Finest Servant

Chapter 384 The Fish Leaps Through the Dragon's Gate

Both banks of the lake were densely packed with people, a massive throng that stretched as far as the eye could see. A dark mass of old and young, men and women, craning their necks to look into the lake, as if expecting to find some treasure.

"What's all this commotion?" Master Lin was taken aback and grabbed an old man, asking, "Elder, why have so many people gathered here so early in the morning, before the sky has even brightened?"

"You must be an outsider, young man," the old man whispered mysteriously after looking around. "Let me tell you, something big has happened. Incredibly big—silver has grown in our Weishan Lake! I've heard there are several million taels of it. The Imperial Court has sent a high official here to fish out the silver. Just think, several million taels of silver—what would that look like? Piled up, it might be even higher than Mount Tai? Our Weishan Lake truly has produced a treasure. We villagers, who might not see so much silver in ten lifetimes, all got up in the middle of the night to come and watch how the high official of the court is going to fish it out. Who knows, maybe after they haul in their nets, we could try our luck fishing in the lake too!"

Silver grown in Weishan Lake? Several million taels? Master Lin was covered in a cold sweat. How could rumors spread like this? This was clear evidence. Yesterday, he had only let Luo Yuan spread the word that the court's lost official silver had been found in Weishan Lake. He had not expected that overnight, it would turn into this. People's words were indeed to be feared, and Master Lin finally realized it.

"Big brother, big brother—" Luo Yuan came running, breathless, his hair disheveled and eyes bloodshot, showing clearly that he had not slept well the previous night.

"Little Luo, what's happening here? How did so many people suddenly arrive?" Lin Wanrong pointed at the crowd around them, shaking his head in disbelief.

Luo Yuan forced a bitter smile, "Big brother, we underestimated the villagers' ability to create stories. Yesterday, I deliberately spread the word that the official silver was found. Who would have thought that after patrolling the lake all night, I'd wake up to hear all kinds of different versions? Some say silver grows in Weishan Lake, others say treasures are buried underwater, and still others say the Dragon Palace is in our lake. In any case, all sorts of wild legends, but the fact that Weishan Lake is about to produce great treasures is true. This is a once-in-a-thousand-year event! See, the villagers came early, bringing their families to watch the excitement."

Salute to the great masses! Master Lin was left speechless by Luo Yuan's words. He had planned and calculated, yet overlooked the people's ability to distort facts, leading to this miraculous spectacle of thousands coming to watch the silver being fished out. With this feat, he, Master Lin, would go down in history as unmatched.

Fishing for silver in front of tens of thousands of people—if he found some, it would be fine, but if not, what would happen then? What rumors would tens of thousands of people create? It would be better for him, Master Lin, to simply find a block of tofu and smash his head against it, for he could not bear the shame.

Was this not seeking trouble? Master Lin sighed and shook his head, patting Little Luo on the shoulder, "Little Luo, your big brother really shot himself in the foot this time. With tens of thousands watching, the pressure is just too damn high!"

Luo Yuan's eyes were red, "Big brother, I never thought it would turn into this. It's my fault for dragging you into it."

Lin Wanrong repeatedly waved his hand, "Little Luo, this has nothing to do with you; it is I, your big brother, who has miscalculated. Damn it, I understand now. A hundred schemes can't defeat ten mouths."

A soft laugh burst out behind him. Lin Wanrong turned around in haste, only to see Xu Zhiqing, standing with Luo Ning behind the two of them. The giggle just now was Xu Zhiqing's, undoubtedly mocking Master Lin's blunder.

"Ning'er, how did you get up? It's not time yet; you should sleep a bit more!" Lin Wanrong said, heart aching at the sight of Luo Ning's little face frozen red.

"Big brother, Sister Xu and I got up at the third watch. We saw you sleeping soundly and didn't wake you; the two of us went out first," Luo Ning gently said.

Lin Wanrong's face turned red, ‘So these two girls got up earlier than me, and here I thought they hadn't woken up yet!’ He laughed, "I never expected that such a small thing would draw so many villagers to support me. I'm truly flattered, it adds luster to my presence."

Luo Ning looked at him sympathetically and said softly, "Big brother, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Whether this succeeds or not, Little Yuan, Father, Sister Xu, and I will always support you."

