103 Fuliang Mountain
"Do your best and leave the rest to fate; don't force things."
After breakfast, Shen Suqiu set off with Shen Suqin to Xiaoqingshan.
Pei Tingfeng is right, the scenery here is beautiful. Even though it's winter, you can still see the tranquility of the place when the branches and leaves are lush.
Shen Suqiu lit incense and paper money with practiced ease, while Shen Suqin brought cloud-shaped cakes. This was the most peaceful time for the sisters.
Shen Suqin placed the cloud cake in front of the tombstone and noticed that the names of Jiang Yao and Shen Jinghe were on the tombstone.
"Is this a joint burial tomb?" Shen Suqin asked.
"Um."
"Why?"
Logically, Shen's father could only be buried with the matriarch, Shi Yunzhu, while Jiang Yao, being only a concubine, could not be buried with her.
“Isn’t this all he’s ever wanted in his life?” Shen Suqiu replied. “I’ll grant him his wish on behalf of my mother.”
"Thank you, really."
A breeze rustled through the woods. Shen Suqin looked up, and the wind ruffled her hair and gently caressed her face. She smiled slightly, feeling that they had come back to see her.
Shen Suqin spent this Lunar New Year's Eve at Fuliang Mountain.
She escorted the coffin back and buried Mr. and Mrs. Shen on Dongliang Mountain, where the scenery was breathtaking and the sunrise could be seen every day.
Afterwards, she went back to her teacher and explained in detail what she had done over the past two years.
Teacher Ji Weiya, who was quite old, listened with his eyes half-closed. He patted her hand with satisfaction and said, "Do your best and leave the rest to fate. Don't force it."
“I know, teacher.”
On New Year's Eve, she ate the reunion dinner with her master and mistress. They went to bed early and went to bed early after dinner.
Shen Suqin walked alone to the edge of the cliff, wrapped in a cloak. The mountain wind was blowing fiercely. Below her was a bottomless abyss, and above her was the endless sky. Her thoughts were surging. She missed him.
She stayed until fireworks and firecrackers were set off at the foot of the mountain. The flickering lights and the explosions that shot into the sky made her miss that person even more.
"Are you cold?" A familiar voice suddenly sounded behind her.
Shen Suqin turned around abruptly, and the person she had been thinking about just moments before appeared right in front of her.
"I rushed as fast as I could, but I still missed having New Year's Eve dinner with you," Xiao Pingchuan said with a smile.
He knew that Shen Suqin was escorting the coffin back to her hometown, so he rushed day and night, wanting to be by her side when she needed someone. Unfortunately, even with his best efforts, it was too late.
Dressed in a black outfit, with his hair tied up high, he stood in the mountain wind, with the vast forest behind him. He looked like a wolf, wild and fierce.
Shen Suqin ran towards him and threw herself into his arms.
Xiao Pingchuan caught her steadily, put one arm around her waist and pressed her head down with the other, pulling her tightly into his arms.
The surrounding area was quiet, while smoke rose from the fires below the mountain. They were swept along by the mountain wind and embraced each other tightly.
"Want to watch the sunrise over Fuliang Mountain with me?" Xiao Pingchuan asked.
"good."
The next morning, Old Master Ji was startled by the sudden appearance of a man in his home, especially since the man exuded a particularly strong aura.
"Zhaozhao, is he your husband?" Old Ji asked.
"Greetings, Elder Ji," Xiao Pingchuan greeted.
Shen Suqin replied, "It's him, Xiao Pingchuan, the General Who Guards the North."
"Hmm, not bad, nice face."
In the afternoon, Xiao Pingchuan went to pay his respects at the graves of Shen's parents, and then quietly headed north, returning to Shule River before others discovered his whereabouts.
When Shen Suqin went to see him off, she felt sorry for him traveling back and forth like that and told him not to come next time.
Xiao Pingchuan said, "I want to spend every New Year's Eve with you, every single year, I don't want to miss a single year."
Shen Suqin looked at him for a long time before saying, "Okay, let's live together."
After the New Year, Shen Suqin returned to the capital.
She spent a few days sharing the information that the Secret Pavilion had gathered with Pei Tingfeng.
The salt from the ponds of Qingyu County in Xizhou, the well salt from Gongchuan County in Yunzhou, and the rock salt from Chaer County in Chazhou were all edible, but these were controlled by local powerful families and the production was low, so they did not develop on a large scale.
