Сhарter 249: Feng Вао Fаlls
Тhe changе оf leadеrship at Yi Ноu Shеng wаs nеws thаt shook Nаnjing’s business circles like an еаrthquakе.
In no timе, rumоrs аbоut Yi Hоu Shеng sрrеаd like wildfirе through the streеts оf Nanjing.
Аutumn had arrived. Zhеn Niang cаrried a bundlе оf bаbу сlоthеs to the Li Fаmilу Ink Workshор. Хi Ge’еr’s wife wаs аbout to givе birth, аnd Zhaо Shi was preрaring to return tо Нuizhоu. Zhen Niаng brought the clоthеs оver, раrtlу tо kееp Zhао Shi cоmpаny.
A сhilly аutumn wind swерt through thе соurtуard, rustling fallen lеaves and slapрing them against thе pillars. Zhаo Shi wаs just оpеning the door, seemingly about to head out, when she saw Zhen Niang enter. “Perfect timing,” she said. “I was just about to visit you.”
“Mother, what’s the matter?” Zhen Niang asked with a smile, placing the cloth bundle she was carrying on a nearby table.
“What’s the matter? I want to know what’s going on with Yi Hou Sheng. Did Wenqian really get forced out just like that?” Zhao Shi frowned, then added with a hint of frustration, “The whole of Nanjing is talking about it, and you’re still keeping me in the dark?”
“Mother, I’m not hiding anything from you. It’s not a big deal anyway. Yi Hou Sheng was built by Wenqian and his brothers together—it was never his alone.” Zhen Niang gently guided her mother to sit down.
“That may be true, but everyone knows Wenqian was the one who built Yi Hou Sheng from the ground up. Without him, it would never have grown to its current scale.” Zhao Shi argued, worried that her daughter and son-in-law might be too accommodating and let others take advantage of them.
Of course, deep down, she understood that both her daughter and son-in-law had weathered the business world for years and were far from pushovers. But as a mother, she couldn’t help feeling that her family was being wronged.
“Mother, I actually think this is for the best. Our family lacks nothing—we have food and clothes. Before, Wenqian was always busy with Yi Hou Sheng’s business, constantly traveling to the Two Oceans or the northern regions. Neither of those places was exactly peaceful. Every time he left, I’d lie awake at night, unable to sleep soundly. Now he’s free and relaxed every day, and Father has someone to share a drink with. Honestly, I feel much more at ease.” Zhen Niang nestled against her mother, inhaling the familiar scent of soap from her clothes, feeling comforted.
As for the deeper truths behind the situation, Zhen Niang chose not to explain them fully to Zhao Shi, not wanting to worry her.
“Well, that’s true,” Zhao Shi conceded, seeing that Zhen Niang and Wenqian genuinely didn’t seem bothered by the matter. She let go of her concerns.
Truth be told, doing business had become much harder in recent years compared to before.
“Maybe it’s for the best. Business is getting tougher by the day. Just now, the tax collectors from our district came by again to levy another tax.” Zhao Shi couldn’t hide her annoyance.
“Another tax? What’s it for this time?” Zhen Niang asked curiously. In recent years, the court had been imposing higher taxes with an ever-growing list of names. Although business in Nanjing remained bustling, most enterprises had already aligned themselves with powerful families and influential households—much like how land was once “donated” to the nobility. In essence, merchants now relied on these powerful patrons to survive; otherwise, it was nearly impossible to operate. But this arrangement had turned businesses into mere tools for the wealthy to amass more riches.
This only widened the gap between the rich and the poor—the poor grew poorer, while the rich grew richer.
“It’s a tax for the Lu Prince’s wedding, to fund pearls and gold.” Zhao Shi explained.
Hearing this, Zhen Niang suddenly remembered and couldn’t help but curl her lip in disdain.The Prince of Lu was the younger brother of the Wanli Emperor. At fifteen years old this year, the Wanli Emperor shared an exceptionally close bond with this brother. Not long ago, citing the Prince of Lu's impending marriage, the emperor ordered the Ministry of Revenue to allocate over 3,800 taels of gold, 87,000 pieces of ruby and sapphire, and over 100,000 pearls and coral pearls of various colors. Such extravagances nearly emptied the entire treasury of the Ministry of Revenue. Consequently, pressure was passed down level by level, leading to the imposition of a special "Prince of Lu Wedding Gold and Pearl Tax," which had now stirred widespread public resentment.
