Chapter: Summer Insects Cannot Speak of Ice

Wang Cheng was truly a warm-hearted man!

"This matter concerns the stability of Haixi. Since Elder Ma has come in person, I will naturally do my utmost to plead your case with the magistrate. However, what you gentlemen did previously was indeed a bit excessive. If you stayed away because Magistrate Deng hosted a banquet and you dared not attend out of fear of Chen Sheng's tyranny, that might still be considered excusable. But why, long after Chen Sheng was dead, did you still delay taking action? If I were Deng Haixi, I would certainly be very angry too."

"We were muddle-headed, truly muddle-headed!"

The merchants wore expressions of awkward embarrassment, bowing repeatedly.

Fortunately, Wang Cheng did not dwell on the matter further. After seeing the merchants off, he had his carriage prepared and headed straight for the county office.

To his surprise, however, Deng Ji was not currently in Haixi County.

It turned out that after Chen Gui stripped Chen Sheng of his status as a member of the Chen clan, he had also invited Deng Ji to Guangling for a meeting. As Deng Ji's superior, and the head of Guangling's premier aristocratic family, the Chen family had shown Deng Ji the utmost respect. And since Deng Ji, as Chen Deng's subordinate, was supposed by ritual to pay a courtesy call on Chen Deng before officially taking office, once the Chen family extended the invitation, the journey to Guangling could not be delayed.

"Hu Ban, is Mr. Puyang in?"

"Reporting to Master Wang, Mr. Puyang and my master have gone together to Guangling."

Wang Cheng asked, "Mr. Puyang went as well? Then who is left in charge at the county office?"

"Ah, that would be our young master!"

"Young Master Cao?"

"Precisely. The young master was originally supposed to accompany them to pay his respects to Elder Chen, but because he was feeling slightly under the weather, he remained behind in Haixi County."

"Is that so?"

Wang Cheng nodded thoughtfully.

"Master Wang, would you like to see our young master?"

"Ah, since the young master is unwell, I shouldn't disturb him. By the way, has Magistrate Deng ever mentioned when he plans to levy troops to suppress the sea bandits?"

"As for that..." Hu Ban shook his head. "My master doesn't seem to have mentioned it. After eradicating Chen Sheng, my master merely ordered a hundred patrol soldiers to be recalled, placing them under the command of Feng Chao and Pan Zhang. As for the rest..."

"Oh, I remember now. My master also said that we must strengthen the governance of the marketplace, and mentioned preparing to issue a... that name is rather a mouthful, I can't quite recall it... Oh, the Public Security Management Regulations."

"What?"

Wang Cheng stared in blank astonishment.

"What on earth is that?"

"The full name is the Haixi County North Market Commercial District Public Security Management Regulations. As for the specific contents, that is not something a humble person like me is allowed to inquire about."

"Haixi County North Market Commercial District Public Security... Regulations?"

This lengthy title was indeed quite a mouthful.

Wang Cheng scratched his head, secretly slipped a string of cash into Hu Ban's hand, and then took his leave.

What on earth was this so-called commercial district regulation thing?

Wang Cheng departed in a haze of confusion. Hu Ban watched his retreating figure, weighed the copper coins in his hand, and chuckled softly.

"Hu Ban, what are you laughing at?"

"Oh, someone else came by to inquire just now. I answered according to the young master's instructions, and earned another string of reward coins."

"Damn, the young master's trick is truly brilliant."

"Indeed. Just this morning alone, I've earned nearly two strings of coins. Though, to be fair, Wang Cheng is the most generous—he tipped a whole string right off the bat."

After exchanging a few laughs with the gate guard, Hu Ban walked into the county office.

He bypassed the main hall, threaded his way through the side corridor, passed through a moon gate, and arrived at the separate courtyard where Cao Peng lived.

The courtyard was very quiet, featuring a study, two rows of side chambers, and a small garden. Hu Ban walked up to the study door, knocked, and pulled it open.

"Young master, Wang Cheng is here!"

"What is he here for?"

Cao Peng was seated amidst a stack of official documents, flipping through them incessantly.

Without raising his head as Hu Ban entered, he asked directly, "He came to see the master? But since the master is away, did he say anything else about seeking an audience?"

