Chapter Eleven: A Sudden Calamity

She Jianhong slammed his fist on the couch in anger before continuing, “Besides, that steward is a house-born servant of mine—he’s served the She family for thirty years, always at my beck and call. And I’m supposed to cut down a lifelong servant of mine just because of some tenant’s wife? Who would ever stay loyal to me then? What would become of my dignity? A master is supposed to look after his own people, isn’t he? I only had that old man beaten with twenty strokes and locked him up to keep him from making more trouble. Chen Jun brought him food, clothes, and medicine—I didn’t make things difficult for him. I was just waiting for the old man to come to his senses, or for Chen Jun to persuade his father to see reason. Then I’d have sent him home with all due courtesy and paid a bit more silver, and that would be the end of it.”

With this, She Jianhong grew even more agitated, slapping his thigh with a sharp crack. “Everything was planned perfectly. Who would’ve thought that Di Ying, that blockhead, would act so swiftly? He’s only been in office a few months, and he’s cleared out hundreds of old cases, every last one. Old Chen was released by him too. Now I’m left high and dry—neither in nor out. Whenever Chen Jun sees me now, he looks at me with nothing but contempt. How am I supposed to win him over?”

“Ah, so it is,” Ma Guangjin sighed as he listened to She Jianhong’s complaints, then added with some anger, “That Di Ying is a real nuisance. Even cases you’ve judged and settled, he’ll dig up and try again. You’re a prefect! Are you just going to let him run wild under your nose? One of my junior officers rode his horse through the street and trampled a kid who darted out—Di dared to go against my orders and executed my officer on the spot. Who does he think he is? You’d best find a way to get rid of him. As long as he’s not on our turf, I can make sure he never sees another sunrise. And then, Lord Yan won’t pin any of this on us.”

“Brother Guangjin, do you think I haven’t tried? But that Di Ying—he’s clean as a whistle, top to bottom, inside and out. Offer him money, women, even a promotion, and he won’t budge an inch...” The more She Jianhong thought about it, the more irritated he became. He truly couldn’t understand why Lord Yan had sent such a man to Bingzhou.

Suddenly, he slapped his thigh. “I have a way to get rid of him! Aren’t there plenty of troublemakers locked up in the prison now? He’s in charge of the criminal courts. If people end up dead in there... Well, then Di Ying won’t escape with his head—he’ll be going nowhere.”

At those words, Ma Guangjin clapped his hands and laughed. This was a windfall indeed—a single arrow hitting several targets. His mood lightened at once. He reached for his teacup to clink it with She Jianhong’s, as if to toast their anticipated success.

But just then, the courtyard gate outside the study began banging, accompanied by a frantic report. “My lord, Young Master She—he’s stabbed the eldest young master to death on the pleasure boat...”

Clang! Ma Guangjin’s teacup slipped from his hand, rolled down his leg, across the couch, and crashed onto the floor, shattering into pieces. Scalding water splashed his leg, but Ma Guangjin didn’t even notice; he was frozen in shock.

“Guang—” She Jianhong was just as stunned by the news, his mind reeling. But he was the shrewder of the two; after a heartbeat’s pause, he quickly tried to calm Ma Guangjin, urging him to keep his composure until things were clear.

“Men! Bind She Jianhong and throw him into the woodshed!” Ma Guangjin, jolted by She Jianhong’s shout, snapped back to his senses. His bloodshot eyes glared at She Jianhong as he slammed the table and roared in fury. So much for a windfall—now it seemed the Ma family had become nothing but a pawn in She Jianhong’s greedy schemes!

Ma Xinggui was the Ma family’s direct heir, the eldest son, the very pillar upon whom Ma Guangjin pinned all his hopes!

She Jianhong, for his part, was not thinking so far ahead. The moment he heard Ma Guangjin dare to have him bound and detained, he leapt to his feet and shouted back, “Ma Guangjin, get a grip! I am the prefect of Bingzhou, an official of the imperial court! If you dare detain me without cause—”

“Prefect? In front of the Governor, that means nothing. Seize this corrupt official and throw him into the governor’s dungeon!” Ma Guangjin was more enraged than ever, and at the sight of soldiers rushing in, he ordered them to drag She Jianhong away at once. At this moment, Ma Guangjin couldn’t listen to reason or bear the sight of any member of the She family.

Only after She Jianhong was gagged and hauled out did Ma Guangjin stumble outside, barely able to walk straight. His son—his carefully groomed, beloved eldest son...

...

Meanwhile, on the embankment, Di Ying gazed at the flickering lights approaching in the distance, his heart growing heavier. He wiped the rain from his face, shook out his sleeves, and clutched the magistrate’s seal tucked into his breast. Straightening his back, he steeled himself to stand or fall with the embankment.

Just then, strange noises caught his ear again. They sounded... almost like someone was calling out. But he couldn’t make it out clearly. The wind was blowing right at him. Behind him lay the canal, and ahead, the Fen River. Shallow waters connected the canal bed to the river. If the canal embankment burst, the pent-up water would surge along the riverbed, crash into the waist of the Fen, and then, fueled by both rivers, smash open the long dike on the far side—flooding the farmland and villages below.

Judging by the sounds and the scattered flames, the pleasure boat had reached the eastern bank of the Fen, at the point where it met the northern shore of the riverbed. Next, those aboard would disembark and come his way.

Di Ying straightened his chest and waited for them. Yet in his mind, he couldn’t help remembering home. He was twelve then; his little sister was five. His fifth sister was remarkably brave. Once, while playing with friends, she leapt into the water to save a playmate who’d fallen in.

Fortunately, Di Ying was returning from town just then with ink and brushes in hand. The moment he saw his sister jump into the water, he nearly lost his soul in terror.

He flung down his purchases and dove in after her...

When he finally dragged his sister and her friend to safety, he was utterly exhausted—yet still found the strength to tug her ear and scold her. “Don’t do things beyond your ability. How many times have I told you? Why can’t you remember? You’re so small, and you can’t even swim. When something dangerous happens, the first thing you should do is find someone who can help—not rush in yourself! Otherwise, you’ll only throw your life away for nothing. Why won’t you listen?”

His sister, Di Miao, only grinned foolishly at him. But she never made the same mistake again.

Remembering his sister, and his own predicament now, a bittersweet smile appeared on Di Ying’s face. Was he any different from his sister back then? Both were reckless and overestimated themselves, trying to hold back disaster with bare hands...

Di Ying shook his head forcefully, banishing thoughts of despair. He opened his phoenix eyes wide and stared resolutely at the distant lights. But soon, he noticed the flames moving farther away, gradually disappearing. The strange noises ceased as well.

Di Ying’s heart eased a little. All signs pointed to Meng Zhenyao carrying out the plan without turning back midway. Tonight, there should be no more saboteurs coming to breach the dikes.

Still, he waited—he had to be sure. He didn’t know how long he waited, until a faint gleam appeared on the horizon. Then came the sound of urgent footsteps—from his right, along the embankment.

With his neck stiff from the cold, Di Ying slowly turned his head. The burden that had weighed on his heart finally lifted.

There was only one set of footsteps—not the saboteurs. If he guessed right, it was Di Shun.

Yes, it was Di Shun. Battling wind and rain, Di Shun rushed up the embankment, leapt before Di Ying, and clenched his fists, waving them in excitement. His voice was low, saying only three words: “It worked!”

A slow smile spread across Di Ying’s face.

And then—

He collapsed backward.