Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 744: The Rain in Jinling is Heavy
Night came,

The sky above Jinling City in the south of the Yangtze River was covered with dark clouds, as if pressing down the entire sky. After a moment, raindrops like fine needles began to fall silently. Then, the sound of heavy rain quickly sounded, as if thousands of troops were galloping down.

The originally quiet Jinling City suddenly became noisy.

Suddenly, a silver lightning streaked across the sky, followed by deafening thunder and heavy rain. Many people were frightened and fled to hide from the rain.

"Report, Your Excellency the Prefect, the water level of the Qinhuai River in the south city has risen sharply and has exceeded the warning level."

"Report, Sir, the water level of the Mirror Lake in the city has risen significantly and has submerged the first level of stairs."

Jinling prefectural government office,

The prefect Jia Yucun was sitting in the main hall of the yamen, his official uniform spotless. He looked at the runners who came to report with an embarrassed expression. In just a few moments, the river water had risen by 30%. No wonder, it was raining too heavily outside. It seemed that this was the first rain since the beginning of summer this year, and it came a little late.

I just thought that Eunuch Yang from the capital would arrive at the dock tonight. How should I greet him? I also don't know why Eunuch Yang came to Jiangnan this time.
"Sir, it's raining heavily outside. Many officials have asked whether we should go to the dock to greet Eunuch Yang or just wait in the city."

Hu, the co-magistrate of Jinling, came in hurriedly, clasped his fists and asked,

The straw raincoat on his body was already soaked, and the pair of boots on his feet were also muddy. It was obvious that the heavy rain was no joke, especially the sad expression on his face, which could be seen from a long distance away.

"Wenxuan, don't panic, and don't worry. Eunuch Yang has been here before. There are some things that we civil servants cannot interfere with. Don't you think that the most troublesome people in Jiangnan these days are not Lord Jing and his men? The eunuch in the capital came here without making any noise. What do you think we should do?"

Jia Yucun sat at the desk in the hall of the government office. He raised his head calmly, his shrewd eyes exuding confidence. It was obvious that the prefect with such a magistrate's demeanor was confident. Perhaps the opportunity was right in front of him.

"Your Excellency means that the people from the palace are here for the Suzhou Weaving Bureau and the matter of converting farmland into mulberry trees in Jiangnan. Doesn't that mean that another Buddha has come to our heads? That means there are too many temples!"

Hu Wenxuan, the deputy magistrate of the yamen, had a look of fear on his face. The gentleman who had just arrived had an unpleasantness with the governor, Lord Zhuang. Not long after, another eunuch named Yang came. It was said that he was the seal holder of the palace's Sishejian. The weight of this Bodhisattva was not light.

"Your Excellency's words make sense. I have something I shouldn't have said. I don't know if the court has taken it for granted. At first glance, it sounds good to change the fields to mulberry trees, but the best fields in Jiangnan are all in the hands of aristocratic families, and the common people have very few fields. Not to mention the salt merchants, just take Suzhou weaving master Shen Wanhe. All raw silk production needs to pass through his hands. If you want to pass through his hands, it is not a simple matter of face. As for asking the common people to change their fields to plant mulberry leaves, it is even more nonsense. Who would be willing to do that?"

Hu Wenxuan seemed to be complaining, but in fact he was also giving a reminder. As the saying goes, when gods fight, mortals suffer. The problem is that if there are too many Bodhisattvas above, people like them will be caught in a dilemma and end up being blamed after getting things done.

Jia Yucun's face was gloomy and uncertain. He stood behind the desk and paced back and forth. He thought about the letter from Lord Zhuang in the past few days, asking him to take good care of his own land and not to interfere in the matter of converting farmland into mulberry trees in Jiangnan. On the other hand, Lord Jing sent an official letter to the prefect of the yamen to be responsible for the archives of tax collection and land determination, and to send people to assist the inspector's yamen to collect taxes. One yamen, two government orders, who should he listen to? Now there is another eunuch, it seems that he can't hide even if he wants to.

"Now, we should deal with what we can handle, and put off what we can't handle. As for Lord Jing, the government should record it. As for the tax collection, there is no rush for it. As for Lord Zhuang, we should report it frequently. As for Eunuch Yang, even if others don't go, we must go. At the dock, you and I will go together, and we should think about ourselves!"

