Chapter 960 - 799: Plotting in Secret

Xu Chongyi came out of the Xu Family Mansion and headed straight to the Jiangning County government office.

Jinling City is divided into Shangyuan County and Jiangning County, with Shangyuan governing north of the Qinhuai River, while Jiangning governs the south. Both counties hold the most prosperous parts of Jinling City. If the two county magistrates collude with Jiangnan scholars, the incoming Governor of Ying Province can only be marginalized.

Every new Governor of Ying Province, upon taking office, has always been amicable, engaging in study and drinking, while the two county magistrates share the governance responsibilities.

Xu Chongyi’s carriage arrived at the county government office, where a soap slave was already waiting at the entrance, ready to escort him inside. Upon entering, the Jiangning County magistrate Xu Shucai greeted him with cupped hands: "Father, several clan elders are in the back hall."

Xu Chongyi nodded and walked inside. After an hour, when he exited the county office again, there was a hint of a smile on his face.

He got into the carriage and instructed the driver, "Go to the ’Old Courtyard’."

The so-called Old Courtyard is on Bank Street, south of the Qinhuai River. Unlike the Ten-mile Qinhuai Painting Boat favored by outsiders, this place is considered the genuine Qinhuai by the major families in Jiangnan, home to most of the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai.

Liu Su, now famous in the Imperial Capital, once had her Willow Leaf Building in the Old Courtyard, a riverside house with its own water gate capable of anchoring small boats.

The carriage rattled noisily on the stone-paved road as Xu Chongyi sat inside with his eyes closed, resting.

Suddenly, someone stopped the carriage, and outside, someone politely said, "Senior Master of the Xu Family, my master extends an invitation."

Xu Chongyi didn’t even raise his eyelids: "Who is your master?"

The person outside chuckled, "Xu Chuanyin."

Xu Chongyi abruptly opened his eyes and, after contemplating for a moment, said, "Lead the way."

The carriage circled around and stopped in front of the Green Bamboo Garden. An attendant used a Xiangfei Bamboo stick to lift the curtain and helped Xu Chongyi down from the carriage.

He examined the middle-aged scholar leading the way and recalled, "You are the Executive Officer who came to Xu Chuanyin not long ago? Chen Zhang."

Chen Zhang cupped his hands and said, "Indeed, it is I. Senior Master, please follow me; my master has been waiting inside for quite some time."

Xu Chongyi stepped on the green stone paved path and moss of Jiangnan in March and walked further into the garden.

Chen Zhang led the way ahead, introducing the place without turning his head: "This is my master’s residence in Jinling, located next to the Confucius Temple, offering tranquility amid the bustling. The bamboo in the garden consists of Square Bamboo and Xiangfei Bamboo collected from various places; all windows are oyster shell windows, meticulously polished to be transparent and even, allowing soft daylight to gently diffuse without being harsh or dim. On rainy nights, the lighting is delicate and warm. There are no artificial rockeries here, only entire Taihu old stones transported in; knowing that Senior Master enjoys zither music, my master has set up a dedicated Piano Studio with a large jar buried underground and a hanging copper bell to enhance the acoustics, making the zither sound clear and resonant like echoes in a valley..."

Xu Chongyi said indifferently, "I know your master is accustomed to luxury. No need to flaunt it with me."

At this point, they arrived at the Bamboo Pavilion Flower Hall, where Xu Chuanyin had been waiting and welcomed them with a smile: "How do you find this residence? I would like to offer it to my clan uncle."

Xu Chongyi let out a cold laugh: "If you think you can buy me off with a residence, you underestimate me. You’ve been stained with merchant habits, eager to display rare items everywhere, fearing others might not know you’re wealthy."

Xu Chuanyin showed no embarrassment or anger, merely shook his head: "My intention is not to buy you off, but to discuss with you how to repel foreign enemies together."

Xu Chongyi was taken aback.

Xu Chuanyin stepped aside to clear the way: "Please, good wine and food are prepared, and March is the best time for the tender and fatty shad in the river."

