Chapter 183 Taking Money from Bookworms
The Changshi Mansion was a three-courtyard residence. The front courtyard was used for parking cars and sedan chairs, as well as for the gatekeeper's office and the living quarters of the servants. The second courtyard was the main hall, with a side courtyard on each side. Du Min's study was in the left side courtyard.
“Wangzhou’s bedroom is next to my study. He will live in Fenglin Courtyard from now on. This entire courtyard is his.” Du Min led his brother, sister-in-law and nephew into the house for a tour. “The courtyard on the other side of the main hall is called Qingzhu Courtyard. It’s still empty. Second sister-in-law and second brother, you can live there with Wangchuan. When Wangchuan grows up, you can move him here.”
Meng Qing nodded, "The arrangements are quite good."
“Caiwei and I, along with the maids from the manor, live in the back courtyard.” Du Min looked around. There were no servants in the courtyard, and Yin Caiwei hadn’t come with him. He said in a low voice, “You live in the second courtyard, and we live in the third courtyard. Although we live in the same manor, it’s almost like two separate families. If you don’t go to the back and she doesn’t come to the front, you’ll rarely run into each other.”
Du Li clicked her tongue. This bastard really never learns his lesson. "Alright, don't say things you shouldn't say."
Meng Qing pretended not to hear and walked to the well to look at the well curb. The peony flowers carved on the well curb were very beautiful.
Wang Zhou went to the bedroom and came out, saying, "I'll be scared to live alone in the courtyard at night."
“What are you afraid of? You’ve been sleeping in a paper horse shop since you were a child.” Meng Qing replied, “If there were ghosts or monsters, you would be dead long ago. If you’re afraid of thieves, you can rest assured that your third uncle’s mansion will not be broken into by thieves.”
Wang Zhou thought for a moment, "That makes sense."
"You can stay here. Don't even think about moving to Qingzhu Courtyard." Meng Qing dismissed Wang Zhou's little scheme. He was no longer a child, and if he lived in the same courtyard as her, she would have to be very careful about what she wore.
"I'll buy you a page in a few days and have him live here with you," Du Li said.
“…Alright.” Wang Zhou reluctantly agreed.
"Has your luggage been brought in?" Meng Qing asked.
Wang Zhou nodded, "They're all inside."
Meng Qing turned to Du Min and said, "You've been away from home for a long time. Go and keep Caiwei company. You don't need to stay here. When it's time for dinner, send someone to call her."
Du Min twirled the purse hanging from his waist and nodded in agreement.
Meng Qing and Du Li went into the house to tidy up Wang Zhou's room. The room was clean and the bed was covered with bedding. The couple took Wang Zhou out to put out his clothes and daily necessities, and then went back to Qingzhu Courtyard to tidy up their own residence.
As night fell, the whole family gathered in the main hall for a reunion dinner. After chatting for a while, they all went back to their respective courtyards to rest.
*
The next day.
At the end of Chen Shi (7-9 AM), Meng Qing, dressed appropriately, and Du Min set off in a carriage.
After a short while, the carriage stopped in the front courtyard of the governor's mansion. Meng Qing was immediately blinded by the bright light as she stepped out. She shielded her eyes with her hand, only then making out a four-horse carriage parked about ten feet away. The four horses, two white and two black, were muscular and exceptionally majestic; it was clear at a glance that these four horses, like Cui Biejia, possessed noble lineage. The saddles matched the horses' value perfectly, inlaid with magnificent gemstones, from which the blinding light emanated.
"Is this the governor's carriage?" Meng Qing asked.
“It belongs to my lady,” the attendant said. “Your Highness, Chief Secretary, this way please.”
The second courtyard was the government office, but even though it was late morning, the office was still deserted, and most of the guardhouses were still locked.
"Please take a seat and have some tea, I'll go and invite the governor over." The attendant escorted the man into Governor Xu's office and then left.
Meng Qing and Du Min waited for almost half an hour, until the sun was high in the sky, before Governor Xu finally dragged his fat body in.
"This humble official greets Your Excellency the Prefect." Du Min rose and bowed.
Meng Qing then stood up and said, "Meng Qing, the Lady of Wu Commandery, pays her respects to Governor Xu."
"No need for formalities, please sit down." Governor Xu waved his hand, and as soon as he sat down, servants immediately brought in two ice cauldrons.
Meng Qing's gaze lingered on the ice pot for a few moments. At twenty-eight years old, this was the first time she had ever seen ice in the summer.
"You're Lady Meng, aren't you? I heard of your name last year. A mere merchant's daughter caused such a stir in the court that the career paths of all the newly appointed scholars for the next twenty years will be rewritten because of you. You truly have some talent. I've been curious about you for a long time, and I thought we'd never meet, but I didn't expect you to come to Huai Prefecture." Governor Xu looked at Meng Qing and shook his head, saying, "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I really wouldn't believe that you're the Lady of Wu Prefecture. Your appearance doesn't match your methods."
Du Min frowned.
