Insufficient balance

  After the rain, the sky is exceptionally clear, with the majestic and grand Chang'an City as a backdrop, the thousands of sails on the river are even more magnificent. Xue Chongxun gazed at this ancient and poetic scene, his heart was filled with emotion, and he felt an outburst of poetic inspiration, although no poem came to mind, but still couldn't help but feel that good poetry indeed requires a great era.

  He had already bid farewell to his acquaintances before he set off and asked them not to see him off, but when he arrived at the dock, there were still people who came to see him off. It's hard to refuse human feelings.

  The Empress Dowager had great influence in the imperial court, and it was easy for her to arrange a new title for Xue Chongjian. Now Xue Chongjian's official position has been changed to Minister of Revenue, concurrently serving as Imperial Censor-in-Chief and Commissioner of Transportation, with the same rank as Liu An who is currently in Dongdu. The two are equal in rank, but Xue Chongjian received an imperial edict "to control all officials along the canal", equivalent to a special envoy, Taiping Princess wanted to give him the power to act at will, so that he would not be affected by the constraints of power and affect the proper handling of affairs... The inspection of the grain transportation is just a cover.

  The preparations for the voyage on the sailboat were all ready, Xue Chongxun bid farewell to his colleagues with a fist bump, and just as he was about to board the ship, he saw a very special carriage driving towards the dock. It was indeed very special, because that car had decorations used only in the palace.

  Who came to see him off in the palace? Xue Chongxun thought for a while and couldn't think of who it should be.

  The bureaucrats on the dock were all officials from the capital, so they naturally had some insight. At this time, seeing that car, like Xue Chongxun, they were also attracted to attention and looked over one after another. After a while, the carriage drove to Xue Chongxun's side and stopped, but the people on it did not get off.

  A bamboo curtain hung in the car window, and the delicate and elegant natural pearl curtain gave people a very stylish feeling. Xue Chongxun guessed who was coming while making a fist and bowing: "Since you have given me face to see me off, why not meet?"

  At this time, a pleasant and soft voice like heavenly music sounded, gentle, warm, and out of the world. "Since it's a farewell, why meet again? I didn't come today to see you, just to say a few words. For some inconvenience, please forgive me, Mr. Xue."

  Princess Jincheng! Xue Chongxun was extremely surprised, he really didn't expect Princess Jincheng to come see him off in person. Although he had performed well that day at the Linde Hall, for someone like Princess Jincheng who was renowned throughout the country, if someone were to meet her for the first time and put on a show, it would be unrealistic to think she'd fall head over heels in love... Xue Chongxun hadn't held out much hope to begin with, so hearing Princess Jincheng's voice was truly unexpected.

  Xue Chongxun forcibly suppressed the excitement and thrill in his heart, trying to remain calm. "To be able to have the princess personally come to see him off, Xue was already deeply honored."

  At this time, colleagues around him smiled and retreated to make way for others, leaving Xue Chongxun standing alone beside the carriage curtain.

  The gentle voice inside the car curtain said softly: "Thanks for that day... but don't do it again, okay?"

  Xue Chongxun's foot moved involuntarily as he looked at the bamboo curtain and said, "What's wrong? Am I disturbing Your Highness?"

  After a moment of silence, Jin Cheng slowly said: "You know I'm going to Tubo, I don't want the people who used to care about me to be troubled and worried, so don't do this again in the future... I'm also not very used to being overly noticed, it's better to live a simple life."

  Xue Chongxun's chest suddenly hurt for some reason, but his face only responded with a faint "en".

  "Nothing's wrong, I wish you a smooth journey, do well in your official duties and bring benefits to the people." Then she said softly: "Let's go." The coachman whipped the horse and turned the carriage around.

  Xue Chongxun gazed blankly as the horse carriage disappeared into the distance, and couldn't help but let out a sigh.

  San Niang suddenly said coldly, "Princess Jincheng is really strange. If she's not here to reject Lang Jun's heart, then what's the point of her coming all this way?"

  Xue Chongxun pondered: "Yes, then why did she pay attention to which day I left and personally ran a trip out of the palace?"

  The third daughter said: "I think this person's mind is not that simple, young master should be more careful."

  Xue Chongxun shook his head and sighed, "The noble princess, the peerless beauty... but what can she do? A woman's lifelong happiness is nothing compared to national affairs. What can she do? The world is full of suffering, and people are the most pitiful. There is sorrow that cannot be spoken."

  "Get on board, let's go." He took a glance at the direction where the boat had gone far away, turned around and walked towards the riverbank.

  Colleagues stood on the shore, some waving their hands and others bowing, "Have a safe journey." "Return home soon..." Amidst various blessings, the sail was raised, the river water rippled, and the boat drifted away.

  As soon as they left Chang'an, the carved buildings and grand houses quickly disappeared from view, and the countryside scenery came into sight. The Tang Dynasty was still an agricultural empire, and the crops were the most beautiful scenery. The sun hung high in the sky, and the world was very bright, the river water flowed quietly, the fields stretched as far as the eye could see, Xue Chongxun stood at the bow of the boat, looking up to feel the fresh wind.

  "Mother calls son to dinner, son doesn't eat, people are hungry and must feed the oxen late. Let them graze in flat springs, to ease the ox's labor; bathe them in clear shallow water, to relieve the ox's panting......" A herdsman's song came from by the river.

