Chapter 213 The Art of the Emperor
The person who came was none other than...
Pei Guanli was entrusted by Chen Yi to go to Wushan Trade Market to inform Xiao Jinghong that the summer grain harvest in the three towns had been attacked.
He had thought that Tiger Girl wouldn't be back until after the Mid-Autumn Festival, but he didn't expect her to come back now.
This surprised him somewhat.
At this moment, Pei Guanli raised her little head and looked at him pitifully: "Brother-in-law, it hurts..."
Chen Yi snapped out of his daze, suppressed his fighting spirit, and asked with a smile, "When did you get back?"
"You didn't manage to drug all the guards in the manor and break in this time, did you?"
Pei Guanli felt the pressure on her body disappear and immediately got up.
"No, no, brother-in-law, I was very careful when I came in this time."
Chen Yi looked at Pei Guanli, who was only wearing a night-clothes outfit, carrying a bundle, and still barefoot below the knees, and nodded:
"That's good."
"Otherwise, if the guards and the people in the punishment hall are alerted, you will definitely not escape punishment this time."
Currently, the punishment hall of the Marquis's mansion is controlled by Xiao Xuanshuo, unlike when the second branch of the family was in charge of the punishment hall before.
In some ways, the eldest son's second uncle was even less humane than that old fellow Xiao Wang.
Pei Guanli patted the dirt and leaves off her body and said with a grin, "If they dare to touch me, I guarantee they'll regret it."
"I brought back a lot of treasures this time."
Chen Yi went over and removed the leaves from the ends of her hair. "What treasure?"
Pei Guanli patted the bundle hanging at her waist and replied, "The Gu worms also contain poison."
"Grandma said that things are not peaceful in Shuzhou recently, and told me to bring more to keep for self-defense."
Chen Yi's heart stirred slightly as he recalled the arrival of the Five Poisons Sect in Shu Prefecture. It seemed he had forgotten to pass on this news to the Mountain Clan.
It's unclear whether Granny Shan's statement about "Shu Prefecture being unsettled" refers to the Five Poisons Sect or the Xiao family's affairs.
Chen Yi put aside his doubts for the time being and asked, "When you came back, you didn't run into Madam, did you?"
"Sister Jinghong? No, no."
Pei Guanli proudly raised her head, a sly smile appearing on her round face.
"While Sister Jinghong was away rescuing the three towns, I quickly slipped back to my clan."
"Then, when I figured it was about time, I secretly slipped out of the clan again."
"After arriving in the prefectural city, I heard that Sister Jinghong was not here, so I came to find you, brother-in-law."
Chen Yi tapped her smooth forehead: "You're quite clever."
Pei Guanli covered her forehead, looking somewhat embarrassed, and said, "Brother-in-law, actually, there was a bit of an accident this time too."
"At that time, I..."
Pei Guanli recounted her meeting with Xiao Jinghong at the border market that day in detail.
"Brother-in-law, do you think Sister Jinghong might suspect you?"
Chen Yi thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Not for the time being."
"But she's probably even more convinced now that your letter came from an illegitimate source."
With Xiao Jinghong's intelligence, she must have been able to guess something when she discovered that Pei Guanli was intentionally avoiding her.
Pei Guanli looked somewhat dejected and said in a low voice, "Brother-in-law, please forgive me. I... I messed things up."
Chen Yi patted her head and comforted her with a smile, "It's not your fault, I was inconsiderate this time."
In that emergency, it was already quite an achievement that he was able to find Pei Guanli and get her to successfully notify Xiao Jinghong.
How could I possibly care about anything else?
Fortunately, Pei Guanli handled the situation well this time and did not encounter Xiao Jinghong, giving him time to make amends.
Pei Guanli looked up at him: "Really?"
Chen Yi nodded and said, "If you are caught by Madam this time, that would be the worst-case scenario."
He didn't believe that Tiger Girl could withstand Xiao Jinghong's interrogation.
She's impressive if she doesn't reveal her secrets on the spot.
Pei Guanli chuckled, "Actually, it's all thanks to Grandma for reminding me."
"Grandma Mountain? She knows about this?"
