novelSusiti Chapter 48 The falling flowers are willing, but the flowing water is heartless.
Chapter 48 The falling flowers are willing, but the flowing water is heartless.
"Master, as you instructed, we have temporarily set up a shop in Tongji Ward to sell rice. It costs 150 coins per dou, and the sign is hung high. However, as you predicted, there aren't many buyers."
In Wang Jun's office, Pan Wulang reported to Wang Jun.
Wang Jun smiled and nodded upon hearing this: "Alright, thank you for your hard work, Fifth Brother. We'll lower the price again tomorrow, to 130 coins per dou."
If there aren't many buyers, this surge in grain prices should be considered over. I've been busy with the Palace Guard lately, so Tongji Ward will need your help a lot.”
Pan Wu glanced at Empress Dowager Fu, who looked even younger than his own daughter and was dressed in an incongruous Taoist robe, out of the corner of his eye. Knowing it was inappropriate to say anything more, he immediately took his leave, leaving Wang Jun and Empress Dowager Fu alone in the room to chat.
Wang Jun was a little embarrassed for a moment.
"Thank you very much, Immortal Master, for today's events."
"What are you saying, Daoist Master? That grain was basically just you transferring it from one hand to the other. I was merely providing a nominal position, and besides, it was a good one."
The people of Kaifeng will also remember my father's kindness. My father did nothing, yet inexplicably saved the lives of the people of Kaifeng. We should be thanking you. However... this time, Taoist priest, you'll have to pay a lot of money."
"We do need to compensate some money, but the money is a small problem. I already owe them anyway. I didn't pay them when the grain arrived. I'll pay them when I have the money."
Anyway, every single one of his suppliers was a cunning merchant who hoarded goods and speculated during famine years; not a single one of them was a good person. Wang Jun had no qualms about owing him money. If he had any complaints, he could talk to Zhao Guangyi or Empress Dowager Fu.
"Did you call me here specifically because of Zhao Guangyi?" Empress Dowager Fu, after all, had a special status, so she addressed Zhao Guangyi by his given name.
Wang Jun smiled, but didn't say much, taking it as tacit agreement.
"Master, you could have made at least tens of thousands of strings of cash by hoarding these goods, but now you're going to lose tens of thousands of strings of cash. The difference between the initial investment and the return is a total of three hundred thousand strings of cash."
Such benevolent intentions, yet the people of Kaifeng are completely unaware. All the good reputation has fallen on my brother-in-law and our Fu family. Don't you feel wronged?"
"Not to mention, Daoist Master, you've incurred a huge debt of tens of thousands of strings of cash on this trip. Anyone who can be a grain merchant in Kaifeng and dare to hoard grain must have powerful backers. By simply saying you owe him, you're bound to offend countless people for no reason."
As for Zhao Guangyi, even if he couldn't say anything out of respect for me, he would probably still harbor some resentment in his heart, thinking, "What are you trying to achieve by doing this?"
Wang Jun smiled and said, "Just to put my mind at ease. I went hungry when I was a kid, and I always felt that no matter what, people shouldn't starve to death. If someone related to me starved to death, I wouldn't be able to sleep."
"Kaifeng is the central hub of the Grand Canal transport system and has never lacked grain. The reason why grain prices have been rising is ultimately a matter of public sentiment."
Firstly, the rampant unruly soldiers had largely been eradicated; secondly, there were concerns that if the Song Dynasty did not allow public squares, the local warlords might become resentful, potentially sparking another war.
"The immortal master personally provided disaster relief, and publicly stated that the grain was transported by the King of Wei. Naturally, the people would rejoice. When regional warlords rose up in rebellion and raised the banner of the Zhou dynasty, their position would naturally become less secure."
Now that the King of Wei has transported the grain, he naturally won't raise an army. And as long as the King of Wei doesn't raise an army, the people's hearts will naturally be largely at ease.
Therefore, only with the Immortal Master's personal intervention could the people of Kaifeng and the entire world feel at ease. This is truly your achievement; my family merely happened to be there. What is there to feel aggrieved about?"
To put it bluntly, the people of Kaifeng all understand the general trend of the world. If Fu Yanqing rebels against the Song Dynasty, other ambitious figures will inevitably follow suit, and the newly established Song Dynasty may not be able to withstand it.
