Chapter 139: Yan Jiu’s Test
When she met Gu Changxiao, Jin Sui was already calm, showing no sign of discomfort.
It felt like I was meeting a client behind the boss’s back.
After all, our boss and the client can’t stand each other, so I, a mere worker, have to mediate. It’s all for money, so no shame in that.
“What’s wrong? You went out all excited and came back looking so disappointed.” Jin Sui preempted him by asking Gu Changxiao.
This way, he wouldn’t turn around and ask her why she was there.
As expected, Gu Changxiao snorted and said:
“I was tricked by that kid Yan. The merchant was indeed from Chang’an, but he knew nothing about polo. It was Yan himself who kept pestering the merchant about Chang’an’s playing style.”
“He wanted to learn the Black Feather Camp’s training methods from me, which is why he invited me over.”
Jin Sui chuckled, “Anyway, he gave a big red envelope, so we didn’t lose out.”
Speaking of which, Gu Changxiao smiled and took out a red envelope from his embrace. Upon opening it, he found a silver note worth a thousand taels inside!
Jin Sui was once again astonished by the Yan brothers’ disregard for money. Yan Jiu spent a thousand taels just to get Gu Changxiao out of the way so he could have a private chat with me?
It’s great to be rich. When I have money, I’ll do things like this too!
Gu Changxiao handed the red envelope directly to Jin Sui, “I didn’t bring a gift for Daoist Ji’s eatery opening. This thousand taels will be my gift to help Daoist Ji expand his eatery.”
Jin Sui said verbally, “How can I accept this? My grandpa didn’t even host a banquet, so there’s no need for a gift…”
Her hand, however, couldn’t help but clutch the red envelope. Gu Changxiao felt that if he took it back, Little Daoist Ji would hate him for life.
He had to find a reason to make Little Daoist Ji accept it with peace of mind:
“I’ve seen what Daoist Ji has been doing. His eatery is mainly to invite refugees to come down from the mountains, and it’s been very successful. This red envelope is my commendation for Daoist Ji.”
Only then did Jin Sui accept it and, without further hesitation, ran to find her grandpa to give him the red envelope.
Then Gu Changxiao saw the three of them, grandfather and grandchildren, opening the red envelope in the tent, their eyes, one old and two young, all sparkling.
Daoist Ji was smiling so hard his beard was almost shaking off, Jin An was jumping with joy, and Little Daoist Ji was saying something that made Daoist Ji look incredibly proud.
Gu Changxiao, watching from outside the tent, also smiled, thinking that a thousand taels of silver was worth this scene!
Inside the tent, the three of them were sighing:
“I remember when we first started our Northward Journey, we had to make every single coin stretch. I never thought we’d live to see a day where a casual red envelope from someone else is a thousand taels!”
A thousand taels! Jin An was counting on his fingers: one tael is a thousand coins, a skewer of candied hawthorns is one coin, a large meat bun is two coins, two pieces of maltose candy are only one coin, and a jin of dried persimmons is five coins…
How much delicious food could a thousand taels buy! He couldn’t calculate it, not at all!
Jin Sui thought about how the Jiang Family sold her for only fifteen taels, and that ordinary village girls usually went for two to five taels.
She could fetch a ‘high price’ because her father was a County Magistrate and she was a daughter of an official. In the brothels of Jiangnan, the status of an official’s daughter was extremely high.
She couldn’t help but clench her fist, “Damn it! I’m only worth fifteen taels! Yan Jiu was willing to spend a thousand taels just to chat with me!”
I really want to fight with you rich people! No wonder the Imperial Court is wary of the Gentry, I’m wary too!
In the evening, Grandpa Ling returned from the eatery and specifically asked Jin Sui to spare some time to talk to him.
Jin An was also brought back by Hei Hu. The kid had been sitting on Hei Hu’s neck watching the ball game that afternoon.
Hei Hu came to pick him up every day; their bond was incredibly strong.
At first, Jin Sui thought they were genuinely compatible and that it was good for Jin An to play with the Black Feather Camp Soldiers. She thought it would be good for the child to be influenced by them, to learn martial arts and strengthen his body.
