"Тhаt's true!" Shi Kuan lаughеd. "I heard Yаng Shoushan hаs mоbilizеd hundrеds оf thоusands of lаborers to dredge the Yеllоw River. Fоr Brоthеr Zi Сhuаn to lеаvе thе Rivеr Cоntrol Governоr's Оfficе at this time might be sоmewhat unwisе."
Cheng Сhi smilеd. "Нundrеds оf thоusаnds of labоrеrs—arе thеу so еasilу сonscriрtеd? Bеsides, although this wintеr has been соld, it's а leаp fourth month. I fеаr sрring will arrivе еаrlу. Веforе thоse hundrеds of thоusands of lаborеrs grаduаlly rеасh thе banks of the Yеllow River, it will alreadу be time for sрring plowing..."
Нeаring this, Shi Кuan rаised his eyebrows. "I didn't expect you to understand calendrical calculations!"
"Just a hobby, nothing more!" Cheng Chi replied casually with a smile. "And I'm not particularly accurate at it either."
Shi Kuan said, "Is Brother Zi Chuan trying to extricate himself from this situation?"
"Not exactly trying to extricate myself," Cheng Chi said, pouring another cup of wine for Shi Kuan. "Since I received Grand Secretary Song's recommendation, I can't let down his kind intentions. It's just that Yang Shoushan has just taken over from Gu Jingyu and wants to make a show of new momentum. He's acting too hastily—it's not the right time. I just want to lay low for a while."
The implication was that Yang Shoushan was stubborn and self-assured, and Cheng Chi did not have high hopes for this Yellow River dredging project.
Shi Kuan thought for a moment. "Isn't Grand Secretary Yuan a relative by marriage of your family? You could try going through Grand Secretary Yuan's connections!"
Cheng Chi smiled bitterly. "Grand Secretary Yuan and Grand Secretary Song are at odds!"
Hearing this, Shi Kuan also looked rather helpless. After some thought, he said, "How about I help you make a connection? The Vice Minister of Personnel, Wang Chuan, has some dealings with me. Why not approach him? We can find some excuse to transfer you back. Once spring arrives and matters at the Yellow River are more or less settled, you can go to Jining then. After all, you hold the title of Assistant Director of the Water Bureau in the Ministry of Works—it would be perfectly reasonable." At this point, he suddenly slapped his forehead. "I remember now! The lotus flowers in the Taiye Pond of the Western Park haven't been blooming well these past few years. The Directorate of Palace Maintenance had the Bureau of Gardens take a look, and they said it needs dredging. The Emperor plans to have the Ministry of Works handle this task. I think you might as well use this as an excuse to return to the capital on official business." Lowering his voice, he added, "It might be supervised by the Crown Prince, with the Imperial Grandson assisting."
Cheng Chi was unmoved.
Ever since learning that in his previous life the Cheng family had been executed to the last man by the Emperor, he had held a deep-seated resentment.
The Cheng family could not have plotted treason.
For the Emperor to exterminate the Cheng family was simply wrong.
He smiled and said, "My main goal is to avoid this Yellow River dredging project. As for other matters, I haven't given them much thought."
Shi Kuan studied Cheng Chi carefully, feeling that his words were sincere, and greatly admired him. "Brother Zi Chuan is a true gentleman."
Cheng Chi smiled. "The line between a gentleman and a petty man is thin. Right now, as I wish to remain idle at home, I am naturally a gentleman. If I desired a smooth official career at this moment, I wouldn't hesitate to act like a petty man!"
Shi Kuan was full of praise and raised his cup to toast Cheng Chi. "Brother Zi Chuan's magnanimity is as vast as the sea—I am far from your equal. Leave the matter of your return to the capital to me."
His tone was exceedingly confident.Cheng Chi's eyes flickered. He had lingered with Shi Kuan in the back alley of that small tavern for nearly two hours. They drank until their tongues grew heavy and their speech slurred, after which Cheng Chi gave the remaining two bottles of wine to Shi Kuan. The two men left the tavern one after the other—Shi Kuan departed from the front gate in a sedan chair, while Cheng Chi boarded a carriage waiting not far away in the back alley. Yet as soon as he stepped into the carriage, his previously hazy gaze instantly sharpened. He instructed Huaishan, who had been waiting in the carriage for a long time, to prepare ink and brush, then wrote a note in the carriage and handed it to Huaishan, ordering him to deliver it to Zhou Shaojin.