"Yes, big brother, we all support you!" Luo Yuan firmly said. Xu Zhiqing glanced at him and said nothing.

Lin Wanrong gave a bitter smile and asked Luo Yuan, "Little Luo, did you discover anything when patrolling the lake last night? With such a commotion, those rascals better have shown themselves, or it would be a waste of my efforts!"

Luo Yuan nodded excitedly, "Big brother, you are a genius. During the first watch, when we were inspecting the lake's surface, we found some people sneaking around in a small boat among the reeds. We surrounded them, captured two, but two others escaped by diving."

"Really?" Lin Wanrong exclaimed joyfully, "Damn it, I knew I wasn't so unlucky! Where are those bastards? I'll interrogate them myself!"

"Big brother," Luo Ning chided softly, looking at him, "Don't use foul language; Sister Xu is here!"

Xu Zhiqing shook her head, "I won't mind. I never expected any kind words from some crude people."

Miss Xu's words hit a nerve, and Master Lin cheekily retorted, "Miss Xu is right; I am indeed 'crude,' too bad you can't taste it!" He leered at her, and she glared back, unable to find fault with her own words. Lin Wanrong then said, "Little Luo, come, let's go look at those young rabbits!"

The two captives, grabbed by Luo Yuan, were tied up on a small boat on the lake. When Lin Wanrong arrived, the two were tied together, sound asleep. One was a delicate-skinned chubby man, the other as thin as a monkey, clearly no good men.

Feeling irritated after getting up early, Lin Wanrong was annoyed seeing them sleep so soundly. He waved his hand, "Come, pour some water on this fat pig and skinny monkey."

Soldiers quickly brought a wooden bucket, scooping water from the lake and dousing the two men. The chubby man and the skinny monkey simultaneously shivered, letting out a strange cry, waking up freezing. They saw a healthy young man standing before them, his face with a cold smile, emanating a chilling aura, filled with murderous intent.

"You, who are you?" The chubby man stammered, "Why did you capture us? We are fishermen on Weishan Lake!"

"Fishermen?" Lin Wanrong sneered coldly and bellowed, "Come on, chop off his hands for me!"

Two soldiers stepped forward, pinning the chubby man down, and drew their steel blades, gesturing menacingly. The chubby man turned pale with fright, stammering, "Si-Sir, I am really a fisherman, you cannot kill the innocent!"

"Fisherman?!" Lin Wanrong roared in anger, "Look at those chubby hands of yours, soft and tender without a single callus, and you dare call yourself a fisherman? If you fell into the lake, you'd sink like a stone, not even buoyant enough to float a bubble. You, a fisherman? Come on, chop off his claws, let him pretend in front of me!"

"No, Sir. I'm guilty, I'm guilty! I'm not a fisherman, I'm a local farmer." The chubby man quickly kowtowed, "Last night, I heard that there was silver in the lake, and I was overcome with greed. I thought I'd take a look under cover of darkness, but I didn't expect to be caught by you fine gentlemen. I deserve to die, I deserve to die!" A cunning gleam flashed in the chubby man's eyes as he kowtowed in apparent terror.

Lin Wanrong snorted and turned to the thin man, "What about you, are you a fisherman too?"

"Sir, I'm the same as the shopkeeper here. I was also overcome by greed and came to have a look, that's all. Please, Sir, forgive us, forgive us!" The thin man also desperately kowtowed.

Lin Wanrong's mouth twisted into a cold smile as he chillingly said, "You two, lift your heads and look at me."

The chubby man and thin man quickly looked up, only to see a cold gleam in this man's eyes, as if he could see right through their thoughts. Frightened, they quickly lowered their heads again.

"Do you know who I am?" the official asked, his voice devoid of emotion, revealing nothing of his thoughts.

"We don't know, we don't know!" They both shook their heads quickly.

"You don't know? Well, that's good. Let me introduce myself." Lin Wanrong spoke calmly, "My name is Lin San, and last year I suppressed the White Lotus Cult here on Weishan Lake. I personally beheaded the White Lotus's bravest warrior and captured the rebel king Lu Kanli. I conquered Jining City. The number of lives I've taken is not less than ten thousand, maybe eight thousand." The two listened, hearts pounding with fear, sweat pouring down their foreheads, their legs trembling.