It wasn’t until later that she realized Jin An was particularly good at Cuju. He guessed the winning team correctly nine out of ten times.
Hei Hu and the other Black Feather Camp Soldiers used Jin An’s intel to buy lottery tickets…
Upon learning this, Jin Sui scolded Jin An, “No more helping them gamble!”
Jin An straightened his neck and said, “Brother Hei Hu said he wants to save money to marry a wife, and I’m helping him get a wife!”
Even Gu Changxiao advised Jin Sui, “Although your Military Regulations are very strict, during the ball games, everyone buys lottery tickets. We naturally can’t stop the Black Feather Camp Soldiers from buying them.”
“Actually, the Black Feather Camp is already the army with the strictest Military Regulations. Even the Northwest Army I once led couldn’t prevent soldiers from gambling or drinking…”
And visiting prostitutes; Gu Changxiao didn’t say that in front of Jin An.
“As long as it doesn’t interfere with military orders, they should be allowed to relax during their leave.”
Jin Sui was persuaded. After all, she couldn’t hold modern soldiers to the same standards as soldiers of this era. Besides, even in modern times, soldiers can buy lottery tickets themselves!
A few months ago, the Black Feather Camp hadn’t even received enough Military Pay and were eating beans and peas with salt mud!
When the granaries are full, people know etiquette. If you want to train an army with strict discipline, you must first satisfy their material needs!
Jin Sui adopted a policy of turning a blind eye to the soldiers gambling, strictly prohibiting on-duty soldiers from doing so.
However, generals like Cheng Yu and Han Xing seemed to understand her intentions and took the lead in not participating in any gambling activities.
Continuing the story, Hei Hu took Jin An to watch a Cuju match and brought him back in the evening. Hei Hu was beaming, and Jin An was eating a chicken leg while carrying large bags of goodies.
He happily told Grandpa Ling and Jin Sui, “Brother Hei Hu and the others rewarded me. I guessed correctly again today.”
Jin Sui shook her head, “Be careful, one day you might guess wrong, and they’ll blame you for losing the game.”
Jin An was young but shrewd, and having experienced a lot, he understood human relationships better than his peers.
“They won’t. I only recommend teams I’m very confident about. I don’t give advice on games I’m unsure of. Brother, you don’t need to worry. Brother Hei Hu and the others are very restrained; they only buy a few dozen tickets, never more.”
Jin Sui no longer dwelled on this issue and instead asked her grandpa, “Is there something you wanted to tell me privately?”
Grandpa saw that Gu Changxiao hadn’t come along and was relieved. He closed the doors and windows, pulled Jin Sui and Jin An over, and showed them his silver chest:
“I’ve been saving all the silver you’ve given me during this time.
Opening the eatery didn’t cost much. With today’s thousand taels, Grandpa thinks we should seriously consider where we’ll live in the future.”
“It’s best not to go back to our hometown. Instead, we could buy a tea plantation in Yizhou, purchase thousands of mu of good farmland. Jin An can study, and since Sui Sui wants to open a clinic, we’ll open one. Grandpa will take care of the tea plantation and farmland.”
Jin Sui was very touched. She had mentioned opening a clinic to Gu Changxiao a few times, but had never seriously discussed it with her grandpa, because women in this era could not practice medicine alone.
She didn’t expect her grandpa to have noticed and kept it in his heart.
“If you don’t want to go to Yizhou, that’s fine too. We can go to Chang’an and move your father and mother’s graves together. This silver is enough to set up a family business, and it will be more convenient for Jin An to study in Chang’an.”
Jin An, upon hearing that he would have to study no matter where they went, quickly asked, “What if we stay in the Border City?”
Grandpa Ling smiled, “This is what Grandpa wanted to discuss. If we stay in the Border City, I want to take advantage of the cheap land prices now and buy more, to set up a large manor.”
“If setting up a manor attracts too much attention, we can set up a Taoist Temple. Grandpa can be the abbot, and we can still acquire farmland and businesses, and even take disciples.”
