Building a Martial Dao Celestial Family by Laying Low

Back near the Ritual and Education Department, the junior official’s eyes darted about as a plan formed in his mind.

He slipped into the adjacent room and found a colleague he knew, a man surnamed Sun. Clutching his stomach, his face scrunched in pain, he whined, "Brother Sun, you’ve got to help me. My stomach is killing me—a real piercing pain. I think I ate something bad last night. I need to find a doctor, quick.

There are two people in my office waiting to get their documents processed. Could you do me a huge favor and tell them to come back tomorrow? Please, I’m begging you."

With that, he bolted out the gates of the Commandery Magistrate’s Office.

’Li Siye isn’t here anyway,’ he thought. ’I’m taking sick leave today. To hell with it.’

Chen Shouheng and Zhou Shuwei waited outside the Ritual and Education Department for nearly half an hour, but the junior official never returned.

When they inquired, a different, unfamiliar official told them that Wang Shuli, the clerk in charge, had been struck by a sudden illness and had gone to the clinic. He said they couldn’t be helped today and should come back tomorrow.

Chen Shouheng’s brow furrowed, and Zhou Shuwei’s expression darkened.

They had paid the silver and their documents were all in order, yet this unexpected complication had arisen.

The two exchanged a look, both knowing this was far more complicated than a sudden illness.

"Understood."

Chen Shouheng suppressed his displeasure, his voice flat. He and Zhou Shuwei then stood and left the Commandery Magistrate’s Office.

Once they were out of the oppressive Government Office and the clamor of the streets reached their ears, Zhou Shuwei lowered her voice. "Shouheng, they’re deliberately stalling my paperwork. I’m afraid this is directed at the Zhou Family."

Chen Shouheng nodded, his gaze turning cold. "Yes. It seems someone doesn’t want you participating in the Provincial Examination. We’ll leave it for today. Let’s come back tomorrow and see what other tricks they have."

The two of them found a clean inn to stay at, deciding to wait and see how things would unfold.

Meanwhile, Li Siye raced to the Government Granary in the eastern part of the city, where he found Deputy Governor Yan Wenlu.

"My Lord, something has happened," Li Siye said with a bow.

Yan Wenlu frowned. "What is it?"

Li Siye leaned in and whispered, "The eldest daughter of the Zhou Family, Zhou Shuwei, came to the Ritual and Education Department today. She wants to register for the Provincial Martial Examination."

Yan Wenlu’s expression flickered. He mused, "Zhou Shuwei? She dares to come back? And she wants to take the Martial Examination... This matter must be handled with caution. You did well."

"The Governor went to Qingshui County early this morning; he is not in the office. A decision of this magnitude is not for us to make. Prepare a fast horse at once. Ride to Qingshui County and report to His Excellency in person. We will follow whatever instructions he gives."

"I understand."

Not daring to delay, Li Siye hurried away.

「That night.」

「Qingshui County Town, Yunshui Inn.」

「Celestial Building, Room No. 1.」

After listening to the report from Li Siye, who had ridden through the night, Governor He Mingyun held his teacup and gently stirred the floating leaves within. Not a ripple of emotion disturbed his features as he gave a faint smile. "And here I was, wondering what this was all about. Just tell the clerk at the Commandery Magistrate’s Office to follow procedure."

Li Siye was taken aback. "Your Excellency, you mean... we shouldn’t stop her?"

He Mingyun’s expression was placid. "Go back tomorrow. Follow the process and bring it to me for approval."

Li Siye was speechless for a moment, and then he understood completely.

’The Provincial Examination is only a dozen or so days away. With the Governor here in Qingshui County, or off somewhere else entirely, following the standard approval process—a round trip for the documents—would take ten days at the absolute fastest.’

’By then, it would be far too late.’

Still, he hesitated. "But what if Zhou Shuwei persists? What if she demands a final decision?"

