

From then on, rumors spread throughout the academy about his unusual connection with a mysterious girl, and he was often teased about it. When asked, he couldn’t explain, feeling extremely frustrated.

At that time, he didn’t realize the consequences of his actions.

The girl, however, laughed heartily.

Finally, she naturally waved to his friends and said, “I need to talk to Master Wei privately. It will take a while, so there’s no need for you to wait. I’ll send him back to the academy later.”

His friends, thinking they were being considerate, laughed and dispersed.

The setting sun reflected on the water, and the lake was calm.

The willow branches on the shore were withered, leaving him and the girl standing face to face, sizing each other up.

Wei Liang frowned and said, “I don’t think we know each other.”

The girl, with her hands behind her back, said, “Master Wei doesn’t know me, but I’ve heard of you.”

Wei Liang was puzzled, “Do you also love reading?” The girl shook her head, “I hate reading the most. Recently, I’ve developed a different hobby.”

Wei Liang didn’t know how to respond.

The girl smiled at him, “I’ve heard that Master Wei has done extensive research in this field, so I came to seek your advice.”

Wei Liang couldn’t suppress his curiosity, “This field?”

The girl smiled, “Farming.”

Wei Liang: “…”

At the mention of these two words, Wei Liang’s eyelids almost twitched, and his scalp tingled, feeling as if his deepest secret had been exposed.

He was shocked, “How do you know?!”

Looking back, the scene was somewhat comical, but at that moment, he felt a bit of fear. Not fear of being discovered, but fear of his family causing trouble.

In the hierarchy of society, scholars were at the top, followed by farmers, artisans, and merchants.

A family of scholars naturally looked down on the lower three classes.

However, Wei Liang was different from others since childhood. When it rained, he would ask why and study astronomy books; when he saw farming, he would investigate and secretly buy agricultural books. Later, while others grew orchids in pots, he cultivated potatoes in porcelain pots, interacting with foreigners.

When he was young, others thought he was just playing.

As he grew older, his family discovered his rebellious nature, burned all his books, and punished him severely, warning him to focus on his studies.

Wei Liang then “returned to the right path,” using his intelligence to study, write essays, and read classics, eventually gaining some fame.

He left home to study in Yangzhou.

At Shuangzhong Academy, with no one to control him, he would carve potatoes and roast sweet potatoes for his friends. After one friend got sick from eating them, no one dared to try his food again.

Wei Liang never expected that someone in Yangzhou would know he preferred farming over studying!

The girl seemed to anticipate his surprise and didn’t answer his question. Instead, she smiled and said, “If I told you there are thousands of acres of land waiting for someone to farm, would you be interested, Master Wei?”

Wei Liang thought she was joking.

How could a young girl claim to have thousands of acres of land waiting to be farmed? He almost immediately refused, but the girl handed him a card with the address of a villa, saying he could visit anytime if he changed his mind.

Eventually, Wei Liang couldn’t resist the temptation.

After six days at the academy, he followed the directions to the villa.

However, he didn’t see the girl again.

Instead, a young man with clear eyes greeted him, handed him a letter, some land deeds, and account books, and took him to see the “empty land.”

From then on, Wei Liang was involved in their plans.

Although he did a lot of work, earned a lot of money, and had a good harvest this year, he didn’t know who he was working for, which made him uneasy.

Especially recently…

The carriage had reached the outskirts of Jinling. The streets were bustling with people, and even as the sun was setting, the sounds of business filled the air. Some people were just setting up their stalls.

The river was filled with floating lanterns.

“Whoa—”

The coachman stopped the carriage and asked for directions.

“Excuse me, how do I get to Wuyi Lane?”

A passerby gave directions.

They stopped near a teahouse, and faint conversations could be heard from the second floor.

Wei Liang listened for a moment and frowned.

“I tell you, there will definitely be a showdown between Master Wanxiu and Master Yuanji. The Tianjiao sect promotes Taoism, while the White Horse Temple upholds Buddhism. They’ve been arguing for months, and it’s bound to turn into a fight! I think we should pack up and stay away from Jiangnan for a while. Who knows when a war might break out?”

“Master Yuanji is definitely stronger!”

“Yes, the emperor trusts him so much. Even Master Xie has distanced himself from him in the past two years. Master Xie is the true imperial teacher, while Yuanji is just a monk who came out of nowhere. How can he be made a national teacher without any merit?”

“Hey, you shouldn’t say such things…”

“It’s chaotic, very chaotic!”

“Fortunately, the Tatars have been quiet for the past two years, not causing trouble for the Daqian. Otherwise, with internal and external troubles, it would be unbearable for us common folk!”

