xymnovel Chapter 281 Trials
Chapter 281 Trials
Chapter 281 Trials
On Qixi Festival, Shao Shuyi returned to Matuosha.
In May, Madam Liu gave birth to a son for him, who is now almost two months old.
The little guy is chubby and carefree, eating and sleeping all day long, enjoying a life of endless joy.
After playing with him for a while and getting urinated on, Shao Shuyi took a bath amidst Liu's mocking laughter, then returned to the monk's hut to continue handling various affairs.
Just now, Liu complained that Shao Shuyi hadn't found any relatives yet, and his child had been born but couldn't find any playmates. Shao Shuyi had no reply to this, but he had recently received some news that the Shao clan of Matuosha seemed to have moved to Xishun Township in Jiangyin Prefecture first because of tax evasion, but later couldn't stay there and went west to Wujin County in Changzhou.
This is what they said before they left, but we don't know if it's true or not, and we can't be sure if those people were members of the Shao clan.
Anyway, when Shao Shuyi searched his memory, he only had a vague impression of his older sister; he knew nothing else.
There's no rush; we can search slowly. His influence has already begun to expand in Changzhou, and finding people in the future might be easier than for the government, because most of the Shao clan members are refugees who have fled to other places and may not be on the official registers. Not every place is willing to register households and register refugees, especially not the lenient Yuan Dynasty.
While Shao Shuyi was resting, Yu Yuan and Wang Xing, who had been instructed by him beforehand, selected more than a dozen familiar boatmen on the eighth day of the month and went to Dayanlou together.
After booking the private room with practiced ease, Yu Yuan was slightly taken aback.
Without realizing it, he had become very familiar with these matters, as if he had done them countless times. Looking back a few years ago, he was just a carefree teenager wandering around his hometown; comparing him to today, it's a completely different story.
Wang Xing followed beside him, wearing a very ordinary gray cloth garment without any ornaments, which was quite clean after being starched.
He didn't talk much or look around, just quietly followed behind Yu Yuan.
After entering the private room, as instructed by Yu Yuan, he first ordered a pot of tea from the counter for Commander Fan, and then sat down, keeping his eyes straight ahead.
They didn't have to wait long before a boatman led Ge Daji in.
"Lord Ge." The two stood up together and bowed.
"The matter hasn't even been resolved yet, why are you in such a hurry?" Ge Daji had a blister on the corner of his mouth and wasn't in a good mood either. When he saw Yu Yuan, he said irritably.
"My elder brother knows of Lord Ge's difficulties, so he specially instructed us to take some money in case of emergency," Yu Yuan said, gesturing with his eyes.
Wang Xing silently bent down, picked up the two large bundles at his feet, placed them on the table, and then untied the knots, revealing stacks of banknotes.
"Here are two hundred ingots," Yu Yuan said. "But I don't know if that's enough."
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Surprisingly, Ge Daji's mood improved immediately, and the blister on the corner of his mouth didn't seem so uncomfortable anymore.
He casually picked up a stack of ingots and fiddled with them for a moment, then said, "That's about enough. We already need Cao She's help, so how could we let him spend too much money? It's just that the things he wants are too important; most of these two hundred ingots will have to be used on the officials of the Changzhou Miscellaneous Manufacturing Bureau."
Yu Yuan smiled, picked up a small bundle from beside his feet, took out a Duan inkstone from it, and said, "I have long heard that Lord Ge loves calligraphy, this item must have a wonderful use."
Ge Daji looked up and his gaze froze.
"This item was made by a famous craftsman in Zhaoqing. It's made of purple cloud stone and has seven eyes. My brother searched for a long time in Liujiagang before finally buying this treasure and giving it to someone who is destined to receive it," Yu Yuan explained.
He didn't mention how much the Duan inkstone was worth, and Ge Daji didn't ask either, but he had a feeling it must be worth at least ten ingots.
"This is truly a fine item." Ge Daji slowly took the Duan inkstone in his hand and examined it carefully.
Yu Yuan slowly sat back down.
Wang Xing glanced at Ge Daji, then quickly lowered his head, afraid that the other man would see the disdain in his eyes.
How could someone who loves literature and art be so greedy? But he wouldn't say anything, he would keep it all to himself.
"Once we have some progress in the state in a few days—" Ge Daji put down his inkstone and said, "Cao She, come with me to Changzhou again and finalize this matter as soon as possible."
"My elder brother is too busy to go, so it would be better if the two of us went with Lord Ge," Yu Yuan said, cupping his hands in greeting.
Ge Daji seemed to understand something, and then said, "I'll go back and ask Meng Chaodong if the people who inquired about Cao She have been caught."
"Thank you." Yu Yuan's eyes lit up, and he bowed again.
Ge Daji glanced at Wang Xing and asked, "Is this the newcomer?"
"I've been here for a while," Yu Yuan said. "Wang Xing, also known as Wang Zhizhong, is from Wu County, Suzhou. He works as an apprentice accountant at the Huangtian Trading Company."
Upon hearing this, Ge Daji chuckled and said, "The yamen has trainee clerks, and your trading company has trainee accountants. The laws and regulations are quite strict."
"Brother really has a lot of ideas," Yu Yuan said.
Ge Daji nodded, thinking to himself that Cao Luo was indeed very resourceful. This salt merchant was truly extraordinary; he always managed to get to the heart of the government. It wasn't worth turning against them, so they offered him large sums of money and gifts, and things gradually progressed.
