HUS Chapter 75: Estate Head Zhang's Little Anticipation
HUS Chapter 75: Estate Head Zhang's Little Anticipation
January 9
Qingmei and Rena both looked embarrassed and awkward.
Never mind whether the two of them were willing or not, they had been arguing red-faced for half the day.
Qingmei had even discussed with Rena what poses to use to seduce Yang Can, but the result...
Didn't this make them look too presumptuous?
How mortifying!
Yang Can was still single-mindedly planning his commercial blueprint.
When his mind was entirely focused on how to construct his commercial empire, the changes in the two girls' expressions were overlooked by him.
"Qingmei, since you can manage the affairs of a great household, then managing a merchant group shouldn't be a problem. I'm not asking you to handle the specific business operations. Those matters, leave to Rena. You'll manage people and accounts. These aren't complicated. However complex, they're simpler than the schemes in a great household. You can even handle those old matrons and senior maids, so this kind of thing is child's play."
Qingmei's mouth twitched. Thanks so much.
This was the first time Yang Can had praised her, yet she didn't feel happy at all, but rather quite ashamed and angry.
Yang Can looked at Rena'baier again, "And you, Rena. You should be very familiar with the situations in the Western Region kingdoms and skilled in commercial trade, right?"
Rena said confidently, "Of course. I've been traveling between the East and West doing business with my father since childhood. Even if I were a camel, after watching for so long I should understand."
"Excellent!"
Yang Can was used to drawing pies and casually drew one for her too, "As long as you can help me manage the business and successfully grow it, then I promise to remove your slave status after three years, and after five years I'll allow you to leave freely."
Rena's eyes immediately brightened at this carrot he dangled before her.
Yang Can continued discussing his commercial vision. As he spoke, Rena's eyes grew even brighter.
According to Estate Head Yang's ideas, this really wasn't a small-scale business at all.
Rena was not only very familiar with commercial matters, but she was also very enthusiastic about business operations.
When still in swaddling clothes, she had already been traveling between the East and the Western Regions with her father.
Her childhood was spent on camelback, listening to the camel bells, blowing in the winds of the vast sea but she had never had the opportunity to serve as leader of a caravan because at this time, women in the Persian Empire had about the same status as women in Eastern countries.
Although compared to many later dynasties, such as the Song and Ming, they had more personal rights but these rights mainly concentrated in their marital relationships, family relationships, and family economy.
Even noble women had quite limited political rights.
In the public social sphere of the Persian Empire, situations where women could appear in public to preside over affairs were not many.
Though Rena was enthusiastic about managing commerce and had always been eager to try,
Her father had never indicated he would let her take charge of the foreign merchant team he had built with his own hands.
Moreover, the foreign merchants in those caravans wouldn't willingly submit to a young girl's authority either.
Who would have thought that now this Estate Head Yang was willing to grant her such great authority, letting her fully display her lifelong ambitions.
Rena immediately felt her fighting spirit ignite. She wanted to try using this opportunity Yang Can provided to see if she possessed this ability.
"Good! Estate Head Yang, I, Rena, am willing to manage business for you. However, you must make a written agreement with me, putting your promise in writing."
Yang Can was startled, then smiled, "Good! With it in black and white, no one can renege. I agree."
Qingmei curiously widened her eyes and watched as Yang Can had someone bring ink and brush, then carefully drafted a contract with Rena'baier, weighing each word.
Make a written agreement?
Is that useful?
Qingmei pursed her lips. Have you forgotten you're his female slave and your sale contract is still in his possession?
Even if you have a written agreement, if he reneges, who can you complain to?
This is Yu family territory.
A scene quietly emerged in Qingmei's mind:
Rena, full of grief and indignation, kneeling before the hall. Yang Can sitting behind the desk, stern-faced, looking at Rena holding up a complaint.
"Who kneels below? Why do you sue this official?"
Ugh, how pitiful!
Qingmei looked at Rena with sympathy. Were all these foreign women so lacking in common sense?
Yang Can pressed his handprint on the drafted contract and beckoned to Qingmei.
"Qingmei, come be our guarantor."