"Well, he only asked when the master plans to pacify the sea bandits."

Cao Peng's body gave a slight tremor, and he raised his head from the documents.

"Why is a mere schoolteacher so enthusiastic about fighting sea bandits? I remember after his first visit to my brother-in-law, he went around spreading news in a panic, almost putting my brother-in-law in an awkward position."

"As for that... this humble subordinate has no idea."

A trace of fatigue showed on Cao Peng's face. He straightened his back and gently massaged his temples.

These past two days had truly worn him out!

In order to search for information regarding the fish-mouth bronze weight, he had practically turned over every document in the archives. It had to be said that the records kept by the ancients were often sparse, compressing vast amounts of information into just a few words. Having been reborn for nearly a year now, Cao Peng had gained some understanding of late Eastern Han rhetoric and phrasing. Yet, understanding aside, actually sitting down to read through these official documents was exhausting work.

A single sentence often required repeated deliberation just to extract its true meaning.

Cao Peng was currently holding a bamboo slip resembling a local chronicle of Haixi, which mostly recorded various bizarre and supernatural occurrences...

Much like local legends?

Yes, something akin to the anomaly-recording style of *In Search of the Supernatural*.

Setting down the bamboo slip, Cao Peng stood up from the documents and casually picked up two jade balls, each about the size of an infant's fist.

This pair of jade balls had been confiscated from Chen Sheng's estate and were said to be Chen Sheng's most prized possessions. Cao Peng thought they looked rather like later-generation health balls, so he had kept them. The two white jade balls rolled back and forth in his hands, emitting crisp clicking sounds from time to time.

"This Mr. Wang is excessively enthusiastic about suppressing the sea bandits."

He stepped out of the study, raised his head, and gazed at the gloomy, overcast sky. Winter in Haixi was always like this—damp, humid, and somewhat uncomfortable for Cao Peng. He strolled slowly along the veranda, with Hu Ban following closely and leisurely behind him...

"Hu Ban, has Chen Sheng's estate been completely inventoried yet?"

"Brother Xiahou is still tallying it. When he left this morning, he said Chen Sheng's assets are simply too vast to be counted all at once."

"Ah, making Xiahou do this kind of work is indeed a bit much to ask of him."

Chen Sheng's businesses during his lifetime had spanned the gold market, grain, carpentry, cloth shops, and various other industries.

In addition, there were pawnshops, manorial estates, and a myriad of other miscellaneous enterprises, making it extremely complex. Furthermore, it required taking a census and registering the household registers—truly arduous labor. Haixi currently had a registered population of just over thirty thousand. But that was the population figure from two years ago. How many people actually lived in Haixi now? No doubt anyone could tell. Local powerful clans often kept private slaves. These slaves belonged to the private property of the gentry and were not reflected in the official household registers. Since Chen Sheng possessed vast tracts of fertile land in Haixi, just how many slaves were registered under his name? That required careful investigation and tallying... Xiahou Lan was fine at fighting wars, but he was utterly unsuited for this sort of clerical work.

True, Chen Sheng was dead!

And Deng Ji seemed to have established a foothold in Haixi.

Yet in reality, up to this point, Deng Ji had yet to build a complete administrative team.

Generally speaking, a county city required not only a county magistrate, but also a county丞 (assistant magistrate) to manage granaries and prisons, and one or two countywei (commandants) to oversee public security. Below the assistant magistrate and commandant were positions such as the chief clerk, merit officer, scribes, and historians. In addition, there had to be basic grassroots officials such as the three elders and ward heads. The county magistrate or chief was appointed by the imperial court.

However, prefectures and commanderies could also intervene in county personnel appointments.

Yet Haixi's situation was unique; Chen Deng had not interfered.

Now that Deng Ji had opened up the situation, building a staff of advisors had become an urgent priority.

The post of assistant magistrate had already been filled by Puyang Kai; as for the commandants, both Zhou Cang and Xiahou Lan were capable of taking on the roles. Cao Peng's current position was Haixi County Military Officer. In reality, however, the only armed forces in his hands were that hundred-odd soldiers. Feng Chao served as the Military Scribe, and Pan Zhang as the Military Clerk, constituting the entirety of Haixi County's armed strength. The rest of the posts—such as household affairs, law, granaries, and public works—remained vacant.

