Crossing together
The river slapped against the hull, and a gaunt man led the way in stuffing the unconscious Cha Ye into a burlap sack, disguising him as cargo to be carried aboard this vessel.
The old boatman, holding a tobacco pouch, sat on the step, sighing deeply.
Lu Min struggled to lead his horse onto the boat, securing it before going to pull the horse Mr. Jinshui had brought. That horse, nervous at the sight of water, twisted its neck and stamped at the shore.
The scholar, still shaken, sat clutching his bundle on the trunk he had brought.
“Quick, tighten up a bit more!” the old boatman stood up to urge.
The laborers, heads down, worked hard, no one daring to show an unusual expression. From afar, this boat looked no different from other merchant ships: just a carriage, not many people carrying cargo, the stinginess typical of small merchants.
However, this boat had problems. A closer look would reveal that the so-called cargo included not only the unfortunate man stuffed into a sack but also some worn cotton-padded clothes and items like pots and pans.
With the old boatman and laborers appearing so tense, it looked like a group of dock workers preparing to sneak away.
Mr. Jinshui, also fleeing, remained silent: “……”
He couldn’t help but ponder, how had things come to this? He had chosen to leave on the day of the Spring Festival, only daring to show his face outside the capital, fearful of being recognized. Then, midway, his carriage was damaged, and he sprained his ankle. Fortunately, someone had helped him at the docks, where he nearly got “sold.”
Eventually, the ambushers on the road were overpowered.
—It was truly a roller coaster of emotions, enough to scare someone to death.
Nearby, a laborer muttered softly, “Why bring them along? Isn’t this asking for trouble? If they turn around and report us, we’re all finished.”
“That scholar is the one Cha Ye wants to capture. He’s too busy running to bother us,”
replied the gaunt man, steadying his nerves and continuing to persuade the others, “There are so many people on the dock. If they casually mention anything to someone or ask about us and Cha Ye, it’ll be bad! All we need to do is get them across the river, and no clues will be left at the dock. By the time anyone gets wise, we’ll have long disappeared.”
“Right, right, Rat’s got a point; we can’t leave them at the dock… We’ve got to ferry them over, money or no money!”
“Nonsense, we still need to take the money!”
Meng Qi’s smile deepened; these men thought they were whispering quietly, but it was almost as if they were speaking outright.
This man, known jokingly as Rat, was unusually bold. After Cha Ye had fainted, he had paused briefly, not caring how a shoe had ended up on Cha Ye’s face, and then climbed down from the cargo, grabbed a few sacks, and began stuffing people into them. Then he managed to calm down and called them to board the boat to cross the river, clearly planning this all along.
“This guy thinks on his feet,” Meng Qi murmured to Mo Li with a chuckle.
Mo Li looked at him with an odd expression.
Your own nickname being Sand Mouse, isn’t it strange to praise someone called Rat?
The cabin was filled with the smell of fish and the sweat of laborers, but the walls had been scrubbed clean. Seeing that everyone was aboard, the old boatman put down his smoking pipe and went over to smooth the stubborn horse’s mane at the back of its head.
The horse actually became docile and was quickly led onto the boat by the old boatman.
Lu Min was dumbfounded, and once he snapped back to reality, he hurried forward, eager to learn this horse-taming technique.
The old boatman silently pulled up the anchor and hoisted the sail.
Lu Min followed him, knowing to lend a hand, and thus became busy as well.
Mo Li was at a loss for words; this bizarre turn of events made him a helper, and it was unclear whether to say that Lu Min was easily duped or to praise his simple-mindedness, eagerness to learn, and diligence.
“Setting sail.”
The old boatman called out, pushing off from the dock with a pole against the cobblestone, letting the boat slowly drift away from the ferry crossing,
The laborers grabbed their oars and bent to their task.
Nearby, the docks were bustling with boats coming and going, occasionally bumping against each other.
“Yo, He Haozi! You’re not sticking to the docks today? How come you’re here rowing for Old Yang?” A dock worker called out.
“Just so happens Old Yang’s boat is short-staffed, got a merchant in a hurry to charter a trip, so I came over to earn some drinking money,” replied the gaunt man with a wide grin, casually inviting others, “Join us for a drink when we get back!”
“Forget it, you’re all talk, always too stingy to even share a plate of dried tofu,” the dock worker complained a few sentences, then slowly moved the boat away with his pole.