"Now, commercial taxes have increased, so have the stall fees and fixed quotas, along with the conversion silver. Moreover, local bullies and troublemakers have become more rampant. Your father discussed with Wenyou the possibility of closing the Nanjing branch. However, Wenyou said that the Li Mo ink market in Nanjing was originally built by your own efforts, so the decision to close it should be left to you," Zhao Shi sighed.
Zhen Niang was well aware of Li Mo's current situation. Setting aside other issues, the fixed quota fees and stall fees alone represented a significant expense. Additionally, over the years, the older generation of Li family ink makers had retired, while the younger generation had yet to mature. Currently, only Sun Wenjie was holding things together. Furthermore, due to the fierce rivalry between the Fang and Cheng families, many skilled artisans had been poached by them.
Li Mo had long lost its former glory.
Nowadays, in Huizhou, Li Mo's scale could only be considered second-rate. Fortunately, Li Mo specialized in high-end, refined products and still held a decent market share in custom ink for literati and scholars. This segment alone was enough to sustain Li Mo's current operations. Since customers in this category sought out Li Mo by reputation, maintaining the Nanjing branch was no longer essential, especially given the substantial costs required to keep it running.
Moreover, with Yi Hou Sheng facing a major crisis, Zhen Niang feared potential complications. Thus, she nodded and said, "I agree to close it. Business in Nanjing has indeed become increasingly difficult." She nodded again in affirmation.
"Alright then. When I return, I'll have your father discuss this matter with Wenyou and handle it accordingly," Zhao Shi said.
Zhen Niang nodded, feeling a sense of melancholy. Indeed, the constant rise and fall, prosperity and decline, were the natural rhythms of commerce.
Even Yi Hou Sheng had reached a critical juncture of prosperity and decline.
After chatting a bit more with Zhao Shi, Zhen Niang returned to the Luo residence.
Upon reaching the entrance, she saw three riders dismounting in front of her home. The leader, dressed in brocade robes, had a short beard, a dark complexion, and appeared to be in his fifties, his face weathered by dust and hardship. Zhen Niang recognized him—he was Marshal Qi, who had been invited by Luo Wenqian to grace the opening of Li Mo's Nanjing Ink Manor back in the day. Compared to before, he now seemed less sharp but more weathered, yet his presence exuded greater depth and authority.
Zhen Niang dared not neglect him and hurried forward to greet him. "Marshal Qi."
"Zhen Niang, you're back. Perfect. Go quickly and warm some wine. I'll keep Marshal Qi company over drinks and conversation," Luo Wenqian said as he emerged from the house, first bowing to Marshal Qi before addressing Zhen Niang.
"Of course. Please come inside and take a seat, Marshal Qi. I shall go warm the wine," Zhen Niang said with a curtsy before heading to the kitchen with Xing Hua.
In the rear garden's Ink-Washing Pavilion, the upturned eaves pointed toward the gnarled plum branches nearby—dry yet resilient, stretching straight toward the sky beyond the eaves, embodying an unyielding, upward vitality.In the pavilion, on the stone table lay a plate of deer lips, a dish of spiced dried tofu, and a serving of peanuts. With these three small dishes to accompany the wine, Zhen Niang brought over the warmed plum wine and poured a cup for each of the two men. She then retreated outside the pavilion to accompany Chou Po in admiring the flowers.
"Where is Lord Qi headed next?" Luo Wenqian asked after taking a sip of wine.
"Nowhere for now. I’ll just wander around Nanjing, drinking with friends. I expect that in a little while, I’ll likely be transferred to Guangdong." Lord Qi downed his cup in one gulp, his tone tinged with frustration. He had returned to the capital on imperial orders to report on his duties, but this meeting had repeatedly hit obstacles. Upon making inquiries, he learned that the court no longer intended to send him back to guard the northern frontier.
In the north, he had already established a defensive line. He had the ambition to drive the Tatars completely beyond the desert, but it seemed his grand aspirations would remain unfulfilled.
