Chapter 188 It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark...
Du Min returned to his office with the three official documents and immediately wrote back to the magistrates of Wuzhi County and two other counties, inviting them to bring their clerks to Wen County to visit the construction of the paper mill and to discuss the matter of managing the Yellow River's course change.
After handing the reply to the servant to deliver, Du Min carried the three official documents home as the sun set. On the way, he encountered Cui Biejia returning from releasing a falcon. Seeing Cui's dashing and dissolute appearance, and then looking at his own tanned skin, he felt quite uncomfortable.
"Oh, isn't this Chief Secretary Du? When did you get back? Where did you come from?" Prefect Cui asked, looking him up and down.
Du Min didn't answer, but said sarcastically, "Prefect Cui, you're really enjoying your life."
Prefect Cui chuckled, "I thought Chief Secretary Du was truly made of iron, impervious to fatigue and hardship. Want to enjoy yourself? It's simple, you can too, as long as you're willing to agree."
"Nod to whom?" Du Min probed.
Prefect Cui looked him up and down, and said with an ambiguous expression, "It will be soon."
"What's coming soon?" Du Min asked.
Prefect Cui smiled and said, "You're leaving now."
"Hey..." Du Min chased after him, "Lord Cui, why did you leave halfway through your sentence? What do you mean 'soon'?"
Prefect Cui did not answer, but instead said, "I heard there's been progress on the paper mill matter. Have you received the news?"
"This matter is for Governor Xu to worry about; I haven't inquired much about it." Du Min wasn't worried about any problems with the paper mill.
“That’s true, you certainly know how to cater to his tastes.” Cui Biejia stopped and turned to look at Du Min, saying, “Once you’re on his ship, it won’t be easy for you to get off.”
Du Min lowered his eyes in thought, guessing that Cui Biejia meant the paper mill's profits.
“Once the money is in his pocket, it’s hard to get it out. How are you going to manage the Yellow River?” Cui Biejia stared at him. “You’ve wasted your time.”
"What advice can Prefect Cui give me?" Du Min asked.
"What advice can I give you? What's it to me?" Cui Biejia changed his attitude again, and he left carrying the eagle cage.
"Unpredictable," Du Min muttered, watching Cui Biejia's retreating figure. He pondered how much Xu Cishi had given him to shut him up. Given Cui Biejia's background, he shouldn't be short of money. Given the choice between money and bringing down the Xu family, Cui Biejia should have chosen to do so, but he chose money instead, which didn't make sense.
When Du Min returned home, he went straight to his study and didn't come out until Wang Zhou came to call him for dinner.
"What does Governor Xu want with you?" Meng Qing asked.
“The other three counties have probably heard about the paper mill incident and are all saying that their counties have also been severely affected by the disaster and need government assistance,” Du Min replied. He sat down to eat and asked, “Second sister-in-law, I have a guess. Could you give me some advice later?”
“Okay.” Meng Qing nodded.
Yin Caiwei seemed not to hear. She fed Wang Chuan a piece of fish belly meat, and Wang Chuan grinned at her. She smiled back.
Meng Qing watched as she fed the child and then used the same chopsticks to pick up food to eat, and said, "Don't you mind that his saliva is dirty?"
"I don't mind, Wangchuan is so cute." Yin Caiwei glanced at Wangchuan, who was eating heartily, chewing while his eyes kept scanning the table, he was very busy.
"Why are you so greedy? I've never let you go hungry." Du Li wiped Wang Chuan's mouth with a handkerchief. "Cheer slowly, or you'll choke and won't be able to eat anymore."
Wang Chuan paused for a moment, and his busy cheeks finally took a break.
Yin Caiwei laughed out loud, "Second sister-in-law, when you go to Heqing County and Luoyang in the future, please leave Wangchuan at home to keep me company."
Meng Qing looked at Du Li. This half-month separation from home was the first time he had ever been apart from Wang Chuan. He missed him terribly, thinking about him day and night.
“Then your second brother will stay at home and won’t come with me,” she teased.
Yin Caiwei suddenly realized, "Second Brother can't bear to part with Wangchuan."
Du Li nodded in agreement, "Wang Chuan has never left my side since he grew up. He must have cried after we left home, right?"
"Cry." Wang Chuan swallowed the fish in his mouth and quickly replied, "I miss... Dad."
"Don't you miss your mother?" Meng Qing asked, peeking out.
"I want to." Wangchuan reached out for a hug.
Du Li pressed down his arm, scooped a spoonful of egg custard and fed it to him. With food in his mouth, he was so busy eating that he didn't care about anything else.
