The north wind gusted through the window, dispersing the mist rising from the tea cup and making the handsome, refined face of the man opposite even clearer. His cold, phoenix-like eyes were so sharp that one dared not look directly at them.
“Did Mister Zhao go to such lengths to meet this Marquis just to say these things?”
The man in brocade robes knew that Xie Zheng was referring to his declaration of loyalty. Unsure if mentioning his wife had been taboo, he quickly said, “Of course not.”
He then handed over a brocade box. Seeing that Xie Zheng had no intention of opening it himself, he opened it for him to see, wearing the smile typical of merchants. “Is this sincere enough?”
Xie Zheng merely glanced at it indifferently. “Gold and silver are of no use to me.”
The other party was silent for a moment, then suddenly stood up and bowed deeply to Xie Zheng. “I, Zhao Xun, am but a mere merchant, naturally unworthy of the Marquis’s attention. However, last year during the Lantern Festival, my younger sister had just arrived in the capital when she was abducted by Wei Xuan at the festival and died tragically in his tent…”
His eyes reddened, and he was almost in tears. “If I don’t avenge this grudge, I won’t be able to face my parents in the afterlife.”
Only then did Xie Zheng’s gaze truly fall on Zhao Xun. “You were able to find me and know of my enmity with the Wei father and son. You do have some ability.”
Zhao Xun hurriedly said he didn’t dare claim such praise. “The Zhao family business is neither large nor small, but it spans several prefectures and has some dealings with officials. So we hear more rumors than others. Since Wei Xuan took over Huizhou, many of the Marquis’s important generals have been demoted and sent to remote border regions. In the capital, the scholars under Wei Yan’s command are writing articles denouncing the Marquis en masse. This is what made me notice something was amiss.”
“I guessed that the Marquis had encountered difficulties and had my men secretly search for your whereabouts, but to no avail. Coincidentally, a few days ago, the main city of Jizhou arrested a large number of refugees. There were also soldiers from Huizhou carrying portraits, seemingly looking for someone among those refugees. I used some methods to obtain a portrait of those Huizhou soldiers. Looking at the person in the portrait, so vigorous and spirited, I guessed that the one they were seeking must be the Marquis.”
At this point, Zhao Xun’s face showed delight. “Heaven must have taken pity on me. Recently, our family’s bookstore received a batch of contemporary essays. The bookstore manager praised one of them as a true gem. After reading it, I felt every word was like a pearl. I thought it must have been written by some talented scholar from a humble background and wanted to meet him. That’s why I especially came to visit, not expecting to find the Marquis here!”
Xie Zheng’s long fingers continued to tap lightly on the red sandalwood table, making no sound. The “tok tok” of his fingertips meeting the wooden surface made one’s heart uneasy.
Zhao Xun’s earnest explanation had clarified how he had found Xie Zheng.
When writing the contemporary essay, Xie Zheng deliberately avoided using his handwriting. That Zhao Xun could find him did indeed seem to be a coincidence.
He remained silent for a long time, and the other party seemed to grow somewhat anxious, though he managed to keep his composure and didn’t say anything more.
He appeared to be someone capable of getting things done.
Xie Zheng half-raised his eyelids and finally spoke. “Convert these banknotes in your brocade box into 200,000 shi of grain before spring arrives.”
Hearing this, Zhao Xun’s face first showed surprise, then joy. Earlier, Xie Zheng had said that gold and silver were of no use to him, but now he was asking him to convert the banknotes into grain. This was giving him a clear direction.
However, the court usually requisitioned grain in autumn, and rice merchants also bought grain at that time. After all, it was the harvest season, when people didn’t lack grain and prices were cheap.
Now it was the end of the twelfth lunar month. People certainly had surplus grain, and buying now would be a few points more expensive than during the autumn harvest, but that wasn’t a problem.
But the Northwest wasn’t a grain-rich region. Buying 200,000 shi before spring, with next year’s autumn harvest still far off, if any military conflict arose in this area, the stationed troops would find it difficult to requisition grain locally.
Realizing this, Zhao Xun felt his heart pounding. He quickly cupped his hands and said, “Zhao Xun will not fail the Marquis’s trust!”
