Chapter 284: 282 Liu Rushi (Bonus Chapter for Boss Penguin)

Where does Liu Rushi live now?

She's staying at Wang Mingran's Hengshan Villa — Xu Ying had him invite her over from Suzhou.

Wang Mingran, original name Wang Ruqian, courtesy name Mingran, is the son of a salt-merchant family.

"Zhongcong, when will the Regional Commander finally send troops into the Southern Metropolitan Region?" Wang Mingran asked curiously.

Xu Ying smiled. "After Jiangnan is pacified."

Wang Mingran sighed. "Ah, I can hardly wait."

A Huizhou salt merchant, actually eager to join the rebels!

Before the Hongzhi Emperor, salt sales operated under the "frontier delivery system" — Shaanxi salt merchants ranked first, Shanxi salt merchants second.

Afterward, the "commutation system" was implemented, and Huizhou salt merchants overtook them from behind.

In today's Yangzhou, if you rank by financial power alone, the Huizhou merchant guild is first, the Shanxi-Shaanxi merchant guild second, and the Jiangyou merchant guild third.

Jiangyou — that is Jiangxi!

Jiangxi merchants gathered in Yangzhou mainly to sell specialty products from Jiangxi, Fujian, and Guangdong.

With Zhao Han abolishing harsh and miscellaneous taxes, protecting merchant interests, and encouraging industrial and commercial development, the Jiangxi merchant guild is rapidly growing in strength.

Last year, they even developed a water-powered spinning frame that can spin cotton yarn. The coarse cotton yarn and coarse cotton cloth from Jiangxi, thanks to their high volume and low price, are fiercely battering the northern low-end market.

The changes in the Jiangxi merchant guild are plain for merchants from every province to see.

To be honest, they're very envious!

The Huizhou merchant guild is among the most envious of the lot.

Because ever since Chongzhen took the throne, life for Huizhou merchants has been very hard. Especially these past few years, with Chongzhen suppressing the Donglin Faction and appointing large numbers of northwestern officials in the Southern Metropolitan Region.

The Huizhou merchant guild and the Shanxi-Shaanxi merchant guild compete fiercely — which side do you think the northwestern officials will help?

Take Yangzhou for example. Because Shanxi-Shaanxi merchants came from other provinces to settle, the court specially granted them "merchant registration." Scholars holding merchant registration could study at the prefectural schools of Huai'an and Yangzhou, and every year there were seven quota slots allowing them to take the examinations without returning to their home provinces.

The Huizhou merchants grew envious and, in the fifth year of Chongzhen, submitted a joint petition requesting that they too be granted merchant registration.

The Prefect of Yangzhou was a Shanxi man, and he openly stepped in to tip the scales, making it impossible for the request to go through.

At the same time, Chongzhen was frantically piling extra levies onto the Lianghuai salt merchants. So officials of northwestern origin made a point of shearing the Huizhou merchants while taking a lenient attitude toward the Shanxi-Shaanxi salt merchants.

A Huizhou salt merchant like Wang Mingran, upon learning of Zhao Han's policies supporting industry and commerce, could hardly wait for Heavenly King Zhao to take the Southern Metropolitan Region immediately. When that happened, not only could harsh and miscellaneous taxes be abolished, but they could seize the chance to topple their archrivals — the Shanxi-Shaanxi salt merchants!

Huizhou merchants also liked to buy land after making money, but the truly colossal Huizhou fortunes all came from prefectures and counties where the land was barren. How much silver could those family fields possibly earn?

As long as Zhao Han supports industry and commerce, let him divide the fields — so be it!

These Huizhou magnates had settled in the Huai-Yang region for over a hundred years. Their only connection to their hometowns was going back for ancestral rites at New Year's and sending their children home to take the civil examinations.

"Worthy brother, write back and urge them on," Wang Mingran said. "The moment the Regional Commander dispatches troops to the Southern Metropolitan Region, the Huizhou merchants will surely rise up in response en masse. Not only will they cooperate with land division and the freeing of slaves, they'll also work from within to help the Great Unity heavenly troops seize the cities!"

Xu Ying asked, "Do you have any means in Nanjing?"

Wang Mingran said, "Huai'an and Yangzhou are as good as certain — we can definitely seize the cities and offer them up. As for Nanjing, I fear we may fall short, but we can think of something."

Xu Ying, this spymaster, even if he did nothing else from now on, had already secured the two great commercial cities of Huai'an and Yangzhou for Zhao Han!

Huai'an, Yangzhou — cities of commerce and trade.

The Huizhou merchant guild ranks first, the Jiangxi merchant guild third. As long as Zhao Han's troops appear before the city walls, with the two great merchant guilds joining forces to sow chaos, opening the city gates will be absolutely effortless.

