Free Web NovelChapter 616: Testing Each Other
Fang Canran smiled and said, “This dream land exists in a small city forty-five kilometers northwest of Lingxu City. It should still have two to three thousand residents, so it won’t vanish in the short term. The mountains and waters within are elegant, the people simple and honest, and the women gentle and beautiful. Young Master He may experience it slowly in your dreams.”
He Lingchuan looked moved. “Many thanks, Mr. Fang. This is exactly the type of thing I was looking for.”
The nightmare that was currently lodging in Panlong City howled all day long. He had to find that fellow a nest.
But Fang Canran’s smile seemed a little strange.
Naturally, He Lingchuan had to take out money and pay the bill.
Dun Garden dealt mainly in rare treasures and curios and was one of the largest treasure merchants in Lingxu City. Its regular auctions were held to build and maintain its reputation. For unusual, rare goods like dream lands, so long as there was a veritable buyer who had demand for it, then Dun Garden would find a way to obtain them.
Of course, every item had its price, and that price would never be low.
This small-city dreamland ate up 9,600 taels of his silver in one go.
Of that, 8,000 was the purchase price to be transferred to the seller. Dun Garden also charged a 20% commission, which came to 1,600 taels.
Do not be fooled by Fang Canran’s reserved smile. When it came time to take money, he was not the least bit polite. freēwebnovel.com
He Lingchuan inwardly felt the pain. He had spent almost 10,000 taels of silver, which was nearly ten million large coins, just to buy a toy. This truly, utterly confirmed his old reputation as a wastrel.
Of course, on the surface, he smiled as though he did not care. “Chief Steward Fang is a busy man. It’s rare for me to catch you once. Why not stay at Fleeting Thoughts Manor tonight for a simple meal?”
He only said it casually, but unexpectedly, Fang Canran agreed readily, “That would be excellent. I’ve already heard that Fleeting Thoughts Manor’s honey wine is delicious, so much so that even Third Commander Fan craves it.”
This fellow’s truly well-informed. “A small matter. There will be plenty.”
Of course, it was not yet dark, and not yet time for dinner. Fang Canran lifted his teacup and opened a new topic, “Young Master He is a brilliant young talent. Are you truly from the State of Fu?”
“Mm, my background isn’t worth mentioning.”
“Heroes are not judged by birth. Lingxu City has no shortage of outstanding men who came from small states and remote places, and now they all have their places in court.” Fang Canran waved a hand. “Look at me. My ancestors were not locals of Lingxu City either. They merely arrived a few decades earlier than Young Master He.”
“Lingxu City has stood for nearly six hundred years. For people like you and me, arriving a few decades earlier or later no longer offers any real advantage. Everything depends on our own struggle and effort.” He Lingchuan smiled. “May I ask where Chief Steward Fang’s ancestral home is?”
“My ancestors drifted without a fixed home and treated the four seas as home. But I heard they first lived in Tabu, which is near what is now Chiyan’s southern border. I wonder if Young Master He has any impression of it?”
He Lingchuan gave an exclamation. “I do. Very much so! Then Mr. Fang’s ancestral roots are in Chiyan. That means we have great affinity.” freeweɓnøvel.com
Tabu lay at the junction between southern Chiyan and the Twilight Plains. Fushan Yue had clashed with Zhongsun Mou there. He Lingchuan’s bighorn cliff ram had also been ambushed there by Mai Xuewen’s—or rather, Xi Yunhe’s—men and had nearly been taken away by the snail toad.
The reason He Lingchuan was surprised was that he knew that before the State of Chiyan was founded, Tabu had belonged to the former State of Yuān.
Strictly speaking, it was part of the Twilight Plains. Only after the State of Yuān fell and Chiyan was established did the Monster Emperor place it within Chiyan territory.
Thus, commoners born there, though standing on land that had once belonged to the State of Yuān, were all Chiyan people with legitimate identities, not lowborn people of the Twilight Plains.
The significance of this made He Lingchuan’s thoughts turn swiftly.
Did he deliberately mention this to me? Why?
Fang Canran smiled. “Indeed. From the first time I saw Young Master He, I felt we were destined to get along.”