“He’s alright during the day, but he cries at night, so much so that the neighbors have come looking for him,” Yin Caiwei said. “His grandparents are really suffering because of him.”
The house for Meng's parents had already been bought, and the old couple, along with Aunt Li and three generations of their family, had moved there long ago. Half a month ago, they moved back here to take care of the children. Today, as soon as Meng Qing and Du Li returned, the old couple rushed to pack their things and go back to enjoy some peace and quiet without even having a meal.
"What are the neighbors doing here? Did Wangchuan's crying disturb them?" Du Min frowned. "Isn't this just asking for trouble? We live in the backyard and can't even hear what's going on in the front yard, I don't believe it could disturb the neighbors."
Yin Caiwei chuckled, “Humans can’t hear clearly, but birds can. Even Cui Biejia’s parrot is crying. I haven’t seen him take the parrot out for the past two weeks. He’s replaced it with a young eagle.”
Du Min immediately smiled and said approvingly, "Little Fatty nephew, well done."
"Mother, go to Luoyang and Heqing County and take Wangchuan away." Wangzhou felt sorry for her younger brother; even the birds had learned his cries, and she knew how pitiful he must be.
“Take him with you. If we don’t, your father won’t come with me. But what about you? Are you staying at home with your third aunt, or are you coming with us?” Meng Qing asked.
“I’m familiar with both Luoyang and Heqing County, so I won’t go.” Wang Zhou shook his head. “I’m going to study at the academy.”
"Which academy? Have you decided yet? If not, I'll make the decision for you. Go to the county school," Du Min replied.
"You must be at least fourteen years old to attend the county school," Wang Zhou reminded him.
“Those with exceptional talent can enroll early.” Du Min planned to use his connections to get Wang Zhou in. “I’ll go to the county school in Hanoi County to inquire first. If they don’t agree, you can come with me to the county school in Wen County. There won’t be any problems there.”
Wang Zhou quickly refused, "If I go to Wen County, I can only come back three times a month."
Du Min scoffed, "At your age, I would have left home to study long ago. Besides, you are different from me. It's so easy for your parents to visit you. I will also be staying in Wen County for a long time in the future."
Wang Zhou looked at Meng Qing, seeking her opinion.
"Aren't there any academies in Hanoi County that you like?" Meng Qing didn't approve of Wang Zhou leaving home to study at this age. If he went to study at the county school in Wen County, she would choose to move the whole family there and travel back and forth between Wen County and Hanoi County.
“No, not really. The highly praised Qianli Academy is quite good. It has a lot of teachers, ten in total, four of whom are selected Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations). But I heard that two of them are going to resign and go to the capital to take up positions running free schools. This choice has been ridiculed by many students in the academy. I think this situation is probably influenced by a certain teacher in the academy, and a famous one at that. Only when a teacher openly expresses his disdain in class will the students, who are not very worldly, have a unified perception.” Wang Zhou analyzed, “If I were to enter this academy, I would definitely be affected by my status.”
“That’s right,” Du Min agreed.
"But this kind of controversy will happen in every academy within two or three years, and you can't escape it," Meng Qing stated the facts. "I'll ask a tutor to teach you, one-on-one. You can ask him any questions you have anytime without any worries. Besides classics and poetry, you can also learn riding and archery, chess, sword dance, clay sculpting, and mathematics. We're not going to build a model of the county lord's mansion. Have you thought about how actual houses are built? How much of the wall area should windows occupy for the most aesthetically pleasing result? Will the size and arrangement of the tiles affect the house's appearance? The county lord's mansion is different from ordinary residences; will it be subject to the constraints of etiquette? Will feng shui also be involved?"
"You're making house models?" Du Min was unaware of this.
Meng Qing nodded, “We’ve bought the land, but we don’t have the money to build yet. I’m not in a hurry to build it, mainly because I don’t know what kind of mansion we want to build. I was thinking that Wang Zhou likes to make these things, and I’ve made paper houses before. Why don’t we try to build our favorite pavilions and towers with paper, bamboo, straw, mud and paint, and then build them according to the model when we start construction?”
Du Min felt a surge of excitement. He realized that his second sister-in-law was guiding Wang Zhou. If Wang Zhou could refine his hobby, he would have no problem getting into the Ministry of Works in the future.
"Isn't it too complicated and difficult? If you don't have the confidence or patience, then forget it." Meng Qing looked at Zhou with amusement. "I also think these things are too complicated, with a lot of things to do. You may not be interested."
“I’m interested,” Wang Zhou disagreed. “You didn’t even ask me, how do you know I’m not interested?”
