Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
That afternoon, Fan Xian received the officials related to the palace treasury transport at his temporary residence. The other Jiangnan officials had been scared off by him, but these palace treasury officials were his direct subordinates and unable to hide; they could only tough it out. Fortunately, Fan Xian had long shed the dark and cold facade he wore beside the lake and was able to laugh with them a little as they talked. He also set their departure date and saw them out of the manor in an amiable manner, which momentarily confused the officials.
The welcoming banquet that night was prepared by Jiangnan Inn. For similar reasons, the officials of the counties and provinces along the river all just sat for a little while before leaving. They had met the requirements dedicated by etiquette and, furthermore, court regulations did not allow them to stay in Suzhou for long. It was easy to find reasons to be as far away as possible from Commissioner Fan.
Only the officials of the Suzhou government could not leave. They sat trembling with fear at the head table alongside Fan Xian, Jiangnan Governor Xue Qing and inspector general Dai Sicheng, who were drinking and talking merrily. The atmosphere was very harmonious.
The seated Suzhou Zhizhou had a bitter face and gave forced laughs. The Hangzhou Zhizhou knew that the imperial envoy was staying for the long-term in Hangzhou. He had toughened his skin and forced himself to stay. However, from the perspective of the Suzhou officials’ murderous gaze, he was constantly fawning on Fan Xian and the governor. This Hangzhou Zhizhou was truly a man with extensive experience, and he wasn’t too afraid of Fan Xian’s method of falling out and becoming hostile. He was set on the fact that currying favor with his superior, regardless of time and place, was never the wrong thing to do.
After the banquet, Fan Xian first saw the governor into his official carriage. The two of them determined that Fan Xian would come visit the Xue Manor the next day. Only after this did Fan Xian raise his hands toward the officials in the restaurant in farewell and boarded his own carriage.
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…
He was still the same as ever, he liked to ride carriages not sedan chairs.
The curtain at the front of the carriage had not been drawn, so the night air of Suzhou City blew in. Light and clear music also drifted into his ears. Jiangnan was wealthy and populous. Wealthy merchants owned many talented performers, and the brothels in Suzhou and Hangzhou were famously good.
Fan Xian gently slapped his own cheeks and allowed the night air to blow away the light flush. Although a lot of the zhenqi in his body had recovered, his alcohol tolerance had not yet returned. Under the pressure of the officials, he was actually feeling a little dizzy.
The Hangzhou address is set. What about Suzhou City?
He asked lightly as he half closed his eyes to rest.
Shi Chanli sat beside him and he thought for a while before replying.
Sang Wen won’t arrive until the middle of the month…I…I…
Fan Xian smiled, he opened his eyes and sighed.
I know it’s not fair to have you do these things, just bear it for another year or two. You know that there are not that many people I trust beside me.
He and Shi Chanli discussed the plan to start a Baoyue Brothel down south. The brothel business was not only the quickest to see profits, but also often had unexpected uses such as intelligence reports. When Fan Xian was in Jingdou, he had decided to move his brothel to Jiangnan. Although there would be much opposition, given his identity and power, it wouldn’t be a problem to have a little success within a year.
Shi Chanli asked,
Sir, can this matter be postponed? After all, you are leaving for the palace treasury the day after tomorrow. Without a pillar in Suzhou, when it comes to choosing a location, buying a building, and buying girls, I’m afraid I won’t be imposing enough.
I’m not here, but there is the Third Prince…
A dark smile flashed through Fan Xian’s eyes.
I’m going to pick out a few teachers for the Third Prince tomorrow. Although he will go with me to Hangzhou in the future, this time he will stay in Suzhou…don’t forget what business this prince runs in Jingdou. He might be young, but he is knowledgeable of how things are done. With the prince making an appearance, the governor will not be able to say much. You can buy whichever building you want. As for those popular girls…spend more money. What cannot be solved? With the prince supporting you, you won’t have to worry about the Jiangnan brothel owners playing dirty with you. Since it’s all above board, it’s just a matter of throwing money at their games. Are you worried that you won’t have enough silver?
