Chapter 993 - 832: Greed and Delusion

At dusk, Chen Yu, donned in a red official robe, stepped into the courtyard, the golden-red sunset casting a brilliant light upon the Yun Jin patch on his chest.

Hu Junye sat back in front of the large iron pot, waving his hand to signal the Death Soldier of the Hu Family to carry out the Huguang Salt Tokens from the main hall, then brought a chair for Chen Yu to sit beside him.

He casually took a stack of Huguang Salt Tokens from the box and threw them into the large iron pot, reigniting the dying flames: "The Zhang Family has gone to such great lengths, buying salt tokens and opening an exchange using the name of the Treasure Paper Bureau, only to drive up the price of the Lianghuai Salt Tokens?"

Chen Yu sat beside the large iron pot, laughing heartily as he extended his hands to warm them by the fire: "That one said it’s as difficult as climbing to the sky to open a window in Jiangnan’s salt tax system, but if you first scare them by saying you want to tear down the roof, then when you actually open the window, they won’t stop you. Now the price of the Lianghuai Salt Tokens has multiplied over tenfold, bringing in two to three million taels of silver each year, it’s worth the trouble."

Hu Junye remained silent.

Chen Yu spoke slowly: "The reason for the trouble is due to two difficulties. First, you must make them believe you have the method to actually tear down the house. Although the Salt Exchange is fraught with endless troubles, if you don’t stop, it can truly cause a great harm to the Eight Great Merchants’ Primordial Qi. The appearance of the A Tickets and B Tickets is enough to make the Eight Great Merchants believe that the Zhang Family really has a way to deal with them.

Without waiting for Hu Junye to speak, Chen Yu glanced at him: "Second, you must make them believe you really plan to tear down the house. The Anti-Japanese Army slaughtered the Wokou in Jingjiang, then quickly took over Dinghai Port and the Sea Trade Tariff, driving the Jinling Xu Family and the Huqiu Xu Family to the brink of extinction, and the huge Xu Family instantly changed owners without any mercy. Mr. Hu, if any step on this chessboard was missed, today’s affair would not have succeeded."

Hu Junye picked up a stack of salt tokens and threw them into the iron pot: "With the means and courage to throw Jiangnan into a big pot and stew it in chaos, why stop here? The Salt Exchange is a sharp blade, meant to cut at the necks of the Eight Great Merchants, yet why was the knife sheathed?"

Chen Yu sighed: "Actually, I don’t quite understand. He explained it to me, but I still can’t get it. That one said salt tokens and silver aren’t ’fixed currency’, accumulating too much silver in the treasury will inevitably cause fluctuations in the civilian silver price; he also mentioned that national debt, if used properly, is a tool to regulate the market, but if not, it’s a weapon that harms the realm, and with the entire court of officials being short-sighted, no one can use it well, so it’s better not to let them use it at all."

Hu Junye muttered to himself: "National debt..."

Chen Yu suddenly laughed: "But I guess there’s another reason he didn’t say: he originally thought taking the Sea Trade Tariff would be enough to elevate Zhang Zhuo to Grand Secretary, but he didn’t expect Your Majesty to demand more, and he was somewhat displeased. No matter how useful a blade is, it cannot be used endlessly, right? Moreover, this affair undermined the Buddhist Sect, an unending enmity; he just wants to live a good life, not to form such a deep animosity with the Buddhist Sect, such a major matter shouldn’t fall on him alone."

Hu Junye retorted: "What about that Salt Exchange?"

Chen Yu pondered: "Anchor those ninety thousand tokens, sell them off and the matter will be finished. But the Salt Exchange must be kept, the people’s trust accumulates over a long time, gradually, when the people believe there won’t be an incident, it will be a knife against the throats of the Eight Great Merchants and the Buddhist Sect... probably it’ll take ten years."

"Since the Zhang Family has planned everything..." Hu Junye paused, clutching the salt tokens suspended in mid-air: "How can he be so sure that I, Hu, am willing to assist in this show? What makes him so sure I would stand by his side?"

The firelight in the courtyard flickered, the wind swirled through the iron pot, carrying ashes out of it, hovering at their feet.

Chen Yu thought for a moment, answering indirectly: "Mr. Hu, when Wang Changzhen went to Dinghai Port, he shouldn’t have made mistakes in small matters like the Ministry of War Fire Ticket, but he did. I guess only someone from the Hu Family could let him become so careless... could it be that Hu Yue by your side?"

Hu Junye’s eyes flickered: "Just on this? It’s not enough."

Chen Yu said with deep meaning: "Mr. Hu, when Jingjiang was besieged by the Wokou, wasn’t the Jiefan Guard nearby?"

Hu Junye’s eyes suddenly sharpened: "Nonsense."

Chen Yu laughed: "That one said, you intended to take this opportunity to transfer the strategy from Guyuan to Jingjiang, but did not expect the Anti-Japanese Army to eradicate the Wokou itself."

Hu Junye coldly denied: "Wrong guess, the Jiefan Guard is just over five hundred men, how could they kill more than four thousand Wokou?"

Chen Yu smiled: "What about adding the Thousand-year Army?"

Hu Junye leaned back against the chair, saying nothing.

Chen Yu continued: "After the Liu Family’s military coup in Luocheng City, the Thousand-year Army didn’t go to Guyuan, nor stayed in Luocheng City, over a thousand cavalry seemed to vanish, even the Ministry of Revenue’s funds stopped, relying entirely on the Inner Treasury allocation, all to hide where they went. And the reassignment of Feng Daban as the South Zhili Guard Eunuch raises many questions whether Prince Jing intended to strike Jiangnan before his death. Many people thought Feng Daban colluded with Your Majesty to kill Prince Jing and burn bridges afterwards, but inside Feng Daban’s residence, the ancestral tablet of Prince Jing is clearly worshipped."

