“Splash!” The washcloth in Zhenniang’s hand fell into the basin, sending ripples through the warm water. But Zhenniang paid no attention to this, turning anxiously to her cousin: “Why did Wenqian suddenly go to strike the Imperial Drum?”
As she spoke, Zhenniang rushed into the room, telling Xinghua to ask Uncle Liujin to prepare the carriage. She then retrieved a stack of silver notes from a chest in the inner chamber. While striking the Imperial Drum was no small matter—anyone who did so would first receive thirty court floggings—she wasn’t sure what use the silver notes would be, but having them on hand couldn’t hurt.
When Zhenniang emerged from the room, Xinghua hurried over to inform her that the carriage was ready outside.
Zhenniang beckoned Li Zhenshen to board the carriage with her.
After they were seated, Li Zhenshen told the driver: “To the Court of Transmission.”
As the carriage set off, Li Zhenshen finally explained the situation in detail: “Wenqian said that Zhang Cheng now controls the Eastern Depot, and no one else dares to interfere. This time, Zhang Cheng is determined to use these few bills of exchange to implicate Official Zhang. Some people in court are just waiting for the Yihousheng case to unfold. I heard these people have already drafted their memorials and are just waiting for an opportunity to impeach Official Zhang. You could say all eyes in court are on the Yihousheng case now. Wenqian said that given our low positions, we can’t intervene in court matters. But with Yihousheng’s life at stake, and everyone’s lives hanging in the balance, he had no choice left but to risk striking the Imperial Drum. Fortunately, the Left Minister of Transmission is currently Lord Hai Rui. Wenqian is betting on Lord Hai’s uprightness—if Lord Hai can take charge and produce the bills of exchange confiscated from Feng Bao’s home for Yihousheng to verify against, Yihousheng can clear his name, and even Official Zhang might temporarily find peace in the netherworld.”
Hearing her cousin’s explanation, Zhenniang understood—Wenqian had truly been forced into a corner with no other options.
Still, she worried. The thirty court floggings alone were no small matter to endure.
“Let’s stop by Li Family Ink Shop first and bring along Doctor Gong.” The Luo residence was on Sanshan Street, not far from Official Street. Taking a small detour wouldn’t delay them much, and having Doctor Gong present might give them a chance to treat Brother Luo’s injuries.
So the driver turned onto Official Street, and shortly after, the carriage stopped at the medicine shop. Doctor Gong was familiar with the Li family and, guided by a healer’s compassion, wasn’t afraid of getting involved. He grabbed his medicine box and boarded the carriage.
The carriage then headed straight for the Nanjing Court of Transmission.
The Court of Transmission’s duties included handling imperial edicts, conveying information from below, managing official documents from various departments, and processing petitions and grievances from officials and commoners across the realm.
Hai Rui had been dismissed from office for over ten years. Now he once again sat in the position of Left Minister of Transmission. Of course, historically he wasn’t supposed to be reinstated for another year, but because of the Imperial Textile Manufacturing case, Hai Rui had arrived in Nanjing more than a year early. This led to his dismissal happening earlier as well, and in a chain reaction of events, he was now reinstated over a year ahead of his historical timeline.
Early that morning, after washing up, Hai Rui sat at his table with a bowl of plain porridge, a plate of stir-fried tofu, and a plate of fried eggs—laid by his only speckled hen—as his morning meal.
“My Lord, you again didn’t sleep all night,” said an old servant who had followed Hai Rui for many years, while helping him arrange his official robes.
“I’m getting old, can’t sleep well anymore,” Hai Rui said, wiping his graying beard with a handkerchief after finishing his porridge. His brows were furrowed—what kept him awake was the same Yihousheng case that had emerged from Feng Bao’s involvement. Since all eyes in court were fixed on this matter, he couldn’t ignore it either, especially as it was under his jurisdiction in Nanjing.
Of course, he only pondered the case without much concern. In his eyes, both Feng Bao and Yihousheng had amassed their vast wealth through the exploitation of the common people. While Yihousheng might claim to be wrongfully implicated, he wasn’t entirely innocent either. Besides, the case wasn’t directly in his hands, so he merely contemplated it without deep investigation.
All he wished for was to do more for the common people in his remaining years.