"Okay, I think it's too difficult, and I don't want you to be too tired." Meng Qing pretended to be very considerate of him.
“I want to give it a try.” Wang Zhou became interested. “Third Uncle, could you help me find out what books my mother mentioned I should read?”
“...Alright.” Du Min’s feelings were mixed. He was happy for the smooth road ahead for Wang Zhou, but also jealous that he was not Wang Zhou and that his son would not be Wang Zhou either. At the same time, he was also flustered. He wanted to become Meng Qing, but he was also afraid that he could not become Meng Qing.
“Your great-uncle is knowledgeable in feng shui. You should read the book first. Don’t panic if you don’t understand anything. When you see him in the future, I will take you to ask him for advice.” Meng Qing first dispelled Wang Zhou’s fear and anxiety.
Wang Zhou nodded, finished the last bite of his meal, and said, "I'm full. I'm going to take my little brother to play."
Upon hearing this, Wang Chuan immediately spread his arms.
"I can't carry you anymore, you have to walk by yourself." Wang Zhou walked over and took Wang Chuan's hand, walking alongside him as he staggered along.
"How wonderful!" Yin Caiwei couldn't bear to look away. She stroked her swollen belly and said, "I hope my child will be as intelligent as Wangzhou and as cheerful as Wangchuan."
"Yes, you and Lao San are both smart people, so the child will definitely be smart." Meng Qing wiped her mouth. "I'm full too, you two enjoy your meal."
Du Min had no appetite; he was already full.
"Second sister-in-law, let's talk in my study," he said.
"No rush, let's talk after your second brother and Caiwei have finished eating." Meng Qing asked the maid to bring a pot of lotus leaf tea.
After a stick of incense had burned, Meng Qing and Du Min went to the study in Fenglin Courtyard. As soon as they entered, Du Min asked, "Second Sister-in-law, do you plan to let Wang Zhou join the Ministry of Works in the future?"
"That's the idea, mainly because Wangzhou has the skill and hobby." Meng Qing knew that real estate sales offices in later generations had sand table models, which were very popular with buyers and sellers. If Wangzhou could master this skill, he would definitely be in high demand in the Ministry of Works. The older he got, the more senior he would become, and once he reached a high position, he wouldn't fall from it. More importantly, no matter how the Tang Dynasty changed hands, it wouldn't affect him.
"That brat is really lucky," Du Min said sarcastically. "The Ministry of Works is a good place. If he can really make the buildings and landscapes stand out, he'll be a guest of honor for the royal family."
Meng Qing couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile. "The path has already been planned for him. Whether he can make it depends on his ability. It's a meticulous task that tests his endurance. Enough about him. What do you want me to advise you on?"
Du Min quickly pulled himself out of his reverie and asked, "How much money would Governor Xu offer you if you chose to side with him?"
"Why do you ask that?" Meng Qing asked, puzzled.
"Don't ask why, just consider what I say."
Meng Qing shook his head, "No amount of money will change my mind. I don't lack money and I won't be swayed by interests. Besides, he's not a good official."
“Is Prefect Cui short of money? I now suspect that Prefect Cui turned a blind eye to Prefect Xu’s corruption not because he accepted money from him.” Du Min said, “I suspect my previous guess was wrong. Given Prefect Cui’s background, he wouldn’t have gone so far as to collude with Prefect Xu if he wanted to make money.”
“What you said makes sense,” Meng Qing nodded. “Why are you analyzing him again?”
“I ran into him in the alley today. He was talking strangely, and I felt something was wrong,” Du Min pondered. “If he were short of money and greedy, would he not interfere in the paper mill’s business? Would he not want to compete for the paper mill’s profits? I haven’t seen him ask about it yet. Prefect Xu has been an official in Huai Prefecture for ten years, and Vice Prefect Cui came five years ago. Could it be that the Cui family of Boling sent him here five years ago to oust Prefect Xu and let him take over the position of Prefect of Huai Prefecture? But something must have happened five years ago. Prefect Xu kept Vice Prefect Cui in check, so that even though Vice Prefect Cui knew that Prefect Xu was embezzling disaster relief funds, he dared not take action.”
"Are you worried that Governor Xu will use the same methods to suppress you?" Meng Qing understood his meaning.
"I do have that concern." Du Min wasn't sure either. He recalled his conversation with Cui Biejia, and the phrase "You'll be here soon too" always made him uneasy.
"What kind of leverage does Prefect Cui have over Governor Xu?" Meng Qing became interested. If he could get hold of this leverage, he could bring Prefect Cui down with him when Governor Xu fell from power.