He Mingyun shot him a look. "Then you tell her that the Jiangzhou Textile Bureau has issued a notice convicting her Zhou Family. As a member of a convicted family, she is ineligible to take the examination."

Li Siye reminded him cautiously, "Your Excellency, the Textile Bureau has sent no such notice."

He Mingyun’s tone was level. "Take my personal writ and go request one."

With that, he picked up his brush and wrote five words.

"Please issue the official document."

He then stamped it with his personal seal and handed the note to Li Siye.

Li Siye’s expression soured. ’With just this blank writ, a trip to the Textile Bureau will mean a hard-fought battle of banquets and persuasion.’

After Li Siye departed, He Zhangqiu stepped out from hiding. "Father, that Zhou Shuwei dared to leave the Martial Arts Academy, and now she wants to take the Martial Examination? Should I send men to take care of her?"

He Mingyun didn’t even glance up. "The men we sent to deal with Zhou Qingyi never returned," he said coolly. "Their fates are unknown. The Eight Generals of Wind Gate also vanished without a trace. We still haven’t even identified our opponent. Are you so sure you can ’take care of’ her?"

His father’s question left He Zhangqiu speechless, but he still insisted, "Last time, I was careless. This time, my preparations will be thorough."

He Mingyun snorted, setting down his teacup. "And how can you guarantee it will be foolproof this time?"

"So we’re just supposed to do nothing?"

He Zhangqiu was indignant.

"If you lack even this small amount of patience, how can I rest easy entrusting our family’s vast enterprise to you?"

He Mingyun’s gaze swept over his son. After reprimanding him, he continued, "Have men watch her. I want to know her every move. In the meantime, you are forbidden from acting without my permission. If you do, I will not be lenient."

He set his teacup down hard, the sharp clack echoing in the room.

Knowing his father was truly angry, He Zhangqiu immediately fell silent, not daring to argue further.

...

The next morning, Chen Shouheng and Zhou Shuwei returned to the Liyang Commandery Magistrate’s Office.

Inside the office of the Ritual and Education Department.

The clerk who had given them the runaround yesterday was nowhere to be seen.

They were met by another unfamiliar clerk who, in a bureaucratic tone, gave them the exact same excuse as the day before. "You’ve come at an unfortunate time. Wang Shuli has called in sick today. Please come back tomorrow."

Chen Shouheng’s brow tightened.

’The date of the Provincial Examination was fast approaching, and they still had to account for travel time. If this continues,’ he thought, ’we’ll miss it for sure.’

He forced down his anger, knowing it was pointless to argue with these underlings. It would only get them nowhere.

He pulled the clerk aside to a quiet corner and said in a low voice, "Friend, we’re in a hurry to get to Jiangzhou for the examination. Please, do us a favor. Just tell us where Wang Shuli is, and we’ll go find him ourselves."

"In a hurry for the examination?"

The clerk shot Chen Shouheng a sideways glance. "If you were in such a hurry," he said coldly, "you should have come to file your papers earlier. Showing up at the last minute just makes things difficult for us, doesn’t it?"

The words had barely left his mouth when a soft clinking sound came from the floor. Two five-tael silver ingots were rolling near his feet.

"Friend, you seem to have dropped your silver."

The clerk’s expression twitched.

’We’re still inside the Government Office! Are you being this blatant? Not even trying to hide it?’

’What a disgrace to civilized men!’

’Disgusting! Fucking disgusting!’

As he hesitated, two more ingots, these worth ten taels each, clinked on the floor. He heard the man say, "Friend, your money pouch must have a hole in it."

’This... am I the sort of man to grovel for a pittance?’

But in the next moment, two fifty-tael silver ingots rolled to a stop.

The clerk hastily scooped up the silver, his face a mask of displeasure. "The clothes from Tian’s Cloth Workshop are just terribly made. I wouldn’t recommend buying from them."

After securing the silver, he smiled brightly. "Wang Shuli lives in Yuqian Alley in the south of the city. His house is the one with the large locust tree out front..."