Shen Suqin and Pei Tingfeng sat in the carriage. A map of Daliang was placed on the low table in the carriage. Shen Suqin circled Gongchuan County on the map and said, "Gongchuan Hebi County is the territory of a branch of the Wei family. There are brine wells in the mountain fractures here. After boiling and processing the brine, we can produce 'sparkling salt' which is white and of good quality."
"Sparkling salt?" Pei Tingfeng frowned. He had heard of this kind of salt; it wasn't cheap.
“Yes, spark salt. If sea salt is exclusively for the wealthy, then spark salt is exclusively for the top families,” Shen Suqin said, raising an eyebrow. “Your Pei family should be able to afford spark salt, right?”
Pei Tingfeng shook his head and smiled bitterly, "Just how much prejudice do you have against my Pei family? Although my family is in the fabric business, it's only to supplement our household income."
Shen Suqin clicked her tongue lightly, "Cousin, you are the next head of the Pei family, yet you know less about the family business than I do."
Pei Tingfeng: "What did you say?"
“Oh ho, you really didn’t know,” Shen Suqin said with amusement. “The Pei family forced the Su family of Jiaozhou to leave in order to get money, and the entire Hejian region is supporting the Pei family. You didn’t know any of this? It seems that your position as the head of the family is not stable.”
After saying that, she fell silent and focused on looking at the map.
“Zhao Zhao, you…” Pei Tingfeng called out to her.
Shen Suqin: "What's wrong?"
"You're talking about these things, does His Majesty... know about them?"
Shen Suqin blinked. "Do you think he knows?"
Pei Tingfeng hesitated for a long time before shaking his head.
"What do you mean?" Shen Suqin chuckled. "Do you mean you don't know, or he doesn't know?"
"I have no idea."
Shen Suqin laughed even harder, and after a while said something interesting, "The fact that you don't know proves that he does know."
How could someone sitting on the throne know nothing? It's the Pei family, on the other hand, who want to protect Pei Tingfeng and keep him completely in the dark.
Pei Tingfeng wasn't stupid; he understood and remained silent for a long time.
"Pei Tingfeng, I've always thought you were a strange person, you know? You were the Crown Prince's companion and the eldest son of the Pei family in your early years, and now you're a favorite in the palace and the next head of the Pei family. How do you manage to remain so naive? Doesn't Prime Minister Pei worry that the Pei family will fall into ruin under your leadership?"
Pei Tingfeng knew that "naivety" here was not a good word. He lowered his eyes to look at the map and said in a low voice, "I just want to be good to the people. If possible, I will also fulfill my duty as the head of the family and keep the Pei family safe. I haven't thought about anything else."
Shen Suqin opened her mouth, but for a moment she didn't know what to say.
"It's good, it's good that you're like this." After a long while, she said softly.
The carriage traveled south towards Yunzhou.
Yunzhou is mountainous, and Shen Suqin and his group traveled along mountain roads for several days before finally reaching Hebi County in Gongchuan.
He Bi lived in a square old town nestled in the middle of the mountains. Their group of about a hundred people, heavily armored in black, rode into the town with a roar, startling all the vendors in the town into standing there dumbfounded.
Shen Suqin lifted the carriage curtain and looked out the window.
"As expected of the place where spark salt is produced, look how wealthy this city is, with tall buildings standing side by side, and wide and clean streets. It's not much different from the capital," Shen Suqin said.
Pei Tingfeng had no interest in appreciating the scenery: "Do you think they would be willing to hand over the salt mine?"
Shen Suqin lowered the carriage curtain and sat back down. "Of course they don't want to. They're not stupid. If they hand it over, they'll cut off their source of income."
"If that doesn't work, we'll resort to force. After all, we have the Imperial Guards and the imperial sword."
"What are you thinking? This place is far from the emperor's reach. You're trying to use force? Are you trying to kill yourself? Aren't you afraid of being kidnapped and thrown into the mountains?"
"...Then what do you suggest we do?"
Shen Suqin beckoned with her finger, "Come closer, I have something to tell you."
Pei Tingfeng obediently moved closer.
When the carriage stopped at the gate of the Wei residence, Pei Tingfeng changed his demeanor, crossing his arms, his face dark, and exuding an aura that kept strangers at bay.
The Wei family is a long-established clan, possibly even predating the Great Liang Dynasty. Perhaps due to family tradition, the Wei family has produced many talented individuals throughout the generations. The main branch is the Tu'an Wei family, which was severely weakened and lost power by Xiao Pingchuan.
The Yunzhou branch is a collateral branch, and Shen Suqin is unsure of their attitude towards her. However, things seem to be going well for now, since even the head of the family is standing at the gate waiting for them.
