Cutting Ties

The atmosphere froze in an instant.

Sun Fulai opened his mouth, wanting to say something.

The people beside him quickly exchanged glances. One of them edged closer and tugged at Sun Fulai's sleeve.

Wu Yuanheng's face had already turned ashen.

Fan Ling cleared his throat and hurried to smooth things over. "Drink up, drink up. This is such fine wine. Don't let it go to waste."

Everyone took the opportunity to change the subject, lifting their cups.

But they had all gained a new understanding of Feng Xiu.

The topic turned back to grain.

"Summer irrigation will be here in another month."

"Is the River Law Bureau going to open the reservoirs or not?"

"Last month, the Feng Clan head went to negotiate, but the River Law Bureau still gave no answer," someone said angrily.

"That's easy to solve. Just give the River Law Bureau another sum of money," Fan Ling said with a laugh.

"Another payment? The River Law set the rules back then, and we've been paying the River Law Bureau every year. If we pay again now, wouldn't that mean paying twice?" someone retorted.

Fan Ling laughed it off.

Feng Xiu and Lin Che exchanged a glance, both frowning slightly.

What Fan Ling had said didn't fit his position.

As the Fan Family's eldest legitimate son, the Fan Family's weight in the grain trade was no less than the Feng Clan's—in fact, it was greater.

Why would he suggest paying the River Law Bureau again?

Still, Fan Ling had always cultivated a reputation for being generous, so no one paid it much mind.

"Before, it was Brother Feng's Sweet Dew Grand Festival that brought the rain and gave us a breather. But what's the River Law Bureau's stance now? They shut their doors and refuse to see us every day. Are they just brushing us off?"

Everyone's gaze turned to Feng Xiu.

Though they were reluctant to admit it, this banquet was nominally hosted by Wu Yuanheng.

In truth, the central figure of the conversation had always been Feng Xiu.

After the Sweet Dew Grand Festival, the various family heads had privately gone over the matter in detail, and quite a few people had listened in.

It was obvious that Feng Xiu had used the festival to force the River Law Bureau to take a position.

As for Fan Ling and Lin Che, both had said outright that all the plans had come from Feng Xiu.

Then he had even invited a true immortal. No one dared take a man like that lightly.

"Brother Feng, what do you think?" Someone paused, then continued, "The River Law Bureau keeps refusing to see us. If they don't open the reservoirs for summer irrigation, what are we supposed to do?"

"Right, Brother Feng. Give us a plan."

"We'll all follow your lead."

Voices rose from every side as they looked to Feng Xiu.

Feng Xiu had just picked up his wine cup. It was white porcelain, thin as a cicada's wing, with several stalks of green bamboo painted along its sides.

The wine swayed gently in the cup, catching the light in a pale amber hue.

After setting it down, Feng Xiu spoke slowly.

"There's nothing to discuss."

Everyone fell quiet.

"The River Law was established long ago. All these years, we've been paying the River Law Bureau."

"But don't forget, the River Law states it plainly: anyone who holds a River Law Seal doesn't need to report to the River Law Bureau and may open the sluices themselves. When the reservoirs were built a hundred years ago, every family contributed money. That was the privilege we were granted."

Someone blinked.

"Right! That's true!"

"How did I forget about that?"

When the River Law was first established, its main purpose had been to rake in money.

The River Law Bureau only collected the payments. The families themselves coordinated the water releases, and over time, an unwritten rule had gradually taken shape.

The family with more farmland got water first.

Later, as the River Law Bureau grew stronger, it became much stricter about vetting families applying for River Law Seals.

But the rules of the River Law never changed.

In principle, any family holding a River Law Seal was entitled to take it straight to the reservoir and open the sluices.

The River Law Seal and the Agricultural Commissioner Decree were grain merchants' greatest safeguards.

"But the River Law Bureau has people stationed at the reservoirs now... This might be hard to manage," someone said hesitantly.

Feng Xiu heard him and reached for a piece of food.

The roasted venison ribs were crisp outside and tender within, their aroma rich. He chewed slowly, savoring every bite.

The others watched him, their minds racing.

Given Feng Xiu's current standing, he had prayed for rain, waived rents, and opened porridge kitchens. Even the tenant farmers under his own family were saying:

If you could get a bowl of rice at the Feng Clan's door, you must have earned good fortune over three lifetimes.

Feng Xiu said nothing, but his meaning was already clear enough.

After thinking it over, Lin Che turned to Fan Ling.

"What do you think?"

Lin Che's brows flickered. Feng Xiu's suggestion had indeed broken free of the constraints of the current framework.

But the River Law was one thing, and the River Law Bureau another. The two couldn't be conflated.

As the words left Lin Che's mouth, he suddenly realized that Fan Ling, who had been beside him, had disappeared at some point.

Even so, some people still hadn't caught on. They raised their cups in a toast, drained them, then asked Feng Xiu outright:

"Brother Feng, just say it. Will the River Law Bureau open the reservoirs or not?"

This time, Feng Xiu gave them a direct answer.

"They have to open them. If they dare not to, my Feng Clan will be the first to refuse."

As soon as his words fell,

an old voice, deep and slightly raspy, came from the rockery before the lawn.

