Chapter 3 Salt Inspector

  Shi Jie was the brother of Shi Wen. From his youth, he had a strong ambition and later traveled to study in all directions. He took Fang Bao as his teacher, and Fang Bao once praised Shi Jie saying: "I have countless disciples, but only Jie has obtained my true teachings."

  Shi Jie was initially unknown, but later with the help of a general, he was able to fulfill his lifelong ambition and become a famous minister. It is often lamented that while there are many talented individuals in the world, it is rare to find someone who can appreciate them.

  At the time, General Feng's prestige was at its peak. Above him, there was a wise and just ruler who entrusted him with important tasks; below him, there were brave soldiers who followed his orders to the death. Among them, many flattered and fawned upon him, while others merely nodded in agreement. Only Shi Jie, although he was General Feng's elder brother, upheld justice and never engaged in sycophancy, which earned him General Feng's respect.

  Later generations will be amazed, the general personally went to offer sacrifices and kept vigil for three days. When Emperor Qin heard about it, he sighed and said: "Shi Jie was able to get such a general, even in death, he has no regrets."

  "Biographies of Great Qin Ministers - The World's Outstanding Talents"

  Zhao Wanshan was a rustic man who knew little about officialdom and didn't know how to offer any consolation, so he just kept urging him to drink more wine.

  Zhao Shi listened intently beside him, although the information he got was not much, but for the situation in Gongyi County, it could be said that he had a general understanding. In Zhao Shi's memory, his life before the age of 13 was always very calm, but after that sudden disaster, he realized that seemingly calm lives often hide all sorts of crises, just like now, life is peaceful, but who knows what will happen in the future?

  To put it simply, he doesn't have any extra thoughts that stand out from the crowd. In his modern life, before the age of 13, his greatest wish was to let himself and his mother live a good life, but after the age of 13, his most thought-provoking idea was how to survive.

  These thoughts churned in Zhao Shi's mind, but he was accustomed to thinking and reminiscing alone and didn't think there was anything wrong with himself. Thinking about this only made him more aware of a principle: if one doesn't worry about the future, they will have troubles close at hand. His careful and calculating thoughts quickly computed that although his third brother was too easy-going and not very capable, he was still decent to his own family and had some influence in the household.

  A good way out, this thought flashed through his mind.

  Thinking of this, Zhao Shi immediately seemed nonchalant and opened his mouth, "This position should be Third Brother's."

  When it comes to children, adults' first thought is often not whether the child is right or wrong, but whether the topic of conversation is suitable for the child's identity and age.

  Zhao Wanshan was taken aback, but didn't take it seriously. According to his usual temperament, he would have slapped him and scolded him a few times. But today, with his nephew present, and the fact that his daughter's behavior had become unpredictable, he just laughed and scolded: "What do you know, little girl? Don't talk nonsense."

  Zhang Shiwen didn't take it seriously either, but as a young man with a gentle disposition and accustomed to speaking and laughing freely, he now asked with a smile, "Oh? How did the stone know that this position should be Third Brother's?"

  Zhao Shi glanced at the two people's faces, and their thoughts were also grasped eight or nine out of ten. In his opinion, this was a very simple matter, and he had at least several methods to achieve his desired goal. However, he knew that his eleven-year-old identity made it impossible for him to speak directly, so he hesitated slightly, lowered his head, and said: "It sounds like several families are fighting over land, and no one is satisfied with the division. Why not find an outsider to help? As long as the division is reasonable, everyone can gain some benefits, and they won't have anything to say. Otherwise, the land will be left barren, and if the farming season is missed, no one will benefit." In just a year, he had already learned about 70-80% of the local people's speech and behavior.

  Zhang Shiwen listened to these words, initially not taking them seriously, but after careful consideration, his mouth immediately opened wide, and the chopsticks in his hand fell onto the table with a clatter. If someone else had said this, he would have thought it was just a good idea at most, but an eleven-year-old child could think so deeply, how could he not be shocked?

  This strange reaction startled Zhao Wanshan, he heard the words but didn't quite understand the underlying meaning, thinking that he had offended him somewhere in his words, immediately slammed the table and was about to scold a few sentences.

