novelSusiti Chapter 26 The Eunuch Visitor
Chapter 26 The Eunuch Visitor
April 1st, 47th year of the Wanli reign (1568), Jinan Prefecture.
The continuous spring rains finally stopped, and the air was filled with the damp smell of earth. However, inside the "Lu Ji Carriage and Horse Company" camp, located in Luanshigang, south of the city, the scene was dry and desolate.
Under the huge shed, Zhao Tie was leading a dozen newly recruited apprentices, hammering and tinkering with a pile of wood and iron bars. He was testing a type of carriage side panel that could be quickly disassembled, based on Lu Yan's "modular" concept.
"Boss, look at this bearing." Zhao Tie wiped the soot off his face and handed over a gleaming iron ring like a treasure. "I used the same good iron as last time, applied lard, and it spins much more smoothly than before, according to the blueprints you gave me."
Lu Yan took the iron ring and turned it. Although the craftsmanship was still very primitive, it was already a rare "precision component" in the Ming Dynasty.
"Not bad." Lu Yan nodded. "Uncle Zhao, we should stock up on more of these in the future. Our convoy will be traveling long distances, and these things are consumables."
As they were talking, Zhao Changying strode in from the camp gate, his expression somewhat grave.
"Brother, they're here." Zhao Changying lowered his voice. "The official ship has docked. The people have been settled in a quiet room in the backyard without disturbing anyone else."
Lu Yan paused in his movements, then put down the iron ring and dusted off his hands.
"It's finally here."
He straightened his clothes, the slightly worn blue robe swaying gently in the wind. "Let's go meet this distinguished guest from the palace. Remember, speak little and observe much. He's an old fox."
……
In a secluded side room in the backyard of Lu Ji's camp.
A middle-aged man dressed in a royal blue silk shirt with floral patterns stood with his hands behind his back, looking out at the drill ground. He had fair skin and a smooth chin, and although he was dressed in casual clothes, his effeminate yet arrogant temperament was impossible to conceal.
Liu Cheng, the eunuch in charge of garrisoning Shandong and the assistant director of the Imperial Horse Administration.
Hearing footsteps, Liu Cheng slowly turned around, his always squinting triangular eyes scrutinizing Lu Yan as he walked in.
"So you're that Scholar Lu who pacified the Weishui Gang and seized our boat?"
Liu Cheng's voice was shrill, tinged with scrutiny and displeasure, "He looks like a bookworm, but his audacity is beyond measure."
"Student Lu Yan greets Eunuch Liu." Lu Yan did not kneel, but bowed deeply in a standard scholar's salute. "The Wei Shui Gang's killings were a feud within the martial arts world; I was merely protecting the territory and its people. As for those ships..."
Lu Yan raised his head, his expression calm, even with a hint of sincerity that seemed to be "thinking of you": "The livestock on the ship are infected with disease and smell terrible. I was afraid that the plague would enter the city and disturb your arrival, so I took the liberty of isolating them first. I had no intention of offending you."
"Plague?" Liu Cheng scoffed, walked to the head seat and sat down without offering him a place. "Alright, stop with the official talk. I know better than you what kind of rubbish was on that ship. A bunch of dying beasts."
He waved his hand, seemingly not caring much about the horses, or rather, the horses were just a nuisance to him.
"Our family is here this time for another business deal."
Liu Cheng pulled a crumpled gift list from his sleeve and casually tossed it onto the table.
"Sappanwood. Three thousand catties."
Lu Yan picked up the list and glanced at it. Sappanwood, produced in Southeast Asia, is an extremely precious dye and medicinal material, and also a highly profitable commodity monopolized by the inner court.
"These are scraps from the palace procurement, stockpiled in Nanjing for years," Liu Cheng said casually, but his eyes gleamed with shrewdness. "I want to transport them to Tianjin. I heard you have some influence on the Grand Canal, and your caravan is efficient. Will you take this job?"
Lu Yan's heart stirred.
This is a test, but also an opportunity.
"Yes," Lu Yan replied crisply. "However, Father-in-law, Xu Hongru and his gang are causing a ruckus in the south. Although the canal is still passable, there are many checkpoints. The transport costs..."
"Shipping costs are negotiable," Liu Cheng waved his hand, clearly not short of money. "But this shipment is a private operation, so we can't use the official ship's accounts. It needs to be fast, reliable, and we can't let outsiders know."
At this point, Liu Cheng paused, a look of disgust and sullenness appearing on his face, as if he had stepped in dog poop:
"Also, since you've seized those ships, you might as well do us a favor."
"Please speak, sir."
"Those horses down in the hold..." Liu Cheng frowned, covering his nose with a handkerchief, as if the smell had drifted over. "Those are all sick and injured horses rejected by the Imperial Horse Administration. They were originally intended to be transported south to be sold to leather factories for making glue, but half of them died on the way, and the rest are almost dead."
