Chapter 61: A Hundred Zhang of Ice (III) ◇

◎Tang Flower◎

Wu Fen seemed to want to pat Zhou Tan on the shoulder, but Zhou Tan subtly stepped back, avoiding his touch, and politely clasped his hands, saying, “Governor Wu.”

“Brother, I heard that when your group arrived, you encountered bandits outside the city?” Wu Fen was not offended, lowering his hand, looking Zhou Tan up and down with a concerned expression, “Were you injured?”

“Not at all,” Zhou Tan replied.

Qu You watched from afar and noticed Zhou Tan glance back at her with a wink.

This person had been cooped up in Bian Du for too long and was now indulging in a bit of theatrics.

Zhou Tan put on an expression of lingering fear and slight disdain as he said to Wu Fen, “We only lost some belongings… I had heard that the horse bandits in the western borderlands were nearly wiped out. How is it that there are still people daring to rob on the roads? Is it the same within the city of Ruo Zhou?”

Wu Fen chuckled inwardly, thinking that this person was indeed accustomed to the gilded life of Bian Du, unable to stomach these acts of banditry, and clearly quite shaken.

Previous rumors spoke of this man’s iron-fisted methods in the Ministry of Justice and how he had bested Peng Yue, but Wu Fen knew well that Peng Yue’s death was merely the result of factional struggles among the high officials. Besides, Zhou Tan had only joined the Ministry of Justice after being implicated in the Candlelight Case — he was, after all, a civil official by training.

Bian Du was far removed from the western borders, and misinformation was bound to spread.

Indeed, the earlier decision to send imposters posing as bandits to intimidate them had been a wise one; it immediately revealed this man’s bluster.

Shallow, easy to deal with.

“Lord Zhou may not be aware,” Wu Fen gestured for him to follow into the city, with commoners watching timidly along the way before being dispersed by soldiers, “Ruo Zhou City is perilously close to Xi Shao. No matter how rigorously I inspect day and night, it’s hard to ensure no one from Xi Shao sneaks around outside the city to terrorize the populace. Though General Wang intends to quell the bandits, his forces are insufficient, leaving us in a stalemate... Matters in the city are indeed complicated.”

“I see...” Zhou Tan nodded thoughtfully, then added, “I heard that the previous deputy governor died while transporting provisions to the western camp. This place truly isn’t peaceful. Governor Wu, I am newly arrived and might need some time to adjust. Let’s delay the transfer of authority for now. My wife has been frightened and fallen ill; I must tend to her for a while before assuming my post.”

“No rush, no rush,” Wu Fen quickly assured him, “Lord Zhou, please rest. Once your wife recovers, you can come to the prefecture office to complete the formalities. Upon arriving in Ruo Zhou City, aside from myself and General Wang, you only need to pay a visit to Lord Xiang Ning. However, he rarely receives guests; sending a note and observing proper etiquette will suffice.”

Zhou Tan appeared uninterested in Lord Xiang Ning and didn’t inquire further. After exchanging a few more remarks with Wu Fen, he excused himself to return to the carriage to care for his delicate wife.

Wu Fen stood roadside, watching as Zhou Tan’s dozen carriages passed by, heading toward the residence they had purchased in advance. He couldn’t help but chuckle.

The advisor beside him promptly asked, “What does Your Excellency think of him?”

Wu Fen countered, “What does Advisor He think of him?”

He Yuan Kai’s eyes darted, carefully weighing his words, “A civil official by training, his demeanor is extraordinary. He appears learned, but such knowledge is useless on the frontier.”

Wu Fen laughed heartily, “Well said.”

He glanced once more towards the alleyway, “An official demoted from Bian Du is naturally reluctant. If he behaves, fine. But if he proves as stubborn as Lin He before him, we can find someone else to handle the supply deliveries.”

He Yuan Kai chuckled, “Your Excellency is wise. And our previous plans...”

Wu Fen waved it off, “No need for such trouble. Just make a show of it. I doubt he’ll uncover anything.”

“Yes,” He Yuan Kai complied.

Upon returning to the carriage, Zhou Tan saw Qu You smiling at him and asked, “Why are you so happy?”

“It’s rare to see my husband like this,” Qu You teased, “It’s rather amusing.”

Their residence, left behind by the former deputy governor, was located in a relatively bustling area of Ruo Zhou City, though not very large. The number of people they brought along fit perfectly.

Nanny Yun was adept at settling into a new home, and in no time everything was neatly arranged. Qu You rested for a few days, and Zhou Tan remained in the estate without venturing out.

“How long do you plan to use this delaying tactic?” Qu You pouted, lying on the desk watching him, “These few days of rest were enough. Why don’t we go out today?”

Zhou Tan checked the date and said, “Alright, but you must wear a hat.”

“Why?” Qu You asked, puzzled.

“In the western lands, a beauty like you is rarely seen,” Zhou Tan said seriously, “Moreover, I told Wu Fen you were bedridden. It wouldn’t do to get caught. I’ll ride with you, then you can take the maidservant and explore on your own while I wait in the carriage.”

His tone was so normal that Qu You momentarily couldn’t tell if he was being serious or teasing her.

Thus, they rented a carriage from outside. Qu You wore a hat and, accompanied by Hexing, got out to browse, buying some candied fruit, local gauze scarves, and small trinkets sold by street vendors.

Zhou Tan accompanied her through three streets until dusk before heading back. Watching her enthusiastically select trinkets in the carriage, he suddenly asked, “Do you notice anything unusual?”

Qu You turned to look at him, “What do you mean?”

Zhou Tan lounged casually, “You usually don’t enjoy shopping this much.”

