Chapter 10: The Imperial Censor Urgently Disperses the Family Servants

  On this day, it was the fifth day after Lin Ruhai's death. The number of people coming to pay their respects had decreased, and Zhiyuan was discussing his return home with Shen Xiu in the front yard when a servant suddenly came to report that a man claiming to be the new Salt Control Censor, Huang, had arrived at the gate to pay his respects. He was accompanied by several local officials and a wealthy merchant from Yangzhou.

  Zhiyuan had long expected them to come, but still had doubts in his heart, so he asked: "Didn't the county magistrate come himself?"

  The little servant shook his head and replied: "The Magistrate has never been here before."

  "Alright, I'll go and welcome him myself. Shou Jie, come with me!" The two of them quickly arrived at the gate, where they saw a group of sedan chairs gathered outside the Yushi Fu gate. A middle-aged man stood under the signboard, surrounded by people who were loudly discussing something.

  As soon as they saw Zhiyuan and the two of them came forward, several people finally did not make a sound.

  "This must be Lord Huang, I presume! Student Lin Zhiyuan, at your service." Zhiyuan saw the man in the middle station, wearing an official uniform embroidered with golden pheasants, with a plain appearance and a hint of cunning.

  That person didn't even bother to respond to Zhiyuan, still looking up at the signboard as if there were flowers on it. Shen Xiu Jie also didn't come down, standing on the steps and letting out a cold snort, scaring those minor officials into hastily saying to this Lord Huang: "Sir, this is the eldest son of the Seventh Princess's household, the heir of the Duke of Dongping."

  Huang Zongxing, upon hearing that he was the young master of the princess's household, looked as if he had just seen these two people and hastily said: "Oh dear, I was so absorbed in reading the former emperor's handwriting that I didn't notice the two noble uncles."

  The plaque of the Salt Control and Surveillance Commissioner's Office was written by the previous emperor himself when Lin Ruhai took office, which can be seen that Lin Ruhai had gained the emperor's favor at that time.

  Zhiyuan led the crowd to the front hall, which was where Lin Ruhai usually received distinguished guests.

  Huang Zongxing didn't mince words and said directly, "Lin Xian, nephew, I came today for two reasons. Firstly, to pay my respects to Lin Daren. Back in the day, we were both jinshi, but unfortunately, Lin Daren worked tirelessly for the country and passed away at a young age. After hearing about it, I couldn't sleep for several nights." Huang Zongxing pretended to wipe away tears from the corner of his eyes. "As for the second reason, I'm sure Lin Xian and the Crown Prince already know that I've been newly appointed by His Majesty as the touring salt control censor, specifically in charge of Jiangnan's salt administration. According to protocol, I should have taken office three days ago, and the official seal has indeed been handed over to me. However, this official is currently unable to take office!"

  Lin Zhiyuan remained silent, and the atmosphere was a bit awkward for a moment. A minor official on the side said: "Master Lin may not know that our Lord Huang's family is also following him to take office this time, and they are currently staying at the Yangzhou Post House. We think Master Lin should leave the Imperial Censor's residence early and let Lord Huang take office smoothly!" "Yes, yes! As a scholar, Master Lin must understand the importance of Jiangnan salt administration. Please, for the sake of the people, let Lord Huang take office peacefully!" The sycophants on the side all chimed in with their flattery.

  Huang Zongxing was sipping his tea comfortably, and Zhiyuan smiled slightly: "Sir, it's not that I don't know the rules of courtesy, but my second uncle's bones are still cold, so I hope you can wait a few more days. After the seventh day, we will immediately return to our old home in Gusu."

  "The filial piety of my nephew, I can understand. However, the Emperor has issued an imperial edict, ordering me to take office immediately. If this year's salt tax is delayed in being submitted, it will not be something you can afford to bear responsibility for, my nephew. I know that as a scholar from Jiangnan, you are certainly aware of the principle of not losing sight of the bigger picture due to minor matters." Huang Zongxing said with an insincere smile.