After some contemplation, Xu Chongyi stepped into the hall and sat down but did not touch the chopsticks, saying, "Speak."

Xu Chuanyin sat beside him and smiled: "If you regard me merely as a junior skilled in handling Silver Coin, then you underestimate me. You’ve already seen today’s situation at Shi’en Hall, and the Zhang Family’s presence is not friendly."

Xu Chongyi snorted coldly, "Your Huqiu Xu Family was not thorough in your deeds, got caught, and now you’re talking to me about it?"

Xu Chuanyin poured him a cup of wine, speaking leisurely: "The Huqiu Xu Family and Jinling Xu Family are all the Xu Family, aren’t they? Do you truly believe that holding four votes against my three secures victory? What if Xu Mengshan ultimately votes for me, and Xu Houye sacrifices his son and family business to support me?"

A glimmer of sharpness flashed in Xu Chongyi’s eyes: "Xu Houye’s son was caught by the Anti-Japanese Army, and collaborating with the Japanese is a capital crime."

Xu Chuanyin smiled and added a piece of the tender and fatty fish belly to Xu Chongyi’s plate: "He has already handed over the family estate; what’s left anymore? If I entrust the Southern Ocean business to him, it might be better than his current situation."

Xu Chongyi snorted coldly, "Empty boasts. If you truly had five votes, you wouldn’t be sitting here toasting with me."

Xu Chuanyin put down his chopsticks and spoke slowly, "Clan Uncle, Xu Chuanxi is wholeheartedly trying to become an official, but Jiangnan is the foundation of our Xu Family."

Xu Chongyi never touched the fine wine and shad fish before him, and he said indifferently, "Silver may be good, but it’s power that is the box containing silver. Without the nineteen years of Official and Grand Secretary, how could the Xu Family accumulate today’s enterprise?"

Xu Chuanyin smiled, "You’re right, Clan Uncle, but without a big box, we can still fill many small boxes. Back when the court used the Official because he could appoint people and bring silver to the court, the Official’s disciples and followers were widespread, lacking neither talent, strategy, nor foundation. He could gather support from eighty percent of Jiangnan scholars who donated annually, fatten the Xu Family while depleting others. But what does Xu Chuanxi have? He has nothing—he can only drain his own family’s blood."

Xu Chongyi frowned, "If you’re here to persuade me not to support Xu Chuanxi, save your breath."

Xu Chuanyin smiled slightly, stood up slowly, and walked to the window, opening a pane, "Clan Uncle, our Jiangnan scholars oppose the court not out of selfish desire, but due to the court’s injustice, isn’t it? Half of the nation’s taxes come from Jiangnan, with Jinling, Suzhou, Songjiang, Ningbo, Jiaxing, and Huzhou bearing nearly half the taxes, grains, silk, and Cao Yun of our dynasty. The court has long imposed heavy taxes on Jiangnan, far surpassing the regions in the North. There are many barren fields in the North, yet the court doesn’t consider teaching them reclamation, instead granting tax exemptions and reductions. Jiangnan’s fertile fields yield abundant harvests, yet face heavy fixed taxes and yearly impositions."

Xu Chuanyin turned back and pointed at the shad fish on the table, "Take this fish, which the court listed as a spring tribute, and the government sends urgently to the Imperial Capital annually—how much silver is spent along the way?"

Xu Chongyi sat at the table, a disdainful look on his face, "The court strives for singular power, Jiangnan guards regional autonomy. If officials exploit the people, the scholars won’t comply with court orders. If morality doesn’t reside in the court temple, it retreats to the countryside. It’s nothing new."

Xu Chuanyin stood at the window, speaking calmly, "Clan Uncle, our Jiangnan scholars have always resisted the court together. Why is it that our Xu Family can’t unite? Let’s lay our cards on the table today; the Zhang Family is coming in force, far surpassing our previous estimates. If we don’t unite, the Xu Family will truly be taken by them."

Xu Chongyi replied leisurely, "Don’t worry; he can’t take it."

