Promise
Not only was the Magistrate of Mianzhou delighted, but the Prefect of Fu County also went to great lengths by reserving several tables of delicacies at the finest restaurant in the county. When Master Bai arrived in the county in the afternoon and met with Mr. Wei, he glanced at him in astonishment but said nothing.
As the banquet progressed, many guests became intoxicated, including Master Bai, whose complexion grew somewhat flushed. Instead of staying in a separate residence in the county, he chose to stay at the same inn as Wei Zhi.
Late into the night, Master Bai appeared in Wei Zhi's room.
Helping Master Bai up from his kneeling position, Wei Zhi said, "Since I have promised you, I will naturally fulfill my word." After you see me off tomorrow, wait for me along the way.
Master Bai breathed a sigh of relief and bowed before retreating to his own room.
Yet, his mind was far from tranquil.
When he rushed to the county from his home this afternoon, Wei Zhi had just returned from the last severely affected village. Although Master Bai approached him, the latter seemed unsurprised. Text: ### Amidst the entourage of local gentry and the wealthy, Wei Zhi not only remembered his name but also his current residence. ### When Master Bai mentioned inviting him to visit the remote Seven Li Village, Wei Zhi smiled knowingly and agreed without further inquiry.
At that moment, Master Bai felt that Wei Zhi knew something.
Now, he was even more convinced.
To outward appearances, expressing a desire to return to the capital while secretly planning to visit Seven Li Village might align with his interests. However, does this not indicate that Wei Zhi knew everything from the start, including the events of the past few days in Seven Li Village?
Can he be trusted?
The thought flickered briefly before Master Bai calmed his mind.
He should be trustworthy. If he does not fear even the sage, why would he collude with local officials and regional princes in Yizhou?
Master Bai consoled himself in this way.
Early the next morning, Wei Zhi's entourage was ready to depart. Sitting in his carriage, Wei Zhi addressed the assembly, "With the summer harvest approaching and much work to be done after the disaster, I will not delay your time any further." "You may all return."
This was impossible; the officials, led by the Magistrate of Mianzhou, were determined to accompany him to the Ten Li Pavilion.
After bidding farewell to the officials, the local gentry and wealthy individuals naturally followed suit. Thus, the grand procession set off, traversing the official road until reaching the Ten Li Pavilion. Wei Zhi's countenance turned grave as he announced, "If you continue escorting me further, I will not be able to leave."
The Magistrate of Mianzhou felt somewhat embarrassed; he did not relish the idea of the jinx lingering behind. Hence, he halted, bidding Wei Zhi farewell at the Ten Li Pavilion.
Master Bai watched as Wei Zhi receded into the distance, then bid farewell to the Magistrate of Mianzhou and the other county officials.
When Magistrate Fu turned to discuss matters with him, he found no one there.
Master Bai rode back to the village hastily, and waited at the crossroads where the mountain path diverged from the county town. In less than half an hour, Wei Zhi arrived on horseback with two guards, taking a different route.
Master Bai breathed a sigh of relief, preparing to greet him, but Wei Zhi waved his hand and said, "Master Bai, there's no need for formalities." Let us proceed without delay.
"As you wish."
The two men rode swiftly toward Seven Li Village; the journey was brief on horseback. In less than two quarters of an hour, they arrived at the village entrance.
Meanwhile, Da Ji had just finalized the signed confessions from the other two individuals. She stated, "Apart from the person in the right room, the other two are willing to sign the confessions."
Madam Liu nodded, wrapping the confessions in oil paper before placing them in a box.
She was about to speak when the steward reported from outside, "Madam, the Master has arrived with a distinguished guest."
Madam Liu rose immediately, saying, "Escort everyone to the backyard, instruct the servants to behave, and ensure they do not wander. Invite the Master and his guest to the main hall; I will join them shortly."
This time, Madam Liu had only brought Da Ji along, leaving the maidservant and her chief handmaiden behind.
By the time Madam Liu arrived, Wei Zhi was standing with his hands behind his back, gazing at the flowers in the courtyard. Upon hearing footsteps, he turned to look.
Master Bai promptly introduced, "Sir, this is my aunt, surnamed Liu." My younger cousin attained the title of Jinshi in the first year of Dazheng and later served as the magistrate of Shu County.
Only Master Bai, Wei Zhi, his two guards, Madam Liu, and Da Ji remained in the hall.
After exchanging greetings, Madam Liu did not speak immediately. Da Ji glanced at the guards that Wei Zhi had brought and withdrew first.
Only then did Wei Zhi nod slightly to his two guards, leaving only three people in the hall.
"Madam, you may speak now."
Madam Liu promptly knelt.
Wei Zhi hurriedly reached out to help her up, but Madam Liu refused, raising her head to ask him, "Sir, the breach of the Jianwei Dam should not have occurred this time." The tens of thousands of souls who perished in the deluge should not have died.
Wei Zhi sighed, firmly gripping her arm to assist her up before stepping back and saying, "I understand."
Upon hearing this, both Madam Liu and Master Bai knew they had made the right bet.
For six years, Madam Liu had found no way to seek redress and did not dare to disclose her grievances. Finally, there was now an outlet for her to express herself.
Madam Liu could not help but burst into tears.
Wei Zhi continued, "The flooding in Yizhou this time was severe, enraging His Majesty." Specifically, the Jianwei Dam was repaired just two years ago, or to be precise, the project was completed in one year and eight months.
"The cause of this flooding is the summer torrential rains." If the waterways were not clogged, the Feisha Weir reinforced, and the Jindi Dam intact, this disaster would not have occurred. "Perhaps, even if the flood could not be contained, it would have been a mere overflow, not a sudden deluge."
The breach occurred so suddenly and violently that the downstream residents were swept away before they could react.
In Wei Zhi's view, this was both a natural disaster and a man-made calamity.
"While investigating the construction of the Jianwei Dam, I discovered that in the second year of Dazheng, Magistrate Bai Qi of Shu County submitted a memorial proposing to recruit laborers from other regions to repair the Jindi Dam." However, this memorial had not yet reached the capital as it was rejected by the Governor of Yizhou.
Wei Zhi should not have been aware of this matter, but it must be noted that Bai Qi was meticulous, and Wei Zhi was diligent. While examining various accounts and case files in Shu County, Wei Zhi came across Bai Qi's work diary, which contained no specific content but recorded dates and the titles of memorials submitted.
It was a seemingly ordinary yet extraordinary memorial.
Ordinarily, when a water conservancy project urgently requires labor, it is common to recruit or dispatch laborers from other regions.
The Jianwei Dam was extraordinary in size, but due to years of neglect, the initial project timeline was set at three years.
Funding began in the first year of Dazheng. By the time Bai Qi submitted his memorial, there was still one year and seven months until completion. As later events proved, the repair work lasted even longer, only completing two years ago in autumn.
For such a prolonged water conservancy project, it was typical for the peasants from various counties within the province to take turns serving and laboring. Rarely would laborers be dispatched from other regions so early in the project.