The next day, the weather was unfavorable, with thick clouds and strong winds, causing the sea to be turbulent and dark. Lu Zhong indeed came early with his men to the beach outside the Happy People's Village. They saw the pearl divers gathered on the beach, reluctant to go out to sea, so he ordered the soldiers to drive and force them into the water at sword and gunpoint.
The pearl divers here usually use a collaborative method for pearl harvesting unless they have excellent swimming skills. Several people on a boat, and the divers would plug their ears and nose with wax, tie a long rope around their waist, carry a basket, and dive to pick up pearls and mussels about ten to twenty meters underwater. This method is extremely dangerous. Besides enduring the challenges of breathing and the heart and lungs being tested at the bottom of the sea, they also endure chilling cold in the winter. If luck is worse, they may encounter attacks from sharks or poisonous sea snakes. A tragedy occurred recently. After a pearl diver went into the water, his companions on the boat saw the rope shaking violently, and a crimson streak appeared on the sea's surface. They hurriedly pulled him up, only to find that he had lost his limbs. This incident instilled fear in them, and they gathered at the Inspectorate yesterday seeking help. Due to the adverse weather today, they were reluctant to go into the water. Unexpectedly, instead of showing mercy, the Commissioner and his men came and forcibly drove and beat the divers. Some of the divers, unable to bear it any longer, started to cry and scream, saying, "If we continue like this, it will be a dead end for everyone sooner or later! It's better to be beaten to death here than to die in the jaws of the sea! "It became chaotic.
Upon seeing this, Wu Sanchun hurriedly persuaded Lu Zhong, "Commissioner, they may be lowly people, but their lives are expendable. We still rely on them for pearl harvesting. They have been training for swimming since childhood. Losing one means one less. If they really perish, even thousands of people from other places cannot replace them!"
His words were copied from what Xie Yuan had previously mentioned to him, and even he found them familiar.
Facing the sea breeze, Lu Zhong's face darkened, and he finally nodded slowly, saying, "You are indeed insightful, Direct Official. I was indeed reckless, let's stop here."
Wu Sanchun quickly shouted. Most of the officers and soldiers were locals and were not keen on beating the pearl divers. They immediately put away their weapons, and the commotion on the beach gradually subsided.
Lu Zhong glanced at the group of pearl divers who were angrily staring at him and finally showed a hint of a smile, saying, "Listen, apart from searching for pearls for the Empress Dowager's birthday, I have another purpose for coming here. I want to select someone with exceptional swimming skills to bring to the capital." As he spoke, he took a jade pendant from his waist, flung it forcefully towards the sea in the distance, and continued, "Whoever can retrieve this jade pendant from the sea will be chosen. From then on, their family will be freed from lowly status and be given a position in the court!"
This declaration created a stir among the pearl divers. For generations, they could only engage in this dangerous business, and now they were dreaming of the day to escape their lowly status, even though they knew it was just a far-fetched dream. Now, this incredible opportunity was within reach. Some doubted the authenticity of the Commissioner's statement, but while they hesitated, others could not contain themselves, hastily swimming towards the area where the jade pendant had fallen.
Once someone started, it became like opening the floodgates. More people were afraid that this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity would be snatched away, so they rushed into the sea one after another. Those who followed knew they had missed their chance and reluctantly stopped, nervously waiting to see who the final winner would be.
On the surging sea, dozens of heads resembling black balls floated, and as they approached the designated area, they disappeared into the water and quickly vanished from sight.
Wu Sanchun found it somewhat perplexing.
Lu Zhong had been here for several days and never mentioned this matter. Now, this sudden turn of events, what did it mean? He couldn't help but look towards Wei Zixing standing beside him, who was gazing out at the sea with a chilling smile playing on his lips.
Unable to discern any signs from him, Wu Sanchun looked at Xie Yuan in the crowd. Xie Yuan was staring fixedly at the sea, with a slightly furrowed brow, his expression serious, lost in thought.
Apart from the cries of seagulls, the place where several hundred people stood by the beach became eerily silent for a moment. Only Lu Zhong seemed relaxed, pacing nonchalantly on the sandy shore.
Finally, the first head emerged from the sea, a young man in his twenties. He raised his arm high and in an excited voice that could almost drown out the sound of the wind, shouted, "It's mine! It's mine!" as he swiftly swam to the shore. Soon, more heads emerged, and they all came ashore after the young man. However, compared to his excitement, the others looked somewhat listless. Some might have exceeded their limits underwater, as upon reaching the shore, they collapsed, breathing heavily and coughing incessantly.
