Free Web NovelChapter 2347: Chapter 2322: Waiting and Waiting
Yang Heshu was waiting for them at the residence in advance, and as soon as they arrived at the door, they saw him and Ms. Cui standing there with a child.
Manbao lightly kicked the horse’s belly, speeding up to rush forward, dismounting with a loud laugh to greet them, "Scholarly Senior Brother Yang, scholarly sister-in-law Cui, ah, is this Brother Qi?"
Brother Qi could already walk and talk, but he seemed very shy. When he saw Manbao squatting down to talk to him, he bashfully hid his flushed little face behind his father.
But halfway through hiding, he remembered what his father and mother taught him—to be bold and not to hide when speaking to others—so he poked his head out from behind his dad’s leg.
Not only Manbao, but even Bai Shan and the others felt their hearts melt when they saw him and were especially tempted to reach out and pinch his chubby cheeks.
Madam Yang seemed to notice their thoughts and immediately scooped her son into her arms, smiling as she invited them in, "The kitchen has prepared lunch for you. Let’s eat first."
But after going inside, they first followed the servants to their designated courtyard to freshen up and then brought out the gifts they had prepared for Yang Heshu and Ms. Cui.
Ms. Cui couldn’t help but smile when she saw the items in their hands, "There’s no rush, why not straighten out the luggage after dinner?"
Manbao said, "We’re not very hungry yet."
Yang Heshu laughed, "They’re eager to show off. Since that’s the case, let’s see what you’ve brought back. Wantian told me your luggage filled twelve carts, much like a large caravan."
Bai Shan said, "We have a lot of people, aside from our own guards, there are quite a few soldiers."
Yang Heshu shook his head with a smile, "I’ve seen diplomatic missions before. They indeed have many people, but besides presents for the host country and tributes to bring back home, who else packs this many things?"
He said, "Your convoy is mostly filled with the goods you brought back, right?"
Manbao immediately replied, "It’s not just ours; others have their share too. Assistant General Nie has a lot as well."
Yang Heshu chuckled and then said, "Find an opportunity to sell them in Xiazhou, at least don’t bring so many items back to the capital. Remember, even though you have many personal guards with you, you hold an official position and a diplomatic mission. If you bring such a lengthy convoy into the capital, be wary of sending the Censorate into a tizzy with endless reports. Even Lord Tang might have to impeach you."
Thinking of Lord Tang, Manbao felt a chill down her spine, uncertainly looking at Mr. Zhuang, "Would they really impeach me?"
Mr. Zhuang hesitated, "It shouldn’t be that bad. It’s normal to carry extra luggage when traveling and bringing home local specialties is common."
Some officials are poor and it’s typical to carry a few goods back and forth for commerce; back in Luojiang County, County Magistrate Fu often did such things.
Yang Heshu quietly said, "General Ashina returned to the capital ten days ago, which delighted His Majesty. Within three days, the gold, silver, jewels, and other treasures General Ashina gathered from the Western Regions were sent to the capital alongside the ledger. His Majesty immediately convened a grand assembly for merits and rewards."
He said, "Of course, there’s no need to mention General Ashina and the recruited Westbound Army. Even Guo Zhao, son of General Guo, who lost a city and faced repercussions, was promoted half a rank. General Ashina stated that Bai Shan and Manbao took the lead in capturing the Wang City of Kucha."
Yang Heshu smiled at Bai Shan and Zhou Man, "His Majesty praised you repeatedly during the grand assembly in front of all officials. Upon hearing from General Ashina that you’ve acquired the method to inoculate cowpox, he instructed the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Hospital to keep an eye on your reception."
"Yet the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Hospital waited and waited, His Majesty waited for several days, but there were no signs of you. I just received a letter from Zhihe yesterday, saying His Majesty gets upset when mentioning you, even the Ministry of Rites is quite resentful now."
Everyone: ...
Manbao turned to look at Bai Shan, Bai Shan then glanced at Bai Erlang, one looked at the other, and finally settled on Yin Huo. Yin Huo dismissed them, saying, "Why are you looking at me? It wasn’t me who insisted on going out of the way to dig up plants, nor was it me who wanted to detour to see a moon-like lake, and I definitely didn’t chase a sheep who looked different from usual for half a day..."
Bai Shan and Manbao felt sheepish, even Mr. Zhuang felt guilty because it was his idea to see the moon-like lake.
Mr. Zhuang coughed lightly and told Manbao and the others, "Why don’t you sell these things in Xiazhou? Take out the items meant for family and friends, and the rest, if priced reasonably, sell to the local merchants."
Manbao was reluctant; it took them a great effort to bring them back, and they could fetch higher prices in the capital.
Bai Shan was also hesitant, so he asked, "Scholarly Senior Brother Yang, is Fourth Brother Zhou in Xiazhou City?"
Yang Heshu gave him an approving look and said, "Zhou SiLang isn’t here, but Xiang Ming and Zhou Lijun are."
He chuckled as he addressed Manbao, "This niece of yours is no less capable than your Fourth Brother. As far as I know, your family’s business here in Xiazhou has been managed and operated by her for the past half a year. Your Fourth Brother occasionally goes to the grasslands, and as soon as the goods are retrieved, they are shipped back. If it weren’t almost New Year, requiring your Fourth Brother to return home, he would have probably stayed here to wait for you."
The reason Yang Heshu knew about these things was firstly because Zhou SiLang would inform him whenever he left, to avoid missing any news about Manbao.
After all, official networks are much more informed than family ones.
Secondly, because he had cooperations in progress with Zhou SiLang.
There are many ethnic groups on the grasslands, including the Turks, Tiele, Xianbei... and due to their lack of allegiance to the court and the emperor, issues abound.
With Zhou SiLang frequenting the grasslands, he could gather many grassroots-level insights, so they shared information.
Additionally, there were goods that Yang Heshu hoped Zhou SiLang would introduce or not introduce.
Due to orders to close the city, relations between Yang Heshu and local Xiazhou people were complicated. It was nearly balanced now, with ordinary folk essentially acknowledging him as the new governor, though issues persisted among local elites and big merchants.
This is why the reliable and usable people for Yang Heshu were primarily those like Zhou SiLang from foreign forces.
Yang Heshu chuckled, "I’ve already sent someone to inform your niece and her husband. They might not be in Xiazhou City right now, but they’ll surely come to see you after returning. You can then discuss how to handle these goods."
He then added, "You’ve just arrived in Xiazhou, and it’s almost the New Year. Will you be celebrating here or going back for New Year’s?"
Bai Shan humbly asked, "What do you think, Scholarly Senior Brother Yang?"
