Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 779 You're wasting your talents by not becoming an official

After Chen Xuan's persuasion, the two elders, who were over a hundred years old combined, stopped arguing. However, they still didn't like each other, exchanged a cold snort, and turned to sit down.

As elders, it's really inappropriate for them to act rashly and aggressively in front of younger generations; they should at least consider their image as elders.

Anyone present could tell that they weren't really angry. It was just like children having a disagreement. Once the problem was discussed and resolved, everything would be fine. Otherwise, people in their fifties and sixties wouldn't have the time to waste on this nonsense.

The problem is that, judging from their current state, the issues they are arguing about haven't been resolved, which is the key reason why they are getting so worked up.

In fact, their relationship is quite good. They may have known each other in the past but didn't really understand each other. However, after Chen Xuan and the little princess got married, with Chen Xuan in the middle, it's almost impossible for them to fall out unless it involves matters of principle.

In fact, in the months after Lao Gao took office in Huizhou, the two often got together privately. Although there was an age gap between them, they had become good friends.

Just a few days ago, something extremely bad happened, and the two of them got into a heated argument. If they weren't on good terms, they wouldn't be arguing privately here; they would have handled it through the proper channels long ago.

In officialdom, once things go through the proper procedures, it's no joke.

Fortunately, given their combined size, they could suppress any major event that didn't shake the court and the public.

Seeing their bickering and blaming each other, Chen Xuan couldn't help but chuckle. The fact that they were still in the mood to argue meant that the problem wasn't serious.

However, this piqued Chen Xuan's curiosity. After calming them down, he asked curiously, "Uncle, Mr. Pei, what exactly caused this commotion? Would you mind telling me?"

Chen Xuan was sensible enough to know what he should and shouldn't ask. He was curious, but not too much. If it wasn't convenient for him to reveal something, he wouldn't ask again.

Upon hearing this, Mr. Pei snorted coldly, glared at Lao Gao with annoyance, pointed at him and said indignantly, "Don't ask me, Xiao Chen, ask him. The problem lies with him. If you don't give me a satisfactory explanation, don't expect to have a good life!"

These words made Lao Gao's forehead throb. He gritted his teeth and sneered, "How can you blame me? It's clearly you old scoundrel who's making trouble. Oh, you messed things up yourself, and now you're blaming me for everything?"

"What do you mean by pushing it onto you, Lord Gao? As the local official, aren't you responsible for everything, big and small? You're a scholar, after all. Go out and ask around, which family doesn't have their parents step in to solve their problems?" Mr. Pei said, sticking out his neck and speaking with righteous indignation.

Old Gao was so angry he laughed, his hand trembling as he pointed at Mr. Pei: "Is this how you understand 'local official'? If I have to handle everything, I might as well work myself to death!"

"Tell me what's going on? Why are you arguing again?" Chen Xuan, who was both amused and exasperated, glanced at the little princess and the others. Everyone wanted to laugh but was worried about offending their elders, so their shoulders trembled as they struggled to hold it in.

Well, if this continues, it'll probably never end. The fact that they still have time to argue proves that things haven't gotten out of control yet. In this situation, Chen Xuan felt that as a junior, it was necessary for him to act as a mediator.

Since they were all elders, and people were arranged according to age, Chen Xuan first picked up the tea in front of Mr. Pei and comforted him, saying, "Please calm down and have some tea, sir. Don't let your anger get to you."

Mr. Pei smiled, accepted the tea, nodded, then glanced at Lao Gao and snorted softly.

Then Chen Xuan offered the old man a cup of tea and said with a smile, "Uncle, you should have some tea too. You already have enough to do every day, there's no need to get so worked up."

“Nephew is right. We’re already having enough on our minds. We shouldn’t stoop to the level of certain people,” Old Gao said, taking the tea and glancing back at Mr. Pei.

The two calmed down again. With a wry smile, Chen Xuan thought to himself that he had come at a really bad time. He had walked right into the line of fire and now he had to appease the two elders. Was this something he should be doing?

After Mr. Pei calmed down, Chen Xuan hesitated for a moment and then cautiously asked, "Sir, could you please tell me what exactly happened?"

Perhaps he was anxious because the problem hadn't been resolved, and he couldn't get an answer from Lao Gao for the time being, so he needed an outlet. Just then, Chen Xuan asked, and Mr. Pei said as calmly as possible, "This matter is quite serious. A few days ago, several students from the academy went missing. Their fate and whereabouts are unknown. You should know that those students were highly valued by the entire academy and were expected to pass the imperial examinations with flying colors next time. Tell me, Chen, if something happens to such pillars of the nation, especially under Lord Gao's jurisdiction, how can I not demand an explanation from him?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan thought to himself that this was no small matter; it was equivalent to the disappearance of several reserve cadres. No wonder Mr. Pei, at his advanced age, was so furious. Yesterday, he even sent Mr. Bai to parade around town to discuss with Lao Gao how to handle the situation.