The pearl divers on the shore recognized him - his name was Dongbao. In the surrounding villages, aside from Chunfang's father, he had the best swimming skills.
"Commissioner, I found it! I found it!" Dongbao almost leaped to Lu Zhong, presenting the jade pendant. However, a drenched man in his thirties suddenly sprang out from the side, wrested the jade pendant from Dongbao's hand, and knelt before Lu Zhong, pleading, "Commissioner, don't believe him! I clearly retrieved it from the sea first, but he snatched it away from me underwater. Please be fair!"
This man was also from the same village, named Lusheng. After snatching the jade pendant and speaking, he turned his face away in response to the astonished gazes.
Enraged, Dongbao roared, "I clearly retrieved it, how shameless of him!" He darted toward Lusheng, and the two started fighting on the sand.
"Stop!"
Lu Zhong suddenly shouted. The two men who were still struggling finally stopped.
Lu Zhong reached out his hand towards Lu Sheng. Lu Sheng wiped the bloodstains from the corner of his mouth, which had been hit by Dong Bao, and quickly crawled over to hand over the jade pendant, trembling as he said, "My lord, I found it. I'm really good at swimming…"
Dong Bao's eyes were bloodshot as he knelt on the sand, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably.
Lu Zhong looked at the jade pendant, a hint of a smile appearing on his face. He asked Lu Sheng, "Did you really find this?"
Lu Sheng hurriedly said, "Yes…I did…"
Lu Zhong looked at Dong Bao again and asked, "But you said you found it?"
Dong Bao exclaimed loudly, "It was me, I found it! He snatched it from me and falsely accused me!" As he spoke, tears began to roll down his cheeks out of anxiety.
Lu Zhong nodded and said, "Naturally I will resolve this for you…" But before he could finish his sentence, his expression suddenly changed, and he pointed at the two men, reprimanding them sternly, "Initially, when I asked you to go into the water to retrieve pearls for the empress, you all refused and were unwilling to go. But now, as soon as you heard that you could elevate your status, so many of you went into the water without any regard for your lives! Since you were able to retrieve this jade pendant, why do you say you couldn't retrieve the pearls? It is clear that it is not that you couldn't, but rather that each of you had unwilling hearts and sought excuses to avoid serving the empress! The crime of deceiving the ruler cannot be forgiven. Guards, tie them up and throw them into the sea!"
The crowd was shocked, and Dong Bao and Lu Sheng were dumbfounded, unable to move.
Lu Zhong's face darkened as he said, "You were all competing to claim that you had the best swimming skills, weren't you? Well, here's your chance. Whoever can crawl back like this, I'll fulfill the promise I made earlier and elevate your status. If you can't make it back, you'll be eaten by sharks, and no one else will be to blame!"
"Sir, it wasn't me who found it, it was him! It was him! I was confused for a moment and snatched his jade pendant!"
Lu Sheng, who had regained his senses, rushed forward, grabbing Lu Zhong's robes and repeatedly kowtowing for mercy.
"Guards, act quickly!"
Lu Zhong kicked him away, shaking off the robe that had just been grabbed in disgust.
The surroundings were silent, countless eyes watching this sudden turn of events. The pearl people were filled with anger, but none of them dared to speak up.
Wu Sanchun suddenly realized the situation. He understood why the commander Wu was wearing that expression earlier. He had likely anticipated this outcome long ago.
Wu Sanchun was in a dilemma. These two pearl people had fallen into a trap. With Lu Zhong's accusation of deceiving the ruler hanging over them, who would dare to say anything?
Lu Zhong had moved south with only a few eunuchs by his side, the rest were soldiers under his command, supposedly for his protection. The troops who had come with him today were local officials. Now that he had given the order, no one was carrying it out. The people from the Seven Government Office stood by and did nothing, and the local soldiers were inactive. Only a few of his eunuchs rolled up their sleeves and stepped forward. But they were used to a life of ease, how could they compare to the two tough young men who fought for their lives in the sea every day? Desperate people do desperate things. Dong Bao and Lu Sheng, who had just been wrestling, now faced imminent death and in despair, they refused to give in and started fighting back against the eunuchs who tried to capture them. They even shoved a nearby eunuch, leaving him sprawled on the ground like an upturned turtle.