Shi Chanli stared dumbfoundedly and thought: The Emperor wants you to educate the Third Prince, are you…did you think from the beginning to use the Third Prince to open a brothel? That is too disgraceful!
He also thought of another matter. Why did he have so much money on hand? The 138,880 liang of snowy white ingots could certainly not be touched. Considering what he said earlier, he must be carrying a lot of banknotes. Thinking of this worried Shi Chanli.
If we are buying openly, then the Jiangnan brothel business will certain take the opportunity to raise prices…money will flow like water. I don’t know how many days we can keep it up.
At this moment, the carriage rolled across the clean stone paths of Suzhou. They passed through a gate and arrived at a place commercial district bustling during the day.
Even at night, the signs of the stores on the street remained brilliantly lit. Suzhou was the biggest port from where the palace treasury productions were sent out. Thus, just speaking of the degree of wealth and business development, other than Dongyi City, there was not another city in the world that could compare to it. The glass sold here was four-fifths cheaper than in Northern Qi. However, Fan Xian understood clearly the production costs of things like glass and knew that the merchants had made bank over the last decades.
Other than the shop signs of the various merchants, something that stood out was that every little while there was a hanging green cloth. What was noticeable was not the glow-in-the-dark material that were dyed into the cloth, but the fact that these green cloths were not fluttering in front of restaurants. Drawn on these green cloths was an image similar to that of the Fan clan crest.
On this street alone, there were eight to nine money houses.
Fan Xian sat in the carriage as they slowly drove in silence on the street. When they passed a somewhat new green cloth, he pointed at the door of this money house and lowered his voice, saying,
Even if you are completely broke, do not come to this money house.
Hearing these words, Shi Chanli had a look but didn’t see clearly. He thought for a while then asked,
Zhaoshang? Never heard of them. It’s not like it’s the Taiping money house. Who will dare do business with them?
Fan Xian smiled and didn’t say anything.
As businesses gradually expanded, it became a difficult matter to complete big deals with cash. Banknotes had gradually become something merchants liked, thus organizations such as money houses and money exchanges began to show their importance. the existence of organizations like money houses were most valued based on their creditability and confidence. Thus, in this part of jianghu, there does not exist the situation of the big fish eating the small. After decades, the only big fish remained the same ones.
The three big fish were South Kingdom, Northern Qi, and Dongyi City.
The banknotes that South Kingdom and Northern Qi distributed were also known as official notes, and, of course, they had the best creditworthiness. However, the officials in court were simply not aware of their importance. It was troublesome to exchange official notes. Their lack of flexibility made one’s hair stand on end in frustration. So other than saving for a coffin, normal merchants would choose the money lending operation opened by Dongyi City, Taiping.
Although Taiping was built on capital from Dongyi City, rumors said that some of the royalty and nobility from South Kingdom and Northern Qi had also bought shares. Thus, no matter how the three countries fought and killed each other, the money house itself was, miraculously, not impacted much. After 20 or 30 years, the reputation of the Taiping was first rate, with deep funds and considerate service. With the secret protection of the upper echelons of each country, it naturally became the world’s biggest money house.
Just on this street, the Taiping money house had three branches. Fan Xian look coldly at the green cloth fluttering outside and said,
If you need to withdraw money, do it from Taiping.
Shi Chanli made a sound of agreement.
Take out as much as you want,
Fan Xian said calmly.
Before I leave, I will give you the stamp and numbers. Don’t be petty and afraid to spend money.
Take out as much as you want? How could there be such a good thing in the world? Shi Chanli paused and said,
Is this Taiping money house owned by you, Sir?
Fan Xian smiled and scolded,
If I had that much money, everything would be easily solved. Why would I bother with those people?
