Wei Family Restaurant was the finest establishment in Jinchuan County, and also the most notorious den of extravagance in the area. It was said that the serving girls there were gathered from all over, and an ordinary meal could sustain a common family for half a year.
But this afternoon, the most luxurious third floor of Wei Family Restaurant had been booked out entirely.
Two corpulent middle-aged men entered the innermost room one after the other.
They were the dominant local gentry who controlled Jinchuan. Though they held no official posts, their influence within a ten-li radius sometimes surpassed that of the authorities.
They were also major patrons of Wei Family Restaurant, contributing at least several hundred taels of silver to the place each year.
“Master Zhu, Master Peng!”
The manager beamed as he bowed to both men. “You gentlemen have arrived at the perfect time. Last night, the tiger-hunting team from Black Bear Gully delivered a black bear. I inspected it myself, and the paws are of rare top quality. If you would like to try them, I will have Master Zhou, who came from the capital, prepare them personally!”
“Top-quality bear paws?”
Master Zhu’s face had been clouded with worry, but at the mention of bear paws, his eyes lit up at once.
“In addition to the bear paws, we have also acquired two girls from the Golden Moon Pavilion in the capital. Both were personally trained by the master instructors there. They are skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and they have even learned the currently popular soap bathing method from Guangyuan. You gentlemen must try them when you have time. They will certainly not disappoint.”
After promoting the bear paws, the manager began promoting the girls.
Now Master Peng’s eyes gleamed as well.
But he quickly shook his head. “Keep the bear paws and the girls for now. We have business this afternoon. We will discuss them after the matter is settled.”
“Yes, yes, business first.”
Master Zhu added, “Bring us a pot of tea, and make sure no one disturbs us.”
“Understood!”
The restaurant manager immediately realised the two had matters to discuss. He bowed again and withdrew.
The serving girls brought tea and then left.
Yet the two men did not begin talking business. Instead, they sat around the table, cradling their teacups and waiting in silence.
They waited nearly half an hour before County Lieutenant Zhao, dressed in plain clothes, arrived late.
“Greetings, my lord!”
The two men quickly stood and stepped forward to pay their respects.
County Lieutenant Zhao did not return the courtesy. He merely said coolly, “Speak. What matter is so urgent that you summoned me?”
The two gentry exchanged a glance, both inwardly cursing County Lieutenant Zhao.
There were originally four bandit groups in Jinchuan collecting annual tribute. Now that Division Master Zhou and the Iron Can Mountain bandits had been eliminated by Jin Feng, only three remained.
The two gentry had come to County Lieutenant Zhao to discuss how to deal with the problem of people migrating to Xihewan.
They both knew about it in their villages, so County Lieutenant Zhao could not possibly be unaware.
Yet he was pretending ignorance.
This was a shared problem for all three of them, but now it seemed as though they were asking him for help.
County Lieutenant Zhao was powerful and held an official position. Under normal circumstances, the two would have accepted a slight loss.
But this time, it involved Jin Feng of Xihewan, so they could not yield easily.
After all, Jin Feng was the ruthless man who had wiped out Iron Can Mountain. They could not contend with him, or they would not have come to County Lieutenant Zhao in the first place. They would have long since seized Iron Can Mountain’s territory.
Seeing County Lieutenant Zhao feigning ignorance, Master Peng spoke plainly.
“My lord, you must already know, I presume? Recently, many people from our territories have moved to Xihewan.”
“Indeed, indeed. One of my villages had a woman who married into Xihewan, and now thirty percent of the people there have run off to Xihewan.”
Master Zhu quickly chimed in, “My lord, our territories border each other. I have heard that one of your villages has nearly half its people gone. When you return, you should send someone to check at once.”
“Oh, is that so?” County Lieutenant Zhao continued pretending ignorance. “Why are they fleeing to Xihewan?”
“Why else? To work!” Master Peng said. “Jin Feng has recently built several large factories in Xihewan and needs many female workers, so they went.”
“Yes, I heard Jin Feng also set up some kind of school in Xihewan. As long as you work in the textile factory, your children can attend school for free. Those lowly commoners went mad when they heard. They abandoned their homes to go to Xihewan.”
Master Zhu said with a bitter expression, “Moreover, the two kilns in Xihewan have not stopped for a single day. They keep firing bricks, so Jin Feng will surely build more factory buildings.
My lord, you must think of something. If this continues and everyone goes to Xihewan, who will we collect annual tribute from?”
“Those lowly commoners went of their own accord. What solution can I possibly have?”
County Lieutenant Zhao said helplessly, “If they were ordinary mountain folk, that would be one thing, but Jin Feng is a titled noble. If I truly sent troops to stop them, how could I remain county lieutenant?”
“Then what are we to do?”
Both Master Zhu and Master Peng grew anxious.
“What to do? How should I know?”
County Lieutenant Zhao dropped the pretence and pointed at the two men. “I have told you before not to be too harsh on those lowly commoners, but you never listened. You raised the grain collection higher each year until the commoners could no longer survive. If I were them, I would have fled long ago.”
“I have already been very merciful to those lowly commoners. I not only left them seed grain but also two months’ worth of food. If they dig some wild vegetables in the mountains, they can just about last until the next collection.”
Master Peng said, “Old Zhu is far harsher than I am. He leaves the commoners only one month’s food. Year after year, the most people starve to death in his territory.”
“Old Peng, do not speak of me. You are no saint yourself. I have heard you have ruined plenty of village girls and refused to marry them afterwards. Who knows how many girls have hanged themselves or drowned in rivers because of you? And you dare accuse me!”
Master Zhu refused to back down and immediately began exposing Master Peng’s misdeeds.
“You have ruined just as many, and I have not seen you marry any of them either!” Master Peng retorted at once.
“Both of you, shut your mouths! Is this some glorious ancestral achievement? And you have the nerve to boast about it!”
County Lieutenant Zhao saw the two men actually competing and slammed the table in fury.
“Back to business, back to business!”
Seeing County Lieutenant Zhao angry, the two men quieted down.
But County Lieutenant Zhao had lost interest in continuing. “There are matters at the county office. I will take my leave.”
“My lord, I have already reserved a table. The manager said they received top-quality bear paws yesterday. It is nearly mealtime. Please stay and eat before leaving.”
Master Zhu tried to detain him.
“Yes, the manager said they also brought two girls trained by masters from the Golden Moon Pavilion in the capital. I will have the manager call them over shortly. If you like them, my lord, you can stay here tonight.”
Master Peng also urged him to stay.
“Top-quality bear paws? Girls from the Golden Moon Pavilion?”
County Lieutenant Zhao had been about to leave, but upon hearing this, he sat back down. “What else have you learned from Xihewan?”
“The villagers in Xihewan are very tight-knit now, so it is hard to gather information, but I received word that the currently popular soap was created by Jin Feng.”
Master Peng said.
“Soap was created by Jin Feng?” A flash of surprise crossed County Lieutenant Zhao’s eyes. “Who told you this?”
