He went to Luochuan County, ah, Li Daoxuan thought: The people of Luochuan are suffering now.

However, he could only sigh about it, unable to help.

Liang Shixian’s clerk and Thirty-Two’s clerk Tan Liwen connected. The two clerks began to arrange their subordinates to carry the five hundred plastic great bows back to the watchtower.

The two leaders were relatively idle, so Liang Shixian brought up the topic of the cement road: “Thirty-Two, I saw that outside your fort’s gate, there is a gray cement road extending out. This road is extremely flat, great for driving vehicles. How exactly was it made? Did you carve a whole giant stone flat and lay it on the ground?”

Thirty-Two shook his head: “That’s not something humans can do. The so-called cement is a type of mud from the immortal realm. Stir it, spread it on the ground, and after it dries in the wind, it turns into such a road.”

“Mud from the immortal realm?”

Liang Shixian was a bit confused.

Thirty-Two originally intended to bring out the name of Dao Xuan Deity to elaborate, but upon careful thought, Liang Shixian was a person from the government, and the government was still vigorously suppressing the White Lotus Sect. Regarding the matter of Dao Xuan Deity, it was better not to boast in front of him.

He changed his words: “Ahem, actually, it’s a type of mud that my Lord Li obtained by chance.”

This was much easier to accept. Liang Shixian: “Where did this mud come from? I too would like to…”

Thirty-Two shook his head: “Lord Liang, I have something to say, but I don’t know if I should say it.”

Liang Shixian: “With such an opening, it means whether it should be said or not, you will definitely say it. Then, please enlighten me.”

Thirty-Two: “Shaanxi has suffered from drought for consecutive years, and the people are in dire straits. Given the current conditions of the people in Chengcheng, if you add corvee labor and make them build cement roads while hungry, I fear…”

Liang Shixian suddenly realized and hurriedly bowed deeply: “What you say is true, Thirty-Two. This official has been enlightened.”

He turned his head and looked at the cement road outside the fort leading to Zhengjia Village. Deep down, he felt somewhat envious.

Building bridges and repairing roads have always been good deeds that last for generations. Deep in his heart, he still wanted to create several decent roads for the county under his jurisdiction, but… the current situation truly did not allow it.

Alas!

He also did not know when this cursed drought would finally end.

…

Capital city, imperial palace, Imperial Study.

Emperor Chongzhen Zhu Youjian was browsing through memorials.

The memorials from Shaanxi were becoming increasingly unbearable to look at. One message was worse than another. The memorial from Provincial Governor of Shaanxi Hu Tingyan said that the border pay for Lingong had been delayed for five or six years, amounting to over two hundred thousand taels of silver owed. Jinglu border fortress was short by two or three years respectively. Guzhenjingyun transport, from the forty-seventh year of Wanli to the sixth year of Tianqi, totaled a debt of one hundred fifty-nine thousand taels of silver…

Between the lines of this memorial, it radiated three words: “I want money!”

But where did Zhu Youjian have money for him?

Looking at the next memorial: Bu Zhan Ni plundered grain from wealthy families in Luochuan. The authorities pursued him urgently, and he gathered to become a bandit.

The next one: Zuo Guazi from Qingjian County gathered ten thousand thieves and rebelled at Long’erzui in Yichuan.

Wang Daliang from Hannan caused trouble with a force of four hundred men, proclaiming himself King of Daliang.

…

Throughout Shaanxi, rebellions were blooming everywhere.

Zhu Youjian was furious. With a thump, he threw out a thick pile of memorials. The eunuch beside him frantically picked them up from the floor.

“How unreasonable, utterly unreasonable.”

The fury in Zhu Youjian flared. “Is there no normal report from Shaanxi? I want to hear good news, good news! Fetch me some good news immediately!”

An attendant cautiously pushed an urgent military dispatch from Chengcheng forward.

Zhu Youjian flipped it open. “Patrol Officer Cheng Xu of Chengcheng in Shaanxi? Reported by a ninth-rank military officer? Such a minor…” He had just begun to voice his disdain when his eyes scanned the contents. Delight washed over him. “Cheng Xu executed Bai Shui Wang Er, suppressed the banditry in Chengcheng, and also soundly defeated Bu Zhan Ni and Zuo Guazi?”

Zhu Youjian’s mood soared as if he had boarded a jet plane.

Imperial joy radiated from him!

“Reward him! Reward him heavily!”

His trusted eunuch, Du Xun, whispered cautiously, “Your Majesty, this Cheng Xu… he belongs to Wei Zhongxian’s faction.”

At those words, Zhu Youjian’s face instantly darkened. His mood plummeted like a free-falling elevator.

Reward him? To hell with that!

Wei Zhongxian had already committed suicide by hanging in Fucheng County, Hejian Prefecture, on the sixth day of the eleventh month. This news was being suppressed by Zhu Youjian and was still known to very few.

He hadn’t yet moved against the Eunuch Party, but he was making his final preparations. Once everything was ready, he would have the civil ministerial group launch their assault on them. Seeing anyone associated with the Eunuch Party irritated him intensely at such a moment.

“Investigate this man named Cheng Xu. Verify every detail in his report: lies, mistakes, exaggerations – if there’s the slightest inaccuracy, note it down. When the time comes for me to deal with the Eunuch Party, he will be taken down along with them.”

“At your command, Your Majesty.”

…

Mr. Wang returned.

He returned triumphant.

His trip to Chengcheng County had been one long display of swagger. Leading Zheng Daniu and his band of imposing “bodyguards,” carrying a massive sack of silver, he had radiated arrogance.

Upon reaching the county seat, he headed straight for the bookstore.

Business at the Chengcheng Bookstore had been sluggish for the past three years. Printed books and novels of all kinds were hard to sell. The owner was at his wit’s end, unsure whether to keep struggling on.

Just then, Mr. Wang appeared with his heavy sack of silver, like a savior descending from heaven.

The bookstore owner didn’t hesitate. Sold!

Mr. Wang indulged his fantasy of “making a fortune,” became the new proprietor of the Chengcheng Bookstore, and promptly led Zheng Daniu and the others to the bookstore’s warehouse. He packed up every tool needed for movable type printing and carted it all away. Oh, and he also persuaded – one might say abducted – the two printing workers to come with them.

When they returned to Gaojia Village, each young man carried a large bundle filled with the movable type printing blocks.

“We’re back!” bellowed Zheng Daniu with a hearty laugh. “I carried back so many characters! Feels like I’ve never been this scholarly before.”

“Carrying characters doesn’t make you learned; you have to know the characters.” A villager retorted.

The surrounding villagers laughed.

Gao Sanwa dashed forward. “Let me see what characters you brought!” He casually pulled a wooden block from the bundle on Zheng Daniu’s back, wiped it on a piece of charcoal, and then – smack – pressed it right onto Zheng Daniu’s face.

A large, black character was left on the simpleton’s face.

Everyone peered left and right. Okay, no one recognized it.

“Gao Sanwa, haven’t you been learning characters lately? What character is this?” someone asked.

Gao Sanwa shook his head. “We haven’t learned one that complicated yet.”

Young Master Bai popped out from the side. “That’s the character for ‘fool’!”

Everyone: “…”

Zheng Daniu’s face flushed crimson. He frantically rubbed his face, smearing the ink. The character was obliterated, but half his face was now covered in black smudges.

Furious, he yelled, “Gao Sanwa! You did that on purpose! You pressed that ‘fool’ character on my face! You’re laughing at me!”

Gao Sanwa clutched his head and ran. “Whoa! No I didn’t! I just grabbed one randomly!”