Chapter 84: Resolution

Li Shiqun said solemnly, "Our Li family is not one to be slaughtered at will. I've thought it over—for now we'll close the shop, then I'll escort the coffin back to Nanjing, bury Manager Xu, and discuss with the elders at home how to handle this matter. We can't afford to offend the eunuchs guarding the imperial tombs. A petty eunuch throwing his weight around actually dares to take a life so casually—I will never swallow this outrage! Just wait and see!"

Boss Ma sighed and said, "That's fine too. You, Master Li, are indeed a man of righteousness! Going back to avoid the storm is wise, but I must advise you one thing—we merchants must never contend with officials. I don't know what connections your Li family has, but this matter involves the imperial household and the palace. Officials know to pursue advantage and avoid harm; if the entanglement is too great, I fear no one will dare step forward. Brother Li, in my view, better to spend some silver to settle this matter. We can't win this fight!"

Li Shiqun clasped his hands and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Brother Ma. I know what I'm doing. But I feel truly sorry for delaying your restaurant construction. Once this matter is settled, I, Li, will certainly host a banquet to make amends to you, Brother Ma!"

Boss Ma quickly waved his hand and said, "You had no choice—it wasn't intentional. No need for apologies. I've also thought it over. Now that Fengyang has been ravaged by the roving bandits once, and this Eunuch Yang is seizing the opportunity to extort us again, I think I'd better not build my restaurant for now, lest it invite disaster during construction. Alas, we merchants without power or influence—in their eyes, aren't we just fat sheep waiting for the slaughter? Which official would ever think for our sake?"

Speaking of this, Manager Ma suddenly remembered something and said hurriedly, "Master Li, I hear the new Governor has quite a background—he was said to be quite famous in the past. If you truly want to resolve this matter, perhaps you should think of a way through him!"

Hearing this, Li Shiqun's eyes lit up. When Chen Qiyu had summoned the gentry to solicit donations previously, he, as a merchant of some local repute, had attended and donated three hundred taels of silver on the spot. Since they had never spoken privately, his impression of the Governor was that of a refined, dignified civil official.

It was only later, through private conversations with others, that he learned this new Governor had once held the exalted post of Governor-General of the Five Provinces and enjoyed great favor with the emperor. Under his planning and command, the now-arrogant roving bandits had nearly been wiped out entirely—only due to various circumstances had the effort fallen short at the final step. But in terms of reputation and ability, this man was one who shook both court and countryside.

Now hearing Boss Ma mention him, Li Shiqun couldn't help but regret deeply. When he had donated before, he should have given more generously to win the Governor's favor and attention. Because he hadn't understood the situation, he had merely followed the crowd and casually given a bit of silver—such a small amount would never earn the Governor's special notice. What a mistake! Thinking that he might now need to borrow Chen Qiyu's authority to dissolve this disaster, Li Shiqun felt a deep sense of remorse.

With this in mind, he clasped his hands again and said, "Thank you, Brother Ma, for speaking frankly. If I truly can borrow the Governor's power, I, Li Shiqun, will remember your words today forever!"

Boss Ma shook his head and said, "Brother Li, no need to be so courteous. I merely mentioned it in passing. As for how to work it out and whether it will succeed, you must deliberate carefully yourself! It's getting late—I'll take my leave now!"

After they exchanged bows, Li Shiqun personally led Boss Ma to the back door, saw him out, and watched until he turned the street corner before returning to the courtyard.

Li Shiqun had originally planned to wait until the coffin was purchased, then personally escort Manager Xu's hearse back to Nanjing. But thinking that resolving the trouble would require returning to Nanjing to seek connections, and that accompanying the coffin would be quite slow, he could no longer wait a single moment. In his mind, Hou Dingguo's contemptuous expression and Manager Xu's kindly face appeared in turn, and the thought of revenge and wiping away the shame grew stronger by the moment.

So Li Shiqun decided to rush ahead to Nanjing to seek help. From a hidden corner in the inner courtyard room, he retrieved a wooden box containing one hundred taels of silver. Carrying the box to the shop, he took out two ten-tael ingots and handed them to a clerk, telling him to hire three carriages from the livery—one for carrying the coffin, one for the clerks escorting the hearse, and one for himself.

