Read Chapter 31: — TEN YEARS LATER

Ten years later, travellers on the Grand Canal still told stories about the false river god of Zhenjiang.

The details grew worse with every retelling.

Some claimed the water monsters had been dragons.

Some claimed a Jinyiwei commander had fought a hundred pirates alone.

Some claimed a beautiful female spy infiltrated a hotel to steal a secret ledger.

Tang Zheng objected strongly to the last version.

“It was an ugly female spy.”

Su Xiaoxi nearly dropped her tea laughing.

They now had two children, both old enough to steal Tang’s practice blades and young enough to believe their father’s stories without noticing where he improved them.

Tang had risen in the Jinyiwei, though more slowly than people expected. He had declined two opportunities for rapid advancement that required becoming useful to men he did not trust.

Lin Zuo had retired from active command but not from interference. He appeared without warning, criticised Tang’s paperwork and spoiled the children with sweets.

Su Shanhe supervised canal reforms across several districts. The independent ledgers first tested after the Zhenjiang scandal had spread to other ports.

The system was not clean.

No system ever was.

But theft had become harder.

That counted.

One evening Tang’s son asked to see Grandfather Tang Xiao’s sword.

Tang took the old blade down from its rack.

The child traced the inscription.

“What does it mean?”

Tang considered the answer.

“It means someone once believed your grandfather should be the best kind of man.”

“Was he?”

Tang looked at Lin, who was sitting nearby pretending not to listen.

“He tried.”

Lin nodded.

That was enough.