After breakfast, Hai Rui went to attend to his duties.
Just then, Court Secretary Wang hurried in, nearly colliding with Hai Rui.
“What’s the rush about?” Hai Rui’s dark face showed no expression, but his tone carried a note of reproach. He believed in maintaining composure even if Mount Tai were to collapse before him and somewhat looked down on those who panicked at the first sign of trouble.
“Luo Wenqian, the former manager of Yihousheng, has struck the Imperial Drum,” Secretary Wang reported.
Even the usually composed Hai Rui was momentarily stunned by this news. The Imperial Drum hadn’t been struck for many years, and since the capital’s relocation, Nanjing’s Imperial Drum had become merely decorative. Who would have thought Luo Wenqian would strike it?
After only a brief pause, Hai Rui commanded in a deep voice: “Since someone has struck the Imperial Drum, we shall follow proper procedure. First, administer thirty court floggings, then accept the petition.”
“My Lord…” Secretary Wang hurriedly protested. Luo Wenqian striking the Imperial Drum must surely be about the Yihousheng case, but that case was being handled by the Eastern Depot. Interfering would only invite trouble. Besides, if he wanted to strike the Imperial Drum, he should have gone to the capital—Nanjing’s drum was merely ceremonial. In Secretary Wang’s view, there was no need to accept this case at all.
“I said follow procedure. Open court, administer the flogging, accept the petition,” Hai Rui said coldly.
Secretary Wang inwardly cursed his luck, having forgotten that his superior was famously out of step with the times. With no choice, he went to arrange the proceedings.
Soon, news of Yihousheng’s Luo Nine striking the Imperial Drum spread throughout Nanjing.
When Zhenniang arrived, the Court of Transmission’s gates were wide open, with several bailiffs escorting Luo Wenqian into the main hall.
Some commoners had also gathered inside. The thirty floggings served both as punishment and as a deterrent to others—if everyone with a grievance went to strike the Imperial Drum, the entire system of governance would fall into chaos. Not everyone dared to endure thirty floggings.
“Brother Luo…” Zhenniang entered just as the bailiffs began administering punishment. After several strikes, blood began seeping through his moon-white pants. The onlookers turned away, unable to watch.
Zhenniang could only clench her teeth as she crouched before Luo Wenqian, gripping his hand tightly. Though his forehead was covered in sweat, he still managed to smile at her. Zhenniang’s tears fell unbidden, and she gripped his hand even tighter.
“Don’t worry, Zhenniang. I’m tough,” Luo Wenqian said after the thirty strokes, somewhat dizzy but still smiling.
He was just putting on a brave face, making Zhenniang stamp her feet in anxiety. Meanwhile, Doctor Gong had stepped forward to treat his injuries.
Some bailiffs tried to stop him, but Hai Rui waved them away. He remembered Li Zhenniang well. Though the Li family’s daughter’s actions might raise some eyebrows, her spirit had earned his respect.
Therefore, when Zhenniang had someone treat Luo Wenqian’s injuries, he didn’t interfere.
Still, in the main hall, Luo Wenqian’s wounds could only receive basic treatment. Following the procedure, he then submitted his petition.
Hai Rui accepted and read it carefully. The petition requested the Court of Transmission to verify the origins of those bills of exchange with Yihousheng. This seemed reasonable to Hai Rui—even without Luo Wenqian’s petition, such verification would have been necessary.
So the petition was accepted, but striking the Imperial Drum was a serious matter. Luo Wenqian couldn’t leave—he had to stay at the Court of Transmission, effectively under detention, until the matter was cleared up.
“My Lord, my husband is injured. Please allow me to stay and care for him,” Zhenniang knelt beside Luo Wenqian, addressing Hai Rui. How could she leave her Brother Luo alone in the Court of Transmission in his current state?
“You two seem to share a devoted bond. Very well, you may stay. But remember to follow the rules—remain in your quarters and don’t wander about,” Hai Rui said after glancing at Li Zhenniang.
“Yes, My Lord.” Zhenniang nodded repeatedly. As long as she could stay with Brother Luo, she didn’t mind even if they were confined to jail.
Hai Rui then waved his hand, instructing the bailiffs to escort them away.
