Zheng Ruqian was shocked when he heard that the current prefect of Anshui Prefecture was being transferred soon!
This news was like a thunderclap exploding above his head. He and his brothers could lodge complaints and escape their precarious living conditions only because the honorable prefect was an upright official, a true grand minister of the imperial court.
If the prefect was replaced by someone like Zhu Zhi or even Bian Wenxuan, the entire Anshui Prefecture would be turned upside down.
Zheng Ruqian shivered and pulled a familiar young waiter to his side, asking quietly, "Excuse me, young waiter, but who are those two young ladies over there?"
The waiter grinned and said, "One is Miss Jiang from the Jiang family in the capital city. I heard she's here to relax after some quarrel with her family. The other is Miss Wang from a prominent family in the prefecture city. You should recognize her."
Another thunderclap exploded in Zheng Ruqian's mind. If this thunder were real, it would have sent his hair standing on end and left his face blackened.
No wonder the Wang family had been quiet these past three or four months. They weren't showing him mercy at all. Instead, they were preparing a fatal blow.
What chance would he and his brothers have once Miss Wang's uncle took over as prefect of the city?
Forget doing business or taking the imperial exams. Even survival would be difficult.
This was a huge deal. Zheng Ruqian wished he could fly back to Xieyang County immediately to inform his elder and younger brothers.
He bid farewell to Shopkeeper Hao and the young waiter and rushed outside.
Wen Zhiyun was standing at the door holding his medicine box, waiting. Seeing Zheng Ruqian in such a state, he was instantly invigorated. "Second brother, what happened? Who bullied you?"
His eyes shone with anticipation. He looked ready to crack his knuckles.
Zheng Ruqian hesitated, unsure whether to reassure his young fourth brother or knock some sense into him for always hoping Zheng Ruqian would get into trouble.
"I'm fine..." he began.
But before he could get the words out, a thunderclap sounded.
Zheng Ruqian turned to see a carriage careening wildly toward them. It had already trampled who knew how many fruits and vegetables along the way. It looked ready to flatten the entrance of the inn where they stood.
His heart pounded as he regretted sending Jiang Yi, Jiang Er, Jiang San, and Jiang Si to unload the cured meat. Now, when he needed help most, he didn't have a single assistant on hand.
And his own movements were too slow. He knew he should dodge quickly, but his legs refused to obey.
If the carriage hit him, he would be badly injured if not killed.
Fortunately, his excited little fourth brother was there.
"Second brother!" Wen Zhiyun shouted. His eyes flashed with swirling light as he realized this was why he had stubbornly followed his second brother to the prefecture city. He held his breath and pictured the techniques Doctor Wu had taught him.
First, he flicked out a silver needle from his sleeve and removed the cotton wrapped around its tip. Eyes fixed on the well-developed gluteal muscles of the horse, he flung the needle with all his might from the farthest possible distance.
With a whinny, the horse's pace slowed as the needle, tempered for ten days and nights in hemp-boiling poison, sank in. After staggering forward a few more steps, the horse and carriage tumbled to the ground in a heap, reduced to a pile of kindling and broken wood.
Buried in the wreckage was a young master in fine robes, crying "Ow, ow!"
Still stunned from his brush with death, Zheng Ruqian gaped in shock, feeling as though he had walked through the gates of hell and back.
Behind him, Wen Zhiyun's palms were slick with anxious sweat.
It wasn't enough. He still wasn't good enough. If he had thrown the needle out a moment later, if the hemp-boiling poison had taken a few more breaths to take effect, Zheng Ruqian would have been flung into the heavens rather than standing at the inn entrance.
"Young master!"
The four terrified servants who had been unloading cured meat rushed over to crowd around the two young men, not daring to leave them alone for an instant.
Just then, the commotion at the inn entrance drew the attention of the two young ladies conversing inside.
As they came out to look, Miss Wang took one glance at the young master and covered her mouth and nose in shock. "Cousin!"
She noticed the Wang family servants trailing behind him.
Disgust flashed through Miss Wang's eyes. Without considering going to help her cousin, she turned and went back into the inn.
If Chang Yan were here, he could have analyzed the situation in the Wang household precisely.
But he wasn't here, and Zheng Ruqian was clueless. Still rattled from his near-death experience, he dutifully inspected the smashed remains of the carriage, sighing at what a shame it was.
Wen Zhiyun, meanwhile, emerged from his regrets and fixed the young Wang master with an icy stare, murderous intent glinting in his eyes.
"Young master, are you alright? The prefect forbids reckless horse riding and high speeds in the streets. You ought to go slower," the Wang family servants gently admonished him.
But the young Wang master angrily shook them off and shouted, "I'm from the Wang family! I can do whatever I want on the streets, and that old fool who's about to be transferred can't control me!"
As the old saying goes, when one official leaves, policies grow cold.
But the Anshui prefect hadn't left yet. For things to turn cold so quickly was too fast.
It seemed the Wang family were all unsavory people.
Disgusted, Zheng Ruqian led Wen Zhiyun and the servants back to the Zhuanhua Courtyard residence.
He asked Zhang Qiquan, "Uncle Zhang, I heard the Anshui prefect is about to be transferred. Did you know?"
Zhang Qiquan paused his busy preparations. "I did hear about that. The prefect loves the people like his own children. He's an exceptionally good official. This transfer is likely a promotion."
Odd. Transfers of officials in the Dayu Dynasty were always in the fourth month after New Year's, when the spring winds were warm.
That meant they still had at least half a year.
Zheng Ruqian breathed a sigh of relief. He decided to split up with his little fourth brother.
He had just signed a contract with the Anyang Inn in the prefecture city, so he had to deliver the first batch of vegetables.
In a few days Pang Dashan would also bring vegetables from Yunshui County, but that was far from enough.
Zheng Ruqian had to search for newer, more exotic produce to make the Anyang Inn reluctant to cancel their deal.
He could only leave the task of sending word back to Xieyang County to Wen Zhiyun.
Fortunately, the Wang family was wholly focused on seizing the position of Anshui prefect for now, so they wouldn't target the brothers for the time being.
Still, Zheng Ruqian worried, so he left Wen Zhiyun with Jiang Yi, Jiang Er, and Jiang San and headed south with only Jiang Si.
Xieyang County was north, Yunshui County south, and the prefecture city west between the two, forming a tripod stance.
Zheng Ruqian was headed past Yunshui County to a place further south yet near the prefecture city.
After a grueling four days of travel, he finally arrived in a county called Anyang. It didn't have many exotic greens, but while resting for a meal at an inn, he ate a type of vegetable jerky.
This jerky resembled the broad beans of Xieyang County, but was longer and thinner. Stewed with pork bone broth, it absorbed the flavor while retaining a pleasant chewiness.
Zheng Ruqian ate with great relish, purposely chatting up the owner to learn the name of this ingredient.
It turned out this was also called broad beans, but was the long, slender variety unlike the short, plump broad beans harvested in Xieyang County in autumn.
The reason for drying them into jerky was because a village woman wanted more variety during the winter months of radish and cabbage. She had tried drying other vegetables from the warmer seasons.
Later, she discovered that boiling the long beans then drying them made for excellent stewed dishes. The technique spread through the county.
The owner boasted while cooking, "I'm not exaggerating when I say our Anyang broad bean jerky is famous. Everyone who tries some loves it. We still have outsiders coming each year to buy pounds of it."
Zheng Ruqian scoffed, "Broad beans can be found in any household. Boiling and drying them isn't that difficult. Why would anyone come to Anyang County specifically to buy them?"
