The Child Emperor

Chapter 107: The Old Fisherman

Han Ruzi didn’t have much time to consider and immediately said, “Okay.” The person outside unlocked the door and opened it. Han Ruzi asked in surprise, “How did you have the key?”

“Hush, don’t wake up the nearby dogs.”

Han Ruzi walked out of his “cell” and saw three people outside: Jin Chuiduo, a maidservant, and the Second Young Master Jin. The four of them looked at each other for a while, none of them moved. Nobody knew the way.

Han Ruzi waved his hand, signaling the others to follow him. He had taken the opportunity to observe the surroundings when Chao Hua was making the necessary arrangements. It was not very clear at night, but he could make out the general location. In his mind, he already had a preliminary escape plan.

It was impossible to walk out through the main gate, as there were guards there. Although the vigilance was not strict, four persons walking out would still be noticed. Moreover, the road outside was not easy to traverse, and they could easily be caught up with. Han Ruzi wanted to go by water.

The village was built along a river, and so there must be boats. Han Ruzi had specifically looked for a place that seemed like a simple dock.

He guessed correctly. Not far from them was a slope, at the end of which was a wooden bridge extending into the water, with seven or eight small boats moored on both sides.

“Does anyone know how to row a boat?” Han Ruzi asked quietly. The Second Young Master Jin nodded, “I’ve rowed before.”

That’s good. Han Ruzi walked to the bridge, about to board the boat, but suddenly withdrew his foot, untied the boat’s rope, and forcefully pushed the boat away, letting it drift with the current. Jin Chuiduo and the other three were first stunned, but soon understood. They went to untie and push the boats, leaving only one.

Second Young Master Jin found an oar, and the four of them got on the boat and sat down. He gently paddled, and they gradually moved away from the village.

They breathed a sigh of relief, and Han Ruzi raised the question again, “How did you have the key?”

Jin Chuiduo and the maidservant sat on the opposite side. She replied coldly, “The key was with Chao Hua. We subdued him and got the key.”

“You didn’t kill him, did you?” Han Ruzi felt that Chao Hua wasn’t entirely a bad person.

“Heh, he called you ‘Your Majesty’ twice, and so you think he is a loyal subject?” Jin Chuiduo sneered.

“Chao Hua is definitely the leader of the village. Killing him would cause trouble for your parents and older brother.”

Jin Chuiduo gripped the long bow lying across his knees, stared at Han Ruzi for a while, and said, “No, just tied him up.”

“You… are you just abandoning the others like this?”

“Shut up, you’re still a captive.”

Han Ruzi smiled and looked around. He saw vast stretches of reeds and endless water. He said to Second Young Master Jin, “Don’t stray too far from the land. We’ll be able to discern the direction when it’s daylight.”

“Okay,” he replied.

“By the way, I haven’t asked for your name.”

Second Young Master Jin glanced at his sister across from him and said softly, “My name is Jin Chunzhong.”

“How old are you this year?”

“Seventeen.”

“Oh, I’m fourteen this year. I should call you Brother Jin…”

“I dare not.” Jin Chunzhong replied.

The opposite Jin Chuiduo said, “Why be so polite with him? He’s a captive. You should be more severe.”

“Okay,” Jin Chunzhong did not have strong views of his own and focused on rowing, while observing the land by the moonlight. They couldn’t be too far away from it, nor too close to avoid running aground.

However, the maidservant didn’t treat Han Ruzi as a captive. She smiled and said, “What’s wrong with chatting? I’m called Qingting, the same age as you, also fourteen. Miss is one year older, so she would be…”

“Just stop talking.” Jin Chuiduo interrupted Qingting, “We are still near the capital. We must be cautious step by step, not careless at all. Qingting, have you brought enough money?”

Qingting patted the bundle on her shoulder, “It’s all here, both gold and silver.”

“Second Brother, have you brought the pass documents for crossing borders?”

Jin Chunzhong nodded.

“You even have pass documents?” Han Ruzi was somewhat surprised.

“Haha, do you think it’s difficult? Three hundred taels of silver each, very cheap.”

Han Ruzi still vaguely felt that he was the Emperor of the Chu Empire. He couldn’t help but sigh. The frontier was currently in a standoff with the Xiongnu forces, yet in the rear, people were actually buying and selling border-crossing documents. If this continued, would the Chu Empire be doomed?

Qingting whispered, “You don’t let us chitchat, but you yourself…”

When the four escaped, it was already the middle of the night. An hour later, the sky gradually brightened. Jin Chunzhong was tired from rowing, and Han Ruzi took over. After trying it, he found that it wasn’t too difficult.

When Jin Chunzhong took over again, Han Ruzi said, “You two share the same father but different mothers from the Eldest Young Master Jin, right?”

Jin Chunzhong smiled, “You guessed right.”

The morning sun rose behind Jin Chuiduo, casting her and Qingting in a radiant glow. Han Ruzi secretly admired the scenery. He stood up to find the direction of the Capital, but the elevation here was too low, surrounded by reeds and trees, making it impossible to see any trace of the city.

“There’s a fisherman over there; we can inquire from him.” Han Ruzi pointed to a nearby reed thicket.

An old fisherman, using a long pole to propel a small boat, was approaching them. From a distance, he shouted, “Good morning! Any catch?”

Han Ruzi replied, “We are not here to fish, just boating for fun. We got lost for a while. Sir, can you tell us the way to the Capital?”

“I knew it. The nearby villages don’t have such handsome figures like yourselves. You’re headed in the wrong direction for going to the Capital.”

Han Ruzi didn’t want to turn back. “Could you please guide us? Where can we land? We want to return to the Capital by land.”

“Oh, I see. Then follow me. I’ll show you the way after you land.”