"How's the land over there in Ma Tuo Sha?" he asked again.
"If you have the time, Lord Ge, why don't you cross the river and take a look?" Yu Yuan said. "It has already been leveled and looks quite presentable."
"Are they all farmed by migrants from Jiangbei?"
"Yes."
"Tell Cao She to be careful," Ge Daji nodded. "The refugees from Jiangbei are unruly and not easy to manage."
"I know," Yu Yuan said. "This year, we have already leveled the second batch of 300 mu of wasteland, and at the beginning of July, we also gathered 20 households of refugees from Bozhou. We have more manpower than ever before."
Ge Daji was also very pleased to hear this and said with a smile, "Give the second batch a larger share to the various departments and clerks. What Cao She did has made everyone very happy. Everyone said that the national funds were insufficient and salaries were difficult to pay, but now it is all thanks to Cao She that the funds have been made up."
"It is only right that you gentlemen are busy with state affairs," Yu Yuan said.
"No," Ge Daji shook his head and said, "When Zhu Ding was around, he was unwilling to do this thankless task. Reclaiming wasteland? Heh, he couldn't do a single thing. To be honest, I quite like this kind of steady, long-term land rent; it's reliable and reassuring."
Having said that, Ge Daji put away the Duan inkstone and said, "It's getting late. I only managed to sneak out today, so I need to hurry back, lest Master Zhang look for me and I can't find him. Farewell."
"Lord Ge, please stay for a meal," Yu Yuan said. "If I leave like this, my brother might blame me for being impolite."
"No, I really have something to do today, running around for your brother," Ge Daji said with a wry smile. "I'm leaving now."
Seeing this, Yu Yuan had no choice but to give up. He immediately selected seven or eight porters to help deliver the money to Ge Daji's oxcart and to act as guards to prevent it from being robbed on the street.
After finishing all that, the two returned to Dayanlou and had a casual meal.
"Why have you remained silent today?" Yu Yuan asked after the meal.
Wang Xing glanced at Yu Yuan and saw that this man, who was not much older than him, no longer showed any trace of naivety or hesitation on his face. Instead, he was calm and confident.
His stubble was unkempt, but it only added to his capable appearance.
When I asked him a question, my eyes were filled with curiosity and inquiry, as if I were testing a student.
The difference between him and me is not just a tiny bit.
"I don't really like being around you, sir; it makes me uncomfortable," Wang Xing said.
Yu Yuan suddenly realized.
"It's alright. Officials are human too. They eat grains and experience birth, aging, sickness, and death, just like you," Yu Yuan said. "Back then, I was just as shy. It was my brother who taught me step by step, gave me opportunities to gain experience, and even sat behind the curtain to help me fill in the gaps in my knowledge. It took many years of this to get to where I am today."
Wang Xing asked with some curiosity, "Cao She is so busy with affairs, yet he still has such patience?"
"He treats me like a brother. How could he not be patient with his brother?" Yu Yuan took Wang Xing's hand and said, "Your brother asked you to follow him and experience things, because he wanted to cultivate you. You must study hard and not let him down."
Wang Xing lowered his head and said, "I feel somewhat uncomfortable about what happened today."
"A gift?"
"Yes."
Why?
"A true man should act with integrity and uprightness, and should not engage in such despicable acts."
Yu Yuan countered, "What if being upright and honest doesn't get things done?"
Wang Xing was speechless.
"What are your thoughts on the future?" Yu Yuan asked.
"I loved reading as a child, and I dreamed of writing books and establishing my own theories when I grew up."
"And now?"
"Right now, all I want is to be well-fed and clothed. If I could steal a half-day of leisure to drink tea and read a book, that would be wonderful."
Have you given up on your childhood ideas?
Wang Xing was somewhat confused and said, "Perhaps."
"But you just accused me of being a scheming and despicable person," Yu Yuan said.
Wang Xing felt somewhat ashamed.
Do you know why your brother is grooming you for this position?
"No one available?"
Yu Yuan shook his head and said, "Huangtian Commerce has Lu Chaoen and Jiang Cheng, Matuosha has the Gao brothers, Gao Wang and Gao Yue, and Taicang has Liu Huipeng. Why are you being singled out for cultivation?"
Wang Xing pondered deeply but could not find a solution.
"My brother didn't say why, but I sensed something," Yu Yuan said. "He doesn't want to be surrounded by mercenaries. After all these years of wandering, I'm not the same person I was back then. However..."
At this point, Yu Yuan smiled and said, "This is just my guess, it might not be accurate."
Upon hearing this, Wang Xing bowed deeply and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Master Yu. I had lofty ideals when I was young, but now I have hidden them for the sake of making a living. However, I cannot simply abandon them while hiding them. One may be more tactful in one's actions, even resorting to petty scheming, but one must know what is right and what is wrong. Only in this way can one uphold one's true principles."
Yu Yuan was taken aback by Wang Xing's words. After a moment, he replied somewhat embarrassedly, "In upholding one's principles, I am not as good as you."
After saying that, he smiled and said, "That's all for now. Let's finish eating quickly so we can get back to work at the trading company."
On July 12, the Huang Bing drilling ship, carrying a sea loach, departed from Huangtian Port.
Yu Yuan and Wang Xing, carrying a large amount of money and gifts, traveled to Changzhou with Ge Daji, the prefectural clerk, and Fan Ting, the scribe.