Chapter 80: Secret Plot

The New Year had just passed, and it should still be counted as deep winter — even Jiangnan was not warm. On the roads everywhere, few human figures could be seen; everyone was holed up at home, going out as little as possible.

The cold wind outside whipped up a handful of snowflakes from time to time, and beneath the dazzling, brilliant reflections lurked an endless, murderous chill.

Taicang had not been very peaceful lately. Or rather, beneath the placid surface, dark currents surged and killing intent lay in ambush everywhere.

Recently, a demonic wind had begun to blow from no one knew where, its spearpoint aimed straight at the Zhang family of Taicang.

For instance, that Zhang Pu, Old Master Zhang's eighteenth concubine, had been snatched from the hands of the Suzhou Prefect; or that the Zhang family had encroached on so-and-so many mu of commoners' farmland and beaten people to death; or that Old Master Zhang Pu of the Zhang family was simply a sodomite, and those eighteen concubines were all taken to throw people off the scent.

Rumors of this sort had suddenly spread far and wide with overwhelming force, growing ever more intense, so much so that even the "Elegy for Lord Zhou" that Old Master Zhang Pu had written earlier was drowned out.

Inside the study of the Zhang residence in Taicang. Two young men with handsome faces, both sporting goatees, sat facing each other — they were none other than the world-renowned Taicang Zhang Pu and Zhang Cai.

Zhang Pu appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six. He took a sip of the tea in his hand, then said to Zhang Cai across from him, "These rumors swirling about lately are truly detestable."

Zhang Cai sat opposite Zhang Pu. Already past thirty, his handsome face was marred by a pair of inverted triangle eyes and a hooked nose, adding a few degrees of sinister ruthlessness out of nowhere.

Hearing Zhang Pu speak, Zhang Cai said, "And what can be done about it? Even you, Master Ximing, cannot trace the root of this, which shows that whoever is spreading these rumors is no small figure."

Zhang Pu, however, shook his head. "Not necessarily. Hasn't that Yuan barbarian always been thinking of setting up his own faction? Perhaps this is his doing."

Zhang Cai laughed.

"Master Ximing thinks too highly of that man.

Since he has been stripped of office and dismissed, I fear he lacks the ability to stir up trouble here in Taicang. Moreover, his influence lies mostly in Ningyuan and Jinzhou — this land of Jiangnan mist and flowers, how could he reach into it?"

Zhang Pu also said, "True. Your younger brother here has been so angered by these rumors lately that his wits have grown dull. If that barbarian wants to set up his own faction, let him. I, for one, would like to see what kind of climate he can stir up without us."

Shifting his tone, Zhang Pu continued, "But it is a pity about Grand Secretary Ye and Grand Secretary Zhou. Now, trying to open up such a line again will only be more difficult."

Bang! Zhang Cai slammed the table.

The look of breezy indifference on his face just moments ago vanished completely as he roared, "It's all that brat Chongzhen!

Not only does he extort and levy oppressive taxes, but he even butchered loyal and devoted senior ministers like Grand Secretary Ye and Grand Secretary Zhou to the last man. Even Jie and Zhou were no worse than this!

A tyrant! A tyrant!"

Zhang Pu, who had been furious a moment ago, now calmed down and said coolly, "Brother Nanguo, do not lose your temper. This time, we will do something ruthless — burn down the Suzhou Prefectural yamen, and let that tyrant see that among us scholars, there are also those who do not fear death!"

Zhang Cai was startled. "Have you gone mad?! That tyrant has made the heads of court ministers roll in heaps — you, a mere student, are you not afraid of having nine degrees of your kin exterminated?"

Zhang Pu merely smiled faintly. "So what? Exterminate nine degrees of kinship? Count for me — how many people's nine degrees of kinship has he actually exterminated?

You and I need only incite the students to go make trouble together. As long as enough government students take part, as the saying goes, the law cannot punish the multitude, and you and I will naturally come out safe and sound.

We can even gain a fine reputation for pleading on behalf of the people at the risk of our own lives. Why not do it?"