After sending that clerk off, Li Shiqun called the other five over. Taking five ingots from the wooden box, he handed them to Zhang Er, who had earlier been greeting guests at the shop entrance. With a grave expression, he said, "You all saw what happened today. Manager Xu died a cruel death, and disaster looms over our shop. If things go badly, my Li family could be ruined!"

Zhang Er held the heavy fifty taels of silver, his heart filled with grief. He had come to the shop at thirteen and had now been there five years. In ordinary times, whether it was the master or Manager Xu, they treated all the clerks with generosity and never harshly. The shop provided two full meals a day, and each month there were a few qian of silver as wages. Such treatment was very generous, and everyone repaid the kindness with diligent work. Though sometimes exhausting, they all felt it was worth it.

Today they had watched Manager Xu beaten to death for no reason, yet lacked the courage to step forward and help—their hearts were already full of guilt. Now the master's meaning was unmistakably clear: the shop was closing, and everyone's livelihood was lost!

Zhang Er said tearfully, "Master, it's all my fault. I'm a coward—I didn't dare go up and help. I watched Manager Xu get beaten to death by those villains! My heart is full of regret!"

The others likewise wept or hung their heads in silence.

Li Shiqun consoled them, "It's not your fault. Those men were all carrying weapons—if you'd gone up, you'd have died too. Let this matter pass. Manager Xu's cruel death was his ill fortune!"

Speaking of this, his eyes reddened and his voice choked. After steadying himself a moment, he continued, "Some of you have worked for the Li family for years, others have come recently. I can honestly say I haven't treated anyone too harshly in ordinary times, and you've all worked diligently with full effort. Had things continued this way, I believe I would have brought you all a good income, a supplement for each of your families. But alas..."

Zhang Er asked tearfully, unwilling to give up, "Master, are we really closing down? I've worked here five years. You and Manager Xu treated me like a father and elder brother. My parents both praised my good fortune in finding such a fine master and manager. I don't want us to part like this! Wuwuwu..."

Having said this, Zhang Er tossed the silver aside, squatted on the ground, and buried his face in his hands, sobbing loudly. The others, moved by the scene, wept without cease as well.

Li Shiqun looked at these clerks, his heart unwilling to part with them as well. But today's affair was impossible to predict in its outcome. Though he had sworn fiercely to take revenge, the other side represented the exalted imperial house. Though the emperor might not necessarily know of this matter, this banner was indeed too great—their side's chances of victory were far, far too small.

He bent down to help Zhang Er up and said gently, "There now, stop crying. I've prepared for the worst in this matter—no one knows how it will end. Zhang Er, keep this silver. I still have tasks to assign you."

Zhang Er gradually stopped his sobbing, his eyes already swollen and red. Looking at Li Shiqun through tears, he replied, "Master, whatever you need, just command me. I, Zhang Er, will be your clerk for life! I just thought it through—if you tell me to go kill those bastards, I'll go!"

The others voiced their agreement as well. Though they were kind, timid common folk, when oppressed to a certain point and their livelihood cut off, they too would cast life and death aside.

Li Shiqun forced a smile and said, "Having you as my clerks, I feel it's been worth it! Zhang Er! I'll be leaving ahead shortly. Distribute this silver among everyone as you see fit—consider it my final accounting to you all after these years! Then take one clerk who volunteers to escort the coffin, and ride by carriage to Nanjing. I'll send someone to meet you at the city gate! If this matter is handled well, the shop will reopen, and you can all return to work. If it's handled poorly, we may never see each other again!"

Having said this, he simply handed the wooden box to Zhang Er—inside still held thirty taels of silver, left for everyone to divide—then turned and strode toward the back door. In his bosom were several gold leaves, enough for expenses along the way.

Zhang Er, tears streaming, was the first to kneel with a thud, and the others followed suit, kowtowing several times toward Li Shiqun's retreating figure. Hearing the sound, Li Shiqun paused briefly in his stride, but in the end did not turn back. He strode on, tears now flowing uncontrollably down his face.