  "So, you're saying that the adults want us to move out of the mansion immediately?" As soon as Zhiyuan's words fell, Huang Zongxing was startled. Huang Zongxing thought for a moment and remembered what his cousin had said to him earlier - the Lin family and the Jia family were relatives by marriage, and the Ningguo Mansion was also a follower of his cousin. The current emperor was not like the previous one, who favored Lin Ruhai. The emperor now hoped to replace this fat job with his own people, and Huang Zongxing's coming to Jiangnan was the result of the competition between his cousin and the emperor. Although the Lin family had declined, they still had the support of the Rongguo Mansion, and it was said that Lin Zhiyuan still had some skills, so in a few years' time, he might not be unable to pass the imperial examination with honors.

  Huang Zongxing thought of this, and his tone also weakened: "Xianzhong said that, making Ben Guan have no place to hide, as if we were driving Xianzhong and niece out. In that case, I'll give you three days, after Lin's head seven, please move out of the mansion as soon as possible."

  Shen Xiu's face turned ugly, just about to speak, but was pressed down by Zhiyuan. Zhiyuan's voice was low and deep: "Since that's the case, I won't see off the few gentlemen. In three days, we will leave on our own accord. Please!"

  After the crowd left, Shen Xiu Jie said angrily: "Zhiyuan, why didn't you let me beat up that old guy? He's just a fourth-rank official, isn't he? He dares to call himself 'this official' in front of me? I think he has eaten the gallbladder of a leopard!"

  "You say you're a man, looking at you, dignified and majestic, but why do you speak with such a fierce tone! Alright, alright, sit down and listen to me slowly." Zhiyuan pulled Shen Xiu Jie back. "I expected that Huang Zongxing would drive us away, he has some resentment towards my second uncle, coming here to kick us while we're down is only a matter of time. I didn't plan on confronting him head-on, people like him will be dealt with eventually, just not now. The struggle between the current Emperor and the Loyal King has just begun, His Majesty will definitely send eagle-eyed officials to monitor every move in Jiangnan. What Huang Zongxing did today will likely be presented to the Emperor's face within a few days. Huang Zongxing is the Loyal King's pawn, the Emperor must have been displeased with him for some time now. When the timing is ripe, it'll be his downfall."

  Zhiyuan persuaded Shen Xiu to stay and then hurried back to the rear house to discuss this matter with Daiyu.

  Daiyu had just heard the news from Yuyan and was pacing back and forth anxiously in her room. Zijuan, Xueyan, Bai Niangniang and Qian Niangniang were also worried sick. Suddenly, they saw Zhida come in and hastily asked: "Brother, have those people all left?"

  "Don't be afraid, little sister. Those people have already left. It's all the fault of those servants who told you and made you worry."

  "Daiyu hastily asked: 'Brother, what should we do now? The maid said that these people have come with ill intentions!'"

  "It's all right, Second Uncle had expected this to happen. There's no need for my sister to be anxious and flustered, I've already instructed the servants today to pack up our things, and three days from now, after we've finished observing the seventh day of mourning for Second Uncle, we'll leave."

  "So soon?" Daiyu was shocked. Bai Niang and others were also frightened: "These people, really are too much. The old master just left, the body is not yet cold, they are bullying people like this!" The two aunts said and started crying.

  Zhiyuan comforted them, "Aunts don't need to cry, the world is unfair and we should have known that earlier. Now they are still willing to give Second Uncle a bit of dignity and agreed to our three-day request. Nowadays, those who come to pay their respects are not many, so let's make early arrangements."

  Daiyu said: "Since that day when brother told me, I started packing up with the two aunts. The things in Father and Mother's room have been packed up properly, my own things are not many, they were packed up long ago." As soon as Daiyu finished speaking, the two aunts also hurriedly said: "Our things have also been packed up properly."

  Zhiyuan thought for a moment, then spoke up: "Sister may also know that we left some servants in our old home in Suzhou, and brother brought another batch with him, so now we still need to scatter some away."

  "This is natural. In the future when we return to Suzhou, there will only be us two siblings and two aunts left, so what's the need for those people to serve us? Brother should disperse some of them."

  He glanced at the three maids beside Daiyu, and thought that Xiangyun was from the Jia family, Xueyan was a bit foolish, and Chunfen seemed rather stupid, none of them were capable. He didn't know how Daiyu had spent these years in Beijing. "Don't worry, sister and two aunts, the people by your side will definitely follow you back to Suzhou. I think the maids beside my sister are still a bit thin, when we arrive in Suzhou, I'll find some more clever maids to help Xiangyun and Xueyan. Tomorrow morning, let the servants wait in the main hall."

