When the drum signaling the end of the official workday sounded, Pei Cijing closed the file in front of him.
As usual, he finished his work on time.
Liu Zhixing was still burying his head in copying documents, and Chen Wangbei was engrossed in a file from Huaizhou Prefecture. Without lingering, Pei Cijing neatly packed up his official document box.
He arched his hands towards the two of them, then got up and walked outside.
Liu Zhixing looked up at his back but didn't say much. After getting along with this Brother Pei for the past few days, he had already figured out his character.
Unless necessary,
Pei Cijing wouldn't stay in the Imperial Academy for long after the end of the workday.
Chen Wangbei didn't even lift his head. He just waved his hand and said in a muffled voice, "See you tomorrow," then buried himself in the file again.
Pei Cijing walked out of the office and crossed the bluestone path at an unhurried pace.
Outside the porch of the Imperial Academy, the carriage was already waiting. He jumped onto the carriage, lowered the curtain, and the carriage rumbled away, merging into the flow of carriages and people on the long street.
The wheels rolled on.
The street scenery outside the window slowly receded.
Leaning against the carriage wall, Pei Cijing closed his eyes. Usually at this time, he would feel relaxed. After a day of loafing around in the Imperial Academy, the following time belonged to him.
He would return to Anleju.
Have the meals prepared by his wife.
Drink a pot of tea, read a few pages of idle books, and play with the newly bloomed orchid on the windowsill. If his wife was in a good mood, he could even get some "rewards". Those days were really beyond compare, even with the life of an immortal.
But today, although it was still the same carriage and the same street scenery, he didn't have the usual sense of relaxation.
There was something,
Pressing heavily on his heart.
It wasn't because he had to start working and couldn't loaf around anymore. It was the words he had read in the office today, the words left by Master Shuijing in the preface of "Shuijing". They were like a stone thrown into the calm lake of his heart, and the ripples they stirred up hadn't subsided yet.
"The hardships in the process are not worth mentioning to outsiders."
"The matter of water control cannot be achieved overnight, nor can it be a once - and - for - all solution."
"If this cycle continues from generation to generation, then water disasters can be controlled, water conservancy can be developed, and the common people can live in peace."
Those words were very plain, without much flowery decoration, but every word seemed to be pulled out from the bottom of his heart, carrying the lifelong efforts and expectations of an old man.
Pei Cijing opened his eyes and looked at the slowly passing street scenery outside the window.
His gaze was a bit unfocused.
He had to admit one thing: his heart had been touched.
It wasn't because of how profound Master Shuijing's knowledge was, nor because of how prominent his achievements were. What really touched him was Master Shuijing's identity.
The same identity as his own.
A time - traveler.
A time - traveler without a system or a golden finger, who spent his entire life traversing the mountains and rivers of the Great Qian Empire, just to leave a reliable basis for water control for future generations.
Pei Cijing had always had a clear understanding of himself.
He was a very passive person.
If it wasn't necessary or if he didn't particularly want something, he generally didn't like to make a fuss.
His personal desires were actually not very great.
He didn't pursue high - ranking official positions or crave wealth and honor. He didn't have the lofty ambition of "establishing principles for heaven and earth and giving a purpose to the people". He just wanted to live a stable life.
His birth in this life,
Gave him the confidence to be idle.
He was the only son of the second branch of the Weiyuan Marquis Mansion.
Although the title didn't fall to him, the status of the Marquis Mansion was there, and he could hold his head high when walking outside. His maternal grandfather's Zhou family was a wealthy merchant in the south of the Yangtze River, and their overseas trade business was booming. The annual dividends he received were enough to support an ordinary family for several lifetimes.
In terms of birth and wealth, his starting point was already the unreachable end - point for many people in several lifetimes.
With a reliable backer, having enough to eat and wear, and being financially free.
What else did he need to struggle for?
Wasn't it good to be a wealthy and idle person like his father, Pei Fugui?
If his marriage hadn't changed, if Shen Ninghuan hadn't proposed to swap marriages and become his wife, and if his wife hadn't used those "reward mechanisms" to encourage him to study,
He would probably still be lying idle in Anleju, strolling around the streets, or drinking tea, eating snacks, and playing with birds in the teahouse, being an obedient and gossip - loving young master of the Marquis Mansion.
He wouldn't have taken the imperial examination.
He wouldn't have passed the exam as the third - place laureate.
He definitely wouldn't have worn this green official robe and entered the gate of the Imperial Academy.
However, since he had entered the officialdom, Pei Cijing actually had some plans.