"I tell you this, not for any particular reason, but just to make sure you remember my name, so you can complain to King Yama." [TL: King of the underworld] Lin Wanrong chuckled, casually waving his hand, "Alright, time's up. Come on, drag this fatso and skinny one out, chop them down!"

"You can't, you can't, Sir! How can you just kill people at will? I will report you!" Both men shouted in unison.

"Report me?!" Lin Wanrong slammed the table, "I command tens of thousands of soldiers, killing two people is like squashing ants. What's the big deal? Behead them, behead them!"

The chubby man paled, "Sir, spare me, spare me!"

Lin Wanrong scoffed, "Spare you? Just because you say 'spare me,' I should spare you? You must give me a reason that I can use to convince myself, right?"

"Sir, actually, we were commanded to—" The chubby man was about to speak, but seeing the thin man's eyes widen, he instantly fell silent, his voice frozen in terror.

"Chop this monkey-like fellow for me!" Lin Wanrong stood up with a swish, barking in anger. Two soldiers immediately dragged the thin man away. Not long after, a chilling scream was heard, and the chubby man fell to the ground in fright.

"It's your turn now!" Master Lin said indifferently.

"Mercy, sir, mercy! I confess everything! I was instructed by others to come here and investigate the situation."

"Instructed by whom? Investigate what?" Lin Wanrong coldly snorted.

"I am the scribe of the Zhuping County government in Jining Prefecture. Last night, I was ordered by my lord to come and inspect the condition of Weishan Lake's surface. My lord instructed me to specifically observe the area forty to fifty li south of Jining City for any abnormalities. That's all I know, please, sir, spare me, spare me!" he pleaded.

"Zhuping County government?" Lin Wanrong huffed, stepping out of the cabin. Luo Yuan was standing at the doorway, grinning and giving him a thumbs-up. "Big brother, you're amazing! In just a few moments, you frightened that youngster out of his wits!"

Lin Wanrong laughed, "Intimidating people is easy; all it takes is putting on a stern face. Where's that skinny monkey? Have him lead the way and order Hu Bugui to gather the troops. We must quickly raid the Zhuping County government. Perhaps, we might even fish out a big catch."

"Understood!" Luo Yuan was about to rush off, full of enthusiasm, but suddenly stopped and turned back. "Big brother, the fat man mentioned that the Zhuping County government instructed him to pay special attention to the water area within forty to fifty li. Could the silver be hidden within that range?"

Lin Wanrong thought for a moment and smiled, "No matter, our search range includes sixty li anyway. We'll just pay closer attention when we search the forty to fifty li range."

Once off the ship, Luo Ning and Xu Zhiqing were awaiting him. Ning'er excitedly said, "Big brother, I heard from Little Yuan that we've made some progress in our investigation, haven't we?"

Lin Wanrong, smiling, rubbed his temple, "I suppose so, though it's of little value. The only gain is knowing the bandits' hideout near Jining. I've ordered Hu Bugui to apprehend them. If we can catch a big fish and find the location of the hidden silver, that would be best. But I suspect the chances are slim. These rogues are as slippery as eels. Since the scribe from the government didn't return last night, they might have sensed danger and relocated. So, we must still rely on ourselves."

Luo Ning flashed a sweet smile at him, "Ning'er believes in big brother. You can definitely do it." She handed him a small basket, "Big brother, have breakfast! Sister Xu and I made this ourselves this morning. It's still warm!"

Breakfast made by Miss Xu? How could he accept such a favor? Master Lin laughed heartily and bowed slightly to Miss Xu, "Miss Xu, you are too kind. I'm undeserving."

"If you feel undeserving, then don't eat it, pretending to be polite!" Xu Zhiqing huffed. Yet her attitude had improved significantly compared to the previous day; she even made pastries for Master Lin. Who knew what Ning'er had said to her?

As the sky began to lighten, the curious crowd along the shores grew, packing the banks to bursting.

