Great Tang Idyll

Following the savory crepes, liang'pi was another hot buy, but the supply of vegetable oil stopped.

"My lord, have a taste of this. I just discovered that eating piping hot savory crepes and cool refreshing liang'pi together was a perfect combination. For only five coins in total, one can eat both of these items, so cheap. Eating the two dishes together is enough to satiate one's hunger."

This bailiff, who frequents the Zhang Manor, was holding a steaming hot savory crepe in one hand and his other hand was holding up a basin. The basin had a security deposit, so if the person didn't return it, they would lose their deposit money. He stood in front of the Magistrate and praised.

"Liang'pi? When did another item, liang'pi, come out? Weren't they selling savory crepes? What is this made from? It's translucent too." Magistrate Cheng placed down the calligraphy brush in his hand, and looked at the newly introduced item. He asked with a curious tone.

He was no longer scared of the higher ups conducting an investigation on the drought since a lot of areas were experiencing a drought too. It was not evitable with human interference; thus, his superiors won't punish him. Of course, it was not him who stated that it was not evitable with human interference; it was the words of another prefecture's governor. As for Magistrate Cheng himself, he didn't dare speak like that. After all, he had the Zhang and Wang Manors in this region. Normal standards and expectations cannot be used on them since just anything can happen at those two manors.

Not evitable with human interference? That's only said because preparations were not made ahead of time. The Zhang manor was also experiencing a drought, but that didn't have an effect on the three manors there.

Magistrate Cheng had no idea if there was anything that manor's mastermind couldn't predict. They were also capable of making money and so much more. If it was said that the mastermind's expertise was in the sales business, then what can be said about the wood fungus? This type of thing can be planted? With these abilities, it would not be surprising if this mastermind was able to grow a group of people from planting a person into the ground.

The thing that he couldn't understand the most was how they knew that there was going to be a drought and to make preparations beforehand. If they knew about it earlier on, then he was willing to beg them for guidance. If preparations were made, then the county would not be like this.

"My lord, my lord? Please eat while it's still hot. For these two items, you need to have a bite of the savory crepe and then a bite of the liang'pi. I ate it like that just now. Unfortunately, I ate too quickly, so now I can't keep more down." The bailiff saw that the Magistrate did not respond, so he spoke up again.

"Oh, fine, I'll eat it now. Ah, this liang'pi is so delicious. If some cucumber was added, that taste…" Magistrate Cheng had a taste of it and felt that it was not bad. It wasn't too spicy; he didn't know the one that he was eating was made to be only slightly spicy.

The bailiff smiled and appeased him, "What my lord has said is correct. The liang'pi seller also said the same and the people at the manor also had the same consideration. However, there were no cucumbers right now. Just now, I also encountered the person who was delivering the liang'pi; he was from the Zhang Manor. He said there weren't many veggies, apart from radish, carrots, garlic chives and wood fungus, left at the manor anymore. For the past two days, they have been eating wood fungus."

Magistrate Cheng looked at the expression on the bailiff's face and knew what he was going to say, so he replied, "In the future, you will still be the one that makes runs to the Zhang Manor. You have to keep a tight mouth; don't say things that you're not supposed to say, and don't ask questions that you're not supposed to ask. Do you understand?"

"I understand. I also shouldn't listen to things that I shouldn't hear. I know that the mastermind behind the Zhang Manor is very capable. If they wanted to get rid of me, it would be as easy as killing an ant, and I won't even have a clue who killed me." The bailiff understood how a lot of things worked, so he spoke words of guarantee.

"It's not that frightening. Won't have a clue who killed you? Keep a watch on the people in the administrative office, if anybody has a loose mouth, I wouldn't mind if the prison had a few extra people." Magistrate Cheng decided to protect the Zhang Manor. He felt that manor was mysterious in some particular way.

"Yes, yes, I will most certainly pay attention to that. Actually, most of us have received some sort of benefits from the Zhang Manor so no one will speak. Otherwise, before my lord can punish the person, we will be the first to make a move. However, my lord, if the Zhang Manor really wanted to kill a person, then that person will have no idea what hit them."

The bailiff gave out his guarantee again, but he also wanted to remind Magistrate Cheng.

"Why would you say this?" Magistrate Cheng swallowed a mouthful of savory crepes. He was still pondering.

"My lord, did you know why the Prefecture Division gave the credit all to you? And it wasn't the other prefecture divisions that reported to the higher ups, do you know why they reported it?" The bailiff tried hard to control his voice to prevent it from shaking.

"Why?"

"What else could it be. The Zhang Manor sent out three people to the other surrounding prefectures' counties. They advertised in every county, and praised how good and amazing my lord was. They spoke of the good deeds that my lord has done. The news of the curved-plough was also spread by them. I know a person from a different county, and by coincidence, I encountered the person and he told me about this. Only then did I recall that the leader of the group was Er'niu from the Zhang Manor.

The bailiff couldn't control his voice anymore and his voice trembled as he spoke.

"What? All of this was done behind the scenes by the Zhang Manor?" Magistrate Cheng couldn't keep hold of the savory crepe in his hand anymore, plop, it fell onto the table. He found himself in daze for a long while, and he did not speak.

Chen Ling'xiang had never conceived the thought that the Zhang Manor could make a move that quick and nimble. Thinking about all the things the Zhang Manor has done for him, he had the desire to cry.

In his heart, he has long seen the two masterminds at the Zhang Manor as his Shi'fu1. They helped him in all directions and protected him. When the credit for his work and efforts were stolen by other people, they were able to cleverly turn the tables with just one hand.

