Chapter 779: The Lu Prince Manor

Everyone was chattering away, their words full of disdain and contempt. To put it plainly, it was all just jealousy. People from a prince manor especially couldn't stand those commoner tycoons, thinking to themselves: you have no noble status, no powerful backing to rely on, so what gives you the right to get rich? What gives you the right to have more money than us? Right as they were talking, they saw that older, steady fellow narrow his eyes.

The group fell silent at once, thinking they had said something out of line, but they immediately realized that wasn't it. This steady fellow was staring at Zhao Jin—no, he was staring at a stout, burly man behind Zhao Jin. That man looked a bit peculiar, like a monk dressed in layman's clothes, his expression quite calm, just following behind Zhao Jin like that.

That stout, burly man also swept his gaze across both sides of the street. The steady one hurriedly lowered his head the moment their eyes met, pretending to drink his tea. Everyone in the Lu Prince Manor group inside the salt depot could tell something was off, but the atmosphere was rather strange for a moment, and no one dared to open their mouth.

Once Zhao Jin and his party had passed, the salt depot manager also came back. He exchanged a few pleasantries with a smile and then went off to attend to his business. Only then did the steadier man raise his head, his face a mix of nervousness and excitement. Seeing everyone's curiosity, he held back for a moment but ultimately couldn't resist. He glanced around and lowered his voice: "Do you all still remember the case involving the Honored Lady Ruan's family?"

Everyone leaned in closer. Someone asked, puzzled, "Isn't that the one about preparing medicine for Honored Consort Ruan's younger brother? Her brother and several dozen people in that Daoist temple all died."

"That's the one. The head constable handling that case is an acquaintance of mine. He described the murderer's appearance—a red mole on the right cheek. That man behind Zhao Jin just now had one too, and his build and stature match the description perfectly." The steadier man's voice was trembling a little as he spoke.

"Didn't they say that man died in Xuzhou?"

"Are you stupid? This man is right here in Xuzhou. Can't you figure out the connection?"

"Brother Lu..."

"Don't talk about it here. We're leaving today, heading back to Weihui, right now!" That Brother Lu said with swift decisiveness.

This group from the Lu Prince Manor had originally planned to go to Qingjiangpu for a few days of pleasure, but this Brother Lu's authority and standing were considerable. Since he had spoken, no one raised any objections. Besides, with just a little thought, many things became clear, and everyone was faintly, vaguely getting a little excited.

With so many people coming and going through the salt market and the bazaar, the departure of the Lu Prince Manor group was nothing unusual. Soon, the group had mounted their horses and left He Village, riding straight along the official road. Only when there were far fewer people around did the Lu Prince Manor group finally relax a little. Someone drew closer and asked, "Brother Lu, what if that man beside Zhao Jin isn't the murderer? What then?"

"Not the murderer? He looks so much like him, and he's in Xuzhou. We go back and report it to Honored Lady Ruan—do you think she'll see it that way?" Brother Lu replied very pragmatically.

Everyone savored those words and nodded in admiration. A smile appeared on Brother Lu's face as he added, "And then we'll also tell her about Zhao Jin's extravagant wealth, his mountains of gold and seas of silver—do you think she'll see it then?"

At this counter-question, everyone immediately caught on. But one man who often visited the Xuzhou salt market was more cautious. He spurred his horse forward, drew closer, and said, "Brother Lu, you haven't been here many times, so you don't know about the trouble that happened before. An officer from the Nanjing Embroidered Uniform Guard gathered over two thousand cavalry and marched north to arrest this Zhao Jin, but Zhao Jin outright scared them into dispersing..."

"Arresting rebels? How come I never heard of this?" Brother Lu frowned and asked in return.

"They say that Embroidered Uniform Guard officer was just bluffing..."

He was cut off mid-sentence again. Brother Lu said disdainfully, "Acting on his own authority—of course no one was afraid. Besides, that was nothing more than a head of those secret police thugs, and from Nanjing at that. Our house is a prince manor. Our prince is the uncle of the current reigning Son of Heaven. Can they even be compared?"

The fifteenth day of the second month, first year of the Tianqi reign.

Shandong, Yanzhou Prefecture, Ziyang City.

Without the presence of the Lu Prince Manor, Ziyang would not have its current status. On the lands of Shandong, even when compared to Jinan City, Ziyang could still be called a major city.

The Lu Prince's royal city within Ziyang took up nearly half of the city. Here, the Prefect of Yanzhou and the Magistrate of Ziyang counted for nothing; only the Lu Prince Manor's word held any weight. And the Prince of Lu himself spent his days in nothing but feasting, pleasure-seeking, and concocting elixirs. The one truly in charge of everything was the Lu Prince Manor's Right Secretary, Si Wenxuan.

The Right Secretary's office was located in a corner of the Lu Prince Manor, but this place was the very center of the entire manor. Even the Prince of Lu himself had to be somewhat polite to this Secretary Si. Otherwise, no one would earn him enough spending money, and no one would maintain the operations of this vast manor. The Prince of Lu knew that he and his family couldn't do it; after being kept like livestock for so many years, they had long since forgotten how to do anything.

Secretary Si's courtyard was not large, but everyone coming and going was utterly deferential. A single word or smile from this Secretary could bring a person wealth or ruin—how could they not be deferential?

"Recently, six places have reported conflicts with jianghu folk from the Xuzhou area. What exactly is going on here?" Secretary Si asked with a frown after reading a letter. Inside the room where he sat, attendants stood respectfully on both sides, while over a dozen figures resembling managers and accountants sat in their places, either keeping books or working abacuses. Several middle-aged men in official robes also stood beside the Secretary.