"Young Master Feng is right. The reservoirs will be opened this year, without fail!"

Everyone abruptly looked up.

The old man wore a dark-gray robe. His beard and hair were white, his face lean, and his eyes carried a faint, imposing presence.

The man helping him along was none other than Fan Ling, who had been missing for some time.

"Elder Qin!"

"What brings you here?"

Everyone's eyes widened, their expressions stunned.

The visitor was Qin Huan, the current head of the River Law Bureau in Green Rock City.

He was a great figure, one they could rarely even catch a glimpse of, despite now managing their respective families' affairs!

Everyone instinctively glanced at Wu Yuanheng.

The Heyang Elegant Banquet was a gathering of the younger generation. Qin Huan's arrival was highly unusual.

Wu Yuanheng looked just as astonished. The Wu Clan was in the theater and brothel business.

Aside from about a thousand mu of land to provide for their own needs, they had nothing to do with the River Law Bureau.

What had Qin Huan come here for?

Wu Yuanheng's gaze sharpened, and he looked at Fan Ling, who was supporting Qin Huan.

Lin Che and Feng Xiu both froze.

When had Fan Ling gotten involved with the River Law Bureau?

Qin Huan stood there, his eyes slowly sweeping over everyone present.

His gaze wasn't sharp or fierce. It was simply mild, as if he were looking at a group of younger men.

Everyone felt uneasy, as though something had its eyes on them.

They had just been discussing how to pressure the River Law Bureau, and now the man in charge had appeared. They couldn't help feeling awkward.

Someone lowered his head and discreetly looked away.

Only Feng Xiu remained seated where he was after recovering. His black-gloved hand lifted the wine cup, gently turning it in his fingers.

Qin Huan's gaze lingered on Feng Xiu for a moment. A trace of surprise, too subtle to notice, flickered in his eyes.

He smiled slightly and said, "A gathering of young talents. Good, very good."

After a pause, he added, "Young Master Feng is right. The reservoirs will be opened this year. You families can rest easy."

The others exchanged glances.

Someone mustered the courage to ask, "Elder Qin, what... do you mean by that?"

Qin Huan glanced at him and replied mildly, "I mean exactly what I said."

The man was left speechless and awkwardly shut his mouth.

Someone else asked, "Then, then why didn't the River Law Bureau open them before?"

Qin Huan didn't answer. He merely swept his gaze over everyone again, and this time there was a clear note of scrutiny in it.

His look made everyone's skin crawl. No one dared speak again.

Only then did Qin Huan withdraw his gaze and turn back to Feng Xiu.

Feng Xiu didn't look away. He met his gaze head-on.

"Feng Yujin, you've certainly raised your son well."

Qin Wenyuan's aged eyes held a measure of admiration, along with a trace of reminiscence.

"I personally signed the Feng Clan's River Law Seal back then," Qin Huan said slowly. "You hadn't even been born yet. And now, in the blink of an eye, you've grown so big."

Feng Xiu rose and cupped his hands to Qin Huan, neither servile nor arrogant.

"Elder Qin, you flatter me."

Qin Wenyuan nodded and said no more. He turned and left.

Fan Ling supported him and, seeing him off, said respectfully, "Elder Qin, take care."

Only after the two had left did everyone finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"He scared me half to death. That look of Elder Qin's..."

"Right? He glanced at me, and my back was already drenched in sweat."

"What brought him here? Who invited him?"

Everyone murmured among themselves, then looked toward Wu Yuanheng.

Wu Yuanheng's expression was grim. He said nothing.

Feng Xiu sat back down, picked up his wine cup, and took a sip.

It was the same wine, but somehow it tasted a little different now.

The others exchanged glances.

"Fan Ling, that traitor!" someone said angrily.

"When he suggested paying the River Law Bureau again, I knew something was off!"

"What was he up to?"

Someone else hesitated. "Would the River Law Bureau really be so kind as to open the sluices without any strings attached?"

Everyone fell silent for a while. No one could make sense of it.

"I heard things aren't peaceful over in Jin Province," someone said quietly. "Could the River Law Bureau have its own difficulties?"

"Difficulties?" someone sneered. "The emperor lasts a hundred years, the great families last a thousand. However chaotic the world gets, we're the ones with grain. Were they trying to starve the common people to death by withholding the water?"

Feng Xiu listened and gave a faint, mocking smile.

Why hadn't they thought of that earlier? Now they suddenly remembered the common people?

Still, Fan Ling's defection to the River Law Bureau had truly caught him by surprise.

The others discussed it for a while longer, but still couldn't guess what the River Law Bureau was after.

Wu Yuanheng continued hosting the banquet, but the mood had grown much more subdued.

The elegant banquet ended on a sour note.

Feng Xiu stood and headed out.

"Brother Wen Zheng, about this..." Lin Che caught up with him and spoke in a low voice.

Feng Xiu furrowed his brows. "We'll talk when we get back."

When he reached the entrance, he stopped.

Fan Ling stood not far away, speaking to Qin Huan beside his carriage.

The many family disciples leaving the banquet shot him hostile looks and hurriedly steered clear of him.

Feng Xiu, Lin Che, and Fan Ling's gazes met for a moment. None of them said a word.

Then the two turned and left.