Translator – Xiao He Lian
This is a translation hosted on KnoxT, copies found elsewhere are either stolen or plagiarized. Please support the translator by reading it at KnoxT.
Chapter 23
The next afternoon, Lu Yan and Shen Zhen, led by Zhuang Yue, went to Heron Garden in Wulipu.
The closed red door slowly opened, and even Shen Zhen, who grew up in a wealthy family, couldn’t help but look in amazement.
When they entered the garden, they could see the rockery piled with stones in the front yard. The rockery was three feet high, with several green pine trees planted on it. The edge of the slope is planted with winter jasmine, narcissus, jasmine, canna, osmanthus, chrysanthemum and peony. At first sight it all looked disorganized, but as long as the flowering period is calculated, even if it rotates throughout the four seasons, the flowers here still bloom endlessly.
The winding corridor ahead is renowned for its tranquility and depth.
At the corner of the corridor, there is a water pavilion, as long as a boat, spanning the Yan River, surrounded by shrubs and chirping birds.
Looking around, there was beautiful scenery everywhere in Heron Garden. The best thing is the hot spring pool in front of the main courtyard. The scenery in winter, with the white mist curling up, is comparable to a fairyland.
Of course, the price of this place is not more than that of houses in Tongyi Lane at the foot of the Imperial Palace of Chang’an City.
But Lu Yan still bought it.
After all, if you want to get close to the powerful people in Yangzhou, you can only live nearby.
The news of the change of ownership of Heron Garden spread quickly in Yangzhou City.
——
Three days later, in the study.
Yang Zong handed over a letter. After Lu Yan read it, he tapped the table with his index finger.
During this unannounced visit to Yangzhou, he dispatched a total of more than thirty soldiers. Half of them disguised themselves as servants of the Wei family, and the other half arrived in Yangzhou first, and went to tea houses, wine shops, pawn shops, restaurants, etc. in the city in disguise.
However, the strange thing is that as soon as they inquired about Yangzhou’s taxation, they found that most of the people in the city had the same story or avoided talking about it, even the mother and daughter of the Zhiang family were no exception.
In the end, it was Yang Zong who got some news through a murder case outside the city the day before yesterday.
The person who died the day before yesterday was named Miao Kang.
The Miao family used to make a living by selling rice, and their life was pretty good. However, since Zhao Chong was transferred to Yangzhou governor, earth-shaking changes have taken place.
It’s not wrong to say that Zhao Chong has a huge appetite. When he first took office as a new official, he cleaned up the officials of the original county government. Then, he took possession of all the mills in Yangzhou City.
A few mills may not sound very profitable, but in fact they are profitable.
This is a translation hosted on KnoxT, copies found elsewhere are either stolen or plagiarized. Please support the translator by reading it at KnoxT.
After all, as long as people want to grind brown rice into white rice, they have to use their own mill. In the entire Yangzhou city, as long as they eat rice, everyone will have to pay for it.
This act is tantamount to a forced transaction.
Over time, he not only amassed countless wealth, but also forced several rice mills to close one after another, and the Miao family also collapsed…
After a while, Lu Yan placed the letter in his hand sideways on the candle. In an instant, it burned to ashes.
He raised his hand and pinched his eyebrows, and said to Yang Zong in a deep voice: “Apart from these, have you found any shops that can be rented?”
Yang Zong nodded, took out a map of Yangzhou City from his arms, and said: “According to the investigation by his subordinates, the number of shops under the command of Governor Zhao covers about half of the area from Xiaoshi Bridge to Taiping Bridge. But on the surface, all this money belongs to Madam Zhao’s maternal family, the Gao family.”
Lu Yan took the map and couldn’t help but sneered coldly.
According to the salary of a governor, he will not be able to accumulate this much wealth in his two lifetimes.
After a long time, Lu Yan said slowly: “Early tomorrow morning, you will leave for the Gao family to rent five shops as the steward of the Wei Mansion.” If you want to get in touch with Zhao Chong, you can only start with the Gao family.
“This subordinate understands.” Yang Zong saluted and said.
By evening, the sky was already dark.
The sun went down, and the layers of white clouds slowly flowed, finally disappearing into the boundless night sky.
Lu Yan crossed the corridor bridge and returned to the main courtyard – Chunxi Hall.
Shen Zhen was keeping accounts in the room. When she looked up, she happened to catch a glimpse of Lu Yan’s upright and solemn figure as he closed the door.
Her eyes couldn’t help but stagnate.
Speaking of which, since he moved into Luyuan, he has been busy almost day and night, and they haven’t spoken for a long time.
Yesterday she got up early and went to sit in the yard for a while. The study was next to Chunxi Hall. She glanced sideways and could see Yang Zong and several other subordinates coming in and out of his study.
It was still dark at that time, so he probably hadn’t closed his eyes all night.
At noon, she wanted to call him to have a meal, but she saw him leaning on the table, already asleep.
Think back to when they were in Chang’an, although she knew that there was a lot going on in Jingzhao Perfacture, she had never seen him look so tired since he only went to Chengyuan occasionally.