“Ah, you’re so clever, always making me feel like I have no secrets,” Qu You sighed, putting down the items in her hand and leaning closer, “I just wanted to see the local customs of Ruo Zhou and chat with the street vendors to see if I could glean any information. But by the third person, something felt off...”

Zhou Tan raised an eyebrow, prompting Qu You to continue, “All the merchants—including the street vendors who approached me—didn’t have the Ruo Zhou accent. They sounded more like those from the Central Plains and Jiangnan regions.”

“Do you know why?”

Zhou Tan magically pulled out from his sleeve a slightly worn wooden token, intricately carved into the shape of a flower, with faint engravings of indecipherable characters.

He assumed Qu You might not recognize it, but to his surprise, she gasped upon seeing it, examining it closely, murmuring, “Tang Flower Token...”

Her hands trembled with shock, and Zhou Tan was taken aback, “You actually know what this is? I thought someone your age would seldom encounter it.”

How could she not recognize it? It was still displayed in the museum in Bian Du!

“During Emperor Xuan’s reign, the Yellow River burst its banks, and envoys were sent east from Bian Du to manage the floodwaters and quell the disaster. The floods drove a large number of refugees into the Central Plains region. To pacify the refugees, Emperor Xuan issued two decrees.”

She recited them as if recalling a lesson, given this touched the core of her research.

“The first was to mobilize the western camp to build two walls along the borders of the eleven states—the unfinished Li Shao Pass wall. Refugees who volunteered to work on the wall were provided for by the court and settled in the northwest. The second was the issuance of these ‘Tang Flower Tokens.’ Merchants recruiting refugees for labor received one token for every ten workers. With this token, they could reduce their commercial taxes by up to fifty percent.”

Zhou Tan was silent for a moment before slowly saying, “You remember it more clearly than I do.”

“How did you come by this?” Qu You grabbed his hand, the wooden token pressing between their palms, “This is important to me... I can’t explain fully right now.”

“It’s alright, I trust you.” Zhou Tan stroked the back of her hand, calming her somewhat, “Xiao Yan gave me this Tang Flower Token.”

“How did such a thing end up in the western lands?”

“That’s the question,” Zhou Tan’s expression turned thoughtful as he examined the token, suddenly asking, “Do you know who issued the Tang Flower Token?”

Qu You was confused, “Wasn’t it decreed by the late emperor?”

Zhou Tan shook his head, “There must have been ministers drafting the decree for him.”

Qu You suddenly seemed to understand, her head snapping up in realization, exclaiming, “It was... Gu Xiang?”

“The teacher drafted these two decrees during his flood control efforts and submitted them,” Zhou Tan recalled, speaking indifferently, “They were highly effective, almost resolving the refugee problem caused by the floods. The first batch of Tang Flower Tokens was personally distributed by the teacher, earning him great acclaim. Before the Candlelight Incident, a friend of the teacher’s in the west wrote him a letter.”

“After the refugees gradually diminished, east of Bian Du, the Tang Flower Tokens nearly disappeared, becoming mere objects of merchant pride. But at some point, what should have been implemented in the east flowed into the western lands, which were filled with many of the originally recruited refugees... Far from the emperor’s reach, merchants colluded with officials to evade taxes, obstructing the registration process, ensuring a perpetual supply of refugees and keeping the Tang Flower Tokens valid. All the merchants of the eleven states mobilized, forcing these refugees not only to build never-ending walls but also to work for them, essentially enslaving them... Day after day, year after year.”

Qu You felt a chill run down her spine. She closed her eyes and almost instantly understood why Gu Zhiyan had fought so desperately to save Zhou Tan’s life, and why Zhou Tan meticulously planned everything, deliberately getting himself demoted to the western lands.

This was what they hadn’t finished.

It was also the origin of the name “Peeling Flower Decree.”

Before Gu Zhiyan’s death, the unresolved issue was likely this very matter. Policies enacted to save lives had, over the years, been manipulated in remote areas, turning his decrees into ones of oppression.

Without registered identities, and with temporary migration documents long expired, these refugees were left crying for help from both heaven and earth, trapped here in a limbo between free men and slaves.

Even if they escaped the eleven border states, they would be captured by officials as “illegal residents.”

“You happened to want to go out today. During Huachao Festival, merchants will likely be out enjoying the spring scenery, leaving these people to mind their shops.”

“A decree meant to save lives has been so desecrated in the borderlands,” Qu You felt her wrist tremble with anger, “Are these refugees private slaves to the government? Just strolling around, I saw many. Wu Fen must know; he surely never intervened, perhaps even colluding to exacerbate the situation.”

She was still seething when they returned to the estate. Zhou Tan accompanied her inside, just reaching the main hall when Hei Yi came forward with a full sack of rice, “Master, while I was seeing the coachman out, I encountered a gaunt child at the gate. He couldn’t sell this rice, and without a sale, he’d have nothing to eat today. Something seemed off, so I bought it on my own initiative.”

Qu You reached in to grab a handful, curious, “What’s wrong with it?”

Zhou Tan stared directly at him, “Go on.”

Hei Yi rolled up the sack, revealing faded ink marks at the seal. The marks were barely legible, vaguely resembling some symbol with a string of numbers.

“This is military rations,” Hei Yi stated.

Zhou Tan’s expression changed instantly. Qu You glanced at him and decisively ordered, “Hei Yi, take a few household servants and follow the route from the gate to the market. Check the stalls and grain shops for more bags like this. If you find any, buy as much as you can.”

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Hei Yi immediately set off.

“Good, good,” Zhou Tan smiled instead of showing anger, walking into the main hall with his hands behind his back. Hexing dismissed the servants and closed the carved wooden doors, “Such audacity... Conveniently, Madam Wu’s birthday approaches, and we’ve received an invitation. In three days, let’s give her a grand gift.”