Chapter 230: Falling Dragon Land

Many strange occurrences happened before and after a peculiar heavy rain in Lishun Prefecture, with the accounts of the villagers from Shuangongqiao Village being the most remarkable.

Ordinary people were not fools. With accounts of what happened during the rain being exchanged across different areas, a story with mythological overtones began to circulate. Taking the version Jiyuan heard as an example, apart from some incorrect key details, it could even be described as a remarkably faithful retelling of events.

Thus, the story of the dragon falling into Guangdong Lake eventually spread, becoming more outlandish with each retelling.

On the fourth day of the sixth lunar month, the Prefect of Lishun Prefecture held a grand celebration for his second son's full month. Besides officials, both big and small, from across Lishun Prefecture, many prominent figures from Wanzhou also sent congratulatory gifts. Even the Prefect of the state capital prepared a gift and sent someone to deliver it.

Yin Zhaoxian, for once, decided to be extravagant and planned a grand event. He had initially intended to book a large restaurant in Lishun Prefecture, but considering the high prices and his salary, he decided to host the banquet at his residence instead.

During their stay at the residence, Yin Qing, Lin Xinjie, and others were all housed in the same wing of rooms as Jiyuan.

On the day of the banquet, Yin Qing rose early, donned his formal attire, and helped his father with greeting guests and other welcoming duties. Being well-educated, sensible, and quick-witted, he handled these tasks with ease.

As guests who only needed to attend the banquet, Jiyuan, Lin Xinjie, Lei Yusheng, and Mo Xiu didn't need to rise early. Jiyuan, in particular, habitually slept until late morning.

After finishing their ablutions, Lin Xinjie, together with Lei Yusheng and Mo Xiu, waited outside Jiyuan's guest quarters. This had been their daily routine for over a month, and the time usually coincided with Jiyuan waking up.

Creak.

Jiyuan, dressed in a blue scholar's robe today, opened the door and stepped out.

"Good morning, Mr. Ji!"

Lin Xinjie, Lei Yusheng, and Mo Xiu bowed in unison, greeting Jiyuan.

Jiyuan smiled and returned their greeting with cupped hands.

"Good morning to you all!"

Jiyuan knew the reason for the trio's somewhat excessive deference towards him: it was none other than the letter currently in Yin Qing's possession.

Aside from the letter's miraculous qualities, even the calligraphy alone was enough to earn him such continuous respect and courtesy from the scholars. They hoped to impress Mr. Ji enough for him to casually bestow upon them some of his calligraphic works.

Of course, the calligraphy of Master Yin Wenqu was also highly prized, but as he was an imperial official and even Yin Qing's own father, the scholars dared not presume or show up daily to solicit favors.

Although they had repeatedly begged Yin Qing to use his filial connection to ask his father for calligraphy, Yin Qing dared not initiate such a thing. Being meticulous, he knew that if he did, he would have no peace once they returned to Huiyuan Academy. His father wasn't in the business of churning out calligraphy for others, so Yin Qing often declined, citing family rules, and told them to ask his father themselves.

There was a significant difference between asking in person and having Yin Qing intercede on their behalf. Moreover, Yin Qing knew well his father's character: his classmates were very likely to receive calligraphy if they asked him directly. This way, even after returning to Huiyuan Academy, those people wouldn't pester Yin Qing himself.

Unfortunately, even after experiencing the peril of a charming fox spirit in the mountains, Mo Xiu and the others remained timid 'cowards' in the face of their 'idol.' Their demeanor was leagues below the fanaticism of the idol-chasers Jiyuan had known in his previous life. During several private meals, they barely dared to breathe, only speaking up to answer Yin Zhaoxian's concerned questions about their studies and lives.

Seeing the three look revitalized, Jiyuan led the way to the corridor and addressed them.

"Shall we go for breakfast together?"

"Good." "Yes!"

The three promptly agreed and followed, chatting with Mr. Ji about interesting anecdotes and asking about various observations as they walked.

In their eyes, Mr. Ji was kind, gentle, witty, humorous, and immensely knowledgeable. Talking with him was very enlightening, and many perplexing matters became clear after he explained them.

In truth, Jiyuan had also been observing these three scholars over the past few days. Although still somewhat immature, they were certainly promising talents. Whether they would remain steadfast was debatable, but for now, their character was undeniably upright.

After finishing breakfast in the reception hall, Jiyuan was the first to put down his spoon. Looking at the three scholars still eating their wontons, he spoke somewhat casually, saying something unrelated to their previous conversation or the meal.

"Although you three have not yet reached adulthood, you are all highly talented students from Huiyuan Academy. You might consider taking the imperial examination early. In a few years, there will be a great shortage of people in local government affairs."

Lin Xinjie was again the first to speak up, grinning.

"Mr. Ji, you also believe the current officialdom is corrupt and that it needs us to achieve great things, don't you?"

Jiyuan smiled and nodded.

"Then, Mr. Ji, do you think we can pass? We don't need to be the top scholar; just becoming an official would be enough!"

Mo Xiu also added, full of anticipation.

Jiyuan still smiled.