He Haozi just kept smiling, his face gradually showing worry.
The Qing River was swift, and shortly after leaving the dock, the numerous boats began to disperse.
Their boat, neither large nor small and outwardly shabby, was unremarkable.
“Wait, the ferry crossing is over there!” Mr. Jinshui said anxiously.
It seemed the boat was drifting downstream with the river’s flow, not towards the opposite bank.
“There’s danger there, we need to follow the river to the next crossing,” said the old boatman without lifting his head.
Lu Min, unable to grab an oar, simply squatted by the side of the boat to look around.
Mr. Jinshui, visibly unnerved, sat restlessly. Seeing his companions, Meng Qi and Mo Li, remaining calm, he managed to steady himself and asked in a low voice, “Do either of you know how to swim?”
Mo Li didn’t respond because he wasn’t sure how to answer.
Meng Qi laughed, teasing, “Are you scared, sir?”
The scholar fell silent. Being on the river, who wouldn’t be scared if the boat were to be sabotaged and sunk?
“It won’t happen.”
A voice from behind startled Mr. Jinshui, who quickly turned to see Lu Min’s face.
The Second Prince slunk back to the cabin because the old boatman had spoken up, annoyed by him squatting outside. Upon entering, he almost laughed out loud hearing Mr. Jinshui’s worried words.
Then he met the eyes of Mo Li and Meng Qi, looking at him together, and Lu Min instantly felt diminished.
“Cough… With so many boats on the river, though we are far from them, if we really do sink, someone will surely see. Besides, sabotaging a boat is usually for robbery or murder. I have no money, the doctor have none, and sir, you don’t look like you have much either.”
Mr. Jinshui’s face went from pale to white.
“As for murder, these hard-luck fellows aren’t likely to use a boat to gain the favor of your enemies… or anyone else. Misleading someone is cheap, sabotaging a boat is not.”
“Well said,” Meng Qi nodded with a smile.
Mo Li realized the Second Prince was finally getting wise; he hadn’t thought through the crucial issues yet, but Lu Min had already articulated them well.
—Mainly, what does a fish care about a sabotaged boat?
Mr. Jinshui was extremely embarrassed. Back at the docks, he had told Lu Min that the people following them were “toll collectors” and had willingly paid them, yet He Haozi had led them into danger.
If he had let his fears keep him from this boat and stayed at the dock, he might still have faced danger.
The more the scholar thought about it, the more frightened he became, his anxiety and worry clouding his mind to the point of darkness.
“Sir.”
This voice was like a bucket of cold water, jolting the scholar awake.
He looked up dazedly to see Mo Li holding a scroll, with Meng Qi sitting leisurely beside him, unwrapping a package of lotus leaf cakes. The refreshing, sweet aroma seemed to fill his brain.
In this low, dilapidated cabin, which had been filled with the smell of fish and other odd odors, it suddenly didn’t seem so gloomy and oppressive.
The rhythmic slapping of the water against the oars reached his ears, and the scholar’s tense body gradually relaxed. His pale face slowly improved as he steadied himself and managed a sheepish smile of gratitude.
“For the trouble caused by my affairs, disturbing everyone’s peace, I truly am ashamed.”
“Sir, you are too polite.”
Meng Qi passed a lotus leaf-wrapped cake to Mo Li who waved it off.
“Chestnut cake?” Meng Qi reached back into the carriage.
Mr. Jinshui: “……”
Other than women and young children, who would bring cakes on a journey? Such things are fragile, expensive, and don’t keep well. Common travel foods are steamed buns, oily cakes, and dried meats with pickled vegetables!
Yet, Lu Min found it very satisfying. Those who know better would scram; those who stay must be like him, playing the fool—seeing nothing, hearing nothing, thinking nothing—to avoid making things difficult for themselves.
“Given the situation, could you tell us what Cha Ye is all about?” Meng Qi asked, tapping a sack with his foot.
Mr. Jinshui hesitated and glanced outside the cabin.
He was still unclear about what these people intended to do with Cha Ye, now bound and stuffed into a sack.
At that moment, the old boatman entered, picked up his tobacco pouch, and gestured a fist salute to everyone.
As an elder, everyone stood up to return the gesture.
Actually, Meng Qi was still holding a lotus leaf cake. He only realized to stand when he saw Mo Li moving.
