Chapter 90: Killing the Chicken to Warn the Monkey

It is the ninth month, the third season of autumn.

After a bout of autumn rain, the red bricks and green tiles of the streets and alleys in Beijing were already withered, yellowed, and desolate.

Inside the main hall of Zhang Yunxiu's small residence on East Street in Beijing, seven or eight men who looked like managers stood with their hands hanging down.

Everyone had a stern look and a stiff expression, their bodies trembling like chaff.

On the yellow pear-wood armchair in front, Zheng Xi'er sat dressed in a lotus-colored tight-fitting long dress embroidered with red carp, her jet-black hair coiled at the back of her head, adorned with a few lovely jade moth hairpins.

To her lower left, Zhang Fu's complexion was gloomy, his gaze sweeping over these managers from time to time.

As it turned out, these people were all managers of the shops Zhang Yunxiu had recently acquired.

Ever since he obtained the shops from Zhang Jing, Zhang Yunxiu had immediately sent people to take them over, and Zheng Xi'er had volunteered to act as the housekeeper for Zhang Yunxiu.

It must be said she had a talent for it; in just three months, she had audited the account books thoroughly.

Today, she had sent for Zhang Fu and summoned these problematic managers to discuss how to punish them.

Zhang Fu's triangular eyes narrowed, shooting out two beams of cold light as he pointed at the men and cursed viciously: "Good, very good! You all have truly massive guts to dare dig at the foundations of our house. Do you know what the taste of the Imperial Prison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is really like?!"

In an instant, the knees of the eight men went weak; they fell to their knees with a thud and begged for mercy: "Steward Zhang, spare our lives! Steward Zhang, spare our lives! We are willing to make up for all the money; we will not be short a single cent of your family's silver."

"Heh, you think it's that easy? You think just by paying the money back, this matter is settled?" Zhang Fu sneered, then suddenly raised his voice and shouted, "If we followed your logic, wouldn't our house become a den of thieves?"

"Double... we are willing to pay double the compensation." The group looked at each other in dismay. After a few seconds of silence, one man held up two fingers and said in a trembling voice.

Zhang Fu flicked his embroidered robe, closed his eyes, and leaned back into his chair.

Seeing this, the group grew anxious and turned to look at Zheng Xi'er, who had not spoken yet, begging: "Mistress Zheng, the small ones know we were wrong. Please, just spare us this once."

"If we commit this again in the future, there will be no need for you to say anything, Mistress Zheng; we will go to the government office ourselves."

Zheng Xi'er's phoenix eyes flickered slightly as she stared straight at a lean man and sneered: "I am merely a woman; where would it be my place to make decisions? Isn't that right, Manager Yang?"

"Ah?!" At this call, the man's forehead hit the ground, his backside stuck high in the air, and he begged: "Mistress Zheng, it was this small one who was blind and had no eyes. I beg Mistress Zheng to give this small one a chance."

Before Zheng Xi'er could speak, Zhang Fu shouted toward the outside, and two small officers in black boots walked in, grabbed Manager Yang, and dragged him out.

Manager Yang struggled desperately, his mouth begging incessantly.

However, as a commoner, how could he be a match for the Embroidered Uniform Guard? In no time at all, he was dragged away.

Now, the seven people in the room trembled even more violently, their foreheads covered in beads of sweat the size of beans.

Zheng Xi'er smiled and cast a glance at Zhang Fu. Zhang Fu nodded, and only then did Zheng Xi'er part her red lips and say without a trace of emotion: "Let this be the only time. Pay back double the embezzled money, and you will be fined three months' wages. Then this matter will be considered over."

"If you offend again in the future, I will not spare you."

"Many thanks, Mistress Zheng! Many thanks, Mistress Zheng! Many thanks, Steward Zhang! Many thanks, Steward Zhang!" The seven let out long sighs of relief, their heads hitting the floor with loud thuds.

Zhang Fu looked at them with disgust and waved his hand: "Get out, get out! If you dare to be lazy or sly again in the future, watch your heads. This time it is Mistress Zheng who has spared you. If you dare to gossip behind our backs again, it won't be me talking to you here."

The men repeatedly cried "We dare not," kowtowed a few more times, then stood up, clutched their crotches, and ran away in a flash.

"If you hadn't pleaded for them, I would have dragged these fellows to the Imperial Prison," Zhang Fu said with a pout and a hateful expression once they had left. Zheng Xi'er covered her mouth and smiled, explaining: "These few people still have decent abilities. If I were to dismiss them all at once, it would affect our business to some extent, and others would say I am lacking in grace."

She only needed to kill the chicken to warn the monkey, and she could keep the rest of them in check.

Of course, if they dared to offend again in the future, they would have no one else to blame.

Having figured out this layer of meaning, Zheng Xi'er had only dealt with the most arrogant one among them, while the others were given a warning and sent back.

Zhang Fu also felt there was some truth to this, nodded in agreement, and then smiled as he reminded her: "Sister Xi'er, according to the news sent by Han San, the Young Master has already reached the outskirts of the capital. It is estimated that he will be back in a day or two."

"Really?!" Joy spread across Zheng Xi'er's face.

"Yes."

Zhang Fu nodded and was about to continue speaking when a small banner officer of the Embroidered Uniform Guard rushed in recklessly.

Upon meeting them, the small banner officer shouted at the top of his lungs: "Steward Zhang, Young Master Zhang and Third Master have already reached a place fifty miles outside the capital. It is estimated they will arrive in the capital before tonight."

"Third Master sent me to tell you to prepare early to welcome the Young Master."

"Understood."

Zhang Fu waved his hand with a flushed face, and the small banner officer turned and left.

Zheng Xi'er's face was full of smiles as she paced back and forth in the room, both pleasantly surprised and worried: "Why so fast? We haven't prepared anything. Wouldn't that be neglecting the Young Master?"

"Steward Zhang, why don't we go out of the city now and wait for the Young Master thirty miles outside the city?"

"No, no, no." Zhang Fu shook his head with a smile, then said fawningly, "I will go to receive the Young Master myself. You should wash up and dress yourself well now. I will bring the Young Master directly to you."

"Mm."

Zheng Xi'er responded softly, a flush appearing on her beautiful oval face.

The sun gradually slanted to the west, and the sunset filled the sky.

At the city gate of Beijing, carts piled high with iron-skinned boxes suddenly appeared, escorted by hundreds of Embroidered Uniform Guards on both sides.

At the very front, Zhang Yunxiu walked side-by-side with Zhang Fu, looking travel-worn.

"Young Master, you have made a fortune on this trip. Just by a glance, I reckon there must be at least four or five hundred thousand taels of silver," Zhang Fu said fawningly as he walked. "Just for this alone, your status in front of the Emperor will be unshakable."

"Enough, enough. My legs are trembling from exhaustion now; stop talking this nonsense to me," Zhang Yunxiu said with some annoyance, waving his hand repeatedly and continuing to walk forward.

Zhang Fu had intended to flatter him but ended up hitting a horse's hoof. He turned bright red and hurriedly changed the subject: "Everything is prepared, and Sister Xi'er is waiting for you. Should you go directly there, Young Master?"

Hearing this, Zhang Yunxiu looked up at the sky and, seeing black mist rising, did not decline.

He turned and instructed Han San: "Han San, take some men and deliver twenty thousand taels of silver to Eunuch Wei first. Transport all the rest to our warehouse and wait a few days before dealing with it."

"As you command."

Han San accepted the order and left.

(End of chapter)