“Big Brother, Second Brother, this fish soup is best drunk hot, or it’ll taste fishy,” Li Shu said. Having thoroughly extracted benefits from her father, she now turned her enthusiastic attention to her elder brothers, personally ladling a bowl of fish soup for each.
“Sister, didn’t you just say the Folangji cannons and the red-haired barbarians counted as our contribution?” her brothers said, their hands trembling as they accepted the soup.
They had watched with amusement as their father was ruthlessly “extorted” moments ago, but they hadn’t expected their turn to come so soon.
“That’s right, it counts as yours. But just that little bit? That’s far too stingy. My big brothers used to say when we were kids that they’d pluck the stars and moon from the sky for me. I’m not asking you to do that now—just to contribute a little effort,” Li Shu said, pinching her fingers together and speaking to her brothers in a sweet, cajoling tone.
“Little Sister, you know how things are at home. We haven’t split the family yet, and Father controls all the business. I haven’t saved much personal money. I’ll give eight thousand taels of silver to support Brother-in-law’s anti-pirate campaign. Also, I have two medicine shops in Hangzhou and a grain shop in Shaoxing—I’ll donate those to support his efforts too,” Big Brother surrendered immediately. As he said, the family business was under Lord Li’s control. Though they were given some shops, they were merely pocket money. This was a significant sacrifice for him.
“I’ll match Big Brother. I’ll also give eight thousand taels of silver to support Brother-in-law’s anti-pirate campaign. I only have one cloth shop nearby in Shaoxing, but in the south, I have two newly launched large Fuchuan ships, each capable of carrying two to three hundred people. They haven’t even made a single voyage yet. I’ll donate those to Brother-in-law’s cause,” Second Brother quickly followed suit, also making a hefty contribution.
“Big Brother, Second Brother, you’re the best!” Li Shu beamed with delight.
Zhu Ping’an couldn’t help but curl his lips into a smile. The feeling of being pampered like this was truly exhilarating.
Taking stock of the gains:
His father-in-law had provided: ten large Fuchuan ships, five medium and small Fuchuan ships, four to five hundred northern steeds, one hundred thousand bushels of grain, ten thousand bolts of cloth, five thousand sets of bedding, and one thousand oilcloth tents.
His eldest brother-in-law had contributed: eight thousand taels of silver, two medicine shops, and one grain shop.
His second brother-in-law had offered: eight thousand taels of silver, one cloth shop, and two large Fuchuan ships.
Zhejiang had virtually no navy, limiting options for combating pirates. With the twelve large Fuchuan ships and five medium and small ones from his father-in-law and second brother-in-law, Zhu Ping’an could begin building Zhejiang’s navy.
As for the grain, he wouldn’t need to worry about provisions for the next two years.
Then there were the horses, bedding, oilcloth tents, and medicinal supplies—Zhejiang’s military logistics were practically sorted.
His father-in-law’s sour face was starting to look more and more endearing. Even if it were ten, a hundred, or a thousand times sourer, it wouldn’t matter.
Li Shu squinted proudly and winked at Zhu Ping’an, who couldn’t resist giving her a thumbs-up.
“Many thanks to Lord Taishan, Big Brother, and Second Brother. With your support, I’m far more confident. I’ll do my utmost to eradicate the pirate threat in Zhejiang and restore peace for the people,” Zhu Ping’an said, standing to sincerely thank his father-in-law and brothers-in-law for the substantial benefits secured with his wife’s help.
“We’re family; no need for formalities,” the two brothers-in-law said, waving off the thanks with smiles.
Lord Li, however, didn’t join in. He fixed Zhu Ping’an with a piercing gaze. “I don’t care about the masses. I only care about my Shu’er. Zhu, you’ve seen how devoted my Shu’er is to you. You’d better treat her well. If you let her down even the slightest bit, I don’t care how high your rank is or how many men you command. Whether it’s climbing a mountain of blades or plunging into a sea of fire, or even storming the Imperial Palace, I’ll make you regret it!”
“Father, what are you saying?” Li Shu chided playfully.
“Lord Taishan, rest assured. Sister Li’s love for me is as deep as the sea. How could I ever let her down? I, Zhu Ping’an, swear to the heavens: if I ever betray Sister Li in the slightest, I’ll take my own life to atone before the world. If I break this oath by even half a word, may I be struck by five bolts of lightning and meet a terrible end…” Zhu Ping’an vowed solemnly.
Before he could finish, Li Shu covered his mouth. “I believe you. No need to swear…”
Lord Li and the others at the table were fed a mouthful of “dog food.”
The next day, after breakfast in the rear courtyard, Zhu Ping’an went to the front office to review official correspondence from the past three years to familiarise himself with his duties. He had barely gone through one scroll when a bailiff knocked and reported that General Yu Dayou, the regional commander of Ningbo and Taizhou, had come to pay his respects.
Yu Dayou’s garrison wasn’t far, in Zhenhai, Ningbo, about two hundred li from Shaoxing. It wasn’t too far, but it wasn’t exactly close either. Travelling by fast horse and switching mounts would take two to three hours.
It was just past seven in the morning. Calculating the time, Yu Dayou must have set out before dawn.
With this in mind, Zhu Ping’an quickly instructed the bailiff, “Hurry and invite him in. General Yu must have left Zhenhai before dawn to get here. Also, fetch a portion of breakfast from the kitchen so General Yu can eat while we talk.”
Soon, the tall and robust Yu Dayou arrived, dressed in casual attire. Upon entering, he clasped his fists and bowed to Zhu Ping’an. “Your humble general, Yu Dayou, pays his respects to Lord Zhu.”
“General Yu, no need for formalities. We’re old acquaintances; there’s no need for such ceremony,” Zhu Ping’an said, stepping forward to help Yu Dayou up. “Zhenhai is over two hundred li away. You must have set out before dawn. It’s been a hard journey.”
Yu Dayou shook his head, speaking candidly, “Thank you, Lord Zhu, but it wasn’t hard at all. Actually, I didn’t come from Zhenhai today. I arrived in Shaoxing yesterday. However, the Administrative Commissioner, Judicial Commissioner, and Regional Military Commander hadn’t yet paid their respects to you, so I didn’t dare to come first. After the three commissioners visited, your father-in-law arrived, and I didn’t wish to disturb you. Thus, I’ve only come to pay my respects today.”
At that moment, the bailiff brought in a breakfast tray.
It consisted of a bowl of porridge, two steamed buns, a plate of pickled radish strips, a stir-fried dish of vinegared mung bean sprouts, and two boiled eggs.
“Lord Zhu, you haven’t had breakfast yet? I’ll wait outside,” Yu Dayou said, assuming the meal was for Zhu Ping’an and preparing to step out to avoid disturbing him.
“Our lord has already eaten breakfast and has been working for a while. When he heard of your arrival, General Yu, he assumed you’d travelled since before dawn and might be hungry. He specially requested this breakfast for you, so you could eat while talking,” the bailiff explained.
Yu Dayou hadn’t expected the breakfast to be prepared specifically for him. Having visited many superior officers over the years and often receiving cold treatment, he was deeply moved by this gesture of consideration.