—It’s just a courtesy. Sitting without returning the gesture implies age, standing up shows you’re younger!
The old boatman spoke in a raspy, old Beijing dialect, his eyes intense.
“As the saying goes, ‘It takes ten years to share a boat crossing.’ Today, those aboard this humble old man’s boat are here by fate and destiny. Given that, I’ll be straightforward and lay things out clearly!”
Pointing at the sack, he continued in a grave tone, “This Cha Ye is a known figure around our Jingyi area. Not great in capability but not of minor background either. It’s said his parents were concubines in a major official’s household in the capital. Later, the household granted them their freedom, but they continued to serve secretly. Don’t bother asking about his employer’s name; stories vary. But he’s bullied and dominated around the docks for not just a day or two. Walking the night road too often leads to stumbling over stones, and this guy has run into a few tough ones. Even ended up in the city patrol’s office, but was released in no time, likely without losing a single hair.”
This story was delivered clearly and forcefully, capturing Lu Min’s rapt attention, almost as if he was at a teahouse listening to a storyteller.
It felt like tales of bullying and villainy followed by a hero thrashing the villain were about to unfold.
Thinking further, could this hero be none other than… someone from this prince’s circle? Lu Min sneakily glanced at the two composed masters.
“If this Cha Ye were just some thug with backers, that’d be one thing, but he’s also trained in powerful martial arts, strong enough to punch a hole through this boat’s hull. He’s also made connections with security services and martial arts schools, scattering money around generously, so no one in the capital dares to mess with him.”
Meng Qi was unimpressed, knowing that the truly powerful or well-connected wouldn’t even have heard of such a man.
For example, a vice commander from the palace could arrest Cha Ye with just a word, and turn his deeds upside down. But in a city as large as the capital, with hundreds of thousands of inhabitants, there are countless lackeys doing dirty work in the shadows.
The old boatman, while talking, noticed Meng Qi and Mo Li appeared unmoved, and the carriage driver looked dismissive and sarcastic.
The old boatman’s eyebrows knitted into a furrow, his heart cursing He Haozi thoroughly, but he maintained a strained composure and spoke loudly, “Now, for your sake, we’ve seriously offended Cha Ye. We dare not keep him here, fearing he might cause a commotion and bring trouble to the brothers who rely on the docks for their livelihood. Once we disembark, this man will be handed over to you. Take him wherever you wish; kill him, bury him, throw him away, this old man will know nothing about it.”
“Old sir, you speak too gravely,” Meng Qi responded as he put away the lotus leaf cake and removed his bamboo hat.
Revealing his face, the old boatman’s eyes widened, then his expression turned even more sour. He internally cursed He Haozi for not realizing whom he had tangled with, suspecting that this trouble was now inextricable.
Mo Li quietly pushed Meng Qi back down, signaling him not to speak.
If they were to clear things up, Mo Li felt it was up to him.
“As you said, it’s all coincidental that we ended up together,” Mo Li spoke calmly, almost casually. “Your boat is here, and the brothers outside have settled their homes, apparently prepared not to stay at this dock any longer.”
Neither Cha Ye nor their carriage had intended to get wrapped up in this group of laborers’ escape plan.
Laborers, those who sell their strength for food.
If one place isn’t suitable, they move to another, which is a common occurrence. But for He Haozi’s group to sneak away secretly, concealing their plans, there clearly was a problem.
Although Mo Li uncovered this issue, his demeanor and tone were as casual as if he were discussing trivial family matters, not causing any discomfort.
This could be seen from the old boatman’s tightly furrowed brow. Mr. Jinshui, watching from the side, secretly admired this. He recalled how Mo Li had initially approached him to purchase silver needles; he hadn’t been very welcoming at first, but somehow ended up selling them and even felt that the doctor was quite affable, leaving him with a favorable impression.
Mr. Jinshui shivered, no longer daring to contemplate further.
Mo Li continued, “I heard from Brother He outside that Cha Ye has been rounding up many scholars at the ferry docks these past days. Is this true? What happened to those who were taken?”
The old boatman took a drag from his tobacco pipe and, lifting his eyelids, said, “You should ask him about that.”
He pointed to Mr. Jinshui, who, after a moment of silence, offered a bitter smile. “You… You’ve been seen by Cha Ye’s people. Unless you never return to the capital, great trouble will befall you.”
