The Heir

Chaрtеr 183: Rightеоus Мerchants in Shizhоu

In thе earlу morning, the аutumn mist hаd соmрlеtely dissiрated, and sunlight broke through thе сlouds, mаking the bаnks оf thе Qinhuаi River арреаr eхceptiоnаlly сlear and bright.

Аlthough the lаte autumn сhill wаs biting, thе dеер bluе sky, the рurе white сlоuds, аnd the brоwnish-yеllоw leavеs оn the trеes along thе river all eхudеd thе crisр and refreshing аtmоsрherе оf аutumn.

Аt this mоmеnt, when Zhеn Niаng entеred thе Yi Hou Shеng Firm cаrrуing а monеу bох, she noticеd that everyonе in the firm wore еxprеssions аs hеavу as dark clouds. Throughout the morning, people had been coming to withdraw money. Although Shopkeeper Yan had been forewarned by Zhen Niang and had made preparations, it was still a bit too late, and the funds were now visibly insufficient.

"Shopkeeper Yan, what's wrong? Is the situation not good?" Zhen Niang placed the money box on the counter and instructed the clerk to weigh the silver and record the amount. This was some savings from the Li Family Ink Manor and her own Li Family's Eighth Branch, temporarily deposited into the firm to provide some assistance.

"Ah, I'm not afraid to admit it, Miss Zhen. After your reminder that day, I had prepared for the withdrawals. But I never expected that, at this critical moment, two of our brothers suddenly decided to withdraw their shares. Now the funds are tight again, and even the Commandant has done all he can." Yan Xilai recounted the situation with evident frustration. When Luo Jiu went to Shanxi, he had instructed Yan Xilai that if anything arose that he couldn't decide on his own, he could consult Li Zhenniang for a joint decision. In Yan Xilai's view, Miss Li was practically half an owner, so he laid out the entire situation.

Listening to his words, Zhen Niang pondered for a moment.

The Commandant Shopkeeper Yan referred to was naturally the Imperial Son-in-Law Li He. Zhen Niang was well aware of his circumstances, as she was a retainer of the Princess's residence. In the Ming Dynasty, princesses and their consorts were not as privileged as in other dynasties; their status was rather awkward. Some timid princesses were even bullied by their governesses without daring to speak up. Only Princess Ning An, with her resilient nature cultivated since childhood, had managed to remain safe thus far. Yet, it was precisely this temperament that prevented her from becoming too deeply involved in any matter. Previously, she had contributed by depositing funds from the residence into the firm, which was already a significant effort.

As for the withdrawal of shares, Zhen Niang also understood. The Yi Hou Sheng Firm was not solely owned by Luo Qian; it originally belonged to the group of brothers who had mined for gold together. At a time like this, some were withdrawing their shares out of fear that their initial investments would be lost. After all, Luo Qian had taken a large sum of silver with him to the northern regions. If anything went wrong, the Yi Hou Sheng Firm might truly collapse.

This was, after all, human nature, but it went against the loyalty they had once sworn, which explained Shopkeeper Yan's particular indignation.

For Zhen Niang, this was merely another instance of the tide washing away the sand, leaving only the gold behind.

"Alright, here's what we can do. Take your master's copy of Han Xizai's Night Banquet and pawn it to cover the immediate expenses." After some thought, Zhen Niang pointed to a plaque hanging in the main hall of the Yi Hou Sheng Firm. Mounted inside was one of the copies of Han Xizai's Night Banquet. When Luo Jiu first arrived in Nanjing, he had relied on this painting to build his reputation. After establishing the Yi Hou Sheng Firm, he had hung it in the main hall as a treasure to safeguard the business.

"That won't do, Miss Zhen. Everyone knows this painting is the treasure of our Yi Hou Sheng Firm. If we take it out, it would be tantamount to announcing to everyone that we have no money left." Shopkeeper Yan shook his head repeatedly."Shopkeeper Yan, I don't know much about the banking business, but I am a merchant myself. Given the situation Yi Hou Sheng is facing now, even if we don't pawn that painting, will others really believe Yi Hou Sheng is fine? If that were the case, there wouldn't be such a run on the bank now. So, my idea is to pawn that painting. Moreover, we should be open and honest—any depositor who wants to withdraw money should be paid immediately. If the bank doesn't have enough cash, then we'll pawn this treasure of the shop. If even that isn't enough, we can mortgage the Yi Hou Sheng bank and its warehouses. And if mortgaging the bank and warehouses still isn't enough, aren't there still the gold mines in the north? In this way, we must ultimately let people see Yi Hou Sheng's righteousness, integrity, and enduring vitality. Once your employer returns, everything will naturally be resolved. And during this time, it will also be a good opportunity to show Yi Hou Sheng's credibility." Zhen Niang spoke earnestly.

"Good, I'll listen to Miss Zhen." Zhen Niang's words stirred Yan Xilai with excitement.

Only now did he understand why, before leaving, his employer had told him to seek out this Miss Li if he encountered any indecisive matters. Previously, he had felt somewhat unconvinced—Li Zhenniang was, after all, a woman. Even if she had achieved something in the ink industry, that was ultimately a skill passed down through dozens of generations of the Li family. As a member of the Li clan, being skilled wasn't necessarily a great accomplishment. Yet, he hadn't expected her insight and courage today to be no less than that of any man.

His employer had truly gained a capable partner, the envy of others.

"I'll have someone take it down right away," Yan Xilai said, about to call for a ladder to retrieve the painting.

Just then, a person entered through the door—it was Wang Sifang. Seeing Wang Sifang arrive, Shopkeeper Yan naturally went forward to greet him personally. Upon learning that Wang Sifang had come to deposit money, Shopkeeper Yan was overjoyed and quickly instructed the clerks to count the money, store it, issue receipts, and so on, all with exceptional efficiency.

