Mo Sang – CH 218

Chapter 218. Giving Gifts

Li Sangrou woke up and saw Ru-Yi as soon as she stepped outside.

“Greetings, Boss!” Ru-Yi trotted forward and bowed respectfully.

“You flatter me; it has been a long time.” Li Sangrou returned the bow with a cupped hand.

“Almost a year.”

“And Bai-Cheng and the others, for almost a year, we’ve been thinking about when we’d see the Boss again. I did not expect the Boss to come so suddenly,” Ru-Yi spoke more than usual.

“I see Bai-Cheng has a bruise on his face. Are you alright?” Li Sangrou carefully examined Ru-Yi.

“I am fine. Bai-Cheng’s bruise was from one rainy day. He was running too fast, slipped, and fell,” Ru-Yi said in a low voice.

Li Sangrou laughed, also lowering her voice, “Thank you. I will not ask him about it then.”

Li Sangrou’s two main rooms were very close to Gu Xi’s residence; in just a few words, they arrived at the courtyard gate.

Ru-Yi saw Gu Xi coming to greet them and stopped with his hands at his sides.

“Did you sleep well?” Gu Xi looked Li Sangrou over.

“I apologize for the sudden arrival.” Li Sangrou bowed slightly.

“It’s never been abrupt or a disturbance for you to come at any time. Let’s eat first; you have not had lunch. You must be hungry.” Gu Xi gestured for Li Sangrou to come inside.

In the main room, an ice basin was set out, emitting a cool breeze. Jixiang and several servants had just set out the food and withdrew with their hands at their sides.

Gu Xi believed in not speaking while eating, and Li Sangrou was indeed a little hungry. The two sat facing each other and ate their meal.

After the meal, Ru-Yi brought up tea.

Gu Xi pointed to the tea and smiled, “This tea comes from the island in the lake; it tastes very good. Shouzhen especially likes it. You should try some.”

Li Sangrou picked up the teacup, looked at the clear tea liquor, and smelled it. “This year’s spring tea?”

“Yes, this is the best new tea from this year; it is indeed very fragrant.”

Li Sangrou gently blew on it and took a sip.

“Hmm, excellent Junshan Silver Needle.”

“How is it?” Gu Xi looked at Li Sangrou’s slightly narrowed eyes.

“It’s very good.”

“Shouzhen has quite a bit; I will have Ru-Yi go and get some later. You can have it.” Gu Xi smiled.

“Then forget it. This tea is too elegant, suitable for Master Wen, not for me,” Li Sangrou smiled.

“Tea has a distinction between elegant and vulgar? Hmm, that’s true. Watching Shouzhen drink this tea is quite elegant; he uses a crystal cup, sets it up carefully before pouring water, and does it three times up and three times down. He’s so busy; does he have the leisure to brew it three times up and three times down?” Gu Xi pouted.

“He’s still not busy enough,” Li Sangrou said earnestly.

“That’s absolutely right!” Gu Xi clapped his hands in agreement.

The two laughed for a while, then Gu Xi looked at Li Sangrou and asked, “Have you been to Baling before?”

“No.”

“How about we take a walk on the city wall? The scenery is nice. The moonlight is beautiful tonight.” Gu Xi looked outside.

“Alright.” Li Sangrou stood up.

The two went out and walked a short distance, then climbed a steep stone staircase to the city wall.

The wind was strong on the city wall, carrying a clear, fishy smell that hit them in the face, making them feel slightly suffocated.

Li Sangrou took a deep breath.

She liked this moist, watery scent.

Gu Xi turned his head to look at her, then looked away after a moment. “Shouzhen said you came from Huangmei County? Last time I heard about you, he said you went to Nanyang.”

“Hmm, the silk in Jianle City is ridiculously expensive. I happened to be short of money, so I was thinking about whether I could get into the silk business.

The silk in Jianle City is extremely expensive, but the raw materials are not cheap either. That’s a bit strange, is it not?”

