Chapter 1085

Zhang Juzheng was truly getting on in years; the elderly become stubborn, their judgment of problems grows biased, entirely subjective, no longer acknowledging objective reality — Zhang Juzheng himself had realized this, which was why he retired in the twentieth year of Wanli and no longer involved himself in court affairs.

Take those students studying in the public academies, spewing filth from their mouths — he laid the blame for the problem entirely on Gao Qiyu alone.

This is the most typical sign of a person becoming biased: liking to attribute systemic failures to individuals. This mode of thinking was precisely what Zhang Juzheng severely condemned as the "vile Confucian mindset"; in his "Petition on the Common Malady of Vile Confucians," he called this phenomenon "generalizing from a partial view."

Some vile Confucians always like to use one-sided, isolated cases to completely deny an entire whole, a whole class, even to judge a class's good or bad. An individual having this mindset is one thing, but as the Great Ming's ruling class, this mindset is unacceptable.

Since the Salary Arbitration Office was established, it has handled over eight thousand cases large and small, among which class-action suits numbered in the thousands — a key tool for balancing labor-capital contradictions. Yet among the cases the Salary Arbitration Office handled, there truly were over a thousand cases where the "grand masters" were wronged.

Some poor commoners and laborers, relying on the Salary Arbitration Office's partiality, harbored the mentality of "beating three poles whether there are jujubes or not," and made unreasonable trouble in the Salary Arbitration Office.

Just because of these extortionist rascals, must one deny the entire class of poor commoners and laborers?

Likewise, Felipe in his later years also fell into this mode of thinking: he attributed the corruption of the entire Western trade entirely to the English, never considering that his own marrow-sucking, bone-gnawing exploitation was the root of the problem.

Zhang Juzheng attributing the public academies' systemic problems — problems arising from changing times — to Gao Qiyu alone was also biased; moreover, Zhang Juzheng never even considered whether Gao Qiyu could bear such blame.

Upon learning that the Emperor had already become aware of this phenomenon and was correcting it through the policy of "rectifying teacher conduct and strictly evaluating performance," Zhang Juzheng immediately felt satisfied.

Zhu Yijun chatted with Zhang Juzheng for a long time, mainly about the sequel to Journey to the West written by the Chief Auxiliary and Imperial Preceptor. Some of its content was no longer veiled insinuation — the protagonist was none other than the Emperor himself. In Zhu Yijun's view, this was simply a grand "feel-good novel."

It made the Great Ming's revival seem like the sole achievement of the Great Ming Emperor.

Zhu Yijun felt Zhang Juzheng had written it wrong; he hoped Zhang Juzheng would write it as "the myriad people of one heart, superiors and subordinates of the same virtue, military and civilians working together, invincible under heaven," not overemphasizing an individual playing the hero.

The success of the Great Ming Wanli Restoration belongs to everyone in the Great Ming, high and low — it was not something Zhu Yijun, Zhang Juzheng, and those few others produced alone. This obviously overemphasized the individual hero, and was also biased.

But Zhang Juzheng disagreed, and his reason was sufficient: he was writing fiction, not official history.

He naturally knew the Great Ming's revival was the result of ten thousand men exerting one force, everyone from top to bottom pushing in the same direction. But what he wrote had the need to focus the reader's attention; otherwise there would be no main narrative thread.

Just a book — Zhu Yijun would not interfere. Aside from the matter of eating chili peppers, Zhu Yijun had never interfered in Zhang Juzheng's personal life.

Zhang Juzheng left Yanqing Palace satisfied. Zhu Yijun whispered a couple of words to Zhang Hong, and Zhang Hong took Eastern Factory agents and Embroidered Uniform Guard cavalry to the bookshops and public academies Zhang Juzheng had visited today, investigating carefully.

The final confirmation: it was indeed a phenomenon Zhang Juzheng had chanced upon, not someone deliberately setting a trap for Zhang Juzheng, exploiting his dislike of Gao Qiyu to stir up factional strife or muddy the waters.