“In short, with this money in hand, Grandpa can’t sleep day or night worrying. What if we get robbed?”
“No matter what, we need to quickly acquire some assets. Grandpa needs to save some for Jin An’s future wife and Sui Sui’s dowry.”
When they had no money, they only thought about survival. Now that they had money, the elder’s concerns naturally increased.
This is the mentality of the poor suddenly becoming rich. When a family suddenly has a large sum of money, any slight disturbance at night will wake them up. They definitely won’t be able to sleep without checking the money box three to five times a night.
Jin Sui found it hard to understand her grandpa’s feelings. The first time she received a few pieces of gold, she put them under her pillow and slept.
The elder’s unease made Jin Sui feel very apologetic, but she still insisted, “Grandpa, please wait a little longer. Once the Imperial Court’s edict arrives and the King and I switch identities, we can decide where to go.”
Grandpa Ling nodded slowly, gritted his teeth, and said, “Then find a way to exchange all this silver and silver notes for gold.”
Jin An was confused, “Why not exchange it all for silver notes? Silver notes are easier to keep.”
Grandpa glared at him, “Silver notes are just paper! How can they be as solid as gold! If the silver notes from this Border City are not recognized by the banks in Chang’an, what then? Listen to Grandpa, nothing is better than gold.”
Jin Sui smiled and nodded, “Okay! Tomorrow I’ll exchange it for gold for you, and buy a sturdy money box. Grandpa can sleep with it every night.”
Grandpa chuckled and waved his hand, “No need to buy a money box. Grandpa will make one himself. He’ll feel more at ease with one he made himself.”
Jin Sui…
I knew why I was so stingy; it’s hereditary!
When they returned to their room to sleep, Gu Changxiao smiled and asked, “Does Daoist Ji have any new ideas?”
Jin Sui smiled, “Grandpa has so much money for the first time, he’s scared.”
She didn’t mention the discussion about where they would go in the future. If she did, Gu Changxiao would surely try to persuade them separately, breaking them down one by one to keep them in the Border City.
Except for Jin Sui, who was genuinely hesitating, she felt that Grandpa Ling and Jin An were easy to persuade.
After all, they were not as free anywhere else as they were in the Border City. They had been too cautious for too long, especially since Jin An and Jin Sui were still branded as ‘fugitives’. Staying in the Border City under Gu Changxiao’s protection was, in Grandpa Ling’s opinion, the best choice.
Lying in bed, Jin Sui couldn’t sleep for a long time, thinking about her grandpa’s words one moment and Yan Jiu’s words the next.
She could understand her grandpa’s words, but Yan Jiu, who had gone out of his way to invite her for milk tea and spoken a bunch of cryptic words, what did he mean?
Gu Changxiao was already asleep on the small couch. Jin Sui, not wanting to disturb him, didn’t turn over, just lay there staring at the tent ceiling.
After Gu Changxiao and I switch identities back, what kind of life will I choose?
As soon as this thought arose, Jin Sui suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. Instantly, a bold idea surfaced.
She had always interpreted her conversation with Yan Jiu from the perspective of her being the Li King and him being the Lord of the Yan Clan.
But if she were just Ji Sui, and he were the Lord of the Yan Clan, that conversation would be entirely different!
From Zheng Yun’s grand performance, he realized that Gu Changxiao was the real Li King, and she was the fake one!
If Yan Jiu knew Liu Imperial Commissioner, or sent someone to Chang’an to inquire, he would definitely be able to find out the Li King’s appearance. Combined with Zheng Yun’s words, it wouldn’t be difficult to guess the truth of the matter.
Intelligent people are terrifying, and rich intelligent people are even more terrifying!
He guessed it, but didn’t intend to expose it.
Why?
Jin Sui covered her temples, trying to calm herself down, and carefully recalled everything Yan Jiu had said during the day, going over each sentence.
He first mentioned the Zhou Family…
Although her reaction at the time was quite sharp, she was too dull. It was obvious she had no idea what the Zhou Family was about.
