Chapter 28: A Grand Dream of Spring and Autumn

After listening to Zhu Cilang’s words, Fu Rugu’s gaze grew even more profound, lost in thought for a long while, his mind occupied by unknown considerations.

Seeing this, Zhu Cilang laughed aloud, changing the subject with a hearty tone: “Ha! These are mere trifles of the household, not worth discussing. The true heart of the manor now revolves around the Artisans’ Courtyard. That has become the foundation of the Qin household of late. In fact, just now, I was busy there myself. The place is noisy and tucked away in a corner of Chengqing Lane, so you can hardly hear anything from outside. Otherwise, I would not have missed the commotion at the gate. In my opinion, Brother Fu, why not come and take a look yourself?”

Fu Rugu nodded slowly, visibly curious. But before he could reply, hurried footsteps echoed from outside. Looking up, Fu Rugu saw Yu Qing approaching at a brisk pace.

Zhu Cilang and Fu Rugu had exchanged a few words, but now Yu Qing had returned in haste.

Without preamble, Yu Qing asked directly, “The account books—what’s the progress?”

One could hardly blame his urgency; with the Qin household’s precarious situation, the matter of deciphering the ledgers weighed heavily on everyone’s mind.

Caught off guard by Yu Qing’s blunt question, Zhu Cilang hesitated before forcing a sheepish smile: “I’ve searched the whole city and couldn’t find a single accountant… So…”

It turned out the troubles Zhu Cilang faced in daily affairs were not the real issue.

To untangle the accounts, Zhu Cilang naturally needed capable hands. Yet, in recent days, the entire capital had changed overnight. No matter how high a salary Zhu Cilang offered, he could not find a single qualified accountant. The city’s employment brokers, upon hearing the job was at the Qin household in Chengqing Lane, all shook their heads, refusing even to introduce candidates, let alone recruit anyone.

It wasn’t until Zhu Cilang offered the extravagant sum of thirty taels a month, with a fifty-tael bonus upon completion, that three ambitious accountants from Shanxi finally appeared.

Yet after working only a single day, all three left together the next morning. Upon investigation, it was discovered that threats had been delivered to their families. The three men only found their loved ones unharmed after returning home with their legs broken.

As Zhu Cilang recounted this ordeal, both Fu Rugu and Yu Qing exchanged uneasy glances, an ill omen rising in their hearts.

“How many people do you have left who can work on the accounts?” Yu Qing pressed, clinging to a sliver of hope.

Surely, Zhu Cilang would not challenge the entire bureaucracy without some foundation or secret support? Perhaps he still had ten veteran clerks hidden away; they might have to work through the night, but there was still hope to break the code of the ledgers.

At Yu Qing’s question, Zhu Cilang gave a bitter smile. “Only myself.”

“What?” both Fu Rugu and Yu Qing exclaimed. “You mean you’re the only one left, Qin Hero?”

Just Zhu Cilang alone! How long would it take to finish the accounts?

At this, the two could not hide their astonishment; even the familiar terms of address fell away in their shock.

One Zhu Cilang—how many lifetimes would it take him to unravel the ledgers by himself?

By the time he succeeded, their bones might be fit for beating drums.

They exchanged a look, and each saw fear in the other’s eyes.

If this was the support Fu Shuxun relied on, then he had truly led everyone into disaster.

Zhu Cilang nodded helplessly. “It is as I say. I could never have guessed that men like Chen Gaowen would be so tyrannical and ruthless.”

In the vast capital, Zhu Cilang could not find even a single accountant. It was enough to fill him with frustration and anger, especially after learning how the accountants’ families had been threatened—this made him furious and chilled to the core.

Even the most basic line—never bring harm to innocents—had been trampled without a second thought.

Yu Qing had no time to consider Zhu Cilang’s feelings. He glanced at Fu Rugu in confusion, smacked his lips as his mind spun rapidly, and finally seized on the key point of their visit.

The crux of the struggle between Fu Shuxun and Wang Zhengzhi lay in the conflict between Zhu Cilang and Chen Gaowen’s faction in the Ministry of Revenue.

If Zhu Cilang succeeded in defeating Chen Gaowen and his cronies, Wang Zhengzhi’s so-called strategy for military funding would collapse; he would have no remaining leverage in his rivalry with Fu Shuxun.

But right now, with Zhu Cilang making no progress on the accounts, there was no hope of toppling Chen Gaowen and his circle.

With this in mind, Yu Qing almost blurted out, “Qin Hero, are you aware that two days ago, His Majesty summoned the Grand Minister of Agriculture and Vice-Minister Wang to the Eastern Warm Pavilion in the Palace of Heavenly Purity?”

Zhu Cilang nodded slowly. Matters within the palace might be obscure to others, but he had his own sources and was always well-informed. Such was the benefit of youth: when messages were passed to him in the palace, no one would suspect a thing, so news reached him swiftly and completely.

“It was about the military funding scheme,” Zhu Cilang replied quietly.

A trace of hope flickered in Yu Qing’s eyes. “Do you have a plan, young Qin?”

Zhu Cilang lowered his gaze, speaking softly after a moment’s mental calculation, “If I were to advise the Grand Minister of Agriculture, the best strategy would be to present it to the Ministry of Revenue in ten days’ time; they could raise six hundred thousand taels, in silver, not including the value of grain.”

‘Silver’ here referred to pure silver, while ‘grain’ meant the value including rice and other staples.

At Zhu Cilang’s words, Yu Qing’s eyebrows shot up, and agitation threatened to burst forth: “Six hundred thousand taels! Qin Hero, you boast great talent! Wang Zhengzhi’s side can scrape together three hundred thousand taels only after squeezing a bloody concession from Chen Gaowen and Fei Jizong. Yet you claim you could raise double that if the clerks yield fully to you! If you can truly do this, I’ll let you take the lead. If not, don’t blame me for exposing your deceit and incompetence to the Grand Minister!”

At this, Zhu Cilang sighed, leaning back in his chair. Under Yu Qing’s burning gaze, he bowed his head, massaged his temples, and replied in a low voice, “All depends on breaking the accounts, of course.”

Yu Qing nearly laughed in exasperation, spitting out his words with deliberate slowness: “A midsummer night’s dream—may you soon awaken!”

“Brother Yu! Mind your manners!” Fu Rugu said gravely, pulling Yu Qing behind him.

Yu Qing, seeing this, shot Fu Rugu a look, snorted coldly, and left. He dared not offend Fu Rugu, but the situation at the Qin household had dashed all his hopes for Zhu Cilang. Without a backward glance, he strode away.

As Yu Qing departed without hesitation, Fu Rugu’s mind filled with memories of Zhu Cilang’s deeds since joining the Ministry of Revenue. With a furrowed brow, he finally sighed, his gaze upon Zhu Cilang laden with complexity and uncertainty. “Young Qin Hero, take good care of yourself.”

Zhu Cilang rose and escorted them to the courtyard, but Fu Rugu only shook his head and waved him off, not pausing for a moment.

Watching the two figures retreat one after the other, Zhu Cilang frowned, but could not help letting out a quiet sigh of relief.

Suddenly, he noticed a familiar face hovering at the edge of his vision. It was Zhang Zhen, standing in the corner of the yard, watching him with hopeful eyes. Behind him were several companions, each clutching some sort of implement in hand. Clearly, they too had heard the commotion in the courtyard and thought a fight was about to break out.

Faced with this sight, Zhu Cilang didn’t know whether to laugh or be angry, but found, without realizing it, a touch of warmth blooming in his heart.