To govern Haixi County well, relying solely on Deng Ji was unrealistic.

Puyang Kai possessed extraordinary learning, but when it came to handling such trivial administrative chores, he fell somewhat short.

Therefore, the most urgent task was for Deng Ji to appoint a chief clerk and various merit officers before a complete administrative framework could be established.

Yet building such a team was truly difficult.

People without talent were useless even if employed; as for talented individuals, who would be willing to humble themselves and work under a mere county magistrate like Deng Ji?

Cao Peng tapped his forehead: He needed to find some helpers for his brother-in-law!

He suddenly halted, turned his head, and asked, "Hu Ban, have you spread the news I told you to?"

"Young master, it's all been spread... However, they keep asking me what on earth those regulations are."

Cao Peng smiled slightly. "When you need to know, I will naturally tell you!"

"Understood!"

"Very well, you may withdraw first."

Hu Ban bowed and retreated.

Cao Peng walked slowly along the corridor, the jade balls in his hands spinning faster and faster.

The fish-mouth bronze weight!

The mysterious murderer...

And the legendary treasure.

He had been pondering this matter these past few days, and a thread of logic was gradually forming in his mind.

According to the Haixi local chronicle... oh, that anomaly-recorded bamboo slip: before surrendering to the Xiongnu, Li Guangli had indeed buried a massive fortune. Yet, from the reign of Emperor Wu of Han down to the present several hundred years later, no one had ever managed to find the location of this wealth, and the so-called labyrinth had gradually faded into mythological legend. By now, the legend was hardly known to anyone anymore.

Li Guangli's treasure — the fish-mouth bronze weight — the bizarre deaths of recent Haixi magistrates — Mai Cheng's garrisoning in the county office...

Everything seemed to faintly point the finger toward the Mai family.

And this Mai family was a local powerful clan of Haixi, possessing not only an ancient lineage but also immense prestige.

No matter how domineering Chen Sheng had appeared on the surface, compared to the Mai family, he was mere scum! The Mai family was the true overlord of Haixi!

Cao Peng could deal with Chen Sheng without the slightest hesitation, but that did not mean he could deal with the Mai family.

In his past life, driven by a surge of hot-blooded idealism, he had defied the powerful and nobility, only to end up with his family ruined and destroyed. In this life, he repeatedly warned himself not to play the hero! Therefore, facing the same dilemma, Cao Peng decided to endure temporarily and not rush to unravel the mystery.

After all, Deng Ji had not yet firmly rooted himself in Haixi County...

There was also the matter of Wang Cheng being unusually active these past two days.

Perhaps due to some instinct of caution, Cao Peng had felt a sense of vigilance toward Wang Cheng right from the start.

According to the information he had gathered, Wang Cheng truly was a good man. He was forthright, charitable, shunned luxury, and lived a life akin to an ascetic monk. Such a person seemed truly flawless. Yet it was precisely this flawlessness that made Wang Cheng feel unreal.

As if this perfection had been deliberately crafted!

If that were the case, why put on such a facade?

Beneath great benevolence must lie great evil. Such was Cao Peng's intuition... Wang Cheng's excessive zeal for suppressing the sea bandits only deepened Cao Peng's suspicions.

*Hoo...*

This really was a complicated affair!

Cao Peng took a deep breath and stopped in the corridor.

The winter rain began to fall in a fine, drizzling mist, and Cao Peng unexpectedly discovered that in a corner of the courtyard wall, a plum blossom was quietly blooming!

***

Amidst deep anxiety, the merchants of Haixi had survived two days of torment.

Deng Ji had finally returned!

However, he did not return alone. In addition to Puyang Kai, who accompanied him back, Deng Ji brought along two people and a severed head.

That head belonged precisely to Chen Sheng's son, Chen Kui.

On the day the incident with Chen Sheng occurred, upon learning of it, Chen Kui had fled Haixi to seek refuge in Guangling.

If he had simply sought a safe haven, it might have ended there, but he chose to sow discord, attempting to incite the Chen clan of Guangling to stir up trouble against Deng Ji... Upon learning of this, Chen Gui acted decisively and had Chen Kui beheaded. During his visit this time, Deng Ji used Chen Kui's head as a token of his stance. Courtesy-named Hanyu, Chen Gui naturally revered the Han dynastic house. Since Deng Ji was an official of the Han emperor, Chen Gui was duty-bound to assist him.

