Giving & Receiving (2)

The entrance to Qi Xiang's study was a T-shaped corridor, with a vertical corridor leading to the end, where a large wooden fish was embedded in the wall, with a wooden hammer hanging beside it. Whether it was sending tea, sending water, or reporting messages, one had to knock on the wooden fish to signal him first. The horizontal corridor was about fifty steps long, with a book room on the left and the guest tea room on the right, all in dark wood tones. Because Qi Xiang liked quiet, the windows were rarely opened, so the natural light was insufficient. The whole corridor had a feeling of dimness and heaviness. People who were not steady enough would feel uneasy walking on the thick wooden floor, as if they were wandering souls.

Qi Qingzheng was certainly not steady enough, so he felt a little guilty as soon as he entered, inadvertently tiptoeing and not daring to make any noise.

Qi Xiang was in the tea room, with a wooden door slightly ajar, apparently not expecting anyone to disturb him.

Father's voice became clearer and clearer, and Qi Qingzheng's courage dwindled.

—"Dong Gong, rest assured, the He family will never know about this meeting."

—"Yes, yes, the strict defense of the Qi Mansion is well-known throughout the world. How could I not know? Hehe, Master Qi, my concern is not about this."

Qi Qingzheng was about to knock on the door when he put his hand down again—it was just too inappropriate. To barge in like this, Father would definitely be angry. It would be better to go back to the wooden fish and tap it.

But as he turned around and took a few steps, inexplicably, he turned back again? The He family? He had only interacted with He Peiyu. He knew that the He family was a prestigious military family. How did Father view the He family? Eavesdropping always yielded more information than direct inquiries.

He leaned in to listen carefully—

"Welcoming of the emperor's return to the court this time is a big deal. The sixteen families should serve each other. The Chu family's fiefdom occupies the world's granary. With this amount...what worries does Mr. Dong have?"

"Hey, Master Qi, I'm afraid that's not quite appropriate, is it? The Chu family's financial resources have never been cut off for thirty years, even in times of war and natural disasters, we've never delayed. Look at the sixteen families, is there a second family like this? However... it's not our family's responsibility to welcome the Emperor's return. It's unreasonable for me to fetch supplies from thousands of miles away when there's a granary untouched in Changxiang City."

"Dong Gong, why bother? The granary is for military use; it's an ancient rule not to use it unless necessary. Welcoming the Emperor's return requires enormous expenditure, and the expenses have been jointly agreed upon by our sixteen families. Now that the palace is newly completed and the treasury is empty, I've already managed to scrape together all the available funds. The remaining deficit can only be covered by advancing next year's tribute. With His Majesty's journey already halfway, only the Xie, Chu, and He families can provide supplies within half a month."

"Then let's split it equally among the three families, without question from the Chu family."

"Dong Gong, you also know—five years ago, the Lushi family in Jiangdong lent thirty thousand stones of autumn grain, nine thousand stones of seeds, and one million gold yuan to relieve the urgent situation in Changxiang City. It was all repaid by the Xie family."

"What about the He family then?"

"We don't even need to mention the He family. There have been some incidents near Mulan Prefecture in recent years—"

"Master Qi, that's exactly what I've been waiting to hear! Let me ask Master Qi, what does it have to do with my family if those serfs rebel in Mulan Prefecture?"

"How can you say it has nothing to do with other families when serfs rebel?"

"The rebellion of the slaves started in the Chu River Valley. Chu River Valley—that's originally the Chu family's fief. Thirty years ago, just before the war, the He family, being a military family, asked the late emperor for the exclusive rights to salt and iron. The emperor granted their request. The He family started mining, and eventually extended their operations into the Chu River Valley. Over time, the Chu River Valley came to be jointly managed by our two families, and we had no objection. But what happened next? Twenty years ago, the He family colluded with the Li family to conduct a profitable, risk-free deal, resulting in the Chu River Valley falling under their control. The valley and its ice mines became theirs, and the 200,000 people in the Chu River Valley essentially became the Li family's slaves. Prime Minister, bringing up old grievances is usually not appropriate, but my grandfather advised General He numerous times back then. He warned that although the He family discovered the ice mines in the Chu River Valley first and we couldn't develop them, they should go ahead, but the people of the valley should not be moved. Any disturbance would inevitably lead to disaster. Did he listen? He agreed wholeheartedly, but within a month, those 200,000 people were branded, and their deeds of sale were filed away—irrevocably. And didn't trouble arise within five years? Prime Minister, we can't control what the He family does, but it's unreasonable to say that after they took our land and people, causing trouble, we should be responsible for providing the grain and paying the reparations. Don't you agree?"

"Lord Dong, your point is valid, and everyone knows the He family's actions were unethical. But this issue dates back to before the war, and the late emperor approved it. Now that half the He family has died for the country, those responsible are no longer around. Justice...might be hard to attain!"

"Whether we can achieve justice is another matter. But if you have the intention of seeking justice for the Chu family, the Chu family naturally intends to reciprocate."

"Justice for the Chu family is something I've always remembered. But Lord Dong, even if the Chu River Valley is reclaimed, do you think the He family would let it go? The Chu family might end up with an empty valley and a hostile neighbor for generations, making it hardly worth the trouble."