Wang Sifang depositing money? This was somewhat unexpected for Zhen Niang. However, though surprising, it was still reasonable. Within the Huizhou Merchants Guild, no one was unaware of Wang Sifang's relationship with Luo Qian, and Yi Hou Sheng was also under the guild. With these two layers of connection, it would have been inappropriate for Wang Sifang to ignore the situation at this time.

After all, as the guild leader, he had to set an example.

"Greetings, Guild Leader," Zhen Niang naturally stepped forward to greet him. As for Wang Sifang's status as Luo Qian's elder brother-in-law, since Zhen Niang was only Luo Qian's fiancée and not yet officially married, and given that Wang Sifang had not appeared at the engagement banquet, it was not appropriate for her to address him as such.

"Hmm," Wang Sifang merely nodded faintly, then, with his hands behind his back, strolled out the door. Although he intended to leave himself some room, this did not mean things could return to how they were before—the conflict still existed. The Wang and Luo families were long-standing enemies.

Zhen Niang naturally paid it no mind.

With Wang Sifang's deposit, the bank could catch its breath for a moment. However, Shopkeeper Yan still decided to spread the word about what Zhen Niang had said earlier, letting everyone see Yi Hou Sheng's sense of responsibility.

Just then, another person entered with several others in tow. The leader was around thirty years old, wearing a round-collared robe and a futou hat, exuding an air of confidence.

"Master Zhang..." Upon seeing him, Shopkeeper Yan hurried forward to greet him, even more eagerly than he had with Wang Sifang earlier.

Zhen Niang observed this person's attire, which mostly resembled that of a steward from a wealthy household. She wondered about the surname Zhang—could it be...Zhen Niang had a suspicion in her heart, but she couldn't be certain. Just then, Wu Zi brought tea, so she stopped him and asked, "Wu Zi, do you know who this gentleman is?"

"He is Master Zhang Zhong from the Zhang residence," Wu Zi replied. This Master Zhang Zhong had visited the bank once before, and Wu Zi happened to have seen him.

It was indeed Zhang Zhong. Zhen Niang had guessed as much earlier. This was another unexpected figure appearing, yet it made perfect sense. Last time, regarding the matter of lifting the Maritime Prohibition, Luo Qian had already been in contact with Zhang Zhong.

As for Zhang Zhong's reappearance at this moment, it was clearly Minister Zhang placing his bets. A man with ambition, eager to accomplish things, and quite pragmatic naturally understood that without money, nothing could be done. Since Minister Zhang had previously assigned Zhang Zhong to assist Luo Qian, he would not stand idly by this time.

Thus, Luo Qian had truly stepped onto Zhang Juzheng's ship. Zhen Niang found herself scratching her head. Although Zhang Juzheng's ship would be glorious and influential for the next decade or so, its end was undeniably tragic. However, Luo Qian was already closely connected with General Qi, so they were essentially on the same ship anyway. Given that, there was no need to dwell on it too much.

People cannot remain fortunate for a hundred days, nor can flowers stay in bloom forever. The tides rise and fall—such is life. Therefore, there was no need to fret over uncertain dangers more than a decade away. What matters most is living well today, repaying kindness when owed, and acting when duty calls.

With these thoughts, Zhen Niang let go of her worries and noticed Shopkeeper Yan looking relieved.

Seeing this situation now, Zhen Niang naturally knew the bank was safe. With Zhang Zhong's appearance, the bank's problems were no longer problems.

Noticing Shopkeeper Yan busy attending to others, Zhen Niang took her leave.

As she stepped outside, she remembered Er Gou mentioning that refugees from Shanxi had already arrived in the area, mostly gathered near the vegetable market. It was easier to find food there and opportunities for odd jobs.

So she headed toward the vegetable market. As soon as she arrived, she saw a group of ragged elderly and children gathered under the riverbank. There were no able-bodied men—likely, they had already gone to work on such a fine day.

"This time, it was that damned Zhao Quan who led the Tatars here," a thin, elderly man around fifty years old said angrily.

"And what about the soldiers? What kind of people has the court been raising? No one came to rescue us?" another white-haired old man added, his lips trembling. Thinking of his lost family, he was filled with sorrow.

"The soldiers had to guard Xuanfu and Datong. How could they dare to come rescue us easily? The entire court is no match for a righteous merchant from Shizhou," a down-and-out scholar in his thirties nearby remarked with a hint of sarcasm.

"What righteous merchant from Shizhou?" Those inquiring about the situation in Shanxi grew curious upon hearing the term "righteous merchant from Shizhou." Even Zhen Niang pricked up her ears.

"When the Tatars slaughtered Shizhou, that righteous merchant offered a bounty to the bandits in the Lüliang Mountains: for every civilian saved, regardless of age or gender, the merchant would pay ten taels of silver. Thus, several groups of Lüliang bandits joined forces and eventually seized a city gate, rescuing over ten thousand civilians. We are among those who benefited from those ten taels of silver. Without that bounty, we would have died under the Tatars' blades. That merchant truly embodies righteousness," the frail scholar said eloquently, vividly describing the events of that day. The listeners gasped in amazement, exclaiming, "Such righteousness!"Zhen Niang listened from the side, her heart involuntarily tightening. She forced her way through the crowd and asked the scholar, "Sir, do you know the name of that righteous merchant and whether he ended up safe?"

"I heard his surname is Luo, but the specific name is unknown. Everyone just calls him the Righteous Merchant of Shizhou. As for whether he ended up safe, we don't know either," the scholar sighed.

Surname Luo? It must be Luo Qian, right? Zhen Niang felt both joy and worry—joy that she finally had a bit of news about Luo Qian, and worry that she still didn't know if he was safe.