“For that one sentence, we must drink a large cup.” He Lingchuan rubbed his hands. “Forget waiting until dinner. Why don’t we go drink on the lake first?”
“Good!”
So the two strolled toward the rear mountain. The fierce tiger, which had been lying in false sleep on a large tree outside the courtyard, opened its eyes and rumbled softly.
That was Jiao Yu asking whether He Lingchuan wanted it to follow. He Lingchuan waved at it. “Sleep. Brother Fang and I are going to drink on the boat.”
The pleasure boat was too small. Once two people sat inside, the tiger would not be able to stretch out.
Hearing this, the tiger put its large head back down on the branch, hung all four legs beneath it, closed its eyes, and continued rumbling.
As Fang Canran walked, he said, “The ancient trees in the crown prince’s garden are all treasures. They’re even older than those in Dun Garden.”
“Fleeting Thoughts Manor must have been glorious under its previous owners too, right?”
“Indeed. Twenty years ago, when the Chunyu Family married off a daughter, the banquet was held here at Fleeting Thoughts Manor. At that time, my uncle brought me here to deliver goods, and I still remember how guests arrived like clouds. The scene was extraordinarily lively. But now—” Fang Canran sighed. “Now that the owner has changed, it has become much quieter.”
“With one look from the Lord Emperor, two hundred years of prosperity and wealth became passing smoke.” The Chunyu Family had simply stood on the wrong side, and for that, the price was the confiscation of their property. “Lingxu City truly is an iron-forged place where aristocratic families are like flowing water.”
Fang Canran met his eyes, and both of them burst into laughter. “Isn’t that exactly so?”
Within their laughter, each seemed to carry their own meaning.
They followed the newly built pier onto the boat. The servants had already arranged wine and dishes, then bowed and withdrew.
He Lingchuan personally poled the boat, taking the pleasure boat out to the center of the lake.
There was wind today, and the boat drifted and rocked along the small waves, bringing its own particular charm.
Bluish-green water rippled, autumn light skimmed in shadows. Fang Canran praised, “The scenery on your lake is truly exquisite.”
The osmanthus honey wine had already been warmed over a small red-clay stove. He Lingchuan filled Fang Canran’s cup seven-tenths full. “Rumor says General Golden Horn is easy to meet, but Chief Steward Fang is hard to invite.”
Fang Canran was deeply trusted by General Golden Horn and managed his vast businesses. It was said that even a seventh-rank official[1] stood at a prime minister’s gate, and Fang Canran naturally held power of his own. He was usually busy as well; if he accepted an invitation to a banquet, it was called granting face.
“Does Young Master He not know you are already highly sought after? I heard even this pleasure boat was personally delivered by Fifth Young Master Ke. What is so inappropriate about me making a trip?” Fang Canran exchanged a toast with him. “In Lingxu City now, the Crown Prince of Chiyan is the most discussed person, and Young Master He is the second.”
Oh? Have I already become so well known in Lingxu City? He Lingchuan extended his chopsticks and pointed toward the shore. “I haven’t felt any benefits. Only all kinds of inconvenience.”
As the two of them had walked here, there had been tails watching from behind.
Fang Canran had sensed it too. He turned to look at the figures on the bank. “That is the Tongxin Guard?”
“Yes. Whenever I come and go, they follow. They even follow me to the outhouse. It’s extremely troublesome.”
“There are fewer than ten people in all Lingxu City who can have the Tongxin Guard guarding the latrine.” Fang Canran smiled. “Young Master He should feel proud. You should know that the young ladies of various households are also asking about you. That is a good thing.”
“What good thing?” He Lingchuan picked up some aged vinegar peanuts[2]. This was the kitchen matron’s specialty: sweet and sour. Besides honey and vinegar, who knew what else she had put in? In any case, the sourness did not bite, the sweetness was not cloying, and the outside was tender while the inside remained crisp. It paired especially well with wine. “Will it bring me romantic encounters?”
“Perhaps.” Fang Canran gave him a look that all men understood.
He Lingchuan smiled and swallowed a sip of wine.
