Chapter 50: Have you been hiding anything from me?

Chapter 50: Have you been hiding anything from me?

Sure enough, Pei Wu was always very intimidating. Even a leader like Zhang Xingjun was afraid when he heard Pei Wu's name.

Jiang Ru couldn't help but chuckle. She watched the figure run away before returning to the carriage and heading to the next village with the grain.

Perhaps because it was a new official taking office, the subordinates didn't dare to lie or falsify the data, and the reported data was basically true, with any slight discrepancies being negligible.

Jiang Ru had been running around for several days, and had finished organizing the areas she was assigned to. It was almost time for her to head back.

Due to the drought, many bandits appeared in this area. Some of them were people who had nowhere else to go, while others took advantage of the situation to fish in troubled waters. Fortunately, Jiang Ru brought government troops with her, which saved her from being robbed.

When she returned to the Jinzhou government office, Pei Wu happened to be there just before her. Jiang Ru didn't even have time to drink water before she went to find Pei Wu and told him about her encounter with the bandits.

She'd been so busy these past few days that she was a mess, her clothes covered in dust. Pei Wu wasn't much better off; the two of them standing together looked like a down-on-their-luck brother and sister.

After listening to her, Pei Wu's gaze shifted to Jiang Ru: "Are you injured?"

Jiang Ru shook her head: "Fortunately, these bandits were poorly equipped, and we escaped unharmed."

Pei Wu hummed in agreement and said, "I have already sent people to arrest the bandits. This will not happen again."

After finishing her important business, Jiang Ru complained to Pei Wu, "Do you know who the bandits I encountered on the road were?"

Pei Wu asked cooperatively, "Who?"

Jiang Ru said, enunciating each word clearly, "Zhang Xingjun, that kid has become an outlaw."

This was not unexpected for Pei Wu. Zhang Xingjun had always been very opinionated, impulsive and difficult to manage. Only Zhang Da Niang and Pei Wu could control him.

Even in front of Pei Wu, he could hardly hide his true intentions. Pei Wu had almost anticipated this before they came to Jinzhou. When the whole family was starving, Zhang Xingjun always managed to come up with some solutions.

The only good thing is that he's not the kind of heinous criminal who would stop at nothing; otherwise, Pei Wu would have severed ties with him long ago, and wouldn't have taught him to read.

Hearing Jiang Ru's words, Pei Wu remained unmoved and asked, "So how did you handle it?"

Jiang Ru immediately said, "Of course I beat him up. I even told him to come and apologize to you as soon as possible. He was so scared that he couldn't even walk."

Pei Wu was originally a little tired, but after hearing Jiang Ru's words, he still smiled: "It's time to discipline him."

Just then, the cook brought in the food, and Jiang Ru took it, giving Pei Wu one bowl and Jiang Ru the other.

Since arriving in Beijing, they hadn't eaten such a simple meal in a long time. Back in Muxi Village, the two of them drank millet porridge every day. Now, with the drought in Jinzhou, they were just like the other people, content as long as they could fill their stomachs.

After finishing her porridge, Jiang Ru asked Pei Wu, "I'll go help them distribute the food later, what about you?"

After the initial chaos, the daily disaster relief work is now proceeding in an orderly manner. Jiang Ru thought Pei Wu could relax a little, but Pei Wu said, "These days I've been thinking that the severe drought in Jinzhou might be avoidable."

Jiang Ru: "How to avoid it?"

Pei Wu then picked up his pen and drew a few lines on the paper.

Pei Wu pointed to the top circle and said, "The water of this Ling River flows south. I was thinking, could we dig a ditch so that the water can flow into Jinzhou? Even if it doesn't rain in Jinzhou in the future, there will still be a water source."

Pei Wu's blueprints were rough and seemed feasible at first glance, but there was a drought at the time, so where could they find workers to do the work? Moreover, building ditches was a big project that would take several years to complete, and even if it could benefit the people, the initial investment would be quite large.

Jiang Ru hesitated: "If it can be repaired, that would be great, but we don't have enough money to repair it right now. I'm afraid something might go wrong."

If it is not repaired properly, it will be a waste of manpower and resources. The Grand Canal of Emperor Yang of Sui had a profound influence on later generations, but at that time it was also a waste of countless manpower to build.

Pei Wu naturally understood Jiang Ru's meaning, but he said, "But if we don't repair it, we'll be helpless again when Jinzhou suffers a drought in the future."

"Besides, it's not something we need to repair right now," Pei Wu added. "It's just a preliminary investigation."

Pei Wuneng's preliminary investigation with Jiang Ru was practically a done deal. Jiang Ru was afraid he would act impulsively, so she said, "Think it over first. What if you can't afford to pay for the repairs later? If you only finish half of the repairs, it will all be for nothing."

Pei Wu nodded: "I know."

Even though he knew it, he still wanted to do it.

Perhaps it was because he had become a local tyrant in Jinzhou that Pei Wu wanted to make sweeping changes, which was understandable. Jiang Ru said, "Then you go and see, I'll go and distribute the grain to them instead."