"Minister Shen, Vice Minister Pei," Master Wei greeted them, "I am so sorry for not welcoming you sooner."
Shen Suqin smiled and returned the greeting, "Grandpa Wei, I apologize for disturbing you." She then nodded to the group of Wei family members in front of her.
Pei Tingfeng stood silently behind her, looking quite intimidating.
Master Wei glanced at him but didn't dare to go up and speak. He only said to Shen Suqin, "The welcome banquet has been prepared. Please come in, please come in."
"please."
Entering the Wei residence, one is greeted by a breathtaking view at every turn, with pavilions, terraces, carved beams, and painted pillars, clearly indicating the family's wealth.
Shen Suqin glanced at it and said meaningfully, "Master Wei really knows how to manage things."
"Not at all, it's the result of generations of hard work. I'm just benefiting from my ancestors' legacy."
"That's because Master Wei is smart and knows how to adapt to the times, which is why he was able to withstand it."
The hidden meaning in those words sent chills down the spines of the Wei family. They exchanged a knowing glance, their hearts heavy with unease.
Upon entering the reception hall, a table was indeed laden with delicacies.
Master Wei wanted Shen Suqin to take the seat of honor, but Shen Suqin smiled without saying a word, took half a step back, and let Pei Tingfeng sit down.
Everyone present knew Pei Tingfeng's identity: he was the eldest son of Prime Minister Pei, the emperor's study companion, a favorite of the court, and had a promising future.
But ever since he entered the Wei residence, he has kept a dark face and hasn't said a word, which is quite frightening.
"Please take your seats, everyone." Shen Suqin took the initiative, always being very generous. "Lord Pei must be tired from his journey, please don't bother with him."
Master Wei forced a smile. "Thank you both for your hard work."
After everyone was seated, the eldest son of the Wei family raised a toast first, signifying that the Wei family welcomed the two guests.
Pei Tingfeng didn't move, but Shen Suqin raised her cup to drink with him.
Before the Wei family could continue, Pei Tingfeng suddenly slammed the Shangfang sword he was holding onto the table. At the same time, the guards who had come with Chen and Pei rushed into the courtyard upon hearing the noise, drew their swords without a word, and stood in the courtyard, their eyes fixed on the people at the table.
The Wei family members froze on the spot, not daring to breathe, staring down at the table.
"This, I wonder what Lord Pei means?" Master Wei asked in an unfriendly tone.
Shen Suqin quickly smiled and said, "As you know, His Majesty is diligent and hardworking and dislikes roundabout ways. Lord Pei grew up with His Majesty and may have been influenced by him."
She raised her cup as a self-punishment, saying, "I offer this cup on behalf of Lord Pei to apologize to everyone."
Master Wei felt a lump in his throat, unsure whether to speak out or not.
“But I’ll just get straight to the point,” Shen Suqin said, “I’m sure Master Wei knows why we’ve come here today.”
"I know." Master Wei placed his hands on the table and tapped the surface gently.
“Since you know, then I’ll be frank.” Shen Suqin stared at his hand. “His Majesty wants to nationalize the salt mines and use the sale of salt to replenish the national treasury. This is reasonable and justifiable, isn’t it, Master Wei?”
Master Wei didn't speak, but his fingers tapped the table faster.
Shen Suqin glanced at his hand one last time, then turned her gaze back and swept it lightly over the Wei family members present. She said loudly, "But I think Your Majesty's actions are very inappropriate."
Master Wei paused, his fingers still.
“I’m also in business myself, running Xingyuan Restaurant. No one knows better than me how difficult it is to build a business.”
These words seemed to resonate with the Wei family, and everyone looked at her with a hint of expectation in their eyes.
"So by what right does His Majesty have to take it away so easily? He's robbing the people of their wealth," Shen Suqin continued.
The Wei family wanted to applaud and cheer, but seeing that Lord Pei's face had darkened considerably, they immediately withdrew their hands.
"Alas, it's a pity I have no choice. Master Wei, you don't know, do you? Every year I have to hand over 50% of Xingyuan Restaurant's profits to the national treasury in exchange for peace." Shen Suqin's voice was heavy. "His Majesty, he... alas..."
"Now that I've taken on this task, I have no choice but to deliver. But to be honest, if I fail to do this, the next person to come will probably raze the Wei family to the ground."
Shen Suqin paused for a moment, and seeing that the Wei family members were all deep in thought, he quickly pressed on while the iron was hot, saying, "But don't worry, I'm not that kind of heartless person, and I will not let the Wei family hand over the salt mine."
Master Wei finally looked up at her.