“Oh, Grandma is so clever.”
"When she saw me return to the clan with my brother, she guessed that I had gotten into trouble outside, so..."
Pei Guanli paused, then stuck out her tongue and said, "But I promise, I never mentioned you, brother-in-law, to Grandma."
Chen Yi shook his head; there was no point in bringing it up or not.
Like Xiao Jinghong, Granny Shan is the kind of person who, once she has a suspicion, cannot be concealed by ordinary methods.
"You've been traveling for so long, you must be tired. Go and rest first."
"There's a poetry gathering at the academy tomorrow night, I'll take you there to join in the fun."
"A poetry gathering? Great, I want to go!"
"Brother-in-law, let me tell you, I've been feeling really stifled since I went back to my clan."
"Grandma insisted on teaching me how to concoct poisons and cultivate new Gu worms..."
Not long after, Pei Guanli rested in Xiao Jinghong's wooden building.
Perhaps due to days of travel, she soon fell into a deep sleep.
After tidying up briefly, Chen Yi remembered Xiao Jinghong's letter earlier that day, instructing him to write a calligraphy model, frame it, and hang it in his room. A smile involuntarily appeared on his face.
"The Magpie Bridge Fairy, Summer Night Thoughts, Summer Night Reflections, and Summer Day Thoughts..."
"With so many poems, I wonder if they will make Madam go easy on me after she learns the truth."
I reckon it'll be difficult.
Xiao Jinghong may be magnanimous, but it depends on the situation.
Putting yourself in Chen Yi's shoes, you would probably feel uncomfortable being kept in the dark like this.
A beating would be too lenient.
They should be hung up and beaten three times.
Chen Yi inexplicably recalled the image of himself being hung up in the torture hall and whipped by Xiao Jinghong, and he couldn't help but shudder.
"Forget it, I'll think of a way to keep it a secret for now."
"At the very least, we must wait until the storm has passed and the lady is in a good mood."
"By then, I might get beaten even worse..."
Thinking about all this, Chen Yi realized it was getting late, so he gave up the idea of practicing the techniques and had no choice but to return to his room to continue practicing the Four Symbols Technique.
...
At the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), it was still dark.
The night sky is clear with a bright moon and few stars.
Even on the night before the Mid-Autumn Festival, the moon was still considered full.
The bright moonlight shone down, making all parts of Shuzhou covered in a silvery glow.
Dim and hazy, yet uniquely beautiful.
At this moment, some noise began to rise from the streets and houses of the prefectural city.
Amidst the rising and falling sounds, one could faintly hear the voices of women worshipping the moon and praying for blessings.
"Praying for favorable weather and abundant harvests..."
"Praying for the well-being of my family..."
The aroma of mooncakes and wine wafts in the air, making even young girls drool.
Xiaodie is one of them.
Although she was not qualified to follow Xiao Wan'er in worshipping the moon, she had to get up early to help set up the altar, offering table, and chairs.
After a busy hour, my stomach, which I had filled up last night, was empty again.
Therefore, when Xiaodie stood by the porch of the central courtyard, she smelled the offerings over there, and her stomach rumbled incessantly.
Even Cui'er and Juan'er, who were standing nearby, heard everything clearly and teased her with low laughter:
"Xiaodie, didn't your second son-in-law let you eat last night?"
"You just finished digesting and you're hungry again?"
Xiaodie blushed and defended Chen Yi, but did not deny the fact that she herself was hungry.
I was hungry anyway.
Hearing the sound, Shen Huatang turned around and looked at her, then said softly:
"Hold on a little longer, and once Miss finishes her moon worship, we'll be able to eat something."
Xiaodie blinked and asked, "Sister Huatang, are you hungry too?"
Shen Huatang opened her mouth, then decided to take back the words she had just used to comfort her.
As a martial artist, after mastering the art of martial arts, enduring hunger and thirst is the most basic thing for her.
Even if she hadn't eaten or drunk anything for just a few hours, she could still manage to endure it for days and nights.
Seeing that she stopped talking, Xiaodie shrank back sheepishly and hid behind Cui'er and Juan'er.