"It would be bad luck to transport this thing to Tianjin. If it dies in the grain depot, we'll have to pay someone to bury it, and it might even cause us a lot of trouble."
Liu Cheng glanced at Lu Yan sideways, his tone carrying an arrogant "I'll give you a job" attitude:
"Just handle it for us in Jinan. Bury it in a pit, or sell it to a butcher. Anyway, it's already been written off on the books, so we don't want to see it again."
Lu Yan's eyes narrowed slightly.
An opportunity just fell right into my lap like that?
In Liu Cheng's eyes, this was a way to get rid of a burden; but in Lu Yan's eyes, it was a windfall. Those were over forty warhorses that, once properly cared for, could be ready for battle!
But he remained expressionless, even deliberately revealing a hint of embarrassment and hesitation.
"Sir, this...disposing of a dead horse is a dirty job, and it's easy to contract disease. The city is cracking down hard these days..."
"Enough with the nonsense!" Liu Cheng interrupted him impatiently. "I'll give you a 10% raise on the freight for the sappanwood! As long as you get rid of this plague, all the private jobs the Imperial Horse Administration does in Shandong will be yours!"
Lu Yan pretended to ponder for a moment, then, as if making a great decision, gritted his teeth and said, "Fine! Since the father-in-law is giving me this opportunity, Lu Ji will take on this dirty work! However..."
"But what?"
"However, the journey of this timber to Tianjin is fraught with difficulties, with numerous customs checkpoints along the way. Although I am a scholar, I am still afraid of those tax collectors who only care about money. Could you provide a receipt, Your Excellency?"
"What a hassle."
Liu Cheng took a wooden waist tag from his waist and tossed it over. "Take this. This is our token for handling affairs outside the Imperial Horse Administration. Although we can't enter the palace, it's enough to scare those tax collectors on the Grand Canal. Remember, when the goods arrive in Tianjin, go to the Grain Hall and find Manager Zhang to complete the transaction. I have to go to Dengzhou to inspect the coastal defenses; I don't have time to waste with you."
Lu Yan caught the waist token.
It's made of wood, and of average quality, but the three characters "Imperial Horse Stables" engraved on it are like a talisman made of real gold and silver.
"Thank you, sir."
After seeing Liu Cheng off, Lu Yan was not in a hurry to be happy. He held the waist token, stood at the door, and watched Liu Cheng's carriage drive away.
"Master, are you really going to bury it?" Zhao Changying came up from behind, somewhat puzzled. "That was a fine horse."
"Bury?"
Lu Yan's lips curled into a cold smile, his eyes gleaming with a glint of "bargain hunting".
"Liu Cheng is a eunuch who has lived in the deep palace for a long time. What does he know about horses? He only knows that a horse that can't be ridden is useless. But in our hands..."
He turned around, tossed the waist tag to Zhao Changying, and strode towards the isolation ward, his pace quicker than usual.
"A horse that survives in the harsh, cold lands of Liaodong, even if it's on its last breath, is a spirited horse. Uncle Zhao, have you arranged for a veterinarian?"
"I've got him; he's the best traditional Chinese medicine doctor in town."
"it is good."
Lu Yan pushed open the door of the isolation ward.
In the courtyard, the forty-two warhorses were being cared for by Zhao Tie and the others, drinking lightly salted water and eating feed mixed with eggs. Although they were still emaciated, their will to survive was evident in their eyes.
"Uncle Zhao, Changying."
Lu Yan's voice was low, but it carried a hint of ruthlessness. "Keep this matter to yourself. Tell the public that the horse has been buried and a lot of money has been spent on hiring people to perform rituals."
"For the next two weeks, you're not to do anything but stay here and take good care of these horses."
Lu Yan reached out and stroked the most magnificent black horse, feeling the warmth from his palm.
"When we go to Tianjin to report back, I'm going to use these lively warhorses to give Eunuch Liu a 'surprise'."
"When the time comes, we won't just buy standing tickets for this trip to Beijing; we'll buy VIP seats."
Zhao Changying and Zhao Tie exchanged a glance, both seeing the excitement in each other's eyes.
"Don't worry, boss!" Zhao Tie slapped his thigh. "I used to be a stable boy in Liaodong, I know this job like the back of my hand! As long as there's grain and medicine, I guarantee I'll raise them to be stronger than my own sons!"
As the sun set, it cast a long shadow of Lu Yan.
This deal has only just begun. Su Mu is merely a cover; the horses are the real key. And the still-unaware Eunuch Liu will soon find out what astonishing bargaining chips his casually discarded "trash" will become in Lu Yan's hands.