This time it truly was not a hunt encircling Zhang Juzheng.

Only after the Embroidered Uniform Guard cavalry investigated clearly did Zhu Yijun breathe a sigh of relief. Zhang Juzheng had already retired; he had lost the power to protect himself. Zhu Yijun had to be vigilant at all times, to not let Zhang Juzheng fall into a passive position or be hunted.

The Emperor has always erred on the side of caution when assessing enemies. In cruel, bloody political struggles, he never overestimates anyone's morality or bottom line. Erring on the side of caution ensures one is never passive.

Zhang Hong and Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander Zhao Mengyou communicated carefully. Actually, His Majesty was overthinking a bit. Zhang Juzheng was old, not senile. Zhang Juzheng was most skilled at administration; he had fought people all his life. Whether something was a conspiracy or scheme, he didn't even need to carefully judge — instinct alone could guess seven or eight parts out of ten.

Who could out-fight Zhang Juzheng? Gao Gong, Yang Bo, Wang Chonggu, Ge Shouli, Zhang Siwei — stacked together they still couldn't out-fight him.

His Majesty thinks Zhang Juzheng retired, but his direct disciples remain: one Chief Auxiliary, one West Study Attendant, one Minister of War Liang Menglong, one Songjiang Governor Li Le, one Ying Tian Governor Wang Xiyuan, one Edo Governor-General Xiong Tingbi, and one supreme Emperor wielding real power under heaven!

Zhang Juzheng easy to bully? Hunt Zhang Juzheng? Who knows why His Majesty would think Zhang Juzheng could be bullied.

Actually it's easy to understand: the Emperor is too familiar with Zhang Juzheng, so familiar that his perception of him has deviated somewhat, overlooking his terrifying power. As long as the Emperor, Zhang Juzheng, and Qi Jiguang are still alive, they are power itself.

After Zhang Juzheng left, Zhu Yijun red-inked a Ministry of Revenue memorial, allocating two hundred thousand silver to the Jin Shan Mausoleum Park for overall repairs — leveling land, adding greenery, horticultural flowers, sanitation cleanup, and reinforcing buildings. This silver must be spent every five years. Compared to the late emperors' mausoleums which haven't received additional funds in a long time, Jin Shan Mausoleum Park gets a minor repair every three years, a major repair every five.

"This Gao Qiyu is indeed somewhat perceptive." Zhu Yijun looked at the joint memorial from Ministry of Revenue Minister Zhang Xueyan and Ministry of Rites Minister Gao Qiyu. Zhang Xueyan mainly spoke of expenditure issues, while Gao Qiyu spoke of ritual law issues.

Zhang Xueyan felt it was a bit too expensive — two hundred thousand silver was a bit much — but the materials used were all good, truly worth the price.

Gao Qiyu, however, had discerned the Emperor's purpose: the supreme glory of Jin Shan Mausoleum Park was to completely bind the personal interests of the Great Ming's highest decision-making layer — the Emperor, the Grand Secretaries, etc. — together with the Great Ming's interests and the world's interests.

Gao Qiyu spoke these words from his own standpoint: he toiled busily all day, even declining entry into the Grand Secretariat — wasn't it all for the utmost mourning honors after death, a glorious burial, to be interred in Jin Shan Mausoleum Park for posterity to gaze upon?

With Jin Shan Mausoleum Park's existence, never mind ministers fighting like dogs — they dare not enter to dig up graves and exhume tombs. Even the Emperor himself, wanting to remove a certain person from inside, would find it extremely difficult. This is like slapping one's own mouth.

It's like in the story of "Moving the Log to Establish Trust," Shang Yang not only didn't give gold to the log-carrier, but carried the log back himself — this is not something a human would do.

Jin Shan Mausoleum Park is precisely that log the Emperor set up.

