Mo Sang – CH 234

Chapter 234. Establishing Authority

Gong Xiaoyi jogged around, explaining how to do things here and there.

He had so many ideas! Their previous methods were too wasteful of materials and labor!

Li Sangrou circled the construction site, then looked at Da Chang and asked, “How many times has Jia Wendao come?”

“Never,” Da Chang shook his head.

“Is his pay calculated by the day?” Li Sangrou asked, frowning.

“Yes, quite expensive, one tael of silver per day.”

“Find him and bring him here,” Li Sangrou ordered.

Da Chang nodded and strode out.

……………………

In a small gambling den in the west of the city, Jia Wendao’s hands were gripping the table tightly, his eyes bloodshot and tearful, staring intently at the plate in the center of the table, where small, cute dice were bouncing.

Just as the dice were about to settle, Jia Wendao was about to utter a single word when someone grabbed him by the collar and dragged him up from beside the table. “Get lost…”

Before the word “get lost” was even finished, Da Chang slapped Jia Wendao across the face. “Wake up, shut your mouth, or I will knock out all your teeth.”

Jia Wendao looked up and saw it was Da Chang, immediately feeling guilty. “No, please let go, you…”

Da Chang ignored him completely, grabbing him and dragging him out.

“Hey! Where did you come from? How dare you harass my customer!” The gambling den’s thugs surrounded him.

“I am his creditor. You want to pay his debt? Not much, fifty thousand taels of silver.” Da Chang stopped, grabbed Jia Wendao, and shoved the gambling den’s thug in the face, asking.

The thug shrank back, silent.

He did not care about paying back debts.

Jia Wendao, being dragged and pulled by Da Chang, could barely breathe, let alone speak.

The gambling den thugs scattered, and Da Chang, carrying Jia Wendao out of the gambling den, loosened his grip slightly.

Jia Wendao’s face was flushed red, and he coughed violently. Da Chang pretended not to hear, grabbing Jia Wendao and dragging him along, shoving him in front of Li Sangrou. Jia Wendao was already panting heavily.

“Found him at the gambling den. He said he ate and slept there, and had not been back for almost ten days,” Da Chang muttered, standing behind Li Sangrou.

“How much did you win? Did you make a fortune?” Li Sangrou stepped on Jia Wendao’s shoulder, pushing him back and tilting his head back.

“No, I did not lose much.” Jia Wendao tried to push Li Sangrou’s foot away, but glanced at Da Chang, who was glaring at him with disgust, and did not dare.

“Sigh, that woman, what bad luck! He will have to go to the temple and dust off the bad luck before he goes out to play again.”

“How much silver did you take from Steward Gong?” Li Sangrou withdrew her foot, sat back down, and looked at Jia Wendao, asking calmly.

“I did not take much; it is all what I deserve, one tael of silver a day, right?” Jia Wendao slapped the spot where Li Sangrou had stepped on.

“I asked you how much you took; answer my question directly, or I will knock out your teeth for every bit of nonsense you utter.” Li Sangrou’s face turned cold.

“One thousand taels.” Jia Wendao turned his head to look to the side. “You have one thousand tael notes; you take one at a time.”

“Hmm, one tael a day; that’s for over three years. Who else is in your family? Have you ever married? Do you have children?” Li Sangrou squinted at Jia Wendao.

“I took too much…and got married! I got married!”

Before Jia Wendao could finish his sentence, Da Chang rolled up his sleeves to strike him, and he screamed in fright, covering his face with his arms and hands.

“There are children, two daughters and two sons, and a blind old mother. Seven, seven people.”

“Did you give these thousand taels to your family? How much?” Li Sangrou continued to ask.

“I gave it, fifty taels,” Jia Wendao glanced at Da Chang, carefully lowering his arm.

“You are a real scoundrel,” Li Sangrou scoffed. “But fifty taels is enough for your wife and children to live on for three years.”

“Go buy an iron chain, find a blacksmith, and chain him to that rock first,” Li Sangrou instructed Xiao Lu.

Xiao Lu responded and ran off to buy the iron chain and find a blacksmith.

“You! What are you going to do?” Jia Wendao’s eyes widened.

“You took a thousand taels of silver from me, one tael a day; that means you owe me a thousand days’ wages. I will release you when you pay back the wages.”

“Right, we need a document. This counts as a pawn, right? It is a bit inconvenient since Master Lu is not here.”

“Hei Ma, you know how to write a pawn contract. Quickly write one, have him put his fingerprint on it, take it to the yamen, and have someone check if it is appropriate.” Li Sangrou slapped her forehead.

She had to abide by the law!

“You cannot do this! I still have over a hundred taels; I will pay you back!” Jia Wendao was anxious.