Having finished breakfast, Master Lin stood up and patted his round belly. Seeing the scene before him, he was taken aback. Human curiosity truly knew no bounds. Thankfully, troops had been deployed the previous night to guard both sides of the lake. Otherwise, the crowd alone would have created chaos on Weishan Lake. Master Lin wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, feeling fortunate.

Luo Yuan returned after delivering the orders, followed by the old boatman from the day before and several hundred sturdy men.

"Sir!" The old boatman rushed over, clasping his fists, "This humble old man has fulfilled his duty. From yesterday morning to this dawn, we have assembled sixty nets, each four miles long, a total of two hundred and forty miles! The three hundred thousand fish fry have also arrived, and with a command from you, Sir, we can release them into the lake. Thousands of strong fishermen along the shores are waiting for your summons."

"Excellent!" Master Lin exclaimed joyfully, grabbing the old man's hand, "Uncle, have everyone spread the sixty nets, some placed sixty miles out on the lake surface, each pulled by separate small boats. The rest should be placed near the shore and pulled from both sides. Maintain several yards' distance between each net and make sure they don't spread too far apart. One thing to remember, you must encompass the entire sixty-mile stretch of water within the nets!"

"No problem, we have plenty of nets and manpower!" The old man proudly laughed, "But this old fellow doesn’t understand why we need so many nets now, during early spring. There aren't many fish in the lake, as we caught them all last winter. What will these nets catch?"

"Last year's fish are gone, but we haven't caught this year's fish yet!" Master Lin smiled mysteriously, "Stocking fish, then fishing, Uncle, you mentioned it yourself, don't you remember?"

"Stocking fish, then fishing? Oh, are you talking about the new fish fry? But Sir, why release them only to catch them again? Won't that cut off our harvest?" The old man asked, puzzled.

Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, "Don't worry, Uncle, I'm not going to catch the fish fry. I'm just borrowing them for a use, to let them dance."

The old man didn't understand, but the kind official had solved the fishermen's urgent problem and didn't seem to be a bad person, so he was reassured.

"Uncle, what would it look like if these three hundred thousand fish fry were released into this sixty-mile stretch of water?" Xu Zhiqing suddenly asked, her brows slightly furrowed, as if pondering something.

The old man smiled and said, "The entire Weishan Lake is several hundred miles wide, and three hundred thousand fish fry would be enough. If they are only in this sixty-mile area, once released, there will be a constant movement of fish heads, fish chasing fish, fish driving fish. With one pull of the net, you could see the scene of fish racing."

Xu Zhiqing silently nodded, seeming to understand a little but still uncertain, just like Lin San, who was shameless but also clever. Which one was the real him? She couldn't figure it out.

The bright sun slowly rose from the water's surface, hanging high in the sky, its soft rays warming everyone's face and body. This perfectly confirmed Lin San's prediction yesterday that today would be a sunny day, clear and cloudless.

Usually calm Weishan Lake was bustling, extraordinarily lively. Starting from the south gate of Jining City, within the sixty-mile stretch of water, nearly seven or eight hundred small boats were assembled, with over two hundred miles of fishing nets, and thousands of excited, robust fishermen, looking as though they were celebrating a festival. The scene was even more bustling than the end-of-autumn net fishing on Weishan Lake.

The fish fry had already been transported by small boats, and high wooden boxes were set up on the boats, filled with water and teeming with fish fry, all growing and wriggling together, a lively spectacle. Hundreds of fish fry boats were stationed in the center of the sixty-mile stretch, waiting for Master Lin's command to release them into the lake.

Lin Wanrong stood quietly at the bow of the boat, gazing at the bustling boats and people around him, a surreal feeling suddenly rising in his heart. ‘Such a lively scene, was it really created by me? If I succeed this time, I would be a genius among geniuses, but if I fail, the Luo Min family will be ruined, and I'll regret it for the rest of my life.’ The pressure was enormous.

He stood there motionless, his heart thrilled to the extreme, then suddenly a feeling of calm washed over him. The lively lake seemed to vanish before his eyes, and he heard nothing but his own heartbeat. Was this what it felt like when pressure reached its peak? The feeling that even his body did not exist? He smiled bitterly, a look no one could see on his face.

Staring at her big brother's mountain-like back, Luo Ning seemed to see the heavy burden he bore, all held up by this lone figure. His usual jesting and laughter seemed joyful, but he never spoke of his sorrows, and who could understand the heaviness in his heart?

