The current was very rapid. The boatswain and the Elementary Scholars heard Pei Zi Yun's shouts and came out to take a look. All they saw was a panicking Pei Zi Yun.
The boatswain was the most nervous. He hurriedly asked Pei Zi Yun, "Master Pei, who fell into the river? Can you see him? Tell me quickly, I will call for help. "
Outside of the boat, the waves of the river crashed against the boat, making the sound of splashing water. Everyone looked at Pei Zi Yun.
Pei Zi Yun's body still reeked of alcohol. He then said, "I drank too much just now and needed to pee. I didn't expect to see this boatswain accidentally fall into the water. He must have had too much to drink."
As Pei Zi Yun said this, he pointed a hundred meters away from the boat. The boatswain was already prepared and shouted, "Stop the boat, stop the boat. Something's happened. Hurry up and get him out!"
Not far away, a black shadow could be seen floating in the water. The surface of the water was clear and sparkling. From time to time, there would be a whirlpool. Such currents were usually very rapid, and one could not enter the river directly. One had to tie a rope to one's body, or use a small boat to get closer.
The boatswain was also prepared. Seeing that it was one of his own, he hurriedly ordered the boatswain to go over and arrange for a rescue.
The currents of the river were very strong. Within a short period of time, the boatswain who had fallen into the river was washed even further away. Pei Zi Yun looked at him and laughed coldly. If he had fallen into the river and drank so much water, even if he didn't die, he would fall sick. Not only that, he would not be able to pass the examinations, and might even suffer from side effects.
The boat sailed over and hooked onto the boatswain's clothes. He then used a rope to drag him up. The boatswain brought a puddle of water with him, drenching the deck.
The boatswain immediately shouted, "Hurry up and reverse the water!"
The other boatswain touched him and felt that he had lost his breath. His whole body was cold. This boatswain was about to die, but he still tried to save him. This man was sent by the boatswain, and if he died, it would be troublesome.
The boatswain's body was still soft, but as he tried to save him, his body became stiff. The boatswain's heart sank. This man was beyond saving. He sighed and let go of his hands.
The surrounding Elementary Scholars all felt unlucky. They were going to the prefecture to take the imperial examinations, and the most important thing was luck. How could something like this happen? Halfway through their journey, someone fell into the river. How unlucky. They all said, "This guy was drunk on the boat and lost his footing. He deserved to drown."
The captain of the boat was speechless. He knew that this man wanted to harm Pei Zi Yun, but he didn't know why he had fallen into the river. He then said, "Dear sirs, the death of a person is a huge matter. We shall stop at the next stop, the county, and invite the officials to investigate. When everything is over, we shall send all of you back to De Prefecture City."
The few Elementary Scholars did not have any objections. When the captain saw this, he was secretly delighted. As long as he reported this to the captain, he would not have to bear any responsibility. As for the Elementary Scholars, they could only pray for themselves.
Just as he was thinking about this, Pei Zi Yun laughed coldly, "Captain, your words are not accurate. You obviously know that our examinations are nearing, and that we will stop at the next county. The officials will be coming and going, and there will be lawsuits. Who knows if we will be able to make it in time for the Regional Examinations.
Yu Guang Mao laughed coldly, "Boatswain, you are too cunning. You know that the examinations are nearing. If we stop at the next stop, we might not be able to make it in time for the examinations."
Yu Guang Mao laughed coldly, "You are so cunning. Since you said that we are only a day away from the capital, let's stop there. There are officials there too!"
"Brother Yu is right. Are you trying to delay my Imperial Examinations?" Some of the Elementary Scholars were enraged.
It was just one Elementary Scholar. Seven or eight Elementary Scholars together would be a formidable force. The boatswain looked up at Pei Zi Yun, his heart filled with shock.
This boatswain wanted to harm this Elementary Scholar, and yet he died. Now that he had seen through his intentions, he had his suspicions. However, the other party was an Elementary Scholar, and he did not dare to say anything. He ordered the boatswain to set sail.
It was noon, and the sun was blazing hot. Just one person drowned was bad luck. The few of them felt heavy in their hearts.
The captain was smoking a water pipe and his heart was heavy. He sat at the side and smacked his lips. No one knew what he was thinking. The wrinkles on his forehead seemed to have become more obvious. He smacked his lips and frowned from time to time. He took a few deep puffs of the water pipe and could only hear the gurgling sound.
Prefecture City, Gao Chui Monastery
Zhang Jie Yu and Li Wen Jing had arrived at the prefecture and were staying in this monastery. Li Wen Jing laughed, "This monastery used to belong to a family. Something happened to the owner, and it has been deserted for over ten years. The yard is full of weeds and badgers."
"Our sect bought it, refurbished the antler, and divided it into three parts."
"After moving the old tree, the leaves are still lush. It's amazing." Under the sunlight, Zhang Jie Yu listened to the sound of the boiling tea, but his expression didn't look right.
Li Wen Jing was sipping tea with Zhang Jie Yu. When he saw Zhang Jie Yu's expression, he asked, "Young Master, are you worried about Pei Zi Yun?"
When Zhang Jie Yu heard Li Wen Jing's words, a strange expression appeared on his face. When Li Wen Jing saw Zhang Jie Yu's expression, he smiled and said, "Young Master, don't worry. I have already sent people according to the plan. Even if they can't harm him, they can still stop him."
Hearing Li Wen Jing's words, Zhang Jie Yu relaxed and drank a cup of tea.
