Chapter 71: A Gemstone In The Cesspit?
“Nothing major, just a group of shameless scoundrels without real talent trying to create chaos and steal the exam questions in the process; they burned down the An Ran Building.”
Zhang Min didn’t care much about the An Ran Building being burned; instead, she was interested in rummaging through Yun Ce’s vegetable basket, especially the lamb ribs inside.
Hearing Zhang Min’s words, Yun Ce anxiously said, “Are the exam questions still there?”
Zhang Min pursed her lips and said, “The questions are about vague, broad topics like how to maintain public order and govern the people; it doesn’t matter if they’re there or not.”
Yun Ce’s face twitched as he said, “Is this something I can hear?”
Zhang Min puzzledly said, “This exam question was set by our noble council after discussion; those who should know already know. You just take the exam well. If you don’t do well, I’ll pull your paper and swap it for another until the examiner is satisfied.”
“The key is for you to cook the horse meat well. If the horse meat exceeds my expectations, it’s not impossible for me to write it for you.”
Yun Ce gulped down a big mouthful of saliva with a thud, his jaw dropping in shock. He had guessed the exam might favor the powerful, but he hadn’t expected it to favor them so much.
Thinking of how he had to sneak around even to hire two temporary workers, fearing others would know he was cheating, and now seeing the Great Han’s exam system rotten like this, he felt it was unfair for Feng An and Liang Kun, who had studied diligently for over a decade.
“You could actually participate in the martial competition.” Zhang Min picked up a baby bean and toyed with it.
1 “Martial competition?”
1 “Yes, martial competition. As long as you pass Chuyun Prefecture’s inspection, you’ll immediately become a Great Han gongshi. If you get first place, Zanniao Title—enough for you to take your group to live in the Great Han Homeland.”
1 “If there’s also a military post, the Great Han’s salary is pretty good too—more than enough to support your residence and servants.”
1 Yun Ce looked at Zhang Min and said, “Is there room to rig the martial competition?”
1 Zhang Min tossed the bean that looked like a baby back and forth and said, “How do you rig the martial competition? If you can beat them, you win; if not, you lose. It’s clear-cut—the champion cheered by thousands. Don’t use those filthy civil competition tricks to tarnish the Great Han martial competition.”
1 Yun Ce felt Zhang Min was deliberately seducing him into joining the martial competition. Though he didn’t know why, he still felt he needed to be cautious.
1 “Have the thieves been caught?”
1 Hearing Yun Ce ask this, Zhang Min’s face darkened as she said, “We killed six of the main culprits who acted, caught five accomplices in the business deal of exam questions, three got away—including one I suspect was also a main culprit, because his lantern ball set a fire for a rotten gambler that couldn’t be extinguished no matter what, burning the entire An Ran Building to ashes.”
1 Yun Ce nodded in agreement, “Truly hateful. Alright, I won’t delay your work. Come to the guesthouse for lunch; my horse meat is pretty good.”
1 “You’re really not considering the martial competition? After the civil competition, with your family background, even becoming a noble’s retainer takes effort.”
2 Yun Ce turned a deaf ear, picked up the basket, and quickly headed to the guesthouse.
2 Zhang Min rubbed the bean in her hand regretfully and said, “Still so vigilant.”
2 At this time, a subordinate reported, “Envoy, the Prefectural Office asks how to dispose of the five captured?”
2 Zhang Min indifferently said, “Have their five families rebuild the An Ran Building, then decapitate and abandon them in the market.”
2 “There are still three fugitives.”
2 “Can’t catch them. Those five idiots couldn’t even describe the person’s appearance or build clearly. Keeping such idiots just wastes materials; better off dead.”
2 “Moreover, this matter must be handled quickly. If it drags on, it’s bound to drag out some dirty, stinky things.”
2 Yun Ce stood at the guesthouse entrance, feeling a breath stuck in his chest—unable to go up or down, stifling him. Things kept veering off his planned track one after another.
2 The government officials here seemed to muddle through their work, more focused on maintaining a simple, fragile balance. They never dug deep into any matter and had no habit of punishing past offenses to prevent future ones.
2 However, this seemingly lazy governance seemed effective against the locals. They only wanted a result; as long as there was one, it was fine—they never cared if it was good or bad.
3 He’d thought this would anger many people and lead Chuyun Prefecture to replan the exam, making him feel like Tom Cat—plans perfect, but failing every time. Except for burning one building, it pushed Chuyun Prefecture’s cultural development nowhere.
3 It could also be said that the Great Han people had high tolerance; ordinary matters couldn’t enrage them at all. Rallying them to rebel would be even harder.
3 In a harsh place like Chuyun Prefecture, not even qualifying as a protectorate prefecture, people lacked rebellious spirit. Yun Ce could hardly imagine what the Great Han Homeland would be like.
3 They absolutely couldn’t become as numb as Indians. If they really turned Great Han people into Indians, Yun Ce would want to kill himself.