"Big brother—" Luo Ning murmured, her eyes filled with tears, a feeling of deep emotion and happiness in her heart.

Xu Zhiqing stared at his figure, thinking that if there were one person in this world she could not see through, it was this Lin San. She clenched her little fists and softly said, "Ning'er, let him have some quiet. At this time, words are useless. Only he can help himself!"

Lin Wanrong slowly raised his hand, and the bustling lake suddenly fell quiet. The breath of over a thousand people synchronized. Luo Ning was so anxious that she couldn't even feel her heartbeat, her eyes fixed on her big brother's back.

"Don't be nervous, don't be nervous!" Xu Zhiqing told herself over and over, but her palms were sweating uncontrollably.

Lin Wanrong's arm was held aloft for a long time, and then he suddenly slammed it down. Shouts rang out across the lake:

"Release the fish!"

"Release the fish!"

"Release the fish!"

More than a hundred boatmen on their boats pulled the gates, wooden troughs opened, water poured out, carrying countless fish fry into the water with a splash. Crowds of dark fish heads gathered together, then dispersed, sinking into the lake, disappearing without a trace.

Three hundred thousand fish fry were released in the blink of an eye. The lake that had just been filled with playful fish was calm again in an instant, smooth and undisturbed, as if nothing had ever happened.

After a short while, Lin Wanrong still had not moved, and Luo Yuan couldn't help but ask softly, "Why hasn't big brother given the command?"

Miss Xu shook her head and said, "We must wait a little longer for these three hundred thousand fish fry to scatter and swim within the sixty-mile area. It takes time."

Luo Yuan nodded, understanding that there was much more to this plan, wondering how his big brother and Sister Xu had thought of so much.

The lake was silent, fish occasionally leaping and slapping the surface, all eyes were on Lin Wanrong, waiting for his next command.

Half an hour passed, and Lin Wanrong nodded to the soldiers at the stern of the boat, "Light the fireworks!"

Two dazzling fireworks shot into the sky, popping twice in the air, leaving two trails of brilliant colors. The over a thousand robust men gathered around the lake and on the water saw the fireworks rise, their spirits lifted, shouting in unison:

"Raise the nets—"

"Raise the nets!"

"Raise the nets!"

The long fishing nets were slowly drawn, shaken straight, dropped into the water, stirring up waves after waves. Fishermen carried the thick ropes on their shoulders, shouting in unison, slowly pulling them. Such a grand scene was rare in a hundred years, and the people along both shores of the lake watched with excitement, the crowd's voices roaring like a festive celebration.

More than sixty fishing nets, resembling a moving dike, enclosed sixty miles of the water surface, drawing them slowly, closing in.

Lin Wanrong stood motionless in the center of the lake. The distant, robust, and heroic cries of the fishermen filled him with joy, as if he had returned to his homeland. He couldn't help but join in the shouting.

"What is big brother doing?" Ning'er asked with a puzzled frown.

"Who knows what he's up to, always acting so strange." Miss Xu shook her head and hummed softly. Both their eyes were fixed on Lin Wanrong when suddenly they heard Luo Yuan exclaim, "Quick, look, what is that?"

Following Luo Yuan's direction, they saw a massive school of fish heads emerging around their small boat, a sight without end, rapidly moving toward the lake's center. Even further away, a more massive school of fish was coming from all directions, converging like a moving circle.

"The fish fry have come back! The surrounding nets have worked. The newly released fish fry have nowhere to go but to turn back to the lake's center," Xu Zhiqing observed closely, and sighed, "The nets are still far away; this is just the beginning. The real spectacle will be when it's time to gather the nets."

"I get it. Big brother intentionally released so many fish fry, then drove them back, making them swim to the lake's center," Luo Ning clapped her little hands, a sweet smile on her face. "Big brother is so clever."

Xu Zhiqing playfully pinched her small face, laughing, "Little girl, whether one is clever or not is proven by results, not just words. If we can't find the silver, even releasing three hundred thousand pufferfish would be useless."

