Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 124

On this day, Kang Lian took two hundred coins to buy cloth. Since it was just coarse cloth for making clothes for servants, it cost less than one hundred coins per piece at the time. He needed to buy two pieces. Even though Kang Lian was weak, he could carry it back by himself, so no one else went with him.

In recent months, prices in Chang'an have fallen slightly, but the Li family, in particular, has suffered a loss. This is because, after discussing with Yuan Zai, Li Yu, on the one hand, to show his benevolence to the people, and on the other hand, to stabilize prices, immediately issued an edict changing the currency system, making all Qian Yuan coins and Chong coins equal in value to Kai Yuan Tong Bao. Prices have thus stabilized, and even fallen, but the Li family has a considerable collection of Qian Yuan coins and Chong coins—most of which were delivered to their door in wine jars—and after accounting for everything, they have suffered a slight loss.

This was also Li Yu's original intention, because only middle and upper-class families would collect coins worth ten cash, while ordinary people only had coins of the Tongbao denomination. This meant that the wealth of the rich was devalued and the benefits were given to the common people.

As soon as Kang Lian left the Li residence, he strode quickly towards the East Market. After entering the market, he looked around to make sure no one was watching him, then slipped into a teahouse—not a tea shop, but a tea-selling establishment, a luxury store. He didn't see Chang Heng holding a banner pole, watching from the street corner, then sticking the pole in and starting his business of gossip.

Not long after Kang Lian entered the shop, he came out beaming, his hands clasped below his waist, his purse bulging—definitely more than two hundred coins. He then turned two corners and came to the door of a small shop without a sign. A burly man leaned against the door, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth. Upon seeing Kang Lian, he grinned and said, "Sanlang, you've brought money again?"

Kang Lian patted his lower back, raised his head and puffed out his chest, saying, "I will definitely pay back what I owe you today!"

"Then please come in. I wish you great success, Sanlang."

He then lifted the curtain and let Kang Lian in. Inside was a small, narrow, and long courtyard, with three rooms at the far end. The doors and windows were tightly closed so that the sounds of gambling and fighting would not be heard outside.

In fact, as early as the Zhenguan era, the imperial court issued an edict to ban gambling and subsequently incorporated the relevant provisions into the Tang Code. It stipulated that those who set up gambling dens or harbor gamblers would be punished with one hundred strokes of the cane if they obtained money or property, and would be punished for theft if they obtained money or property. Winners who obtained less than five bolts of cloth would be punished with one hundred strokes of the cane, and those who obtained more than five bolts of cloth would be punished with one year of penal servitude. Even losers would be punished as accomplices.

However, in order to promote a martial spirit, it is not illegal to gamble with martial arts such as archery, no matter how much the bet is; it is also not a crime to gamble with food or drink, or to exchange all the winnings for food or drink.

However, gambling is difficult to curb, because Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, himself was a gambler, and subsequent emperors and powerful officials often gambled together. If the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked as well. How can it be possible to ask ordinary people to stay away from gambling?

According to rough estimates, there are now no fewer than a hundred gambling dens in Chang'an. As long as one has a powerful backer, pays tribute in a timely manner, and does not publicize it too much—for example, by raising gambling flags at the entrance or making noise that disturbs the neighbors—the Jingzhao Prefecture and the two counties of Chang'an and Wannian will simply pretend not to see it and will not investigate or crack down on it.

Kang Lian, familiar with the area, went straight to the end of the courtyard, pushed open a door, and slipped inside. The room was filled with smoke—because they rarely opened doors and windows—and there were four or five tables, all crowded with people. Kang Lian scanned them one by one, finally identifying a table with a "money stand" and shoving his way over.

"Tanqian" is a new type of gambling game, also known as "Baidaqian". First, four coins are laid out on a table as markers. Then, the dealer randomly takes a handful of coins and puts them into a bamboo tube, shakes it to make a sound, and then invites gamblers to place their bets. The coins in the tube are divided by four. If there is a remainder of one, the person who bet the first coin wins; if there is a remainder of two, the person who bet the second coin wins... If the remainder is zero, the dealer wins all bets.

There are many types of gambling, such as the traditional "Liubo" and "Chupu", as well as "Canggou" and "Guibeixi", and the newly emerging "Yezipai". In the countryside, there are cockfighting and goose fighting, but they require too large a venue, so it is not convenient to hold them in Chang'an City. It is said that insect fighting is popular in the south, but it has not yet become popular in the capital region.