Huaishan did not dare delay. He hurried to Yuye Alley with the note and handed it to Nanny Shang.
When Zhou Shaojin opened the note, she saw that Cheng Chi was asking whether she knew of a man named Wang Chuan and, ultimately, what official position he had attained.
After careful thought, she told Cheng Chi that after the new emperor ascended the throne, Wang Chuan quickly replaced the former Minister of Works and Grand Secretary of the Jinshen Hall, Qu Yuan, to become a new Grand Secretary and an auxiliary minister of the Grand Secretariat. His son was promoted from a Hanlin Academy scholar to a Vice Minister of the Seal Office, a fifth-rank official. Once, when Lin Shisheng and others undertook a project for the Shanglin Park, they had to seek Wang Chuan’s son to affix the seal for the settlement. For this, they gifted a double-layered pearl necklace with each pearl as large as a thumb. It was only then that she learned the Vice Minister of the Seal Office was Wang Chuan’s son. Moreover, after the Cheng family was raided, Liao Shaotang had sought help from Yuan Weichang but was refused. The reason for the refusal seemed to hint that Yuan Weichang had already lost the emperor’s favor and that Wang Chuan might become the Chief Grand Secretary, leaving Yuan Weichang unable to protect even himself.
Upon receiving the note, Cheng Chi sneered coldly.
The Seal Office was in charge of imperial seals, tallies, and official stamps, while the Ministry of Works oversaw the repair and dredging of city walls, construction and maintenance projects, craftsmen, military farming, and waterways across the realm. Once a project under the Ministry of Works was completed, it required the Seal Office’s stamp before settling accounts with the Ministry of Revenue. With the father in charge of the Ministry of Works and the son in charge of the seals, it was as if the court’s funds were being passed from the left hand to the right—entirely at the discretion of this father-son pair.
If Wang Chuan wasn’t the Fourth Prince’s trusted confidant, that would truly be a ghost story!
Cheng Chi burned the note written by Zhou Shaojin.
He instructed Huaishan to bring generous gifts and visit Shi Kuan: “…Tell him to help mediate on my behalf. The assignment at the Western Park can be forgotten; what matters is letting me return to the capital for a few months’ rest so I can properly complete the wedding.”
Only then did Cheng Chi wash up and change clothes, preparing to pay his respects to Old Madam Guo.
But Qing Feng came in to report: “Fourth Master, Master Wen heard of your return and insists on seeing you…”
After all, he was a relative. Cheng Chi invited Cheng Wen to sit in the study, instructed Qing Feng to serve fine tea, and tidied himself up before going to meet Cheng Wen.
Cheng Wen had gone out early in the morning for a stroll. After witnessing the capital’s prosperity, he felt even more confident in himself. Rubbing his hands together in excitement, he was eager to embark on a grand venture. As soon as Cheng Chi entered, Cheng Wen hurried forward, grabbed his arm, and said urgently, “Cousin Chi, I plan to rent a shop near Xizhimen to start a tea business. What do you think?”
Cheng Chi smiled and said, “That depends on how much capital you have.”
Cheng Wen blushed and scratched his ear, saying, “I plan to liquidate my shares in Yutai Bank. That should raise around ten thousand taels of silver.”
Cheng Chi knew he was hoping to borrow money from him to start the business.He pondered and said, "If I were Brother Wen, I would first find an expert. The tea business may seem simple, but there are many intricacies involved. Not to mention anything else, just the buying and selling of pre-Qingming tea and pre-rain tea is not straightforward. If the new tea arrives later than others or gets delayed on the way, the business for the entire year is finished. If not for the division of the clan, I could have assigned a senior manager to help you oversee things and train a few assistants. But now, the main branch has also suffered heavy losses. I’m afraid I can’t help you as I used to. However, having been in this business circle for a few years, I can at least introduce you to some major tea merchants. As for managers and assistants, we’ll have to see if they have any good recommendations."