Therefore, some words cannot help but become difficult to say.
Lu Yan sat on the couch with a tired look in his eyes.
Shen Zhen hurriedly walked to him and said: “Do you want to have a meal, My Lord?”
Lu Yan rubbed his temples, thinking that he really should eat something and gave a low “hmm”.
After a while, Shen Zhen came in with some soup and rice.
Lu Yan took a sip and found that it was still mutton and lotus seed soup. He couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows and asked her, “Did you make this?”
Shen Zhen nodded, “Last time I saw Lord Lu frowning, so I guessed that the taste might be a bit bad. This time I specially added ginger to remove the fishy smell. What do you think, My Lord?”
When their eyes met, Lu Yan chuckled.
Unexpectedly, she was more clever than he thought.
But there is no such thing as unreasonable flattery in this world. Lu Yan knew that she was so attentive because she still wanted to meet Shen Hong.
He put down the bowl and whispered: “I still keep my promise to you, but there are a lot of things going on lately, so we still have to wait.”
Shen Zhen was stunned and her face turned slightly red.
Now that she had been found out, she would naturally not lie in front of the young Magistrate of Jingzhao Perfacture, so she nodded obediently and said: “My lord has a lot of things to do, and I am extremely grateful that you can still remember it.”
Seeing that she admitted honestly and did not hide it, the unexplained unhappiness in Lu Yan’s heart gradually dissipated with a bowl of hot soup.
Lu Yan finished his meal and then went to the clean room. When he came back, he happened to see her sitting in front of the table, holding up a few white fingers and fiddling with the abacus.
He walked straight over and found her keeping accounts.
Looking at the neat rows of small characters, he could guess how serious she was about it. However, regarding the accounting, he just gave a casual instruction.
Shen Zhen felt the burning heat on the top of her head, so she raised her head, and met his eyes.
She whispered: “My Lord, do you want to take a rest?”
Lu Yan held a scroll in his hand, moved a chair to sit down, and asked, “How much is left?”
Shen Zhen glanced down and said, “I think, not so much. All that was left to buy was a vase and charcoal, and I bought it this morning.” In order not to arouse suspicion, Shen Zhen had already bought everything he could think of.
After hearing this, Lu Yan looked around and realized that the furnishings in the room were very different.
Hanging paintings, couch tables, wall tables, porcelain, bedside tables, screens, and incense burners are all exquisite and elegant.
He lowered his eyes to look at her, and suddenly felt that the advantages of bringing her here outweighed the disadvantages.
“There’s no rush.” He said.
As soon as the words fell, Shen Zhen continued writing.
Lu Yan looked at her serious look and couldn’t help but sigh, the girl taught by Yunyang Marquis Mansion was really good. A woman who has not yet left the boudoir can set up an account like this, and can be regarded as a role model for people like Lu Heng.
While flipping through the book, he asked nonchalantly: “When did you start learning about housekeeping?”
There were only two people in the room, and he was obviously not talking to himself. Shen Zhen couldn’t help but stop writing again.
She bit her lower lip and said, “I started learning after my hairpin ceremony1((of a girl) reach the age of fifteen, i.e. come of age (in former times girls at fifteen began to wear their hair bound up and held in place by a pin); reach the age of fifteen (of a girl)).”
Lu Yan turned another page but his brows slightly furrowed. Such words were a bit too sensitive.
He suddenly recalled an old incident.
Everyone in the capital knew that the daughters of the Shen family were beautiful and It is jokingly said that no matter who reaches the age of hair, the threshold of the Shen family will have to be repaired.
He remembered that at that time, he had just been transferred to Jingzhao Prefecture and the first case he tried was related to the Shen family.
It was around the beginning of the seventh month of the lunar year, Chun Nanbo’s only son Tang Lu went to Yunyang Maquis Mansion to propose marriage but was rejected. He was unwilling to accept it, so he wanted to sneak into Shen Mansion when the moon was dark, but he was almost beaten to death by Yunyang Maquis Mansion.
Although Marquis Yunyang was powerful, Chun Nanbo only had one son, Tang Lu.
When Tang Lu was unconscious, the Shen and Tang families were completely at odds.
At that time, although he was very scornful of Tang Lu’s actions, he couldn’t help but curse Shen Zhen in his heart saying that beauty is a disaster.
Who would have thought that in just two years or so, he himself would experience this disaster.
Even after having a taste of it, he can still clearly distinguish between gains and losses in matters concerning love.
For example, what is worth it and what is not.
However, he also admitted that a temporary affair was indeed particularly tempting.
Thinking of this, he looked at her again.
White clothes, black hair, picturesque eyebrows, and a white face, under the illumination of the light, seem to have a goddess-like brilliance, which really makes people can’t help but caress and cherish her with their palms.
Once the charming thought like this arises, it is like throwing a torch into dry wood.
It ignites at the first touch.
He suddenly felt that the book in my hand was very boring. It’s better to capture that pair of snowy white wrists…..
