Salted Fish Chapter 45

 Chapter 45

Giving Him Strength

Reinstating Gu Yin as the Governor of Jiangnan was entirely due to the Emperor's favor. This also indicated that the Crown Prince's position was as stable as a mountain. Upon hearing this, the eldest prince, Xiao Rong, felt a deep sense of bitterness and jealousy.

The difference between being the eldest son and the legitimate son was just a character, but the difference in their futures was immense.

Gu Yin entered the palace to decline the Emperor's decree, but the Emperor naturally refused to let him delay. He only told him to rest at home for a few days before heading to Jiangnan to take charge of the situation. Gu Yin, after repeatedly trying to decline, had no choice but to accept the decree.

This back-and-forth refusal was well understood by the Emperor and the civil and military officials as a mere formality, meant to be seen by the common people who didn't understand these subtleties.

It was like when the Emperor wanted an official to resign. The first time, he definitely wouldn't approve of it. The second time, the Emperor would respond by asking the official to reconsider. By the third time, the Emperor would sigh and say that if he couldn't keep the official, he had no choice but to let him go.

This way, both sides save face.

Xiao Shan always found such matters bizarre. What if someone, after their first resignation request was denied, decided not to submit another? The Emperor would surely feel as if he had swallowed a fly.

But such things could only be imagined. If someone actually made the Emperor feel like he had swallowed a fly, even if they momentarily felt triumphant, their fate would be sealed. They would be crushed, and their end would certainly be tragic.

Xiao Shan didn't pay much attention to Gu Yin's matter and then began his days of idling at the Ministry of Justice.

Initially, Xiao Shan thought he could attend sporadically, like he did with court sessions. But this time, the Emperor disagreed and directly told him that if he embarrassed himself at the Ministry of Justice, he shouldn't expect his father to save face for him.

Xiao Shan was always careful about provoking the Emperor, never acting rashly. Seeing that the Emperor was displeased this time, he didn't dare push his luck.

He thought to himself, "Isn't it just a matter of showing up at the Ministry of Justice every day? I'll go."

After all, with Xiao Rong accompanying him, the days wouldn't be too unbearable.

That was his thought, but once he actually went to the Ministry of Justice, it turned out to be incredibly boring.

The officials of the Ministry of Justice didn't dare offend either of the two princes, nor did they dare show favoritism towards one.

So, under the pretext that the two princes needed to familiarize themselves with the Ministry's case-handling procedures, they brought out the case files from the past years and placed them in front of the two princes.

To be honest, the case files from these years filled the entire table, stacked higher than a person. Some of the files were so old that their covers had turned yellow and emitted a musty smell.

The Ministry officials left the files and departed, leaving the two princes sitting in the office, facing the mountain of case files.

Xiao Rong's face turned green at the sight of these documents.

He came to the Ministry of Justice to build relationships, to let others see his excellence, and to win them over with his charisma, not to suffer.

In contrast, Xiao Shan appeared quite calm. He glanced at the case files, yawned, moved his chair to a spot by the window, and began to stare outside, letting his mind wander.

Xiao Rong shot him a dark look and sneered, "What, isn't Third Brother supposed to be following me? Why are you sitting so far away now?"

Xiao Shan slowly shifted his gaze to Xiao Rong and then lazily replied, "Eldest Brother, Father Emperor ordered me to learn from you. The meaning is clear: first, you need to understand it yourself before you can teach. I think you should start by going through these case files. Once you've figured them out, you can explain them to me. If I understand, then you've done your job well. I believe this is the proper attitude towards teaching."

After saying this, Xiao Shan looked at Xiao Rong with bright, sparkling eyes, like an obedient student.

Xiao Rong: "..."

He cursed inwardly with words he couldn't say out loud.

Knowing he couldn't out-argue Xiao Shan, Xiao Rong was seething with anger, his heart pounding.

He knew he and Xiao Shan were incompatible. Forget enduring for three months; he couldn't even tolerate three days.