In his gloom, he had used visiting friends as an excuse to come to Nanjing.
"In that case, I’ll keep you company for a few more drinks." Luo Wenqian was somewhat aware of Lord Qi’s situation and understood the bitterness in his heart. Knowing that only wine could offer solace, he said no more and simply urged him to drink.
"Good, bottoms up." Lord Qi cheerfully raised his cup. After draining it, he asked, "By the way, I heard you’ve withdrawn from Yi Hou Sheng?"
"Yes." Luo Wenqian nodded.
"That’s for the best." Lord Qi nodded as well. His visit to Luo Wenqian in Nanjing was partly to find someone to drink with and ease the frustration in his heart, and partly to let Luo Wenqian know that the Emperor had already grown wary of Zhang’s faction.
Some things need not be spoken plainly. And so, with toasts exchanged back and forth, a pot of plum wine was soon emptied.
The two also discussed some court matters. Hai Rui had been reinstated by the Emperor and appointed as the Left Assistant Transmission Commissioner of the Nanjing Office of Transmission. In the past, Zhang Juzheng, though admiring Hai Rui, had never employed him due to his inflexibility. Now, the Emperor’s reinstatement of Hai Rui was clearly intended to make use of his reputation.
"I must take my leave. Though mountains do not move, rivers flow; we shall meet again." After their casual conversation, Lord Qi laughed heartily and bid farewell.
"Take care, my lord." Luo Wenqian escorted Lord Qi to the gate, watching as the three men rode away on their horses.
Zhen Niang had also followed Luo Wenqian to the gate. The autumn wind rustled, and the chill grew deeper.
"The Emperor’s intentions are now clear." Watching Lord Qi and his two companions ride away, Luo Wenqian took Zhen Niang’s hand. They looked at each other, and Zhen Niang understood: the time was near. It was already November, and by December, the court would move against Feng Bao.
In the blink of an eye, it was December.
The capital.
The winter of the tenth year of the Wanli era was exceptionally cold. Since the onset of winter, several snowfalls had occurred. At the city gates, the gate guards had to drag frozen corpses to the mass graves outside the city walls every day.
Early in the morning, an elderly gate guard descended from the watchtower to open the gates and once again saw two frozen corpses.
"More people frozen to death," sighed a young gate guard with a touch of pity. The old soldier glanced at the frozen bodies on the ground, then looked at his younger companion. His eyes, dulled by numbness, showed indifference as he said, "In times like these, death is everywhere. Tatars in the north, Japanese pirates in the southern seas, famine in Shanxi, and even the local chieftains are growing restless. Even in the prosperous regions of Southern Zhili, like Jiangsu and Zhejiang, floods are constant... I’ve heard many have died there too."
"That’s true," the young gate guard mumbled dejectedly. Life was growing increasingly chaotic and unsettling.Just then, several palace guards escorted an elderly eunuch over. The eunuch was slightly plump and wore a somewhat worn cotton-padded jacket, which offered little protection against the biting cold. He shivered uncontrollably as he walked.
The guards, however, were laughing and joking, occasionally kicking him. The eunuch seemed indifferent to the blows, as if they weren’t landing on his own body, though his lips trembled faintly from time to time.
A young city gate guard watched the eunuch, at first not recognizing him. Then his eyes suddenly widened, and he pointed at the eunuch, turning to an older guard beside him. “Th-that… isn’t that the Feng Gonggong from the palace, the head of the Eastern Depot?”
This eunuch was a legend in the capital—owning countless mansions and possessing inexhaustible wealth. How had he ended up in such a state?
“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” The older guard slapped the young one’s hand away and pulled him aside, watching as the guards escorted Feng Bao out of the city.
Outside the city, snow and ice filled the sky.
“Don’t you know? Feng Gonggong was impeached. They say the gold and treasures confiscated from his home exceeded even the imperial treasury. For deceiving the emperor and harming the state, he should have been executed, but the emperor, considering his long years of service, spared his life and exiled him to Nanjing to guard the imperial tombs,” the older gate officer explained.
Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—the once untouchable Feng Bao had fallen!
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