  He was caught off guard, but Zhang Shiwen grabbed him and stared at Zhao Shi with shining eyes: "Third brother's position is low, how can this outsider look down on Third Brother? Even if he becomes one, the position may not necessarily be Third Brother's. Can nephew give Third Brother an idea?" In just a moment, his mouthful of Zhao Shi had changed to nephew.

  He glanced at Zhao Wanshan beside him, but Zhao Shi didn't pick up the conversation. Although he was usually taciturn and looked even more wooden than his own father, unlike Zhao Wanshan, he was a thoroughbred intelligent person with nimble thoughts, only that the years of war had worn away his personality, making him colder and stranger than ordinary people.

  Just this one glance had already conveyed too much meaning, and Zhang Shiwen was not a fool. He suddenly took his cousin more seriously, thinking to himself that he hadn't expected his cousin to be so clever. But at the moment, he didn't think deeply about it. Normally, he wouldn't have been so flustered, after all, the other person was just an eleven-year-old child. Even if what they said had hit the nail on the head, he probably wouldn't have immediately asked a child for advice on what to do next. Zhang Shiwen didn't have any grand ambitions; his aspirations were far different from those of his older brother. At most, he just hoped to get a decent job in his hometown, not lose face in front of his relatives and friends, and be able to support his family. This time, when his older brother came back, Zhang Shiwen wanted him to follow him to the capital to find a job, but as someone with strong local roots, he was unwilling to leave his hometown for somewhere else. However, circumstances were such that he had no choice, so he had already begun to consider it, albeit reluctantly. Today, after drinking a few more cups of wine, and having been preoccupied with these matters for days on end, when he heard these words, they struck at the heart of the issue. In his mind, it was as if a drowning person had grabbed onto a lifeline, so even though he knew that a child probably couldn't say anything useful, he still wanted to ask and find out more.

  "Uncle, don't blame your nephew. Nephew has been clever since he was young. Looking at him now, who knows what great things he'll achieve in the future? Tsk, tsk, being only eleven years old and having such insight is truly impressive. Nephew, quickly tell third brother again, do you have any good ideas?"

  Which parent doesn't like to hear others praise their own child? Zhao Wanshan is no exception, and after Zhang Shiweng's few words, he immediately felt relieved and smiled humbly for a few sentences. He didn't understand these things either, nor did he think the child could really say anything. The child's temperament has become more and more strange lately, and today they can open their mouth to say so much, who knows if it's a good omen? So he just poured himself a drink and stopped talking.

  "I heard Big Brother is back?" Zhao Shi asked a seemingly unrelated question instead of saying what Zhang Shiwu wanted to hear.

  Zhang Shiwen didn't rush, nodded and said: "Yes, your older brother has been back for some days now. It's just that there are a lot of things going on at home, and he hasn't come to pay his respects to Uncle and Aunt yet. It's really impolite, I hope Uncle won't mind." Normally, he would have just nodded, but facing this calm and composed nephew who didn't seem like a child, he was extremely cautious. Although the second half of the sentence was directed at Zhao Wanshan, his eyes didn't leave Zhao Shi's face for even a moment.

  "Shouldn't the amount be different if Big Brother goes to visit those gentlemen?" As soon as this was said, Zhao Shi's heart was also uncertain. That unseen Big Brother heard what Third Brother said was quite impressive, but who knows if he is like that outside? He has seen too many people who are arrogant at home, so how can he be sure about this one?

  Zhang Shiwen's eyes lit up again, but his face couldn't help but flush slightly. He knew that whether it was talent or knowledge, he was far inferior to his older brother. However, being seen through so easily by a child made him feel uncomfortable. Nevertheless, he asked, "Then what?"

  Zhao Shi had already given up on this Third Brother in his heart. If something really happened, it's hard to say how much help this Third Brother could provide. But since the words had been spoken, he could only say lightly: "Later, it will depend on whether Third Brother understands the thoughts of those with power. Those with more power get a larger share, those with less power get a smaller share, and what's left is for Third Brother to decide. As long as others are satisfied, that's all that matters. It depends on how well Third Brother takes care of things. I'm just a child, I don't understand anything." After finishing speaking, he didn't wait for Zhang Shiwen to say anything else, put down his bowl and chopsticks, and walked straight out of the house.