Yes, in Chen Xuan's view, although they were arguing, they were actually discussing the investigation and rescue together. It was just that the way they discussed things because of their relationship was not very pleasant.

As soon as he finished speaking, Old Gao on the other side immediately became displeased and said angrily, "You old scoundrel, be reasonable! I have mountains of work to do every day, how can I possibly watch over a few students for you every second? It's not like I lost them. You're asking me for an explanation, who am I supposed to talk to? I'd like to ask you, as the teacher, why you didn't keep an eye on the pillars of the nation under my rule, and instead came here to turn around and blame others?"

Seeing that they were about to start arguing again, before Mr. Pei could retort with a fierce look, Chen Xuan quickly looked at Lao Gao with a surprised expression and said, "Uncle, when we first arrived in Mo City yesterday, we encountered a group of cavalrymen leaving the city. Could it be that they were investigating the disappearance of the academy students?"

When Chen Xuan asked this question, he already had the answer in his heart. If it was for the students of the academy, it was really reasonable to send out cavalry. No matter when or where, the pillars of the country are no small matter, especially the students of Liuyu Academy. It can be said that more than half of them have already obtained the title of Xiucai and are already reserve officials. Moreover, Mr. Pei also said that the missing ones are expected to pass the next imperial examination. The problem is really serious.

At this moment, the little princess and her companions also became serious. They no longer found the bickering between the two elders amusing. If this matter was not handled properly, it would be brought to the imperial palace and even the emperor would have to hold them accountable.

Before Lao Gao could answer, Mr. Pei spoke first, his tone both sarcastic and urgent: "Xiao Chen, did you encounter the men sent out by Lord Gao yesterday? They weren't there to investigate whereabouts, they were there to rescue. What do those lowly soldiers know about investigation? By the time they start investigating whereabouts after the person is already missing, it'll be too late."

In other words, they already know where they are, but they haven't found them alive or dead yet, so they haven't seen any results. That's why they're arguing so heatedly.

Thinking back to the cavalry I saw yesterday, each one of them was an elite among elites, and the leader was even a master of innate cultivation. With them going to the rescue, cooperating with each other and with their equipment, they could even defeat a top master of innate cultivation!

Before Lao Gao could even argue, Chen Xuan cautiously looked at Mr. Pei and asked, "Since you already know the whereabouts of the missing students, why are you still so anxious, um, cough cough, since you yourself are quite skilled, wouldn't it be possible to rescue them from their predicament as quickly as possible if you brought Mr. Bai along?"

Chen Xuan put it tactfully, but to put it bluntly, "If you had the time, you would have brought the people back yourself." "Nephew," Old Gao said, rolling his eyes, "things aren't as simple as you think. It's not that the old man was unwilling to go himself, but he was simply overwhelmed. On the day the students disappeared, many more students went out of the academy. After what happened, the old man was worried about the other students and had to keep an eye on them. After making arrangements, he only knew the general location of the missing students. What could the old man do alone? He could only rush to me for help. After I gave the orders, he wanted to go too, but I persuaded him against it. The result is clear: can't I save even a few students?"

You two were just arguing, and now you're taking each other's side?

Chen Xuan now understood why Mr. Pei was in such a hurry, yet had time to argue with Lao Gao here.

There's no use in rushing now; we can only wait for the people below to bring the person back.

Since things had come to this point, Chen Xuan asked curiously, "Uncle, Mr. Pei, judging from your tone, there must be a reason for this. What exactly caused the students to go missing?"

It was probably because Chen Xuan had mediated between the two that they lost interest in arguing. They exchanged a glance, and Mr. Pei shook his head, saying, "Let me explain..."

The reason for this accident is quite simple: the drought has lasted for too long. Many of the students of the academy will take the imperial examinations to become officials and govern a region. Liuyu Academy has always adhered to the principle of pragmatism. Therefore, some time ago, Liuyu Academy launched a practical activity, organizing a group of outstanding students to leave the academy and go out to visit various places to see the drought situation. Based on reality, the students learned and summarized how to manage drought.

The core of this practical activity is the disaster relief plan proposed by Xiao Gao during the palace examination, which aims to enable students still studying at the academy to put it into practice and even further refine and improve it.

In addition to the students of Liuyu Academy, students from several other academies scattered throughout Huizhou also participated, totaling several hundred people. They gathered together, starting from practical experience, to discuss and learn from each other, accumulating experience for their future governance as officials.

What was originally a good thing that everyone was happy to see happen, but an accident happened during the process. Several outstanding students went missing, and after an investigation, it turned out that they had been kidnapped by audacious bandits!

