Chapter 2, Shen Wansan

The boss chuckled: "In my humble hometown, this dish is called by a foreign name—pizza"

Liu Jian lightly waved his folding fan and replied, "I plan to stay temporarily at the Berlin Temple, which is near the Guozijian."

Berlin Temple

Liu Jian smiled and asked, "Have you dug up some silver?"

Oh, "Niu Lu nodded, "So it is this matter, I actually know about this..." He then pulled over a stool and sat down beside Liu Jian.

Alright, then please bring it over

To comply with ... ... is ... ...

Since the other party came in official attire to pay a visit, Liu Jian had no choice but to don his black cap and put on his official robe adorned with heron patches before stepping out to greet him. He saw that the visitor was around forty years old, with a long, thin face and a broad smile. Upon meeting, he bowed and said, "I am Niu Lu, an official in the Ministry of Revenue, and I pay my respects to the esteemed Left Assistant Minister." Upon hearing his name, Liu Jian thought to himself that it was an unfortunate name; after all, the character for 'Niu' (ox) already implies hard work, and adding the character 'Lu' (labor) could only suggest a life of toil. Observing the man's appearance, it indeed seemed that he was destined for a life of labor.

The monk replied, "The elephant is like an official, but the bird on the collar is plump and small; this poor monk has never seen such a thing."

Liu Jian did not care much about this. There was once a geomancer who taught him: "Seating and orientation are related to honor and disgrace, fortune and misfortune, and must not be taken lightly." However, if one must first consult a compass even for going out to eat a meal or have a drink, then that person is living too burdensomely; even if there are no calamities, they might end up causing themselves illness. Thus, he went into a private room to sit down, ordered a pot of warm wine, and selected four meat dishes: sugar-roasted meat, stuffed tripe, braised goose, and fish in salt and vinegar, as well as four vegetarian dishes: sauced Buddha's hand, braised yellow cabbage, braised chrysanthemum sprouts, and garlic cucumber with wood ear mushrooms, along with a bowl of shrimp paste soup.

The vendor sells delicious local delicacies, and the esteemed guests are sure to fall in love with them at first taste

Liu Jian hurriedly reached out to assist and comforted, saying: "This is not the fault of Lord Song. My tricks have always been difficult to gain people's trust, and it is the same in the yamen; my colleagues keep their distance from me out of respect."

Life is but a dream, and it is rare to find leisure; thus, half a month has passed just like that. One evening, as Liu Jian was planning to go out for a stroll and find something to eat, a guest monk suddenly knocked on the door to report: "There is a benefactor outside seeking an audience."

"Please be patient, esteemed guest; we need to wait a moment. Only freshly made food is delicious," the owner said as he turned back to the oven and began kneading a lump of white dough.

"Good pizza, good pizza!" Thus, Liu Jian had a hearty meal. By the time he returned to the Berlin Temple from the dice-sign restaurant, the lamp bearers had already returned.

Hmm," Liu Jian nodded, "Without a key, it seems unlikely we can unearth any gold. Does this beggar have a name?"

Song Li took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his face and couldn't help but let out a soft sigh

"How can one say this?" an old man shook his head and sighed, "This is fate..."

Song Li returned to the boat in a daze, only to see Liu Jian already dressed and standing at the bow with a cheerful smile, waiting for him

Then Niu Lu explained: "There is a beggar in this city of Beijing, whom everyone calls the 'Living God of Wealth'..."

Not far east of the Berlin Temple lies a small street, bustling as noon approaches, with various food stalls lined up in succession. During the Yuan Dynasty, Beijing was known as Dadu. In addition to the Mongols and Han people, many other ethnic groups resided within the city, such as the Uyghurs, Tibetans, Persians, and Kipchaks, who lived in the Eastern European plains, along with some individuals who had traversed mountains and rivers from unknown origins—such as a barbarian named Marco Polo.

Niu Lu slapped his thigh and nodded, saying: "Isn't that so! At that time, the Shuntian Prefecture summoned Hu Cao to oversee the excavation, and I was among them. I saw that after digging about four or five zhang, spring water gushed out. After digging another one or two zhang, we actually unearthed ten pits of silver!"