“Still more? Tsk! Gather all the silver. Datou, go to his wife, and tell her that her husband pawned himself to pay off gambling debts—pawned himself for a thousand days.” Li Sangrou gestured to Da Chang.

Da Chang grabbed Jia Wendao, first grabbing his trousers and ripping them off, then his long robe. He shook Jia Wendao and his clothes thoroughly, shaking out all the copper coins, loose silver, and banknotes. He counted them, wrapped them in Jia Wendao’s dirty handkerchief, handed the money to Datou, and threw the trousers and gown to Jia Wendao.

“Listen up, work hard. If you slack off or do not do your job well, you will either go hungry or I will strip you naked and display you in public.” Li Sangrou looked at Jia Wendao, who was now weak and frail.

His emaciated body was too weak; he could not withstand a beating.

Jia Wendao, tears and snot streaming down his face, was frantically putting on his clothes.

Under everyone’s gaze, Jia Wendao had suddenly been exposed. He did not feel the cold, but the fear and embarrassment made him cry uncontrollably.

Li Sangrou, with her legs crossed, watched Jia Wendao finish dressing, then nudged his head with her foot, urging him to look at an open space nearby.

“See that open space over there? Build a covered walkway there for the scholars in their robes, who come to watch the spectacle, to drink tea and write. The walkway is temporary; it will be dismantled once the Tengwang Pavilion is finished.”

“This covered walkway should be simple, yet elegant enough for those scholars in their long robes to find a refined, pleasant place. It should also be convenient for observing the construction site, provide a space for them to write their pretentious essays, and be a place to hang their affected poems and writings.”

“Did you hear me clearly?” Li Sangrou asked, bowing slightly after speaking.

Jia Wendao gripped his long robe and trousers tightly, nodding repeatedly. He heard her clearly, perfectly clearly!

Not far away, on a round log beneath the Tengwang Pavilion, Gong Xiaoyi had been watching since Jia Wendao was brought over, until Xiao Lu arrived carrying a pile of iron chains, accompanied by a blacksmith. They actually bound chains onto Jia Wendao’s feet right there, one end hammered into a large rock. Gong Xiaoyi stared in utter disbelief.

“Who is this person? Xiaoyi, who have you offended?! What are we going to do?!” Behind Gong Xiaoyi, his uncle, Foreman Sun, trembled.

“She’s helping me!” Gong Xiaoyi was also afraid, but his fear was mixed with an inexplicable excitement and agitation.

“Xiaoyi, you are the only son! You are a fatherless child! Xiaoyi, your mother only has you as her son!

Xiaoyi, you have not even found a wife yet! What kind of person have you offended? Xiaoyi! Xiaoyi, you are the only son!” Foreman Sun was a truly honest man, and he was genuinely afraid!

From afar, Da Chang waved to Gong Xiaoyi, who leaped down from the log and ran off.

“Build him a shack; he will be staying here until the project is finished. Over there, build a row of covered walkways. Let him design a temporary one; save money wherever possible,” Li Sangrou instructed directly, watching Gong Xiaoyi run towards her.

Gong Xiaoyi nodded repeatedly.

“His wages are one tael of silver per day. How many days is your estimated work period? How much should you pay him?

How could you let him take a thousand taels?

This is your first time leading a project. I will allow you to make this mistake once. The extra seven hundred taels will be deducted from your wages. I will not hold anything else against you,” Li Sangrou said coldly.

Gong Xiaoyi’s face turned pale. He did not have seven hundred taels! He did not even have seven taels of silver!

“Your wages will be one hundred taels a month for now, calculated over ten months. I will give you thirty taels each month, deducting seventy taels.

If you calculate the labor and materials well, I think you are worth more than one hundred taels a month. Then I will raise your wages,” Li Sangrou said, standing up. “I will come to check on you often. Remember my words: work hard, or I will not pay you.”

“Yes, yes, yes!” “Gong Xiaoyi responded repeatedly, watching Li Sangrou get up and leave. He watched her and Da Chang and the others walk away until they were out of sight, still staring blankly, his mind a jumbled mess.

One month, one hundred taels.

One hundred taels!

No, it was thirty taels now.

Thirty taels!

He could talk about wives now!

……………………

Li Sangrou visited the Tengwang Pavilion construction site and spent half a day there. The site had been completely transformed, its atmosphere drastically changed.

Jia Wendao, locked up beside the site, constantly reminded everyone, starting with Gong Xiaoyi:

That seemingly ordinary, delicate female Boss was actually a ruthless devil!

……………………

The connecting corridor that Li Sangrou requested was built in just a few days.

Jia Wendao may gamble and be a scoundrel, but his eye for talent was undeniable.

The corridor was supported by the cheapest bamboo, covered with meticulously crafted straw. On both sides of the corridor were planes planed extremely smoothly, with two long planks side-by-side at each end, upon which were placed writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.