Lu Zhong, feeling greatly humiliated, turned pale, seething with anger, drew his sword from his waist, marched over, and scolded, "You treacherous rebels, dare to resist to the end, you're not worthy of any mercy!" He raised his sword to strike at Lu Sheng's head.
Lu Sheng glimpsed a glint above his head, knowing there was no escape. In a moment of despair, he cried out and hugged his head, bowing to the ground. The pearl people who had been watching, despite disapproving of his earlier actions, were shocked and filled with fear. In a chorus of surprise, even the timid ones closed their eyes.
Lu Zhong's hand holding the sword was just an inch away from Lu Sheng's neck when suddenly he felt a light tap on the inside of his arm, and his arm immediately went numb. His hand went sour, and the sword slipped from his palm, almost dropping. Suddenly, a hand appeared at his side, catching the falling sword and returning it to him.
Lu Sheng, feeling the cold at the back of his neck, closed his eyes, expecting death. But the expected pain did not come. The surroundings were so quiet that it felt like the underwater world. Finally unable to hold back his fear, he shivered and turned his head, seeing someone at his side. He relaxed immediately and slumped to the ground.
As Lu Zhong's gaze steadily rose, he saw a stranger with a large beard who had suddenly appeared at his side. Because he was half a head taller, he was looking down at Lu Zhong. The man's expression was obscured by his beard, but his eyes were as deep as the turbulent sky at this moment. Lu Zhong was slightly taken aback. Before he could react, the man quietly withdrew and took a step back, speaking, "My lord, please spare them. It's said that the empress cares deeply for her subjects, and the pearls are meant for the upcoming coronation. Even though the pearl people are lowly, they are still subjects. If they die in the water, it's fate. But if blood is shed like this, it's ominous and contradicts the empress's benevolence. Why not spare these two and extend wishes for the empress's long life? What do you think, my lord?"
Lu Zhong was certain that the sudden numbness and weakness in his arm earlier had been caused by this man. As he had intervened to stop the sword from falling, his gait was extraordinarily nimble, almost as fast as lightning. Moreover, the sea breeze had stirred their sleeves, and if it wasn't for an observant person, it would have been hard to detect from a distance that he had subtly influenced Lu Zhong to stop the attack.
For a long time, he has been in a high position, always overbearing and arrogant. When he saw someone being so bold, naturally he became angry. Especially when that person's words were so well-spoken, leaving no room for reproach, he found himself stuck in place.
With such a sudden change, the people around gradually woke up, and one by one they knelt down, pleading to Land Zhong.
Land Zhong glanced around and, seeing Wu Sanchun not speaking, looking indifferent as if the matter didn't concern him, and the official from the Qizhengmen showing no expression as if he hadn't seen the scene just now, he thought about how he had personally come south at great effort to collect pearls to please the empress dowager. Although his position was high, there were countless people coveting his position, and a misstep could lead to disaster. This Wu Sanchun must surely be hoping for his downfall. And the official with the surname Wei, although outwardly tasked with protecting him, was obedient and respectful, his actions behind his back remained unknown. If this matter were to be reported, it could be exploited by someone with ill intentions. Since the big-bearded man had just saved face for him, it was better to step down and appear magnanimous.
With this in mind, Land Zhong finally slowly sheathed his sword and coldly said, "The heavens are merciful. Since that's the case, I will spare the lives of you two."
Lusheng and Dongbao hadn't expected to have their lives spared like this. They hurriedly kowtowed in gratitude, dragging their still-weak legs, and went away in a hurry.
Land Zhong looked at the big-bearded man and narrowed his eyes slightly, squeezing out a smile as he said, "Who are you?"
At that moment, Wu Sanchun spoke up, saying, "Your Excellency, this is the inspector Xie Yuan whom I mentioned before. It was all thanks to your mercy and tolerance that they were spared. Inspector Xie, have you greeted His Excellency?"
Xie Yuan bowed to Land Zhong. Land Zhong glanced at him again, then turned to Wu Sanchun and said coldly, "The lives of those two may be spared, but the pearls cannot be exempted. The deadline is almost here. Wu, your burden is not light. If the empress dowager's birthday celebration is delayed, I'm afraid neither of us can bear the blame!"
Naturally, Wu Sanchun also understood this reasoning. The royal family was used to extravagance, and if they were not satisfied, they would not listen to explanations. The first to suffer would be himself, but he had no choice but to grit his teeth and say, "It's not time yet, is it..." Then, he turned to the group of pearl people and shouted, "You all heard! The deadline is approaching. His Excellency has shown mercy and spared those two just now. You should repay his kindness. Hurry and disperse, get on the boats and go out to sea! If we delay, no one can escape the consequences!"
