“His Majesty still harbors vigilance toward imperial relatives by marriage. Today’s simple test made that clear.” Zhangsun Wuji drank the tea in his cup expressionlessly and said to Zhangsun Chong.
“The palace eunuch was beaten to death with rods. Father, does our family still need to exercise restraint? My aunt went to Yushan at this time and even dispatched guards to blockade the valley, preventing us from entering. Father, what exactly are Yun Ye and Li Tai doing in that valley?” Facing the impassive Emperor, Zhangsun Chong couldn’t quite maintain his composure.
Zhangsun Wuji sighed and said: “Ever since you were attacked by the eagle at Baishi Palace twelve years ago, your courage ceased to exist. With this flaw in your mental fortitude, it’s very difficult to remedy. This caused you to fall behind Yun Ye’s pace. One step behind means every step behind, finally arriving at today’s situation. It’s regrettable—someone like Yun Ye, if he needn’t become an enemy, then don’t make him one. If he could become an ally, that would be best. Unfortunately, you lack the ability to subdue him. Instead, everywhere you’re led by the nose by him. This time, your ability to take this step makes this father very pleased. This is also a manifestation of you breaking free from your cage.”
“The Zhangsun family’s business collapsed—actually, it’s all thanks to Yun Ye. The Zhangsun family originally managed ironworks. What an excellent livelihood that was! Since ancient times, horse raising and iron smelting have always been the two most profitable businesses of an empire. By virtue of iron smelting, the Zhangsun family could indirectly influence the direction of court politics, even influence the emperor’s determination.”
“A new method of iron smelting appeared. Yun Ye very generously taught you the iron smelting technique. It seemed foolish, but actually what a brilliant chess move! Just because we coveted the new iron smelting technique, we completely modified all the Zhangsun family’s iron smelting workshops. For a time, the quantity of iron smelted was a hundred times more than before. The Zhangsun family thus tasted sufficient sweetness. Unfortunately, these honeyed sweets all carried toxicity. Since embarking on the path of new-style iron smelting, the Zhangsun family has been constrained everywhere. Whenever the academy produces a new iron smelting technology, the Zhangsun family must purchase it once. Finally, when the Ministry of Works iron smelting workshop was established on the plateau, the end also arrived for our Zhangsun family’s iron smelting industry.”
“After ending the iron smelting business, your father didn’t step out of the house for three full days. After thinking back and forth, I discovered I had fallen for Yun Ye’s treacherous scheme. Back then, this father should have strangled the nascent iron smelting industry in its cradle. We had that ability and that opportunity. Unfortunately, greed was at work. Yun Ye didn’t first oppose the Zhangsun family, but generously gave us the secret formula. Who would strangle their own child? As a result, after this poisonous dragon grew up, it ultimately swallowed the Zhangsun family’s century-old foundation in one gulp.”
“Next, this father planned to borrow the hot air balloon. Who knew that shameless He Shao, relying on Yun Ye’s protection, once again opposed the Zhangsun family. Although hot air balloons are novel, in transporting goods they’re ultimately disturbed by weather, so our family failed once again. When this father wanted to move against He Shao, he fled far into the desert. After entering the desert, our Zhangsun family could only watch him live freely and had no methods against him, because the entire desert is Yun Ye’s domain. Calling him the King of the Northern Desert is not excessive at all—he just lacks the crown on his head.”
“Everyone says the Zhangsun family is a wealthy household of giants. After two business failures, who would know the Zhangsun family is left with only an empty shell? If your aunt hadn’t secretly provided assistance, the Zhangsun family’s joke would have already spread throughout the Great Tang.”
“Hehe, in doing business, the Zhangsun family was outmaneuvered by one move. Ultimately, it’s because our own abilities were insufficient, so this father accepts defeat wholeheartedly. Since the Zhangsun family isn’t cut out for business, then we’ll do something else. What are we most skilled at? Of course, political affairs!”
“Years ago, Lu Buwei once said: transporting grain has only double the profit, transporting gold, pearls, jade, and stones has thirty times the profit, but using people as commodities—who knows how many times the profit? Since this is so, we’ll use people as commodities.”
Zhangsun Chong listened in astonishment to these words his father spoke, thought through them from beginning to end, and said strangely: “Father, something’s not right. Lu Buwei transported Qin Yiren—it was only after Qin Yiren became emperor that he profited ten million. Our family assisted Li Zhi, but now Li Zhi is imprisoned in the Edict Prison and likely has no day of turning over. How does our family profit?”
Hearing his son ask this, Zhangsun Wuji looked up to the sky and laughed loudly, laughing extremely wantonly and heartily. After quite a while, he stood up and patted his son’s shoulder, saying: “Chong’er, Lu Buwei transported Qin Yiren selling the prospect that Qin Yiren would become emperor. That was a rising trend. Naturally, a rising tide lifts all boats, and the profit becomes more abundant. This father is selling Li Zhi—buying the falling trend. Naturally, the more miserable he is, the more benefits our family gets. Li Zhi is also not mediocre. The several people under his command are also selections of the time. They governed Jinyang to extraordinary wealth. After annihilating the wild people, all the wealth of the entire white mountains and black waters converged at the Prince of Jin’s mansion. And now, all this wealth is entirely in our family’s storerooms. Those storerooms had been empty for a very long time.”