Li Sangrou paused, then chuckled.

“This river is full of small holes along its banks. I wanted to find a slightly larger one.

Later, I met a merchant caravan in Nanyang. They had some connections, so I used those connections to get to Jiangzhou City, opposite Huangmei County.

I heard that Lady Meng, the wife of the Jiangzhou City garrison commander, came from a merchant family and was very good at business, so I went to see her. She has weaving workshops in Hangzhou, Pingjiang, Wujin, and probably other places, with a lot of silk stockpiled. We hit it off immediately.”

“The raw materials in Jianle City are not cheap. Did they sell them all the way to Jiangnan? That lady is quite shrewd in business; her courage is admirable.” Gu Xi snorted.

“Merchants make money through two things: keen insight and boldness. Fortune favors the bold,” Li Sangrou said with a smile.

“How much silk do you plan to buy? All of it?” Gu Xi asked, glancing sideways at Li Sangrou.

“I will take whatever she offers. I am a merchant,” Li Sangrou said earnestly.

“Really just to buy silk?” Gu Xi scrutinized Li Sangrou.

“Yes, what else?” Li Sangrou asked curiously.

“I do not really believe you,” Gu Xi said vaguely.

“I am just a merchant, just doing business. I have not thought about anything else,” Li Sangrou said seriously.

Gu Xi glanced at Li Sangrou, then raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

“Are you in a hurry for this business?” Gu Xi asked after walking a short distance.

“Yes, I need to hurry. Once you conquer Southern Liang, this business will not be possible,” Li Sangrou said with a smile.

“Not so soon,” Gu Xi replied casually, then paused for a moment before looking at Li Sangrou and asking, “When are you leaving?”

“If things are good with Master Wen, I will leave tomorrow.”

“The money is all in Ezhou City. Tomorrow, have Ru-Yi and Bai-Cheng go with you to Ezhou to personally explain to Pan Dingjiang that this matter should not be handled through letters.” After a moment of silence, Gu Xi said softly, “Be careful.”

“Yes, I know. Were they all recast?” Li Sangrou asked softly.

“Yes. Newly made Jingzhou official seals. Inconvenient?” Gu Xi frowned slightly.

“No inconvenience at all. I thought they would definitely be recast. Sure enough,” Li Sangrou said slowly, drawing out her words.

Gu Xi glanced at her sideways. “Should I arrange some manpower, just in case?”

“No need,” Li Sangrou answered decisively.

A hint of disappointment flashed across Gu Xi’s face. After a moment, he glanced at Li Sangrou again, looked at her for a while, then looked away and changed the subject.

“I wrote you quite a few letters before the New Year. Did you see them all?”

“Yes.”

“I did not receive a reply from you. Did you not write one?”

“Yes.”

“You should write back so I will know if you are doing well.”

“If I do not reply, that’s fine.”

After a while, Gu Xi gave a low hum.

“Will you be in Huangmei County recently?”

“No, Lu Hepeng is there to meet me.”

“After this trip, I will return to Jianle City. Innkeeper Zhao’s eldest son is getting married early in the eighth month, and I want to go and see the excitement,” Li Sangrou said with a smile.

“Hmm, Shouzhen told me it is the fourth day of the eighth month, saying it is an auspicious day chosen by that blind man?”

“Is the fourth day of the eighth month bad?” Li Sangrou countered.

“Alright, I did not say it was bad. Shouzhen said it is the blind man’s lucky day.”

Li Sangrou chuckled. “He does not care about these things; he just flips through the almanac and sees a day suitable for marriage.

He used to tell fortunes like this, too. If he was in a good mood, he’d offer some advice; if he was in a bad mood, he’d say something sarcastic.

He said that nothing in this world is constant, nothing is set in stone. What’s auspicious today might be inauspicious tomorrow. There’s no point in worrying about these things. Even good and evil change with time; what remains constant is the heart’s inclination towards good.

