Chapter 105: Under Suspicion

Zhao Ran was taken away.

In the countryside, there are village elders and pavilion chiefs. Their roles are roughly equivalent to that of a town mayor and a police station chief. Thus, as a local administrative center, Sui Pavilion possessed the authority to apprehend thieves and employ bailiffs.

Under normal circumstances, as a scion of the Zhao clan of Anzhong—a prominent family in the county—everyone would have shown him some modicum of respect. However, the person he provoked had even deeper connections: the Deng clan of Xinye. Although the Xinye Deng clan had once been in decline, they had steadily grown stronger over the past two years, with Deng Mao serving as the county magistrate and Deng Hong serving as an official under Liu Biao.

In particular, Deng Hong had married the daughter of Cai Zan. While the Cai family was currently led by Cai Mao, Cai Zan and Cai Yan were his own brothers, born of the same mother as the two Ladies Cai. Therefore, even if Cai Mao wished to surrender to Cao Cao and held a different stance than Shen Chen, he still had to respect Liu Biao’s position and the dignity of his younger brother; it was impossible for him to actually send men to harass Shen Chen.

Consequently, on an official level, the influence of Deng Hong and Liu Xian—whom Liu Biao had sent to support Shen Chen—was far greater. The bailiffs naturally would not indulge Zhao Ran and promptly dragged him to the Xiangyang county office to be charged with false accusation.

Of course, given his family background, even if Zhao Ran were truly imprisoned, it would not be for long. It would likely just be for show, and he would be out in a few months. But even so, this signaled not only Shen Chen’s victory in scholastic debate but also his moral triumph.

Now that the truth had come to light, the surrounding villagers cheered, one after another praising Shen Chen’s character.

"I said Young Master Shen wouldn't do such a thing; it had to be a false accusation."

"That goes without saying. Young Master Shen has been living in our Longzhong village for two or three months now; who doesn't praise his character?"

"To avoid misunderstanding, he was willing to give his own pig and property to others, only to have them returned later. Such virtue is truly excellent. I am willing to place my own children under his tutelage."

"More than that, he was also worried that the villagers had lost property and might have a hard life this year. Such a benevolent young master, who is also so well-read—no one can compare to him."

"It is truly a blessing for our village to have such a virtuous man. Perhaps in the future, if we encounter any injustice, we can ask him to adjudicate."

The villagers chattered, lauding Shen Chen’s conduct. This also served as a reassurance to the parents who had come to send their children to study, confirming they had not misjudged the man and setting their minds at ease.

In truth, this was only natural. The public opinion of that era started from the countryside, spread gradually to the surrounding areas, and only became renowned far and wide once it was recognized and praised by those in power. For example, famous scholars from Qingzhou such as Wang Lie, Wang Xiu, and Bing Yuan all first became known within their villages before gaining fame throughout the empire. People like Cheng Yu, who slaughtered everyone in his hometown to make jerky so that no one could judge his reputation, were the exception; most scholars possessed a deep sense of local attachment and valued their reputation within their hometowns.

This is why the reputation held by the villagers near one's place of residence is so important, and it is the reason Shen Chen gifted the pig to Zhao Hua and coins to Old Man Du. Some might think this behavior foolish, calling it "excessive benevolence to one’s own detriment" or a form of self-abasement. Such people simply do not understand the Han Dynasty.

Cao Zhi wrote a poem titled *The Conduct of a Gentleman*, which contains the lines: "A gentleman guards against what has not yet happened, and does not linger where suspicion may arise. Do not adjust your shoes in a melon patch, and do not fix your cap under a plum tree." This is the origin of the famous idiom "in a melon patch or under a plum tree," meaning one should avoid doing things that invite suspicion.

When the Master of Water Mirror, Sima Hui, first moved from Yingchuan to reside in Xiangyang, he was a famous scholar from Yingchuan whom the Jingzhou literati knew well. However, the local villagers did not know him, leading to a minor misunderstanding. A villager near his home lost a pig and, seeing that Sima Hui’s pig looked exactly like his own, claimed it was the one he had lost. To avoid suspicion and gossip from the locals, Sima Hui simply gave his pig to the man. A few days later, the man found his original pig, rushed to return Sima Hui’s, and kowtowed in apology. Sima Hui did not scold him; instead, he thanked him for returning the pig, and from then on, his virtue spread throughout the countryside.