Liu Jian was not particularly fond of eavesdropping or meddling in others' affairs, but upon hearing that someone had seemingly been killed, he couldn't help but be startled, and thus paused to listen. He heard the earlier speaker say: "Even if they are beggars, they are still human beings. Can the Shuntian Prefecture be so overbearing as to beat someone to death?" The other party sighed and replied: "In order to raise funds to repair the city, what does it matter if a few beggars are killed?"

His expression towards Liu Jian seemed to indicate that he did not consider this to be nonsense, so he spoke even more animatedly: "The Shuntian Prefecture ordered the constables to beat this beggar with a penal rod. Remarkably, this beggar was able to endure it, receiving over four hundred blows while continuously shouting, 'I have never seen gold or silver in my life!' It was only after reaching five hundred strokes that he could no longer withstand it and claimed he could point out where the silver was. The Shuntian Prefecture then sent someone to escort him to find it. Upon reaching the west side of the Drum Tower, he pointed with his hand and said, 'It is right here.' Thus, he continued to speak with even more enthusiasm: 'The Shuntian Prefecture ordered the constables to beat this beggar with a penal rod. Remarkably, this beggar was able to endure it, receiving over four hundred blows while continuously shouting, 'I have never seen gold or silver in my life!' It was only after reaching five hundred strokes that he could no longer withstand it and claimed he could point out where the silver was. The Shuntian Prefecture then sent someone to escort him to find it. Upon reaching the west side of the Drum Tower, he pointed with his hand and said, 'It is right here.' Thus, they dug down seven or eight zhang ...

Liu Jian shook his folding fan and smiled faintly, saying: "Fortunes and misfortunes, blessings and calamities, are all determined by fate. It is not that they cannot be salvaged, but it also depends on whether the person is willing to be saved. With that Young Master Fei's obstinacy, even if I had the ability to save him, would he trust me? Would he listen?"

Early the next morning, the noisy voices from the shore woke Song Li. He quickly got up and called over the boatman, asking, "What has happened?"

Organizing documents was originally a trivial task. Throughout Beijing, palaces and halls were under construction, and the Shuntian Prefecture was so busy that it could hardly attend to Liu Jian's matters. For several consecutive days, no one was sent to make any arrangements. Liu Jian, however, was quite content with the leisure. On sunny days, he strolled around the streets, and on rainy days, he played chess and discussed Zen with the monks at the Berlin Temple. He often visited a small eatery with a dice sign, or would send someone to buy a pizza to satisfy his cravings. Over time, he even became friends with the foreign owner of that eatery.

The boss has a bushy beard and a balding head, wearing a faded blue short shirt that has been washed many times, with a white apron tied around his waist. He appears to be in his thirties, not yet forty, with a cheerful smile and a very lively spirit

Speaking of his name, it is indeed strange, "Niu Lu" lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "This person is actually named Shen Wansan!"

Upon hearing this, Song Li felt as if he had been struck by a thunderbolt, his eyes wide open like quail eggs, and his mouth hung open for a long time without closing. He hastily put on his clothes and ran towards the shore, taking two steps at a time to reach the scene of the incident. There, he saw a large crowd gathered outside the inn, forming layers of onlookers. He pushed through the crowd and rushed inside, where he found the two clerks from yesterday, covered in dust, wailing loudly around the body of Young Master Fei. After carefully observing the situation, he sought out the innkeeper for inquiries, only to learn that the collapse of the building was quite peculiar. The two-story building had two-thirds of it intact, yet one corner had collapsed as if sliced by a knife, destroying a total of three guest rooms on the lower and upper floors, while the other rooms remained completely unaffected.

Liu Jian snapped his folding fan shut with a "pop" and raised an eyebrow: "Ten jars of silver, how much would that be?!"

