Chapter 58 I Want the Qualification of a Royal Merchant "My third brother is bullying me."...
After saying this, Zhong Jun waited for his new third uncle to ask him questions, but Mu Chuan really had nothing to ask.
The emperor and the retired emperor are both doing well, and he has no political enemies, so what else is there to ask? What does the emperor like to eat?
It doesn't matter what the emperor liked to eat before; what matters is that he will like to eat the food that Mu Chuan presents to him in the future.
The two stared at each other for a while before Zhong Jun couldn't help but laugh: "Third Uncle, now that I've recognized a third uncle, I can say I have a home now."
"Don't let your father hear you say that."
"My third uncle doesn't know what kind of person my father is?" Zhong Jun sighed. "My father has two brothers, and he's the second oldest. In the end, they sent him to serve in the military. What else can be said about that?"
That still sounds a bit resentful.
"He's still a good person after all." Mu Chuan had been on good terms with the eunuch before, so he could roughly understand what the eunuch wanted. "Don't worry, I'll make sure he finds another wife soon and then give you an adopted son."
Zhong Jun laughed, and his laugh truly resembled that of a carefree young man in his early twenties.
Mu Chuan's eyes immediately looked puzzled. They were both in their twenties, so how did he become the third uncle?
"Your precious child should have been redeemed by now, right?"
Mu Chuan asked frankly, and Zhong Jun naturally wasn't embarrassed at all: "Well, he's a senior eunuch after all. Junior eunuchs have to spend money, but senior eunuchs' things are delivered personally by the eunuchs in the bathhouse, and they even have to choose an auspicious day."
Mu Chuan laughed and said, "I have an idea for you. You should have your father keep that thing. Your father is only in his early forties, in good health, and at the prime of his life. Having him keep an eye on it is not only appropriate, but it will also encourage him to do something worthwhile."
Zhong Jun laughed as well: "Third Uncle is right. No wonder His Majesty speaks only of praise for Third Uncle."
"I don't deserve Your Majesty's praise; it's all just my duty," Mu Chuan said politely. "However, since you have this connection, I'd like to find your father a new job. He's currently working as a handyman at Chongwen Gate, earning about a thousand taels of silver a year. It used to seem like a lot, but compared to you, it's not enough."
"Uncle, you're too kind. The tax office at Chongwen Gate is the most lucrative position in the capital. The fact that you were able to get my father a job there shows that you truly consider him a brother. If you want me to do anything, just say so."
"I want to obtain the qualification of a royal merchant, mainly to facilitate the import and export of goods. I won't lie to you, the goods that come back from Pingnan Town every year are getting more and more expensive. Whether they are branded with my name or the name of the Marquis of Dingnan, it's fine, but the quantity is too large and it will inevitably arouse jealousy. I need to diversify the risks and have multiple burrows. As for the money, I will definitely try to earn as much as possible, and I still have so many subordinates."
In Mu Chuan's view, the most valuable thing about imperial merchants was not their nominal positions in the Ministry of Revenue and the Imperial Household Department, their acquaintances with eunuchs, or the fact that the emperor used their goods; these were all superficial.
What's truly valuable is that you don't need to be inspected when crossing customs, you don't need to pay taxes when crossing bridges, and you can even use rest stops along the way.
Especially at post stations, while the conditions might not be the best, security was guaranteed. Unless someone was truly brainless or plotting a rebellion and wanting to fire the first shot, no bandit would be foolish enough to rob a post station, nor would anyone attempt to steal the emperor's belongings.
So he really doesn't understand how the Xue family ended up like this?
That's a royal merchant's brand; they can't lose money doing anything with it.
Mu Chuan then told Zhong Jun about the current progress: "I am on good terms with Bai Zhong and originally wanted to ask him to handle it, but I haven't mentioned it yet. Since you call me Third Uncle, I'll ask him first if this matter is easy to handle."
Zhong Jun thought for a moment and said, "This matter should be handled by Bai Zhong. It's not that I can't handle it, but my official rank is too high. The eunuchs in the Imperial Household Department may have money, but they lack a lot of power. If I were to handle this for my third uncle, it would be more noticeable. It's not a difficult matter; my third uncle can just tell him."