Firstly, he was still too young.
A nineteen - year - old third - place laureate was eye - catching anywhere.
Achieving success at a young age, the most taboo thing was to be complacent and show off. The officialdom was not the examination hall. It wasn't a place where one could just charge forward with a bit of intelligence.
Secondly, he was just a new recruit with a shallow foundation.
What kind of place was the Imperial Academy? It was the center of culture and education in the world and an honorable place in direct contact with the emperor. Those who could gain a foothold here were all shrewd people with backgrounds, seniority, and skills.
As a newbie, he hadn't even figured out the various duties here, nor had he understood the characters of his colleagues. If he rushed to make a move, it wouldn't be a sign of ambition but a sign of stupidity.
So he thought more about stability.
First, make a smooth transition for a few years, figure out the rules of the Imperial Academy, get to know the people he should know, and learn what he should learn.
After really getting familiar with the environment and standing firm on his feet, it wouldn't be too late to talk about making contributions.
Pei Cijing thought there was nothing wrong with this plan.
It was steady, practical, and not rash.
But the appearance of Master Shuijing today was like a mirror suddenly standing in front of him.
Like him, Master Shuijing was also a time - traveler who inexplicably came to this world. He had no system, no golden finger, and didn't have the privileged birth of a young master from the Marquis Mansion like him.
All he had was a great love for the world.
And two legs.
But with these two legs, he traversed every inch of the land of the Great Qian Empire. With this lone courage, he spent his entire life writing this "Shuijing" that would benefit future generations.
For what?
Not for getting promoted and getting rich, not for bringing honor to his wife and descendants.
Master Shuijing clearly wrote in the preface - he was poor when he was young and lived by the river. Every year, he witnessed the raging water disasters, the fertile fields turning into swamps, the houses being completely destroyed, the common people being displaced, and the starving people lying everywhere.
He was extremely heart - broken.
So he made a great vow.
For more than forty years, regardless of wind and rain.
Just to leave a reliable basis for future generations to control water, just to let the people living by the river, who were tortured by water disasters every year, suffer less and save a few more lives.
Was this what a time - traveler should be like?
Pei Cijing didn't know.
He only knew that if it was a person who was originally from this world who had accomplished such a thing, he wouldn't have too many thoughts in his heart.
He would only sigh, "This person is great," and then go on with his own business.
But unexpectedly, the one who accomplished this thing was a person like him, another time - traveler, a time - traveler without cheating.
This kind of touch,
Was completely different.
It was like walking on a road. Originally thinking that you were the only one on this road, so you walked at your own pace, unhurriedly.
Suddenly one day, you discover that there was once another person on this path. He had no backing, yet he went much farther than you, so far that you couldn't even catch a glimpse of his silhouette by standing on tiptoe.
It's a feeling that's hard to describe.
It's neither jealousy nor shame.
It's like being nudged by something.
The carriage stopped in front of the Marquis Mansion.
Pei Cijing jumped off the carriage, straightened his clothes, and strode into the mansion. He passed through the porch, walked along the corridor, and passed by the wisteria that was already in bloom for half. The light - purple petals hung down in clusters, glowing faintly in the twilight.
He glanced at it but didn't stop his steps.
When he returned to Anleju, Shen Ninghuan was already waiting. The food was kept warm on the stove, and the tea was freshly brewed. She was sitting under the lamp doing needlework. Hearing the footsteps, she looked up and gave him a gentle smile.
"Welcome back, husband."
Pei Cijing responded and sat down at the table.
The dishes were served. They were his favorite steamed perch, shredded pork stir - fried with bamboo shoots, and a steaming bowl of mushroom soup. He picked up his chopsticks and ate bite by bite. His wife served him dishes on the side and occasionally chatted about daily life.
Everything seemed the same as usual.
But Shen Ninghuan could tell that it wasn't.
Today, while eating, her husband didn't praise her cooking skills as he usually did, nor did he talk about things like "what new books the Imperial Academy had gotten today" or "what interesting things Chen Wangbei had said".
He just ate quietly, and his gaze drifted out of the window from time to time, as if he was looking at something, yet also as if he was looking at nothing.
After dinner, the maid removed the bowls and chopsticks.
Pei Cijing didn't lean close to Shen Ninghuan as he usually did, put his arms around her waist, bury his face in her shoulder, and act all lovey - dovey.
He leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes.
Shen Ninghuan looked at her husband leaning back in the chair. His brows were slightly furrowed, and his lips were gently pursed. He seemed to be lost in thought but couldn't figure it out.