She finally realized that Shen Huatang wasn't as easily hungry as she was.
Fortunately, the moon worship and ancestor worship ceremony ended around dawn.
When the altar was taken down, Xiao Wan'er distributed mooncakes and fruits to each household so that everyone could share in the good fortune.
Xiaodie filled her arms to the brim.
Five or six mooncakes, two packs of pastries, half a roast duck, and some alcoholic beverages and tea.
Unable to carry it all, she strung everything together with a rope, wrapped it around her hands, and held it in her arms, panting as she returned to Chunhe Garden.
Xiaodie finally breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from her forehead after putting everything on the table.
"Go and wake the young master, the son-in-law is up."
But as Xiaodie said this, her eyes remained fixed on the mooncakes and pastries.
She swallowed hard and finally made up her mind.
After carefully glancing around to make sure no one was around, she casually grabbed a mooncake and put it in her mouth.
"So delicious..."
Just then, a voice came from behind her.
"Sister Xiaodie!"
Xiaodie was startled and hurriedly covered her mouth, turning around to respond with a soft "Ooh!"
Upon seeing who it was, she suddenly widened her eyes: "Waaaaah?"
Pei Guanli noticed her unusual behavior, her eyes darting around, and she chuckled, "Oh, Sister Xiaodie, you're sneaking a bite. I'm going to tell your brother-in-law."
“Woo, woo…”
Xiaodie shook her head repeatedly, covered her mouth with her hand, and chewed with great effort.
Unfortunately, the only downside to mooncakes with five-nut filling is that the filling is so plentiful that it can be dry and cause choking.
She chewed several times, but the contents of her mouth didn't seem to decrease, and she choked until her face turned bright red.
Seeing this, Pei Guanli forgot about teasing her and quickly poured her a glass of water.
"Eat slowly, slowly... I was just teasing you."
After finally getting through it smoothly, Xiaodie patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief.
Some were frightened, some were choked, and some were surprised.
"When did you get back?"
"Last night."
Seeing that she had recovered, Pei Guanli sat down at the table, picked up a pastry and popped it into her mouth, saying as she ate:
"We'll talk about it later, let me eat something first."
"You have no idea how careful I've been these past few days, afraid of being seen by anyone."
Xiaodie looked at her suspiciously: "Be careful? Is someone chasing you?"
"certainly……"
Pei Guanli realized what was happening and quickly said, "No."
He then explained, "I was worried about missing the Mid-Autumn Festival with you all, so I rushed around and didn't have time to eat."
Xiaodie glanced at her with some skepticism, and was about to say something when she heard Chen Yi's voice coming from upstairs. She quickly responded and ran upstairs.
Pei Guanli breathed a sigh of relief, muttering something like, "Luckily, I have my brother-in-law."
Not long after.
Chen Yi and Xiao Wuge, dressed neatly, went downstairs.
Because of the poetry gathering tonight, the two were dressed very elegantly.
They wore the same black robes, with crossed lapels and jade belts.
The difference is that Xiao Wuge's collar is wrapped with gold thread, and he wears a jade pendant with the character "Xiao" hanging at his waist.
Pei Guanli looked around, then gave a thumbs-up with her greasy hand. "Brother-in-law, handsome."
Xiao Wuge coughed and asked, "Sister Guanli, what about me?"
"You're not as good as my brother-in-law."
Pei Guanli thought Xiao Wuge would be unhappy.
To everyone's surprise, Xiao Wuge laughed after hearing this, saying, "Then I'm not bad either."
Chen Yi patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Don't try to imitate your sister Guanli, or you'll become stupid."
Pei Guanli immediately puffed out her cheeks and said, "Brother-in-law, I'm not stupid."
"Then I'll change it."
"Wu Ge, don't follow your sister Guan Li's example, or you'll easily become less intelligent."
"I'm not stupid! You stinky brother-in-law!"
Leisurely days are always leisurely and pleasant.
Although it's a meaningless statement, it perfectly reflects Chen Yi's feelings at this moment.
With the Liu family of Jingzhou retreating and the hidden guards lying in wait, he finally had some rare free time to relax.