Shi Chanli was his confidante and knew that he was talking about Northern Qi. Feeling slightly nervous, he didn’t comment. As he thought of Northern Qi he considered the palace treasury and matter of it opening in a few days. If Fan Xian wanted to fund Xia Qifei to compete against the Ming family for the bets, then he would need a terrifyingly large amount of capital. He furrowed his brows.
Sir, the palace treasury desperately needs money. If it isn’t a good time, I think we should postpone opening shop.
Fan Xian shook his head.
The money you need and the money the palace treasury needs to bid with are at two completely different levels, so you don’t need to worry. As for opening shop, it should be done quickly. First, we have to act while the prince is still in Suzhou. He is probably interested, and it would be easier. Second…
He thought of the father he left in Jingdou and couldn’t help laughing.
Second, these Jiangnan girls are waiting for the Fan family to rescue them. One day earlier is still one day earlier.
These words were not false. Ever since Jingdou set rules for Baoyue Brothel and was supplemented by that Shi Qing’er girl—although the girls of Baoyue Brothel were still in the flesh business—their days were much better than before. Less was taken from their share. There were regularly scheduled doctor visits, and they signed a novel labor contract. The Baoyue Brothel girls were deeply grateful to Fan Xian. The momentum and influence spread, and now all of the brothels in Jingdou demonstrated a sense of healthy advancement and being in the sun.
If Baoyue Brothel could really open a branch in Jiangnan, the Liu Rushi’s of Jiangnan would probably be very happy about the arrival of the imperial envoy Fan.
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…
After they returned to the manor the salt merchant had happily offered up, Fan Xian accepted the bowl of hot soup Sisi handed over. Besides sobering him up, it also warmed his body. He leaned on the table to read a few reports from the Council. Seeing that the world was peaceful, he relaxed. He had Sisi go to the inner chambers and sleep while he went out. Wearing a thick coat, he rubbed his hands and knocked on the door to another room.
The Tiger Guards and Sixth Bureau swordsman behind him quickly hid in the darkness.
The room door opened with a squeak and revealed Haitang’s sleepy face.
Without waiting for Haitang to speak, Fan Xian uttered in surprise,
It’s so early, are you already sleeping?
Haitang smiled slightly and let him into the room. She turned up the brightness slightly of the smokeless oil lamp and said quietly,
This merchant’s house is incredibly extravagant, and this bed is very comfortable. I figured you might be drunk after tonight’s welcoming banquet, so I washed and slept.
Fan Xian stared and realized that the girl’s clothing was not very thick, just a very plain short coat. He furrowed his brows and said,
Wear more clothes. Although your realm is high, the cold is nothing to laugh at.
Haitang didn’t bother acknowledging him. She yawned and half propped her chin up on the bed.
What do you want? Speak quickly.
Fan Xian paused. He had forgot what he had come to say. Last night, after he had boarded the ship from Jingdou, Haitang had disappeared without a sound. It wasn’t until later that she mysteriously appeared in the garden. Perhaps he was only here to confirm whether she was back or not Or perhaps he had grown accustomed to chatting with this Northern girl sage like an old friend?
It’s difficult for me to get drunk.
Fan Xian was a quick-witted person. He smiled slightly and replied to her first sentence,
You know I’m a coward, so I don’t get drunk unless it’s with someone I completely trust.
So you can only get recklessly drunk at home?
Haitang opened her bright eyes and asked.
Fan Xian shook his head.
Other than being completely trusted, I have to believe that when I’m drunk, the person beside me is capable of protecting my safety.
Haitang smiled and understood what he was saying. However, she immediately felt sorry for him.
Don’t tell me, you’ve gotten to this age and have only gotten drunk once at the Songhe Inn in Shangjing City?
In Shangjing, Northern Qi, Fan Xian had drunk recklessly in front of Haitang until he became dazed and lost consciousness. He had also been drugged with an aphrodisiac and fell into the biggest trap of his life.