After the court was dismissed, Luo Wenqian and Zhenniang were led to two old rooms in the Court of Transmission’s back courtyard, with guards posted outside.
Zhenniang carefully helped Luo Wenqian lie face down on the bed, then pressed her face against his shoulder blade. Her anxious heart finally found some peace. No words were needed—after so many years of marriage, their hearts beat as one.
“Don’t worry, we’ll get through this,” Luo Wenqian turned his face to gently kiss her eyebrows.
“Of course we will.” Zhenniang’s eyes curved into crescents, just like Little Jade’s.
In the days that followed, Zhenniang stayed by Luo Wenqian’s side as he recovered, while Hai Rui began gathering evidence. First, he had all the sealed account books from Yihousheng’s various branches delivered batch by batch, then negotiated with the Eastern Depot and the court to access the bills of exchange confiscated from Feng Bao.
The matter grew increasingly complex.
“This Hai Rui is like a stone in a latrine—both foul and unyielding!” In the Imperial Guards’ office, Qian Siwu was jumping with anger while Zhao Shun stroked his chin in thought. These two were the Eastern Depot officials in charge of the Yihousheng case, both aligned with Zhang Cheng. They had hoped to accomplish something significant to show their loyalty to Eunuch Zhang, but instead, things were becoming increasingly complicated.
“Lord Zhao, why don’t we just force a confession and close the case? I’d like to see Hai Rui try to overturn that,” Qian Siwu cursed.
“What do you know? Let me tell you, if Hai Rui finds even the slightest questionable detail, he absolutely can overturn it. His reinstatement was the Emperor’s way of using his reputation. Having just reinstated him, how could the Emperor dismiss him again? Wouldn’t that be like slapping his face?” Zhao Shun replied irritably.
“So we just let Hai Rui run wild? With him interfering, we can’t proceed with our case at all,” Qian Siwu complained.
“Then we won’t proceed,” Zhao Shun said decisively.
“What?” Qian Siwu hadn’t caught on yet.
Zhao Shun just gave a cold laugh and said, “These are Eunuch Zhang’s orders.” With that, he walked out with his hands behind his back, understanding clearly—with so many bills of exchange, if they traced the origin of each one, how many people would be implicated? It might trigger another court upheaval. They did not need to get entangled in this. The best approach now was to distance themselves and let Hai Rui handle it—he wasn’t afraid of offending people anyway.
Without interference from the Eastern Depot and others, the investigation progressed much faster.
Just two days before the New Year, the bills of exchange seized from Feng Bao were delivered to the Nanjing Court of Transmission, while Yihousheng’s various account books had arrived earlier.
The managers from Yihousheng’s branches then began reconciling accounts together with the Court’s officials.
This New Year, Zhenniang and Luo Wenqian had to spend in the Court of Transmission.
On New Year’s Eve, as firecrackers exploded outside in waves, Zhenniang wrapped dumplings, and the couple shared a simple New Year’s dinner. They had even sent two bowls to Lord Hai, but he declined, so they had to bring them back.
“Two bowls each for us,” Zhenniang pushed two bowls of dumplings to Luo Wenqian, then looked at her own two bowls, chuckling happily.
“Can you eat that much?” Luo Wenqian raised an eyebrow skeptically.
“I’ll try,” Zhenniang smiled at him sideways. Most of it was just broth anyway. In the end, she couldn’t finish both bowls, eating only one and a half. The remaining half naturally found its way into Luo Wenqian’s stomach.
“I wonder what Lin’er and Yu’er are doing right now?” At night, listening to the sound of firecrackers outside, Zhen Niang nestled in Luo Wenqian’s embrace. Before the new year, she had already arranged for Lin’er and Yu’er to be brought back to Huizhou.
“Missing them?” Luo Wenqian chuckled deeply.
Zhen Niang gave him a sidelong glance – wasn’t that obvious?
“Soon. I heard from Official Hai a few days ago. All the accounts and bills of exchange have been delivered. Only the verification remains,” Luo Wenqian said with a smile.
“Mm.” Zhen Niang nodded.
Outside, the sound of firecrackers continued in waves.
Sure enough, after the fifth day of the New Year, the accountants and clerks at the yamen came early to work, continuing to verify the sources of the bills of exchange.