Hu Junye remained silent.

Chen Yu stretched his body lazily as he rose: "Therefore, that one speculated, the Hu Family knows well that Your Majesty is apprehensive of foreign relatives, and for Prince Fu to become Crown Prince, Mr. Hu intended to defame himself and leave the Central, incidentally bringing the Eight Great Merchants down alongside. But Mr. Hu acted somewhat clumsily, perhaps competent in leading troops in battle but not skilled in scheming."

Hu Junye frowned: "If it weren’t for the intervention of the Zhang Family, my method would have already succeeded."

Chen Yu stood by the large fire of the iron pot, looking down at Hu Junye: "This is also why that one sent me to the government office. He asked me to deliver a message to Mr. Hu, that he knows what you did in Guyuan, and what you intend to do in Jiangnan, you naturally have your reasons, but he doesn’t like it."

Hu Junye squinted his eyes: "He doesn’t like it? What bold words. For a moment earlier, I thought Xu Wenhe had come to Jinling."

The government office fell silent, the Death Soldier of the Hu Family instinctively grasped his sword handle: "Arrogant!"

Chen Yu remained calm, still smiling, showing no regard for the Hu family’s death soldiers: "He said, taking silver isn’t as hard as you all think. Perhaps your methods could also work, but going forward, as long as he’s around... you all have to follow his way."

This time, Hu Junye was not upset, and he laughed heartily: "Good, good, good. There are many white faces killed on the stage, but he still managed to cultivate a few qualities of a minister. Tell him, the Hu Family has taken note."

Chen Yu gave a respectful gesture, turned, and walked away briskly: "I’m leaving, these past weeks have been nerve-wracking and exhausting, I need to go to the Old Courtyard and listen to some tunes."

Hu Junye watched his back, loudly asked: "What are his plans next?"

Chen Yu replied with a smile: "I don’t know, probably preparing to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival."

Hu Junye was taken aback: "Celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival?"

...

...

In front of Qi Shui Pavilion, the Ji family’s carriage came to a slow stop.

Manager Ji had just lifted the curtain when he heard the sound of a zither coming from inside.

He got off the carriage, following the sound of the zither to the outside of the pavilion, where he saw Song Leader Dong Zhe sitting elegantly in the pavilion, playing the zither, while Yao An leaned against the edge, gazing at the koi in the pond.

Manager Ji stood outside the pavilion, hesitantly said: "My Lord, Dong Zhe is a well-known leader in Jinling City, with quite a few prominent figures fond of her. If we linger here too long, we may expose your whereabouts."

Yao An turned to look at him, smiling: "My fault, I always want to possess all the good things in the world. When I came to Jinling last year, I heard about Song Leader Dong’s exceptional talent in both music and chess; indeed, her reputation is deserved. Listening to her music daily should prolong my life. Please trouble Si Caoren to redeem her, I want to keep her by my side."

Manager Ji, realizing his Si Cao identity was pointed out, remained silent.

Yao An changed the topic: "My junior brother has opened a Salt Exchange, what do you plan to do?"

Manager Ji replied: "We went to the government office to ask the Hu family for assistance, and Hu Junye agreed. As long as we purchase the Lianghuai salt permits at market price from the court, His Majesty will retract his orders and prevent that Salt Exchange from having its way."

Yao An laughed aloud: "I see, this is what he really wants."

Manager Ji’s expression shifted: "My Lord, are you saying the Hu family collaborated with him to stage this act, and the Salt Exchange was just a means to force us to comply?"

Yao An retorted: "What else, do you really think they’d clash with the Buddhist Sect for court matters? The country isn’t his, after all."

Manager Ji sighed: "With this incident, each family will need to pay an additional five or six hundred thousand silver taels annually."

Yao An lamented: "It’s the Ning Dynasty Emperor who benefits from this."

Manager Ji frowned: "With such a sharp knife in hand, I fear the Ning Dynasty Emperor may be disadvantageous to our dynasty."

Yao An smiled faintly: "You’re mistaken, the Ning Dynasty Emperor can’t grasp this knife."

Manager Ji pondered for a moment: "Can you guess what your junior brother plans to do next? I’m afraid he might target the Eight Great Merchants again, we need to prepare."

Yao An looked up at the pavilion’s roof: "Do you know, Lord Si Cao, what greed is?"

Manager Ji paused: "Why do you suddenly ask that, my Lord?"

Yao An laughed, talking to himself: "Greed for money and treasure, greed for gourmet and beauty, greed for fame and power, greed for praise and recognition, greed for controlling others, greed for health and longevity, greed for merit and blessing; the Buddhist Sect lists greed as one of the three poisons, as many desires cause suffering, life and death fatigue all start from greed... it’s bitter, the more greedy one is, the more bitter."

Manager Ji remained silent, not understanding the implication behind Yao An’s words.

Yao An continued: "Do you know what foolishness is? Greed is wanting possession, foolishness is not seeing through. Foolish I, foolish views, foolish feelings, foolish realms; foolishness is obsession, also ignorance, the root of the three poisons. I can’t break greed, my junior brother can’t break foolishness, but who is truly more miserable?"

Yao An looked at Manager Ji, smiling: "You think he’s in this for court position and power? Not at all. My junior brother should be most annoyed with me right now, yet I, as his senior brother, understand him best, knowing he never sought those things. His thoughts were simple from the start... keep a close eye on the Zhang family, where Second Miss Zhang is, he’ll be there too... this young man might be planning to spend the Dragon Boat Festival with family reunion."