"Me?"
Qingmei pointed at her own nose. After receiving Yang Can's affirmative reply, she walked over.
Qingmei signed and sealed with amusement. Rena'baier quickly took the document like a treasure and carefully folded it.
She inhaled, contracted her abdomen, and tucked the document into her waistband...
"Pop!"
The ties at the back of that hezi lived up to expectations and snapped.
A shriek like a Persian cat came from the small flower hall, followed by flickering candlelight and shadows.
...
In the flickering candlelight, the hair at Yu Xinglong's temples gleamed with a silvery crystalline light.
Although he had always paid attention to maintenance, his mental exhaustion was too great. The pressure of managing an increasingly decaying family was too much, and the hair at his temples had turned white.
Before him were placed some component parts of the two-dang armor that Kang Zhengyang had submitted.
Yu Xinglong's expression was extremely grave.
With his current frail body, just thinking too long would cause his head to throb with pain but he couldn't avoid thinking and deliberating.
Who was trafficking in armor?
Was it someone from our Yu family?
How did he manufacture so much armor without my knowledge?
How long had he been selling armor?
How much such armor did the buyer currently possess?
Kang Zhengyang discovered these armor components at Canglang Gorge, so...
Was this armor being sold to some Xianbei tribe?
Was there a hungry tiger quietly growing beside my bed?
The Xianbei had long since fragmented into pieces, their power even more scattered than the eight great clans of Longshang.
Therefore, even the strongest of the four great Xianbei tribes no longer had the ability to challenge the eight great clans of Longshang but if a certain Xianbei tribe possessed large quantities of armor, they could quickly break the balance among the Xianbei tribes.
The speed of effect would be much faster than the Yu family's growth.
The Yu family, by improving plows and high-turnover waterwheels, broke through the shackles of arable land and liberated large amounts of labor, thus benefiting immensely but this transformation process was relatively long, which was why the other clans hadn't immediately viewed the Yu family as a major threat.
But those grassland tribes were different. Their conquest and growth speed was much faster. Once someone unified the Xianbei tribes, they would inevitably expand eastward.
At that time, their Yu family would bear the brunt.
The current external troubles and internal strife already had Yu Xinglong overwhelmed but unexpectedly, the Xianbei people, whom he considered no threat at all, were now also joining the fray.
Yu Xinglong furrowed his brow and anxiously pressed his forehead.
"Kang Zhengyang, how much armor do you think they were trading?"
Kang Zhengyang answered solemnly, "They had four large carts. If all four carts were loaded with this kind of armor, then in just this one transaction, there would be nearly one hundred sets."
Yu Xinglong's heart turned cold.
If one transaction had one hundred sets, and this wasn't the first transaction...
Then this fierce tiger beside his bed had clearly already grown up.
No! Impossible! I haven't heard of any Xianbei tribe launching major campaigns against other tribes.
If a certain tribe already possessed large quantities of armor, they couldn't be this quiet.
Besides, one hundred sets of armor, are they that easy to obtain?
The elite corps of the eight great clans of Longshang had an armor rate of at most twenty to thirty percent, equivalent to the armor rate of the Southern Dynasty's elite troops.
As for the Northern Dynasty, though their elite troops had a higher armor rate, it was only thirty to forty percent.
Private workshops couldn't forge so much armor for such a long time without being discovered.
If it was stolen and sold from the military...
Nearly a hundred sets of armor disappearing into thin air was almost impossible.
There couldn't be that many, there shouldn't be that many...
Yu Xinglong secretly comforted himself and said in a low voice, "This old man understands this matter. Kang Zhengyang, you've done very well."
Kang Zhengyang immediately beamed with joy.
Yu Xinglong pondered for a moment and decided to send Second Steward He Youzhen to investigate this matter.
If this matter wasn't clarified, his heart would remain uneasy. However, this arrangement didn't need to be known to Kang Zhengyang.
He glanced at Kang Zhengyang and asked again, "How is Yang Can doing at Feng'an Estate now?"
Kang Zhengyang answered respectfully, "Estate Head Yang cherishes the common people and governs well.