Chen Shouheng offered his thanks, and he and Zhou Shuwei immediately left the Commandery Magistrate’s Office.

They soon found Wang Shuli’s house.

The courtyard gate was shut tight.

The two exchanged a glance, then leaped over the wall into the courtyard.

There was Wang Shuli, the very same clerk who had claimed to have an "unbearable stomachache" at the office yesterday. He was currently lounging in a bamboo chair under a jujube tree in the courtyard, legs crossed, nibbling on a small dish of fried peanuts and contentedly sipping wine. He didn’t look the least bit sick.

Seeing the two of them appear in his courtyard, Wang Shuli was scared out of his wits. The wine cup in his hand went CLATTERING to the ground, shattering into pieces.

His face went white as a sheet. "Y-you... how did you find this place?" he stammered.

A cold glint flashed in Chen Shouheng’s eyes. He moved like a phantom, appearing before the clerk in an instant.

Before the clerk could react, a hand clamped around his neck like an iron pincer, lifting him clean off the ground.

"Gah..."

Wang Shuli’s legs kicked wildly. His face turned from white to a deathly pale blue as he struggled to breathe, his eyes wide with terror.

"My, what refined tastes you have, sir."

Chen Shouheng’s voice was like ice. "It seems your sudden illness from yesterday has completely recovered. So, about that paperwork. Are you going to process it, or not?"

"L-let... let go..."

Wang Shuli managed to squeeze out the words, his hands scrabbling uselessly at Chen Shouheng’s arm, like an ant trying to shake a great tree.

Chen Shouheng set him back on the ground, loosening his grip just enough for the man to gasp for air.

Choked to the point of seeing stars, Wang Shuli rasped, "Young Master, it truly wasn’t me making things difficult on purpose! It was... it was orders from above! I’m just a humble official following orders. You can’t blame a little guy like me!"

"Be clear! Who from above? What orders?"

Chen Shouheng demanded.

Wang Shuli didn’t dare hide anything more. The whole story came tumbling out of him.

However, as a low-level junior official, his knowledge was limited.

He only knew that the orders came from the top: all matters concerning the Zhou Family were to be handled with extreme caution and could not be processed without specific approval.

Chen Shouheng and Zhou Shuwei exchanged a look, their hearts sinking.

The Governor, He Mingyun!

"You and I never met today. If I hear even the slightest whisper that this encounter got out because of you..."

Chen Shouheng stared down at Wang Shuli, who was now a boneless heap on the ground. He pulled a ten-tael silver ingot from his robes, tossed it in front of the man, and snorted coldly.

Wang Shuli forced a smile that looked more painful than a sob and nodded frantically. "Understood, understood. I never saw either of you today. I don’t know a thing."

After they left, both were in a somber mood.

Back at the inn.

Zhou Shuwei looked at Chen Shouheng, her expression resolute. "Shouheng, you don’t need to wait for me any longer. We can’t afford any more delays. You should leave for Jiangzhou now. The Provincial Examination... I’m not going to take it."

Chen Shouheng shook his head. "There might still be a way. Let’s go home and talk with my father first—"

"There’s no time."

Zhou Shuwei cut him off. "He’s dead set on stopping me. Even if your father has a solution, it won’t be something that can be resolved overnight. I can’t ruin your prospects. You’ve already done more than enough for me."

She looked up, forcing a smile. "You go. I’ll... I’ll go back to Lingxi and wait for you."

Chen Shouheng looked at her smiling face, a storm of complicated emotions swirling within him.

He knew she was right. If they kept pushing this, they would likely both miss the Provincial Examination.

He took a deep breath, then suddenly stepped forward and gently pulled her into his embrace.

Zhou Shuwei’s body trembled slightly.

"I’ll be waiting for you."

She buried her face in his chest.

A moment later, Chen Shouheng released her and packed his belongings.

After bidding farewell to Zhou Shuwei at the city gates, he spurred his horse onward toward Jiangzhou.