"If my looks matched my methods, I wouldn't be struggling in the marketplace," Meng Qing said with a smile.
Governor Xu couldn't help but think of the female sage in the imperial court. He glanced at Meng Qing and said, "What a sharp tongue she has."
"Prefect Xu seems quite dissatisfied with me?" Meng Qing asked bluntly. "Yesterday, upon arriving in Hanoi County, I was immediately ridiculed by Prefect Cui, who mocked me, saying that a mere merchant's daughter dared not bear the title of a county lady. Today, as I entered the Prefect's residence, I was immediately struck by the sight of your carriage. The horses pulling your carriage are clearly of noble lineage, which reminds me of Prefect Cui. My humble horse is of ordinary birth, feeling ashamed before such a fine horse, and looked down upon by it. No wonder Prefect Cui looks down on me. But why is Prefect Xu dissatisfied with me? I can't understand."
Governor Xu was taken aback, then burst into laughter, "How dare you! Aren't you afraid that the esteemed Prefect Cui will kick you?"
"I didn't say anything," Meng Qing said, shaking her head with a smile.
Governor Xu became increasingly amused by the thought, and he agreed, saying, "He's just a dissolute who has an advantage in bloodline."
Meng Qing breathed a sigh of relief; she had guessed correctly, and Prefect Xu and Vice Prefect Cui were indeed at odds.
"Bring in two fruit platters," Governor Xu instructed the maid fanning him from behind.
The maid responded, put down the brocade fan, and left.
"Why is Your Excellency dissatisfied with me?" Meng Qing asked again. "Is it related to Prime Minister Zheng?"
Governor Xu did not deny it, saying, "The female saint is truly magnanimous. You brought her a formidable enemy, and not only did she not behead you, she also bestowed upon you rewards one after another."
"I come from a merchant family, and Chief Secretary Du comes from a farming family. My sister-in-law and I come from Suzhou, far from Chang'an. We had no idea about the intricacies of the court. It wasn't until this year, when Chief Secretary Du was promoted to Chief Secretary and I was granted the title of Lady of the County, that the Du family finally stepped into the ranks of the commoner aristocracy. With our background, we were completely lost when we arrived in Chang'an. We chased after whoever was kind to us." Meng Qing didn't hold back in belittling herself. "Now that we've come to this point, we regret that we met Prime Minister Zheng back in Chang'an, instead of Prime Minister Xu."
“I suppose the female saint understands this principle, which is why she didn’t hold it against us,” Du Min replied.
"Do you see it clearly now?" Governor Xu asked Du Min.
Du Min nodded.
"Three days ago, the Prefectural Governor's residence received a cartload of fine wine from Chang'an. Who sent it?" Governor Xu pressed.
“Prime Minister Zheng,” Du Min answered frankly, “he invited me to his promotion celebration banquet.”
"You two are still in contact? You seem to have a good relationship?" Governor Xu sneered. "What are you pretending for?"
"I understand your meaning, sir, but I do not have a father who is a prime minister, and I dare not antagonize Prime Minister Zheng. Besides, Prime Minister Zheng and I are on the same path, both serving the Tang imperial family loyally. Why should we become enemies?" Du Min pretended not to know the intentions of the Empress Dowager and Prime Minister Xu and his son. He was betting that Governor Xu would not dare to reveal that the Empress Dowager wanted to seize the Li family's throne. "Prime Minister Zheng's surname is Zheng, not Li. He comes from a prestigious family. Even if he does not obey the Empress Dowager's decrees, he still has to bow his head and serve the Empress Dowager. I also serve the Empress Dowager and am an official in the same court as Prime Minister Zheng. We are colleagues. Why should we turn against each other?"
Governor Xu choked, his face turning ashen as if he had eaten excrement, and he cursed him under his breath as an idiot.
Meng Qing glanced at Du Min and chimed in, "Even young children wouldn't fight with their former friends just because their parents are arguing. If we did something so lowly, we'd be worse than children. Besides, Prime Minister Zheng owes us a favor. If we turn against him, wouldn't we be losing more than we gain?"
Governor Xu lost his patience. "If this is your attitude, I have nothing more to say to you. Good luck to you in the future."
Du Min pulled a folded piece of paper from his sleeve, stood up and walked toward Governor Xu, "Please take a look."
Governor Xu glanced at him twice, and he unfolded the paper, reading it over and over again, the irritation between his brows suddenly dissipating.
"I know that you have to pay homage to whoever you serve, and this is my intention," Du Min said with a fawning smile. "Previously, in order to find a patron, I and Lady Meng offered up the free school. Now that we have switched allegiance, I am willing to offer you the paper mill."
Governor Xu beamed, "Are you sure the paper mill can make money?"
“My father-in-law is the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. I have written to him and made arrangements so that in the future, the schools in the thirty or forty prefectures centered around the Eastern Capital will all buy hemp paper from the paper mill in Huai Prefecture,” Du Min said. “The paper mill will definitely make money, and a lot of money at that. As long as you can make the paper mill belong to the Huai Prefecture Prefectural Government, all the profits will go to Huai Prefecture.”