  The singing voice is like a changed tone due to choking, the pastoral song reveals thick emotions, besides the overflowing love for the oxen, there must be the hardships of the farmers... Xue Chongxun knew that under the sunny and beautiful rural scenery, it was not as comfortable as the poets praised. The people of Guanzhong not only had to bear the heavy rent and labor, but also had to be recruited to the Fuzhou Imperial Army as the main force of the empire's military power.

  Xue Chongxun turned to San Niang and said, "Those noble scions who never leave their luxurious mansions will forever be unable to understand the songs of the pasture. I believe that some ministers' ambitions to govern the world with fairness are truly heartfelt."

  Looking at San Niang's face, he suddenly discovered a detail. These days, San Niang's face had some blood color, compared to the dead and pale white complexion when he first saw her, now she seemed healthier.

  "Third Sister, do you remember when Bai Wuchang was going to kill me at the City God Temple? She said one move would knock me down. I still remember what Bai Wuchang said at the time: 'Third Sister was originally a person living in darkness, but you made her stand foolishly under the sun, and she couldn't even withstand my one move'...I want to ask you, do you think being in the light is better or being in the dark is better?" Xue Chongxun said casually.

  "It's easy to kill someone if you put your mind to it... except for those high-ranking officials who always have guards around them. Less entanglements in the shadows, of course, make things more effective."

  "That makes sense."

  Xue Chongxun stood at the bow of the boat, thinking for a moment before saying hesitantly, "This time we need to stir up some commotion on the canal first to divert attention."

  ……

  A group of people walked and stopped, following the canal to Tongguan. Because in front of them was the Yellow River, and there were occasional dangers on the Yellow River, the boat had been unstable from the start. So Xue Chongxun led horses from the post station and continued eastward by land.

  After a few days, they arrived near Shaanxi Prefecture. Xue Chongxun decided to go to Sanmenxia Dam to take a look, as this place had always been a major problem for the grain transportation, like a stone stuck in an artery, causing countless losses of ships and food every year. The purpose of his trip was to rectify the grain transportation, so he thought it would be a rare experience to go and see it.

  Xue Chongxun sent someone to hire a local boatman as a guide, who was an old, dark and thin man with a small boat. Fang Yuzhong saw this and asked: "Can your boat navigate?"

  People from the capital are naturally generous, and the old boatman immediately patted his chest and said: "Young man, let me tell you a story. In the past, King Zhao asked if Lian Po was still able to eat at an old age, isn't this looking down on people? People can't be judged by appearance, nor can boats! Don't look at my thin body, it's sturdy; don't look at the broken boat, it's stable! I've made a living on the Yellow River for a lifetime and never had any major incidents. Ha! The large and beautiful dragon boats from Jiangnan are also capsized at Sanmen, aren't they? Don't believe me, I'll take you to see, this morning a boat ran aground and sank, people died, and they're still crying there."

  Xue Chongxun heard the old man mention Lian Po, and burst out laughing: "Indeed, one cannot judge a person by appearance. Just because you're even darker than me, get on your boat then! If nothing happens, I'll pay you double when I return."

  The old man listened and raised his thumb: "This young master is generous, a hero! Judging from your accent, you are from the capital?"

  Xue Chongxun patted the golden fish bag at Mai's waist: "Don't worry, in the yamen I'm a man of integrity, not a bad person."

  "My eyes are dim, I can hardly recognize that thing," the old man chuckled. "An old man's face may be dark and tanned, but his heart is still red."

  Then a group of people got on the old boatman's boat and went to Sanmen from the Yellow River to observe the terrain. The old boatman was quite talkative, open-minded, skillfully driving the boat downstream while chatting loudly.

  "You are a government official, and the old man will tell you another story about Shaanxi Province. There was an official named Li, with the surname of Guo. Everyone wanted to stay in the capital, where food and clothing were readily available, but this official Li insisted on going to the local area to do practical work. The Emperor agreed, so Li went to Shaanxi Province. What did he do here that became a legendary story? Without saying much, it was about the three stone pillars at Guiguan Pass. Official Li patted his chest and said, 'I don't believe I can't control this river.'"

  The old boatman wiped the sweat with a black lacquered towel and continued: "He was on the north side of Sanmen Mountain, starting to work on the rocks, preparing to dig out a new waterway to replace the old one. As a result, he spent a year or two exhausting the people and wasting money, but how can you dig through stones? This is the Yellow River, not just digging a shallow pit. Now the new river is there, only during high tide can ships pass through, otherwise it's useless."

  Xue Chongxun thought for a moment and smiled: "I'm here to tame the river, I'll say it out loud, I don't believe this river can't be tamed."

  The old boatman shook his head and laughed, "I thought you were just joking. How much blood and sweat would it take to move the mountain? The old man is begging for mercy on behalf of the people of Shaanxi Province. Every year, the young men go to serve in the capital or at the frontier, which is already a heavy burden. At home, they still have to rely on their elderly parents and children to support them. If they had to move the mountain too... To be honest, it's the common people who would suffer."

  Xue Chongxun said: "I won't move mountains, I'll move people. This person may not be able to conquer heaven, but conquering others is still possible. Haha, when the time comes and the river is greatly improved, old boatmen can tell their children and grandchildren that I once sat on your boat."

  At this time, the water on the Yellow River seemed to become turbulent in an instant. The old boatman said: "We're almost there, Lao Tou can smell the bloody smell in the water, it's all the blood of those people who went to Beijing to pay taxes!"