So he stayed in Chunhe Garden all morning and didn't go anywhere else.
After breakfast, he rewrote the four poems for Xiao Jinghong in his study.
The calligraphy, reaching a state of perfection, made those four poems even more dazzling.
As the images unfold sequentially, the four images reveal themselves one after another.
Every now and then, a woman dressed in red would appear in that illusory scene.
It was none other than his wife, Xiao Jinghong.
Pei Guanli, Xiao Wuge, and others watched with envy, urging him to write himself into a poem.
Chen Yi refused them all and finished writing.
After instructing Xiaodie to have the framing shop owner, Mr. Dai, visit again after the Mid-Autumn Festival, he went directly to the pond with his homemade fishing rod.
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! May your families enjoy themselves.
He, as a son-in-law, should just stay put and behave himself.
Just as Chen Yi put the bait on the hook, he heard Xiao Die's panicked voice from outside.
"Young master, young master, something terrible has happened."
Chen Yi glanced back and saw the nervous look on her face. He frowned slightly and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you in such a panic?"
Xiaodie was out of breath from running. She finally managed to catch her breath by patting her chest, and said intermittently:
"The capital city has sent an imperial edict, saying that the master will be punished by having his salary reduced by half a year."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi's brows relaxed.
It must have been the Hidden Guards who relayed the news of the burning of the summer grain in Tiebi Town and the dispute between the Xiao and Liu families back to the capital.
It's understandable that the Emperor was furious when he learned the truth.
"The imperial edict only mentions a fine, is there anything else?"
Xiaodie nodded and said, "There is also the matter of collecting one-tenth of the summer grain from the three towns, which will be transported to the capital by the Commander-in-Chief."
Summer grain, 10%.
After a moment's thought, Chen Yi suddenly realized.
One-tenth, no more, no less, just within the normal range of grain tax collection in border towns.
However, this punishment doesn't seem like a punishment.
It's more like a warning and a balancing act.
In this struggle with the Liu family, the Xiao family gained 300,000 taels of silver, which not only made up for the losses in Tiebi Town but also left a surplus.
In contrast, the Liu family of Jingzhou suffered the loss of Liu Wen, a loss of 300,000 taels of silver, and was forced to withdraw from Shuzhou.
On the surface, the Xiao family has won a great victory.
But after the Emperor's punishment...
One-tenth of the grain tax, amounting to 200,000 shi of grain, was worth approximately 180,000 taels of silver at the time.
In addition, there was the grain that was burned in Iron Wall Town...
The 300,000 taels of silver that the Xiao family had received was almost entirely gone.
In other words, in the conflict between the Xiao and Liu families, the Xiao family gained almost nothing except for forcing the Liu family of Jingzhou to promise to withdraw from Shuzhou.
That is to say...
After all that effort, all he did was clear the Xiao family's accounts?
Thinking of this, Chen Yi's face darkened.
Damn it.
If he hadn't still had the 290,000 taels of silver he'd robbed from Lou Yuxue, he would have wasted his time.
Seeing his expression, Xiaodie, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but become nervous.
"Young Master, do you think... do you think something might happen to the manor?"
"When I came back just now, so many people looked like the sky had fallen."
Chen Yi snapped out of his daze and said irritably, "Why make such a fuss?"
"Whether it's a salary or grain tax, it's just spending more money, nothing will happen."
After hearing this, Xiaodie's expression immediately improved, and she patted her chest as if she had just recovered from the shock, "Thank goodness, I told you nothing would happen."
Chen Yi thought for a moment and asked, "Besides these, nothing else was mentioned?"
"Oh right, there's more."
"His Majesty also bestowed a suit of armor upon the master, saying that it was in accordance with the etiquette of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and so on."
Armor...
Chen Yi remembered that the old man was wearing a suit of armor when he went to see Liu Hong that day.
Now that His Majesty has bestowed upon us this armor, his intentions are self-evident.
His Majesty simply wanted to tell the old master—I know everything you've done in Shu Prefecture!
Wow, being an emperor is really something.