Moreover, even if the Great Ming later falls and a dynasty change occurs, this Jin Shan Mausoleum Park — the new court cannot dismantle it, dares not dismantle it, and must even repair it.

The First Emperor's burial mound is so large; dynasties throughout history have reviled the tyrannical Qin, yet no one went to dig it up. The act of excavating ancestral tombs would cause great chaos.

Even a new court must establish a similar merit mausoleum, maintain a similar order's existence, and must compare contributions to historical progress with the Wanli Restoration's meritorious ministers — otherwise it cannot prove it holds the Mandate of Heaven.

The Mandate of Heaven — past body, present body, future body, three flowers gathering at the crown — that is where the Mandate of Heaven belongs.

Jin Shan Mausoleum Park is the living reality of order, a merit mausoleum the Emperor established to bind the highest decision-making layer thoroughly to the Great Ming's rivers and mountains, the altars of soil and grain.

One must say, Gao Qiyu's understanding of ritual law is indeed clearer than Wan Shihe's and Shen Li's. Jin Shan Mausoleum Park was built when Wan Shihe was in office; Wan Shihe died and was buried in Jin Shan Mausoleum Park, yet he didn't see it. Shen Li served as Grand Minister of Rites for so long, yet he didn't understand clearly either — only a vague feeling.

On the contrary, it was Gao Qiyu who thoroughly pierced through the Emperor's purpose and planning for order.

Zhang Hong saw His Majesty praise Gao Qiyu as clever, and understood the Emperor's intent. But Zhang Hong saw the process by which "His Majesty is correct" became correct. Regarding Jin Shan Mausoleum Park's enormous expenditure, there had actually been opposition from the very beginning.

Wang Guoguang had opposed it, feeling the spending was excessive. But the Emperor said he would use the Privy Purse, so the Ministry of Revenue stopped opposing and even bore half the construction cost. Wang Guoguang's opposition was nitpicking — the Great Ming's Ministry of Revenue Ministers are all like this, wanting to split even a single li of silver in half.

But some censorial officials opposed it on grounds of extravagant waste, feeling it was completely unnecessary.

Today Gao Qiyu explained it so clearly, which also proved His Majesty was right. Under this correctness, the Great Ming high and low formed an inertia: don't oppose His Majesty's decisions, just do it first, and slowly you'll understand.

Of course, problems also easily arise. Once the Emperor grows old, becomes muddleheaded, neglects governance, or gets stuck in a dead end, it becomes very hard for anyone to come out and correct His Majesty's behavior.

Next morning, just as dawn broke, Zhu Yijun heard a piece of news: Sun Kehong, former chief merchant of the Songjiang Ocean Trading Company, wheeled his swivel chair to the Songjiang yamen to file a complaint, demanding his own second son Sun Chengcheng be sent to the great prison to rectify the family style.

This was absolutely no small matter; Zhu Yijun personally inquired into the case details.

Sun Chengzhi was the eldest, Sun Chengcheng the second. The eldest was merely a bit muddleheaded; the second was simply not human.

Sun Chengcheng forcibly seized a civilian woman.

At the end of last year, Sun Chengcheng took a fancy to a woman from a good family — the daughter of the Chen family, who were also one of the trading company's proprietors. The Chen family was not a high-ranking clan passed down for hundreds of years like the Sun family; the Chen family were newly wealthy households that appeared after the sea ban was lifted.

Sun Chengcheng fancied the Chen family daughter and wanted to take her as a concubine. Although the Chen family were newly rich merchants and willing to climb this connection, a mere concubine status still made them somewhat unwilling. If she were the formal wife, it would be best of all — Sun Chengcheng's first wife had already passed away.

Sun Kehong also inquired into the Chen family's character and felt the Chen family was worthy of a marriage alliance. But Sun Chengcheng refused. This second son's thinking was strange: clearly he was the one who fancied her, yet he felt the Chen family was unworthy!

The Chen family doesn't even have a single juren — just because the sea opening gave them a bit of silver, they're fit to be the Sun family's in-laws?