“I say, the Tianjiao sect is powerful! What is Datong? The Tianjiao sect aims for Datong! In our village, some families had no land to farm and couldn’t even become bandits, so they joined the Tianjiao sect. It’s all because of corrupt officials and unscrupulous merchants!”

“Luckily, Jiangnan is a prosperous area, so the impact isn’t too big…”

“Isn’t the emperor planning a southern tour next year?”

“Yes, that’s why there are so many wealthy merchants and nobles in Jinling recently, with luxurious carriages everywhere. It’s all for the southern tour! The officials don’t want to spend money, so they target these wealthy merchants. Whoever contributes more will get more salt permits next year.”

“The world is getting harder and harder…”

“Who says it isn’t?”

*

The coachman asked for directions to Wuyi Lane and drove the carriage there. As they moved further away, the sounds from the street gradually faded, blending with the rumble of the carriage.

Wei Liang lowered his eyes and touched his sleeve.

The account book for this season was quietly hidden inside, strapped securely to his arm.

The coachman said, “Master Wei, we’ve arrived.”

Wei Liang lifted the curtain and got off the carriage.

The long, old alley in Jiangnan had moss growing between the blue stone slabs, and a few golden autumn leaves lay scattered on the ground. The entrance before him was quiet and unassuming, with no sign of luxury, not even a nameplate, just a black plaque with the words “Xie Bai Ju”.

He stepped forward and knocked on the door.

Soon, someone answered.

It was a maid with delicate features. She wasn’t surprised to see him, but her eyes showed a hint of scrutiny. She said coolly, “Master Wei, my master has been waiting for you here for half a day since receiving your message. Please come in.”

From the outside, Xie Bai Ju didn’t look like much, but inside, it was serene and elegant.

Parrots hung in the corridor.

When they saw people, they called out, “Who goes there? Who goes there?”

Wei Liang remained silent.

He walked through the courtyard, passing two hanging flower doors, and entered a lakeside pavilion. There was a reclining chair with a slanted backrest by the edge, a small table beside it with a plate of fruits and an open account book.

A girl was sitting in the chair.

She wasn’t sitting properly but cross-legged, looking lazy. Her shiny black hair was adorned with a red agate hairpin. She faced the lake with her back to the pavilion, resting her chin on her hand, watching a fishing rod on the railing, seemingly bored, waiting for a fish to bite.

Wei Liang could only see half of her back.

He wasn’t sure if she was the girl he had met last year.

The maid announced, “Miss, Master Wei is here.”

The girl didn’t turn around. “Taking my money, farming my land, holding my account book, and pressing my harvest, you dare to use this to demand a meeting with me. Master Wei, with bandits rampant these days, aren’t you worried about encountering some accident on the road and losing your life?”

Wei Liang recognized the voice immediately. It was light and gentle, like a breeze, like a hidden stream, very pleasant and evocative.

He stood behind her, hearing the hidden dissatisfaction and threat in her words, but he had never done anything wrong, so he replied calmly, “Last year, at your request, I managed thousands of acres of good land with excellent harvests. Although you promised generous rewards, I didn’t think much of it at the time. But when the farmers reported their harvests, I couldn’t help but wonder about the destination of this grain, considering the Tatar threat outside Yanmen Pass and the Tianjiao sect’s rampant activities in the heartland. If the grain is sold to benefit the people, that’s fine. But if you have ill intentions and use it to support rebels, that would be my fault.”

The girl in front of him suddenly froze.

Wei Liang got straight to the point: “So I came today to ask one question. With your abilities, are you serving the Tianjiao sect?”

“……”

Serving the Tianjiao sect…

Did she look like someone who wasn’t afraid of death and would get involved with the Tianjiao sect?

The girl’s mouth twitched, and she finally turned to look at Wei Liang. “Master Wei, you really are focused on farming and oblivious to the world. How could you have such absurd thoughts?”

Just like in the past life, only fit for farming!

The future top scholar’s mind, capable of writing essays and farming, but unable to navigate the officialdom and fight with others. She should have known not to have high hopes for his brain!

When she turned around, her face showed some impatience.

Her oval face, with delicate and fair skin, was bathed in the golden-red light of the setting sun, her eyes reflecting the experiences of the past two years, adding a touch of steadiness to her liveliness.

But her lips curled in a mocking smile, adding a hint of ridicule to her beauty.

Wei Liang had only seen her once last year.

At that time, her face was covered in mud, nothing like this radiant appearance.

He rarely interacted with women, let alone someone so beautiful. Her gaze made him inexplicably embarrassed, and he felt a rush of heat to his face, unable to speak.

Jiang Xuening threw down the fishing rod and raised her eyebrows. “Who told you I work for the Tianjiao sect?”

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