Strolling along, not long after, a master and a servant arrived at the entrance of the hotel. They saw a modest two-story building, with a wine flag prominently displayed above, inscribed with the words "This establishment sells seasonal lotus flower high wine and books." There were also two plaques on the door, reading "The First Tavern in the East City" and "Seasonal Food for the Hungry." Liu Jian stepped inside and noticed that the hall was reasonably spacious, with poetry and paintings adorning the four walls.

Not far from Tongzhou lies the city of Beijing. Although Emperor Hongwu established the capital in Nanjing, temporarily depriving Beijing of its status as the center of the dynasty for several hundred years, it remained a crucial stronghold for the nine kings guarding the borders. After Emperor Yongle ascended the throne, he explicitly designated it as a secondary capital, thus the vitality of the capital has never diminished, with bustling markets and great liveliness.

Thus, the two bid farewell with clasped hands. After watching Song Li depart, Liu Jian hired a small donkey, leading the book boy who held the lantern, and they proceeded directly to the Bailing Zen Temple in the Juxianfang area in the northwest of the city. The Ministry of Personnel had already delivered the official document to the abbot of Bailing Temple, and a monk responsible for receiving guests guided the two to a side room in the back courtyard. Once they were settled, Liu Jian ordered the lantern holder to deliver the name card to the Shuntian Prefecture, while he himself stepped out of the temple gate to stroll leisurely in the streets.

Liu Jian took a pair of chopsticks from the chopstick holder, picked up a corner of a hot pancake, blew on it, and took a bite. It was indeed very delicious, especially with its rich milky flavor, which was to his liking. He couldn't help but exclaim in praise and asked the owner, "Does this pancake have a name?"

It turned out that the owner of this eatery was also a foreigner, with blonde hair and blue eyes, possessing a very peculiar appearance. Upon seeing Liu Jian, he immediately greeted him in a slightly accented Beijing dialect, saying, "Welcome, esteemed guest! Please come in!" Although the tone was strange, the enunciation was very clear. Liu Jian was quite surprised and stepped into the shop, while the owner quickly wiped down a table and chair, inviting him to sit down.

The Bailing Temple is located in today's Dongcheng District of Beijing, to the east of the Yonghe Temple, and is one of the eight major temples of old Beijing. It is said to have been founded during the Tang Dynasty and underwent renovations in the seventh year of the Zhizheng era of the Yuan Dynasty (1347) and the twelfth year of the Zhengtong era of the Ming Dynasty (1447). The entire temple faces south and consists of five courtyards, arranged in a neat and rigorous layout

What do they say

Although it was not yet mealtime, the enticing aroma stimulated Liu Jian, causing his stomach to rumble. Fortunately, he did not have to wait long, as the owner soon took the flatbread out of the oven. The steam rose, and the flatbread was baked to a golden crisp, with the filling already mixed together. The owner used a narrow knife to cut the flatbread into eight pieces, serving them on a round plate in front of Liu Jian: "This is the delicacy from my humble hometown"

"This doesn't even sound like proper speech. If you dare to misrepresent the text again in the future, I will give you a good beating"

Song Li and Liu Jian took a passenger boat through the Tonghui River into the city of Beijing, eventually docking by the banks of Jishuitan. After abandoning the boat and disembarking, Song Li cupped his hands in salute and, lowering his voice, asked: "Xian Di, you previously mentioned that I have a malevolent aura and might encounter misfortune. What exactly did you mean by that? Is there any way to avert it?" He now fully trusted Liu Jian's ability to read faces.

Liu Jian was at a loss whether to laugh or cry: "What nonsense are you talking about? Say it again in a way I can understand!"

Yesterday, during a heated debate between the two, the boatman listened intently. At this moment, his tone inevitably carried a hint of respect: "I heard from others that last night, the inn by the dock collapsed, killing a young gentleman..."

