Because Zhu Qingyu had fallen asleep, Zhang Shen instructed the driver to slow down the carriage. He had barely slept last night and was exhausted, so he carefully leaned against Zhu Qingyu to take a short nap.
He did not know how long he had slept when the carriage suddenly stopped. Zhang Shen was already half-asleep and woke up instantly, asking:
What is wrong?
The driver replied:
Boss, at the intersection ahead, an eight-bearer official sedan chair is heading this way. The road is a bit narrow, and I am afraid we might collide.
An eight-bearer sedan chair meant an official of at least the third rank. The hours before dawn were exactly when various ministers left their homes to attend the morning court session. It was perfectly normal to encounter one at this time.
According to the etiquette rules, the lowly must give way to the noble. There was no need to fight for the road with a capital official and risk offending someone unknowingly. Zhang Shen sat up and instructed:
Let us pull over to the side and wait to let them pass.
The carriage stopped on the right side. Zhang Shen stepped out and waited on the side, but the approaching sedan chair did not come over; it also stopped at the intersection ahead.
When meeting on a narrow road, the higher-ranking official wins; whoever has the higher rank goes first.
The clattering of hooves came from behind. To make a third-rank official voluntarily give way, it must be another important figure heading to court. Zhang Shen continued to wait on the side, letting the horse from behind pass first.
The horse, which had been galloping rapidly from behind, approached. Suddenly, someone yelled to pull the reins, bringing the horse to an abrupt halt.
By the light of the lantern at the front of the carriage, Zhang Shen looked back and saw the rider in red clothes on a black horse. It was none other than the Vice Minister of Revenue, Lord Gu.
Lord Gu stopped beside the carriage, his face expressionless, staring intently at the Zhang family's blue-cloth carriage.
Zhang Shen felt very nervous. He quickly scanned his own carriage, worried that there might be some violation of regulations that the strictly impartial Lord Gu had caught.
Fortunately, the Zhang family's blue-cloth carriage was the most ordinary everyday style. Its exterior was plain and low-key, without the slightest bit of flashiness. Among the commoners in the capital who used carriages, whether buying or renting, eight out of ten families used this type of carriage.
Zhang Shen felt his carriage did not violate any rules, but Lord Gu stared at it for a bit too long. Zhang Shen could not help but feel a little uneasy, worrying if there was some oversight he had not noticed. So he hurriedly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and bowed:
Commoner Zhang Shen greets you, Lord Vice Minister.
Gu Zhao turned his head, only then noticing that there was a person standing by the carriage. It was exactly the head merchant of Yangzhou, Zhang Jingyan, whom Yan Pan had reported yesterday.
The salt tax was the lifeblood of the nation, and among it, the Lianghuai region accounted for the heaviest portion. Therefore, after entering the Ministry of Revenue, Gu Zhao had summoned all eight head merchants of Lianghuai to inquire about the salt affairs there.
Regarding Zhang Jingyan, Gu Zhao's previous evaluation of him was quite good. Although he was the youngest among the eight head merchants, he was worldly and cautious, spoke with substance, and was a useful person.
If Yan Pan's accusation that the Zhang family colluded with salt smugglers to traffic illegal salt was true, it would be a pity. The Yan family's today would be the Zhang family's tomorrow: male members executed immediately, and female family members enslaved as official servants.
However, whether it was true or false, a false accusation or a factual event, it all needed to be verified first. There was no need to alert the snake in the grass.
Thus, Gu Zhao nodded and asked:
Jingyan, it is freezing cold. What are you doing here so early?
Zhang Shen had only been summoned by Vice Minister Gu once, and they had met for less than two quarters of an hour. He did not expect that the Vice Minister, who was occupied with a myriad of state affairs every day, would actually remember his courtesy name. He hurriedly replied:
Answering the Vice Minister, this humble one is returning to his hometown today and is heading to Tongzhou Port to take a boat. Therefore, I left early to avoid missing the time.