"Brother Mingran, don't be impatient," Xu Ying said with a smile. "After the summer harvest next year, Jiangxi is certain to send out troops again, and we can take at least one more province. With that kind of military momentum, we'll attack the Southern Metropolitan Region within two or three years. Can Brother Mingran not wait two or three years?"

"Ha ha," Wang Mingran laughed heartily. "Never mind two or three years — I can wait three or five."

The two men arrived together at Hengshan Villa, and a servant immediately came to open the gate.

After settling in the dozen or so sword-bearing scholars, Wang Mingran asked, "Where is Miss Liu?"

"She is painting together with Miss Lin," the servant replied.

The name Liu Rushi was newly changed just last year. Her previous name was Yang Ai; now she is called Liu Yin, courtesy name Rushi.

Miss Lin is Lin Xue, a celebrated courtesan, skilled in painting, and Wang Mingran's heart's delight.

At that moment the two were painting. Hearing the servant's invitation, they set down their brushes at once.

Liu Rushi was inwardly very puzzled. She had been perfectly fine in Suzhou when someone paid a great sum to invite her to Hangzhou, yet the host had never shown his face. She had already been living in the villa for two months.

Lin Xue led Liu Rushi to the garden, where they saw two men drinking tea.

Lin Xue made the introduction: "This is Young Master Wang Mingran."

"I have seen Young Master Wang." Liu Rushi bent her body in a curtsy.

Wang Mingran said with a smile, "This is a renowned scholar of Jiangxi, Huang Ying, Huang Zhongcong."

"I have seen Young Master Huang." The two women hurriedly offered greetings.

Xu Ying rose and cupped his hands. "A pleasure to meet you!"

Wang Mingran said, "Please, all of you, sit."

The two women sat upright, betraying no hint of the courtesan's world; their bearing was even more refined than that of well-bred young ladies from great houses.

Celebrated courtesans of their sort could be defined as stars.

If you merely had money, the most you'd get was a meal together and a couple of casual songs.

You had to have money and also a reputation for talent — neither could be lacking. Only then could you become friends. To develop things into a romantic relationship, you'd have to put in bitter effort.

Never mind a rich merchant throwing silver around and using force — even local officials dared not compel a celebrated courtesan to do anything.

Because a true celebrated courtesan knew far too many notable gentlemen and scholars; you could not afford to offend them lightly, and there was no need to offend them in the first place!

Take Xie Sanbin, for example. This man had seized a million taels of silver while suppressing bandits, yet in history he bitterly pursued Liu Rushi and never won her.

This fellow was close friends with Qian Qianyi, and the two pursued Liu Rushi at the same time — they nearly beat each other's brains out.

▪ttka n ▪c o

So what if Xie Sanbin had a fortune of a million? So what if he had considerable literary fame?

Liu Rushi ultimately chose the more talented Qian Qianyi. Qian Qianyi even built a house for Liu Rushi, and when he ran short of funds, he went to Xie Sanbin to borrow the money.

Wang Mingran asked, "Those few books — have you read them?"

"We have," Lin Xue nodded.

"What did you think?" Wang Mingran asked with a smile.

Lin Xue fell silent.

Liu Rushi said nothing either.

The *Great Unity* series of books had shaken them profoundly. In Jiangxi, a prostitute who left the life could actually become an official, and could even marry a respectable man as his principal wife.

In their eyes, a female propaganda officer was also an official.

They yearned for it deeply, but dared not say so openly — after all, the Jiangxi side belonged to rebels and bandits.

Xu Ying laughed. "I am from Jiangxi."

It had been introduced earlier that Xu Ying was a Jiangxi man of letters. Repeating it now carried an entirely different meaning.

This man was a rebel!

Liu Rushi stared at Xu Ying in astonishment, then looked at Wang Mingran. This wealthy merchant had actually joined the rebels?

"Does Miss Liu know Zhang Ximing — Zhang Pu?" Xu Ying suddenly asked.

Liu Rushi nodded. "I do."

Two years earlier, Zhang Pu, drawn by her fame, had sought out the celebrated courtesan Xu Fo.

As ill luck would have it, Xu Fo had married the day before, leaving behind only her maidservant, Yang Ai.

Yang Ai — that was Liu Rushi.

Zhang Pu was greatly disappointed, but they had come as a group, and had to at least have a drink before going back.

And so Liu Rushi, as a maidservant, accompanied these scholars on a lake excursion. She was more beautiful than Xu Fo, and her poetry and calligraphy surpassed Xu Fo's as well — she instantly bewitched the whole group.

Because Zhang Pu was the leader of the Restoration Society, Liu Rushi's fame soared, and she genuinely rose to become a top-tier celebrated courtesan.

