Chapter 13: Do You Understand What I Mean?

Page 1 of 3
East of the city, at the Huang family residence.
Li Xing gazed incredulously at Huang Ya, who had been lying motionless on the ground for quite some time.
The very man he had personally carried home just yesterday now lay still and lifeless here.
With his experience, Li Xing knew at once: death by poisoning.
Arsenic, no less.
Under different circumstances, if it had been some other time, and Huang Ya had been abusive to his wife, suspicion might have fallen on the wife who cooked his meals.
But in the present situation, the wife had lost her husband and was left to wander the streets.
Or perhaps she labored even harder elsewhere, struggling just to fill her belly.
They had no reason to harm him.
Li Xing looked at the cold, untouched food and knew it was poisoned.
And the poison came from the salt that the magistrate had ordered him to return to them.
He opened his notebook to record the case details and reviewed the words Chen Fan had spoken when he confessed.
“The commoners feared retaliation, so they foraged daily with their wives.”
“But in recent days, they have not appeared at my home.”
“Yet this morning, the doorstep of the commoner’s house was piled high with food; the commoner was fearful and cautious.”
“Unable to discard it for fear of harming others, they brought it to the court, asking the magistrate to deal with it, to punish the crime.”
Chen Fan had clearly hinted to the county magistrate, who was known for his meticulous mind—why then the seemingly hasty handling?
“Report, Lord Li: the vegetables are poisoned, the kitchen’s salt is poisoned, and the poison is arsenic!”
“Very well, I understand. I have learned the truth and will petition the magistrate for action.”
Chen Fan arrived early at the hall for work and completed all his tasks by noon.
He then began drafting the governance plan he had conceived the previous night.
By the afternoon, it was finished.
During this time, Yue Rou brought him water many times.
He also brought back plenty of dishes for Yue Rou and Yue E to enjoy.
Near the end of the day, he sought counsel from the scribe.
“Scribe, I have something unclear and ask for your guidance.”
“I have completed my duties; please review them.”
“Hmm! Not bad. It must have taken you quite some time. Work for the next day.”
“Scribe, I finished all this by morning!”
“Chen Fan, you need not bear such pressure. The magistrate promoted you and will not dismiss you lightly.
He understands your ability; there is no need to rush to prove yourself.
Go to bed early tonight; no need for overtime. Rest well so you can better serve the magistrate and relieve his burdens.”
The scribe was not entirely confident in Chen Fan’s abilities—not out of disbelief, but because of the workload.
He was certain Chen Fan must have stayed up late to complete all this.
The files Chen Fan reviewed, the records he made—
They numbered twenty volumes and spanned over one hundred thousand characters, all carefully considered.

Page 2 of 3
When Chen Fan pulled from his sleeve the policy proposal he had devised the previous night and handed it to the scribe,
the scribe’s eyes widened in astonishment, speechless.
For this was a county chronicle record—thick and lengthy.
The scribe quickly flipped through the volumes, scanning the content.
He found the arguments thorough, innovative, bold, and detailed.
Most strikingly, it contained over one hundred thousand characters!
As the scribe’s expression froze, staring at Chen Fan and unsure what to say,
Chen Fan spoke:
“These are but my humble insights, scribe. I hope you will peruse them.
If feasible, please present them to the magistrate.
I have not slept these past two days, working solely on these strategies.
Not for any personal gain, but for the people of Zeng County to live peacefully and prosper, fulfilling His Majesty’s mandate!”
The scribe’s expression gradually softened as he tucked the volumes into his sleeve.
“Chen Fan, you have labored greatly. Tomorrow, you need not come to work.
Rest well for a day, then visit the taverns and market.
I will read thoroughly and present it to the magistrate. Should the magistrate decide to implement it,
I will spare no effort in recommending you—this matter requires you and no other!
You may continue to eat and lodge at the government office these next two days.”
“Thank you, scribe!”
In the magistrate’s study, the lamp shone brightly against the dark night outside.
“Li Xing, I already know of the matter. Conduct official business with impartiality.”
“I have a question, Your Honor, and hope you can clarify it.”
“Speak freely.”
“Chen Fan hinted to the magistrate that he feared the supplies might be poisoned. Why did you not send someone to inspect them, instead ordering me to wait in ambush and return the supplies to their owner? I cannot understand this.”
He then produced his notebook, ready to take notes.
“I did consider Chen Fan’s concerns. But Chen Fan’s reputation is impeccable.
I honestly could not suspect the women who delivered the supplies of harming him.
Moreover, I merely sought to return the goods in good faith.
I did not anticipate that Xia Ya would poison them and suffer the consequences himself.
Do not blame yourself—good and evil will be repaid in kind.
I will draft a notice of this incident along with Chen Fan’s deeds to publicize to the people.
May the populace take heed and learn from it!”
Li Xing finished writing, bowed deeply, and rose.
“Your words resonate deeply, Your Honor. I shall keep them in mind.”
That night, after coaxing his wife to eat, Chen Fan lay down and embraced them as they fell asleep.

Page 3 of 3
No matter how tightly he held Yue Rou, she continued to squirm and wriggle.
Yue E kept gently prying his hands off Yue Rou,
begging him to release her.
He had no choice but to loosen his grip and tell them a story, hoping to capture their attention.
“Once upon a time, there was a wealthy merchant who had three wives.
Each was as beautiful as a blooming flower, just like you two.
He spent every day and night entwined with them, indulging in passion.”
“Master, the three wives must have been very happy!”
“The merchant favored slender women, and the three wives suited his taste perfectly. So they clung to him day and night.”
Yue Rou covered her mouth, shyly smiling.
“But over time, the health of the third wife deteriorated, growing thinner by the day.
The merchant was frantic, ordering servants to prepare the best meals for her daily.”
“But whenever her health improved, she refused to eat more and remained slender, graceful and elegant.
The merchant, thinking she had recovered, pampered her even more.
This cycle repeated until one day,
no matter how much wealth the merchant spent trying to nurse her back to health, she continued to grow thinner.”
“The merchant took all his wealth and sought a divine healer to cure her.
The healer refused payment and gave him a box, telling him to open it at home.
Then all would be well.”
The merchant hurried home on horseback, only to see a coffin.
He cursed himself for being too late and wept bitterly for his third wife.
At the burial, the merchant opened the box.
Inside was a note that read:
‘If two hearts are truly enduring, why must they meet every morning and evening?’
“Once a week is enough. Let her eat well and tell her you prefer plumpness!”
“Hahaha, Master, you’re going to kill us laughing! You made that story up, didn’t you?”
“Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!”
“Why don’t you die laughing? Do you understand what I mean?”
“Master, we don’t understand!”
“You really are fools! Like wolves and tigers!”
With that, Chen Fan slipped under the covers and hugged himself tightly.
“Master, do you prefer fat or slim?”