He does whatever he pleases. If he thinks it is good, he does it; if he thinks it is kind, he does it; if he can bear to help, he helps; if he does not want to help, he does not.

He possesses rare wisdom.”

Gu Xi listened intently, remaining silent for a long time. Looking at Li Sangrou, she changed the subject. “That estate outside Yangwu County, did the Second Brother give it to you?”

“I asked him for it.”

“That estate is his obsession. I was just looking for a place to try planting cotton, and that estate would be perfect. If we can successfully cultivate it, spin yarn, and weave coarse and fine cloth to shelter people from the cold, it would be a meritorious deed.”

Li Sangrou thought of the beautiful women in the six scrolls and sighed.

After a moment of silence, Gu Xi looked at Li Sangrou and asked, “Can it really be spun and woven?”

“I do not know. Have you ever seen cotton bolls grown from those cotton plants?” Li Sangrou spread her hands.

Gu Xi shook his head.

“I’ve seen it. A single cotton boll contains a huge clump, very soft and comfortable to hold. Just a gentle pull, and this clump can be stretched into a thin thread. The thread is incredibly strong, much stronger than modern cotton thread.

Spinning modern cotton into thread is very troublesome and difficult to learn. This is definitely simple; you can just pull it, break it, and then twist it back together.

A merchant family in Mizhou grows some in their garden. Their gardener says it is quite easy to grow; one plant can produce a dozen or even dozens of cotton bolls.

I think it should work.” Li Sangrou gestured.

“Brother is very interested in this; he’s mentioned this cotton in several letters.” Gu Xi looked at the smiling Li Sangrou and smiled along.

“It’s from overseas.” Li Sangrou’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Thinking about your big ship again?”

“Yes,” Li Sangrou gave a vague “hmm.”

“I will go out to sea with you then,” Gu Xi said casually.

Li Sangrou glanced at him sideways but did not speak.

……………………

At Jianle City.

Princess Ninghe, followed by five or six palace maids, each carrying several bolts of silk, entered Qingning Palace.

“Elder Brother,” Princess Ninghe greeted, curtsying.

“What is it?” Gu Jin put down his vermilion brush and looked away from Princess Ninghe at the palace maids carrying the bolts of silk behind her. “Are you asking Elder Brother to check the fabric?”

“No, Elder Brother is so busy every day; how could I be so inconsiderate?

These silks were sent by Da Chang; they just arrived.” Princess Ninghe pointed at the silks, her brows furrowed.

“Da Chang? Shunfeng, the one? The Boss is back?” Gu Jin beckoned. “Bring it here; let me see.”

“Da Chang is back, but the Boss is not,” Princess Ninghe said, sitting down next to Gu Jin. “Qian-Shan said Da Chang was covered in sweat and smelled terrible. He said he just arrived and came straight to deliver the silk.

Qian-Shan said Da Chang was like this, carrying two large bags in both hands. He gave him one bag first, saying it was what the Boss had picked out for the princess, and then gave him the other bag, saying it was what the Boss had picked out for the Shizi’s sister.

Qian-Shan said he was so weighed down by the two large bags of silk that he could barely stand. Then, Da Chang clapped his hands and left.”

Gu Jin laughed at Princess Ninghe’s words.

“When Qian-Shan brought it in, I was stunned. Why would she send me silk out of the blue? I immediately sent Qian-Shan to find Da Chang and ask him what was going on.

Qian-Shan went and returned quickly. He said that in front of Shunfeng Shop, half the street was completely blocked by over a hundred large carts. The carts were all wrapped up tightly, and people were watching, so it was impossible to see what they were carrying.

They said the doorframe of Shunfeng Shop had been sawed off to make way for the carts to get in. They said Da Chang was very busy; Qing-Feng circled around several times but could not get in, so he came back first.”

Gu Jin raised an eyebrow upon hearing “over a hundred carts,” examined the silks carefully, and after a moment, looked at Qing-Feng and said, “Summon a needleworker; he can identify silk.”