"Think about it, what leverage does Governor Xu have over you that you would choose to collude with him?" she asked.
"Unfilial..."
"No, it has to be something in common with Prefect Cui," Meng Qing rejected.
After careful consideration, Du Min concluded that there was no answer.
“That’s a frame-up. They’ve set you up so you can’t clear your name and you have no choice but to compromise,” Meng Qing concluded. “Based on this reasoning, Cui Biejia’s current behavior makes sense. He hates Governor Xu and is very dissatisfied with him, but he has no choice but to compromise. So he simply went on strike and did nothing but raise birds and release hawks all day long.”
Du Min's heart sank. "Wang Chuan has corrupted the parrots of the Prefectural Governor's residence. I must go and apologize."
"What are you going to do?" Meng Qing asked in surprise.
"I'll go find out where he worked five years ago." Du Min strode out. "Second sister-in-law, wait for me, I'll be right back."
Du Min went back to the backyard and asked Yin Caiwei to prepare a gift. He then picked up Wang Chuan and took Wang Zhou next door to apologize.
After a stick of incense had burned, Du Min returned with his two children. He rushed to the study and said, "Five years ago, he was a senior official in the Ministry of Personnel in Chang'an. I want to write to my father-in-law and ask him to inquire whether Cui Biejia was addicted to raising birds and hawks when he was in Chang'an, as well as about his family situation."
“Go ahead and write it.” Meng Qing was also alarmed. “Luckily you noticed it. If Governor Xu really wanted to set a trap for you, even Vice Prefect Cui would have accepted his fate, and you wouldn’t have escaped it either.”
Du Min's hands trembled slightly. "Second Sister-in-law, what if I fall for their trap?"
"From now on, try to come back as little as possible, stay in Wen County and keep busy with matters related to the paper mill, and travel to the other three counties more often, and have less contact with Prefect Xu." Meng Qing was also at a loss for what to do, so she could only reassure him first: "The paper mill is not profitable yet, and growing hemp is permitted by the court, so he can't harm you in this matter. As for other things, if you are on guard, it will be difficult for him to frame you."
"That's the only way." That's what he said, but in his heart he was thinking about how to get evidence of Governor Xu's corruption and get rid of him.
Meng Qing was also thinking about getting rid of Governor Xu. They knew they couldn't get evidence of him embezzling disaster relief funds, so they could only try to make money off the paper mill's profits.
The voices of Wang Zhou and Wang Chuan came in, and Meng Qing came back to her senses. She glanced at the door and saw that it was already completely dark.
"I'm going back now," Meng Qing said. "Stay in the study for a while longer, calm down before going back to the backyard. Don't let Caiwei notice anything unusual. She's heavily pregnant, and you're not home often. If she's constantly on edge, something might happen to her."
Du Min nodded, "Understood."
Meng Qing went out, and she carried Wang Chuan back to Qingzhu Courtyard.
Half an hour later, Du Min left the study and returned to the backyard.
*
The following afternoon, Du Min left Hanoi County with the more than 27,000 strings of cash he had raised.
Meng Qing stayed for three more days. After finding a teacher to look after the boat, the three of them, along with more than forty paper craftsmen, headed to Wen County.
After staying in Wen County for two days, eight more people joined the truck carrying the paper craftsman, and Meng Qing continued on to Heqing County.
*
On July 12th, Meng Qing's caravan arrived in Luoyang. She and ninety-eight paper craftsmen checked into the post station. Just as she was about to explain the whole story to the postmaster, a scholar-like man in blue robes approached and asked, "Are you perhaps the Lady of Wu County?"
"It's me, and you are..."
“I am the man sent by Prime Minister Zheng to wait for you. Prime Minister Zheng arrived in Luoyang three days ago,” the man said. “My surname is Yang, and I live in Renhe Courtyard. Once you have settled in, please send someone to summon me, and I will take you to see Prime Minister Zheng.”
"Prime Minister Zheng has come in person?" Meng Qing asked in surprise.
"yes."
"Wait a moment, I'll be right back after I wash up," Meng Qing said. "I'll need you to settle the masters I brought with me."
"Can."
Meng Qing led Du Li and Wang Chuan to check into the post station first.
Half an hour later, Meng Qing changed into clean clothes and came out. She rode in her carriage and left the post station with Mr. Yang.
After traveling for about half an hour, the carriage arrived at a house south of Shangyang Palace. The house was built along the Luo River, and the sound of flowing water could be heard as one walked through the courtyard. Prime Minister Zheng was sitting in a thatched hut playing chess with someone.