Xu Ying smiled. "This Zhang Pu refuses to see me. He knows my identity. Could Miss Liu be willing to write a letter and draw Zhang Pu out?"

Liu Rushi thought it over carefully, then said, "If I do that, would I not be openly joining the rebels?"

"After I meet with Zhang Pu, I can send you to Jiangxi," Xu Ying said. "Even if Miss Liu does not care for Jiangxi, you could return to Jiangnan in a few years. By then, no one will dare arrest you for it, because Jiangnan will be under the rule of Heavenly King Zhao."

Liu Rushi pondered it again and again, then nodded. "Very well. I will write to Zhang Ximing."

Xu Ying cupped his hands. "My deepest thanks for your help!"

Lin Xue suddenly asked, "Young Master Huang, is Jiangxi truly as the books describe?"

"Wouldn't Miss Lin know if she went to see for herself?" Xu Ying did not elaborate.

Liu Rushi asked, "Was there truly a *juren* who, for raping a prostitute, was sentenced to death by strangling by Zhao... Heavenly King Zhao?"

Xu Ying corrected her. "Not a prostitute — she had already left the life. And that woman is now married to Director Chen of the Propaganda Department."

"The Propaganda Department?" Liu Rushi asked curiously. "Is that like the Jiaofang Bureau over in Jiangxi?"

Xu Ying explained seriously, "You can think of it as the Ministry of Rites. Director Chen is the Minister of Rites!"

Liu Rushi and Lin Xue exchanged a glance, both faces filled with shock.

The Minister of Rites married a reformed prostitute?

Even if they were rebels, they were rebels who held three provinces — who could say they might not win the empire one day.

Lin Xue asked, "That woman was a concubine for several years. Has she not been driven from the household by now?"

"Who told you she was a concubine?" Xu Ying laughed. "She is Director Chen's lawfully wedded wife, and Director Chen has yet to take a single concubine."

Liu Rushi exclaimed, "She is his principal wife, and he has no concubines?"

Xu Ying nodded with the utmost gravity.

At noon, they ate together.

After lunch, Xu Ying and Wang Mingran left the villa. They were going to establish an intelligence liaison station in Hangzhou.

The two celebrated courtesans returned to their room, too shaken to speak.

Liu Rushi said, "What a fortunate woman, to meet such a perfect husband."

Lin Xue suddenly said, "I want to go to Jiangxi. Will you go, sister?"

"Yes, I must go!" Liu Rushi answered at once.

Lin Xue stood up excitedly and paced back and forth across the room. She walked, then stopped. "Sister, do you think Heavenly King Zhao can win the empire?"

"I don't know," Liu Rushi said. "I hear that north and south alike are in chaos everywhere, but Jiangxi is very stable. Two years ago, I only knew of a great bandit in Luling who seemed to have seized Ji'an Prefecture. In the blink of an eye, they say he now holds Jiangxi, Guangdong, and half of Huguang. With such military momentum, I fear it is only a matter of time before he takes Jiangnan. Even if he cannot rule the whole empire, I think holding the realm south of the river is within reach."

Lin Xue clasped her hands tightly, kneading her fingers. "Only if he becomes Emperor will it be good — then all the women under heaven will be blessed!"

Liu Rushi took out that volume of the *Great Unity Collection*. Uninterested in the rest, she turned directly to "On Status and Dignity" and murmured to herself, "'Man superior, woman inferior — that lies in status; man and woman equal — that lies in dignity. The respectable superior, the base inferior — that lies in status; respectable and base equal — that lies in dignity.' How beautifully written. A few brief phrases surpass ten thousand volumes of poetry and scripture."

Lin Xue turned to the essay "On the Emancipation of Slaves" and said, "Mr. Zhao does not merely advocate equality between respectable and base — he wants to erase the distinction between respectable and base entirely, to abolish all base registries under heaven."

Liu Rushi nodded. "'On Status and Dignity' is knowledge; 'On the Emancipation of Slaves' is action. This is the unity of knowledge and action. This Mr. Zhao is a truly profound scholar, not to be compared with ordinary men of talent. Once I have fulfilled Young Master Huang's commission, I will certainly go to Ji'an. Perhaps I may even meet this Mr. Zhao."

Lin Xue laughed. "Mr. Zhao in Jiangxi is like the Emperor. How exalted is that? Could you and I possibly meet the Emperor?"

Liu Rushi laughed too, then began to daydream. "If I go to Jiangxi, I will find an honest livelihood. Perhaps I can find a perfect husband, and then I will support my husband and teach my children, and raise my son well to become a high official."

"Hahaha, who doesn't want that?" Lin Xue laughed heartily. "I like that Director Chen. He is a man considerate of women. Being his concubine would be wonderful too — I would certainly never suffer in this life."

(End of chapter)