"Then I'm relieved. I'll get Bai Zhong a house later, and he'll be my official contact."
Zhong Jun clearly understood what he meant: "I'll still call you General Jun when we get out."
As the two were talking, Dou Changzong finished ordering the meal and brought over a pot of soup.
"Miao'er, try this nourishing chicken soup first. There's also ginseng, cordyceps, and lingzhi. Look how thin you are."
Zhong Jun didn't stand on ceremony. After his father served him chicken soup, he took a couple of bites and then gasped, "Dad, how much ginseng did you put in this? I can't taste any chicken flavor at all."
Mu Chuan, skeptical, also took a sip.
"Tsk tsk, old Dou, it's a good thing I didn't let you be the head of the household back then."
Dou Changzong chuckled twice: "When Physician Wang first came, didn't he say that he had cuts on his body, which meant he was losing vital energy? Ginseng is a great tonic for vital energy, Miao'er, you should eat more of it."
"That was when the wound hadn't healed yet," Mu Chuan said irritably. "Go and add two more chickens, the smell is too strong. You're going to suffocate my nephew."
This time, Dou Changzong called someone to take the things away, sat to one side watching his son, laughed twice and then sighed, sighed and laughed twice more.
Mu Chuan said, "When he goes to the Northern Camp to supervise the army, I will stew ginseng, cordyceps and lingzhi for him to eat every day."
Dou Changzong nodded and said, "The general is right. It is indeed not convenient to bring him things back. It would be inconvenient in the palace."
But now that you mention it, Mu Chuan is reminded of something he could ask.
Do you know Lin Ruhai?
Upon hearing this, Dou Changzong chuckled twice. Zhong Jun tentatively asked, "That Lin Ruhai of Miss Lin? His Majesty did mention him a couple of times."
Mu Chuan nodded. What could he be embarrassed about? Embarrassed about getting married? Then you might as well stay single.
"It is indeed Lord Lin. Is there some misunderstanding between him and His Majesty? He shouldn't be so cold."
Zhong Jun thought for a moment: "I was supervising the army outside at the time, and I only heard about it afterward. Don't believe everything, Uncle. Just get the gist of it. It's about His Majesty's feeling that Lin Ruhai should submit a memorial to His Majesty before he died. But from the time Lin Ruhai fell ill until his death, which lasted almost a year, it seemed like he was wary of His Majesty. I heard that he submitted two memorials in total, one when he was unable to handle affairs and the other recommending a successor to His Majesty."
"If it were a favored minister, submitting only two memorials would indeed chill His Majesty's heart."
“Who can disagree?” Zhong Jun agreed. “That’s just the way our Emperor is. Later, some eunuchs guessed that Lin Ruhai was afraid that his family property would fall into the wrong hands. If His Majesty really sent someone there, and he died, he would only have a daughter who was just over ten years old left, who would be completely at the mercy of others. His family has held the title for four generations, but they are not a large and prosperous family. The family property has always been inherited by his branch of the family, and he also served as the Salt Commissioner of Lianghuai for six years.”
Zhong Jun lowered his voice: "Back then, the retired emperor didn't like the emperor very much, and the two fought fiercely. There were indeed rumors that the emperor was short of money."
Mu Chuan nodded knowingly, thinking that if that were the case, it would be quite easy to overturn the verdict, and he would know where to start.
Zhong Jun sat up straight again: "Bai Zhong, whom Third Uncle recruited, is considered one of the more favored eunuchs around the Emperor. Quan Furen and I are in the first tier around His Majesty. There are seven or eight second-tier eunuchs, and probably less than twenty others whose names His Majesty can remember. That's all. Bai Zhong was originally one of those twenty-odd, but Third Uncle mentioned him to His Majesty a few times, and now he's in the second tier."