Governor Xu laughed heartily, "You are indeed a wise man. I'll leave this matter to you. Go ahead and do it."
Du Min looked troubled and stammered, "Six days ago, my second sister-in-law gave me this idea. I got excited and wrote a letter to my father-in-law that night. In a moment of confusion, I also wrote an official document to report to the female saint."
Governor Xu suddenly stood up and slapped Du Min with his thick hand, angrily shouting, "Damn it, how dare you submit a memorial to the Empress without my knowledge!"
Du Min lowered his head, enduring the pain in his shoulder, and admitted his mistake, saying, "It was my fault, I know I was wrong now, please forgive me, sir."
Governor Xu was so angry he was panting heavily. "What did you write in the official document?"
"It's just what's on the paper," Du Min said vaguely.
Governor Xu glared at him, and he picked up the paper and looked at it again. He frowned and thought about it again and again. In the end, he couldn't bear to give up this piece of fat meat that was being fed to him. He made a decision.
"Go down," he waved his hand.
"Can the profits from the paper mill stay in Huaizhou?" Du Min asked uncertainly. "If they can stay in Huaizhou, I will immediately set about building a paper mill in Wen County and instruct the people to plant hemp. The winter wheat has been harvested one after another. If the instructions are given too late, the farmers will have to plant purslane and radishes in the fields."
"Yes, I can." Governor Xu planned to ask his father to help.
Du Min glanced at Governor Xu, rubbed his hands together, and said, "If we don't have money to build a paper mill, is there any surplus from the funds allocated by the imperial court in previous years? Could we use 50,000 strings of cash?"
Governor Xu looked at Meng Qing and said, "I heard that the charity school took the lead in donating a lot of money to help repair the dikes in Heqing County?"
"Du Changshi also asked me about it. He also wanted the charity school to donate money, but Prime Minister Zheng emptied the charity school's accounts last year, and this year's profits have all been used to cover the losses. The money owed last year for buying bamboo and paying the workers' wages has all been paid this year," Meng Qing replied. "There's another matter. The official document Prime Minister Zheng gave me said that he wants to borrow paper-making craftsmen from the charity schools in Huaizhou and Luozhou next month. This means that matters related to the charity school are still under Prime Minister Zheng's control. If I use the charity school's profits to build a paper mill in Huaizhou, I'm afraid Governor Xu will be in trouble."
"Forget it," Governor Xu said, giving up. "He's a real jinx."
He had originally planned to use the profits from the Huaizhou Free School to "manage the Yellow River," but with Prime Minister Zheng watching, he hesitated to make a move. Fortunately, the paper mill was another way to make money, which somewhat made up for his regret.
“Where is there any surplus? The Yellow River is a bottomless pit; no matter how much money you throw in, you won’t hear a sound.” Governor Xu shook his head. “I’ll give you ten thousand strings of cash out of my own pocket.”
“Ten thousand strings of cash isn’t enough. The water troughs in the paper mill are all as big as a daybed, and they’re carved from stone. Both the cost of the stone and the labor are expensive. There’s a paper mill in Wen County that changed hands a year ago. That old paper mill sold for over fifty thousand strings of cash back then. Not to mention, building a new paper mill will require hiring people, and the labor costs will be another expense. Sir, give me fifty thousand strings of cash. Consider it a loan. If the court approves the funds, I can just resell it and it’ll still be yours.” Du Min rarely had a chance to ask for money, and he wouldn’t budge an inch.
"If there is any surplus, I will return it to you. I dare not embezzle your money," he added.
Governor Xu hesitated, "Do we really need that much money?"
"Within five years, I can ensure the paper mill earns a profit of 500,000 strings of cash," Du Min assured.
Governor Xu glanced at him for a few moments. Du Min worked under him, so he figured Du Min couldn't cause any trouble.
"When do you need it?" he asked.
"Anytime is fine, whenever is convenient for you. I can wait. Once I get the money, I'll immediately go to Wen County to recruit soldiers and build a paper mill." Du Min cheered inwardly; the fish had taken the bait.
"Why not build it in Hanoi County?" Governor Xu was still a little reluctant to spend the money. He pondered and kept searching for doubts in his mind.
“Firstly, Wenxian is closer to Luoyang, which makes transportation easier and saves on transportation costs. Secondly, Wenxian’s farmland has been severely damaged by disasters, and there are many people who have lost their land, so the wages are cheaper.” Du Min explained from an altruistic perspective. “Oh, right, I forgot to tell you, my second sister-in-law has contacted a big merchant in Wuxian. In the future, cloth merchants from the south will come to buy hemp and silk, which will be sold to Suzhou and Yangzhou. Sales will not be a problem, and this will be another source of income.”
Upon hearing this, Governor Xu immediately waved his hand and approved the funds.
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Author's note: I suddenly realized I asked for too little money; I should have changed it from 5,000 guan to 50,000 guan.
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