For over twenty years, the Ngô Châu region had been in constant turmoil. The high officials the Emperor sent to govern Ngô Châu were either robbed en route or fell ill and died within two years of their arrival. In short, nothing good ever happened.
However, the news spreading recently was different.
Roughly, everyone in Ngô Châu had heard of Young Master Huo, who, a few years ago, went to the capital (Kinh) to take the imperial examination, achieved the title of *Zhuangyuan*, worked in the capital for a few years, and then petitioned the Emperor to return to Ngô Châu and govern it!
Upon hearing this news, the common folk clapped their hands and cheered, setting off firecrackers during the day. They felt that only Young Master Huo could keep Ngô Châu's mountain bandits, robbers, and human traffickers in check!
A few households at the end of Hoàn Thành River, upon learning this news, set off their firecrackers half a day later than other households.
Meanwhile, on the stone bridge over Hoàn Thành River, someone was not very happy.
A young woman in a long blue dress sat on the bridge, her legs dangling and swinging back and forth in the air. One hand propped up her chin, while the other held a small stone, which she occasionally tossed into the Hoàn Thành River.
She looked about seventeen or eighteen, her hair tied up casually. Her face was beautiful, with curled eyelashes, round eyes, plump red lips, and a small mouth. If she were to smile, she would surely be even more beautiful. Yet, this young woman was frowning, as if preparing to face an enemy.
"Young Master Huo is coming back," a small fish poked its head out of the water and said.
The young woman frowned, a little annoyed, and said, "I know, he'll be back in two days."
The fish wiggled its body. "Should we hide?"
The young woman glared at the fish. "Hide? You can follow the small stream to the big river, but where can I hide?"
The fish flicked its tail. "Who told you to bully him before? A few years ago, when he went to the capital for the imperial exams, you even went out specifically to set off firecrackers to celebrate. Aren't you unlucky now? All of Ngô Châu is setting off firecrackers to welcome him back!"
After the young woman heard this, she threw all the stones into the river, ran both hands through the hair on her forehead, and said with a hint of despair, "Who knew he was so cute back then..."
But who could have known that the older he got, the less cute he became, and the worse his temper grew? He then directly became Ngô Châu's *Hùnshì Mówáng*. When he was almost thirteen, he rode his horse, cracking his whip, all over the city. It was only with great difficulty that he went to the capital for the imperial exams five years later, but unexpectedly, he was already back five years after that.
The young woman counted on her fingers. "This *Hùnshì Mówáng* of the Huo family must be twenty-three by now, right?"
The fish also counted. After counting, it looked at the young woman, whose appearance hadn't changed after all these years, and sighed, "Before, he couldn't beat you, and you could pin him down on the bridge and do whatever you wanted. But now, I'm afraid the tables have turned."
The young woman glanced at it. "..."
The fish flicked its tail and swam directly away with the current, saying, "I'll take my family, old and young, and leave first."
The young woman reached out to stop it. "Don't you need me anymore?"
The fish said, "Aiya~ what's your status, what's his status? You don't need to go."
The fish was already out of sight. The young woman, annoyed, scratched her hair until it was messy. Why did she feel a panic in her heart, as if her peaceful days were about to end?
Footsteps came from the other end of the bridge. The young woman saw a woodcutter carrying a pile of firewood on his back approaching. The moment they saw each other, the woodcutter hurriedly ran over, shouting, "Don't jump!"
In the blink of an eye, the blue-robed figure on the bridge vanished. The woodcutter, startled, hurriedly leaned over the stone bridge railing to look down. There was only the clear blue river water, no drowned person; and what's more, there was a figure there, but it was merely the reflection of his own terrified face.
Birdsong echoed in the forest. The woodcutter scratched his head, and then it suddenly occurred to him: the legend of the River God (hà bá). He felt his scalp tingle and his shoulders shiver, and he quickly made his escape.