This marriage fell through just like that.

This year on the fifteenth of the first month, the Lantern Festival, Songjiang Prefecture had a temple fair. Sun Chengcheng saw the Chen family daughter again at the Lantern Festival temple fair, drank some wine, lust addled his brain, and had his henchmen abduct her, dragging her to the rear courtyard and raping her.

After this case broke, the current chief merchant Chen Liuzi Chen Jingyi immediately received the news, moved to suppress it, and communicated with the Chen family, hoping to settle the matter quietly.

Chen Jingyi was truly willing to spend money — just suppressing the news cost ten thousand taels of silver, and the compensation to the Chen family was as much as fifty thousand silver.

The Chen family could only accept this outcome. Chen Jingyi was known in Songjiang for being ruthless. Sun Chengcheng was at fault first, true, but Chen Jingyi was still willing to give both sides face. If it truly came to mutual destruction, the Sun family would gain no benefit, and with the Chen family's insufficient foundation, they'd likely face ruin and death.

This loss can only be accepted as it is.

If this matter ended here, it would be fine, but Sun Chengcheng, seeing someone settle things, immediately asked the Chen family for this daughter, reasoning that even if she became pregnant, the child would still belong to the Sun family; as a man of integrity, he must take responsibility for his actions.

The Chen family took the silver and ultimately sent their daughter to Sun Chengcheng, who dared not bring her home, so he kept her outside.

At the end of the third month, the Chen family's daughter died, and Sun Chengcheng strangled her to death with his own hands.

If no life had been lost, the matter could still have been contained; all were prominent figures in Songjiang Prefecture, but once a life was lost, it immediately caused an uproar, and only then did the news reach the ears of Sun Kehong, this old father.

The entire Sun family, upper and lower, knew that Sun Kehong was old, so whenever something happened in the mansion, several young masters would conceal it, and the servants would all hide it from Sun Kehong.

Moreover, these servants of the great households, having served in such mansions for a long time, had become somewhat peculiar; they considered themselves native to the great household, as if they were the masters themselves, and thought this was merely the second young master's romantic escapade, a trifle not worth disturbing the old master over.

"No, now that a life has been lost and there is an official case, does Chen Jingyi still want to bail out Sun Laoer?" Zhu Yijun found this strange, looking at Hu Jun'de's memorial and saying to Zhang Hong.

After the loss of life, Chen Jingyi produced one hundred thousand taels of silver to settle the matter, forbidding the Chen family from holding a funeral, ordering them to bury the person hastily, not to publicize it, and not to pursue the case further.

Zhang Hong shook his head and said: "What else can be done if we don't bail them out? If we don't, people will gossip endlessly; Sun Kehong is still alive, so Chen Jingyi intends to pull a 'Li Dai replaces the peach'—he has no choice but to bail them out."

"He does want to bail them out, and he really can manage it." Zhu Yijun frowned tightly.

The Chen family once again admitted defeat; compromise once leads to compromise again, the person is already dead, saying more is useless, the Chen family accepted Chen Jingyi's one hundred thousand taels of silver, yet dared not press further.

When the people do not accuse, the officials do not investigate; this case merely caused a stir in a small circle, but since all those in the know kept their mouths shut, it did not escalate greatly, yet eventually the news reached Sun Kehong's ears, and Sun Kehong had his second son bound and delivered to the prefecture office.

According to the Great Ming law, the crimes of abducting a civilian woman, rape, and murder—these three charges mean Sun Laoer must die without doubt.

Sun Kehong truly bore the cost.

"In other words, this case is not that Sun Kehong dragged his second son to the prefecture office and Chen Jingyi then covered it up." Zhu Yijun felt this should not be the case; the powerful clans of Songjiang Prefecture showed a lack of respect for the imperial court.

Such a criminal case, yet they dared to suppress it, dared to have someone bail it out—such open and blatant obstruction of judicial fairness.