In comparison, "split money" is the fastest and requires no skill; anyone can play it. Kang Lian was originally ordered to buy cloth and couldn't possibly indulge in this all day, so he chose this form of gambling—in the previous few times, he had also played "split money," and each time he was utterly defeated and lost big by the house.

However, the gambler's psychology is such that the more they lose, the more they want to win back their losses, especially since they always feel that statistically, after losing so many times, they should finally win once... The problem is that gambling often doesn't depend on probability, but on the house's tactics. Specifically regarding "coin distribution," gamblers don't need any skill, relying purely on luck—although the house will always shake the bamboo tube to make the coins inside clink together, out of a million people, not even one could truly discern the number by sound—the house, on the other hand, needs skill. Not only does their so-called casual grab actually know whether it's a lot or a little, making it incredibly easy to win big, but the amount poured into the bamboo tube may not be the same amount poured out again...

Thus, Kang Lian gambled relentlessly, winning only two rounds before losing more than ten, handing over all the money he hadn't even had a chance to enjoy to the gambling den. His face was flushed red and his features contorted with rage. Though unwilling, he could only slam his fist on the table and say, "The feng shui of this table is terrible for me—and I'll change its location another day, then I'll come back and win big!"

As he spoke, he turned to leave.

Normally, gambling dens wouldn't let anyone leave so easily. They would always have to win all the gamblers' coins, or even strip them of their clothes to pay off their debts, before allowing them to go. However, gambling den owners, who valued keeping their gamblers loyal and seeking long-term business, were also reluctant to cause trouble. Since everyone knew that Kang Lian was originally Kang Lao Hu's son and was now a slave in Li Erlang's household, it was inconvenient to force him to stay.

But if the gambling den doesn't keep him, someone else will. Kang Lian had just taken a step when a hairy, thick arm reached out from the side, grabbed his neck, and burst into laughter: "Kang Xiaosan, haven't seen you for a few days, you've been gambling again. Win or lose?"

Kang Lian stared intently and couldn't help but shudder slightly. It turned out that this person was none other than "Overlord" Yuan Jing'an.

He had a long-standing friendship with Yuan Jing'an and wasn't originally afraid. The problem was that Yuan Jing'an had also previously curried favor with Li Ji, running around doing everything for Li Ji's marriage. He was worried that Yuan Jing'an might leak his gambling to Li Ji. Startled, he hurriedly waved his hand, saying, "I lost, I lost… I have to go now. I'll treat you to a meal another day, Old Yuan…"

He tried to break free from Yuan Jing'an's embrace, but with his small stature and meager strength, how could he possibly defeat Yuan Bawang? Yuan Jing'an sighed, "I've lost too—Kang Xiaosan, lend me some money, I'll pay you back once I've recouped my losses."

Kang Lian said with a bitter face, "I already told you I lost, how could I possibly lend you money?"

Yuan Jing'an patted Kang Lian's waist and exclaimed, "Isn't this money?!"

Kang Lian hurriedly said, "You know I've been following Li Erlang lately. This is money from my master to buy cloth. How can I lend it to you? Quickly let go of my hand. I still need to go shopping. If I delay Erlang's business, you'll be in deep trouble..."

Yuan Jing'an glared at him: "I'm asking you for money, what's it to you, Erlang?" He raised his fist and demanded: "Are you going to lend it to me or not?!"

Someone nearby advised, "Yuan Bawang, don't cause trouble. If you have something to say to Sanlang, go outside and talk it out, so as not to disturb our business."

This is also a rule of the gambling den: gamblers should resolve their own disputes, and the gambling den will not interfere.

Of course, gambling dens also often hire people to impersonate gamblers, either to guide betting or to lend money under the guise of gambling, but that's another story...

At this point, Yuan Jing'an grabbed Kang Lian by the collar, lifting him like a chick—"Fine, let's go outside and talk!"

He was tall and strong, while Kang Lian was small and thin. With that pull, Kang Lian's feet left the ground, and no matter how much he kicked and struggled, he couldn't break free. Thus, Yuan Jing'an dragged him out of the gambling den and onto the main street.

Kang Lian urged, "Let go! Let go! It's not good for your appearance!"

Yuan Jing'an pointed to the side: "There's a tavern over there. You either lend me gambling money or buy me drinks today, or don't even think about getting away!"

Kang Lian pondered that he only had two hundred coins left in his pocket, which his master had given him. If Yuan Jing'an found them, he would definitely take them all and leave him with not a single coin. Moreover, Yuan Jing'an's gambling luck seemed to be even worse than his own. Even if he were to win by chance, given his nature, he would definitely not be willing to pay back the money. It would be better to lead him to a tavern and get some cheap wine. Twenty or thirty coins would be enough to get him drunk.