The covered walkway was very high, with two rows of cardboard sheets hanging from the beams on both sides, numbering over a thousand. Colorful tassels adorned the bottom of the sheets, landing precisely where one’s face would be, swaying in the breeze.

Li Sangrou inspected it and was very satisfied. She had Chuantiao buy two jin of fine wine as a reward for Jia Wendao.

That same day, several notices were erected outside the walkway, simple and clear:

“Scholars and students are welcome to come and write essays and poems. There is only one requirement: they must be written on the spot and nailed to the cardboard sheets with hanging tassels.

The owner of the Tengwang Pavilion will hold a selection every ten days, awarding first, second, and third place. First place receives one hundred taels of silver, second place fifty taels, and third place five taels. A second selection will be held every hundred days, again awarding first, second, and third place one thousand taels of silver, second place five hundred taels, and third place fifty taels.

On the day the Tengwang Pavilion was completed, another evaluation would be held, again awarding first, second, and third place. This time, in addition to the first place receiving ten thousand taels of silver, second place five thousand taels, and third place five hundred taels, the three essays would also be engraved in stone inside the Tengwang Pavilion for future generations to view.”

……………………

A few days later, after inspecting the various camps, Gu Xi returned to Yuzhang City. When he and Li Sangrou went to see the Tengwang Pavilion again, it was already as bustling as a temple fair, with people packed shoulder to shoulder.

The construction site for the Tengwang Pavilion’s repairs had been fenced off with bamboo; otherwise, with people coming and going, work would be impossible.

The yamen had dispatched yamen runners to take turns checking the site to prevent any accidents.

Inside the railings, the repairs were in full swing; outside, the crowds were dense, the cries of vendors rose and fell, and there were monkey trainers, tightrope walkers, and six or seven singers performing. The covered walkway was packed with people, mostly scholars in long robes. Half of the tasseled cardboard signs hanging below were already adorned with poems and essays.

Gu Xi stared at the bustling scene and exclaimed, “No wonder Shouzhen urged me to come and see! What kind of magic trick is this? Why are there so many people?”

“I did not want any when we started, but when I came back, Da Chang told me there were plenty of people in long robes coming to watch. I thought, since they are here, we should not leave empty-handed. Why not have them write something? It will add a touch of literary flair.” Li Sangrou smiled, looking at the lively walkway. “Shall we go see those essays? Why not write a poem too?”

“I am not good at poetry,” Gu Xi immediately refused.

“Then write an essay; anything will do,” Li Sangrou glanced at Gu Xi and suggested with a smile.

“With all this fighting and killing, how can I write anything?” Gu Xi chuckled dryly, changing the subject. “This covered walkway is nice and quite charming.”

Li Sangrou just smiled and did not speak.

The two entered the connecting corridor. Li Sangrou reached down and pulled the cardboard sign in front of her, looking at it for a moment before letting go and pulling the other side.

Gu Xi looked up at the rope draped over the beam, with two pieces of cardboard at either end, one above the other.

Gu Xi pulled on one side, then the other, laughing. “You put your heart into it.”

“Yes, I rewarded him with two jin of wine.” Li Sangrou looked quickly, then pulled the tassel forward again.

“Which one is better?” Gu Xi leaned closer, looking at the poem Li Sangrou was reading.

“I do not know; I did not understand it.” Li Sangrou turned to look at the other side.

Gu Xi paused, then uttered a soft “uh.” She had been looking so intently, yet she did not understand?

“It says up there that the owner will evaluate it. If you did not understand it, how can you evaluate it?” Gu Xi followed Li Sangrou, pointing to the notice outside the corridor.

“I was planning to have you evaluate it for me.” Li Sangrou released the tassel and looked at the other sign.

“I cannot do it either. Let Shouzhen judge; he’s good at this,” Gu Xi refused decisively.

“Sigh, thank goodness for Shouzhen.” Li Sangrou sighed.

“Hey, he’s so thoughtful and skilled at this, really good at it!

When he was a teenager, he was always reciting poetry, so cheesy that even his older brother could not stand it. He told him, ‘Poetry and prose are just for leisure, not for serious work.'” Gu Xi chuckled, then pouted.

Li Sangrou smiled wryly.

Reciting poetry in one’s teens was not out of sentimentality, but rather because of unrequited love.

Li Sangrou flipped through the poems and essays in the connecting corridor, then left with Gu Xi, circling around to the side, entering the construction site through the craftsmen’s entrance.

To facilitate their work, Jia Wendao had already pulled the other end of his iron chain out of the stone, coiling it around his body. He stood on a large rock nearby, squinting one eye, gesturing here and there. Seeing Li Sangrou and Gu Xi approach side by side, he paused for a moment, then craned his neck to examine Gu Xi closely, his eyes widening suddenly.