After saying this, Jiang Ru was about to leave, but then she thought about it and turned back. She told Pei Wu, "You should think this through. You are not alone now. If you exploit the people to build ditches for you, they will hang you on the city wall, and I will not be left out."

Pei Wu didn't understand why someone would hang you on the city wall while he was building a ditch. Jiang Ru's words were funny, and he laughed too: "I won't let anyone hang you on the wall."

Promises are one thing, but actual implementation is another. The people below are not like Pei Wu. If they outwardly comply but inwardly defy and exploit the laborers, the workers might eventually rise up in rebellion, and the Great Xia would be turned upside down.

This was the most common occurrence in ancient times.

Pei Wu didn't understand her words at all, so Jiang Ru didn't believe a word of his assurances. She sneered, "You'd better not."

At that point, Jiang Ruru could only keep a closer eye on things while the ditches were being repaired, so she had no choice but to settle for second best.

After returning from the inspection, she had a basic understanding of the situation in the counties and villages below, so the amount of grain distributed to each household and each person was already fixed. Jiang Ru went to help out early in the morning.

While she was busy, a woman and her daughter lined up in front of Jiang Ru's long queue. Jiang Ru gave them food. The little girl's cheeks were gaunt from hunger these days, but when she received the food, she still sweetly said, "Thank you, sister."

Jiang Ru was completely charmed by the cuteness. She reached out and patted the little girl's head, and the little girl innocently asked her, "Sister, when can we have enough to eat? I've been hungry for a long time."

Jiang Ru was stunned for a moment. She couldn't answer because she didn't know either.

In her previous life, she had never heard of the drought in Jinzhou. The places were too far apart, and unless the disaster was really so severe that it was out of control, they would never know about it.

Therefore, Jiang Ru could only assume that the drought would not last long, but she could not make any promises to the little girl.

Before she could answer, the little girl muttered to herself, "My father and mother also said they don't know."

Her mother quickly covered her mouth and smiled apologetically at Jiang Ru. Jiang Ru said it was alright, and took out a packet of candy that she had been carrying for a long time from her bag and gave one to the little girl.

The malt candy was very sweet. The little girl held the candy and grinned at Jiang Ru.

Many people came to collect their food, and Jiang Ru worked for almost the entire day until sunset, when there were hardly any people left on the road. Only then did Jiang Ru's day's work finally come to an end.

The next day, Jiang Ru planned to return to Muxi Village, visit Pei Wu's aunts and uncles along the way, and also stop by Zheng Qiuhong's house.

Zheng Qiuhong's home is closer to the village than Muxi Village, but perhaps because there are few able-bodied people and many family members, his family's conditions are not good.

There are four people in his family, including Zheng Qiuhong and his younger sister. The food has been delivered, and his family's situation has improved slightly. Jiang Ru gave Zheng Qiuhong's salary to his parents and told them that Zheng Qiuhong was doing well.

Fortunately, Zheng Qiuhong was a government official, so they could be exempted from some taxes. Otherwise, they would have no food at home and would have had to pay taxes to the government, which would have made it impossible for them to make ends meet.

Zheng Qiuhong is now an official in the court, and it's considered good if he can come back once every few years. Now that they have received news of him, the two elders had tears in their eyes and talked to Jiang Ru for a long time.

Before leaving, Jiang Ru suddenly remembered something and turned back to tell them, "You can write him a letter and send it to him along with your memorial to the emperor when you go to the capital."

In the Great Xia Dynasty, there was a post station every few dozen miles, which made it relatively convenient to send letters and memorials. However, these post stations only served the imperial court. If an ordinary person wanted to send a letter, it would cost several strings of cash each time, which no one could afford.

Upon hearing Jiang Ru's words, the two elders were overjoyed. Zheng Qiuhong's younger sister, Zheng Qiulu, raised her hand and said, "I can write. I'll write for my brother."

Zheng Qiulu's handwriting was taught by Zheng Qiuhong; her characters were beautiful and delicate. After writing down what the three of them wanted to say, the entire page was filled. Zheng Qiulu handed the letter to Jiang Ru, who folded it neatly before leaving the Zheng family.

On the way back to Muxi Village, Jiang Ru also visited Pei Wu's aunt and uncle. Pei Wu was too busy to visit, so she had to go on his behalf.

Pei Wu's aunts and uncles are all well. After all, Pei Wu is an official in the court. The government in Jinzhou is obsequious to the powerful and ruthless to the weak. They take good care of his family, so their situation is relatively good. Jiang Ru sent them some things and then headed to Muxi Village.

When Jiang Ru returned to Muxi Village, she almost didn't recognize it. It was nothing like what she remembered. The stream at the entrance of the village had completely dried up, and the large fields along the stream had withered. What should have been golden crops were now just cracked earth.

Zhang Xingjun had previously said that Zhao Jing was dying, and Jiang Ru thought he was exaggerating. However, when she went to Aunt Li's house, she discovered that Zhao Jing had been ill for a long time. When Jiang Ru arrived, she had lost a lot of weight, her cheeks were thin and dry, and only her big eyes stood out.

