At the east gate of the prefecture city, Zhou Changlin arrived early in the morning with his three sons waiting at the city gate.
“Father, didn’t the messenger say the person from the capital would arrive around noon? Why are we here so early?”
Zhou Changlin’s youngest son, Zhou Dewu, yawned as he spoke.
Last night, he had selected three girls at the Jiaofang Division and soaked in a large bathtub until nearly dawn before sleeping. As a result, he was dragged out of bed early in the morning by Zhou Changlin’s men to wait at the city gate under the blazing sun.
Now, he could barely keep his eyes open.
The second son standing beside him also looked drowsy.
He had not gone to the Jiaofang Division but to the Xiaoxiang Pavilion, selecting even more girls than his younger brother. When Zhou Changlin sent people to fetch him, he was still in the bathtub.
“You two just keep fooling around. When I die, let’s see how long you can keep it up!”
Seeing the state of his two sons, Zhou Changlin could not contain his anger.
Last night, he received a notice that a young master named Zhou Wengyuan from the capital Zhou family was coming to Guangyuan, expected to arrive around noon the next day, and asked him to receive him.
Zhou Changlin was extremely concerned about matters involving the capital Zhou family. He repeatedly instructed his sons not to fool around that night and to come with him the next day to welcome the young master from the capital.
Who knew, in a turn of events, both sons ran off to brothels.
Only the eldest son stayed home.
Thinking of this, Zhou Changlin turned to glance at his eldest son.
Then he sighed again.
The eldest son did not like going to brothels and was not dozing off at this moment.
He was holding a lamb leg, gnawing on it with grease dripping from his mouth, too busy to listen to anyone else.
“What misfortune for the family!”
Zhou Changlin could not help feeling a wave of sorrow.
In his childhood, the Guangyuan Zhou family was just one of the many collateral branches of the capital Zhou family, almost forgotten by them.
But through his struggles, he step by step turned the Guangyuan Zhou family into the largest cloth merchant in Guangyuan, re-establishing ties with the capital Zhou family. That was quite impressive.
Yet his sons were each more useless than the last.
The eldest was born dim-witted, knowing only to eat all day. Less than 1.6 metres tall but over two hundred jin in weight, and still gaining, he was probably done for life.
The second son was a standard playboy, with over a dozen wives and concubines at home, yet still running to brothels every day.
So when the third was born, he named him Zhou Dewu, hoping for a smart one.
The third was smart, but never applied his wits to proper matters. All day, either visiting brothels or causing trouble, even less reassuring than the second.
Precisely because his three sons were useless, Zhou Changlin had supported his nephew to serve as advisor in Jinchuan. Yet that nephew trained bandits who provoked Jin Feng, and the nephew was killed by Jin Feng.
Zhou Changlin had long been dissatisfied with Advisor Zhou. Learning Jin Feng was nobility, he abandoned any thought of revenge and did not investigate further.
To this day, he did not know the real reason Jin Feng killed Advisor Zhou was actually the spinning wheel.
Later, when Jin Feng confronted the prefect head-on in the prefecture city, Zhou Changlin more than once felt fortunate for not provoking Jin Feng back then.
The three of them guarded the city gate all morning, waiting until nearly noon before seeing a carriage approaching from afar under the escort of servants.
A lantern hanging beside the carriage bore a large Zhou character.
“Get up quickly, Young Master Wengyuan has arrived!”
Zhou Changlin kicked his dozing sons awake, straightened his clothes, and went forward to greet.
The person in the carriage saw Zhou Changlin and had the coachman stop.
A fair-faced scholar with red lips and white teeth, tall and slender, lifted the carriage curtain and alighted:
“Uncle Changlin, after years apart, you still look as dashing as ever.”
As traceable kin, by seniority, Zhou Changlin was indeed a generation above Zhou Wengyuan.
But Zhou Wengyuan’s father was the chief steward of the capital Zhou family. Though his name resembled a housekeeper’s, he was genuine direct lineage of the capital Zhou family.
The family head entrusting the entire household to him showed immense trust. His status in the capital Zhou family far exceeded Zhou Changlin’s collateral branch.
Zhou Changlin dared not act the uncle. Smiling, he said: “Young Master Wengyuan, you must be tired from the journey and hungry by now. I have prepared a modest feast in the city to welcome you and wash away the dust of travel. I hope you won’t mind tasting our Guangyuan’s most famous Qili Xiang.”
“Thank you, Uncle Changlin, but this nephew has a mission in Guangyuan this time. No need for wine. Business first.”
Zhou Wengyuan waved smilingly.
“Business?” Zhou Changlin’s heart stirred: “This old man has some modest influence in Guangyuan. If I can help, Young Master Wengyuan, just say the word.”
“This matter does require troubling Uncle Changlin.”
Zhou Wengyuan said: “To be frank, Uncle, I came for the soap you sent to the capital.”
“Soap?” Zhou Changlin’s brows furrowed slightly.
“Yes,” Zhou Wengyuan said: “Uncle, you don’t know, the soap you sent was snatched up by the aunts and sisters in the residence. Many didn’t get any and pestered my father for it. With no soap in the capital, my father had no choice but to send this nephew to trouble you.”
He sent countless gifts to the capital Zhou family each year, yet they never acknowledged them, as if unreceived.
So hearing the soap was liked by the capital Zhou family’s women, a flash of delight crossed Zhou Changlin’s eyes. But the next second, his brows furrowed.
Not all rich heirs were playboys. Zhou Wengyuan, raised by his father’s side learning, excelled in speech, conduct, and reading expressions, far beyond Zhou Changlin’s three sons.
Seeing Zhou Changlin’s troubled look, he asked with concern: “Uncle Changlin, what’s wrong?”
“Young Master Wengyuan, you don’t know, soap is extremely popular in Guangyuan too. There’s simply no stock now.”
Zhou Changlin said helplessly.
As a competent merchant, Zhou Changlin was sensitive to business and had paid attention to soap recently.
Now soap was fully popular, even炒 to ten taels per piece on the black market, yet scarce with few sellers.
“No stock?” Zhou Wengyuan frowned too: “Then what to do?”
Zhou Changlin knew Zhou Wengyuan meant for him to find a way, but he truly had none at the moment.
For other merchants, with the Zhou family’s power, he could pressure them to release stock.
But everyone in the prefecture knew Tang Xiaobei belonged to Jin Feng. Unless desperate, he did not want to offend Jin Feng.
Courting the capital Zhou family was vital, but his usual tributes were ample. They would not overly trouble him over this.
Provoking Jin Feng was uncertain, that madman who dared confront the prefect.
Seeing Zhou Changlin’s expression, Zhou Wengyuan guessed his thoughts and, instead of demanding directly, chatted idly:
“Uncle Changlin, being in Guangyuan, you might not know yet. This year, the court’s annual tribute to the Tanguts increased by another ten percent.”
“What?”
Zhou Changlin’s eyes widened instantly.
Ordinary folk hearing of increased tribute might wail, but Zhou Changlin rejoiced.
A large part of the tribute was cloth. Increased tribute meant more business for him this year!
That was why court ministers agreed to the Tanguts’ demand.
It cost them nothing and let them profit. Why not?
As for the people’s suffering, what business was it of theirs?
“Young Master Wengyuan, rest assured. I’ll go find Miss Xiaobei right away and surely get the soap!”
Zhou Changlin’s breathing quickened.