"Hahaha, Prime Minister, you're being disingenuous. What you fear is that the He family won't let you off easily, right? I have an idea—" 

Lord Dong didn't continue, and Qi Qingzheng peeked in, seeing him dip his finger in tea and draw something on the table.

"Hahaha, the Chu family wants to open a trade route. Do you mean you have a business plan?"

"Prime Minister, you jest."

"But the Chu River is no ordinary river. Its rapids and hidden currents make small boats prone to capsizing, and large ships frequently run aground. Lord Dong, proposing this idea...you must have a plan?"

"Heh, I wouldn't deceive you, Prime Minister. The Eastern Prime Minister has developed a new type of ship with a flat deck and extended hold. It can withstand strong winds and waves, has a shallow draft, and carries a lot of cargo. Recently, my uncle sent someone to inquire about it, and they are willing to sell this technology. For an initial payment of thirty percent, they will provide the blueprints, shipbuilders, and teach us how to build the ships. The final payment will be made once our ships are launched and the trade route is open."

"It's a good deal. But Lord Dong, don't you worry about doing business with the Eastern Prime Minister? I fear their interest might not just be in trade, but in the Chu River itself."

"Haha, Prime Minister, you underestimate the Chu family. We are well aware of such tricks. But once the ships are launched and the trade route is open, those shipbuilders won't be able to return to Qingcheng. The Chu River's rapids can easily claim a few lives, right? We've thoroughly considered this deal. It's highly profitable for the Chu family, and not detrimental to the He family. You won't need to mediate; just nod your approval, and I'll handle the negotiations with the He family."

"Hmm...Lord Dong, allow me to think this over."

"No rush, Prime Minister. Today, I'm just conveying my uncle's thoughts. After I return, I'll send a fast letter to consult with him about your instructions for grain distribution."

"Lord Dong, since the Chu family is planning a trade route, have you decided on the locations for the ports and docks along the way?"

"We have, and we were hoping for your guidance. Do you have a complete map of the area?"

"Please, follow me. It's just next door."

In the tea room, the two men stood up simultaneously. Qi Qingzheng, eavesdropping outside the door, was startled, his nose covered in sweat. He couldn't fully understand what his father and the guest were discussing, but it seemed confidential. Since it was confidential, anyone standing by the door would surprise the guest and anger his father. He was in a dilemma. In his panic, he noticed a recess on the roof beam that might just conceal him. Clumsily, he climbed up. As he was struggling to hide in the shadows, the wooden door creaked open, and Qi Qingzheng shrank back, dropping the booklet given by the lady teacher from Lanzhi Academy.

Luckily, the booklet fell just as the door opened. Qi Xiang and the guest came out, politely letting each other go first. The guest didn't notice anyone above. Qi Xiang bent down and picked up the booklet nonchalantly, as if he had accidentally dropped it himself.

The guest had sat for a long time and walked slowly. He probably knew that his conversation with Qi Xiang had involved some coercion. With a change of expression, he laughed, "Ah, my uncle mentioned last time while talking to Lord Hedong that he hadn't been to Changxiang City for nearly twenty years. When he last saw the Prime Minister, you were still a young and handsome man. This time, he must bring a gift for the Fifth Young Master."

Qi Xiang was slightly surprised, "Oh? Old Master Chu has met my elder brother?"

"How could the Prime Minister not know? Truly, important people forget many things. Last month, my uncle celebrated his seventieth birthday...the glazed screen from the Prime Minister is displayed in his room, seen daily."

"Haha, indeed, indeed. Well, I've been busy with state affairs, and it's been years since I've visited family elders or even seen my elder brother. But with the Emperor's return, everyone will get to meet."

"Yes. Lord Hedong has always been concerned about the Prime Minister. I heard that the Qi family has been frugal, not buying maids for many years. So, this time, I brought a hundred young girls, all carefully selected, as a gift for Madam—"

Qi Xiang stopped, "Lord Dong, what do you mean by this?"

The guest was obviously puzzled, "Isn't Madam arranging this, saying Chu women slaves are gentle and smart—"

Qi Xiang's face turned a bit red, "Lord Dong, my, my wife... did she...?"

The guest clapped his hands and laughed, "Ah, I understand now. Madam must have seen the Prime Minister busy with state affairs and took it upon herself to handle these minor matters. When my uncle celebrated his birthday, I mentioned that he, being elderly, wanted a slave skilled in music for company. Lord Hedong said there was one in the Qi family, named Jia Shou, unmatched in playing the six-stringed zither. Lord Hedong generously granted my uncle this favor. Haha, speaking of the Qi family's four slaves many households are envious. The He family tried to buy Jiafu but failed. When I told my uncle, he was thrilled, saying that even if the slave couldn't play the zither, it was worth it just to spite the He family! Later, Lord Hedong mentioned that Madam had been planning to buy a batch of Chu women slaves, and we should reciprocate. So, I agreed and carefully selected a hundred girls, had them trained by the best slave trainers in Changxiang City, and brought them here. Prime Minister, please inspect them."

"Oh... oh..." Qi Xiang finally snapped out of his daze, raising his hand to gesture, "Please."

Qi Qingzheng watched the two figures disappear into the doorway and hurriedly climbed down.

So, He De had gone to—

He didn't care about being light-footed anymore, his heart exploding with a bang as he rushed outside.