When the fleet docked, the shore was already covered in white mourning garments. The Dengzhou government had specially borrowed a large number of coroners from various prefectures, specifically to organize those skeletal remains. The bones had long since become scattered and chaotic. What the coroners could do was nothing more than piece together a complete person’s skeleton. These deceased had been comrades-in-arms while alive; after death, even their bones were indistinguishable from one another.
Watching these skeletal remains being arranged this way and that, Yun Ye always felt this was quite an interesting job. Those coroners sifting through the piles of bones looked very much like they were doing archaeology. He couldn’t feel even half a trace of sorrow.
However, when his own fallen subordinates were carried ashore, his heart felt as if a weight had been attached to it. The joy of docking was now gone again. This needed to be avoided—a great general crying like a child before the entire army was truly improper.
The battle was finished. Yun Ye himself felt he seemed to have no more use. While the army was resting and reorganizing, it would be better for him to hide away at He Shao’s estate in Dengzhou.
When he left, the earth was still desolate. Now that he’d returned, Dengzhou was lush with vegetation. The pear blossoms here bloomed quite late, snow-white forming a sea of snow. He Shao was a vulgar person, but the scenery of this estate was truly delightful.
“Xiao Ye, if you like it, it’s yours. Can we just not leave?”
He Shao was panting heavily, constantly wiping sweat with his handkerchief. As he walked, a foreign woman at his side continuously fanned him.
“I don’t care for your broken estate. It’s just that these pear blossoms are quite pleasing—flowers in spring, leaves in summer, fruit in autumn. I’ll grant you’ve acquired some refinement. Look at what you’ve grown into now! Years ago when Wang Cai got fat, Master Sun said it would reduce his lifespan. Your appearance is much fatter than Wang Cai—round head, round body, plus two short legs. This will definitely harm your longevity. Good days are just beginning—don’t you want to live a few more years?”
He Shao leaned his huge body against a pear tree, immediately shaking down countless petals. Yun Ye reached out to catch a few, then blew on them, letting them continue dancing in the air.
“Ye Zi, I, He Shao, know my own worth. Being able to create such a great family business now is all because the brothers give me face. Whenever there were benefits, they never forgot me. I’m very satisfied, truly, very satisfied. I don’t want to go forward anymore. Ye Zi, if I’m somewhat obese, everyone knows I’m just a nouveau riche who only thinks about eating, drinking, and enjoying myself after getting money. No one thinks I’m a threat. I imagine everyone also likes seeing me this way. Since everyone likes me being obese, I’ll risk this life and let everyone have a laugh. Trading my life for the He family’s safety—I think that’s very worthwhile.”
Pear blossoms always have a faint delicate fragrance—not intense, but very enduring. Breaking off a large branch and placing it under his nose to sniff lightly, after smelling the flowers for a while, he said to Dongyu who was guarding behind him, “Tomorrow, take He Shao onto the ship. Each meal just give him vegetables, tofu, and rice—not too much. Have him swim for three hours a day. I figure after two months, his weight can be reduced to what we were like in Shuofang City. This fellow can’t die yet—he must not die.”
Dongyu bowed once, accepting the order. Looking at the trembling He Shao was like looking at a dead man. The soldiers from Guanzhong still needed training—might as well throw this fat pig in too. He didn’t believe that after two or three months, they couldn’t reduce his oil belly.
“Xiao Ye, you can’t treat your brother like this! I’d rather die fat than become shrewd and capable, giving people an excuse to scheme for my family property. If I die, only my three useless sons will be left at home. No one will harm them anymore.”
“What nonsense are you talking? Who would harm you? If you die fat, others won’t come knocking at your door? Everyone wants to slaughter a fat pig, you know. Ever since seeing over fifteen hundred of my subordinates die this time, I swore I would absolutely never let my subordinates and friends leave early. If even one dies, I won’t accept it. I’m counting on a group of old men going to brothels in the future, drinking flower wine, running rampant through Chang’an’s markets, all becoming old scoundrels. If this one dies today and that one dies tomorrow, even if I dominate Chang’an’s streets then, I’m afraid there won’t be much point. Don’t you think?”
Tears flowed across He Shao’s round, rolling face. He could feel that Yun Ye had been deliberately distancing himself these past two years. After Yun Ye no longer treated him like a brother, he continuously sought backing for the He family—the Chai family, the Zhangsun family, the Du family, the Fang family. He had even tried to take refuge with Princess Changle. As for the three princes—he didn’t dare go. Yun Ye had said not to have any entanglements with those three, otherwise he’d die quickly. He believed Yun Ye’s judgment, so he never crossed the thresholds of the three princes’ residences.
Everyone wanted to cut meat from him—more accurately, to strip his flesh. After stripping his flesh, they didn’t even regard him as human. These years he constantly overate and overdrank, embracing the idea of timely pleasure, wanting to use this decadent mindset to suppress his fear of the future. Today with Yun Ye saying this, all the grievances in his heart instantly erupted. Only by following Yun Ye closely would this alternative type of merchant like him have a way to survive.
“Good, good! This brother will go swim. These two months I’ll do nothing but swim. First reduce this body of flesh, then we’ll happily return to Chang’an for a big venture.”