In the blink of an eye, Chen Yi's efforts of half a month to plan had been completely wiped out.
He also gave the old man a warning.
"In addition, His Majesty also bestowed some things upon the Second Miss, such as a sword, saying that it is a divine weapon and a fine sword for a hero."
After listening to what Xiaodie said, Chen Yi curled his lips: "Give a stick and then a sweet date, that's the old emperor's tactic."
No doubt about it.
It was definitely because Xiao Jinghong's killing of Hei Ya exposed his strength and attracted the attention of that person in the imperial city.
The saying "a fine sword for a hero" is just a cliché.
If Xiao Jinghong's cultivation level were not high, Shu Prefecture would be even more chaotic than it is now.
By then, no matter how many precious swords are sent, it will all be for someone else's benefit.
Just then, Xiao Wan'er led Shen Huatang and the others to Chunhe Garden.
"Brother-in-law."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi stood up and noticed that Xiao Wan'er also looked somewhat tense and serious, so he guessed that she only had a vague understanding of the current situation of the Xiao family.
Thinking it over, Chen Yi bowed and greeted him with a smile:
"The poetry gathering is still a while away, why do you have time to come over now, elder sister?"
Xiao Wan'er shook her head and said worriedly, "His Majesty just issued an edict punishing Grandpa, I... I don't quite understand..."
Chen Yi didn't immediately offer words of comfort. Instead, he noticed the sword case in Shen Huatang's hand behind him and raised an eyebrow, saying:
"That's the sword bestowed by His Majesty?"
Xiao Wan'er was taken aback. She glanced behind her and hesitated before nodding, saying, "It was a gift from His Majesty to my second sister."
"Let me see."
Without saying a word, Chen Yi took the sword box from Shen Huatang's hand, took out the long sword inside, and examined it.
"Indeed, it is a divine weapon."
The weapons available at this time of year were mostly crafted by renowned artisans in the martial arts world. While describing them as being able to cut hair in two with a single breath might seem crude, it's not an exaggeration.
However, because martial arts exist, even divine weapons depend on who wields them.
Just like the one in Chen Yi's hand—it's three feet and three inches long, weighs thirty pounds, and is three fingers wide, making it a bit wider and thicker than a typical longsword.
With such a powerful weapon in Xiao Jinghong's hands, he could naturally dominate the battlefield.
But in Chen Yi's hands, it was at most used as a long sword.
Seeing him holding the sword and examining it closely, Xiao Wan'er knew he had already heard about the imperial edict, and her expression darkened somewhat as she said:
"Grandpa said that after this incident, the family's finances are somewhat strained, and the medical academy project will probably have to be postponed."
Chen Yi paused, looked at her and smiled, "I don't think it needs to be postponed."
"ah?"
"Soon, the money from the tea sales at the pharmacies will arrive. Judging from last month, it should be at least ten or twenty thousand taels of silver."
Even after deducting all expenses, the manor should still have a considerable amount of silver left, which can be used to build a medical academy, right?
Xiao Wan'er opened her mouth, "But, but, what about Grandpa..."
Chen Yi sheathed his longsword and waved his hand, saying, "The old master is not short of ten or eight thousand taels of silver, nor does he rely on the family."
"Like his wife, he had his mind on that trade market."
It's like someone owing a huge debt to a money lender.
When the news first broke, friends and family were thinking of helping to raise the money.
But after learning that he owed an astronomical sum, those people didn't even need to scrape together the money.
It doesn't help.
The Xiao family's warehouse that Xiao Wan'er held in her hands was a similar case.
Even if she took out all her silver, it wouldn't be enough to fill the huge hole in Dingyuan Army's coffers.
Rather than that, it would be better to use the money elsewhere.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Wan'er was unsure whether to be happy or worried.
Upon careful consideration, Chen Yi's words do indeed make sense.
But she had some reservations about actually using the money to build a medical academy.
She was worried that the manor would be short of money in the future and she wouldn't be able to come up with the funds, and she was also worried that the academy would have done useless work and wasted money.
Chen Yi had some idea of what she was thinking, so he continued to comfort her, "Money is earned, not saved."