The next afternoon, the boat had travelled for an entire day and night before reaching the prefecture city. The boatswain's face was dark and gloomy as he called for the boatswain to report the incident. The Elementary Scholars didn't look too well either. They weren't sleeping well. Their faces were pale and they had dark circles under their eyes. They were seated around a table on the first floor, waiting for the constable to arrive.
The boatswain went out. After about an hour, he heard a commotion outside. He looked up and saw the boatswain leading a constable towards the boat. This constable had a baleful look on his face. He held a knife in his hand and was followed by two bailiffs.
The bailiffs following the constable had chains in their hands and a metal ruler in their hands. They chased the crowd away, "Make way, make way. The bailiffs are handling a case, don't crowd around."
Some of the people in the crowd were cursing under their breaths, while others were discussing what had happened. Why were the bailiffs here?
"They're definitely here to arrest someone. Didn't you see the bailiffs behind the constable? They're all wearing chains." The constable had received a report that someone had died on the boat. He wasn't sure if it was a murder or a drowning. The constable hurriedly brought his men over. When he boarded the boat, he was shocked. The people on the boat were all Elementary Scholars. Could it be that one of them had died?
This was a huge matter.
When he entered the cabin and removed the white cloth covering the corpse, he was greeted with a pungent smell. He covered his nose and took a closer look. It was a dirty boatswain, not an Elementary Scholar. Death was a small matter. The constable rolled his eyes and had an idea. He wanted to teach the boatswain a lesson. Maybe he could get some benefits out of him.
As he thought of this, he called for the bailiffs to call the boatswain over. The bailiffs shouted, "How dare you! You're not kneeling down when you see the constable?"
The constable wasn't considered an official. He could only be considered a bailiff. However, these bailiffs had a lot of authority. With a shout from the bailiff, the boatswain was so frightened that he knelt down.
According to the boatswain, the boatswain had caught a huge fish yesterday afternoon. They had prepared some wine for the Elementary Scholar. The boatswain had gone to eat and had fallen into the river.
The boatswain wanted to report the case to the local authorities, but the Elementary Scholar didn't allow it.
Hearing the boatswain's words, the constable laughed coldly. The Elementary Scholar was preparing for the Autumn Examinations. How could he allow you to delay him?
The constable walked around the white cloth covering the corpse and thought for a while. He then turned around and glared at the boatswain fiercely. He then shouted, "How dare you! Tell me the truth. Did you and the boatswain conspire against the Elementary Scholar? Did something happen and you fell into the river? Tell me the truth. When I report this, I might be able to ask the master to give you a lighter sentence."
The boatswain heard this shout and felt guilty. He was so frightened that his legs turned to jelly. He hurriedly kowtowed and begged for mercy, "Your excellency, how would I dare to harm the Elementary Scholar. This boatswain drank too much and fell into the river. It's not my fault."
The constable had only intended to scare the boatswain. Seeing the boatswain so frightened, he was overjoyed. It seemed like the boatswain was a soft persimmon. It was time to squeeze more benefits out of him. He then shouted, "Follow me into the cabin!"
The boatswain was speechless and could only follow. He then heard the constable say with a smile, "But this matter is a matter of time. If you are willing to fork out some money, the Elementary Scholar will be fine. I can help you out and get rid of this crime. If not, you will be in big trouble."
The boatswain was a smart man. At first, he was afraid that he would be guilty. But after hearing these words, his heart was clear. The constable did not suspect anything at all. That's right, the Elementary Scholar will be fine. It's just a lowly boatswain who died.
The boatswain wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and asked, "Your excellency, how much do I need?"
Hearing the boatswain's words, the constable stretched out five fingers. The boatswain was shocked, "Five taels?"
As soon as he said this, he sat down on the floor.
The constable looked at him and said, "Five taels, not a lot. If you were to get a lawsuit, it would not be settled with just five taels."
Before long, the constable came out smiling and bowed to the Elementary Scholar. He then concluded the case, "My dear sirs, you've been frightened. It's just a drunken boatswain who drowned. It's not a big deal. This case is closed."
"My dear sirs, please go ahead."
As he said this, he took his leave and climbed up the steps. He then played with the five taels of silver in his hands in satisfaction. When they were far away from the boat, the constable looked at the two bailiffs behind him and tossed them five taels of silver, "You've followed me out for a while. This little bit of silver is for you two brothers. Don't speak of this matter anymore."
The two bailiffs thanked him profusely, and were extremely grateful.
Pei Zi Yun had prepared many things to say in order to deal with this constable. He didn't expect the constable to close the case so hastily and be so polite to him. He only asked him a few questions. Pei Zi Yun's brows relaxed, "Looks like this matter is over. I'm not an ancient person after all. I don't understand the power of an Elementary Scholar!"
"And he's just an Elementary Scholar. If he were a High Scholar, I'm afraid he wouldn't even bother to ask."
Just as he was thinking about this, the case was over. The Elementary Scholars started to pack their luggage and left. This delay lasted until evening.
Pei Zi Yun got off the boat. At this point, the sky was getting darker. He noticed that there were passengers on the other boat and felt strange. He walked up and asked, "There are still boats that leave at night?"
A coxswain came out from within. This coxswain had tanned skin, and when he saw Pei Zi Yun, he hurriedly welcomed him and said, "Of course there is. The water is flat, and it's twice as fast to get to the county below. We'll be there in a moment."
When Pei Zi Yun heard this, he thought to himself, "Hey, the heavens are helping me. I remember that Li Wen Jing's residence is downstream, not far from the shore."
He looked at the boat for a long time before leaving.
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