Seeing Xie Zheng’s plain attire, he had a thought to curry favor. “Shall I arrange another set of residences for the Marquis and his wife, and provide some servants?”
Xie Zheng gave him a cool look. The scrutiny and pressure hidden beneath his calm demeanor made Zhao Xun, already half-bowing, lower himself even further.
He said, “Don’t try to be clever.”
Zhao Xun dared not mention arranging residences or buying maids again, becoming even more cautious as he asked, “Then… shall I send someone to escort the Marquis back?”
When he came here, he had personally gone to the western alley to pick up Xie Zheng.
Xie Zheng recalled Fan Changyu walking down the street earlier with a group of ruffians. His brows furrowed slightly as he declined, “No need.”
His beautiful yet piercing phoenix eyes swept over the silk-clad merchant before him. “Focus on doing what I’ve assigned you. Pretend you don’t know I’m here. If any word leaks out…”
Zhao Xun hurriedly said he wouldn’t dare. “Zhao came to Lin’an Town today just to meet a talented scholar from a humble background. However, that scholar’s whereabouts were uncertain, and Zhao didn’t manage to meet him. As for buying grain, it’s merely because Zhao saw that rice merchants were profiting greatly and wanted a share of the profits.”
The corner of Xie Zheng’s eye lifted slightly.
This was indeed a clever person who understood with just a hint.
He said, “You may go.”
Only then did Zhao Xun bow and withdraw.
After the door closed again, Xie Zheng slowly closed his eyes in the steam from the boiling water in the red clay stove. His exquisite features became blurred in the mist, leaving only his brows and eyes, which had shed their usual weariness and were now filled with a heavy, murderous aura.
This Zhao Xun had appeared a bit too coincidentally.
But what could be confirmed for now was that he wasn’t one of the Wei father and son’s people. Otherwise… it would have been people from the government who came, not someone coming to ingratiate himself with such words of loyalty.
The 200,000 shi of grain was a touchstone he had given. If this person could truly be of use to him, having that 200,000 shi of grain would make his next arrangements much easier.
If this person had other intentions, after the 200,000 shi of grain, there would be an even bigger trap waiting for him and his master behind him.
Voices came from outside the private room: “Come on, let’s go see the commotion! I heard that Wang’s Braised Meat across the street was jealous of someone else’s business and smashed up Fan’s Meat Shop. Fan’s people have gone to make trouble at Wang’s!”
Someone sighed, “Wang’s is a century-old establishment. How could they do such a disreputable thing?”
“What won’t people do to steal business?”
Xie Zheng stopped his train of thought, opened his eyes, and stood up. His legs were as nimble as a normal person’s. Only when he left the private room did he lean on his crutch?
A crowd of onlookers had already gathered at the entrance of Wang’s Braised Meat Shop.
The shop assistant looked at Fan Changyu, then glanced at Jin Laosan and the others standing with folded arms behind her, their faces fierce. His legs went weak, and his voice trembled as he spoke, “What… what can we do for you?”
Seeing the assistant’s face turn pale with fright, Fan Changyu frowned slightly. She hadn’t come to beat anyone; she had come to reason and demand an explanation. Why was the shop assistant so frightened?
Could it be that they had a guilty conscience?
She said, “Call your shopkeeper out. I’ve come today to demand an explanation.”
The assistant stammered, “The… the shopkeeper isn’t in the shop.”
Fan Changyu’s eyes narrowed. “He dares to order people to smash things in my shop, and now he’s playing the coward?”
Behind her, Jin Laosan and the others let out a heavy “hmph” from their nostrils at the right moment, frightening the assistant even more.
Fan Changyu turned her head to look at Jin Laosan, her eye twitching slightly. She had brought these people to confront the shop, but how did it seem like she had brought them to smash the place?
The assistant said tremblingly, “We’ve sent someone to notify the shopkeeper. Whatever you have to say, please… please wait until the shopkeeper arrives.”
After speaking, he brought out a large chair for Fan Changyu to sit on, still shaking, and brought out a brazier for her to warm herself.