3 Entering the guesthouse courtyard, Yun Ce had switched to a bright smile. He handed the food basket to An Ji and the others to clean and sort, then said to E Ji who came up to him, “Good food today.”
3 Yun Ce’s smile was brilliant, but back in the room, E Ji hugged his arm and said, “Young Master is unhappy?”
3 Yun Ce said expressionlessly, “I’m fucking thrilled today.”
3 E Ji bit her lips, placed Yun Ce’s hand on her buttocks, and whispered, “How about…”
3 Yun Ce pulled his hand back, smacked E Ji on the head, and said, “Get lost!”
3 E Ji angrily bit Yun Ce and said, “You were peeking this morning.”
4 After bickering with E Ji—losing without winning, bitten several times—his mood improved a lot. His understanding of this Great Han new world was still too shallow.
4 Since the Yellow Emperor rode a dragon here, a long time had passed. Even on Earth, the Yellow Emperor was the first ancestor, and the new world he created clearly differed from Earth’s civilization.
4 The emergence of civilized society wasn’t inevitable but highly accidental. A slight twist, and a civilization could perish in an instant.
4 Earth’s Yellow Emperor era was still the barbaric century; the Yellow River middle and lower reaches had few people then. Though history books said when the Yellow Emperor was taken by dragon, his confidant ministers, wife, and family went too, the population was probably small.
4 With just that many people, the Yellow Emperor created a super clan of 670 million. You had to admire that skill.
4 While making meat slices stir-fried with celery, Yun Ce was still pondering this. When the celery’s unique aroma hit his nose, he snapped out of it, tore two pieces of horseradish into the dish. Once the pan heat brought out the horseradish flavor, it was ready.
4 Green money had low density and light weight, not good for casting woks. Luckily, Yun Ce had money now; he made a thick wok and mastered the knack after a few uses.
4 Today in the caravan, he found fist-sized bird eggs. Their taste was clearly better than the thick-skinned, sturdy-shelled big eggs he found before.
4 In the Great Han wilderness, wild animals were abundant. Thick eggshells protected eggs; thin-shelled ones that cracked with a tap relied on quantity to survive the wasteland.
4 This thing stir-fried with a thin-stemmed green leafy vegetable brought out a strong chives aroma, so Yun Ce used it as chives.
5 Steamed baby beans gave Yun Ce great comfort. Before lifting the steamer basket, he smelled a strong taro-like aroma.
5 When the steamer was lifted, everyone crowded to look: a row of a dozen plump white baby beans sat inside.
5 Yun Ce took one, bit off the baby bean’s head. Clear fat oozed from the break; the bean melted on his tongue without chewing.
5 Slightly bitter, but Yun Ce didn’t care, staring dazedly at the fat flowing from the baby bean’s break. This was perfect for oil pressing.
5 Lamb chops naturally went into the clay pot to stew. Local sheep, for riding and pulling carts, were castrated for stable temperament, so the meat lacked strong muttony smell—best for soup.
5 Yun Ce sipped the soup, added some sliced frost sprouts—their best after frost, turning original bitterness sweet, perfect with mutton.
5 Zhang Min arrived just as the rice was perfectly cooked.
5 No one wanted to talk, all stuffing food into their mouths.
5 After downing three bowls of mutton soup in a row, Yun Ce set down his rice bowl and said to Zhang Min, “I’ll join the martial competition.”
5 Zhang Min reluctantly stopped eating, looked into Yun Ce’s eyes, and said, “Why did you agree again?”
6 Yun Ce pondered briefly and said, “I don’t know why you suddenly started being nice to me, even dropping the hatred for shooting through my thigh. That scares me.”
6 Zhang Min somewhat seriously said, “A person like you wasting away in the remote mountains is too much. You should go where you belong, not rot away with this group.”
6 Yun Ce laughed, “Is the Great Han truly seeking talent eagerly?”
6 Zhang Min lowered her head, picked up a grain of rice, stuffed it in her mouth, and mumbled unclearly, “The Great Han survives in this wilderness because many people held up the sky with their spines. Without them, everyone here would die.”
6 Yun Ce puzzledly said, “Are you one of those people?”
6 Zhang Min shook her head. “I don’t qualify. Three selections, failed four times!”
6 Seeing Yun Ce’s blank face, she explained, “I was selected once at birth.”
6 Yun Ce said, “So the martial competition is just the first step.”
6 Zhang Min snorted a laugh. “You’re overthinking. When you can carry heavy responsibility, someone will naturally come for you. The martial competition is just to let you enjoy a bit more of the peace unique to the Great Han.”
6 Yun Ce naturally understood that ordinary happiness came from others carrying heavy loads and moving forward—and understood deeply.
7 But he doubted if there could really be an untainted gem in the Great Han’s rotten cesspit.
7 Continue with three chapters, seeking votes, seeking subscription. Though useless, I’ll keep calling out—just in case some tender-hearted brothers and sisters hear it.