The pearl people were just unarmed civilians, and after witnessing the earlier scene, even if some were unwilling, they knew that resistance would be futile. At Wu Sanchun's words, they sighed and shook their heads, and the crowd finally began to disperse.
Xie Yuan looked at the surging sea and fell into a trance for a moment, feeling that someone was looking at him. He turned slightly and saw the Qianhu with the surname Wei who had been silent earlier. The sea breeze was blowing behind him, causing his cloak to flutter, but the man himself remained still, his gaze fixed on Xie Yuan. Feeling noticed, rather than avoiding eye contact, he met Xie Yuan's gaze and gave a faint smile.
Xie Yuan didn't approach, just nodded to him from a distance before turning and leaving.
Although the current situation had been temporarily resolved, as Land Zhong had said, the deadline was fast approaching. In Xie Yuan's view, the hope of catching the large pearl within the deadline was slim indeed. This Land family envoy was truly as formidable as rumored, ruthless and cruel. If a solution wasn't found, he feared that the pearl people here would suffer when the deadline arrived.
Xie Yuan walked home that evening, just in time for dinner. When he entered the dining hall, he saw his mother sitting alone at the table, holding a bowl in one hand, her entire person motionless as she continued to eat slowly, seemingly not hearing his footsteps. Once again, he couldn't help feeling a sense of guilt—back in the past, if he had made it in time for dinner, she would have been delighted, and might have even personally served him, ensuring that he had enough to eat. But since that day, she had changed, even when dealing with him, she no longer showed the same warmth as before. As a son, he understood that she was not so much angry as worried about him. And this only added to his guilt.
Xie Yuan wanted to engage his mother in conversation. Since Wen Lan wasn't around, he walked closer, knowing she couldn't see him, and intentionally patted his stomach to create a rumbling sound, saying to Ma Shi, "I've been running around all day, I'm starving. Mother, did you make something delicious for me?" He then leaned in closer to her.
If you would like me to translate the remaining text, let me know!
Chunfang hasn't returned home yet, so the kitchen chores have been taken over by Wanlan for the past few days. Although she's not used to it, luckily Mashir doesn't see very well, so she can manage to get by, just a bit slower. After a few days, she gradually becomes more adept. Just when the meal was ready, and she asked Mashir to wait, she went to the kitchen to bring out the last bowl of soup. Unexpectedly, when she arrived at the dining hall, she saw Xieyuan, patting his stomach and poking his head out. It was the first time she had heard her cousin speak in such a coquettish tone, which was almost incongruous with his serious appearance, so she was surprised and stopped in her tracks.
Xieyuan heard the movement behind him and turned to see Wanlan standing there, looking surprised, her eyes wide open. Presumably, all of his actions just now had fallen under her scrutiny, making him feel a bit embarrassed, so he straightened up hurriedly.
Mashir also noticed her son's attempt at coaxing and acting coquettishly, something she hadn't seen for many years. It was as though her mischievous and lively son from her childhood had reappeared before her, softening her heart. She slammed down her chopsticks, not pleased, and said, "You've been out there having a good time, what's the point of coming back for a meal?"
Seeing his mother finally speak, Xieyuan chuckled and took a seat, pulling out a chair as he did so.
Wanlan hastily placed the soup on the table and said, "Cousin, I'll get some rice for you." With that, she hurriedly left the room again.
Seeing Wanlan leave again, Xieyuan reached out and took Mashir's rough hands, worn from years of hard work, whispering, "Mother, I know I've been unfilial. But rest assured, I promise to be good. Once things have settled down a bit, I'll marry and have children, so you can have grandchildren."
Mashir felt the warmth and assurance emanating from her son's strong, comforting grip. She finally heaved a sigh and said, "You never gave me much trouble since you were little. Now that you're grown, I believe you'll be sensible in your actions. As long as you know it in your heart, I only wish for your safety and well-being."
Xieyuan gave his mother's hand another firm squeeze and murmured, "I understand, Mother." Then, releasing her hand, he picked up some food with his chopsticks - it was bland in taste, knowing it was made by his cousin, he swallowed it down.