Fan Changyu swept her gaze over the expressions of the shop assistants and onlookers, feeling that something was a bit odd. How did it seem like she was the female bully coming to cause trouble?
However, since they had brought out a chair and a brazier, and it was so cold, there was no reason not to sit down and warm up while waiting.
Before long, Wang’s shopkeeper arrived, his fat body covered in sweat. As a businessman, he always believed in being amiable for the sake of business. Seeing Fan Changyu, he first put on a smile and said, “Miss Fan, I’ve heard from the assistant about what happened at your shop. The Wang’s sign was passed down from my ancestors, and I, Wang, would never use such means to oppress a lone girl…”
As he spoke, he glanced at Jin Laosan and the others behind Fan Changyu. Though his tone was polite, his attitude was somewhat contemptuous. “Miss Fan, to accuse Wang based solely on the words of these people, isn’t there… some misunderstanding?”
Fan Changyu sat motionless in the large chair, merely glancing sideways at Jin Laosan. “You speak.”
Jin Laosan immediately said, “Your Wang’s has an assistant named Chunsheng. Yesterday, he came to the tavern in the east of town with five taels of silver, asking us brothers to cause trouble at Fan’s shop. The people at the tavern can all testify.”
Upon hearing the assistant’s name, the shopkeeper’s expression changed slightly, and his attitude softened a bit. He said to Fan Changyu, “That’s my eldest son’s attendant. Please wait a moment, Miss Fan, while I call my eldest son to clarify.”
The young master of Wang’s was known throughout Lin’an Town as a profligate. Not content with a houseful of concubines, he spent his days in brothels. This time, Wang’s assistants had to dig him out of a brothel.
When he returned, he was still drunk, his clothes not even properly fastened. His father had someone pour a bowl of sobering soup down his throat before he became somewhat clear-headed.
In front of Fan Changyu, the shopkeeper angrily questioned, “You unfilial son, did you order someone to smash Fan’s shop?”
The young master of Wang’s, his eyes puffy, looked Fan Changyu up and down several times before sneering, “Oh, she is quite a beauty. You stole business from our family and Yixiang Restaurant by climbing into old man Li the cook’s bed, and now you dare to come here? Your face is even thicker than a prostitute’s.”
It was common knowledge that Yixiang Restaurant often bought famous dishes from other places to serve in their establishment.
The female proprietress had her unique way of doing business. Others said her methods were unprofitable, but by incorporating the best from various sources, Yixiang Restaurant’s business far surpassed other stagnant restaurants.
After all, those who could afford to dine at Yixiang Restaurant were wealthy gentry with ample means. There were only a few famous eateries in town, and normally one would have to send servants on several trips to get food from different places. At Yixiang Restaurant, not only could one enjoy their signature dishes, but a simple call to the waiter would immediately bring any local specialty one desired.
Therefore, whether selling pastries and fruits or braised meats and cooked food, all vendors in town took pride in being associated with Yixiang Restaurant.
Hearing the young master of Wang’s words, the onlookers’ expressions varied – some were surprised, some disbelieving, and some simply enjoying the show.
Their eyes kept scanning Fan Changyu. She was indeed beautiful but with such a fierce temperament… If someone said she was a female bully extorting money, people might be more inclined to believe it. But to say she would have an affair for the sake of some business…
Everyone collectively shuddered. Who would dare to entertain such thoughts about her? Just seeing her butcher pigs and chop meat would be enough to discourage any such notions, wouldn’t it?
The shopkeeper of Wang’s also widened his eyes and shouted, “Unfilial son, what nonsense are you spouting?”
The young master of Wang’s was unconcerned. He was used to bullying men and women in town and didn’t take Fan Changyu, a mere woman, seriously at all. “Father, our business with Yixiang Restaurant is ruined anyway, so why not let me speak? Are you still afraid of offending that old man Li the cook?”
His gaze lewdly swept over Fan Changyu. “You stole a man, and such an old…”
A loud “bang” interrupted him.
Jin Laosan and the others turned to look. They saw that the heavy chopping board used for displaying braised meat in front of Wang’s shop had been kicked over by Fan Changyu with one foot. The board couldn’t withstand the force and a large hole was kicked through it. The braised meat was scattered on the ground, and the drunken young master of Wang’s was half-trapped under the board.
