With one less regular freeloader at meals, the household seemed much quieter. The old saying that a family should add members, not lose them, really held true. It took Hua Zhi two days to adjust.
Liu Xiang hurried in to report, "Miss, Steward Chen is here."
"Please show him in."
Chen Qing had come to deliver the Mahjong set. He opened the box to reveal neatly arranged exquisite white tiles.
This was actually a White Jade Mahjong set—a relic that would become extremely valuable after a thousand years. Hua Zhi wondered idly what archaeologists would think when they unearthed this Mahjong set. She picked up a few pieces to examine them closely. Each tile was identical in size with smooth, rounded edges. The craftsmanship was in no way inferior to mass-produced items from later eras.
"Are you planning to make them all from white jade?"
"Of course not. The Heir said we'll use several materials, with white jade being just one type. The smaller gambling dens will get wooden sets." Chen Qing smiled. "If we used white jade everywhere, we probably wouldn't have any tiles left in the end."
That made sense. Each establishment should have Mahjong sets matching its level.
Seeing her nod, Chen Qing continued, "Before his departure, The Heir instructed that every material type must meet your approval before mass production begins."
"Very well, just bring them to me." Hua Zhi picked up a Mahjong tile to play with. "The white jade is good. Use this as the standard. We need to rush production of the first batch—we'll need them once everything is ready in Jin Yang."
"Understood."
After finishing that matter, Chen Qing brought up another. "Regarding the sugarcane you inquired about earlier—we've found some in nearby Yangzhou. One colleague's hometown grows it, though he says it's scattered cultivation with limited quantity."
"Do many households grow it?"
"Yes. According to him, it's not valuable there—almost every household plants some."
Hua Zhi thought for a moment, then drew two diagrams for Chen Qing. "Ask him which type his hometown grows."
Sugarcane was divided into fruit cane and sugar cane. For sugar production, she hoped to find sugar cane. Recalling information about sugarcane, she said, "Send people to Jingzhou and even further to Jiaozhou. Sugarcane grows better in warmer climates. Though Yangzhou is closer, its sugarcane might not have as high sugar content as that from Jiaozhou."
"Understood."
"Also, I want the long-jointed variety. Look at the diagrams and remember them."
"Yes." Chen Qing opened the diagrams to study them carefully.
Seeing that the Young Lady had no further instructions, Chen Qing prepared to take his leave.
"Wait." Hua Zhi hesitated for a moment, holding her warm teacup. "How much do you know about Ling Wang's residence?"
Chen Qing was surprised by her question but answered seriously, "Yes, we have people in Ling Wang's residence."
"How many? Are they old retainers of the residence or people close to Yan Xi?"
"Three, all old retainers. They received great kindness from the Princess Consort during her lifetime and have been providing us information over the years."
Hua Zhi looked up at him. "There's a saying that present authority outweighs past connections. They make their living daily in Ling Wang's residence—won't their loyalties shift over time?"
Chen Qing was taken aback. "What do you mean, Young Lady?"
"Consider it my suspicious nature. Find a way to investigate those three. I'll write to Yan Xi about this."
"The Heir instructed before leaving that we should follow all your orders. I'll begin the investigation immediately."
"Be discreet."
"Yes."As soon as Chen Qing left, Ying Chun couldn't help but say, "Miss, that is after all Ling Wang's household affair, and also The Heir's family matter. Since you and he haven't established any formal relationship yet, wouldn't it be inappropriate?"
"What I'm investigating isn't a family matter. Don't worry, I know my limits."
Hua Zhi lowered her gaze to watch the tea leaves floating in her cup. She somewhat suspected the current Ling Wangfei. Yan Xi had said she knew martial arts - her temperament and methods could be seen as extremely ruthless from how she treated Shaoyao. Such a person, who clearly could stir up trouble, remained so low-profile beside Ling Wang, appearing completely unambitious and docile. If she were truly docile, she wouldn't have scarred Shaoyao's face, nor would she have caused the father and son to break ties. This didn't add up.
She hadn't thought much about it before, but recently she'd begun to have doubts. On New Year's Eve, when Yan Xi's identity was revealed right before Ling Wang, yet Ling Wang had shown no reaction since. Given Ling Wang's domineering nature, he wouldn't remain so indifferent, yet that's exactly what happened. This also didn't make sense.
"Miss." Liu Xiang hurried in. "Old Master Zhu is here."
"Grandfather?" Hua Zhi quickly stood to welcome him, but before she reached the door, she saw he had already entered.
Zhu Bowen waved her inside. "It's freezing cold, come in quickly."
A maid immediately brought hot water. Zhu Bowen washed his hands and face, warmed up, then accepted a cup of hot tea. After drinking it, he finally felt some warmth returning to his body.
Letting out a long breath, Zhu Bowen smiled. "It's probably going to snow - bone-chilling cold."
"Why did you need to come all this way? You could have sent someone to summon me instead."
"Your health probably isn't even as good as mine now." Zhu Bowen looked at his thin granddaughter, who hadn't gained any weight even after the New Year celebrations. Her health was likely...
Thinking of her relationship with The Heir, Zhu Bowen sighed inwardly. The match itself was good, and The Heir seemed genuinely devoted, but marriage was never just about two people - there were too many external factors.
Bao Xia entered carrying a wooden tray. Hua Zhi stood and took a bowl of soup from it, removing the lid before handing it to her grandfather. "It's mutton soup that's been simmering for quite a while. Have some to warm yourself."
Zhu Bowen naturally wouldn't refuse his granddaughter's filial gesture. After finishing the soup, he finally revealed his purpose for visiting. "The court atmosphere has been very tense lately."
Hua Zhi wasn't surprised. "There are always more clear-headed people."
"But this can't continue like this." Zhu Bowen sighed. "As the head of the Ministry of Revenue, I've been summoned to the imperial study by the Emperor every day these past few days for questioning. Today he asked me to estimate how much silver could be generated from the salt tax annually. I told him frankly it was impossible to estimate since there's no precedent to consult. You should prepare yourself - the Emperor might summon you."
"Questioning me would be useless too. I'm decent at offering suggestions, but these details aren't my strong suit. However, if he does summon me for consultation... I'll redirect the trouble elsewhere."
"Such as?"
"The salt merchants have united after learning about the establishment of The Seventh Division." Hua Zhi looked at her grandfather. "Salt prices have risen again - according to my information, it's now one hundred twenty wen per jin."
"Those fat rats! Parasites!" Zhu Bowen angrily slapped the armrest of his chair. "At such high prices, how can common people afford to eat salt?"
"They're threatening the court. Such things have happened before - why be surprised? Isn't the Emperor short of funds? If he deals with these people, I bet he could fill half the national treasury."Zhu Bowen frowned. "I believe you, but with the state treasury so depleted, even doubling the funds would fall far short. Canal construction requires a prosperous nation free from internal strife and external threats—certainly not under current circumstances."
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