“Yes,” Qing-Feng responded and quickly summoned a palace maid in charge of fabrics and needlework.

“Take a look at these silks.” Gu Jin gestured to the palace maid.

The maid stepped forward, examined the silk carefully, and said with her hands at her sides, “Your Majesty, these are all new patterns and designs this year. This one is called ‘Peach Cheek’; I heard it is a new pattern from Jiangnan this year. I saw it once last month at a silk shop.”

“Hmm.” Gu Jin waved the maid away.

“A new pattern from Jiangnan, that Da Chang?” Princess Ninghe glared at Gu Jin.

“Take it back and make some new skirts for Ah Fei,” Gu Jin said, pointing at the silk and smiling.

Princess Ninghe stood up, took two steps back, stopped, hesitated for a moment, then moved closer to Gu Jin, her voice low, “Where did she get Jiangnan silk? And the latest style at that?”

“Elder Brother does not know either. I will tell you after I find out.” Gu Jin also lowered his voice and smiled.

“Alright.” Princess Ninghe breathed a sigh of relief.

Watching Princess Ninghe leave, Gu Jin’s eyes narrowed, then relaxed, and she let out a soft hum.

“She’s got some nerve. Where did she smuggle all that silk across the river from? Baling?

The latest silk patterns from Jiangnan are said to be selling for seven or eight taels of gold per bolt. Her hundred-odd cartloads of silk… maybe even more…

Hmm, I will wait for the Shizi’s letter.”

Gu Jin shifted his position and continued reading the memorial.

……………………

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Ru-Yi, Bai-Cheng, Li Sangrou, and Datou crossed the river and headed straight for Ezhou.

At dusk, the four of them rode straight into the north gate of Ezhou, heading directly to the Ezhou yamen.

Several yamen runners came out to take the horses. Ru-Yi led the way, going straight in, and inside the second gate, she was met by Pan Dingjiang, who came out to greet them.

“Prefect Pan.” Ru-Yi and Bai-Cheng stepped forward to greet him, followed by Li Sangrou, who smiled and bowed slightly to Pan Dingjiang.

“You two are too kind, Boss.” Pan Dingjiang looked at the three with suspicion. “Let’s go inside and talk.”

Pan Dingjiang led the three into his two main offices. Just as he was about to have tea served, Li Sangrou said with a smile, “It’s urgent.”

“Please speak, Boss.” Pan Dingjiang quickly bowed.

Li Sangrou looked at Ru-Yi.

“I am acting on the Commander’s orders.” Ru-Yi’s expression was serious.

Bai-Cheng followed closely, bowing. “I am acting on my master’s orders.”

“It’s the same matter between him and me. Please have Prefect Pan load the eight hundred thousand taels of tax silver onto the ship immediately and deliver it to the Boss,” Ru-Yi continued.

Pan Dingjiang was stunned for a moment before reacting, then looked astonished.

“My master said that Prefect Pan should first select gold; if the gold ingots are insufficient, then silver ingots should be used to make up the difference,” Bai-Cheng bowed slightly and added.

“This…” Pan Dingjiang looked at Li Sangrou.

Li Sangrou pointed to her lips, then smiled and asked, “Can one boat hold it all?”

“It should, almost.” Pan Dingjiang swallowed his question. “Should we load it now? It is getting dark.”

“Now, I need to sail down the river, preferably under the cover of night,” Li Sangrou said with a smile.

“After loading the boat, Bai-Cheng and I need to hurry back to report to the Commander-in-Chief and his master,” Ru-Yi said with a smile.

“Alright,” Pan Dingjiang immediately agreed.

Although he was filled with doubt and uncertainty, the three people before him were completely certain that this strange military order must have come from the Commander-in-Chief and Master Wen, and that was enough. Anything else was definitely not something he should know.

Pan Dingjiang gestured for the three to sit down, strode out of the house, gathered his men, set up defenses, and, together with Li Sangrou and the other two, opened the storeroom and counted the gold and silver to load onto the boat.