I'll go haggle with the cloth merchant later. With my silver tongue, I should be able to get it down by twenty or thirty cents...maybe.

So he pleaded, "Let go, and I'll buy you some wine."

Yuan Jing'an let go of Kang Lian's grip, not afraid that Kang Lian would escape. Last time at Miaosheng Temple, it was Kang Laohu who instructed him to pretend to chase and beat Kang Lian, putting on a show in front of Li Ji. If he really wanted to deal with him, how could this guy have run so far? He followed behind and escorted Kang Lian into the tavern.

The tavern was small, with only one floor. As soon as Kang Lian entered, he shouted, "Bring me a pot of wine..." Yuan Jing'an poked him in the ribs and said, "What's the rush? Just sit down." Then he shoved him on the back, and Kang Lian stumbled forward and crashed into a small room with a curtain hanging over it.

He glanced around and knew someone was sitting in the cubicle. He quickly steadied himself, bowed his head, and said, "I'm sorry for the intrusion..." Before he could finish speaking, a familiar voice rang out in front of him: "My lord, you came out to buy cloth, how did you end up in a tavern?"

Kang Lian looked up and was shocked. He turned around and tried to rush out, but Yuan Jing'an's tall and strong body blocked him at the door, leaving him with no way to escape.

Kang Lian wasn't stupid; he immediately realized he'd fallen into a trap. He couldn't help but smile bitterly, "Old Yuan, you've really put me in a difficult position!" He then turned around again, knelt down, and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Madam..."

The "madam" he referred to was naturally Li Ji's legal wife, Cui Cuo. Cui Cuo was sitting in a private room of the tavern, waiting for Yuan Jing'an to bring Kang Lian over, accompanied by a maid and two burly men. Kang Lian didn't know how capable Cui Cuo truly was, but even disregarding the two burly men, Yuan Jing'an could easily capture him, so he dared not resist. His eyes darted around, trying to figure out how to deceive them.

Yuan Jing'an said from behind, "Reporting to Madam, this fellow did indeed go to the gambling den, which is why I brought him out."

Kang Lian immediately protested, "I'm innocent, Madam! I've never been to a gambling den! I was just looking for a suitable shop in the market when Old Yuan forced me to buy him wine..."

Yuan Jing'an thought he had witnessed it firsthand and had irrefutable evidence, but Kang Lian lied to his face. He was furious and pressed his left hand on Kang Lian's shoulder, raising his right fist high to strike him. Cui Cuo stopped him, saying, "Don't hit him. If he gets injured, it won't look good in front of Erlang."

Yuan Jing'an knew all about Kang Lian's background and how he entered the Li family. Hearing this, he had no choice but to stop, but still said fiercely, "If Madam allows, I can beat this fellow until he vomits blood, but without leaving any skin wounds!"

This was actually bragging, but Kang Lian didn't know that. He couldn't help but shudder, thinking to himself that the nickname "Overlord" was no exaggeration. What would he do if he took a hit from that fist the size of a vinegar pot? Before, because his father protected him, he was quite polite to him, and he even considered him a friend. Now that his family was destroyed, Yuan Bawang would most likely dare to be ruthless!

He hurriedly prostrated himself on the ground and kowtowed to Cui Cuo, repeatedly begging for mercy: "I... I did have a bit of an itching urge and went to the gambling den, but I would never dare to gamble, Madam... the two hundred coins for the cloth are still on my waist, you can check them."

Yuan Jing'an sneered, "Do you want to call the people from the gambling den to identify them? You've lost more than three or five hundred coins today!"

Cui Cuo waved his hand, stopping Yuan Jing'an from continuing his interrogation. Instead, he gently turned to Kang Lian and said, "Get up—my husband has told me about your background and origins. Even if you have made a slight mistake, there is no reason for you to be punished according to family law. Besides, what's the big deal about gambling? When I was in my maidservant's quarters, I often played cards with the maids, betting a few dozen coins..."

Upon hearing this, Kang Lian breathed a sigh of relief and was about to push himself up when Cui Cuo's voice suddenly turned stern: "Yuan Jing'an said you lost so much money? I never gave you any. Did you steal my family's wealth?!"

Kang Lian had just straightened up when he heard this, so he immediately fell down again, repeatedly saying, "No, no, I did not steal any family property!"

Cui Cuo asked those around him, "What crime is it for a slave to steal his master's money?"