"However, Bai Zhong will have to wait if he wants to advance further. Quan Furen is highly trusted by His Majesty, and he—to put it this way, when I first entered the palace two years ago, Dai Quan was still the chief eunuch. An egg in the palace cost two taels of silver, sometimes five taels, and never less than one tael. Now that Quan Furen is the chief eunuch, an egg in the palace costs less than one hundred coins."
Although one hundred coins could buy a laying hen outside the palace, one hundred coins for an egg was still quite a bargain in a place like the palace.
Mu Chuan nodded: "If he has this idea, I will definitely try to dissuade him. Don't worry, I understand. It's normal for him to want to take down the people above and move up himself, but before he takes action, he should think about who his opponents and allies are, whether there are enough vacant positions, and so on. Besides, if he already has this idea now, then I should distance myself from him instead."
Zhong Jun chuckled twice: "Third Uncle is right. Actually, His Majesty isn't satisfied with Eunuch Quan in every way. I don't know if Eunuch Quan wants His Majesty to be a lonely ruler or a high-ranking official. He always says things like, 'You can't eat five bites of a dish, you can't let your subjects know your preferences,' and 'Even when you go to the harem, you have to treat everyone equally,' and so on."
“That’s pointless,” Mu Chuan said. “Even the emperor isn’t like that. Who doesn’t want to live a comfortable life? Does he have to be so strict about which concubine he sleeps with?”
"So in less than two years, Eunuch Quan will have to retire to the second line. Actually, I also have a godson in the Imperial Study. Eunuch Quan served in the Imperial Study for forty-one days less this year than last year. No, it was last year and the year before. It's only the New Year, so he hasn't gotten used to it yet."
Judging from his subtle arrogance, Mu Chuan understood what he meant.
"How are things between you and Bai Zhong? Once Eunuch Quan comes down, the person going up will have to cooperate well with you."
Although Dou Changzong still couldn't keep up, he could tell that his son was being mysterious: "Speak properly to your third uncle, and don't show off."
"Ahem." Mu Chuan waved his hand. "This is necessary communication; you don't understand."
Dou Changzong muttered to himself, "Isn't it better to speak frankly?"
Zhong Jun chuckled twice: "I'll try Bai Zhong later. Actually, whoever succeeds Eunuch Quan will have to live in his shadow, and there might be ups and downs. If Bai Zhong is capable, we can recommend someone else first, and then call Bai Zhong when His Majesty has gotten over Eunuch Quan's influence."
With that, the food arrived, and the three of them ate together at the table. The ginseng soup, which hadn't contained a single drop of chicken broth, finally started to taste like chicken.
Mu Chuan said, "You know what my image is now. After all, the military is meticulous. You can say whatever you want about the rest."
Although Dou Changzong was a little out of touch, he still chimed in, "Just tell me what you want to eat, and I'll have them make it for you."
After the meal, Mu Chuan saw Zhong Jun out and gave him a large red envelope: "New Year's money, New Year's money for the twenty-fifth year."
It's so thick that even the outer skin is about to burst open.
Zhong Jun took it and squeezed it a couple of times, then laughed, "The small one was easy to take back, but this one is really hard to carry. If someone sees us, I can't very well say that Zhongyongbo and I have both gone mad, can I?" He handed the large red envelope to Dou Changzong, "Father, please keep this for me."
Mu Chuan then gave him the smaller one: "I'll take you to the stables."
Zhong Jun, unaware of the situation, went with him to the stable.
"This is the same breed as my horse, and it will be two years old in three months. It can start training at any time. I originally wanted to give His Majesty a heads-up, but I'm giving you the chance now."
It's difficult to say anything about an emperor's personality, but in fact, letting the emperor know that you have something good and letting him guess when you will give it to him, and then presenting it to him after two or three months, is more effective than giving him a surprise directly.
Everyone in the palace knows that the emperor is sensitive, suspicious, and a bit... pretentious, but only the Earl of Zhongyong dares to and can make the most of this personality trait.
Zhong Jun sighed: "Third Uncle... I'll listen to you from now on."
After sending Zhong Jun back, Mu Chuan turned around and saw that Dou Changzong's eyes were red again.