Neither Li Sangrou nor Gu Xi paid any attention to Jia Wendao; Gu Xi had not even seen him. The two stood in the Yajiang Pavilion, looking at the Tengwang Pavilion, now completely surrounded by bamboo frames and reduced to its basic structure.

“That stone over there, grind it smooth, and have someone write a record of the Tengwang Pavilion’s reconstruction and carve on it.” Gu Xi looked around and pointed to the stone where Jia Wendao was huddled nearby.

“How should I write it? Write that I repaired it? I do not want that name on it. That stone is nice, but I’ve smoothed it out. Later, you can write a couple of words, like ‘Victory is assured’ or something like ‘Civil and Military Achievements,’ and carve on it,” Li Sangrou suggested.

“Is this meant to embarrass me? No way!” Gu Xi flatly refused.

“Then smooth it out and leave it blank,” Li Sangrou laughed as she walked away.

Jia Wendao held his breath, watching the two of them walk away laughing and talking. Only then did he dare to exhale, quickly crawling a dozen steps outside. He watched as Li Sangrou and Gu Xi left the enclosure, dragging the iron chain, found Gong Xiaoyi, and grabbed him.

“Just now, that Big Boss came. Did you see her?”

“Yes, what happened? The Boss said she would come over when she has time and that we should just go about our business and ignore her. She will contact us if she needs anything. Did I not tell you?” Gong Xiaoyi was in high spirits, speaking faster than usual.

“That person next to her! The person with her! Did you see him?” Jia Wendao had not actually heard Gong Xiaoyi clearly; he was trembling with excitement.

“A man? Quite tall. What’s wrong?” Gong Xiaoyi thought for a moment.

There seemed to be someone there, quite tall and straight, but he had not noticed.

“That, most likely, no, absolutely! It is that general!” Jia Wendao’s arms swung, making the iron chains on his body clang loudly.

“Huh? Ah? Which general? General?” Gong Xiaoyi suddenly realized.

“He’s wearing a golden crown, a golden crown! When he entered the city, I peeked through the railings from the Wangjiang Tower! It is him! It’s definitely him! Xiaoyi, you are amazing!” Jia Wendao patted Gong Xiaoyi with both hands.

Gong Xiaoyi’s legs went weak from the pats, and he collapsed to the ground.

……………………

A short distance from the covered walkway, under a teahouse, Lady Fu, wrapped in a thick indigo long coat, sat with her Elder Brother, Fu Zheng’an, at a small tea table, watching Li Sangrou emerge from the construction site and Gu Xi walking beside her, chatting and laughing.

“Brother, that’s Boss Li,” Lady Fu gestured to her brother, Fu Zheng’an.

“That man? Did you not say it was a woman?” Fu Zheng’an craned his neck, looking at the two walking side by side.

“The woman!” Lady Fu rolled her eyes at her brother.

“Then who’s that next to her?” Fu Zheng’an, half-sitting, half-standing, craned his neck to look closely.

“I do not know either.” Lady Fu also slightly bowed, carefully observing the two.

A little further from the covered walkway, the crowd lessened, and Ru-Yi and the others emerged from the throng, moving closer to surround Gu Xi and Li Sangrou.

“Brother, I am afraid he’s a nobleman,” Lady Fu said, pulling back Fu Zheng’an, who was about to go out to see.

“A nobleman?” Fu Zheng’an frowned, looking again.

“He’s wearing a gold crown and a jade belt,” Lady Fu said in a low voice.

“So what? Master Wang from the front street also has a jade belt.” Fu Zheng’an scrutinized Gu Xi.

He could not tell if he was noble or not, but this person was undeniably handsome, handsome in every way, more handsome than the Boss.

“That’s different,” Lady Fu said, watching the two intently, then casually replied.

A little further away from the crowd, the guards gathered around, protecting the two as they headed back into the city.

“Brother, I’d like to leave in a couple of days,” Lady Fu said, turning to her Elder Brother, Fu Zheng’an, after they were out of sight.

“Hmm? Look at you, saying that again! It is almost New Year’s; wait until after the New Year to leave. Besides, you are still sick. No matter what, you have to wait until you are fully recovered before going to Jianle City, a journey of a thousand li!

You have to be fully recovered before you leave! Otherwise, how can I, your Elder Brother, be at ease?” Fu Zheng’an said anxiously.

His younger sister wanted to set off every few days, and he got angry whenever she mentioned leaving.

Lady Fu lowered her eyes and gave a vague “hmm.”

Tomorrow, she would go to that Shunfeng Banner. She wants to set off as soon as possible. She was not sick; she was just a little weak, and this was something that required long-term recuperation. She could not wait.