The man Zheng Quan addressed as "Second Senior Brother" was the one with an honest-looking face.
He smiled awkwardly and said, "Didn’t you mention earlier that the Song Family wanted to hire Protectors? My escort agency in Luzhou went under, so Sixteenth Junior Brother and I brought the people from the agency to try our luck." After speaking, he glanced at Song Jiyun nervously and asked Zheng Quan in a low voice, "You’re still hiring, right?"
Zheng Quan was very surprised and said, "Your escort agency in Luzhou went under? How did it happen? When I went back to the mountain last time, I met Fourth Uncle Master, and he said your business was doing very well and was planning to send a few junior brothers who needed to go out to gain experience to you to learn and broaden their horizons!"
The Taoists of Dragon Tiger Mountain were known for their medical expertise, but in the generation of Zheng Quan’s great-grandmaster, there was an elder who took a liking to martial arts and specifically went to Mount Wudang to become a disciple. Afterwards, some incidents occurred at Dragon Tiger Mountain, and Celestial Master Zhang of the Tianyi Sect intended to learn from Wudang and Qingcheng to form a group of Martial Taoists to guard the believers of Dragon Tiger Mountain. However, since Zheng Quan’s great-grandmaster, Dragon Tiger Mountain had not produced any other disciple with a talent for martial arts, and gradually, these martial arts practicing Taoists either left the mountain to switch trades or went to Wudang or Qingcheng.
Second Senior Brother He Dazhi had opened an escort agency in Luzhou and was the most successful among his fellow disciples.
"Running an escort agency is just like doing business; you have to find clients and secure cargo," He Dazhi said with frustration. "There are taxes to pay and all, and I’m too straightforward to be good at it."
The one behind him with a slender figure, delicate features, and the quiet air of a scholarly reader was their Sixteenth Senior Brother, Dai Sishi.
When he heard He Dazhi say this, his face showed resentment several times, but in the end, he still held back his grievances.
Song Jiyun guessed there must be some hidden story, but since she and Zheng Quan’s fellow disciples were not close, it wasn’t her place to comment. She warmly instructed Zheng Quan, "It’s rare for brothers to meet, and since you have, there must be a lot to talk about. You take them to rest first. Don’t work these two days either, keep them company and take them around to see the sights. Liang County does have some scenery worth seeing. As for hiring Protectors, we can discuss that after you’ve all settled in."
The last sentence was addressed to He Dazhi.
He Dazhi blushed and agreed, showing great respect to Song Jiyun.
Song Jiyun returned to the courtyard alone, changed clothes, and went to Song Youliang’s study room. She took out brush, ink, paper, and inkstone to carefully consider the properties Wang Zhubo’s uncle had offered her.
As she had said to Wang Zhubo in jail, about Chaotian dock and the like, many properties only did particularly well because they were in Wang Zhubo’s hands. She had no intention of abandoning her expertise in porcelain-making to manage other businesses. Rather than keeping these assets and having them coveted by those unaware of Wang Zhubo’s holdings, she decided to sell them off.
As for the ten thousand taels of silver she told Wang Zhubo she spent on these properties, that was just to anger him.
She had actually paid Wang Zhubo’s brother-in-law thirty thousand taels of silver.
Figuring out how to earn back those thirty thousand taels and make some pocket money in the process after handling the transaction would require some effort.
She meticulously categorized Wang Zhubo’s assets when Yuan Yunzhong arrived.
He glanced at the ledgers spread out on the desk and said nothing, but Song Jiyun could tell from his expression that he was aware these ledgers detailed Wang Zhubo’s family business.
Song Jiyun didn’t hide them, allowing the ledgers to remain open on the desk. She smiled and invited him to sit on the nearby Taishi Chair, brewed tea for him personally, and asked, "Do you have some business here?"
Yuan Yunzhong asked her, "What did Doctor Wang say?"
Song Jiyun gave an embarrassed smile.
She had been so focused on troubling Wang Zhubo that she forgot Doctor Wang still had to come to check her pulse.
She hurriedly said, "I will send someone to invite Doctor Wang right away."
Yuan Yunzhong didn’t give her a glance and leisurely sipped his tea from the tea cup.
He had the air of someone who intended to wait here for the results.
Feeling embarrassed, Song Jiyun, after giving the instructions, struck up somewhat contrived small talk with Yuan Yunzhong, "Wang Zhubo’s properties are a hot potato. I’ve decided to split them up and sell them."
She picked up the ledger to show Yuan Yunzhong, "For example, these mountains at Chaotian dock can be sold to Old Master Yan. His family’s ancestral tombs are next to these forests. He originally wanted to buy them to donate to his clan for the expansion of the ancestral hall but was preempted by Wang Zhubo. He will surely be willing to offer a good price."
"But dealing with the three hundred and forty mu of good farmland in Chen Bay won’t be easy. I’m afraid it’ll have to be divided and sold to the people of Chen Bay in several portions—they all share the Chen surname there, and even if someone wants to buy that land, they wouldn’t dare to sell it! Originally, Registrar Wang took advantage of the disaster year when the villagers couldn’t get enough to eat and secured the land at a low price."
She prattled on, sharing all her plans with Yuan Yunzhong.
She had thought that Yuan Yunzhong would become impatient.
Unexpectedly, from beginning to end, Yuan Yunzhong did not utter a word, listening to everything she said, and in the end, even commented, "That could work."
Song Jiyun was very surprised.
The servant boy led Doctor Wang in.
Their conversation was interrupted, and afterward, there was no more opportunity to continue it. After Yuan Yunzhong and Doctor Wang left, she felt quite regretful.
However, with Yuan Yunzhong’s words, her thoughts grew even more.
She decided to prepare a crab feast and invite all those who might be interested in Registrar Wang’s estate, aiming to make a tidy profit.
Song Jiyun was drafting the guest list for the feast.
Steward Wu dashed in, sweating profusely, and said, "Miss, Miss, something terrible has happened! There’s been trouble at Registrar Wang’s end!"
Song Jiyun felt her heart suspend.
She had just met with Registrar Wang.
She couldn’t have angered him to death, could she?
But Steward Wu said, "News came from the Yamen, saying that Registrar Wang was sentenced to exile in Xining Guard for accepting bribes and wanton disregard for human life."
Song Jiyun breathed a sigh of relief, then asked Steward Wu curiously, "Where is Xining Guard?"
Steward Wu replied with a wry smile, "In Gansu. I’ve heard it’s a good three thousand miles away from here!"
He also remarked, "The farthest our local criminals get exiled is to Lingnan, but this exile to Xining Guard is a first for Registrar Wang!"
She liked this "first."
However, the more she thought about it, the more Registrar Wang’s case seemed mysterious.
Not only was the accusation against him unexpected, but the judgment was also made so quickly and soundly; clearly, someone was manipulating things behind the scenes.
She wondered whom Registrar Wang had really offended?
Song Jiyun couldn’t ponder for long, because Zheng Quan came to her.
He told her, "My Second Senior Brother beat up a scion who harassed a respectable woman, only to find out that the scion was related to Noble Consort Wan. Not only is my brother facing legal charges, but our Escort Agency can’t continue operating either, which is why he’s come to seek refuge with me."
His implication was that he was worried his senior brother would bring trouble for her.
Song Jiyun laughed and said, "If you can keep them under control, let them stay. If you can’t, then take good care of them, and in a few days, give them a few hundred taels of silver to cover their expenses and send them off from Liang County with kind words and good cheer."
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