Was Sima Hui wrong to do this? Of course not. But because his pig looked identical to the villager's, it invited suspicion. By giving the pig away, he eliminated that doubt. This is the essence of "not adjusting shoes in a melon patch"—once suspicion takes root in people's hearts, it creates a rift. A gentleman must find ways to eliminate even the slightest suspicion.

Shen Chen acted the same way. When he and Zhuge Liang traveled around the countryside in their carriage, people did not yet know his character. So, when Zhao Hua lost his pig, some saw Shen Chen’s guard bringing one back, and when Old Man Du’s crops were eaten, others saw his guard grazing horses by the river. People instinctively became suspicious, thinking he had stolen the pig or that his horses had eaten the crops. Because this suspicion could ruin his reputation and lead to moral criticism, Shen Chen’s response was identical to Sima Hui’s: he chose to return the pig and gift the coins.

Now that the truth was revealed, the villagers understood what kind of person Shen Chen was. If he were ever near a crime scene in the future, they would no longer suspect him. Moreover, this incident did not just spread his reputation; his easy defeat of the Jingzhou scholars in debate also confirmed his intellectual prowess, establishing him as a brilliant and well-read young man. With this realization, people were naturally willing to entrust their children to his care, and he believed that as his fame spread, more would follow.

"Let’s go. Let’s return and report to our parents and teachers."

Hu Shang watched as Zhao Ran was led away. The students who had come to stir up trouble left in a dejected manner, boarding their carriages. Before they left, they all cast one last look of intense resentment at Shen Chen. They had no other recourse; they had been bested in scriptural debate, outmatched in discussions of current affairs, and even their attempts at moral character assassination had been easily neutralized.

They truly had no other tricks left. They could only return to report the events to their parents and teachers. Soon, carriage after carriage bore them away. They had arrived with their heads held high, acting as the scions of the great noble families, but they left to the scorn of the villagers, their dignity in tatters.

After they were gone, Shen Chen cupped his hands to the villagers and handled the matters concerning Zhao Hua and Old Man Du. Unlike Xiao Da, who had been arrested and was a rogue who had taken money to falsely accuse him, Zhao Hua and Old Man Du had acted out of genuine concern. Zhao Hua had suspected the pig wasn't his but hadn't been certain, so he had asked to hold it until he could verify—this showed he was actually an honest man. As for Old Man Du, he had guessed that wild boars had eaten his grain, but the presence of horse hoof prints on the ridge—and his fear of starvation—had driven him to point the finger at Shen Chen. Neither man was morally corrupt; one had acted out of misunderstanding, the other out of desperation. Once the misunderstanding was cleared, both were deeply apologetic and sought to make amends.

Shen Chen forgave them and accepted the wild boar meat they offered. At the time, wild boar meat was actually cheaper than domestic pork, but there were over a dozen boars; even if they only gave half to Shen Chen, that was still four or five hundred jin, more than enough to cover their losses. The matter ended happily, with Zhao Hua and Old Man Du heading to the market to sell their share, while Shen Chen had his household cure the meat into bacon.

Once everything was settled, the scholars who had come to watch—Xu Shu, Pang Tong, Wang Can, and Pan Jun—approached.

"Brother Zhongxuan, Brother Chengming, Brother Yuanzhi, Brother Zhouping..." Shen Chen bowed to each of them in greeting.

Wang Can sighed, "I was worried for you, but it seems that was unnecessary."

Shen Chen expressed his gratitude, "Since I entered the academy, it has been your protection, Brother Zhongxuan, that has brought me to this day. I shall never forget this kindness."

Wang Can laughed, "You have grown up and have your own ideas. Although we differ from you, as the saying goes, 'lofty discourse leads to great endeavors; one must establish rules for ten thousand generations.' It is enough that we are inclusive of different ideas; we remain friends."

"Thank you, Brother." Shen Chen bowed again. It was no small thing that his masters and peers, despite having different political stances, had not come to tear him down—let alone that they still recognized him. Perhaps this was the nature of the bond between master and student in ancient times.