He and his underlings looked at the large hole in the ironwood board and collectively swallowed. They shrank back, thinking that when this young mistress had dealt with them before, she must have been holding back.
If she had used this much force then, they would probably have had several broken bones and would still be bedridden now.
The young master of Wang’s howled in pain, ordering the two servants beside him, “Are you dead? Quickly pull your young master up!”
The two servants glanced at the black iron cleaver Fan Changyu had drawn, and at Jin Laosan’s group behind her who were cracking their knuckles, seemingly ready to join the fight. They didn’t dare approach and even retreated two steps on legs that had turned to noodles.
Seeing this situation, beads of sweat rolled down the shopkeeper’s temples. Seeing Fan Changyu holding the knife, he was also terrified. “Miss Fan, my unworthy son spoke without thinking. I will certainly teach this unfilial child a lesson. Please don’t be angry, Miss Fan…”
Fan Changyu ignored him completely. She stomped heavily on the chopping board again, creating another large hole in the board that usually required two people to lift. The young master of Wang’s foamed at the mouth and his eyes rolled back.
The onlookers gasped. Some timid women even covered their eyes with their sleeves, fearing that Fan Changyu would bring the cleaver down on the young master’s head the next moment.
The shopkeeper of Wang’s pointed at Fan Changyu with a trembling voice, “You… you want to commit murder?”
Fan Changyu glanced at him and sneered, “How could I kill someone? Killing would land me in prison. At most, I’ll cut out your good son’s tongue and make him chew it up and swallow it himself. That’ll stop him from wagging it carelessly.”
The shopkeeper was so frightened by her words that he nearly lost his balance. Only with the support of several servants did he avoid collapsing to the ground. His face turned pale, and he pointed at Fan Changyu, stuttering “You…” for a long time without being able to form a complete sentence.
The young master of Wang’s, pinned under Fan Changyu’s foot, now knew fear. His face was ashen as he cried and looked to his father, “Father, save me…”
The shopkeeper said in a trembling voice, “Call the officials, quickly call the officials…”
When Wang’s servants tried to go report to the authorities, they were blocked by Jin Laosan’s group. “So it’s fine for you to bully others, but not for them to seek justice?”
Fan Changyu heavily slapped the young master’s repulsive fat face with the flat of her cleaver. “Tell me, when did I ever steal Yixiang Restaurant’s business from you?”
The cleaver in her hand was heavy and cold. Due to years of chopping bones and cutting meat, there was an indelible smell of blood on the blade. Half of the young master’s face went numb where she had slapped him with the knife. His whole body shook like a sieve as he stammered, “Wang’s… Wang’s braised meat business with Yixiang Restaurant stopped… I heard… I heard it was because Cook Li recommended your family’s braised meat…”
Fan Changyu sneered, “Just for this, you fabricated such stories about me?”
The women in the crowd, hearing the young master’s words, were surprised that after all his vulgar talk earlier, the truth was merely this.
A woman’s reputation was of utmost importance. This was deliberately pushing someone to the edge!
They couldn’t help but spit at him in disgust. “He’s truly worthless. Just because Fan’s shop started selling braised meat and business is booming, he drags a young girl’s reputation through the mud?”
“I was wondering why we haven’t seen Cook Li buying meat from Fan’s these days. So it was because of this black-hearted scoundrel’s lies. He’s avoiding suspicion!”
“Wang’s is such a big business, yet they bully a lone girl. They’ve truly lost all shame!”
“He spends all his time in brothels, so of course that’s all he can think about!”
“If you ask me, Wang’s has become too big for its boots. Not only is the taste getting worse, but I once bought spoiled meat from them! No wonder Yixiang Restaurant doesn’t want to continue buying braised meat from them!”
Hearing these discussions, the shopkeeper of Wang’s became agitated, stamping his feet in anger. “Unfilial son! Unfilial son!”
The young master of Wang’s was crying so hard that snot bubbles formed. He begged, “Please spare me! I’ll give you money! Lots and lots of money. I know your family needs money…”
Fan Changyu remained silent, her eyes fierce as she forcefully thrust her cleaver into the ground.