The estate's household people all say the Clan Head is wise for sending them such a good estate head."
A faint smile appeared on Yu Xinglong's face.
Kang Zhengyang continued, "This time, if not for Estate Head Yang's alertness, not only would your subordinate have failed to discover the armor, but many men would have been lost."
Yu Xinglong nodded, "Mm, it seems my son had good judgment. This Yang Can indeed has some talent."
Kang Zhengyang added, "Currently, Estate Head Yang is preparing for the fifth day of the fifth month grand assembly. At that time, he'll summon the stewards of the six major estates and three major pastures to rally people's hearts for the Clan Head."
Yu Xinglong nodded slightly, stroking his beard and thinking privately, My son hiring him as an adviser was indeed not only because of his life-saving grace.
This person truly has some ability.
My son had good judgment, it's just a pity...
Thinking of his son's early death, Yu Xinglong couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart.
He thought again, Now Yang Can carries the great merit of improving the plow and waterwheel, and at Feng'an Estate he can rally people's hearts for this old man. He cannot be moved against.
Otherwise, those below will become disloyal, and the second son and the restless third son will likely jump out to fan the flames.
Hmm..., this old man sent someone to summon Li Youcai back. I wonder where he is now.
When he returns, I'll have him go to Feng'an Estate together with He Youzhen.
At that time, it'll be good to find an opportunity to let him take the blame!
...
Feng'an Estate, Zhang Xiaomi's residence.
Under the night, Wan Tai stood with hands hanging in a quiet corridor, as still as a statue.
Suddenly, the door opened and Zhang Yunyi slowly walked out from the room.
This was Young Madam Chen Wan's bedroom, and Zhang Yunyi was her father-in-law but no one in the household dared say a word about this.
Even Zhang Yunyi's trusted aide Wan Tai never dared discuss this topic.
The current Zhang Yunyi seemed to have broken all the shackles on his heart and acted increasingly recklessly.
Moreover, his personality had become extremely sinister. Even Wan Tai often felt timid before him.
On the bed, a jade body lay horizontal, pearl tears gathering on her lashes.
Chen Wan'er lay there without speaking or moving. The light in her eyes was dim and lifeless, as if she were dead.
Her husband was dead, and her dignity and purity had also been killed by her father-in-law.
Now she would rather die than live.
The door slowly closed, cutting off Wan Tai's stolen glance.
Zhang Yunyi stood before him and asked indifferently, "Did Yang Can and his men catch up with Mountain Lord's people?"
Wan Tai bowed slightly, "Word from the estate is that they caught up with Mountain Lord's people at Canglang Gorge. However..."
"Mm?"
Wan Tai stepped forward and lowered his voice further.
"However, when they arrived, they happened upon a group of Xianbei people fighting with Mountain Lord's people. They didn't dare antagonize the Xianbei and withdrew in time but Kang Zhengyang's corps soldiers said that judging from the situation, Mountain Lord's people were probably in grave danger."
"Oh? The Xianbei also got involved? Which tribe's people would that be?"
Zhang Yunyi narrowed his eyes slightly, "Heh, this is getting more and more interesting..."
Wan Tai reminded, "Master, if the Xianbei killed Mountain Lord's people, then this disaster can't be directed at Yang Can."
Zhang Yunyi shook his head and smiled, "They can spread word that the Xianbei killed Mountain Lord's people, and we can spread word that Yang Can's people killed Mountain Lord's people. Mountain Lord will definitely investigate this matter. If he doesn't clarify it, how would he dare continue doing business in the future? As long as he investigates, this old man has ways to make him suspect Yang Can. When that time comes, Yang Can's death will be imminent."
"Master's move is brilliant!"
"Just wait. Yang Can won't dare not report this matter to the Clan Head. When that happens, the Clan Head will also send people. Feng'an Estate is going to get lively.
Zhang Yunyi said with a smile, "Yang Can just defeated this old man, transforming from a passing dragon into a local tyrant. Soon, a new mighty dragon will come to contend with him, this local tyrant snake. Hehe, this old man is actually rather looking forward to it."
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