Xiao Rong took a deep breath and exhaled silently, then took another deep breath. He kept reassuring himself internally: This is the Ministry of Justice. I can't get angry. I can't argue with Xiao Shan. Xiao Shan has too many twisted arguments. If I argue, I'll end up being laughed at.

Xiao Rong held back his frustration, thinking that since Xiao Shan looked down on him, he would make sure to show him up.

So, Xiao Rong shot a sidelong glance at Xiao Shan, snorted coldly, and sat down in front of the towering stack of case files.

He knew that Xiao Shan was the laziest and most indifferent, completely disliking handling official duties. Since that was the case, he would teach him step by step, striving to be a competent and responsible teacher.

Xiao Shan had always come out on top in their arguments, never losing out in words or actions. Seeing Xiao Rong suddenly take such an unexpected approach, Xiao Shan blinked, then blinked again.

As far as he knew, Xiao Rong was rough and impulsive by nature, completely impatient with handling such trivial matters. Most of the time, it was his father-in-law, Gu Guang, who guided him through these tasks.

Seeing that Xiao Rong was really preparing to immerse himself in the old case files, Xiao Shan muttered softly, "Is it really necessary? This is like hurting the enemy a thousand times while damaging oneself eight hundred times."

After opening the first case file, Xiao Rong looked over at Xiao Shan. Suppressing his irritation, he smiled slightly and said, "Just wait, Third Brother. This Eldest Brother will thoroughly study these files and then teach you well."

Xiao Shan smiled back, not willing to show weakness, but thought to himself, Is this a mutual destruction strategy?

Do these two losers really intend to go through all these case files?

He didn't believe Xiao Rong had the patience for it.

If he really does, then I'll follow along and learn.

Xiao Shan thought about his own ambitions, then turned his head and continued to close his eyes and bask in the sun.

Regardless of whether Xiao Rong could keep it up, it wouldn't stop him from resting his eyes.

***

Not long after Xiao Shan left, Xie Zhui donned his training clothes and practiced with a saber in the backyard.

He initially wanted to practice with a spear, but once he held it, his thoughts drifted elsewhere, so he switched to a saber instead.

In the past, he could practice alone for half a day. Now, after just a few moves, he lost interest. It wasn't that he couldn't continue, but he simply didn't feel like it. Previously, after a session, Xiao Shan, who would be sitting nearby, would always say a few words.

Now, being alone, he suddenly felt a bit bored.

Previously, when Xiao Shan went to the palace, it was only for the duration of the morning court session, and he would return quickly.

But starting today, Xiao Shan would spend the entire day at the Ministry of Justice, and they would only be able to meet in the evening.

Thinking about this, Xie Zhui lost even more interest in practicing martial arts. He had gotten used to having someone by his side, and now that the person was absent, he truly felt out of sorts.

He sheathed his saber and stood alone in the courtyard.

After a long silence, he realized that only the time it took for an incense stick to burn had passed.

It wasn't until Xia He came to ask him what he wanted for lunch that Xie Zhui suddenly snapped out of his thoughts.

He looked at Xia He and suddenly remembered how Xiao Shan had dawdled before leaving, complaining that he didn't want to take his turn on duty. He had said that the food at the six ministries was terrible, that he would definitely lose weight during his duty week, and that he would become unattractive.

Thinking of this, Xie Zhui looked at Xia He and instructed, "Prepare some of the dishes and snacks that the prince likes. I'll take them to the Ministry of Justice."

Xia He was slightly taken aback by his request but quickly responded, "Yes, Prince Consort."

Despite Xiao Shan's less-than-stellar reputation, this household was the most well-regulated.

In Prince Li's residence, everyone only listened to Xie Zhui. Xiao Shan's regard for Xie Zhui was evident to all, and naturally, the servants followed suit. Xiao Shan had personally stated that Xie Zhui's words were equivalent to his own, and no one dared to show any disrespect, either openly or behind their backs.

Xia He carefully prepared the dishes and snacks, thinking that Xiao Shan would surely be pleased to see Xie Zhui.