“I didn’t think he was still alive. I… I’m sorry to him. His mother was in poor health after giving birth to him and died within two years. Later… I thought he was dead.”
Mu Chuan patted him heavily on the shoulder: "Treat him well in the future. I'll go see Lord Qi in a couple of days. Your squad leader is called... Liu Liu. You come with me to the military camp first. Once the imperial merchant plaque is issued, you'll be part of the Dou family, an imperial merchant family. It's normal for an imperial merchant like you to be on good terms with eunuchs."
"Thank you, General." Dou Changzong nodded while wiping away his tears. "I will do as you say."
"How's that young widow who sells soup dumplings that you mentioned last time?" Mu Chuan asked again. "She's almost settled down, and now she has someone at home who cares about her."
"Well, what else can I do? I go to her house for soup dumplings every few days. Her parents agree, and she hasn't given me a hard time. Her daughter, on the other hand, is quite timid, as if she's afraid I'll hit her, but she doesn't dare to say anything."
Mu Chuan nodded: "When you go back next time, tell her that you will treat her daughter well, that your family has money, and that raising a daughter is nothing. Also tell her parents that you will find a good family for her to marry into nearby in the future, so that she will have another relative. That's all."
Dou Changzong nodded repeatedly, but then felt something was off: "I've only known you for less than two months, General. How long have you known me? Can I trust what you've taught me?"
"Heh." Mu Chuan sneered, "Let's go, to the training ground, let me see if your fist techniques have improved!"
Meanwhile, Zhong Jun had returned to the palace and first went to the imperial study to see the emperor.
“I told Lord Zhongyong.” Zhong Jun reported calmly, “Lord Zhongyong invited me to stay for dinner, and he can eat three chickens in one meal.”
Upon hearing this, the emperor laughed and said, "You have a keen eye for detail."
Zhong Jun hesitated for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty, I have observed that the Marquis of Zhongyong has a knack for managing the army. Therefore, he did not go into too much detail about some things, but only said what should be done. I think that once he is in charge of the Northern Camp, if there are any inappropriate things, we can revise them one by one."
"I trust you with this matter," the emperor reassured him. "The general is the Earl of Loyalty and Bravery, and you are the supervisor. I only need to see the outcome."
"Yes!" Zhong Jun replied decisively. "This servant also saw the servants of the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence walking their horses. They seem to be the same breed as the Marquis of Zhongyong's big horse, but they are still young. There are six of them in total. Although they are still young horses, they already have a graceful bearing, which is quite enviable. Why don't we ask the Marquis of Zhongyong to present two of them?"
The emperor frowned, and his voice became awkward: "A gentleman does not take what others cherish, let alone me? You are not allowed to say such things again."
Zhong Jun apologized and withdrew, but couldn't help but mutter: "Third Uncle, Third Uncle."
Upon leaving the Imperial Study, Zhong Jun encountered Bai Zhong.
Zhong Jun rarely showed a smile, and Bai Zhong felt a chill run down his spine. The reason was simple: the two were of vastly different social standing.
It's normal for Eunuch Zhong to glare at him, but it's a problem if he smiles.
"Eunuch Bai." Zhong Jun called out in the distinctive tone of a eunuch, thinking to himself that this man didn't look like much. Why was his third uncle looking for him and not him?
"Master Zhong," Bai Zhong bowed respectfully, "I have only just—"
Zhong Jun interrupted him: "You must not reveal your whereabouts." Then he left.
Bai Zhong breathed a sigh of relief and went to the Imperial Study to report.
In the afternoon, Mu Chuan arranged for another truckload of goods to be sent back to Linjia Village to support his mother Huang Guihua's "show-off" business. Then he went to the Sixth Ministry to take a look and took the opportunity to pass on a message to Li Taijiu.
Although Lee Tae-gu didn't ask any more questions, his expression was clearly a little strange.
After all, the source of such secretive information is obvious.
It was either one of the eunuchs who served the emperor personally, or it was the emperor who told him himself.