When the Ming army launched its northern expedition, the Yuan Shun Emperor abandoned the city and fled, with many foreign tribes following him to the borders. Fortunately, Emperor Hongwu did not discriminate against them and issued an edict for all ethnic groups to coexist peacefully, which allowed some foreign tribes to remain and continue to thrive here. In terms of the small street, it still retains many foods with exotic flavors

Liu Jian left his hometown at the age of eighteen to go to Nanjing to take the imperial examination. From then on, he remained there to serve as an official, not having returned to the north for many years. However, to be fair, his hometown, Huling, is located on the outskirts of the city, and he has hardly ever entered Beijing in his lifetime. At this moment, as he strolls through the small streets, he finds it very novel. As he walks, he notices a wooden sign hanging on the west side of the street, prominently displaying two six-sided dice. At first, he thought it was a gambling house, but as he approached, he realized it was a restaurant, which immediately piqued Liu Jian's interest, prompting him to push the door and enter.

I wonder where my esteemed younger brother has settled? When I have the time, I would like to pay a visit. As the secondary capital, there is no Zhan's Office in Beijing, which is why Song Li poses this question

The delivery of the lantern is indeed quite satisfactory, and the steward Niu has truly come to deliver the salary. According to regulations, with Liu Jian's rank, out of the 96 stones of salary, there should be 60% in rice and 40% in cash. However, Steward Niu stated: "The population of Beijing has surged, and our department's grain supply is insufficient for distribution, therefore the entire amount for the governor is in precious notes, totaling 96 guan. Please check and receive it."

Niu Lu took a sip of wine and replied with a smile, "Sir, do not be anxious; there is more to come. As for the more than 7,000 taels of silver, to the common people, it is indeed a substantial amount, enough to last a lifetime. However, the Shuntian Prefecture and the Ministry of Revenue do not take it seriously. At that moment, the Governor of Shuntian, Mr. Chen E, slammed the table in anger and said, 'I am digging for silver to present to the Emperor for the reconstruction of Beijing. You point out only this little bit to me; are you trying to fool me? Continue to beat him; we must extract the same amount of ten pits of gold!' Thus, they pressed the beggar down and beat him over a hundred strokes. The beggar, unable to endure the punishment, had no choice but to raise his hand and point northward. Everyone followed him out of the Anding Gate and arrived at the military training ground. He pointed to the ground and said, 'There are ten pits of gold here, exactly 7,788 taels.' Just as we were about to gather people to start digging, he added, 'Opening these pits requires a key; where there are marigolds, there is a key.' ...

Niu Lu held up a cup of wine and nodded towards Liu Jian, saying, "I am right across from you. Seeing the Chief here, I came over to offer you a toast." Liu Jian replied, "I dare not," and stood up. The two clinked their cups and drank them dry. Just as Liu Jian was about to call for someone to bring a lamp to refill the wine in return, he heard a person next door slam the table and exclaim, "This is a deceptive statement that misleads the public! People have been killed in the military training grounds, yet they still talk about raising funds to dig for gold. This time, when I go to the capital, if I have the chance to meet the Emperor, I will firmly report Chen E from Shuntian Prefecture to him!"

Liu Jian thought to himself: "The plump and small one must be a quail; this is a ninth-rank official. You, bald donkey, have quite the audacity. Do you only see herons and white pheasants all day?" Not knowing that it was already evening, he wondered which official office would still send someone to summon a ninth-rank official to meet him, and so he instinctively clasped his right hand and began to calculate with his fingers.

At the intersection of Xiaojie and Dongzhimen Street, there is a state-run hotel. Liu Jian noticed it when he entered the city from Tongzhou half a month ago but had not yet visited. State-run hotels are often more expensive than private ones, and at that time, he was not well-off and was uncertain whether he would receive his salary on time upon arriving in Beijing. Fortunately, today he received his salary, and if he does not take this opportunity to enjoy a hearty meal, when else will he?

Liu Jian gently shook his head: "This sum of money, totaling around seventy to eighty taels, is not insignificant. This person has leaked heavenly secrets; he is likely not to live long. Did he die from his severe injuries? How is it then said that he died on the military training grounds?"

For a meaningless bet, Song Li instructed the boatman to stop the boat, planning to set off again the next day. The boatman was quite pleased to have an extra day of rest. The two companions on the boat did not speak a word all afternoon. For dinner, Song Li went ashore alone to drink, while Liu Jian and his servant casually ate some dry rations on the boat. Before sleeping, they exchanged words of fatigue and each lay down fully clothed.