Jia Yucun thought about it in his mind. As the prefect of Jinling, there was no way he could avoid these things. With Lord Zhuang, Lord Jing, and the upcoming Eunuch Yang, there would definitely be turmoil in the officialdom of Jiangnan. How to do things required careful consideration. So, he must not be negligent with Eunuch Yang. Let alone raining, even if it was raining knives, he had to go to the dock to welcome him!
"Yes, sir, I understand. The horses, men and carriages are already ready and waiting outside the mansion. When will you set off, sir?"

Tongzhi Hu Wenxuan wiped the rain from his cheeks and replied in a deep voice that the government office had made all preparations, and even rented a restaurant as a backup. It was strange that the governor, Lord Zhuang, did not send anyone to explain how to deal with Eunuch Yang's agenda. It was strange!

"There is no time to lose, let's go now. We won't go through the west gate, but take the south gate and head straight to the dock. Eunuch Yang should be here tonight, and then we will take care of him and go back to the city together. As for how to welcome others, we will figure it out when we meet him!"

Jia Yucun's eyes gleamed. Who doesn't want to get involved in the political arena of Jiangnan? Rather than being passively involved, it is better to take the initiative to seek opportunities. Before, Lord Zhuang sent someone to tell him not to get involved in the matter of recording the acreage of land. Just one day after Lord Zhuang sent the message, Lord Jing also sent someone to say that the number of acres of land must be recorded in detail so that it can be checked at any time.
In private, isn't it that Lord Zhuang wants to stop Lord Jing from converting fields into mulberry trees? But why does he want to stop it? Is it because of different political views, or is there someone behind the scenes instructing him? Jia Yucun thought about it for a few days, but couldn't figure it out. A few days later, an official document arrived, saying that the seal of the Imperial Stables in the capital, Eunuch Yang, was going south, and there was news that he was going to take over the Suzhou Weaving Bureau. Someone from the palace also wanted to get involved.
In this way,

The matter of converting farmland into mulberry trees must be carried out, and Lord Zhuang may not be able to do it alone, unless people from the East Palace intervene.

"Report, sir, the carriage is ready and can be set off at any time. Our people will meet us at the South City Gate. Lord Jing has also sent a message for all officials to gather at the West City Gate. In addition, Mr. Shen has prepared a banquet at Jiang Nanchun."

In the hall,

A yamen runner came to report. Jia Yucun had come back to his senses by now. He looked at the hutong magistrate who was still waiting, and immediately walked down the hall.

"Let us go and ride in the same carriage."

"Yes, my lord."

Hu Wenxuan nodded, turned around and followed. Then, the carriage slowly disappeared in the fog and rain. It left first after all. Many yamen runners wearing straw raincoats followed closely behind, but some cumbersome flags were left behind.

The changes in the government office here did not attract the attention of others. Everything seemed quiet. Even if there was any movement, it was silent with the heavy rain on the rainy night.

"Boom, boom,"

A flash of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the city of Jinling on a rainy night. Even though the water of Mirror Lake was calm, the sound of rain could be heard and the sound of water could be heard through the walls.

The lights were on in the study room in the backyard of the Zhen family. On the desk in the hall, two letters were neatly placed, and the seals of the letters had been torn open.
Sitting behind the desk was Zhen Yingjia, the second master of the Zhen family, and standing in the hall was Qiao Hongyue, the chief treasurer.
"Huh, it's really interesting. After so many days, Lord Jing can actually sit still and sit still. Checking the number of acres of land is just a small matter. He should have figured it out long ago. With Lord Jing's means, it is not difficult for him to know how many acres of high-quality and low-quality land there are in Jiangnan. What do you think this letter means?"

Qiao Hongyue, the shopkeeper standing in the hall, was startled when he heard this, nodded slightly, bent his body, and clasped his fists in reply;

"Second Master, ever since I sent some account books of Qin, the head of the textile bureau, to Lord Jing's residence last time, Lord Jing's smile cannot be faked. But why has Lord Jing not taken any action in the past few days? I think he must be waiting for today. Eunuch Yang will arrive in Jinling City tonight. Those who come with bad intentions will not come with good intentions."

"Haha, well said. This letter was written by Lord Jing. After checking the number of acres of land, he still came to ask me where to start with the plan to convert fields into mulberry trees. Haha, it's obviously a test. He needs to ask other people how he wants to change it. It's a joke." Zhen Yingjia was also a little angry. He wanted to get rid of the matter of the Weaving Bureau, but Jing Cunliang, the old fox, didn't take the bait. All the staff of the Weaving Bureau did not move. Shen Wanhe even booked the largest restaurant in Jiangnan to prepare to welcome Eunuch Yang. Did he know in advance that Eunuch Yang would come, or was it Lord Jing who sent him the letter? Such a ostentatious approach was not Shen Wanhe's usual character.