Of course, this case again proves that fairness and justice have always been a matter of favoritism.

From Chen Jingyi's standpoint, he had no choice but to bail them out; Sun Kehong had shown him great kindness, and if Chen Jingyi did nothing, he would be condemned and cursed for his lack of filial piety; he could only bail them out once, twice, and so on.

Zhu Yijun pondered and said: "Next chapter, in Songjiang Prefecture, remove Chen Jingyi from office, arrest and interrogate him, replace the merchant chief, and let the overseas trading house nominate someone."

"The eldest son, Sun Chengzhi, is merely muddled and a bit selfish; this second son has implicated Chen Jingyi as well."

Chen Jingyi received the news of his dismissal and was immediately taken away by the yamen runners; this case proceeded because the facts were clear and the evidence solid, Sun Kehong having gathered all personal and material evidence and documents before filing the complaint at the office, even skipping the investigation process.

The case was handled swiftly; by mid-April, Hu Jun'de opened the prefectural hall to try the case, a major case that startled the imperial carriage, naturally requiring swift and severe action.

Sun Chengcheng was sentenced to immediate execution, Chen Jingyi for aiding a tiger, receiving one hundred blows, but the prefecture office, considering the maintenance of loyalty and filial piety in public order and good customs, reduced the hundred blows to fifty.

Chen Jingyi is a man of iron; after enduring fifty blows, he had only half a breath left; had it not been for the rapid advancement of Great Ming medicine, those fifty blows might have left him without even half a breath.

"Sixzi, Master harmed you." Sun Kehong did not go to see his second son; he pretended he had never given birth to this violent and rebellious offspring, yet he still pushed his revolving chair to the Chen residence to visit Chen Jingyi, and incidentally, he wished to return the one hundred sixty thousand taels of silver to Chen Jingyi.

Sun Kehong is old, but he still watches the household accounts; the silver used to settle matters were all advanced by Chen Jingyi from his own funds.

"There is no blame or innocence; the death of the Chen family's daughter—I am an accomplice; if I had not helped the second son the first time, he would not have committed a capital crime; I bear responsibility, and Prefect Hu's handling was indeed just, not striking the full hundred blows, not beating me to death—this is already leniency shown for the sake of loyalty and filial piety." Chen Jingyi lay weak on the bed and said.

In this case, the Chen family's daughter died, the second son must die, Sun Kehong personally sent his son to the great prison, Chen Jingyi lost his ninth-rank merchant chief position, endured fifty blows, and had only half a breath left.

"Why do you help him? Didn't I tell you? My sons, when they commit crimes, I have them seized and delivered to the prefecture office for the office to handle!"

"I have told you many times not to provoke the majesty of the court; your Bai Ling may have succeeded, but you have also placed yourself on the fire to roast." Having experienced this, Sun Kehong visibly aged greatly, speaking somewhat lost and disoriented.

"The second son deserves death, yet he has four sons, over a dozen grandsons, and the disciples he raised with earnest instruction—those disciples actually acted muddle-headed, becoming domineering, becoming merchant chiefs, becoming officials and merchants, provoking the court's majesty; these fifty blows, he endures without injustice."

"Master, what can be done about Sixzi?" Chen Jingyi shook his head and said: "If I did not bail them out, people might think I, Sixzi, am ungrateful and greedy for my master's property, deliberately setting a trap for the second son."

"The other young masters would all think: today we can send the second son to prison, tomorrow we could do the same to the rest of us."

Chen Jingyi has his own considerations; the teachings of his master he has not forgotten, but in this matter he can only act thus; Chen Liuzi truly rose from obscurity, yet is not unfilial; a person lives a lifetime, loyalty and righteousness are the foundation.

Sun Kehong turned his revolving chair and came before Chen Jingyi, face full of sorrow, saying: "What if they think this way? What if I think this way? You are not unable to contend with those few wine sacks and rice bags—why torment yourself?"