Zhang Cai's triangle eyes swiveled, and he laughed. "Brilliant, truly brilliant. Master Ximing's clever scheme — a clever scheme indeed. This way, that tyrant's commercial taxes will likely fail to be collected again."

Zhang Pu said, "Exactly. The point is precisely to make him unable to collect these commercial taxes. And not only that — the original Suzhou-Hangzhou Imperial Textile Workshops must also be made to stop, by any means necessary. Otherwise, all that gleaming silver will fly away every day."

Just as he was about to raise his teacup to see his guest off, a matter suddenly came to mind, and Zhang Pu continued, "Brother Nanguo, a few days ago, your younger brother received news sent from the north."

Zhang Cai immediately perked up and urged him repeatedly, "Speak quickly — what news?"

Zhang Pu said, "The north sent word that Liaodong needs more grain and cloth, and told us to make preparations."

Zhang Cai, however, looked troubled. "His mother's! Who doesn't want to earn that gleaming silver? But the sea route is impassable, and those old skinflints in the northwest have been slaughtered clean — even if we wanted to transport it, we couldn't get it through."

Zhang Pu laughed.

"What's so difficult about that?

As you, Brother Nanguo, said yourself — who does not love gleaming silver? If ten thousand taels aren't enough, then a hundred thousand.

If a hundred thousand won't do, then a million. Smash them with silver, and you can smash open a path.

Anything that can be solved by spending silver is no real problem at all.

What's more, I hear from the northern news that someone is already selling illicit salt to Liaodong and the steppe. I fear even Lu Xiangsheng in Xuanfu is not clean. Keep smashing away — there will come a day when it smashes open."

Taking another sip of tea, Zhang Pu continued, "Right, the north also said that the Duke of Yansheng has been quite displeased lately."

Zhang Cai was extremely interested in this sort of gossip. "What do you mean by that?"

Zhang Pu said, "It's still that tyrant. This year, that tyrant has ascended the throne and changed the reign era, but he has shown no gesture whatsoever toward the Duke of Yansheng. So, naturally, the Duke of Yansheng is unhappy."

Zhang Cai curled his lip. "What unhappiness? He's just shameless! Has his family received too little? He pushes his luck! Doesn't know what's good for him! Sooner or later, that tyrant will grind his bones to dust too!"

Zhang Pu, however, rebuked him in a low voice.

"Brother Nanguo, watch your words!

Even if you suffered a loss on that last batch of grain, you must not speak like this. He is, after all, a descendant of the Sage.

You and I are disciples of the Confucian teachings — we must not be disrespectful! Still less must we utter reckless words!"

Zhang Cai spat. "Descendant of the Sage! Ha! Some descendant of the Sage! Doesn't this descendant of the Sage also make eyes at the Jianzhou barbarians?

When the Mongol Yuan entered the pass, wasn't it this very descendant of the Sage who declared the Tartar emperor a Grand Master of Confucian learning?

In my view, that tyrant looks more like a Grand Master of Confucian learning instead!"

Zhang Pu could not help but scratch his head. Previously, on a shipment of grain smuggled to the Jianzhou barbarians, the Duke of Yansheng's line had forcibly muscled in, and Zhang Cai had suffered no small loss, leaving him extremely bitter at heart.

Left with no choice, Zhang Pu could only placate him.

"Enough, enough, Brother Nanguo.

These are all past matters — why bring them up again?

Rather than waste time being angry with the Duke of Yansheng and his ilk, we would do better to think carefully about how to burn down the Suzhou Prefectural yamen and the Suzhou-Hangzhou Imperial Textile Workshop yamen this time, so that the tyrant may know that we scholars are not to be lightly insulted."

Zhang Cai said, "Indeed. Your foolish elder brother will go at once to contact our Restoration Society members. We must succeed in one stroke and teach that tyrant a lesson."

Starting tomorrow, I'll be running naked, and Our heart is deeply grieved. Were it not for yesterday's alliance leader's reward, life would have nearly lost all hope.

(End of chapter)