Shen Suqin looked back, her eyes full of sincerity, "The salt mine still belongs to the Wei family, only nominally it belongs to His Majesty. How much is produced each year, how much is sold, and how much profit is made are all decided by the Wei family. Then, a certain amount of silver is sent to the court every month, just to buy peace, how about that?"
Before the words had even finished, and before the Wei family could speak, Pei Tingfeng had already drawn his sword.
This was a precious sword, and in the blink of an eye, it was placed on Shen Suqin's fair and slender neck.
"ah!"
The Wei family members all stood up, glancing warily at Pei Tingfeng, and then at the black-armored guards outside the door who were poised to pounce.
"No, no, I misspoke," Shen Suqin said in a low voice, "Let's discuss it again, Lord Pei, please calm down first."
“That’s right,” Master Wei said hastily, wiping the sweat from his brow. “Swords have no eyes, Lord Pei. Please don’t hurt Envoy Shen.”
"You're paid by the emperor, and you're supposed to be loyal to him? Is this how you do things?" Pei Tingfeng's voice was icy as he questioned Shen Suqin.
Shen Suqin took a small half-step back and said, "Then what does Lord Pei suggest we do?"
“Salt officials were appointed to oversee salt affairs, acting as intermediaries between higher and lower levels.”
“Well…then the salt official position…could it be filled by someone from the Wei family?” Shen Suqin looked at Master Wei, then at the Wei family, and asked tentatively. “After all, the salt mine was founded by the Wei family, and no one knows the ins and outs of the business better than them. Wouldn’t it be a waste to leave the Wei family unused?”
Upon hearing this, Pei Tingfeng thought for a moment but did not agree, only saying, "We'll discuss it later."
"Then you should put the sword away first. This is an imperial sword; His Majesty won't hold anyone accountable for killing it. Don't try to scare me."
Pei Tingfeng sheathed his sword as instructed, then stepped out the door without another word and left. The guards outside the door followed him.
"Hey, hey, Lord Pei!" Shen Suqin didn't move, but kept calling out to him from behind.
Once he was out of sight, Shen Suqin sat back down in her chair, exhausted, and complained, patting her chest, "Your Majesty insisted on arranging for such a rigid old man to accompany me. You have no idea how much I suffered along the way."
Wei Jia stammered, "Yes."
They didn't want to hear any of that right now; they just wanted to steer the conversation back to the salt mine.
"Just now, the magistrate Shen said about the salt officials..." The eldest son of the Wei family couldn't wait any longer and spoke first.
Shen Suqin glanced at him, then looked at Master Wei.
Master Wei, having received the instruction, said to the rest of the Wei family, "You may all leave now, but Wei Da will stay."
Soon, only Master Wei, the young master of the Wei family, and Shen Suqin remained in the hall.
“I am an honest man and I don’t like to lie,” Shen Suqin said. “To be honest, the Salt Officials were appointed by His Majesty to be responsible for the mining, transportation and sale of salt, and they report directly to His Majesty.”
Young Master Wei gasped and stammered, "I didn't expect His Majesty to be so concerned."
Shen Suqin sighed, "That's right, so being a salt official is both easy and difficult. But there's a lot of room for maneuver. We're all businessmen, you know what I mean."
"Commander Shen is kind," said Master Wei.
“What do you mean by being merciful?” Shen Suqin smiled bitterly. “If we weren’t in the same boat, I wouldn’t have bothered with this. Master Wei, what do you think about this matter?”
Master Wei leaned on the table with one hand and said thoughtfully, "To be honest, Envoy Shen, the situation is much better than we expected. Before, I always thought that we had to hand over all the salt mines, and that the Wei family's century-old business would have to be handed over to others. Fortunately, you are on our side, otherwise... sigh."
Shen Suqin laughed, "Could it be that Master Wei originally intended to perish together with us?"
Master Wei stared at her without saying a word.
Shen Suqin broke out in a cold sweat. He thought to himself, "What kind of burning is this? They probably want to kill them both."
"No, no," she shook her head. "There's always a way out. Look, here I am. Would you be willing to accept the position of salt official, Master Wei?"
"I'm willing, but what about Lord Pei?"
“I will speak to Pei Tingfeng on behalf of Master Wei, but…” Shen Suqin rubbed her fingers together.
Young Master Wei was quick-witted and immediately understood, so he hurriedly said, "A reward of ten thousand taels of silver will be prepared immediately."
Shen Suqin smiled and said, "Thank you very much. Leave this to me. There will definitely be good news tomorrow."
Young Master Wei cupped his hands in thanks.
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