In addition, when Chen Deng learned that Deng Ji lacked capable subordinates under his command, he took the initiative to recommend two men to Deng Ji.

One of them was named Bu Zhi, style name Zishan, two years older than Deng Ji, and a native of Huaiyin in Guangling Commandery; the other was named Wei Jing, a local native of Guangling County, style name Ziqi, and of the same age as Deng Ji.

Speaking of Bu Zhi, he was a man of notable lineage.

It was said that Bu Zhi's ancestor was Yang Shi, a grand officer of the Jin state during the Zhou dynasty. Because his fief was in Bu, the place was named thus, and he adopted "Bu" as his surname.

Later generations of the Bu clan included Bushu, who had been one of the disciples of Confucius.

Around the transition of the Qin and Han dynasties, members of the Bu family served as generals, and for their meritorious service were enfeoffed as the Marquis of Huaiyin, making the Bu clan a prominent family in Huaiyin.

Bu Zhi was a scion of the Bu family, though not of the primary branch. His parents had died early, leaving him on his own, and he was close friends with Wei Jing. During the day, the two farmed melons, and at night they studied books, enjoying a modest local reputation.

Bu Zhi himself was well-versed in various branches of learning and arts, truly widely read, broad-minded, elegant, and deep. Wei Jing, on the other hand, possessed an upright and rigid disposition, reminiscent of Zhongli Mei; he favored military strategy, loved the writings of Lord Shang, and always served Bu Zhi as an elder brother...

Had it been anyone else, they might not have thought much of Deng Ji.

Although Bu Zhi came from an aristocratic background, strictly speaking, his situation was quite similar to Deng Ji's.

Deng Ji's ancestor was Deng Yu, one of the twenty-eight generals of Yuntai; by Deng Ji's generation, much like Bu Zhi, they belonged to distant branches of the clan.

They had not enjoyed a fraction of their ancestors' glory, and as illegitimate offspring, they had both suffered suppression by their clansmen.

Deng Ji had become a minor official, while Bu Zhi had gone off to farm melons. The two men shared a mutual sympathy for their similar plights. Coupled with Puyang Kai's profound erudition, it was very easy to win Bu Zhi's approval. Recommended personally by Chen Deng, Bu Zhi found it difficult to refuse. Moreover, farming melons was ultimately not a long-term profession in this era. Without an official reputation, securing a promising future was no easy task.

Thus, backed by Chen Deng's recommendation and Deng Ji's personal visit to his humble dwelling, Bu Zhi expressed his willingness to follow him.

As for Wei Jing, he took Bu Zhi as his guiding light. Furthermore, since Haixi was not far from Guangling, he simply accompanied Bu Zhi on the journey.

Bu Zhi was slender, standing around 174 centimeters tall.

Wei Jing was much sturdier, standing about 170 centimeters tall, with a solid build that made him look quite robust.

Upon hearing the name Bu Zhi for the first time, Cao Peng felt a jolt in his heart.

Bu Zhi—why did this name sound so terribly familiar?

He was less certain about Wei Jing; it seemed he hadn't made an appearance in *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*. But Bu Zhi... Cao Peng was certain he had appeared in the *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*.

"This is my brother-in-law, Cao Peng, style name Youxue."

Inside the prefectural office, Deng Ji introduced Cao Peng to the two men.

"Is this the 'Youxue of Tongzhi' that Mr. Puyang mentioned?"

"Ha ha, it is indeed he!" Deng Ji laughed. "Though 'Tongzhi' is perhaps a bit of unearned praise. He currently serves as my military officer, in charge of Haixi military affairs... Youxue, Brother Zishan is a man of exceptional learning; if there is anything you do not understand, you should consult him frequently. From today onward, Brother Zishan will be the Chief Clerk of Haixi."

Cao Peng quickly bowed. "Junior Cao Peng pays respects to both elder brothers."

Bu Zhi wore a kindly smile and hurriedly reached out to support Cao Peng. "I, Bu Zishan, am merely a down-and-out scholar, yet I have been valued by Magistrate Deng and come to pledge my allegiance. In the days ahead, I shall rely heavily on younger brother Cao for care."