Those few wine sacks and rice bags are no match for Chen Jingyi, but before this old master, who strikes without hesitation, Chen Jingyi truly fears the old master might misunderstand him.

Chen Jingyi said: "After the master passes away, how shall I lift his coffin? How shall I see him off? How shall I offer incense to him? Would I still be fit to be a person?"

"If regret is to be felt, it is that after the Lantern Festival incident, I did not give the second son a sound beating to make him know repentance; had I beaten him once, he would not dare act so recklessly."

Chen Jingyi truly wanted at that time to give the second son a fierce beating, to knock him unable to rise from bed, to make him know that mistakes require payment; in this world, no one can do as they please, to do whatever they wish.

Alas, Chen Jingyi felt that since Sun Kehong was still alive, he did not dare to strike.

"You have suffered, Master is old and useless; the servants in the mansion also know Master is old, they do not take Master as the head of the household, and conceal everything from me." Sun Kehong leaned on his revolving chair, gazing at the roof beams, left with only a sigh.

What angered Sun Kehong most about this matter was that, as the master of the house, he was the last to know; everyone concealed it from him, no one told him.

Chen Jingyi bears the surname Chen, is an outsider, he finds it inconvenient to speak of the master's household shame, yet everyone in the mansion remains silent; for a time, Sun Kehong felt grief rise from within, he who had lived dominantly all his life, now in his twilight years, faced this.

Chen Jingyi wanted to speak, but seeing Sun Kehong's sorrowful face, he ultimately held back, unable to speak his mind.

"Sixzi, you have something on your mind—speak it out." Sun Kehong immediately noticed Chen Jingyi's expression, sat up sharply, his eyes sharp as he looked at Chen Jingyi, like a diseased tiger.

Just this aura was enough to startle Chen Jingyi.

After careful consideration, Chen Jingyi said: "The second son is lustful, but not excessively so; on the day of the Lantern Festival, drinking wine, someone provoked the second son, he drank a little, and thus fell into the trap."

"Who?" Sun Kehong's face changed drastically, and he immediately asked.

Chen Jingyi drew a deep breath before saying: "My investigation is not entirely clear; I suspect the third son did it; there was something in that day's wine."

In truth, he had investigated clearly—it was the third son who did it—but he could not state it so definitively, still leaving it for the old master to investigate himself and see clearly.

Chen Jingyi feels both reverence and fear toward Sun Kehong.

This one-legged old merchant chief, who dominated the Shanghai Bund for twenty years, is his benefactor; likewise, Chen Jingyi dares not be disloyal or unfilial; he truly fears Sun Kehong's misunderstanding, and even if his own death were obscure, it would be tolerable, but he does not wish to bear the infamous name of ungratefulness.

"I understand." The sorrow vanished from Sun Kehong's face, his expression turning fierce.

Now, the matter has instead become simple—Sun Kehong is still alive!

His own sons have begun fighting to the death over the family estate!

Sun Kehong departed in peace; Chen Jingyi then relaxed his breath, feeling completely at ease, for the old master's intervention meant he could now rest easy for several years.

Among Sun Kehong's four sons, the eldest, Sun Chengzhi, is somewhat better; although Sun Chengzhi is often muddled and speaks nonsense, he is merely a bit selfish, yet still regards the Sun family as a whole, prioritizing the family's interests.

The remaining sons, however, are all preparing to split the household.

Of course, compared to Chen Jingyi, Sun Kehong's four sons are all utterly worthless scoundrels.

Seven days later, an extremely unexpected guest suddenly appeared at Chen Jingyi's residence: Xing Yiqiu, the young master of Mingyi Shoe Shop, came to pay a visit.

"The merchants' guild elected me as the head of commerce, and the nomination has already been submitted to the court. Upon hearing this, I was quite surprised. My father urged me to come visit you, Brother Chen, without delay. As for me, I have never been familiar with these formalities, so showing up unannounced like this, I hope you will forgive me, Brother Chen." Xing Yiqiu was truly very polite, performing the clasped-hand salute.