If His Majesty said it himself, then it was a reminder to him; but if it was from before—he had indeed become arrogant lately.
Li Taijiu bowed respectfully to Mu Chuan, saying, "I cannot express my gratitude for your great kindness."
The fifteenth day of the first lunar month was the first morning court session of the year. To be honest, the morning court sessions in the Great Wei Dynasty were already quite humane, with only six sessions a month, and they all started at Chen Shi (7-9 AM).
But yawns continued to rise and fall in the court. Everyone knew that this thing was contagious, until even the emperor sitting on the high platform yawned, and then it was all over.
The emperor chuckled twice: "There's nothing else, let's adjourn the court."
The emperor left first, and Li Taijiu came over and cupped his fists to Mu Chuan, saying, "It would be better if the general stood in front of me."
Mu Chuan laughed and said, "Even if I block you, you are still being disrespectful in front of the emperor."
One of the military officers joked, "In the future, when selecting officials in the capital, we should add a requirement of being tall. After a few rounds, there will surely be someone who can stop me."
Mu Chuan then flattered, "I'm afraid that's difficult. Who can stand in front of the general?"
The first court assembly was basically just for everyone to chat. Mu Chuan greeted a few people he knew, and then went to tell Lord Qi about the change of personnel. That was about it.
In the Rongguo Mansion, Lin Daiyu was very happy from the moment she got up. Her steps were exceptionally light as she went to pay her respects to Grandmother Jia. Even when she learned that Jia Baoyu was still ill, she was not sad at all.
"What did the Marquis of Zhongyong ask him to do?" Madam Wang was secretly angry. That's right, she didn't dare to be sarcastic or mocking now.
"What else could I do? I just assumed a horse stance, a high horse stance, for only four or five breaths, no more than that." Lin Daiyu smiled, "Baoyu couldn't hold it for long either."
Although she could tell from the sarcastic tone, Lin Daiyu showed no impatience and her face remained smiling.
I don't know why Madam Wang got even angrier.
"Second Aunt, instead of asking me, you should ask his maid, or even Baoyu, or the imperial physician who treated him. What would I possibly know?"
That's how it's always been; if anything happens at the Grand View Garden, even if it's just about not studying, they can blame it on her.
Is it her fault?
She even finished reading the Four Books.
Lin Daiyu's words made her feel better, and no one in the room dared to breathe loudly anymore.
"Alright," Grandmother Jia said in a deep voice, then gently comforted Lin Daiyu, "Baoyu is sick, and your second aunt is worried. She has only met with the Earl of Zhongyong, an outsider, so it's inevitable that she will ask a few more questions."
Lin Daiyu said "oh" but was still a little unwilling, the kind of unwillingness that comes from "I can only talk about my third brother, why do you have the right to say anything about him?"
“I’ve seen him many times, and his health is getting better every day. Baoyu has been sick quite often before, so why do you only think that the Earl of Zhongyong has a problem?”
Madam Wang's expression began to contort.
Lin Daiyu quickly tried to salvage the situation, saying, "Grandmother, should we still ask him to go to the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence tomorrow?"
Grandmother Jia hesitated for a moment: "What do you think?"
"Let's go after all." Otherwise, this excuse would be too ineffective. "Don't let Uncle Zhongyong think we're making excuses. Uncle Zhongyong isn't an unreasonable person. He saw that he was sick, so he naturally called him back. If Second Aunt is worried, shall I go with you?"
Madam Wang chuckled twice: "There's nothing to worry about."
Lin Daiyu sighed, "I haven't been to the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion yet."
"Let's eat!" Grandmother Jia stood up, then changed to a less harsh tone, "Today is the Lantern Festival, the day for eating glutinous rice balls. I asked them to prepare twelve kinds of fillings."
Lin Daiyu readily stood up and asked, "Do you have meat?"
Yes, we have them all!
After having a very satisfying breakfast, everyone returned to Grandmother Jia's room.
Before Wang Xifeng could mention the arrangements for the Lantern Festival, Lin Daiyu said directly, "I'm going to see the lanterns with Uncle Zhongyong tonight."