At his frowning question, someone immediately stepped forward to answer: "It seems there have been some changes recently. The jianghu folk from Xuzhou have come into Shandong, wanting to control everything and profit from everything. When they ran into our manor's farms, conflicts broke out."

"They certainly have nerve. Do the local authorities not care? What are they even doing? Do they not want their posts anymore?" Lu Prince Manor Right Secretary Si Wenxuan fired off three questions in a row. His long-accumulated authority was so profound that the man answering immediately broke out in sweat on his forehead.

Feudatory princes were forbidden from meddling in governance—this was an iron law of the Great Ming. Yet if a prince manor claimed it was being bullied by unruly commoners on its own lands and that the local officials were ignoring it and shielding the offenders, the imperial court would certainly deal with those local officials. From this angle, local officials had no choice but to fear the feudatory princes to some degree.

"This... this humble one... did send people to investigate. They say that behind that group of Xuzhou outlaws and jianghu figures is a Xuzhou magnate. This magnate is so powerful that the local authorities can't control him."

Right Secretary Si Wenxuan gave a cold snort and said disdainfully, "And they talk about the moral integrity of scholars. A dignified court-appointed official, scared soft by a local tyrant from Xuzhou. If word of this got out, wouldn't it shame our entire Shandong?"

In the eyes of the Lu Prince Manor and those associated with it, they were the masters of Shandong, and such talk was common. After saying this, Si Wenxuan frowned again and asked, "Who is backing this Xuzhou magnate? Does he have support from the local gentry or the imperial court? Does he hold any official rank?"

"That... that this humble one does not yet know..."

"Then go investigate! Quickly!" The Lu Prince Right Secretary Si Wenxuan's tone suddenly turned stern.

The man he had questioned hurriedly bowed to acknowledge the order, turned, and ran out at a quick pace, not daring to show the slightest negligence. Though everyone around him was holding their breath, they knew this Secretary had not truly flown into a rage. That was not surprising—a mere Xuzhou local tyrant, how could he possibly be taken seriously by a house of golden branches and jade leaves like the Lu Prince Manor? Even speaking of him soiled their mouths.

"Later, send a visiting card to the Prefect's office. Say that this official will be paying a call. Right now, have someone draft a letter to the Grand Coordinator. When I return, I'll request His Highness to apply his seal. The letter will state that the manor's tenant households are being bullied by villainous commoners and bandit types, and request the Grand Coordinator to look into the matter." For every sentence he spoke, someone acknowledged and immediately began bustling about.

Si Wenxuan rose from his seat and walked out, his two personal attendants immediately falling in behind him. The Lu Prince Right Secretary did not go far, merely entering a side room at the edge of the courtyard. This place looked like an ordinary parlor, with several pretty young maids in attendance. The moment they saw Si Wenxuan enter, they hurried over eagerly.

"Invite Battalion Commander Qiao over. Say I have some private matters to discuss," Si Wenxuan said. One of his attendants bowed slightly and quickly left the room.

Si Wenxuan let out a breath, rubbed his own temples, and closed his eyes. He had studied to seek scholarly honor and official rank, but being assigned as a subordinate official within a prince manor meant there was no future to speak of. Even if one rose to the position of Secretary, it only meant being the sole power within the tiny domain of the manor. No transfer was possible, no reassignment elsewhere. One would simply grow old and die within the prince manor, forever a subordinate official there. This rank could never be exchanged for a post in the regional administration.

With such prospects and no hope of scholarly honor, the only thing left to pursue was wealth and family property. All matters great and small in the Lu Prince Manor were manipulated by Si Wenxuan's hand; even the eunuchs of the several service directorates could not interfere. Every year, a quarter—or even more—of the income from the Lu Prince Manor's farms and properties found its way into Si Wenxuan's pockets. Over these past few years, it could truly be said his wealth rivaled a kingdom's.

Lu Prince Manor Right Secretary Si Wenxuan had always remained clear-headed. He knew that as he aged, he too would grow muddled and make mistakes. The position of Prince Manor Secretary, though a cold, dead-end stove that could never be rekindled, still had plenty of envious eyes fixed upon it. Rather than wait to make a mistake and be seized upon and toppled, it was better to step down gracefully on his own terms. Of course, before that, besides his liquid assets, he also needed to acquire some hereditary properties to pass down.

Si Wenxuan had already purchased shops and residences in Jining and Linqing, and had a few farms near Jinan Prefecture as well. But the best fertile land in Shandong was all in Yanzhou Prefecture, and Si Wenxuan still wanted to maneuver some hereditary estates for himself here. Yet there was hardly any vacant land left.

Ever since learning that the Kong Family Manor still held farmland in Henan and Northern Zhili, Si Wenxuan's mind had also begun to stir. Since there was no more land in Shandong, why not look outward? That was why he had stepped up his arrangements in several counties near the border with Southern Zhili. Otherwise, how could he possibly have set his sights on such remote, desolate places? He had never imagined that the moment he made a move, he would encounter obstacles. This made Si Wenxuan deeply irritated.

Just as he was deep in thought with his eyes closed, a large man walked into the room. This man wore only a short robe and a armored vest, a goose-quill saber hanging at his waist, and had a fierce, ruthless look about him. Yet upon seeing Si Wenxuan seated in the chair, he was respectful and hurriedly clasped his fists in a bow, saying, "Your subordinate greets the Secretary."

Si Wenxuan opened his eyes, revealing a faint smile, and gestured with his hand, saying, "Household Man Qiao, why stand on ceremony? Sit, and let's talk."

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