“That’s great. We will thank you properly after landing.”

Han Ruzi looked at Qingting. She tightly held her bag, seeming unwilling to spend money on such matters, but Jin Chuiduo was generous. “Give him a hundred taels of silver.”

Qingting widened her eyes, “Miss, do you think I’m a mule that can carry a chest of silver? I only brought… not much silver. I can give five taels. It’s already a lot, Miss. Back home, I would need to serve you for five months to get five taels.”

“Five taels are enough.” Han Ruzi said. Over the past six months, he had been buying things outside and had a rough understanding of the value of silver.

The old fisherman didn’t care about the amount of silver. He had already changed direction, paddling towards the reed thicket. The movements seemed leisurely and casual, but the speed was much faster than the boat behind. In no time, they reached the edge of the reed thicket and stopped the boat, waiting.

Jin Chunzhong was a bit worried. “Will we be deceived?”

Before Han Ruzi could speak, Jin Chuiduo said, “We escaped at night; the news can’t have reached here so quickly. Besides, he’s just an old fisherman. What’s there to be afraid of?”

Jin Chunzhong had no more doubts and rowed the boat diligently.

Taking advantage of some distance, Han Ruzi asked, “Are you really not concerned about Marquis Guiyi?”

Jin Chuiduo’s face showed a slight displeasure, and after a while, she still answered, “You saw it yourself. Father is infatuated… with those three enchantresses. We can’t reach the steppes with them around. I was the one who killed Chai Yun. After I leave, Father can choose whether to stay or leave. Big brother is willing to stay by Father’s side, and I can’t control that.”

“Weren’t those people supposed to send your family to the steppes?”

“Heh, they only want you. They have no interest in the Jin family. Chao Hua and the others are all local villagers, who have never been more than a hundred miles away from home. How could they send us to the steppes hundreds of miles away? I’ll go by myself, taking Second Brother and Qingting.”

“And me.” Han Ruzi reminded, “Are you still planning to gift me to the Eastern Chanyu?”

The boat was already close to the old fisherman. Jin Chuiduo fell silent.

“We can land up ahead.” The old fisherman pointed to the reed thicket. “It’s lucky that you ran into me. If you go further, you’ll have to stop at least five miles away, even farther from the Capital.”

“Thank you, sir. May I ask the name of this lake?” Han Ruzi stood at the bow of the boat, conversing with the old fisherman.

“Hehe, you don’t even know the name of the lake and dare to come for a visit. You’re really bold. This is Guaizi Lake. Nothing scenic here, so I reckon you accidentally wandered in. Haven’t you heard of it before?”

Han Ruzi shook his head; indeed, he hadn’t heard of it.

The old fisherman slowed down, allowing the small boat to catch up. Han Ruzi asked, “Is there a riverside village nearby?”

The old fisherman turned his head to look at him. “Did you come from the Riverside Village?”

“No, but we received a warning to stay away from there.”

“A wise warning. The Riverside Village is not a good place.” The old fisherman didn’t elaborate.

Han Ruzi asked cautiously, “Are the people in the village… bandits?”

The old fisherman glanced at him again. “You could say that.”

“Being only a dozen miles away from the capital, how can there be a gathering of bandits? Doesn’t the government intervene?” Since entering the riverside village, Han Ruzi had this doubt and wanted to clarify it. The girl on the opposite side, Qingting, listened curiously, but Jin Chuiduo seemed uninterested, gently caressing the bow on her knee.

“The government? These bandits were sent here by the government.”

“How do you mean?” Han Ruzi became even more astonished.

“Are you an official?”

“No.”

“Then why bother asking about these things?”

“I know some ministers in the court. If there’s really any injustice or misconduct, maybe I can report it.”

Jin Chuiduo disdainfully snorted.

The old fisherman pondered for a moment, then without turning his head, he said, “Did you experience the earthquake in the Capital last year?”

“I was in the city at that time. My memory of it is still fresh. But what does the earthquake have to do with the bandits?”

“Earthquakes can collapse houses and cause deaths. The water in Guaizi Lake surged onto the shore, flooding many villages. Many people ran away, but with nowhere to eat or stay, they had no choice but to become bandits.”

“Well, I remember very clearly that the court distributed a lot of grain to aid the disaster victims. Everyone should have received their share.”

The old fisherman laughed heartily, “The imperial court is indeed good, but unfortunately, we’re too far from the court here.” Guaizi Lake was near the Capital, so the old fisherman was being sarcastic. He sighed, “After the earthquake last year, the court did send a batch of food. However, local officials did not distribute it. Instead, they sold it at high prices, more than ten times the usual cost.”

“How could such a thing happen?” Han Ruzi found it hard to believe.

“Last year, rice was as expensive as gold, and this year it will return to normal. The corrupt officials simply set off the rice they should have distributed last year against this year’s taxes. They force the people to leave a thumbprint as proof that they received aid, but what the people get is just a piece of paper that can be used to offset this year’s autumn tax, which is usually paid in rice.

So this year, the corrupt officials will use the money they earned last year to buy cheap rice this year to make up the numbers for the tax that they should collect this year, pocketing the difference.

But how many households can survive the year? Either they starve to death, sell their children, or… become bandits. The Riverside Village already existed previously, with not many people inside. Since last year, more people have joined. We’ll see how it goes this year. If there are one or two more disasters, more people will join.”

Han Ruzi, filled with righteous indignation, said, “This is outrageous! How can there be such audacious and corrupt officials so close to the Capital? Who is it exactly? Please, sir, tell me.”

The old fisherman laughed again. The boat had reached the shore, and he extended a long pole, saying, “The Chu Empire needs an emperor like you. Your Majesty, please come ashore.”

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