No replies have been seen. The post of the esteemed master has been locked and pinned

Liu Jian looked around with great interest and noticed that the shop was not large, accommodating only a roasting stove, a dining table, and three square tables. However, it was bright and clean, having been tidied up very neatly. The shop was run solely by a foreign owner, with no staff present. At that moment, apart from Liu Jian, there were no other diners.

It is said that there is a lawsuit against Shuntian Prefecture, and even Niu Lu perked up his ears. He looked at Liu Jian, seemingly inquiring, and Liu Jian whispered, "It seems that a beggar was killed at the military training ground..."

Song Lizhi straightened his back and said in a low voice to Liu Jian: "Xian Di is truly capable. However, if I may speak disrespectfully, since you know he will encounter difficulties, is there not a way to rescue him or avert the disaster?"

What do you sell in this store

The post from the esteemed master has been published

However, Liu Jian shook his head: "The ominous energy is still shallow, making it difficult to gauge. However, from my perspective, if you are to face any calamity, it should be in the northern direction, associated with the element of fire. During this period of overseeing the construction project in Beijing, if you experience any headaches, fever, or anxiety, feel free to come to me, and I can assist you in calculating the situation."

As he pulled back the lamp, it just happened to allow Liu Jian's foot to brush against his own clothing, neither missing the mark nor causing any harm. "Master," he had no choice but to change his address, "may I assist you with changing your clothes, Master"

The Berlin Temple derives its name from the many ancient cypress trees planted within its grounds. In addition, there are ancient locust trees, ginkgo trees, and white-bark pines, all of which are lush and verdant. The sal tree in the temple is also considered a remarkable specimen; it is said that this tree grows alongside the Buddha, and its fruit contains exactly one hundred and eight seeds, which are just right for making prayer beads. It is said that there are only three places in Beijing where this type of tree can be found: one in front of the Fragrant Hills Temple, one inside the Reclining Buddha Temple, and the only one in the city is located at the Berlin Temple.

He had not yet finished looking around when a young attendant approached him. Noticing his refined appearance and extraordinary demeanor, the attendant quickly bowed and called out, "A guest has arrived, please follow me to the elegant seating upstairs." Thus, he followed the attendant up to the second floor, where he saw that the so-called elegant seating was merely a change from long benches to square stools, with each seating area separated by intricately carved folding screens. There were no private rooms, only partitions. It was mealtime, and most of the seats were occupied, with only one pair of seats remaining empty in the far western corner. The attendant was busy inviting him, saying, "Please, please, although it is not by the window, it is definitely not stuffy." He saw that the so-called elegant seating was merely a change from long benches to square stools, with each seating area separated by intricately carved folding screens. There were no private rooms, only partitions. It was mealtime, and most of the seats were occupied, with only one pair of seats remaining empty in the far western corner. The attendant was busy inviting him, saying, "Please, please, although it is not by the window, it is definitely not stuffy."

After such a delay, by the time Liu Jian had received his salary, sent off Steward Niu, changed out of his official robes, and donned his Daoist robe again, the sky had already turned pitch black. Thus, he called for someone to hold the lamp and took the lantern, proceeding southward from the temple gate.

The boss was kneading the dough while explaining, "It's not mealtime yet; in another half an hour, it will be lively here." Liu Jian guessed that he was making pancakes. He saw the boss knead the dough until it was ready, then roll it into a round piece with a rolling pin, and finally flip it over his head with both hands. This method of making pancakes is rarely seen elsewhere. The boss clenched his right fist, lifted the dough piece, and tossed it into the air repeatedly. The dough piece grew larger with each turn, and finally landed with a "thud" on the counter. Next, the boss used his left hand to grab a lot of filling from the nearby bowls and sprinkled it on the dough piece, rolling up the edges with his hands, and finally used a spatula to place the dough piece into the oven. Before long, a delightful aroma wafted through the air, coming in waves.

Liu Jian lightly shook his folding fan and smiled, asking: "How can a beggar be the God of Wealth?"