Jiang Ru touched her face; it was very hot. She made a quick decision: "I'm going to take her to the government office."

Zhang Xingjun immediately said, "I want to go too."

He quickly picked Zhao Jing up and carried her on his back. Although he wasn't much taller than Zhao Jing, he carried her very steadily.

Aunt Li grabbed Jiang Ru, pleading with her through tears to save Zhao Jing. Jiang Ru comforted her for a few moments, then took Zhao Jing and left Muxi Village.

Everyone got into the carriage. Zhao Jing lay down, and as the carriage jolted, she opened her eyes, saw Jiang Ru, and called out, on the verge of tears, "Sister."

Jiang Ru bent down to acknowledge her. She touched Zhao Jing's face and comforted her, "It's alright now. You'll feel better once we get to the government office."

Zhao Jing's illness is likely due to malnutrition and a weakened immune system. She should recover after taking her medicine and eating a full meal.

Zhao Jing was the most well-behaved child Jiang Ru had ever seen. Jiang Ru also felt sad. She touched Zhao Jing's head and said gently, "I brought you some delicious candy from Bianjing. You can have it when you feel better."

Zhao Jing smiled and said, "It's okay if there's no candy, as long as my sister is here."

She was so well-behaved. Jiang Ru looked away, her eyes clouded with tears, and she could only blink to clear the blur.

Besides Zhao Jing, many other people have also fallen ill. Pei Wu had previously ordered the doctors of Jinzhou to provide free medical treatment in various places, and medicines were being continuously transported to Jinzhou. Everything was proceeding in an orderly manner.

Jiang Ru arranged for Zhao Jing to stay in an empty room. Zhang Xingjun, who was usually unreliable, was unusually well-behaved now. He stayed by Zhao Jing's bedside, pouring her water when she wanted to drink and helping her get up when she wanted to.

Jiang Ru left the room and heard from the servant that Pei Wu had returned, along with several craftsmen. These craftsmen had been invited by Pei Wu's men and had come to survey the terrain to draw up plans and dig ditches.

Jiang Ru overheard some news, and Pei Wu happened to come to the backyard to look for her. Jiang Ru waited for him to get closer before asking, "Should we still fix it?"

She wasn't too keen on the idea of ​​repairing the ditch when Pei Wu suggested it, so Pei Wu hesitated a bit. He said that Jiang Ru might get angry, but he still nodded and said, "We'll repair it."

In fact, Jiang Ru had realized the importance of the ditches when she went to investigate the situation in various places a few days ago, but she still had concerns. However, after seeing the tragic state of Muxi Village today, Jiang Ru no longer wavered. She hesitated for a moment and said, "I support you."

Pei Wu was stunned. His gaze fell on Jiang Ru's face, as if he didn't believe her: "Really? You only agreed reluctantly?"

Jiang Ru retorted, "When did I force you?"

Pei Wu went along with her words and said, "Okay, you're not forcing me. Then you'll have to come with us tomorrow to take a look. But I'm afraid it will be several days before you come back."

Pei Wu wanted to make Jiang Ru more determined, so he asked her to go with him. Jiang Ru naturally wanted to go, but she wanted to keep an eye on Zhao Jing, so she said, "I'll go in a few days."

Pei Wu nodded. Having said the most important thing, Jiang Ru began to feel around in her pocket. As she pulled out a letter, she asked Pei Wu, "So, when you're repairing the ditch, are you going to submit a memorial to the court? If so, then you can take this letter with you..."

Before she could finish speaking, she noticed the evasiveness in Pei Wu's expression. She paused in her action of taking out the letter: "Aren't you going to submit a memorial?"

Pei Wu remained silent.

Jiang Ru was somewhat shocked: "I thought that since you're so law-abiding, you would definitely submit a memorial and wait for approval before making the revisions, but you're just paying lip service?"

Pei Wu looked away and said in a low voice, "If I submit a memorial, the court will definitely not allow it. I can only revise it for now."

Jiang Ru finally understood that Pei Wu appeared to be well-behaved, but in reality, he had a lot on his mind. He even knew that the court would stop him, so he deliberately started the repairs first and then reported it later, making some trouble. With the emperor far away, the court couldn't do anything to him.

What you've said makes so much sense, but in reality, it's all about deceiving the emperor.

Perhaps fearing that Jiang Ru might overthink things, Pei Wu added, "I've spoken with Lord Song, and he supports it."

This is a very serious matter. With Song Pingzhang backing him up, the ditch will be repaired by then, and the court won't be able to do anything to him. Pei Wu is quite quick-witted.

His personality was nothing like the mild-mannered person Jiang Ru had imagined. Jiang Ru stared at him suspiciously for a while, then asked warily, "You're not hiding something from me, are you? You'll only tell me when it comes to light?"

Upon hearing this, Pei Wu immediately replied, "No."

He reacted very quickly, which made Jiang Ru even more suspicious: "Really? You seem very guilty."

Pei Wu repeated, "Really, no, I won't hide it from you."

He looked at Jiang Ru sincerely. Jiang Ru hesitated, but seeing his sincerity, she chose to believe him.