Fan Xian said with annoyance,
You have the face to mention that…of course.
He couldn’t see the sympathy in Haitang’s eyes and said coldly and proudly,
I used to get drunk a lot when I was young, so don’t think too highly of yourself.
Haitang smiled.
At that time, that blind master was always beside you?
Fan Xian didn’t reply.
Haitang furrowed her brows.
Then that legendary story of you being poetically inspired after getting drunk and composing a thousand poems in the Qing palace…are those all lies?
Fan Xian waved his hand. He didn’t want to continue this boring topic with her.
Has the silver arrived?
Haitang sighed in resignation and sat down. She met her eyes and nodded.
His Majesty has been making arrangements since August. You don’t need to worry.
Fan Xian smiled self-deprecatingly.
How can I not worry? In this matter, I can’t have my old man move silver from the national treasury for me to use.
Speaking of which,
Haitang said as she frowned,
you actually brought hundreds of thousands of liang of silver with you. Are you stupid? I don’t believe it was only for the purpose of showing off your might at the riverside reception.
Fan Xian thought this was an unwilling arrangement. How can I tell you inside information? I can’t tell anyone about this.
It is only some useless silver. What’s there to be afraid of?
You’ve served as an official for less than two years, yet you have this much silver with you.
Haitang gave a not quite there smile.
Including yours and your father’s official salaries, you will still probably need more than a hundred years to save up this amount of silver. How are you going to explain this to the officials?
Fan Xian shook his head.
Don’t forget, my Fan clan is a big clan. Family estates are where the money truly comes from.
Oh? A family that is able to easily take out this much silver…are there not any illegal activities? Be careful, the Imperial Censorate will probably write you up for this.
So what?
Fan Xian smiled.
Even if my family doesn’t have this much money, the palace knows my business has done well these two years. They won’t be suspicious of me.
One brothel, a dozen bookstores…can earn this much money?
Haitang asked doubtfully.
Don’t underestimate second brother’s ability to accumulate wealth. Of course, having been an official in court for two years, I’ve received plenty of benefits, most of which are buried in that chest. I had to change all this into tidy ingots before I left the capital. If I hadn’t had my old man’s help in bringing in some from the treasury, I would have really been stuck. Once all this is over, the so-called bribes will have mixed in with this clean money, and the court won’t have anything to say. Although, to gather enough silver I had to put as much silver in the businesses under my name as possible. What is in Jingdou is just an empty eggshell.
It was only now that Haitang knew he had such plans and couldn’t help feeling a little disdainful.
Given your position, why do you care so much about cleaning the bribery money?
I…have my uses.
Your silver is all in the chest and not easy to move with thousands of eyes on it,
she said.
What are you going to do when you need money in the future?
Fan Xian smiled slightly.
Don’t I have you? And there is that loveable Emperor. The money he’s put into the Taiping money house this time is not a small sum. I think he won’t mind if a grab some conveniently to use.
Haitang paused. She realized that when talking about fighting and plotting, she was certainly not beneath Fan Xian. In the area of sneakily earning money, she and her people were too far from the Fan family. In the following days, she needed to keep a close eye out.
The scene was indeed absurdly funny. Fan Xian and Haitang were both figures that the world considered elegant and removed, yet in a room on a gloomy night, they talked about silver, banknotes, money houses, and money laundering—topics that stank of bronze.
In the main hall, the candlelight burned tall and the big chest of silver that represented the spirit of Fan Xian’s Jiangnan affairs sat openly.
Everybody who passed by couldn’t resist having a look. There were guards everywhere, as well as swordsman of the Sixth Bureau hiding in the shadows protecting it. The hundreds of thousands of liang of silver brought greedy looks into people’s eyes. If they wanted to steal this chest of silver, the infamous bandits and petty thieves were better off going straight for the government warehouse and stealing government silver. Their chances of success there were probably higher.