"We are leaving. Come visit us at the academy sometime, or perhaps we shall come to see you again." Wang Can, Pan Jun, and the others took their leave.

After they departed, Xu Shu, Pang Tong, Cui Jun, Shi Tao, and Meng Jian approached.

Xu Shu chuckled, "Chen, that was impressive. To debate those Xiangyang scholars into silence until they fled—your talent is truly admirable."

Shen Chen replied modestly, "You overstate it, Brother. It is only because I have walked a straight path that they could not attack me. Your talents and virtues far exceed mine; this was but a trifle."

Pang Tong, who was somewhat reticent and appeared unassuming in his youth, also praised him, "Your talent is like a fine steed with the strength to run a thousand li; you will surely achieve great things."

"Thank you, Brother Tong," Shen Chen bowed. "You are all men of great strategy, even if the people of Jingzhou do not yet recognize it. If the winds of change blow, I believe you will all have the ability to restore the world."

This was merely mutual flattery; one must remain humble to make friends. Although he was now surrounded by enemies in Jingzhou—having offended the surrender faction and being disliked by top power-brokers like Cai Mao and Kuai Yue—he remembered the great saying: make as many friends as possible and as few enemies as possible. While famous scholars everywhere currently viewed Cao Cao as a loyal subject for welcoming the Emperor, after the incident of the Imperial Edict in the Robe, when Cao Cao killed the Empress, the imperial uncle, and the princes, those who could see his true nature—like Zhuge Liang, Xu Shu, and Pang Tong—would eventually stand by the Imperial Uncle to restore the Han. Building relationships with them now was crucial.

After the exchange of pleasantries, Xu Shu and the others bid him farewell, and Shen Chen walked them to the edge of the pavilion before returning.

Back at home, Deng Hong and Liu Xian approached. Deng Hong clapped Shen Chen on the shoulder, "Chen, I knew you could defeat them. Let’s see if they dare to call us 'rebellious subjects' behind our backs again."

"Are people saying that behind our backs?" Shen Chen asked.

Deng Hong sighed, "Yes. They say that Cao Cao is marching on Nanyang in the name of the Emperor, and that our move to block him is an act of disloyalty."

Shen Chen sneered, "They only dare to whisper it. If they said it to Lord Liu’s face, I fear he would be furious."

"That is true," Deng Hong laughed. As part of the minority faction in Jingzhou, he was under great pressure, but he stood on the same side as Liu Biao, the ruler of Jingzhou. Liu Biao had no desire to submit to Cao Cao; he had great ambitions, including a secret dream of becoming Emperor. Thus, no matter how much the surrender faction jumped about, they could only harass Shen Chen; to challenge Liu Biao would be suicide.

Liu Xian remarked, "Watching you debate today, your talent is truly superb. My sister was wrong to keep Bu Yi away; it was short-sighted of her. When I return, I shall personally bring him here to study under you."

"Thank you, Master Shizong," Shen Chen replied. After Zhou Buyi had left the mountains with him at the start of the year, he had stayed at Shen Chen's home due to the sudden passing of Zhuge Xuan. After the funeral, Shen Chen had sent someone to inquire about his status, but was told Zhou Buyi would not be returning.

Shen Chen had felt a sense of regret. Only recently did he learn that it wasn't that Zhou Buyi didn't want to come, but that his mother had kept him at home, wishing for him to continue his studies at the Xianshan Academy. It wasn't that she knew of the surrender faction's influence; it was simply that Shen Chen was only twelve. Any mother would choose a renowned, high-level professor over a young student. However, having seen Shen Chen recite the seven classics by heart and weave through complex historical allusions with ease, Liu Xian was now convinced of his talent and intended to persuade his sister.

Deng Hong and Liu Xian chatted with Shen Chen for a while longer before departing to report the events to Liu Biao. For Liu Biao, seeing the surrender faction suffer a setback was a source of genuine pleasure.

After they left, only Shen Chen, Zhuge Liang, Zhuge Jun, and a few villagers remained. After thanking the villagers, Shen Chen and Zhuge Liang exchanged a look and smiled. From this day forward, there was at least a good start in establishing his reputation. But he could not be careless. These people were merely the first wave of probing; the true scholars had yet to arrive. The real trouble was still to come.