Tongzhou Port was a full sixty miles away from the capital, so it was appropriate to leave early. Gu Zhao exchanged a couple of pleasantries wishing him a safe journey, then urged his horse forward to attend the court session. He turned a corner at the intersection, and in a moment, only the sound of the horse could be heard, while the person was out of sight.
After the eight-bearer sedan chair ahead also left the intersection, Zhang Shen finally got back into the carriage. Inside, Zhu Qingyu was still half-wrapped in a blanket, leaning against the carriage wall, but her eyes were open; she was already awake.
Zhang Shen helped her wrap the blanket properly and asked:
Did I wake you?
Zhu Qingyu had woken up just upon hearing Gu Zhao's voice. Thinking of the gossip she had heard while giving medical consultations at the Gu residence last night, she hesitated for a moment and whispered:
Was that Heir Gu just now? I heard from the servants of the Gu family that Old Madam Gu fell ill, and it seems it was caused by Vice Minister Gu taking in a bedmaid.
Zhang Shen was a bit surprised:
Is Lord Gu not a monk? He even took in a bedmaid. Oh, right, after all, he has returned to secular life.
Zhu Qingyu was not telling him this just for gossip. She continued:
The girl Vice Minister Gu wants to take in is surnamed Yan. She was originally a daughter of an official family and was only recently bought into the mansion as a servant. It seems Miss Yan was unwilling or something and made a fuss in the mansion, and now she is going to be sold off again. If her surname is Yan, Jingyan, do you think it could be the Miss Yan we know?
Zhang Shen remembered that Zhu Qingyu had not liked this Miss Yan much before. Why was she thinking about her now? So he asked:
Yan is not a common surname, and there are even fewer officials with the surname Yan. I only know of one, so it is most likely her. The female family members of the Yan family were escorted into the capital a month and a half ago. If you calculate the time, it matches. Are you worried about her? Do you want to redeem her? If you really want to, I will go ask the official brokers.
Zhu Qingyu hurriedly said:
No, no, no, I do not like her at all. Do not you go buying an ancestor to bring back. I am just worried whether the Yan family's case will implicate you. After all, we gave the Yan family so much money.
Zhu Qingyu truly disliked Yan Pan very much; in fact, she disliked the entire Yan family. Unless absolutely necessary, she would not interact with them.
After all, who would like someone who was arrogant, extravagant, and domineering, who bossed people around and constantly demanded silver?
In the past, the Yan family would hold banquets every few days under various pretexts. Even when the cat raised by Yan Pan had kittens, they would invite the wives of the various head merchants to attend a banquet. Whether you went or not, you had to send a gift. If you sent too little, the Yan family would blatantly send servants to block your door and demand more. When chatting privately, every family complained bitterly.
Therefore, not only did Zhu Qingyu dislike them, but Zhang Shen disliked them even more. Hearing this, he smiled and said softly:
Set your mind at ease. We are not the only family who sent money. Any family in Yangzhou involved with salt was demanded tributes by Lord Yan. Moreover, the Yan family's case is already closed. Vice Minister Gu personally presided over and finalized the case; no new waves will be made. Ultimately, it was Lord Yan who was too greedy. His eating habits were too ugly, driving everyone to a dead end, otherwise it would not have come to this. These past few Salt Censors, sigh, the previous one was lustful, and this one was greedy for wealth. Neither was any good. I do not know if the newly appointed Lord Dai will be any better.
Since they were speaking ill of others behind their backs, both kept their voices extremely low, leaning close together and whispering private words into each other's ears. Thus, they exited the east city gate, met up with the Zhang family's convoy waiting outside, and hurried toward Tongzhou.
By afternoon, Zhu Qingyu and her party finally arrived at Tongzhou Port. They found their family's boat, unloaded their luggage, and loaded it onto the vessel. Thus, they departed from this capital city of strict rules and everywhere-present nobility, heading toward the Yangzhou water town of ten miles of spring breeze and intoxicating luxury.