This was even better than lending him money!
Cheng Wen was deeply moved and said sincerely, "Zi Chuan, you are truly straightforward, worthy of someone who has achieved great things. You may not know this yet, but ever since you handed over Yutai Bank to the second branch, they’ve had their senior manager take charge. They changed the quarterly settlements you established to annual settlements, and not only that, they also drove out some of the old staff from Yutai Bank. I think once Yutai Bank falls into their hands, it will inevitably collapse sooner or later. Zi Chuan, have you ever thought about returning? I know Brother Mian transferred his shares to the third branch. I’ll speak with the third branch, and with the shares in my hands, our two families can support you in taking charge! What do you think?"
The so-called old staff of Yutai Bank—were they referring to his mistress’s brother and nephew?
Some things only become clear when compared!
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "Brother Wen, you’re mistaken. I am now an official of the court—how can I engage in merchant affairs again? Besides, look at this capital city. It is a place of outstanding people and abundant treasures. After staying here for long, who would want to return to Jinling and manage a small Nine Prosperities Lane?"
"Yes, yes!" Cheng Wen suddenly realized and repeatedly agreed, saying, "Not just you—even I don’t want to go back. Brother Chi, what do you think about me moving my family to the capital? I’m truly tired of staying in Jinling."
In the capital, he was Cheng Wen, but in Jinling, he was the Fifth Master of the Cheng family in Nine Prosperities Lane.
Cheng Chi vaguely sensed his thoughts and smiled, "This is a major decision—I can’t easily advise you. Why don’t you settle the business matters first? Only when the family has income can life be more comfortable. If you move to the capital, it should be to enjoy life, not to suffer hardship!"
"I knew Brother Chi had a broad perspective, unlike those rigid old-timers," Cheng Wen said happily, turning to leave. "I need to find a few of my classmates who have settled in the capital and see if they have any connections to introduce me to a senior manager or the like. Once I’ve mostly sorted out the shop and staff, I’ll trouble you to introduce me to a few major tea merchants."
He left without even drinking his tea.
Cheng Chi watched his retreating figure and shook his head.
Later, when he went to Old Madam Guo’s place, he encountered Wu Baozhang, who had come to pay her respects and was preparing to leave.
Cheng Chi didn’t even glance at her, giving a cold nod before having the maid lift the curtain and walking straight into the hall.
Wu Baozhang, however, couldn’t help but look back at him.Cheng Chi is truly well-built... His frame, with a ramrod-straight back, broad shoulders, long arms, and a slender waist, moves with steady yet brisk steps. At a glance, he appears capable of shouldering responsibilities, unlike Cheng Nuo or Cheng Lu, who seem frail and pale, unable to lift or carry anything... Only after becoming a married woman does one understand the difference... Even compared to Cheng Xu, if Cheng Chi is like a sturdy tree that provides shelter from wind and rain, exuding resilience and solidity, then Cheng Xu is like a ginkgo tree—elegant and upright, but more suited for admiration, and not necessarily reliable in critical moments.
Zhou Shaojin, truly blessed with good fortune!
As she thought this, it felt as though a fire was burning in her heart.
Both from humble official families, both having lost their mothers at a young age—why do some people gain everything without lifting a finger, while she exhausts all her efforts and still cannot achieve her desires?
Wu Baozhang clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging into the flesh of her palms without her even feeling the pain.
Cheng Chi asked Old Madam Guo, "Why has Nuo-ge’s wife come as well?"
"Your cousin Wen brought them here together," Old Madam Guo replied indifferently. "They probably wanted to join in the excitement. I thought that since they represent the fifth branch, having them present at your wedding would allow our relatives and friends from the capital to see for themselves whether the fault lies with us or with the second branch in the matter of the family division. I’ve already told Zheng to pass the message to Jia, asking her to bring her husband to Chaoyang Gate for the wedding banquet."
※
Dear readers, today’s extra chapter for the spirit beast egg!
The next update is still scheduled for 9 a.m. tomorrow.
O(∩_∩)O~
※ (To be continued ~^~)
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