"If you don't take the examination, you definitely won't pass."

"Hahaha...." "Yes, Mr. Ji is right, hahaha..."

The three scholars chuckled, still not fully grasping the emphasis of Jiyuan's words.

In the Imperial City, within the Jingji Prefecture where the capital of Dazhen was located, after the morning court, Emperor Yuande sat behind his dragon-patterned desk in the Imperial Study. Present with him were several trusted ministers, several imperial princes including Prince Wu and Prince Jin, and a few secret agents who had arrived from Wanzhou.

Emperor Yuande, his hair streaked with grey, drank tea behind his desk while everyone else remained standing.

"Speak. What is the latest development in Wanzhou?"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

The secret agent in the center stepped forward and bowed to the Emperor.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, based on the clues provided by Prefect Yin and the various covert contacts he left behind, we have traveled throughout Wanzhou, visiting various prefectures and areas, without alerting anyone or revealing our presence. We found that, as Prefect Yin stated, most places appear prosperous on the surface but are in fact suffering greatly..."

Tap, tap, tap...

As Emperor Yuande listened to the report, he tapped his fingers on the desk. Those familiar with him, his ministers and imperial princes, knew from the tapping's frequency that he was growing slightly impatient.

Finally, the secret agent began to address the issue most concerning to Emperor Yuande.

"Officials in various prefectures and counties are rarely incorruptible; many are involved in the embezzlement of gold and silver. According to cases cited by Prefect Yin, a mere Lizheng, overseeing a hundred households, controls fifty qing of land and can extract hundreds of taels of silver in personal gain annually. The profits for higher-ranking officials increase layer by layer, with the total gains being incalculable."

"Simply lawless!"

Prince Wu couldn't help but exclaim in anger. As the prince who believed himself to be the most legitimate successor to the throne, some of his ideas were similar to his father's.

"Did I give you permission to speak?"

The old emperor looked at Prince Wu and said coldly.

"Your son acknowledges his mistake!"

Prince Wu quickly apologized to the old emperor, but anger still lingered on his face. Apart from Prince Jin, the other princes in the room, although somewhat aware of Wanzhou's 'lucrative' nature, had clearly underestimated it.

The old emperor tapped on his desk. Although he had finished listening to the secret report, he casually asked another question.

"Is there anything else noteworthy about Wanzhou?"

At that moment, the secret agents didn't speak immediately, but after a few breaths, they exchanged glances.

Prince Jin frowned, while Prince Wu couldn't help but let out another loud rebuke.

"If there is, speak quickly! Do you intend to deceive His Majesty?"

"We wouldn't dare! We wouldn't dare!"

Terrified, the secret agents quickly bowed their heads and apologized to Emperor Yuande. Finally, the leading agent, steeling himself, spoke. With Jingji Prefecture planning a grand Buddhist and Taoist water-land ritual today, how could they not have heard about the Emperor's current interests?

However, the incident in Wanzhou, besides being alarming, also easily sparked wild speculation, making them hesitant to speak of it.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, besides matters concerning local governance, there are two other things in Wanzhou currently... First, Prefect Yin's wife has given birth to another son..."

"Oh, I had almost forgotten. Esteemed Minister Yin is a pillar of the nation; a congratulatory gift must be prepared and sent."

The old emperor mused with a smile in the first half of his sentence, then addressed the old eunuch beside him in the second half, before looking back at the secret agent, awaiting his further report.

The secret agent glanced at the ministers and princes around him.

"Secondly... secondly, there is the widely circulated story in Wanzhou about a dragon falling into Guangdong Lake..."

Emperor Yuande paused, then stared at the secret agent and said.

"A falling dragon?"

Having already started, the secret agent no longer held back.

"Precisely. Many in Wanzhou are now aware of this matter, especially the villagers around Shuangongqiao Village, who witnessed it firsthand. Legend has it that on the twentieth day of the fourth month, Lishun Prefecture was suddenly engulfed in dark clouds, with lightning and thunder. Villagers heard dragon roars, along with a sound like an old ox bellowing. Then, a dragon, enveloped in dark clouds, tumbled from the sky and crashed into the threshing ground at the head of Shuangongqiao Village..."

The secret agent cautiously looked up at the Emperor. Seeing His Majesty intently staring at him, he swallowed before continuing.

"On that day, the wind and rain surged like a downpour. The villagers of Shuangongqiao Village repeatedly heard the dragon's bellow-like roars and saw a vast, indistinct dragon silhouette at the village entrance amidst the pouring rain. However, within a short time, they all fainted, stunned by the dragon's roars... Afterward, a great flood suddenly appeared, surging along a stream towards Guangdong Lake. Countless people along the banks witnessed the massive dragon's silhouette moving hidden within the floodwaters... To this day, the traces of the dragon's passage, the gully, remain at the head of Shuangongqiao Village, and the stream itself has widened several times due to the dragon's movement... This humble servant has finished his report!"

After finishing his report, the secret agent still dared not look at the Emperor, who, lost in thought, muttered to himself.

"A dragon? A dragon... A falling dragon... Wanzhou is the place where a dragon fell..."