As the main instigator of this event, how could Mr. Pei not be furious when such a thing happened? At first, he did not know that the students had been kidnapped by bandits. Since the kidnapping had already occurred, he was worried that something else might happen, so he did not investigate personally at the first opportunity. By the time he made arrangements, it was already difficult to investigate further, so he had to rush to find Lao Gao.

As the prefectural governor, Gao had far more influence than Mr. Pei, a mere schoolteacher. With a single order, all parties coordinated their actions, and progress was quickly made. He then dispatched cavalry, effectively keeping the anxious Mr. Pei on his way.

Strictly speaking, Lao Gao also bears some responsibility for this incident. After all, he supported the event. His son's policy proposal in the palace examination was studied and practiced by students all over the country. How could he not support it? He was probably secretly delighted. So he accepted being scolded by Mr. Pei for this.

The academy's outstanding students were actually kidnapped! They were promising candidates for official positions, no wonder cavalry had to be deployed. This goes beyond bandit suppression; it's practically an anti-terrorism operation!

Yesterday, Chen Xuan was thinking that mobilizing troops without authorization was a major taboo, but now there's no problem; it's perfectly legitimate.

After hearing the whole story, Chen Xuan blinked in astonishment and said, "Where did this bunch of idiots come from? They actually dared to rob students from the academy! Don't they have a death wish?"

No wonder Chen Xuan was surprised. Go out and ask around. Anyone who has been a bandit for a few days knows that you shouldn't mess with the elderly, children, women, or scholars when you're out and about. But someone actually did it. It's outrageous.

At this moment, both Lao Gao and Mr. Pei, who had stopped arguing, looked somewhat embarrassed. Neither of them had expected such a thing to happen.

Taking a sip of tea and coughing to cover his embarrassment, Lao Gao was secretly annoyed. He looked at Chen Xuan and said in a evasive tone, "Otherwise, Xiao Chen, do you think I would have kept Lao Pei here arguing until he was red in the face? This matter is really not suitable to be publicized. It's so embarrassing. If word gets out, my colleagues will laugh their heads off."

How could Lao Gao not be furious? He wanted nothing more than to tear the robbers who did this to pieces. He was too ashamed to face anyone after such a thing happened under his jurisdiction. But he had to maintain his image in front of the younger generation. The two of them had argued before, which was just them venting their anger and frustration on each other.

Understanding the feelings of these two bigwigs, Chen Xuan waved his hand dismissively and said, "What's the big deal? Where did this happen? Uncle, just ask the local officials to hold them accountable. Do you really think you're a parent, taking all the blame on yourself? And Mr. Pei, the problem isn't your fault. What kind of students are you teaching? How could they get kidnapped by robbers? You might as well go home and raise pigs."

Upon hearing this, the two shrewd individuals, whose combined age was over a hundred, exchanged glances, their eyes then lit up. Previously, they had only been anxious about how to suppress the matter and minimize its impact, but Chen Xuan's words had opened up a new avenue for their thinking.

Since no one wants to take the blame, well, look, it's big and round, wouldn't it be more appropriate for someone else to carry it?

Then they both looked at Chen Xuan, thinking, "This new brain is really useful!"

Shrinking his neck, Chen Xuan felt a little embarrassed by their stares and said stiffly, "Uncle, Mr. Pei, why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nephew, isn't this inappropriate?" Old Gao pondered, still wanting to save face in front of his juniors.

Blinking, Chen Xuan feigned ignorance and said, "What do you mean by good or bad? I don't know what Uncle is talking about."

Mr. Pei, standing nearby, covered his face with his hand, both amused and exasperated, and said, "Young Chen, it's a waste of your talent not to take the imperial examinations and become an official."

What are their levels? Jokes aside, the matter definitely needs to be resolved, but not by finding a scapegoat. They can't do something like that, otherwise their reputations will be ruined.

As long as the person is rescued, it's not a big deal. On the contrary, it's an opportunity to get rid of a bunch of parasites. Chen Xuan only saw the matter itself, but the two elders had much more to consider.

Chen Xuan couldn't compete with the two of them in terms of intelligence; he didn't think that far ahead at all. Instead, he stroked his chin with interest and said, "Someone actually dared to rob reserve officials! What a talent! I'd like to go and meet them myself."

"So you want to meet the robbers? I think you just want to bully people for fun. How old are you? Don't you know how to be more mature? You've come all this way, so why don't you keep us old folks company and have a chat? You don't need to worry about anything else. We'll have the results by noon at the latest," Old Gao said, shaking his head. He saw right through Chen Xuan's thoughts.

After hearing this, Chen Xuan gave up the idea.

The real question was whether he needed to intervene, but everyone tacitly agreed without saying it outright.

...(End of this chapter)