Xie Zhui carried the food box and rode to the Ministry of Justice.

Before dismounting, he was only thinking about delivering the meal to Xiao Shan. After dismounting, for some reason, he suddenly felt a bit nervous, though his face showed no expression, and his hand gripped the food box tightly.

Xie Zhui approached the guards and explained his purpose.

The guards, noticing the distinctive cinnabar mole between his eyebrows, immediately recognized him. When he mentioned that he was there to see Xiao Shan, they confirmed his identity.

The guards quickly went inside to announce his arrival.

Xiao Shan was extremely surprised to learn that Xie Zhui had come and personally went outside to welcome him in.

It wasn't yet time for the meal, but Xie Zhui's arrival was perfectly timed.

Xiao Shan led Xie Zhui to an empty room, pressed him into a chair, and sincerely said, "Xie Zhui, you are truly heaven-sent to save me."

He didn't know what had gotten into Xiao Rong, who stubbornly sat there reading the morning's case files. When it was time to eat, Xiao Rong insisted on dragging him along to explain the details of the files.

Xiao Rong even said that if Xiao Shan dared not listen, he would drag him to the Emperor to explain everything and ask the Emperor to judge between them.

For the first time, Xiao Shan realized that a person could become entirely different after experiencing intense stress.

Fortunately, Xie Zhui arrived and successfully rescued him this time.

As Xie Zhui listened to Xiao Shan's complaints, he opened the food box and asked, "So, what does Your Highness plan to do?"

"There's no plan. We'll deal with whatever comes our way," Xiao Shan replied casually. Seeing that the bowls, chopsticks, and dishes were prepared for two, he handed one set to Xie Zhui and said, "Hurry up and eat before it gets cold."

Xie Zhui's ears warmed slightly, and he responded softly, "Alright."

These were all prepared by Xia He, and Xie Zhui indeed wanted to have the meal with Xiao Shan, so he went along with it. Xiao Shan, as he had hoped, invited him to join for the meal.

The morning's frustration and unease completely vanished.

Xie Zhui initially had little appetite, but now, eating the delicious and aromatic food, his appetite improved significantly.

After they finished eating, they tidied up the bowls and chopsticks. Xiao Shan then escorted Xie Zhui, who was carrying the food box, to the exit.

When he returned to the office, he looked at Xiao Rong, who had just eaten a communal meal with the officials of the Ministry of Justice. Suddenly, he felt invigorated, as if he had been injected with adrenaline, and his spirits were soaring.

It was just the case files from the Ministry of Justice, no big deal. He would learn.

Xiao Rong had thought he had found Xiao Shan's weak spot, but after just one lunch break, Xiao Shan returned with renewed enthusiasm and vigor.

Could it be that the food Xie Zhui brought contained some miraculous elixir?

Xiao Shan was excited, while Xiao Rong was deflated.

He had been holding onto a grudge, and just as it was about to dissipate, seeing Xiao Shan's renewed enthusiasm only made him more frustrated.

***

Xie Zhui rode his horse back home and encountered Gu Yin, who was returning from the palace.

Gu Yin was the first to notice Xie Zhui, as the distinctive cinnabar mole between Xie Zhui's eyebrows was too conspicuous.

When Xie Zhui and Xiao Shan got married, Gu Yin was far away in Jiangnan but still sent a congratulatory gift.

Gu Yin… how to describe him? He was a man full of scholarly air. Standing there, dressed in ordinary clothes, he still gave off the impression of a learned man.

After announcing his name on the busy street, he cupped his hands in greeting to Xie Zhui.

Xie Zhui nodded, his expression calm, and rode past him.

That evening, Xiao Shan returned from the Ministry of Justice.

Xie Zhui recounted his encounter with Gu Yin, to which Xiao Shan responded with a nonchalant "Oh," not paying much attention.

Then he heard Xie Zhui say, "I don't like him."

Hmm?

Xiao Shan looked up in surprise.

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