  A few people chatted for a while, and then someone came to invite Zhiyuan again. Daiyu had no choice but to see her brother off at the outer flower gate.

  On the second day, early in the morning, Lin's residence only had a few people left to attend to things at the front, Shen Xiu Jie helped with receiving guests. Fortunately, there were not many people, they were all some Confucian scholars that Lin Ruhai had pointed out in the past.

  The main hall was packed with over a hundred people, all of whom looked terrified. The news of the new imperial censor's visit yesterday had already spread, and everyone knew that the young master and his daughter would have to leave within the next two days, making everyone anxious.

  Before long, Zhiyuan and Daiyu's two aunts came out of the main hall. Zhiyuan looked at these people and also felt a bit of a headache. The Lin family didn't have many people to begin with, but there were over a hundred servants. "Today I called everyone here, I suppose some of you already know, our old master has passed away. In three days, my sister and I will be returning to our hometown. I won't be able to take all of you with me. Now, I've gathered you all here to ask, who among you wants to leave your position as a servant and return home to live a peaceful life? My sister and I will give each person twenty taels of silver for expenses."

  At that time in Yangzhou, buying an 11 or 12-year-old girl as a maid would cost only 13 or 14 taels of silver. Twenty taels of silver was enough for an ordinary family of four to live comfortably for two years. As soon as Lin Zhiyuan finished speaking, the young maids and servants were overjoyed. Who would have thought that being a slave all one's life, even with this sum of money, it would be good to find another master?

  Daiyu looked at the crowd and said, "Whether we are born in our family or bought, we can choose whether to leave. Those who want to go just need to stand on the left side, and someone will register for you."

  Everyone looked at each other, and then a large group of people stood on that side. Daiyu counted roughly and found there were about fifty or sixty people, all young men aged seventeen or eighteen, or twenty years old. Daiyu understood that most of these people had originally lived in Yangzhou before entering the mansion, and were unwilling to follow them to Suzhou. Now with twenty taels of silver, staying behind was a good thing.

  Several of the senior servants still stood in their original positions, knowing that what the master said only referred to those junior servants and maids. These older servants, the young masters and misses would not be able to casually dismiss them.

  Among them, there was a Lin family who had children and wanted to stand on the left side but didn't dare to. They just wanted to see how others did it. After one incense stick, only thirty or forty people remained. Those standing on the left side still had some families with children. They thought to themselves that each young master and miss would give twenty taels of silver. These families with children mostly had men, wives, and kids working in the mansion, so one person was not much, but a whole family could get a large sum of money. Yangzhou was also a rich place, and staying there to do some small business was good too. Moreover, once they got back their contracts, they would be free people. In the future, their sons could study and go to school, and their daughters could marry decent men, right? So everyone decided to leave one after another.

  Daiyu looked at the remaining people, several managers and wives and daughters of the family occupied more than a dozen positions, most of the rest were 11 or 12-year-old little maidservants. Daiyu was puzzled in her heart, why these people didn't choose to leave, take the money and reunite with their parents at home?

  Daiyu quietly asked Zhiyuan, Zhiyuan was taken aback, and immediately understood that this young lady was still a wealthy young lady who had never left her family's gate, how could she know the hardships of these half-grown children.

  "These remaining ones were mostly brought to Yangzhou by human traffickers from afar, I reckon they've long forgotten where their homes are, or perhaps some of them were sold and are too afraid to go back, who knows what kind of masters they'll encounter in the future! Never mind, little sister, let's just take these remaining ones with us!"

  Zhiyuan's servants registered these people one by one, and in the end only thirty-six were willing to stay. Zhiyuan and Daiyu told those who planned to leave that they would start packing their things today, and three days later they would return the contracts and silver, but if they were lazy or stole from the master's house during these few days, they would be sold far away by the slave traders, which frightened everyone and made them not dare to have any more evil thoughts.

  The Imperial Censor's residence was suddenly bustling with activity, fortunately, Zhiyuan had started preparing for the move early on. The large and worthless furniture in the house were left behind, the remaining items were packed up, about six or seven boats' worth. Including the servants, this trip back to Suzhou would require at least ten large boats. Luckily, Suzhou was not far from Yangzhou, with Shen Xiujie's help, everything was settled within two days.

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