Jin Sui broke out in a cold sweat again. “You, Yan Jiu! With your honest face, you’re playing this game of testing people!”
He had indeed guessed the real and fake Li King because of the Zheng Yun incident, but he didn’t have absolute certainty. By mentioning the Zhou Family, he confirmed that she, this Li King, was fake!
If she were the real Li King, how could she not know about the Zhou Family in Chang’an!
Jin Sui’s hands clenched nervously into fists. What did Yan Jiu intend to do? Expose her? Threaten her? Use this opportunity to form some kind of cooperation with the real Li King?
Jin Sui continued to ponder his words. That nonsensical phrase about a fierce tiger fallen on hard times, now that she thought about it, he was probably referring to Gu Changxiao, this fierce tiger fallen on hard times.
Bullied by ‘dogs’ like Zheng Yun, and who was the “Friend of Pingyang”?
The Yan Clan? He wanted to cooperate with the real Li King, to be the real Li King’s friend?
But then, after the fierce tiger returned to the mountain, it would be strange if he still remembered the Friend of Pingyang.
If he truly helped Gu Changxiao return to Chang’an to seize the throne, then the Yan Clan would have merit in assisting the emperor, no longer being Yanzhou Gentry but true Powerful People.
Jin Sui couldn’t help but recall the past between her and Yan Jiu since they met: from him buying books for ten thousand characters, to him being the first to support the Li King’s actions in the Border City, to him coming out of the city to meet when the Tartars attacked.
He secretly assisted during the Zheng Yun incident, and the business cooperation with the Border City was also successful with his tacit approval.
Jin Sui decided to think from Yan Jiu’s perspective. If Yan Jiu had already confirmed she was the fake Li King, what did his words today mean?
Suddenly, she had an epiphany. Gu Changxiao’s Friend of Pingyang referred to her!
Yan Jiu didn’t want to become a Powerful Person at all; he just wanted to manage the Yan Clan well in Yandi!
He didn’t like Gu Changxiao and wouldn’t have bothered talking to her so much just to curry favor with Gu Changxiao.
He repeatedly expressed his admiration for her talent.
Perhaps, probably, possibly, he was poaching her!
He used phrases like “accompanying a ruler is like accompanying a tiger” and “the Imperial Family is heartless” to remind her that helping the Fierce Tiger of Pingyang would have no good outcome.
It couldn’t be said that he was trying to sow discord between her and Gu Changxiao; he was just stating a fact, that even families like the Zhou Family could be demoted to commoners.
She was trying her best to help Gu Changxiao. Who could guarantee that if Gu Changxiao returned to Chang’an, she, the fake Li King, would have a good ending?
After understanding Yan Jiu’s intentions, Jin Sui was no longer as afraid, but Yan Jiulang, oh Yan Jiulang, you’re not professional at poaching!
Others who poach would start by offering a high price. You should at least state the price and tell me what treatment I’ll receive if you poach me!
Did Gu Changxiao return too quickly, so he didn’t have time to say it? Or was he testing her attitude, to see if she would tell Gu Changxiao or resolutely choose to follow Gu Changxiao?
Damn it, talking to intelligent people is so tiring!
I’d rather you speak more clearly and directly than have me guess and test each other like this.
Jin Sui couldn’t sleep because of this matter, and Yan Jiulang was the same. He looked at the written orders in his hand: investigate the identity of Daoist Ji of Central Plains Hodgepodge, and investigate the process of how Daoist Ji met the Li King.
His confidant had been waiting outside the screen for a long time, but Yan Jiu didn’t give him the orders for a long time.
Finally, he placed the orders on the candle and burned them, saying softly, “It’s nothing, you may go!”
After the confidant left, the butler cautiously asked, “The Lord is not investigating anymore?”
Yan Jiu chuckled, “He will be unhappy if he knows.
It doesn’t matter. Regardless of his identity or past, as long as he is willing to join my ranks, he is my friend, Yan Jiu.”
And friends don’t need to investigate their backgrounds.