As the scholar stood up and bowed deeply in apology, he said, “It is a shameful matter, one I am loath to speak of. But if I continue to conceal it, fearing you might suffer the calamities of ignorance, I must ask you to endure and listen.”
***
Mr. Jinshui’s family name was He. He disclosed only his surname, not his full name.
The He family had a history of practicing medicine, skilled in acupuncture and setting bones. They were not famous doctors but held some repute in their local district.
He was not uninterested in medicine and from childhood, had not intended to continue the family business. Intelligent and scholarly from a young age, his parents saw potential for him in the civil service examinations.
By his twenties, he could compose well-structured, rhymed essays typical of the exams. Though his literary style was somewhat plain and his ideas not particularly lofty, he was still considered exceptional and had passed the examinations to become a recognized scholar. He was preparing to delve into his studies and aim for the highest degree when the Chu dynasty fell.
The capital ran with blood, many civilians dying amidst the chaos.
He lost his father and grandfather and, harboring resentment, refused to serve or be examined under the succeeding Qi dynasty.
With nothing left to his name, he made a living writing letters for others and crafting and selling needles.
He lived quietly for several years until disaster struck unexpectedly—
“Some people gathered a group of scholars who had not continued with the examinations, using threats and bribes, even abducting them forcibly, all for the purpose of exam fraud, to take the exams under others’ names.”
Mr. Jinshui clenched his teeth, “Among us, some were disqualified from official ranks due to their families being punished after the regime change, some were disabled in the chaos when Emperor Qi invaded the capital, or too poor to afford the exam fees due to family illnesses.”
“How can someone impersonate another in the exams?” Meng Qi asked, surprised. “Didn’t the Chu dynasty have measures like searching for smuggled materials, checking portraits, and having examinees from the same region enter together and declare their names aloud? For those below the scholar level, perhaps, but once you reach the level of recognized scholar, who doesn’t have classmates who can recognize them?”
“We enter with name plates bearing our own names and backgrounds,” Mr. Jinshui explained somberly, his hands tightly clenched. “We each go in, start the exam, finish our essays, but write someone else’s name on our work. The papers they submit bear our names.”
Lu Min was dumbfounded.
Meng Qi shook his head.
Whether it’s the administration or fraud, there are always loopholes to be exploited.
Even if one loophole is closed, another appears.
“Such methods may work temporarily, but not forever,” Meng Qi raised an eyebrow, explaining specifically for Mo Li’s benefit, “The essay must be average; not too good, not too poor. Too good, and it draws attention; too poor, and it might not pass. The stand-in must have the ability to write to this standard. Even those who pass the highest level anonymously might not succeed in the next exam.”
Mr. Jinshui smiled bitterly. “True, so only I was capable of standing in for the metropolitan exams; mainly, they tampered at the provincial levels. Once passed, one becomes a recognized scholar, and with money, one can buy an official position. Emperor Qi of the Lu clan, a military man, puts on a show of honoring the wise but doesn’t set the exam questions nor cares about the essays outside the top rank. The chief examiners aren’t the same each year; Emperor Qi guards against letting them gather their own students annually. They write in an official script, and trying to identify issues based on handwriting is less effective than analyzing stylistic habits. Yet even so, for nearly a decade, no examiner has noted that articles from one year’s second rank and another year’s third rank appear to be by the same hand.”
He waited hopelessly, unable to extricate himself.
“From fear of death, lacking the resolve to ‘break the cauldrons and sink the boats,’ I’ve lived in a daze these years. People on the streets, like Cha Ye, recognized us early on. At the capital’s government office, we’re entangled in a web of fabricated debts, under constant surveillance by our neighbors, not allowed to flee…”
Mr. Jinshui murmured, “Some are worse off, directly detained in prepared quarters, well-fed but forbidden to leave. Initially, I hoped to expose this through my association with Fengxing Pavilion by writing novels, but after hearing about it, they disregarded it. These details can be bought anytime someone inquires about exam fraud. And yet? No one cares, no cases are investigated, no one pursues it…”
He Haozi, peering into the cabin from outside with an oar in hand, appeared to have forgotten to row as he eavesdropped.
The old boatman’s shout snapped He Haozi back to his senses, causing him to quickly withdraw.
Mr. Jinshui sighed deeply, clutching his bundle. “Such deeds cannot last a lifetime. Knowing too much, doing too much, one day it will cost me my head. If I don’t try to escape, must I wait for death?”