If it was insisted that they wanted to use him to help them keep their plots of lands, he wouldn't believe it. Given their abilities to strategize, would they even care about the magistrate? It can be said that their calculations and plans never fail; they're able to form clouds or rain with the flip of their hands2. No, he needed to do something himself too; he can't just keep waiting for his Shi'fu to help him.

"My lord, if you don't eat it soon, it will become cold." Right when Magistrate Cheng was thinking of doing something for his "Shi'fu", the bailiff's voice sounded again.

"Okay, okay, I'll eat it now. You can take your leave now, tell my assistant to come over." Magistrate Cheng was awakened from his thoughts, and his expression didn't seem right. He forced out a smile.

Magistrate Cheng waited for the bailiff to leave, then he began to contemplate again. His biggest wish right now was to meet his Shi'fu. Even if his Shi'fu is temporarily unwilling to acknowledge him as their disciple, he will still strive hard. However, he was also scared that his Shi'fu was testing him and didn't want to see him right now. What if he went now and thus, angering his Shi'fu? What can be done if they leave the San'shui county from then on?

"My lord, you were looking for me?" Magistrate Assistant Zhang Ming'sheng rushed over. Seeing that the Magistrate was sitting there in a daze without eating nor drinking, he raised his voice a bit.

"Oh, you're here, have a seat. There's only one serving of this, if you want to eat some, go buy it yourself. It's cheap; with just five coins you can be full and it tastes quite decent. This is the new dish that the Zhang Manor had introduced. It's called liang'pi. I wonder what's it made from."

Magistrate Cheng was in a trance several times today. After snapping out of it for a short while, he continued daydreaming again.

Magistrate Assistant Zhang Sheng'ming looked at the item on the table and nodded, "That Zhang Manor is indeed very extraordinary. For the past few days, they stopped selling vegetable oil. After asking around, I discovered that somebody had actually bought out all of the soybeans. It seems that the vegetable oil has soybean oil. Just the day before yesterday, there was no more soybean for sale in the county, and today they pushed liang'pi out for sale. They're collecting white flour this time though.

From this, it can be inferred that white flour is somehow connected to liang'pi. It's unknown if those people will also collect all the white flour; their goal is to target the Zhang Manor. "

"Do they dare to? It's currently a drought, what are they trying to do by buying all the white flour? So it turned out to be like this. They actually collected all the soybeans and caused the Zhang Manor to lose the sales of a product. However, they immediately introduced a new product. It seems like those people that bought the soybeans are regretting it now. Cutting off the sales of vegetable oil--- this idea isn't wrong, but unfortunately, the people they're facing are the people of the Zhang Manor.

Even if they buy all of the white flour, the Zhang Manor will not be shaken since they will continue to push out products; even I could think of this. Do you know who bought the soybeans?"

Magistrate Cheng now had unlimited trust in the Zhang Manor. In his heart, nothing could scare the Zhang Manor. Even if he brought an army with him over there, the result mighteven be surprising.

"I couldn't find the answer to that. It seems to be someone from this prefecture. I heard someone say that they think they saw one of the people, it was a person that specializes in selling eggs. My Lord, you have called me over because of this matter? Give me some time to carefully investigate." The Magistrate Assistant was rather well-informed and he conveyed all of the information that he knew of.

Magistrate Cheng picked up the savory crepe that fell into the table and took a bite out of it. He spoke, "No, it was about why our Prefecture Division gave all the work credit back to me. I heard Chen Dong say…"

Magistrate Cheng repeated the bailiff's words without changing a single detail to the Magistrate Assistant. After he finished, he didn't say another word and waited for the Magistrate Assistant to speak.

"So it was like that. My lord, it is not expected that the commoners under your rule could be that amazing. I…"

"Under my rule? Commoners? The two mastermind at the Zhang Manor--- even if they were to become my Shi'fu, we would be overreaching." Magistrate Cheng didn't want to speak poorly of the Shi'fu's standing.

"Yes, yes, my lord is correct. If those two become our Shi'fu, we are overreaching." The Magistrate Assistant urgently changed his words. At this moment, he understood that the Magistrate wanted them to become his Shi'fu.

Magistrate Cheng waved his hand dismissively, "Let's not talk about this anymore. Let's talk how we could give more benefits to the Zhang Manor."

"Benefits? At most, it will be about taxation. However, with the Zhang Manor's money making capabilities, they won't care for that. My Lord, how's this for a plan, let's send Chen Dong over to ask if the Zhang Manor needed anything and then we would come up with a plan."

Magistrate Cheng had no other choice, other than wanting to keep their lands, the Zhang Manor didn't seem to need or want anything. But the administrative office wasn't able to hold onto the lands and the Manor must already have a plan to resolve the problem, so if if he wanted to help, he couldn't.

"Then what? How about this, for the next few days, arrange men to be on duty at the grain shops. If anybody tried to buy wall the white flours, then catch them and bring them in for interrogation. Trying to monopolize and overcharge items during a natural disaster? What could they be scheming?"

Magistrate Cheng confirmed his decision about the grains.

"That would be good. Even if we offend someone who was more powerful, that person won't say anything. The emperor is new to the throne, they are certain matters that will not be tolerated.

Translator's Notes

1. Shi'fu 师傅

It means master/ teacher/ instructor, but I decided to not use the English translation for it since the meaning is sort of lost when that is done and most readers should recognize the term anyway :)

2. "They're able to form clouds or rain with the flip of their hands 翻手为云覆手为雨"

This idiom describes an unpredictable person that is good with playing with strategies and/or politics. The literal meaning describes a person being able to turn rain into cloud and cloud into rain with the flip of their hands.