"The Medical Academy will indeed incur some expenses in the early stages, but once it is built and gains momentum, the benefits will far outweigh them."
Xiao Wan'er stared at him, looking like she hoped he would say a few more words.
"Think about it, those people who come to learn medicine and medical skills, they must have to pay some tuition, right?"
"If a renowned medical expert is in charge, wouldn't it be reasonable to double the price?"
"We can make a fortune here."
"Secondly, the academy can research new formulas, cooperate with other pharmacies, or have the Xiao family pharmacy operate them."
"One more..."
Chen Yi went to great lengths to dispel Xiao Wan'er's concerns and persuade her not to be reluctant to spend money.
Most people are like this at this time of year.
They lack the understanding that "money is earned, not saved," and also lack the methods and means to achieve this.
If Chen Yi were the patriarch, he would control the Xiao family.
He has a thousand ways to make the Xiao family obtain a large sum of money in a short period of time.
Baicaotang is a living example.
Fortunately, Xiao Wan'er trusted him to some extent. After several attempts to persuade him, she reluctantly nodded and said, "I'll listen to you."
Chen Yi's mouth was dry from talking, so he gestured to Xiao Die to make tea and then sat down in the pavilion with Xiao Wan'er to rest.
"How is the old man feeling right now? Is his health alright?"
Xiao Wan'er gently shook her head, "Grandpa is fine."
"He said he had expected it. The summer grain loss in Tiebi Town was the fault of Dingyuan Army, and it was only right that he was punished."
"He just didn't expect the Emperor to punish him so severely."
Chen Yi nodded, "Indeed, quite a lot. Including those that were burned, we've lost about 20% of our grain and fodder."
"If Governor Liu knew about this, he would probably laugh out loud."
Xiao Wan'er was taken aback upon hearing this, and said with a strange expression, "Brother-in-law, you are unaware of this."
"Um?"
"Prefect Liu has also been punished by imperial decree today."
"I heard that it was the eunuch Feng, the chief scribe, who announced the decree in front of everyone in the Provincial Administration Commission. The wording was harsh, almost implying that the Liu family was planning a rebellion."
After hearing this, Chen Yi couldn't help but chuckle.
Alright.
It seems that His Majesty is intolerant of any wrongdoing.
He clearly knew that the Xiao and Liu families were having a private discussion, so he simply exposed it and punished both sides severely.
This not only confiscated the Xiao family's gains but also ruined the Liu family's attempt to cover up Liu Wen's burning of the summer grain in the three towns.
Now, neither the Xiao nor Liu families had any fig leaf left, and the whole world could see this farce.
Fortunately, the Xiao family was the victim; at most, they were simply not vigilant enough.
With Xiao Jinghong's victory establishing his authority, those people wouldn't laugh too loudly.
In contrast, the Liu family of Jingzhou was a different story.
The mastermind behind the burning of grain supplies in the border town is tantamount to treason.
The fact that the Liu family was not sentenced to the extermination of nine generations was a result of the Emperor's mercy.
Under these circumstances, the Liu family is likely to face a lot of trouble in the future.
Those who took advantage of the situation alone are enough to give the Liu family a hard time.
As Chen Yi thought about these things, a smile unconsciously appeared on his face.
"Comparison is the thief of joy."
"Compared to the Liu family, it's fortunate that the old master and madam only lost some money; at least their reputation wasn't ruined."
Xiao Wan'er naturally understood the difference and nodded, saying, "Grandfather said the same thing."
With the worries about the Medical Academy gone, her expression improved considerably, and she relaxed, saying:
"With the poetry gathering approaching, why not start preparing now?"
"What should we prepare?"
"I'm thinking of bringing poems, or things like music, chess, calligraphy, and painting to the academy so that I can appreciate them with others."
"No need... Big sister, you can play the piano?"
Meeting his eager gaze, Xiao Wan'er hesitated before nodding, "I studied it for a while, but..."
"I haven't played in a long time."
Chen Yi immediately became interested. "Why don't you show off your skills before the poetry gathering starts?"
"I just happened to acquire a few good pieces of music..."
(End of this chapter)
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