Crossing together
The river slapped against the hull, and a gaunt man led the way in stuffing the unconscious Cha Ye into a burlap sack, disguising him as cargo to be carried aboard this vessel.
The old boatman, holding a tobacco pouch, sat on the step, sighing deeply.
Lu Min struggled to lead his horse onto the boat, securing it before going to pull the horse Mr. Jinshui had brought. That horse, nervous at the sight of water, twisted its neck and stamped at the shore.
The scholar, still shaken, sat clutching his bundle on the trunk he had brought.
“Quick, tighten up a bit more!” the old boatman stood up to urge.
The laborers, heads down, worked hard, no one daring to show an unusual expression. From afar, this boat looked no different from other merchant ships: just a carriage, not many people carrying cargo, the stinginess typical of small merchants.
However, this boat had problems. A closer look would reveal that the so-called cargo included not only the unfortunate man stuffed into a sack but also some worn cotton-padded clothes and items like pots and pans.
With the old boatman and laborers appearing so tense, it looked like a group of dock workers preparing to sneak away.
Mr. Jinshui, also fleeing, remained silent: “……”
He couldn’t help but ponder, how had things come to this? He had chosen to leave on the day of the Spring Festival, only daring to show his face outside the capital, fearful of being recognized. Then, midway, his carriage was damaged, and he sprained his ankle. Fortunately, someone had helped him at the docks, where he nearly got “sold.”
Eventually, the ambushers on the road were overpowered.
—It was truly a roller coaster of emotions, enough to scare someone to death.
Nearby, a laborer muttered softly, “Why bring them along? Isn’t this asking for trouble? If they turn around and report us, we’re all finished.”
“That scholar is the one Cha Ye wants to capture. He’s too busy running to bother us,”
replied the gaunt man, steadying his nerves and continuing to persuade the others, “There are so many people on the dock. If they casually mention anything to someone or ask about us and Cha Ye, it’ll be bad! All we need to do is get them across the river, and no clues will be left at the dock. By the time anyone gets wise, we’ll have long disappeared.”
“Right, right, Rat’s got a point; we can’t leave them at the dock… We’ve got to ferry them over, money or no money!”
“Nonsense, we still need to take the money!”
Meng Qi’s smile deepened; these men thought they were whispering quietly, but it was almost as if they were speaking outright.
This man, known jokingly as Rat, was unusually bold. After Cha Ye had fainted, he had paused briefly, not caring how a shoe had ended up on Cha Ye’s face, and then climbed down from the cargo, grabbed a few sacks, and began stuffing people into them. Then he managed to calm down and called them to board the boat to cross the river, clearly planning this all along.
“This guy thinks on his feet,” Meng Qi murmured to Mo Li with a chuckle.
Mo Li looked at him with an odd expression.
Your own nickname being Sand Mouse, isn’t it strange to praise someone called Rat?
The cabin was filled with the smell of fish and the sweat of laborers, but the walls had been scrubbed clean. Seeing that everyone was aboard, the old boatman put down his smoking pipe and went over to smooth the stubborn horse’s mane at the back of its head.
The horse actually became docile and was quickly led onto the boat by the old boatman.
Lu Min was dumbfounded, and once he snapped back to reality, he hurried forward, eager to learn this horse-taming technique.
The old boatman silently pulled up the anchor and hoisted the sail.
Lu Min followed him, knowing to lend a hand, and thus became busy as well.
Mo Li was at a loss for words; this bizarre turn of events made him a helper, and it was unclear whether to say that Lu Min was easily duped or to praise his simple-mindedness, eagerness to learn, and diligence.
“Setting sail.”
The old boatman called out, pushing off from the dock with a pole against the cobblestone, letting the boat slowly drift away from the ferry crossing,
The laborers grabbed their oars and bent to their task.
Nearby, the docks were bustling with boats coming and going, occasionally bumping against each other.
“Yo, He Haozi! You’re not sticking to the docks today? How come you’re here rowing for Old Yang?” A dock worker called out.
“Just so happens Old Yang’s boat is short-staffed, got a merchant in a hurry to charter a trip, so I came over to earn some drinking money,” replied the gaunt man with a wide grin, casually inviting others, “Join us for a drink when we get back!”
“Forget it, you’re all talk, always too stingy to even share a plate of dried tofu,” the dock worker complained a few sentences, then slowly moved the boat away with his pole.