“If it were only that wealth, it wouldn’t move this father’s heart. Even if the Zhangsun family is in deficit, it can still support this wealthy great household. We can obtain wealth, but don’t have an industry that can influence this country—that’s very wrong. Fortunately, this father discovered coal in Jinyang. This is this father’s true objective. In the future, the Zhangsun family can rely on coal for generations of wealth and honor. In the future, this thing will absolutely become a great industry. The so-called four necessities when opening the door are merely firewood, rice, oil, and salt. Don’t forget—firewood ranks first.”
“As for other benefits, you’ve also seen them. From the Crown Prince’s attitude toward us these past days, haven’t you sensed the omen that the Zhangsun family will become even more prosperous?”
After hearing his father’s words, Zhangsun Chong suddenly understood. He rose and gave his father a deep bow without rising to show his admiration.
No one heard these words except Zhangsun Chong. Perhaps the two wealthy swallows under the eaves heard, but they didn’t care. They chirped a few times and hurriedly flew into the fields where the wheat had already turned yellow. Some diligent farmers were harvesting.
The busy farming season had arrived. No matter how unwilling, the Yun family members still had to join this great army. Zhangsun had already left three days ago. As the Empress, every year at this time, after the Emperor finished harvesting wheat, she still had to lead palace maids to glean wheat stalks.
The sesame Yun Ye planted had also ripened—actually, it was somewhat overripe. Many pods had already split open, the sesame inside falling out. However, this year there were many hands for harvesting sesame. The children all had much more strength than the previous two years. With the addition of Li Rong and his wife, it became very quick. In one morning, they cleanly harvested the sesame from this field. Liu Jinbao, whose injuries had healed, drove the horse cart back and forth transporting to the threshing ground.
The scorching sun of Guanzhong in the sixth month was intensely hot. Standing under the sun for a while would turn one bright red and cause skin to peel. Yun Ye now looked no different from a farmer. His face had already peeled from sunburn, and both arms were burnt red to black by the sun. Walking barefoot on the scalding road, jumping from time to time, wearing a bamboo hat on his head, only a pair of shorts below, followed by Wang Cai and his two sons. Liu Jinbao wore a bamboo hat and had become so dark his eyebrows and eyes were indistinguishable. Seeing a well, they would rush over, draw up a bucket of cool water—not to quench thirst, but just to covet that pitiful bit of coolness from the well water.
In the distance, they saw a willow grove. The grove was full of farmers lying down. Noon was simply not a time when people could move about. When Wang Cai reached here, he absolutely refused to walk into the sunny area again. Yun Ye simply found some wheat straw, spread it on the ground, put the bamboo hat over his head, and also began to sleep. Li Rong and Yun Shou had long been impatient and naturally followed suit. Wang Cai lay beside Yun Ye and actually wanted to pillow his head on Yun Ye’s leg, but was kicked away by the irritably hot Yun Ye. Only then did he helplessly place his big head on the ground.
Liu Jinbao crouched sitting on the ground, standing guard for the Marquis and young marquises. However, when the snores of the father and three sons sounded, the unbearable Liu Jinbao drooled and toppled sideways to the ground, sleeping deeply…
The earth suddenly shook. This was cavalry. Out of professional habit, Yun Ye rolled up immediately. Yun Shou also woke up, and Liu Jinbao had already drawn his blade.
Li Rong wasn’t quite accustomed to it, so he was the last to become alert. Dust filled the main road. Liu Jinbao glanced at the dust and said to Yun Ye: “My lord, five hundred cavalry!”
“Oh!” Yun Ye nodded. This didn’t violate regulations. Although somewhat arrogant, it was acceptable. So he planned to continue sleeping. Having such a large cavalry force in Chang’an was rare but not unheard of.
Today they went to the new estate to thank the tenant farmers who had paid rent. The father and three sons had walked almost twenty li—very strenuous. When thanking farmers’ households, one should look like a farmer. Wearing silk and satin and riding horses—that’s not going to thank people, that’s going to seize their daughters.
Li Er also felt very apologetic toward the Yun family, so he granted two estates in one breath, which were actually congratulatory gifts for Yun Shou and Li Rong. Currently, estates near Chang’an weren’t being sold by anyone at all. No matter what price you got one for, it counted as profit. Yet the Emperor granted the Yun family two at once. And the Yun family didn’t even submit a memorial of thanks.
A false alarm. Just as the father and three sons were preparing to continue sleeping, those cavalry actually also squeezed into the grove. The neighing of men and horses made it impossible to sleep.
The common people of Guanzhong were originally not to be trifled with. If they came in to cool off, no one would speak. If horses whinnied twice, no one would make a sound—after all, those were beasts. But people laughing heartily and deliberately speaking loudly—that showed lack of upbringing. Especially the burly man leading them, pointing at the farmers in the grove and loudly shouting for everyone to scram—they wanted to requisition this grove.
What Chang’an people feared least was military troops from other places. Especially hearing their Hebei accent, they were even more contemptuous. Not one person moved. The bold ones even spat. In Chang’an, it wasn’t outsiders’ turn to act mighty.
Yun Ye recognized the leader—Wang Xiaojie, holding a Zhongwu General title. This time in suppressing Jinyang, he was reportedly the one who struck, striking very ruthlessly. It was said this trip to the capital was to receive rewards.
Wang Xiaojie was imposing in Hebei. Returning to Chang’an, he only wanted to find a grove to rest, but unexpectedly people ignored him. Greatly enraged, he had soldiers use whips to drive all the common people away. It proceeded very smoothly. The common people fleeing in panic was laughable to watch. However, just as the whip was about to fall on the Minister of War’s head, his nose received a heavy punch from a dark, sturdy young fellow.