Liu Jian was listening attentively when suddenly a person appeared at the door, bowing and greeting: "Commander Liu, what a surprise to meet you here." Liu Jian raised his head to take a look, and it was indeed quite a coincidence; the visitor was none other than Niu Lu, the finance officer who had just delivered his salary.

Song Li clasped his hands together and bowed deeply to the ground: "Dear brother, I offended you yesterday."

Liu Jian donned a plain silk robe and a square cap, and was just about to tuck some coins and banknotes into his pocket when he was momentarily taken aback by the words he heard. It is worth noting that he did not know many people in Beijing; Song Li had already returned to Nanjing for business, and it was close to mealtime, so the foreign owner of the pizza shop would not likely venture out at this hour. Observing the guest monk's foolish demeanor, he casually asked, "Do you have a name card? What is the occasion for this attire?"

Holding the lamp and filling the cups for the two, Liu Jian waved his hand, made a gesture of invitation, and said: "I would like to hear the details."

However, although the Berlin Temple is now open to the public, the main hall remains closed all day. The meditation halls on both sides of the temple, which were once used by monks for practice, have also been transformed into office spaces for various cultural companies

Niu Lu raised an eyebrow and replied, "The strange thing lies here. It is said that if you give him a good beating, he will randomly point in a direction, and if you dig in that direction, at most ten zhang deep, you will surely find gold and silver. Therefore, in order to raise funds for the city repairs, the local government decided to detain this beggar..."

How is it? Have the invitations been sent out? Liu Jian burped while asking Deng Deng.

The time was not late when the wine arrived, and the dishes were served one after another. The attendant stood by with a lamp, filling the wine glasses. Liu Jian first took a bite of the dish, raised his cup, and was just about to drink when he suddenly heard someone in the next room exclaim, "Is he dead already?!" Immediately, another person replied, "A full eight hundred seventy-four blows; even a great immortal would surely be killed!"

Niu Lu spoke animatedly, his words flowing like a stream, while Liu Jian furrowed his brow, deep in thought. Niu Lu continued, "That area has just been leveled, intended for the grand military review. There were hardly any weeds, and everyone spread out to search, yet not a single Malan flower was found. Lord Chen ordered another round of strikes, saying he wanted to extract the key as well. In the end, they struck over 800 boards, and the beggar could no longer endure it, letting out a gasp and passing away. The neighbor said it was 874 boards; this was probably heard from the executioner's clerk, but I am not aware of the exact number." Lord Chen ordered another round of strikes, saying he wanted to extract the key as well. In the end, they struck over 800 boards, and the beggar could no longer endure it, letting out a gasp and passing away. The neighbor said it was 874 boards; this was probably heard from the executioner's clerk, but I am not aware of the exact number.

"Ah? So they put your name card into a small box, locked it away, filed it, and placed it on the shelf..." the lamp holder explained with great grievance.

Niu Lu smiled and said, "It is rumored in Beijing that this cellar contains four hundred and eighty thousand taels of silver, and ten cellars would amount to four million eight hundred thousand taels..." He deliberately paused to build suspense, but seeing that Liu Jian did not seem surprised, he corrected himself, saying, "This ten cellars of silver were counted and stored by me; I am fully aware of the situation. If there were really four million eight hundred thousand taels of silver, the entire city of Beijing would have already begun extensive reconstruction. In reality, each cellar contains more or less; the least has five hundred taels, while the most has over a thousand taels, totaling seven thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight taels."

Holding the lamp beside him anxiously, he loudly reminded, "Your Excellency need not worry, what is there to calculate? When the time comes, it is likely that this year's rice will arrive as well." Although Liu Jian found his reasoning somewhat valid, the way he spoke was truly awkward enough to give one goosebumps. He then lightly kicked him and said, "What worry? What do I have to worry about? Even 'Sir' won't call out, all day long 'Your Excellency', 'Your Excellency', isn't that annoying!"

Liu Jian raised an eyebrow and with a "pop" opened his fan: "Could it be Shen Sanxiu from Nantong?!"