He Haozi just kept smiling, his face gradually showing worry.
The Qing River was swift, and shortly after leaving the dock, the numerous boats began to disperse.
Their boat, neither large nor small and outwardly shabby, was unremarkable.
“Wait, the ferry crossing is over there!” Mr. Jinshui said anxiously.
It seemed the boat was drifting downstream with the river’s flow, not towards the opposite bank.
“There’s danger there, we need to follow the river to the next crossing,” said the old boatman without lifting his head.
Lu Min, unable to grab an oar, simply squatted by the side of the boat to look around.
Mr. Jinshui, visibly unnerved, sat restlessly. Seeing his companions, Meng Qi and Mo Li, remaining calm, he managed to steady himself and asked in a low voice, “Do either of you know how to swim?”
Mo Li didn’t respond because he wasn’t sure how to answer.
Meng Qi laughed, teasing, “Are you scared, sir?”
The scholar fell silent. Being on the river, who wouldn’t be scared if the boat were to be sabotaged and sunk?
“It won’t happen.”
A voice from behind startled Mr. Jinshui, who quickly turned to see Lu Min’s face.
The Second Prince slunk back to the cabin because the old boatman had spoken up, annoyed by him squatting outside. Upon entering, he almost laughed out loud hearing Mr. Jinshui’s worried words.
Then he met the eyes of Mo Li and Meng Qi, looking at him together, and Lu Min instantly felt diminished.
“Cough… With so many boats on the river, though we are far from them, if we really do sink, someone will surely see. Besides, sabotaging a boat is usually for robbery or murder. I have no money, the doctor have none, and sir, you don’t look like you have much either.”
Mr. Jinshui’s face went from pale to white.
“As for murder, these hard-luck fellows aren’t likely to use a boat to gain the favor of your enemies… or anyone else. Misleading someone is cheap, sabotaging a boat is not.”
“Well said,” Meng Qi nodded with a smile.
Mo Li realized the Second Prince was finally getting wise; he hadn’t thought through the crucial issues yet, but Lu Min had already articulated them well.
—Mainly, what does a fish care about a sabotaged boat?
Mr. Jinshui was extremely embarrassed. Back at the docks, he had told Lu Min that the people following them were “toll collectors” and had willingly paid them, yet He Haozi had led them into danger.
If he had let his fears keep him from this boat and stayed at the dock, he might still have faced danger.
The more the scholar thought about it, the more frightened he became, his anxiety and worry clouding his mind to the point of darkness.
“Sir.”
This voice was like a bucket of cold water, jolting the scholar awake.
He looked up dazedly to see Mo Li holding a scroll, with Meng Qi sitting leisurely beside him, unwrapping a package of lotus leaf cakes. The refreshing, sweet aroma seemed to fill his brain.
In this low, dilapidated cabin, which had been filled with the smell of fish and other odd odors, it suddenly didn’t seem so gloomy and oppressive.
The rhythmic slapping of the water against the oars reached his ears, and the scholar’s tense body gradually relaxed. His pale face slowly improved as he steadied himself and managed a sheepish smile of gratitude.
“For the trouble caused by my affairs, disturbing everyone’s peace, I truly am ashamed.”
“Sir, you are too polite.”
Meng Qi passed a lotus leaf-wrapped cake to Mo Li who waved it off.
“Chestnut cake?” Meng Qi reached back into the carriage.
Mr. Jinshui: “……”
Other than women and young children, who would bring cakes on a journey? Such things are fragile, expensive, and don’t keep well. Common travel foods are steamed buns, oily cakes, and dried meats with pickled vegetables!
Yet, Lu Min found it very satisfying. Those who know better would scram; those who stay must be like him, playing the fool—seeing nothing, hearing nothing, thinking nothing—to avoid making things difficult for themselves.
“Given the situation, could you tell us what Cha Ye is all about?” Meng Qi asked, tapping a sack with his foot.
Mr. Jinshui hesitated and glanced outside the cabin.
He was still unclear about what these people intended to do with Cha Ye, now bound and stuffed into a sack.
At that moment, the old boatman entered, picked up his tobacco pouch, and gestured a fist salute to everyone.
As an elder, everyone stood up to return the gesture.
Actually, Meng Qi was still holding a lotus leaf cake. He only realized to stand when he saw Mo Li moving.