Hearing Sister Xu's teasing, Ning'er blushed, holding Xu Zhiqing's hand, firmly saying, "That won't happen. I know big brother better than anyone. He would never do something without assurance. Since he has done this, there must be a reason. Sister Xu, you did agree to big brother's terms. If you lose, you must keep your promise." Luo Ning giggled, her face revealing a mischievous look. She didn't know what big brother wanted Sister Xu to do, but someone as serious as him wouldn't do anything unethical.

The speaker was unintentional, but the listener was intentional. Xu Zhiqing's heart skipped a beat, and that detestable voice seemed to echo in her ears again. Miss Xu's face was tinged with a faint blush, looking at Luo Ning's pure and innocent face, she sighed softly, unable to utter a word.

With the nets' gradual advancement, the space for the fish fry to move grew narrower, countless fish leaping out of the water from all sides, some over a foot high, like layers of silver waves on the lake's surface, creating a beautiful and magnificent scene.

According to Lin Wanrong's plan, the nets were to be pulled from both sides, meeting on the lake's surface. Since one side was downwind and the other upwind, the meeting point should be forty miles from the shore, precisely the location the fat man had instructed, an excellent place for careful investigation.

But things do not always go as one wishes, and with a stretch of more than sixty miles of water and the slow progress of dragging heavy fishing nets, the slowness of the operation could only be imagined. Fortunately, these were fishermen of Weishan Lake, strong and experienced in casting nets and fishing, and by rotating shifts, this plan was smoothly executed.

Two hours later, the fishermen were already exhausted, and the nets around them could finally be slowly closed. They looked at each other from north to south, still separated by dozens of miles. The lake's surface was already churning, countless fish fry leaping forward, rising and falling in waves, as if the lake had grown a foot higher.

The people on both sides of the lake, watching this spectacle, were dazzled and excited. Year after year, they had watched fishing, but never had they seen the water surface so full of fish; truly a once-in-a-century sight. But hadn't the official from the court said he was going to fish for silver? How come the fish were almost all caught, yet not a single piece of silver had appeared?

Sweat beads rolled down Master Lin's forehead, and his cracked lips were almost bitten to bleeding, his anxiety indescribable. Nearly ninety percent of the sixty-mile lake surface had been searched, yet everything remained calm, with no abnormalities. Was his speculation wrong? Was the silver not in the lake? Or was his method of herding fish simply not effective?

He had been standing at the bow for two hours, his legs already numb, and under constant high pressure. Even though his determination was unwavering, he felt a sense of mental and physical exhaustion. If he failed, Ning'er's whole family would be doomed; he couldn't afford to lose! He sighed, and suddenly felt a warm little hand grasp his own. Looking back, he saw Miss Luo standing beside him, her eyes filled with firmness and unparalleled tenderness. "Big brother, I believe in you. You will succeed."

Miss Xu was standing next to Luo Ning, glancing at him, her lips quivering a few times, her face flushed with embarrassment. "You, you can rest assured, even if you do not succeed, that condition, I, I will fulfill it for you." She whimpered, quickly turning her head away, a charming pink blush rising on her snow-white neck.

"Heavens! Sister Xu, big brother, look, look, the fish are leaping over the dragon gate, they're leaping over the dragon gate!" Luo Yuan's cry of astonishment broke everyone's thoughts.

Everyone looked up and saw a strange sight on the lake. The originally smooth lake surface had been encircled by countless fish fry into a large circle with a diameter of several tens of feet. The fish fry, once they reached here, seemed to hit a wall, one after another leaping several feet high, drawing a perfect arc in the air before gently falling back into the water.

Countless fish were rising and falling, soaring into the sky, building a hundred-foot-square bowl with their bodies on the lake surface, just like the legendary fish leaping over the dragon gate.

Official Lin suddenly jumped up, not caring who was beside him, and fiercely kissed her on the face, waving his fists and shouting, "I've found it, I've found it!"

[TL: According to tradition, a carp that could swim upstream and then leap the falls of the Yellow River at Dragon Gate (Longmen) would be transformed into a dragon. This motif symbolizes success in the civil service examinations. The Dragon Gate is located at the border of Shanxi and Shaanxi where the Yellow River flows through a cleft in the Longmen mountains, supposedly made by Yu the Great, who cut through the mountain.]

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