A few days later, the origins of each bill of exchange were revealed.
“This bill is from the Shi Zhou branch. It was issued in the second year of Longqing, donated to build a charity hall in Shi Zhou Prefecture, bearing the official seal of the Shi Zhou magistrate.”
“This one was issued by the Huai’an branch and donated to the Huai’an River Governor for building dams and sluices. Issued in the fifth year of Longqing.”
“This one is from the second year of Wanli when Shanxi Huaiyang suffered from floods and droughts. It was issued by the Yihousheng main hall for buying grain for disaster relief.”
“Yes, this one is from the third year of Wanli. Southern Metropolitan Region and Zhejiang floods, Yihousheng donated funds for dredging and building embankments, recorded in the Yingtian yamen.”
“This one is from the fourth year of Wanli. Donated to the Ministry of Works for repairing the Great Wall.”
“Yes, this one was issued by salt merchant Wang Qiande at Yihousheng, used to purchase salt licenses… recorded at the Salt Administration.”
“This one is from the ninth year of Wanli when Yangzhou suffered from torrential rains. It was donated by Yihousheng’s Yangzhou branch to the Yangzhou yamen for building charitable estates.”
And so on. As each bill of exchange was verified, the people from the Court of State Ceremonial looked at Luo Wenqian differently. Among all the bills, some were issued by various merchants themselves, but a considerable number were issued by Yihousheng directly, all for charitable donations.
When these were cross-checked against the accounts of various local yamens, everything matched perfectly.
At this point, everything became clear.
Not only was there no evidence of Yihousheng bribing or helping Official Zhang with bribes, but it revealed to everyone the charitable deeds Yihousheng had done over these years.
Righteousness as the foundation, benevolence as the vessel, endless prosperity – this was Yihousheng’s business philosophy.
At this point, even Hai Rui had to feel somewhat moved – Yihousheng was truly an exemplar among merchants.
However, while Hai Rui was moved, he was also angry. These were donations Yihousheng had gradually made over the past decade. Of course, these were only a portion of their donations, not all of them, but they had all ended up in Feng Bao’s hands – how could Hai Rui not be angry?
Thus, Hai Rui summoned the spirit of his former coffin-bearing memorial and submitted three consecutive memorials, targeting corruption in the court and the problems with eunuch supervision.
After all, the reason Feng Bao could obtain these bills of exchange was due to the bribes collected by various local eunuch tax officials and supervisors.
These three memorials threw the entire court into chaos.
Some who had been waiting to impeach Zhang Juzheng discovered that this time they might be shooting themselves in the foot. After all, court relationships were complex, with interconnected ties everywhere – who knew which thread might be connected to oneself? So one by one, they began self-examination and self-correction. For a time, the court atmosphere was renewed – an unintended positive outcome.
In the time that followed, as a result of this incident, three officials of the fifth rank and above were demoted, five officials of the seventh rank and above were demoted, and two were dismissed from office. As for the unranked officials involved, their numbers were countless.
In short, this was an earthquake in the official circles.
Of course, none of this had anything to do with Li Zhen Niang, Luo Wenqian, or even Yihousheng anymore.
Because of this incident, the investigation unexpectedly revealed Yihousheng’s charitable deeds, and to commend Yihousheng, the Emperor personally wrote the characters “Yihousheng” for their business sign.
From then on, Yihousheng had weathered its greatest crisis.
On the fifteenth day of the first month, Zhen Niang supported Luo Wenqian as they walked out of the Court of State Ceremonial.
Outside, the weather was mild and sunny, the spring scenery brilliant.
…
On the twentieth day of the first month, Luo Wenqian and Prince Consort Li He stood side by side outside the Imperial Guards headquarters. Soon after, Mo Lao Da and Gu Paozi were personally escorted out by Zhou Shun, the Commander of a Thousand.
“Hmm, where’s Fourth Brother?” Luo Wenqian asked, not seeing Yan Xilai.
“Fourth Brother left earlier. He said he was too ashamed to face you, and besides, he wanted to try making his way – which is good,” Mo Lao Da laughed.