Fang Canran asked him again, “Once the elixir of youth case ends, where will Young Master He go?”
This was the first outsider in Lingxu City to ask about his future path. He Lingchuan’s expression shifted as he answered, “My original intent was to come to Lingxu City to broaden my horizons. I did not expect to be swept into this storm. I still don’t know whether I can withdraw safely, so I haven’t dared think about what comes afterward.”
“General Golden Horn is thirsty for talent, and he has also heard Young Master He’s name. If you’re interested, I can make the introduction.”
He Lingchuan asked curiously, “I know nothing about management or business. I only know how to bring trouble. I’m afraid I can’t earn money for General Golden Horn.”
“Every profession has its own specialty,” said Fang Canran. “With Young Master He’s current fame and recognition, others can only envy you in their dreams. It would be a pity not to make good use of it.”
He Lingchuan lightly swirled his cup. “Is Mr. Fang saying I should wait for a good price, or choose a worthy master to serve?”
“Could it be that Young Master He has other ambitions?” Fang Canran said gently. “Looking back over the past several centuries, all the outstanding men from every direction who came to Lingxu City to struggle and make their way merely sought to sell their skills in letters and war to the imperial house.”
Or, selling them to princes, ministers, and generals was also a noble path.
What right did the young man before him have to be above such vulgarity?
He Lingchuan laughed loudly. “My fortune is shallow. I’m afraid I can’t bear Lingxu City’s riches and honor.”
“If Young Master He’s fortune were truly shallow, how could you move back and forth among these great powers and still remain at ease?” The corner of Fang Canran’s mouth lifted. “If it were an ordinary person, they would have been dragged into the whirlpool long ago, with life or death unknown.”
“Whirlpool?” He Lingchuan sighed. “I offended Deputy Commander Fan, and in the end, Fifth Young Master Ke sent me such a large pleasure boat. On that very day, it became the focus of the whole event, and the Fan brothers happened to see it with their own eyes at Fleeting Thoughts Manor. Sigh, isn’t that roasting me over a fire?”
“There is some bad blood between those two sides. Whatever makes the Fan brothers uncomfortable, the Ke Family will do it. I estimate the Ke Family calculated that the Fan brothers would appear at Fleeting Thoughts Manor that day, and so acted deliberately.” Fang Canran could not help but laugh. “Young Master He just happened to be caught in the middle. Otherwise, they would have found something else to clash over.” He drank a mouthful of wine before continuing, “I remember one year, Commander Fan took a liking to a pair of armguards at Dun Garden, which suited Third Fan perfectly. When the Ke Family saw it, ah, the opportunity had arrived, and they immediately started raising the price. Armguards that started at 9,000 were pushed straight to 150,000!”
“Commander Fan didn’t get them?” He Lingchuan had fought the violent bear in Baishajue and did not remember it wearing any armguards. Then again, if it had been wearing them, that slash might not have damaged its foreleg. “He doesn’t look like he lacks money.”
“When Commander Fan saw the Ke Family so enthusiastic, he could only give up.” Fang Canran shook his head. “If it’s a contest of strength, the Ke Family is inferior to the Fans, but if it’s a contest of wealth... anyone who wants to compete financially with the Ke family in Lingxu City must think very carefully.”
“‘None richer than the Ke family’—the reputation is well deserved.” He Lingchuan shook his head. “I hear the Ke Family has enjoyed divine favor for over a hundred years. Who wouldn’t envy that?”
Fang Canran smiled. “Dun Garden and the Ke Family have always had business dealings. When the Ke Family purchases treasures, they truly don’t care much about silver. However, the quantity of goods the Ke Family has ordered from me long-term has dropped quite a bit over the past ten years.”
“Oh?” He Lingchuan asked curiously. “May I ask what goods?”
1. This should be based on the nine-rank system of Imperial China. In this system, the ninth rank is the lowest. ☜
2. These are a traditional Chinese cold appetizer, featuring crispy fried or roasted peanuts tossed in a sweet-and-sour dressing made from aged black vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar. Often served in summer to cut through greasiness, this dish is commonly enhanced with chopped onions, cucumbers, coriander, or chili peppers. ☜