Mr. Yang went over to report, and then led Meng Qing over.
As she got closer, Meng Qing recognized another elderly man playing chess; he was someone she didn't know.
“Lord Meng, thank you for your trouble.” Prime Minister Zheng spoke first. “Please sit down.”
"It would be my pleasure to serve Your Excellency the Prime Minister." Meng Qing took a seat. "My lord, is this your private residence? It is decorated in a very elegant manner."
“This is my friend’s son; I’m just a guest here,” Prime Minister Zheng said, stroking his beard. “This is the former Minister of Works, who is now living a leisurely life.”
Meng Qing's eyes lit up. "Hello, sir."
The old man nodded. “This is your first visit, Lady. I have long admired you. You two chat first. I will have the servants prepare the meal. We will have dinner here tonight.”
"I would like to shamelessly stay, but it's getting late, and my inn is about half an hour's drive from here. If I stay for a meal, I might miss the curfew." Meng Qing, as a guest of a guest, had arrived empty-handed, so he felt embarrassed to stay for a meal. "I won't eat this meal. If I have the opportunity in the future, I will visit you again."
"As you wish." The old man nodded, glancing at Prime Minister Zheng. "You two talk."
Prime Minister Zheng nodded.
After the old man had walked away, Prime Minister Zheng asked, "Have you heard of Lord Li's name?"
Meng Qing shook his head, "I have never heard of it. I just have a favor to ask. My eldest son is interested in house construction, but he has no way to learn it. I would like to ask Lord Li for a book list."
Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Zheng followed his attendant and said, "Relay what Lady Meng said to Lord Li."
The attendant withdrew.
"Thank you, sir." Meng Qing smiled. "We have already drunk your promotion wine. Congratulations on your wish being fulfilled."
Prime Minister Zheng chuckled lightly, "Thanks to the Lady of the County, I heard that you've gone to Huai Prefecture and started bringing benefits to the region again?"
"It's all thanks to Chief Secretary Du."
“But his memorial clearly states that it was your idea.” Prime Minister Zheng glanced at her. “You didn’t know?”
Meng Qing was unaware that she had written several letters that day and was already tired, so she hadn't read the official documents written by Du Min.
“I only offered an idea; he handled everything else,” Meng Qing said. “What’s the official response? It’s been a month, and we still haven’t heard a reply.”
"Prime Minister Xu interfered, causing the officials in the court to argue for half a month. Do you know that Governor Xu requested that the paper mill be placed under the jurisdiction of Huai Prefecture? This is different from what was written in the memorial submitted by Chief Clerk Du," Prime Minister Zheng inquired.
Meng Qing nodded, and said with a wry smile, "Prefect Xu informed us, but because he handled it, Chief Secretary Du didn't inquire about it again."
"It's all for someone else's benefit," Prime Minister Zheng shook his head.
Meng Qing smiled wryly, "As long as the people of Huaizhou who have suffered from the disaster have an income, that's enough."
“This can also be considered an achievement,” said Prime Minister Zheng.
"It's hard to say. Ramie is not afraid of drought but it is afraid of flooding. Even in years with a lot of rain, the harvest will not be good." Meng Qing shook his head. "But we can't not do it either. Huaizhou has been severely affected by the disaster, and the people urgently need changes."
"No one can solve the problem of the harvest this year, but the outcome will ultimately be good," said Prime Minister Zheng.
Meng Qing nodded. "My lord, I remember your wife's surname is Cui. Is her maternal family the Cui clan of Qinghe or the Cui clan of Boling?"
"The Bolingcui family."
"Are you related to the Prefect of Huai Prefecture? Do you know Cui Jin?" Meng Qing inquired.
“I am his cousin-in-law,” Prime Minister Zheng told the truth. “What? Did he make things difficult for you?”
"No, we live next door to him and bother him a lot. My child cries a lot and has corrupted his dozens of parrots." Meng Qing wanted to get information from Prime Minister Zheng. She didn't believe that their pawn, which they had placed with Governor Xu, had become a bad one and that they wouldn't be worried.
"Besides raising birds, does Prefect Cui have any other hobbies? I want to apologize, but I don't know how to choose a parrot, so I can only try to find a suitable one from the side," Meng Qing inquired discreetly.
Prime Minister Zheng frowned inwardly. One of his purposes in coming to Luoyang was to find Cui Jin. This man was capable of great things in Chang'an, so how did he become a playboy in Huaizhou?
"No need for apologies. After I finish dealing with my current matters, I will go to Huaizhou and introduce you to each other."
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Author's Note: Two chapters combined into one, see you tomorrow night.
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