Chapter 236: Upper Hand
A bright yellow signal cannon sounded outside Jinling City. News of the Young Lord being attacked was sent with the fastest dispatches to various places in Jiangnan and the Capital City.
The Liangzhe Circuit Gao Shuai Division received the news first. Upon hearing a signal cannon rise into the sky and that the Young Lord had been attacked, their mind buzzed, and they almost fell over.
The severity of the Young Lord being attacked was comparable to the Crown Prince being attacked. This happened within his jurisdiction, in a prosperous area only a few hundred li from Hangcheng. He, as the Shuai Division, could not escape responsibility.
Immediately after, they received word that the Changzhou Army had provided timely reinforcements and the Young Lord and his entourage were safe. The Shuai Division’s head cleared, and they carefully inquired, learning that not even a single horse was injured. The Shuai Division breathed a sigh of relief and hastily dispatched people to the Changzhou Army to express commendation officially and to privately bestow rewards of wine, food, and silk. He himself rushed out towards Jinling County. Halfway there, he heard that the Young Lord had already returned to Pingjiang City, so he turned and headed for Pingjiang City.
He had to go and beg for forgiveness quickly.
The Liangzhe Circuit Zhao Xian Division did not get along with the Gao Shuai Division, but this time, he did not dare to gloat. If the Young Lord were to meet with misfortune in the Liangzhe Circuit, he too would not escape. Being stripped of his position and never being re-employed would be a fortunate outcome!
Zhao Xian Division anxiously inquired for news. Upon hearing that the Young Lord was safe and sound, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief and immediately issued urgent directives to all prefectures and counties, ordering them to rectify local order and strictly investigate all acts of wickedness and wrongdoing.
The Jiang Cao Division had not yet recovered from the shock of the Young Lord being attacked when the Zhu family elders urgently requested an audience. As soon as the Cao Division heard that their Old Master Zhu had been coerced to travel north, he was so shocked and frightened that he almost fainted on the spot.
After sending away the Zhu clan elders, the Jiang Cao Division and Mr. Ge sat opposite each other, on the verge of tears.
The Young Lord was attacked, and a few hours later, the Zhu father and son were coerced to travel north. This matter was as clear as it could be!
Regarding the attack on the Young Lord, regardless of whether the Zhu father and son were the masterminds or accomplices, since the Young Lord was escorting them north instead of handing them over to the Liangzhe Circuit Xian Si Yamen, the Zhu father and son could only be accomplices. Sending them to the capital was to have them testify or implicate others.
Were the Young Lord and Prime Minister Pang about to fall out?
Wouldn’t he then become a mouse caught between two walls? What should he do?
No matter what he did, he couldn’t be completely safe!
“Esteemed Master, the Young Lord is in Pingjiang City. For now, we must first take care of the present,” Mr. Ge said with a hoarse voice.
“I know! You don’t need to tell me that, but how should I take care of it? Should I go see the Young Lord? Pretend I don’t know? What should I do?” Jiang Cao Division rubbed his face forcefully.
“Esteemed Master, why don’t you go to the Academy and have a chat with Educational Commissioner Wei? Ask him for some advice on your studies,” Mr. Ge suggested softly, frowning in thought.
“Right, right, right!” Jiang Cao Division stood up and walked out.
As Jiang Cao Division was seeking advice from Wei Educational Commissioner for the third time, an urgent dispatch arrived from the Capital City stating that Prime Minister Pang’s eldest son, Pang Shoucheng, had startled his horse while out and fallen off. Coincidentally, he was run over by a heavily loaded cart, shattering both his lower legs.
Looking at the thin sheet of Bamboo Shadow Paper with its few sentences, Jiang Cao Division’s scalp tingled.
“There’s already an explanation so quickly. It seems the Young Lord has obtained concrete evidence,” Mr. Ge said, his voice very low.
“Prime Minister Pang is in…” Jiang Cao Division’s words trailed off, and he sighed softly, “He’s at a severe disadvantage. He’s even sacrificed his eldest son.”
“Regarding the matters of the Silk Guild, Esteemed Master must handle them with utmost care,” Mr. Ge leaned forward. “Do you think I should quietly go and find that Mr. Zhou?”
“Hurry and go!” Jiang Cao Division waved his hand urgently.
“From now on, Esteemed Master must frequently visit the Academy to seek knowledge,” Mr. Ge said as he stood up.
“And about the renovation of the Academy, we really can’t allocate funds, but we can think of a way to properly renovate the Academy,” Jiang Cao Division stood up and walked out with Mr. Ge.