"Second Master, don't be anxious. Lord Jing has the emperor's order, so he has to do it. However, these noble families in Jiangnan occupy as much as half of the land. Lord Jing wants to convert the land into mulberry trees, so the grain output will not be sustainable. It will affect the whole body. Lord Jing thinks it is too rash to act now, so he must wait a while. As for..."

Manager Qiao nodded again, hesitated for a moment,
He replied;

"As for Shen Wanhe from the Weaving Bureau, he is indeed a little abnormal. I think it is not Shen Wanhe who wants to do this, but he did it on purpose. Eunuch Yang went south from the capital, and this matter is extremely secretive. He is a merchant and knows about it later than many of the masters in Jiangnan. Or, if it was not Lord Jing who spread the news, could it be that Eunuch Yang sent someone to inform him in advance?"

Qiao Hongyue's words made the second master Zhen Yingjia think a lot. Is it possible that it was because of Shen Wanhe's actions that made Lord Jing hesitate and dare not take action? After all, Shen Wanhe, the richest businessman in Jiangnan, has a great reputation.

"You are right. It is very likely that this is the case. Shen Wanhe's big change is indeed intriguing. There are some things he never said to the Zhen family."

The second master of the Zhen family sighed. If Shen Wanhe and the Zhen family joined forces, all the raw silk and brocade in the Jiangnan area would be in their hands. With all this wealth, why bother doing anything else?

"Second Master, Shen Wanhe may have his own troubles. The Zhen family has a batch of brocade every year. If he really joins hands with us, I'm afraid Shen Wanhe's days will not last long. The East Palace and the Governor Zhuang have not made any moves until now. I also sent more people to inquire around, and only found that Fatty Su, the Jinling salt merchant, was spending money to buy supplies. I went back to the Chamber of Commerce and gave him almost all the inventory."

During the days when Qiao Hongyue came back, she sold all the inventory in the Zhen family's Chamber of Commerce to Su Jinkai, the number one salt merchant in Jinling, at a low price. Su Jinkai is no longer the arrogant and domineering person he used to be. After climbing up the Luo Yunhou Mansion, he has become more and more low-key. He is almost nowhere to be found in the places where people go to seek flowers and ask willows in Jiangnan, but his figure is everywhere. I don't know how much silver the Su family has offered, but there is almost no interruption in the number of ships heading north. It is incredible.
When Su Jinkai, a salt merchant from Suzhou, was mentioned, Zhen Yingjia's face looked somewhat unhappy. He didn't know how lucky this man was to be able to climb up to the wealth of the Marquis's Mansion. And that Huang Rutai, who followed him like a dog, had been very popular in Jinling City for a while in the past few months. They were present in all major chambers of commerce, and a lot of money was spent. This really shocked many people, especially many officials. Unfortunately, no one dared to move, and they could only watch the overwhelming wealth go north, just because Luo Yunhou, the killer, had a knife that was too sharp.

"Humph, the reason why the Su family is so prosperous is that they have attached themselves to Marquis Luo Yun. When Marquis Luo Yun confiscated his property, all the gold, silver, jade, antiques, calligraphy and paintings, and silver that he embezzled were left in the Su family. I remember that a few days ago, many officials' houses had a lot of extra things, and they were all gifts from the Su family. Su Jinkai really worked hard for the Marquis's house. The major chambers of commerce in Jiangnan have made a lot of money in this period of time."

After saying that, he walked to the bookcase and took out a jade carving with cloud pattern from the table. It was warm and eye-catching, and under the light of the fire, it was even more colorful. This was one of the treasures privately collected by the Wang family. It was a pity that the Wang family was lost.

"Replying to Second Master, I did make a lot of money. It was just a small chamber of commerce. Several warehouses in South City and the docks were all emptied. Even the old goods in the inner palace over the years were bought out. Many of the hidden accounts in the palace were settled, which is a good thing. What is particularly rare is the real money given by the Su family. So after I came back, I exchanged the goods I brought with me to those aristocratic families in Jiangbei, and exchanged them for a lot of iron materials and grain. I contacted the Su family, and they actually paid three times the silver. I bought it all. The hidden accounts that Second Master left in the Northern Palace that year were also settled."

Qiao Hongyue paused and spoke these secrets in a low voice. Although the Su family's behavior was suspicious, the Zhen family was relieved by this opportunity.