During the meal, Wanlan naturally kept quiet. Xieyuan, sensing the heavy atmosphere, casually mentioned the events that had taken place by the seaside in the daytime. Mashir furrowed her brows and said, "What a world we live in, how are the common people supposed to live... The authorities are pushing the people too far, and this is the result..."
Wanlan, based on her own experiences, felt deeply for the living conditions of the Zhumin people. They were different from her. She had chosen to embrace the sea for the sake of her interests and challenges. But they were forced to do so. If a person didn't have a love for the sea, enduring long-term peril in such an environment, utterly different from the mainland, could be likened to entering a deep abyss. So, after hearing these things, her mood naturally became heavy.
Mashir muttered a few words, then suddenly remembered and asked, "How is Chunfang's father doing?"
Wanlan replied, "He should be doing better. Chunfang sent word that she'll be back tomorrow."
The old lady nodded, feeling a lack of appetite, she stood up, leaning on her cane. Wanlan hurriedly put down the bowl to help her back to her room, but the old lady waved her hand and said, "I know the way, I can walk slowly. You should eat some more."
In order to make it easier for her to walk around the back courtyard, all the door thresholds had been removed, but she was indeed familiar with the place, so they let her be. After the sound of her cane gradually faded, Wanlan saw Xieyuan sitting opposite her, as if he had something to say, so Wanlan forced a smile and said, "The food I made isn't very good, Auntie has no appetite, and you shouldn't mind it either, Cousin."
Xieyuan smiled in response and said, "Where, it's quite delicious. You've worked hard these past few days."
Wanlan politely said a few more words, and then the two fell silent.
"Cousin, take your time eating, I'll come to clean up later."
Wanlan felt it was a bit strange to sit face to face with him and have nothing to say, so she quickly finished the rice in her bowl, smiled at him, and prepared to get up.
Seeing her smiling face, a sentence from a conversation earlier in the morning with Changning suddenly popped into Xieyuan's mind: "She also smiles at me often..." He suddenly felt a twinge of unease in his heart, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Cousin, there's something I want to discuss with you."
Wanlan saw that he looked serious and didn't know what he wanted to say, so she simply acknowledged and sat back down, waiting for him to speak.
Suppressing the discomfort he had felt earlier, Xieyuan said, "It's like this. Changning approached me today, saying... he wants to propose."
Wanlan breathed a sigh of relief and casually said, "To propose? Well, that's good news!"
Xieyuan didn't expect her to respond so readily. He was taken aback for a moment, then nodded quickly and said, "Good... since Cousin is willing, I'll reply to him as soon as possible. Changning is a good person, careful in his actions, and his parents are also kind and easy-going. As for my mother, once she knows, she will certainly be happy..."
Noticing her surprise, Xieyuan realized that he hadn't made himself clear and had caused her to misunderstand. Seeing her still staring at him, he felt a bit embarrassed and said, "My fault for not explaining clearly. He said he wants his mother to come and propose to you. I just wanted to know your thoughts. He asked me to inquire about it."
Wen Lan let out a soft exclamation, somewhat surprised.
Since she arrived here, she found that Chang Ning often came here, and every time he was here, he would chat and laugh with Chunfang. However, when he saw her, there was often not much to say. Coupled with the knowledge that they had known each other for a long time, she had always thought that Chang Ning was interested in Chunfang. Never did she expect such a sudden turnaround. She couldn't understand what about her made him care so much. After a moment of daze, she immediately looked up and said, "Cousin, I don't know what I did to make him misunderstand. He's a good person, but I haven't thought about getting married. Would you mind talking to him and conveying this to him on my behalf?"
Xie Yuan's mood suddenly seemed to improve, but he didn't show it on his face, just nodded slightly and said, "Alright, I will do that," Then, after thinking for a moment, he added, "Cousin, don't worry. If you find someone suitable, just tell my mother, and I will prepare a substantial dowry for you."
Wen Lan smiled again and said, "Thank you, cousin."
Xie Yuan looked up and saw his cousin's sweet smile, her bright eyes looking over at him. His heart thumped and he felt a bit uneasy, so he quickly finished the remaining food in his bowl, mumbled a quick "I have something to attend to, I'll go first. Take your time eating, cousin." He pushed back his chair, turned around, and left in big strides.
He's always been like this, always leaving in a hurry. It wasn't unusual for him to visit only once every few days, and Wen Lan hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary about him. But as she watched his retreating figure, she couldn't help but shake her head. In terms of actual age, she was older than Chang Ning, and he had always seemed like a younger brother to her. How could he possibly be interested in her?