  "Yes, yes, what does a child know? Don't listen to his nonsense. Come on, let's have a drink." Zhao Wanshan chimed in from the side.

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  Zhang Shiwen hastily returned to the county town. As he was about to leave, he became even more courteous and didn't care about Zhao Wanshan's couple's surprised expressions. He grabbed Zhao Shi's hand and said: "Younger brother, third brother is leaving now, but don't worry, from now on your affairs are third brother's affairs. After third brother finishes his own business, I will definitely find a beautiful wife for you, and the county school matters won't be a problem anymore."

  However, these words sounded in Zhao Shi's ears, this speech was all Zhang Shiweng's good intentions, but when he heard it in his ears, no matter how he listened, it was awkward. After careful consideration, he still said coldly: "Third... ...Brother, just take care of your own affairs, and don't bother with my affairs..."

  The words had not been finished, but Zhao Wanshan pulled him to the side with a rough hand. This rough man was really anxious and scolded him severely.

  But Zhang Shiwen didn't think much of it, although he didn't know why his younger cousin had changed so much. However, after careful observation, he understood that the former carefree and aimless cousin who only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun no longer existed. The child standing in front of him now was a very self-assured individual with his own ideas, although he only spoke briefly, he was able to hit the nail on the head. Such insight and perspective appearing in a familiar child's body left one surprised and amazed, but also unable to treat them as an ordinary child anymore. However, this wasn't the time to dwell on these thoughts, now Zhang Shiwen's mind was preoccupied with how he should handle things after returning home, thinking that he should first take care of his own important matters, and deal with other things later.

  "Uncle, don't worry, I'll take care of it. If my cousin's matter is successful, I'll have to thank him instead. I'm leaving now, uncle and aunt, take care. It won't be long before I come visit you again."

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  Here is the translation:

  No need to mention how Zhao Wanshan scolded Zhao Shi when he returned home. Let's just talk about Zhang Shiwu returning to Gongyi County, where he spent several days at home thinking carefully about all aspects of his plan, considering everything he could think of and couldn't think of. Only then did he go find his older brother Zhang Shijie. The three brothers were born to the same mother and had a very good relationship. Zhang Shijie had originally planned to bring his younger brother along on this trip. He understood what was on Zhang Shiwu's mind, but as they say, "a great man has ambitions in all directions." His second brother wasn't quite up to par, so he gave up on him. But this third brother was actually quite clever and resourceful. Although he was a bit lacking in learning and knowledge, when it came to human relationships and social skills, he was not inferior to others. They couldn't just stay holed up in this small place forever. Leaving one person behind to take care of the family would be enough. Anyway, the family property had already been divided, so there wouldn't be any problems in the short term. As long as the two brothers could make a name for themselves outside and get some official positions, they wouldn't have to worry about anyone bullying them at home.

  Since he had such thoughts, Zhang Shiwen's position in the county was no longer very important. Otherwise, with his experience, even if he casually came up with an idea, he could get a decent position in the county, so why would Zhang Shiwen bother himself?

  But before he could discuss it with his third brother, Zhang Shiwen had already found him and told him about the matter. After thinking for a moment, Zhang Shijie advised him that although the salt industry was a lucrative position, the current situation in the imperial court was turbulent, and this place was indeed a muddy water, it would be difficult to say what would happen in the future if he got involved. But Zhang Shiwen had a burning desire to get this position, and he didn't want to leave his hometown at all, so he wouldn't listen.

  With Zhao Shi's guidance, he added fuel to the fire, speaking with a clear beginning and end, causing Zhang Shijie to be at a loss for what to do, and finally agreeing.

  Zhang Shijie stepped forward, and in just two days, the matter was settled. It wasn't entirely due to Zhang Shijie's efforts, but rather because the three officials from the county government realized that their constant bickering wasn't getting them anywhere. After these few days, everyone also understood that trying to secure the salt control position for one of their own people was not worth the trouble. Not only would it offend their colleagues, but if something went wrong, they risked losing their official positions, which was a risk too great to take.

  Government officials couldn't put down their face for a while, and the situation was stuck like this. Now that Zhang Shijie has come forward to mediate, several people are overjoyed. Moreover, after getting Zhang Shiwen's private promise, several people suddenly relaxed and readily agreed to this matter.