"No need for such courtesy, younger brother, please sit, sit, sit." Chen Jingyi said somewhat helplessly: "In my current state, I must have caused you amusement, younger brother."

"Um, Brother Chen, why have you bound your own hands and feet to the stool?" Xing Yiqiu asked the question that had puzzled him since their meeting.

Chen Jingyi's appearance was somewhat strange: he lay prone on a long bench, his hands and feet tied to the bench legs, utterly unable to move—a truly bizarre sight, especially while receiving guests.

"The wound on my back has already scabbed over, and the itching is unbearable, scratching at my heart and lungs, so I had no choice but to bind myself like this." Chen Jingyi informed Xing Yiqiu of the truth. Xing Yiqiu was to be appointed the new head of commerce, a distinguished guest who could not be refused, yet since he had bound himself for recovery, he could only receive visitors in this condition.

"The Hui Min Pharmacy has opium for pain relief." Xing Yiqiu still found it somewhat strange: if pain-relieving opium is used, why endure such suffering?

Chen Jingyi shook his head and said: "I do not use opium. Having gone to sea nine times, in the East Pacific and the South Seas, I have seen too many people, demons, and monsters who use opium. If I can avoid it, I will avoid it, and I can still endure."

"Brother Chen, you are well-traveled and knowledgeable—does this opium truly corrupt the mind and intelligence, making it impossible to resist with prolonged use?" Xing Yiqiu admired Chen Jingyi as a true man of integrity, noting that the public order in Songjiang Prefecture was clear and bright, and he had truly seen few such drug-related fiends.

"It is impossible to resist." Chen Jingyi said with great certainty: "Do not touch it, and do not be curious about it."

Chen Jingyi went to the Hui Min Pharmacy for a toothache and had used opium then.

Use with caution, follow medical advice—he could accept that, but his attitude is to avoid it if possible, because he knows he cannot withstand it.

The term "renyaowuguai" is a special phrase used in the Great Ming to describe drug fiends: prolonged opium use makes a person no longer their own self, as a demon takes root in the heart, eventually transforming into an object, then into a monster—this is the meaning of "renyaowuguai."

Just look at Fan Wuye: Fan Yingqi, after detoxifying at the Dissection Institute, changed his name, but he dared not leave the Dissection Institute, becoming a medical maniac. He wishes to use the Dissection Institute to suppress his inner demons and heart-fiends, having left that environment, fearing that his heart-fiend might transform him into a monstrous object.

"Brother Chen, your extensive experience and broad knowledge—please continue to guide and assist me in the future. I have never been to sea, and taking on this role as head of commerce, I fear I will still need to rely on your advice." Xing Yiqiu stated the true purpose of this visit: he came to pay respects at the docks, to acknowledge an elder brother.

Chen Jingyi did not even need to place a tripwire to hinder him deliberately; Chen Jingyi remained silent, and Xing Yiqiu could not make headway—clearly, he had this self-awareness.

"Offering guidance is too grand a word—we merely look after each other." Chen Jingyi was, in fact, quite polite.

As the wealthiest household in Songjiang Prefecture, the Sun Kehong family's internal struggle over inheritance, fought to seize family property, ended with astonishing speed. Old Three was exiled by Sun Kehong to the Jinchi Governor's Office in Juezhou, while Old Four was directly sent to the Gold Mountain Country beyond the distant ocean.

Eldest Brother Sun Chengzhi, no longer displaying his former arrogance, now trembled with fear, obedient to his father's command. Sun Chengzhi had never imagined that his three younger brothers were all actually preparing to seize the family estate!

Even the Second Brother, who had been sentenced to immediate execution, was scheming, plotting to seize a larger share of the inheritance, aiming to take control of the Sun family's cotton mills under his own name!

Among these children, he, Sun Chengzhi, unexpectedly turned out to be the most frugal lamp—consuming the least oil.