“Liangzhe Circuit is a prosperous region, and there are plenty of people willing to contribute money to renovate the Academy. Wei Educational Commissioner is from a prominent family and is a scholar, just not adept at economics,” Mr. Ge and Jiang Cao Division spoke softly. They left the Yamen, returned to their residences, packed some luggage, and went to speak with Zhou Shennian.
………………………………
Silk Guilds in various prefectures and counties of Jiangnan were all watching Pingjiang City.
Firstly, Pingjiang City is the closest to Linhai Town. After the Jiangnan Silk General Store in Linhai Town was ransacked, news from the Jiangnan Silk General Store was transmitted from Pingjiang City.
Secondly, Pingjiang City has a Prince’s Estate, where that Young Lord resides.
News of Old Master Zhu and his son being detained from their house in the east of Pingjiang City and taken to the capital quickly spread from the Pingjiang Silk Trade Association to various places. Following that, news of the weaving workshops inside and outside Pingjiang City becoming busy again also spread like ripples.
After a period of panic and chaos among the silk guilds in various prefectures and counties, the looms began to sound again at varying speeds, and they became busy.
Gu Yan traveled from north to south and then from south to north, inspecting the re-busy weaving workshops in various places. Upon receiving a letter from Zhou Shennian, he was in a very good mood.
“Where is Miss Li?” Gu Yan asked, throwing Zhou Shennian’s letter into the charcoal basin.
“Based on the estimated journey, she should have already returned to Pingjiang City,” Shi Gun replied with a bow.
Gu Yan hummed in acknowledgment. “When returning to Pingjiang City, take a look at those weaving schoolrooms along the way.”
Shi Gun quickly bowed in agreement and hurried out of the tent, giving instructions.
………………………………
Pingjiang City.
Li Xiaonan alighted from the cart. A Wu and several attendants carried three large baskets and several bundles into the courtyard. Li Xiaonan waved goodbye to Wan Jing.
Mei Jie heard the commotion and came running from the back garden.
“A Nan is back! A Nan has lost weight! A Wu looks so well. Where is Yu Ting? Yu Ting’s jacket is beautiful!” Mei Jie’s words reached them before she did.
“Where is Wan Jing? She left? Why didn’t you invite her in for a sit? It’s still early. A Nan, are you tired? Sit down and rest, are you cold?
“Your brother bought me a hand warmer, and I told him: Look at me, busy from morning till night, when do I have the leisure to hold a hand warmer?
“Yu Ting’s jacket isn’t thick, are you cold? These baskets are so heavy, is this all food? We don’t lack food at home…”
Li Xiaonan stood in the courtyard, watching Mei Jie, whose hands were never still, whose mouth never stopped talking, and who was never idle for a moment.
“Mei Jie, you…”
As Yu Ting opened her mouth, Mei Jie interrupted: “Don’t move, I’ll do it. You go rest, traveling by carriage is tiring, I know how tiring it is to travel by carriage…”
“Listen to Mei Jie first, Mei Jie must have been holding it all in,” Li Xiaonan said, holding back Yu Ting.
Yu Ting chuckled.
“…I’m telling you, before the Mid-Autumn Festival, I found a blind fortune teller in front of the Guandi Temple to divine for your second sister, and it was very accurate!
“I’m telling you.”
Mei Jie looked at Li Xiaonan, her face beaming.
“It was incredibly accurate! The divination said that after entering the Ji You month, with the You Metal activating the official star, your second sister’s marriage fate would arrive. It’s truly accurate! I’m telling you, in the month you were away, four families have already come to our door to propose marriage for your second sister!”
Mei Jie burst into laughter.
“Ah!” Li Xiaonan’s eyes widened. “Which four families? Who came to the door? That Matchmaker Miao? Does Eldest Sister know?”
“I really don’t know. I talk too much, so I only tell your Eldest Sister, not you. If I accidentally let it slip, it wouldn’t be good. Four families!” Mei Jie happily wiggled four fingers at Li Xiaonan.
“When is Eldest Sister coming back? Where is Second Sister?” Li Xiaonan looked at Mei Jie with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
“She said tomorrow. Your second sister left this morning and said she’ll be back the day after tomorrow. Look how thin you’ve gotten! What do you want to eat? Mei Jie will make it for you,” Mei Jie pinched Li Xiaonan’s arm, her face full of concern.
“Stir-fried rice cakes with shredded cabbage and pork,” Li Xiaonan ordered without hesitation.
“I just bought rice cakes from the shop by the bridge this morning, the best rice cakes in all of Pingjiang City. Our A Nan is truly blessed! Yu Ting, what do you want to eat? A Wu?” Mei Jie turned around, asked loudly, and then hurried to start cooking.