Hearing Mo Lao Da say this, Luo Wenqian didn’t say anything more. Although the incident had passed, for Yan Xilai and Luo Wenqian, a barrier had formed. It would be impossible to cooperate as before. This was for the best – they could still preserve some brotherly feelings, and let the unpleasant things scatter with the wind, while their friendship would deepen with the passing years. Another day, they could still drink and laugh together.
“This time Big Brother almost misunderstood Fifth Brother too. Big Brother apologizes to Fifth Brother,” Mo Lao Da said, cupping his hands. That day, if he hadn’t gone to find Third Brother to understand what happened, he would have misunderstood Luo Wenqian as well.
“Haha, we’re brothers, Big Brother is being too formal. Come, let’s go home for drinks. Zhen Niang started preparing the food and wine early,” Luo Wenqian said cheerfully.
Mo Lao Da and Gu Paozi were straightforward people too. They didn’t say more, just shouted about wanting to taste their sister-in-law’s cooking and drink more wine.
That evening, after the feast ended, everyone left satisfied.
The next morning, at the hour of Chen, Yihousheng’s newly refurbished signboard was hung high again, and in the gentle breeze, the triangular flags on one side fluttered proudly.
The business culture of righteousness as a foundation, benevolence as a vessel, and endless prosperity, along with the merchant’s spirit of the poor establishing themselves through skill, the wealthy benefiting their hometown, and the successful helping all under heaven, was deeply embedded in the bones of Yihousheng’s people.
“Zhen Niang, do you think the Emperor will still move against the Zhang family?” Luo Wenqian asked, slightly drunk.
Zhen Niang didn’t speak, but she understood in her heart that history would march forward with determined steps.
And Zhen Niang knew better that this confiscation of the Zhang family’s property, due to the sealing of their doors, would result in more than ten people starving to death by the time the seal was lifted – truly a human tragedy.
Winter passed and spring came, in the twelfth year of Wanli.
The second consort of Prince Liao, Lady Wang, submitted a memorial accusing Zhang Juzheng of embezzlement, stating that when Prince Liao’s mansion was searched, countless treasures were all taken to Juzheng’s residence. Finally, Emperor Wanli issued an edict to confiscate Zhang Juzheng’s property, and the Jiangling magistrate received the order to register the household members and seal the doors.
At this time, not far from the Zhang mansion’s gate, a couple in coarse hemp clothing, looking simple and honest, set up several large pots by the roadside. With bran-covered rice and some vegetable roots, using water drawn from the well, they began cooking porridge.
“You two, why are you cooking porridge here?” The Jiangling magistrate, having just sealed the doors and stationed soldiers around the Zhang residence, saw this couple’s suspicious behavior and demanded to know.
“Your Honor, some years ago when our village suffered flooding, my wife and I came begging the Zhang family. It was Old Madam Zhang who gave us a life-saving meal. We don’t understand what crime Official Zhang committed, but Old Madam Zhang is a good person. Now the mansion is sealed, everyone is locked inside, and who knows how they’ll manage their daily meals? We couple received great kindness from Old Madam that day and can’t forget it for a moment. We don’t have much, just this bran rice and vegetable root porridge, but it’s our heart’s intention, to repay Old Madam Zhang’s kindness of that one meal.”
But the Jiangling magistrate was unmoved, waving his hand to drive them away: “Get away! This is a great matter of state – how could you meddle in it?”
“Your Honor, this humble one thinks you might consider allowing this act of kindness, which would surely become a beautiful tale,” At this moment, a middle-aged man dressed as an accountant came over and bowed to the Jiangling magistrate. It was Luo Ping’an, the manager of Yihousheng’s Jiangling branch, whom the magistrate knew well.
“Oh, Manager Luo, what wind brings you here?” Yihousheng was Jiangling’s God of Wealth.
“I won’t deceive Your Honor. The Zhang family has some connection with our Yihousheng, and our owner couldn’t let it go, so he sent me to check,” Luo Ping’an said honestly. After all, such things could be easily verified. Yihousheng hadn’t been implicated this time precisely because during the Feng Bao case, they had been investigated thoroughly, which had cleared them of all suspicion. Adding the Emperor’s inscription, no one would dare target Yihousheng again.
In this world, many times fortune lurks within misfortune, and misfortune within fortune.