Accompanying Yun Ye as he continued strolling deeper into the orchard, He Shao shooed away the foreign woman, stuck out his belly, and imitated Yun Ye with hands behind his back, his mouth once again beginning to use pear blossoms as metaphors for the foreign woman’s jade-like skin.
“We’re not lacking money now. What we lack is fortune and blessing. You and my family are different. The Yun family offering potatoes and corn is already enough for three generations of the Yun family to have no worries. Add the academy, and the Yun family’s future can already be anticipated. As long as the family has no great treasonous acts, officials who leave the academy will certainly protect the Yun family to some degree. The teacher-student bond still has good prospects.”
“The He family is different. You’ve developed too rapidly. Before establishing a good foundation, you fantasize about building tall buildings, not knowing this is the crisis of cooking oil over fierce flames and flowers brocading. You were ruined by the word ‘greed.’ You want to stick your hand in everything, dare to do any business. You’ve driven up the price of Chang’an land until it’s soaring. You think the court has no complaints? They just temporarily can’t find dirt on you. Once they want to deal with you, even if you learn from Xuanzang and run to Tianzhu, it won’t be of use.”
“When the Yun family wisely withdrew at the peak, you with reddened eyes made money everywhere. When you earned money, someone necessarily lost money. Last time the Chai family helped you survive a calamity and at least preserved your family’s title. Otherwise, hmph, see how you’d die.”
“That was bought for thirty thousand strings of cash. Chai Shao said only this once, no next time. Thirty thousand strings for an earl’s title is indeed rather expensive.”
“When ancient people grew wealthy, they never forgot to build bridges and repair roads, provide relief to neighbors, everywhere cautiously being kind to others. You think they were all doing it out of boredom?”
“Now you need to pretend to be confused—confused toward the sea. Doing business is no longer about making money. Now you need to use money to buy reputation. Knowing how to make money isn’t capability—knowing how to spend money is capability. Restrain your family members a bit. Don’t compete in displaying wealth everywhere. I heard your younger brother spent a million cash in a single night on a singing girl’s tips. This is the path to death.”
Yun Ye said one sentence in front, and He Shao nodded his head behind. The Great Tang’s newly emerged nobility were actually all families without foundation. The elevation of status relied entirely on Li Er’s forced growth. Therefore, the second generation often produced wastrels.
In later times, Yun Ye had heard an old saying: wealth and nobility for three generations before one can properly dress and eat. This saying was very correct. Only after being wealthy and noble for three generations could one display true aristocratic bearing. Newly emerged nobles would always unconsciously display their vulgar side. This was also why those established families looked down on these current meritorious nobles.
The Yun family was different. They couldn’t understand Yun Ye’s style. The identity of a disciple of immortals was no worse than theirs. Moreover, speaking of eating, the Yun residence’s cuisine was in a class of its own. Being fortunate enough to eat a banquet at the Yun family was considered an honor.
Even Li Er would only invite Yun Ye to the palace to make a couple dishes when entertaining the most important guests. Those being entertained would consider this the highest courtesy. Since Li Er entertained Feng Ang, only Li Jing, Li Ji, Cheng Yaojin and a few others had eaten once after their great defeat of Xueyantuo. Among civil officials, only Fang Xuanling on his fiftieth birthday had taken eight dishes made by Yun Ye from the palace, which was already being recounted as having unparalleled imperial favor.
Interesting and fun things generally spread from the Yun family. Things like baby carriages had now become essential items for wealthy families. Quite a few noble ladies who had given birth and were eager to show off would put their children in baby carriages, personally pushing the little carts into the eastern household and out of the western household, strolling all day without calling themselves tired.
“When doing good deeds, you must also pay attention. Don’t do just any good deed. Some good deeds can only be done by the imperial family and government offices. Never have a brain spasm and tell His Majesty that seeing the Great Wall dilapidated, you’re prepared to help him repair the walls. Such stupid things—if you fucking dare do them, without His Majesty lifting a finger, I’ll cut you down first.”
He Shao’s fat face was covered with glistening sweat. He had just been preparing to tell Yun Ye he planned to spend money to repair Chang’an’s roads. Hearing Yun Ye’s words, he suddenly discovered he truly didn’t know how to spend money.
“You open a pharmacy—buy at fair price, sell at fair price, but you must maintain it long-term. The medicinal materials must be authentic—you can’t deceive people. If they have money, collect a couple coins. If they don’t have money, let them buy on credit. Remember, you can’t not collect money. For the name, say this is to pray for blessings for your old mother. Send your most trusted subordinate to do it. Whether people in debt later return you a bushel of wheat or a piglet, accept it all. Even if they carry a load of dirt to help you fill in the road in front of the pharmacy, that works. I estimate this year’s expenses won’t exceed what your brother gave the singing girl in tips. But, hehe…”
“By that time, the He family will be Chang’an City’s famous benevolent family. Ye Zi, the person I send must have a smiling face. No matter who enters the door, first grab medicine for them. If they have no money, proactively tell them—first take the medicine home to treat your parents’ illness, that’s most important. As for the medicine money, after the old one’s illness improves, paying then isn’t late. If we hire two more resident physicians… Damn, talking and talking, even I’m moved by my own good deeds.”
“With a good reputation, no matter who moves against me, first they themselves will become the target of universal condemnation. Even those great families, upon seeing the He family’s pharmacy, will have to stick up a thumb in praise.”