His tone was devoid of the arrogance typical of scholars; his voice sounded refined and clear, and his emotions did not show on his face.

Cao Peng hastened to exchange polite pleasantries. "Junior merely occupies an official post without rendering notable service, how could I dare speak of 'taking care' of anyone? With the arrival of Mr. Zishan, I can finally heave a sigh of relief."

"Oh?"

"Haixi is currently recovering from devastation, and many matters are chaotic and disorganized. Junior has always respectfully declined administrative paperwork, yet was forcibly dragged into it by Haixi's magistrate to tally account books and household registers. These past two days, junior has been utterly tormented by this. With the arrival of Mr. Zishan, junior can finally extricate himself... Ha ha, in the future, Mr. Zishan will have to bear the brunt of the hard work."

Bu Zhi had originally expected Cao Peng to raise difficulties.

In his view, Cao Peng might indeed possess talent, but being young, he would inevitably be high-spirited and prideful of his abilities.

Having finally secured a foothold in Haixi, as the magistrate's brother-in-law, Cao Peng occupied a position second only to one and above tens of thousands. His own arrival was tantamount to usurping Cao Peng's power. Bu Zhi had even prepared himself to face Cao Peng's obstruction. Who could have imagined that Cao Peng would so readily hand over his duties? Furthermore, not a trace of resentment could be detected in his words—in fact, he sounded genuinely pleased.

This youth was quite interesting! Bu Zhi inwardly praised him, though his face maintained its warm smile. *The young man knows how to conduct himself...*

Wei Jing suddenly spoke up, a mocking smile crossing his face. "Ziqi, what talent or virtue do you possess to hold the post of Haixi Military Officer at such a tender age?"

"Ziqi, do not be rude."

Hearing this, Bu Zhi hurriedly opened his mouth to stop him.

Yet it was obvious he had failed to block it in time...

He understood Wei Jing's thoughts: Wei Jing had never wanted to come here in the first place, and had only accompanied him out of loyalty to their friendship.

In truth, before Chen Deng recommended the two of them, Bu Zhi and Wei Jing had already prepared to leave Guangling and head to Jiangdong to seek their fortunes. Although Guangling was currently peaceful, undercurrents surged beneath that calm surface. Men of ambition could sense the force contained within these undercurrents, and if things continued this way, Guangling Commandery was bound to become a battlefield. By contrast, the lands of Jiangdong were still relatively safe.

Cao Peng looked at Wei Jing with surprise and smiled serenely.

"A-Fu, do not be rude!"

Deng Ji knew Cao Peng all too well.

Whenever Cao Peng put on this harmless, innocent smile, it usually signaled a sharp and ruthless counterattack.

"Mr. Ziqi's words are entirely correct; junior indeed possesses no notable virtue or talent. However... junior has heard that ambition knows no age... Gan Luo became a prime minister at twelve, and Huo Piaoji became a cavalry colonel at seventeen, following General-in-Chief Wei to strike the Xiongnu south of the desert. With eight hundred men, he wiped out two thousand enemies, captured the Xiongnu chancellor and chieftains, slew the Xiongnu shanyu's grandfather and uncle, and his valor surpassed the three armies, earning him the title of Marquis of Champion!

Today, junior is only fourteen, yet has accomplished nothing of note.

The deeds I have performed amount to no more than slaying the tyrant of Zhongyang Mountain, executing bandits in Chenliu, and striking down Haixi's overlord Chen Sheng under my horse's hooves. How dare I claim to possess virtue and talent?"

The unspoken implication was: Although I am young, I have accomplished quite a few things.

You are older than me—have you ever accomplished anything beneficial to the country and the people? If not, you had better keep your mouth shut...

Wei Jing, it seemed, had truly never accomplished any major deeds!

His face flushed red. He glared at Cao Peng, stamped his foot, and spun around to leave.

"Ziqi, where are you going?"

"Brother Zishan, I told you long ago—with your and my talent, why must we humble ourselves under the command of a one-armed cripple? I only came to Haixi for your sake. A mere wet-behind-the-ears child dares to speak with such arrogance. In my view, Deng Shusun is simply appointing people through nepotism!"