Chapter 25 – A Stroke of Good Luck

What? There’s such a good thing?

Aunt Zhao agreed without hesitation: “Alright then, I’ll go with you!”

The main reason was that Yingzi was still an unmarried young woman. Even though Aunt Zhong would accompany her, and An’an would be going too, over time, people with filthy minds and rotten hearts would inevitably start gossiping.

A woman’s reputation, once ruined, meant the end of her life.

Besides, Yingzi still had Guo Wen. That brat—who knew if he’d ever come back? If he didn’t, then fine. But if he did return, Yingzi would still have to live with him.

But then again, if Guo Wen turned out to be heartless and came back only to treat Yingzi poorly, then he’d better not blame her for being merciless!

Elsewhere, Zhang Jin Zhi was very puzzled. “Young Master, why are you bringing along Sister-in-law Zhao?”

“There are many things in this world that are hard to explain,” Zhou Yu’s gaze deepened. “You’ve been here this long—haven’t you noticed anything?”

“I have noticed some things,” Zhang Jin Zhi cleared his throat and said, “We’ve all suffered from drought, yet the people of Tongshu Village don’t seem shaken.

“Moreover, the villagers are honest and down-to-earth. When they discovered a water source, they willingly shared it with neighboring villages.

“Also, even though we’re all farming, the crops in Tongshu Village seem better than those in surrounding villages.

“Even though they’re often harassed, the villagers are bold and valiant toward outsiders…”

Zhou Yu seemed a little disappointed and asked, “That’s it?”

Zhang Jin Zhi thought for a moment, then shook his head. “Nothing else comes to mind for now.”

Zhou Yu sighed lightly and gently prompted him: “From discovering a water source in Tongshu Village, to finding wild fruits to stave off hunger, to uncovering the grain hidden by the former village chief, then other villages finding crop seeds, to uncovering stored grain on the mountain, to us finding a new water source…”

Zhang Jin Zhi’s eyes widened slightly. He murmured, “All of these events have traces of the Zhao family involved…”

His expression turned guilty. “Please forgive me, Young Master. I was careless.”

“Jin Zhi,” Zhou Yu said seriously, “This is not the capital, and the people you deal with here are not well-read scholars of the Hanlin Academy.

“They are the lowest class of commoners, yet highly experienced farmers.

“Spend enough time with them and you’ll realize—treating them as ignorant fools is the real ignorance.

“When it comes to knowing planting seasons, farming techniques, weather patterns, and identifying edible wild plants—they are the true experts.

“Jin Zhi, do you still remember why you initially committed yourself to studying?”

Zhang Jin Zhi’s face flushed red, and his voice weakened, “Young Master, I am ashamed! When I began my studies, I carried the ideal of improving people’s lives.

“But since entering officialdom, I’ve gradually forgotten my original intention.”

“Only by staying true to our original intention can we see things through,” Zhou Yu said earnestly. “It’s easy to keep your original purpose, but hard to carry it to the end.”

Zhang Jin Zhi felt even more ashamed.

Zhou Yu’s tone softened, and he smiled faintly. “Still, as the sages say: ‘To recognize and correct one’s mistakes is the greatest virtue.’

“I believe that after spending time among the common people, Jin Zhi, you’ll surely rediscover your original purpose.”

Zhang Jin Zhi bowed deeply. “Thank you for your guidance, Young Master!”

“No need for that,” Zhou Yu reached out to support him. “Wasn’t I also once floating among the clouds?

“I had no idea what true human suffering was.

“If not for these years of hardship, I would probably have lived my life in a daze.”

Soon, the conversation turned back to the Zhao family. Zhou Yu said, “When I was young, I was arrogant. I used to slander monks and mock spiritual beliefs—I never believed in ghosts or gods.

“But after experiencing so many upheavals and witnessing strange and bizarre things, I can no longer afford not to believe.

“As the saying goes, ‘When a man is fortunate, even his horse thrives.’ Even in the imperial exams, it’s said to be seventy percent ability and thirty percent luck.

“Some people unworthy of their positions rise quickly—because they’re lucky, aren’t they?

“While others, full of talent, remain obscure—because they’re unlucky, right?

“Now that we’ve come across people with good fortune, how can we afford to miss out?”

Zhang Jin Zhi pondered this carefully and slowly nodded. “Now that you put it that way, it does make sense.”

“Exactly,” Zhou Yu tapped a spot on the map of Qin County laid out before them, “If their luck can help us find a few more water sources, wouldn’t that be a huge blessing?”

Zhang Jin Zhi fully agreed. “That’s true. But with all the official duties piling up in the county, shouldn’t you return to handle them? Just leave matters here to me.”

“No need for that,” Zhou Yu shook his head and chuckled. “Lately, I feel my mind is clear and sharp—like I’m being guided by the gods. I don’t even miss the capital anymore!”

Zhang Jin Zhi laughed along, not insisting. “Then shall we have the necessary documents delivered here for you to review?”

Zhou Yu nodded in agreement. In truth, he had already left capable men behind in the county office. Unless it was an emergency or an unexpected major event, everything could be managed just fine.

Once this issue was settled, Zhou Yu handed him a list. “We’ve lost contact with these people—see if you can reach them again soon.”

Zhang Jin Zhi took the list and glanced at it. He noticed they were Zhou Yu’s old friends from the capital—one of them even being the Ninth Prince. His heart skipped a beat, and his voice trembled as he asked, “Have you found any trace of the Ninth Prince?”

The Ninth Prince was Empress Zhou’s legitimate youngest son. Two years younger than Zhou Yu, he had gone missing during the palace coup and was rumored to have died.

Though the late emperor left no official will, according to Zhou dynasty tradition, if the eldest legitimate son dies, the throne goes to his legitimate eldest grandson. If there’s no such grandson, it passes to the next legitimate son. If he too has died, then to his own eldest legitimate son, and so on.

Aside from the late crown prince, the Ninth Prince was the only legitimate son born of the empress.

However, at the time, the Ninth Prince was still young. The elder princes were already well-established, while the younger ones had powerful maternal families…

Sigh. If the late emperor hadn’t suppressed the empress’s family so harshly, there wouldn’t have been such chaos.

Now, the princes had fought each other to pieces, none willing to yield.

But after years of turmoil, things were starting to settle. The Fifth, Seventh, and Twelfth Princes were all dead. Among the remaining six, the power rankings were becoming clearer.

Still, all had suffered great losses.

If the Ninth Prince was still alive, and if he rose up and called for support, perhaps he really could benefit as the unexpected victor.

Zhou Yu, however, slowly shook his head. “You know we’ve been searching for him all these years, yet we’ve found not a single trace.

“This time, I’m just trying my luck again.

“If we find him, it will be a blessing. If not… we’ll have to accept fate.

“All we can hope is that whoever inherits the throne in the end will show some compassion toward the people.”

Uncle Chen Jiu soon learned that the entire Zhao family had gone out to help find water sources. He proactively sought out Zhou Yu and said, “The necessary work in the village is all done, and you’ve left men to help.

“So this old man was wondering—since the Zhao family is already going, could we choose a few more villagers to join them?”

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Note:
The quote “Only by staying true to your original intention can you see things through. It’s easy to maintain your original intention, but hard to carry it to the end.” comes from The Avatamsaka Sutra (Huayan Sutra).