This chest was just open widely like this, lying in front of everyone. Its belly of snow-white silver ingots exuded a brilliance that lured in and devoured the soul. A faint and cold sense of danger emitted from the chest.
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…
After a few more days, Fan Xian, who had caused such a ruckus in the entire Jiangnan Road, finally left Suzhou. He and his men followed the official road southwest heading for the palace treasury transport. Although the Third Prince remained in Suzhou, the officials all let out a big breath. They thought as long as Commissioner Fan was not here, it would be simple to fool a little kid.
The Third Prince did not know what the officials were thinking, otherwise given his ruthless personality and hot temper, who knew what kind of new trouble he could cause.
These days, he was already feeling angry. Fan Xian went to the palace treasury and had the audacity not to bring him. The palace treasury was once the property of the Ye family and indirectly supported the Qing Kingdom’s ability to stabilize and expand. It could even be said that the Qing Kingdom depended on the palace to live, so naturally it had become the place in the kingdom most heavily guarded. The restrictions were even stricter than those of the palace. In the legends of the people, it was out of the realm of the Five Thunders and controlled by the gods. To be able to visit the palace treasury and have a look was the desire of countless commoners.
Although the Third Prince had the honor of a prince, he was still curious in his heart about the palace treasury. Without the special permission of the Emperor, even princes had no right to go to the palace treasury. He had thought that coming with Fan Xian to Jiangnan would give him a chance to fulfil his wish, but who would have thought that Fan Xian would leave him in Suzhou.
With a slapping sound, a well-learned middle-aged scholar crawled out looking battered and exhausted, and couldn’t stop howling and crying. The Third Prince followed him out and fiercely cursed,
Father wanted Fan Xian to be the teacher! If he dares to run, then I dare to kick people!
The servants in the manor all kept quiet out of fear. Now that the imperial envoy had left, who dared to offend this little master? He even dared to kick the tutor the governor had carefully selected. If they said too much, wouldn’t it mean certain death?
In the midst of his anger, the Third Prince noticed, from the corner of his eye, a man moving sneakily along the corridor heading out. He quickly yelled for them to stop and walked over to have a look. He found it was Fan Xian’s confidant, Shi Chanli.
Although he was arrogant and ruthless, he couldn’t do much to Shi Chanli for Fan Xian’s sake. He asked,
Where are you going, Sir Shi?
Shi Chanli leaped in fright and said, to curry favor,
Greetings, Your Highness. I am going out for a walk.
The Third Prince paused briefly and then said,
I haven’t seen the fun parts of Suzhou. You have to take me with you.
Shi Chanli begged for mercy.
Your Highness, teacher has left strict orders and homework for you these few days. If you don’t finish it, then what will we do? Besides, if teacher knew I had taken Your Highness out to play, that is also a big offense.
The Third Prince drew together his thin brows and sneered,
I’ll do the work, only…
He looked at Shi Chanli, and his twinkling eyes smiled.
You have to tell me. Why have you not followed teacher to the palace treasury and stayed in Suzhou, and where are you going at this time?
Shi Chanli was blocked by this question. He hesitated for a while, then began to speak only to stop again. Finally he lowered his voice and gave a pained laugh,
It is not like Your Highness does not know that I, poor me, have been ordered by teacher to do that profession.
The Third Prince’s eyes lit up.
So…Baoyue Brothel is going to open in Suzhou?
Shi Chanli was slightly startled and covered his mouth, like he was extremely vexed at himself for having let it slip.
The Third Prince chuckled coldly a few times, but he was overjoyed. If he could go back to his old trade, it would be much better than just sitting in this garden. His shares in the Jingdou branch had been forcefully taken by Fan Xian. Now that he knew Fan Xian was a man of practical morals and learning on the surface, how could he pass up this opportunity?
Watching the Third Prince’s reaction, Shi Chanli felt admiration for his teacher, who was able to take into consideration every possibility.