However, if Fu Yanqing did not rebel but instead supported the Song Dynasty with his actions, then probably few of the other regional military governors would still have the confidence and ambition to rebel.
The talisman reads: "The Daoist Master cares deeply for all living beings; he is truly compassionate and worthy of being called a highly accomplished Daoist."
"You flatter me, Immortal Master. I am but a mortal..."
As he was speaking, Wang Jun suddenly noticed that the way Fu Hou was looking at him seemed a little strange. It seemed to be admiration, but it also seemed to be a little too much admiration, which made him swallow hard.
A woman's gaze when admiring a man carries an air of ambiguity. Women of the Five Dynasties period were relatively less reserved; when their eyes met, Fu Hou didn't flinch, but rather spoke frankly and openly:
"Over the years, I have seen many people who speak lightly of righteousness or who always talk about the common people, but only the Taoist priest speaks with the most grace, elegance, and a touch of refinement."
Wang Jun blinked, momentarily at a loss for words, and even blushed slightly. He said, "Master, when are you free? I can write down the techniques of chemistry in advance."
"Master, how did you meet Wang Lu's mother? Who is she? I've heard that you originally had a predestined connection to the immortals, which is why you fell into the mortal world?"
Wang Jun felt increasingly embarrassed. He was most afraid of being asked about this, especially by women. After all, his wife, Wang Lu's mother, was still alive, but he... well, he just felt guilty.
Moreover, he could tell that the Empress seemed to have some feelings for him. He was naturally delighted, as this proved that he did have some charm after regaining his youth, so there was no reason for him not to be happy.
But is Empress Dowager Fu some kind of woman who can be provoked at will?
She herself was the former empress dowager, and had a father who was a powerful king of a different surname, known as the most perfect man in the world, and was Zhao Guangyi's sister-in-law. She herself had nothing and still had to work hard to achieve the goal of becoming a first-rank official.
He didn't answer directly, but sighed and said, "Ten years have passed, and we are separated by life and death. I don't want to think about it, but I can't forget it. A lonely grave a thousand miles away, I have no one to share my sorrow with."
What came next? How could I have forgotten such a famous poem?
But it doesn't matter anymore. When a man and a woman are alone in a room and the atmosphere is a bit ambiguous, the man suddenly mourns his deceased wife with great emotion. This is a very mood-killing thing and can quickly break the ambiguous atmosphere.
The talisman was somewhat surprised: "The Daoist is so deeply in love, so that sister must also be an extraordinary woman."
Wang Jun smiled somewhat awkwardly, which could be considered an admission.
[What a load of rubbish! He's just an average person, whether it's his physique, looks, personality, or talent. He doesn't even take my pension, and he keeps restricting my fishing.]
"Immortal Master, this is the periodic table I wrote. It points directly to the great principles of my chemistry. I have only grasped a fraction of it. Please take it back and read it first, and see if you can gain any insights. After some time, I will come to the palace to discuss it with you."
It would be a miracle if you could figure it out.
At this point, a normal woman with experience in relationships would probably have noticed the distance in his words. Unfortunately, Empress Fu was not a normal woman.
From childhood in Daming Prefecture, she was pampered by everyone and never rejected or alienated. However, after marrying into Kaifeng, she became a widow despite not having married into the family.
Having been the Empress Dowager for more than half a year, she had even fewer normal people around her, to the point that she didn't recognize anything at all. She picked up the periodic table of elements that Wang Jun had given her and was overjoyed.
"Alright, Daoist Master, don't worry, I will definitely study it diligently. Hmm... calling you Daoist Master feels a bit too formal."
My courtesy name is Zhaoyuan.
"How about I call you Brother Jun from now on?"
Wang Jun: "…………"
Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Pan Wu returned, looking somewhat anxious.
"What's wrong?"
"The Kaifeng government started arresting people. Without exception, all the grain merchants who had cooperated with us were arrested, and some even had their entire families arrested."
"What? Who did this?"
"I don't know, all I know is that it was the Kaifeng Prefecture that made the arrests."
"Lü Yuqing? Could this be the Emperor's intention?"
Suddenly, Liu Hou'er ran over again: "Master, master, there's an invitation. Grand Commandant Zhang invites you to a banquet at Tongfu Inn tonight."
"Which Grand Commandant Zhang?"
"Zhang Mei, the Grand Commandant and Commissioner of the Three Departments of the Imperial Court."