Xu Chuanyin returned to the table, "Clan Uncle holds four votes now; I have three votes, the Zhang Family has one vote, and Xu Mengshan is sitting on the fence. Though Dinghai Port suffered a significant loss, can you claim Songjiang Port is entirely clean? Dinghai to Songjiang is only 120 miles by sea—a day’s journey with a favorable wind. Can you really say there won’t be any problems? The lips are gone, the teeth feel the chill."

Xu Chongyi frowned.

Xu Chuanyin tapped his fingers on the table, "Should the Anti-Japanese Army catch two more people, they’d hold three votes. If Xu Mengshan receives strong promises from the Zhang Family, they’d have four votes, and by then, the Xu Family would bear the surname Zhang!"

Xu Chongyi looked askance at Xu Chuanyin, "What do you want me to do?"

Xu Chuanyin smiled, "Three tasks. First, I lack connections with the Minister of War, Wang Changzhen, and ask Clan Uncle to visit him. The Huqiu Xu Family is willing to donate fifty thousand taels in exchange for the promotion of Anti-Japanese Army commander Zheng Jiye to Commander of the Central Army Commander’s Mansion. Secondly, if that’s not enough, I’d ask Clan Uncle to send a delegation to negotiate with Wang Zhi, to have the pirates kill the Anti-Japanese Army..."

Xu Chongyi interrupted, "The Anti-Japanese Army has decimated most of the Matsubara Clan; how could Wang Zhi possibly deal with them?"

Xu Chuanyin shook his head, "I inquired about it; this time it was the Cao Guild and Salt Gang who took action; without their over four thousand troops, they would have perished in Jingjiang County."

Xu Chongyi asked again, "What’s the third task then?"

Xu Chuanyin replied calmly, "The Salt Gang seems to be a private army backed by the Zhang Family; I’d ask the Central Army Commander’s Mansion to suppress them."

Xu Chongyi uttered a sound, "But why should I do this?"

Xu Chuanyin said calmly, "Let’s first resolve external threats, and then we Xu Family members can contest for the Clan Leader position."

Xu Chongyi shook his head, "Not enough."

Xu Chuanyin clenched his teeth, raised three fingers, "I, Xu Chuanyin, swear by the sacred altar of our ancestors that regardless of success or failure, the Huqiu Xu Family will vote entirely for Xu Chuanxi as Clan Leader, but he can’t touch the assets of the third branch and Dinghai Port."

Xu Chongyi said meaningfully, "So it’s all about Dinghai Port. But I don’t trust your oath."

"I’ve deposited the deeds of the third branch’s assets at the Great Bao’en Temple. If I go back on my word, the Jinling Xu Family can take them all. Clan Uncle can verify with Fang Zhang before acting," Xu Chuanyin poured himself a cup of wine and clinked it against Xu Chongyi’s small cup, "Clan Uncle, I drink first in respect."

After speaking, he lifted the entire bowl of amber-colored rice wine to drink it to the last drop.

Xu Chongyi looked askance at him, "Chengze, everything you said earlier was indeed correct, but I must remind you of one thing. Our great families in Jiangnan govern through family rules, scholars govern through public deliberation, clan lands govern through relief, and village schools govern through education. The governance of Jiangnan doesn’t depend on the court’s decrees; it relies on village agreements, clan rules, and scholarly covenants... Don’t talk about dividing the family anymore."

Xu Chuanyin cupped his hands, "I will remember it, Elder."

At this time, Chen Zhang approached carrying a wooden box. Xu Chuanyin opened the box, "Inside is the deed to Green Bamboo Garden; please, Clan Uncle, keep it safe."

Xu Chongyi was silent for a moment before finally picking up the small wine cup from the table and drinking it all in one go, carrying the wooden box away.

Xu Chuanyin stood at the entrance of the flower hall, hands behind his back, watching Xu Chongyi’s departing figure with a cold smile, "He looks down on merchants, yet in the end, didn’t he just accept my Green Bamboo Garden? Nowadays, they all love to blame the court’s problems on merchants, but pursuing profit is the merchants’ duty, whereas scholars pursuing profit have lost their roots. The flaws of our dynasty lie not in commercial prosperity, but in scholarly decay."