At this point, Luo Ping’an continued, “I hear Your Honor plans to repair the city walls this year. Yihousheng will donate 100,000 taels.” Then, lowering his voice, he added, “It’s just a few pots of vegetable root porridge, nothing much. The common people showing gratitude is also a testament to the court’s moral education. Besides, the court only ordered the confiscation of the Zhang family’s property, not their lives. After all, it’s the household of a generation’s great minister and ten years’ imperial tutor. If deaths occurred, it might stir up trouble in court again, which wouldn’t be good.”
Luo Ping’an’s words were reasonable, and with the donation for the city wall repairs, plus the possibility that if deaths occurred, the Jiangling magistrate felt he might not be able to bear the responsibility, he finally nodded. So he left a small door and assigned two soldiers to deliver the couple’s porridge to the Zhang mansion daily.
The couple cooking porridge both smiled kindly – needless to say, they were Luo Wenqian and Li Zhen Niang in disguise.
All of this, including Luo Ping’an’s appearance, had been arranged by them beforehand.
“Brother Luo, did Old Madam Zhang give you a meal that day?” Zhen Niang fanned the stove fire with a fan, the flames making her face glow red.
“Of course it’s true. When I left Huizhou heading north, passing through Jiangling, I received a meal from Old Madam. Though such a small matter probably never registered in Old Madam’s mind,” Luo Wenqian said softly, his heart full of emotions.
Unfortunately, some things were beyond their power to change.
A few days later, Zhang Jingxiu, Zhang’s eldest son, committed suicide in the Surveillance Office, shocking the entire court.
A generation’s great minister, ten years’ imperial tutor, meeting such an end – some who had been watching finally couldn’t hold back. Shen Shixing and others finally stood up, and the Emperor ordered the Zhang family mansion unsealed, leaving some fields and the residence to support Zhang Juzheng’s mother, but many of Zhang Juzheng’s brothers and nephews were exiled to the frontier.
The Zhang family members who had been sealed in the mansion survived on the vegetable root porridge. Though life was difficult, they all survived. To others, it might not matter, but for them, it meant weathering the storm and dark clouds to see clear skies again.
However, the couple who cooked porridge daily outside the Zhang mansion disappeared without a trace, never to be seen again.
…
Late summer, at the Luo residence in Huizhou.
After dinner, the Luo family gathered under the grape trellis in the courtyard to enjoy the cool evening.
Chou Po reclined in a lounge chair, eyes half-closed. Yu’er and Er Gou’s child, Si’er, cuddled next to Chou Po. Lin’er sat on a stone railing to one side, holding a book, face half-lifted to the evening breeze – a young boy with natural elegance.
“Great-aunt Po, tell us again about the story of the world’s finest ink,” Yu’er tugged at Chou Po’s hand, speaking sweetly.
“Yes, Great-aunt Po, please tell us,” Si’er chimed in.
“Alright, I’ll tell you,” Chou Po mumbled.
And so, from the accidental death of the Li family’s Ninth Master, Li Zhen Niang’s initial management of Li Ink, to Nanjing, to the tribute competition, to Eighth Master’s death, to Li Zhen Niang’s ink competition winning the title of world’s finest ink for the Li family, and finally to Seventh Madam Li burning together with the counterfeit ink warehouse amid the Japanese pirates, to those towering loyalty and righteousness memorial archways.
Thus, scene by scene, the great drama slowly unfolded before everyone.
“I want to learn to make ink,” Yu’er clenched her fists after hearing all this.
“Making ink is hard work,” Chou Po mumbled.
“I’m not afraid of hard work,” Yu’er made a fist.
“Good, then from tomorrow, Chou Po will teach you…”
…
Not far away, Zhen Niang and Luo Wenqian listened to Chou Po’s conversation with the children, exchanging smiles.
“Come, let’s go for a walk,” Luo Wenqian said to Zhen Niang.
“Mm.” Zhen Niang nodded, then took Luo Wenqian’s arm.
On the Xin’an River embankment, willow branches swayed gently.
Li Zhen Niang and Luo Wenqian walked side by side, behind them the long ancient street of blue stones, the slanting sunset stretching their shadows very long.
We walk side by side, advancing through this lifetime together.
— The End —
[Author’s note to follow]