She didn't ask.
She just listened quietly.
Her husband's inner thoughts were in a mess, like a lake ruffled by the wind, with ripples overlapping one after another, making it impossible to sort out.
From those chaotic thoughts, she sorted out the whole story - "Shuijing", Master Shuijing, time - travelers, more than forty years, a lifetime, the common people, being touched, hesitating.
Shen Ninghuan lowered her eyes. Of course, she knew about "Shuijing".
Her father, Shen Zhongcheng, had also revised "Daqian Shuijing Zhu" when he was in the Imperial Academy. Later, when teaching her and her brother to read, he would occasionally talk about this experience.
Her father highly respected the author of "Shuijing", Master Shuijing.
She remembered clearly that her father thought very highly of him, calling him the rarest person in the world.
"He didn't seek fame or fortune, didn't desire glory in this life or the remembrance in the after - life. He just thought this thing needed to be done, so he did it and spent his whole life on it. After finishing, he left this book and just left. There isn't even a proper biography of him. No one knows when he died or where he's buried."
"Yet every river, every dyke, and every acre of fertile land irrigated by water in Daqian remembers him."
"This is truly benefiting future generations."
Although she was still young at that time, she still clearly remembered the heartfelt respect and an indescribable yearning in her father's words when he said this.
She just didn't expect that.
Master Shuijing was also a time - traveler, just like her husband.
By comparison, Master Shuijing was concerned about the country and the people, took the world as his responsibility, and spent his whole life doing something that would benefit future generations. While her husband just wanted to be a wealthy idler.
Well.
Suddenly, Shen Ninghuan somewhat understood why her husband was in such a complicated mood.
People are afraid of comparisons.
Previously, her husband didn't know that there were other time - travelers in this world. Without the comparison with the same kind, he lived his own little life contentedly.
No comparison.
No harm.
But now, suddenly, there was Master Shuijing, a real, well - documented, successful time - traveler of the same kind.
The comparison was obvious!
Her husband's heart, which had always been content with the status quo, was shaken after being compared to this example, and he couldn't sit still...
Shen Ninghuan stood up and walked behind Pei Cijing.
She raised her hands and gently placed them on his temples, slightly pressing with her fingers and slowly massaging.
Pei Cijing's body stiffened slightly and then relaxed.
His wife's fingers were warm and soft, and the pressure was just right.
The warmth spread from his temples, flowing slowly along his blood vessels, gradually melting the nerves that had been tense all day.
He didn't open his eyes.
He just let out a long sigh.
While massaging him, Shen Ninghuan softly asked, "Husband, did you encounter something today? You seem like this."
Pei Cijing closed his eyes and was silent for a while. Then he told her about his experience in the Imperial Academy, that he had been assigned the task of revising "Daqian Shuijing Zhu", and his feelings after reading the preface of "Shuijing", but he omitted the fact that Master Shuijing was a time - traveler.
It wasn't that he wanted to hide it from his wife.
It was just that this matter was really hard to explain.
Could he say, "Wife, actually, Master Shuijing and I both came from another world"? Whether his wife would believe it was one thing, and just explaining what "another world" was would give him a headache. He was afraid he'd be considered crazy.
"I admit," Pei Cijing said in a low voice at last, "I was touched by Master Shuijing. What he did made me have an indescribable feeling in my heart..."
Shen Ninghuan didn't say anything.
She just continued to massage his temples, and the pressure became even gentler than before, as if soothing a child with something on his mind.
Pei Cijing felt the warmth of his wife's fingertips. The mess in his heart seemed to be gradually untangled by a pair of gentle hands. Although it wasn't completely untangled, it had loosened a bit.
He continued,
"I have an impulse to do something."
"But I'm also a bit hesitant. Now that I've just entered the Imperial Academy, even though we have connections and a background, precisely because of this, we should keep a low profile and not cause too much trouble."
"Wife, what do you think I should do?"
Shen Ninghuan knew that her husband's hesitation wasn't just due to the reasons he mentioned on the surface. More importantly, the conflict between his inner thoughts and his long - standing behavior habits made it impossible for him to truly make up his mind.
He needed someone to give him a push!
Shen Ninghuan stopped massaging. She lowered her head, looking at her husband's slightly furrowed brows and the slightly trembling eyelashes under his closed eyes.
She didn't directly give her answer. Instead, she spoke softly. Her tone was still as gentle as before, but with a hint of seriousness as she asked, "Husband, do you still remember what Daoist Qingyunzi said to you when we went to Qingyun Temple before..."