Grandmother Jia gasped. How dare she laugh?
Seeing the incredulous looks on everyone's faces, Lin Daiyu said coquettishly, "Grandmother, I want to see the lanterns. My father and mother used to take me there when I was little. I've been in the capital for over ten years, and I've never seen the lanterns before."
Grandmother Jia's smile froze, and her voice became even more stiff: "In our family—"
“The Earl of Zhongyong has made all the arrangements. We can even go up to the city wall. I heard that the view from the city wall is particularly clear.”
Everyone in the room was staring at Grandmother Jia. Grandmother Jia didn't know what expression she was making, whether she was smiling or not: "Bring two more maids and servants."
"I know." Lin Daiyu picked up her teacup again and took two sips.
The room was quiet for a moment, then suddenly a cacophony of voices erupted, as if everyone was embarrassed and grabbing the person next to them to talk, while glancing at her every now and then.
Some people envied, some were jealous, and some just stared blankly.
Wang Xifeng chuckled twice and said, "It's a pity my sister doesn't have the chance to see them. Many of our lanterns this year were specially ordered from Lantern Plum's shop. They're wonderful."
"They probably won't just hang it up for one day, will they?" Lin Daiyu readily agreed. "Sister Feng told them to hang it up for another day, so I'll take a look too."
Wang Xifeng smiled and agreed.
After chatting for a few more minutes, everyone got up to say goodbye. For some unknown reason, Grandmother Jia suddenly said, "There's a banquet and a play tonight, so come early."
Everyone agreed and walked outside.
Shi Xiangyun mustered her courage and asked, "Sister Lin, are you really not going to stay and listen to the opera?"
Lin Daiyu chuckled: "You love that your brother is sick, so he can't listen to the opera."
Shi Xiangyun immediately wilted.
Lin Daiyu felt she had gone astray. This way of refuting, which hit the bullseye, was hard to guess who had instigated her to do it.
Upon entering the Grand View Garden, at the first intersection, Lin Daiyu turned left. Tan Chun glanced at her retreating figure and suddenly remarked, "I'm actually a little envious."
Shi Xiangyun no longer dared to bring up the Princess of Nan'an, and simply said, "There's nothing to see here."
“There are lanterns at night too,” Xue Baochai said with a smile. “Although it’s not as lively as the streets, it’s more comfortable to play with just the sisters. The empress in the palace even gives us rewards. We can also write some poems and make her envious when we get back.”
If she hadn't mentioned composing poems, Yingchun and Xichun would have been fine. But as soon as she brought it up, Yingchun said, "I wonder what gifts the Empress in the palace will bestow this year, and whose will be the same as Baoyu's?"
Xi Chun sighed, "Anyway, it's not with me."
Xue Baochai's face turned cold, and she said with a forced smile, "How boring."
Back at Xiaoxiang Pavilion, Lin Daiyu first asked her maid to prepare the clothes she would wear that evening. Zijuan was very worried and said, "Miss, perhaps you shouldn't go out? What if you run into a swindler tonight... Xiangling next door was swindled by a swindler."
"Don't talk nonsense." Xueyan should retort a few words now. "Have you ever met the Marquis of Zhongyong? Who would dare to kowtow to him in front of him? Wouldn't they be slapped into the wall?"
Lin Daiyu laughed: "Since Zijuan is afraid, she shouldn't go out tonight. Xueyan will come with her."
Just after noon, Mu Chuan arrived at the Rongguo Mansion. Lin Daiyu was already waiting in the warm pavilion. When she saw him, she came out with a smile and said, "Third Brother."
Mu Chuan looked her up and down: "Your clothes are nice today, the colors are bright, and it'll be easy to find you when it gets dark."
Lin Daiyu then looked him up and down, just like him: "Third Brother, your clothes aren't bright at all. You probably wouldn't be able to find them if you hid in the night."
Mu Chuan chuckled twice: "With my height, you still need to recognize me by my color?"
She had been tricked by him. Lin Daiyu snorted, "Third Brother is bullying me."
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