"Well, then our guess is correct. I don't know how much Luo Yunhou seized during the confiscation of the family property. The Su family is in the open, so we must not touch them. If we touch them, Luo Yunhou will really dare to use a knife. I just don't know if the people outside the Great Wall are really so cold and hard that they are so short of money and food."

This is also what many noble families and nobles in the interior of the country have always been concerned about. In the early years, the Jurchens were rampant, and many small families moved directly to the interior of the country, not to mention the trade routes. After the Pingyang victory, a few of them restored the trade routes, but they only went to Pingyao City. As for Pingyang City further north, no one saw what it looked like. However, the troops of Marquis Luo Yun did shock the world during the competition in the capital.

"Second Master, regardless of whether it is true or not, let's assume it is true. The imperial court is sending all the refugees outside the Great Wall at all costs. These people are all considered slaves of Marquis Luo Yun. Even if they are slaves, they still need to be fed. The imperial court's purpose is obvious. When I was in the north, I heard that Jurchen cavalry would pass by Pingyao City from time to time. Who would believe that the Jurchens could swallow that?"

When Qiao Hongyue was in Yunyang County, she inquired about the affairs of the north, especially the fiefdom of Marquis Luo Yun outside the pass. She thought that the Jurchens would be more honest after retreating, but on the contrary, many smuggling chambers of commerce suffered heavy losses. On the one hand, the garrison in Pingyao City checked strictly, and on the other hand, Jurchen cavalry occasionally passed by the grassland outside the city. Anyone who encountered them was basically in danger, which also caused the commander of Luoyue Pass to close the city gate before sunset.

"Yeah, that's right."

After Zhen Yingjia rubbed the jade carefully for a while, he put it back on the bookshelf, looking inconspicuous. No one knew that this jade was priceless.

He turned around, returned to his desk, straightened the wrinkles on his robe, sat down again, picked up another letter, smiled,
"Let's not talk about Marquis Luo Yun for now. Within five years, he doesn't have much energy and strength. Pay attention to the interior of the country. The court's transportation of refugees to the outside of the country may not be a way to suppress him. As for five years later, if Marquis Luo Yun's Mansion survives, it may not be another King of the West."

His face was solemn, and a trace of hesitation flashed across his face. This matter might not be beyond everyone's imagination. Perhaps the court had other intentions. He picked up another letter and put it heavily on the table.

"This letter came from Lord Zhuang, the governor of Jiangnan, three days ago. He said that Jiangnan has been peaceful for a long time. There are some things that cannot be done. The Zhen family should let go if they can."

"Second Master, what does Mr. Zhuang mean?"

Qiao Hongyue didn't quite understand. Logically speaking, even if Lord Zhuang didn't give Lord Jing any convenience, he wouldn't stop him. But why did Lord Zhuang insist on stopping him, both overtly and covertly?
"Yes, what does Lord Zhuang mean? Lord Jing's conversion of fields into mulberry trees was just an order from the court. Lord Zhuang shouldn't be so irrational. Even if he disagrees, he shouldn't stop it. I think this affects Lord Zhuang's interests. There must be something going on with those fields, or maybe there are other things involved. We can only take it one step at a time."

Zhen Yingjia was also a little helpless. Although the Zhen family was unshakable in Jiangnan, many things were beyond his control.

"Second Master, don't worry. No matter who you are, you have to give the Zhen family some face in Jiangnan. As for the above matters, Second Master, just pretend you don't know. Tonight, Eunuch Yang's ship will arrive at the dock. Lord Jing has also sent a message, asking many officials and gentry to wait in the attic of the West City Gate. After all, it is raining too hard outside."

"Oh, waiting in the attic of the West City Gate. If we really want to greet him, we should do it at the dock. But waiting at the West City Gate, is this considered polite or rude?"

Zhen Yingjia narrowed his eyes slightly, thinking and hesitating for a moment, feeling that things were not that simple. With the arrival of Eunuch Yang at the Weaving Bureau, Lord Jing would no longer have the opportunity to get involved. It was hard to say what would happen next.

"Is Shen Wanhe going?"

"My Lord, he has not gone. He seems to be waiting in the restaurant."

"This old fox,"

Qiao Hongyue's words made Zhen Yingjia's expression change. It seemed that Eunuch Yang was not alone. Perhaps Shen Wanhe had attached himself to him.

"Then let's not go to the West City Gate, and we won't join in the fun at the restaurant."

"This. Is. The Second Master."

(End of this chapter)