—It’s just a courtesy. Sitting without returning the gesture implies age, standing up shows you’re younger!
The old boatman spoke in a raspy, old Beijing dialect, his eyes intense.
“As the saying goes, ‘It takes ten years to share a boat crossing.’ Today, those aboard this humble old man’s boat are here by fate and destiny. Given that, I’ll be straightforward and lay things out clearly!”
Pointing at the sack, he continued in a grave tone, “This Cha Ye is a known figure around our Jingyi area. Not great in capability but not of minor background either. It’s said his parents were concubines in a major official’s household in the capital. Later, the household granted them their freedom, but they continued to serve secretly. Don’t bother asking about his employer’s name; stories vary. But he’s bullied and dominated around the docks for not just a day or two. Walking the night road too often leads to stumbling over stones, and this guy has run into a few tough ones. Even ended up in the city patrol’s office, but was released in no time, likely without losing a single hair.”
This story was delivered clearly and forcefully, capturing Lu Min’s rapt attention, almost as if he was at a teahouse listening to a storyteller.
It felt like tales of bullying and villainy followed by a hero thrashing the villain were about to unfold.
Thinking further, could this hero be none other than… someone from this prince’s circle? Lu Min sneakily glanced at the two composed masters.
“If this Cha Ye were just some thug with backers, that’d be one thing, but he’s also trained in powerful martial arts, strong enough to punch a hole through this boat’s hull. He’s also made connections with security services and martial arts schools, scattering money around generously, so no one in the capital dares to mess with him.”
Meng Qi was unimpressed, knowing that the truly powerful or well-connected wouldn’t even have heard of such a man.
For example, a vice commander from the palace could arrest Cha Ye with just a word, and turn his deeds upside down. But in a city as large as the capital, with hundreds of thousands of inhabitants, there are countless lackeys doing dirty work in the shadows.
The old boatman, while talking, noticed Meng Qi and Mo Li appeared unmoved, and the carriage driver looked dismissive and sarcastic.
The old boatman’s eyebrows knitted into a furrow, his heart cursing He Haozi thoroughly, but he maintained a strained composure and spoke loudly, “Now, for your sake, we’ve seriously offended Cha Ye. We dare not keep him here, fearing he might cause a commotion and bring trouble to the brothers who rely on the docks for their livelihood. Once we disembark, this man will be handed over to you. Take him wherever you wish; kill him, bury him, throw him away, this old man will know nothing about it.”
“Old sir, you speak too gravely,” Meng Qi responded as he put away the lotus leaf cake and removed his bamboo hat.
Revealing his face, the old boatman’s eyes widened, then his expression turned even more sour. He internally cursed He Haozi for not realizing whom he had tangled with, suspecting that this trouble was now inextricable.
Mo Li quietly pushed Meng Qi back down, signaling him not to speak.
If they were to clear things up, Mo Li felt it was up to him.
“As you said, it’s all coincidental that we ended up together,” Mo Li spoke calmly, almost casually. “Your boat is here, and the brothers outside have settled their homes, apparently prepared not to stay at this dock any longer.”
Neither Cha Ye nor their carriage had intended to get wrapped up in this group of laborers’ escape plan.
Laborers, those who sell their strength for food.
If one place isn’t suitable, they move to another, which is a common occurrence. But for He Haozi’s group to sneak away secretly, concealing their plans, there clearly was a problem.
Although Mo Li uncovered this issue, his demeanor and tone were as casual as if he were discussing trivial family matters, not causing any discomfort.
This could be seen from the old boatman’s tightly furrowed brow. Mr. Jinshui, watching from the side, secretly admired this. He recalled how Mo Li had initially approached him to purchase silver needles; he hadn’t been very welcoming at first, but somehow ended up selling them and even felt that the doctor was quite affable, leaving him with a favorable impression.
Mr. Jinshui shivered, no longer daring to contemplate further.
Mo Li continued, “I heard from Brother He outside that Cha Ye has been rounding up many scholars at the ferry docks these past days. Is this true? What happened to those who were taken?”
The old boatman took a drag from his tobacco pipe and, lifting his eyelids, said, “You should ask him about that.”
He pointed to Mr. Jinshui, who, after a moment of silence, offered a bitter smile. “You… You’ve been seen by Cha Ye’s people. Unless you never return to the capital, great trouble will befall you.”
