After the New Emperor Ascended, He First Demoted Me to Farming - Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Half a month later, the Old Case of the Jiang Family was reopened for review.

My father’s charge of colluding with the enemy was overturned, and thirty-seven of his former subordinates had their official status restored.

Half the officials in the Qingzhou Grain Transport Administration were replaced.

From Zheng Chong’s estate, they uncovered the Northern Frontier Military Grain Private-Sale Ledger, which dragged out a whole string of accomplices.

The court was shaken to its core.

Xie Xuan went seven days straight without sleep.

Pei Yan told me all of this in his letters.

I had already returned to North Ridge.

When Qiubai ripened, the entire foot of the mountain became a sea of pale white grain.

When the wind blew, it looked like snow had fallen over the fields.

Uncle Zhou said the name was well chosen.

White once in autumn, and you would not fear the dark of winter.

I did not tell him Xie Xuan had named it.

On the day we harvested the grain, many people came to North Ridge.

There was Qingzhou’s newly appointed prefect, old military farming households, and the children who had once knelt by the roadside to see me off.

Shen Zhao was still terrible at farming.

But he was very useful at scaring birds.

The moment he stood on the ridge between the fields, the birds flew around him.

I said, “You’ve found your new calling.”

Shen Zhao’s face remained expressionless.

“Miss, this is not what shadow guards are for.”

“The moment His Majesty sent you here to farm, you should have accepted your fate.”

He had no reply.

At dusk, a carriage came up the mountain road.

There was no ceremonial procession.

No imperial guards clearing the way.

Only Pei Yan on horseback, following slowly behind it.

I stood in the field and watched Xie Xuan step down from the carriage.

He wore an ordinary blue robe, his sleeves tied up, and carried a wooden box in his hand.

Uncle Zhou did not recognize him and asked me, “Who’s that? Doesn’t look like someone who knows how to work.”

I said, “Someone waiting in line.”

Xie Xuan walked over just in time to hear it.

He lowered his head and smiled.

“Have I reached the front yet?”

I looked at the box in his hand.

“What did you bring?”

He opened it.

Inside were osmanthus candies, several packets of new seeds, and a new hoe.

Two words were carved into the hoe handle.

Ask First.

I froze.

Xie Xuan said, “A reminder to myself before I do anything in the future.”

I picked up the hoe.

The carving was very ugly.

“You carved this?”

“Mm.”

“It’s even worse than your stitching.”

The tips of his ears turned red.

Pei Yan laughed from the side.

Xie Xuan looked over.

Pei Yan immediately coughed.

“This subject will go look at the birds.”

Shen Zhao followed him away.

Only Xie Xuan and I remained on the field ridge.

He rolled up his sleeves.

“What are we doing today?”

I pointed at the field.

“Cutting grain.”

He nodded.

“Teach me.”

I handed him the sickle.

“Let’s make this clear first. For every row you ruin, you pay me one packet of candy.”

“All right.”

“If you cut your hand, you’re not allowed to say you’re fine.”

He looked at me.

“Then I can say something is wrong?”

“You can.”

“I can say it hurts?”

“You can.”

“I can say I missed you?”

My hand paused.

Xie Xuan lowered his eyes. His voice was very soft.

“I asked first this time.”

The wind blew across the field, and the white grain heads swayed gently.

I did not answer right away.

After a long while, I lightly tapped his wrist with the back of the sickle.

“Cut the grain first.”

He smiled.

“All right.”

That day, the New Emperor ruined three rows of grain in North Ridge.

He paid me three packets of osmanthus candy.

That night, the village laid out a meal. Uncle Zhou finally learned who he was and nearly knelt straight into the soup basin.

Xie Xuan caught him.

“There is no emperor here today.”

Uncle Zhou looked bewildered.

Xie Xuan looked at me.

“Only a man learning how to farm.”

I lowered my head and drank my soup, but after trying for a long time, I still failed to hold back my smile.

After dinner, Xie Xuan walked me back to the thatched cottage.

The roof had already been repaired.

The door was sturdy too.

He stood outside the door and did not step in again.

“Jiang Wan.”

“Mm?”

“I return to the capital tomorrow.”

“I know.”

“Can I come again next month?”

I glanced at him.

“Aren’t state affairs busy?”

“They are.”

“Then you’re still coming?”

Xie Xuan thought about it seriously.

“Someone waiting in line should show his face often.”

I laughed.

“Who taught you that?”

“Pei Yan.”

“Listen to him less from now on.”

“All right.”

He paused.

“Then will you teach me?”

I stood on the threshold, looking at this New Emperor who had once demoted me to farm.

He had learned to ask.

Learned to wait.

And learned to place the choice back in my hands.

It still was not enough.

But it was better than before.

I took the complete jade pendant he handed me and hung it back at my waist.

“When you come next month, bring seeds.”

Xie Xuan’s eyes brightened.

“Only seeds?”

I thought for a moment.

“And candy.”

“Anything else?”

“And your hands.”

He went still.

I pointed at the firewood in the courtyard.

“The door may be fixed, but the wood still needs chopping.”

Xie Xuan lowered his head and laughed.

“All right.”

Moonlight fell over the fields of North Ridge.

Qiubai had been gathered into the granary, and Qingzhou finally had the confidence to face winter.

Before I shut the door, I heard Xie Xuan ask softly from outside, “Jiang Wan, when Qiubai ripens again, may I ask once more?”

I held the door latch.

“Ask what?”

“Ask whether you are willing to return to the capital with me.”

I did not turn around.

“We’ll see when the time comes.”

Outside the door, it was quiet for a while.

Then he said, “All right.”

“I’ll wait.”

I closed the door and lowered my head to look at the two words on the hoe handle.

Ask First.

Truly ugly.

But I looked at them for a very long time.

When Qiubai ripened the following year, the New Emperor came to North Ridge again.

This time, he did not bring an imperial decree.

He brought only seeds, candy, and a pair of hands worn with calluses.

I stood on the field ridge and watched him walk toward me.

The wind lifted the white waves of grain.

He stopped one step away and asked softly, “Jiang Wan, can I move a little farther up the line now?”

I handed him the sickle.

“Finish cutting this acre first.”

Xie Xuan smiled.

“All right.”

(The End)