Seeing this, the surrounding onlookers all gasped in shock. The shopkeeper of Wang’s nearly fainted, while the young master screamed in terror.
Crack!
The knife didn’t hit the young master’s body. Instead, it cut through his hair ornament and a chunk of his hair, right next to his scalp. The blade sank into the bluestone floor tiles, its body still quivering.
After a while, the young master finally came to his senses. His face was as pale as a corpse, and a foul odor emanated from beneath him as a yellowish puddle spread under the chopping board.
The shopkeeper, supported by servants, was gasping for air.
Feeling the coolness against his scalp, the young master was completely terrified, no longer caring about his face. He burst into loud sobs, his face covered in snot and tears. “Don’t kill me, don’t kill me!”
The shopkeeper only had this one useless son. He was almost crying as he pleaded, “Miss Fan, this unfilial son spoke without thinking and damaged your reputation. I will certainly teach him a harsh lesson. Another day, I will personally bring a small gift to your home to apologize. The ancients had the saying ‘cutting hair in place of beheading.’ You’ve already cut his hair, so please be magnanimous and spare him!”
Fan Changyu put away her knife and coldly looked at the young master of Wang’s. “Don’t let me see you again!”
She left with her knife, no longer paying attention to the father and son.
The young master of Wang’s had been bullying men and women for quite some time. Fan Changyu’s lesson today was deeply satisfying to many.
The onlooking commoners even cheered and applauded, exclaiming, “Well taught!”
“It’s a good thing she’s Fan the Tiger’s daughter. If it were any other family being bullied like this, they’d probably have no one to turn to!”
“Indeed. In Liu Village, there was a village girl, quite a beauty. She was impregnated by this young master of Wang’s. The Wang family refused to acknowledge it, and in the end, the poor girl threw herself into the river!”
“That’s just one case we know about that blew up. Who knows how many more despicable acts he’s committed in secret? Their braised meat isn’t as good as Fan’s. Fan’s meat is freshly slaughtered daily. Who knows what kind of meat they use!”
Hearing the pointing and discussing of the onlookers, the shopkeeper’s old face nearly fell to the ground.
The chopping board was finally lifted off the young master of Wang’s by two servants with great effort. This grown man looked at the shopkeeper and cried with snot and tears, “Father…”
Instead of comfort, he received two more kicks from the enraged shopkeeper. “You good-for-nothing! It’s one thing to spend your days in brothels, but to cause such a scene! You’ve completely disgraced the old Wang family today!”
Fan Changyu, having vented her anger, was about to head home when someone suddenly called out to her from behind, “Miss Fan, please wait.”
Fan Changyu turned back puzzled to see a man with a small mustache approaching her. “Miss Fan, you have impressive skills. I’m the manager of Huixian Money House. Would Miss Fan be interested in working for our establishment?”
“Money house?” Fan Changyu frowned. “What could I do there?”
The money house manager smiled and said, “Debt collection.”
Fan Changyu: “…”
Jin Laosan and his group, however, were eager. “Miss Fan, if you take on debt collection jobs, we’ll work for you in the future!”
Fan Changyu glared at them. “Didn’t you say you wanted to do honest work?”
Jin Laosan and his group immediately shrank their necks and dared not speak.
Fan Changyu declined the manager’s offer, but he didn’t say much. Before leaving, he gave her a piece of paper listing the various benefits of working as an enforcer for Huixian Money House. “Miss Fan, there’s no need to rush. You can think it over.”
Fan Changyu held the paper, her mood quite complex. What kind of image did she have in the eyes of the townspeople?
She sighed and turned to leave, but saw someone standing at the end of the street. Snow was falling, and his wide robes were blown open by the wind. Behind him was the bustling market street. His cold, indifferent eyes were looking at her in a very subtle way.
Fan Changyu glanced at the paper in her hand with “debt collection” written on it and instinctively said, “I didn’t go to rob money.”
Seeing Xie Zheng, Jin Laosan and his group immediately tensed up and said in unison, “Greetings, son-in-law!”
Xie Zheng: “…”
Fan Changyu: “…”
It seemed even harder to explain now.