As the scholar stood up and bowed deeply in apology, he said, “It is a shameful matter, one I am loath to speak of. But if I continue to conceal it, fearing you might suffer the calamities of ignorance, I must ask you to endure and listen.”
***
Mr. Jinshui’s family name was He. He disclosed only his surname, not his full name.
The He family had a history of practicing medicine, skilled in acupuncture and setting bones. They were not famous doctors but held some repute in their local district.
He was not uninterested in medicine and from childhood, had not intended to continue the family business. Intelligent and scholarly from a young age, his parents saw potential for him in the civil service examinations.
By his twenties, he could compose well-structured, rhymed essays typical of the exams. Though his literary style was somewhat plain and his ideas not particularly lofty, he was still considered exceptional and had passed the examinations to become a recognized scholar. He was preparing to delve into his studies and aim for the highest degree when the Chu dynasty fell.
The capital ran with blood, many civilians dying amidst the chaos.
He lost his father and grandfather and, harboring resentment, refused to serve or be examined under the succeeding Qi dynasty.
With nothing left to his name, he made a living writing letters for others and crafting and selling needles.
He lived quietly for several years until disaster struck unexpectedly—
“Some people gathered a group of scholars who had not continued with the examinations, using threats and bribes, even abducting them forcibly, all for the purpose of exam fraud, to take the exams under others’ names.”
Mr. Jinshui clenched his teeth, “Among us, some were disqualified from official ranks due to their families being punished after the regime change, some were disabled in the chaos when Emperor Qi invaded the capital, or too poor to afford the exam fees due to family illnesses.”
“How can someone impersonate another in the exams?” Meng Qi asked, surprised. “Didn’t the Chu dynasty have measures like searching for smuggled materials, checking portraits, and having examinees from the same region enter together and declare their names aloud? For those below the scholar level, perhaps, but once you reach the level of recognized scholar, who doesn’t have classmates who can recognize them?”
“We enter with name plates bearing our own names and backgrounds,” Mr. Jinshui explained somberly, his hands tightly clenched. “We each go in, start the exam, finish our essays, but write someone else’s name on our work. The papers they submit bear our names.”
Lu Min was dumbfounded.
Meng Qi shook his head.
Whether it’s the administration or fraud, there are always loopholes to be exploited.
Even if one loophole is closed, another appears.
“Such methods may work temporarily, but not forever,” Meng Qi raised an eyebrow, explaining specifically for Mo Li’s benefit, “The essay must be average; not too good, not too poor. Too good, and it draws attention; too poor, and it might not pass. The stand-in must have the ability to write to this standard. Even those who pass the highest level anonymously might not succeed in the next exam.”
Mr. Jinshui smiled bitterly. “True, so only I was capable of standing in for the metropolitan exams; mainly, they tampered at the provincial levels. Once passed, one becomes a recognized scholar, and with money, one can buy an official position. Emperor Qi of the Lu clan, a military man, puts on a show of honoring the wise but doesn’t set the exam questions nor cares about the essays outside the top rank. The chief examiners aren’t the same each year; Emperor Qi guards against letting them gather their own students annually. They write in an official script, and trying to identify issues based on handwriting is less effective than analyzing stylistic habits. Yet even so, for nearly a decade, no examiner has noted that articles from one year’s second rank and another year’s third rank appear to be by the same hand.”
He waited hopelessly, unable to extricate himself.
“From fear of death, lacking the resolve to ‘break the cauldrons and sink the boats,’ I’ve lived in a daze these years. People on the streets, like Cha Ye, recognized us early on. At the capital’s government office, we’re entangled in a web of fabricated debts, under constant surveillance by our neighbors, not allowed to flee…”
Mr. Jinshui murmured, “Some are worse off, directly detained in prepared quarters, well-fed but forbidden to leave. Initially, I hoped to expose this through my association with Fengxing Pavilion by writing novels, but after hearing about it, they disregarded it. These details can be bought anytime someone inquires about exam fraud. And yet? No one cares, no cases are investigated, no one pursues it…”
He Haozi, peering into the cabin from outside with an oar in hand, appeared to have forgotten to row as he eavesdropped.
The old boatman’s shout snapped He Haozi back to his senses, causing him to quickly withdraw.
Mr. Jinshui sighed deeply, clutching his bundle. “Such deeds cannot last a lifetime. Knowing too much, doing too much, one day it will cost me my head. If I don’t try to escape, must I wait for death?”