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Elegant Tea House

Cui Cuo asked, "What crime is it for a slave to steal his master's property?" The attendants replied, "It is the same crime as a free man stealing. He can be taken to Wannian County to be flogged, with the punishment starting at forty strokes depending on the amount of the stolen property."

Cui Cuo asked Kang Lian with a cold smile, "I heard you've been to the Dali Temple prison before, so you probably aren't afraid of the Wannian County prison. Why don't you give it a try?"

Kang Lian thought to himself, how could he not be afraid? Once he entered the yamen, he would be lucky to escape with his life, and besides, it wasn't that the severity of torture in prison varied depending on the yamen... Although he was trembling with fear, he still gritted his teeth and resolutely refused to confess: "Madam, please investigate. Since I have received great kindness from Erlang and been taken in by the mansion, how could I dare to steal money? I really did not steal anything—Madam can check the accounts carefully and clear my name."

He firmly denied it, but Cui Cuo was at a loss—his master had given him instructions, so he couldn't really beat him, nor could he send him to the authorities for punishment… So he raised his voice and said, “Come in!”

Yuan Jing'an quickly moved aside and let in another person—naturally, also a spy from the former Cui family—who stood beside Kang Lian and bowed to Cui Cuo with his hands clasped. Cui Cuo asked him, "How is it? Have you found out everything?"

The man replied, "I understand now—the shop is called 'Yaxuan,' the owner's surname is Peng, and it's a shop that sells Sichuan tea."

Upon hearing this, Kang Lian was so terrified that his last shred of hope vanished.

Cui Cuo then asked, "What's their background?" Those who can open a luxury goods store in Chang'an's East Market usually have powerful backers. Even Cui Cuo wouldn't dare to act rashly without finding out first.

“Cui Gan, Prefect of Lizhou”.

Cui Cuo couldn't help but sneer, "A mere prefect..." Then he frowned, raised a hand to his forehead, and said, "Wait, Cui Gan... he's actually from the same clan..."

Cui Gan was also from the Cui clan of Boling, but his lineage was relatively distant. He was not among the established branches of the family and had moved to Weizhou early on. Coincidentally, he was also a fellow townsman of Li Ji. This was quite a coincidence. Because of his impoverished life and his fondness for political maneuvering, he went to Shu to rely on Xianyu Zhongtong, the military governor of Jiannan. Later, he served under Cui Yuan and Pei Mian, and returned to the capital during the Dezhong era as a Zhechong Langjiang.

It seems that at that time, Cui Gan had visited Cui Guangyuan's residence, read the family genealogy, and addressed Cui Guangyuan as his uncle.

Afterwards, Yan Wu took office as the military governor of Jiannan Xichuan. Because of the invasion of the Tubo (Tibetan) and the rise of bandits, he knew that Cui Gan was brave and resourceful, so he summoned him to his staff and soon recommended him to be the prefect of Lizhou.

Cui Cuo tapped the table lightly with two fingers, thus connecting the cause and effect and gaining a thorough understanding.

Kang Lian did not change his bad habits. After his crimes were exposed, Li Ji wondered where his gambling funds came from. If he kept some money when purchasing goods or asked for a kickback, it was impossible for him to bet thousands of coins as soon as he entered the gambling den. Could it be that he stole valuables from his home?

So he ordered Chang Heng to investigate secretly. Chang Heng discovered that before entering the gambling den, Kang Lian had gone to a teahouse, and when he came out, his waist was bulging... Li Ji understood that this must be a secret business left by Kang Lao Hu for his son.

Kang Qian, who possessed immense wealth, refused to reveal it, and was nearly beaten to death in Dali Temple prison. It was only because Li Ji took pity on him and advised him that since he had already lost his backer, it was not worth keeping secrets for others. Only then did Kang Qian entrust his young son to Li Ji and confess.

It is likely that Kang Qian secretly possessed a considerable amount of wealth and some hidden properties, which would be difficult for even the government to discover through normal channels—hence the need for severe torture to extract a confession. However, he ultimately did not hand over all his possessions, but instead kept some for his son Kang Lian to use in the future.

When Kang Qian entrusted his son to Li Ji, he and Kang Lian embraced and wept bitterly, and Kang Lian whispered a few words in Kang Qian's ear, presumably giving him these instructions. Kang Qian's original plan was probably to wait until Kang Lian had weathered this period, find an opportunity to escape Li Ji's control, and then use the money to spend or even run a business, perhaps even reviving the family fortune. Unexpectedly, his good-for-nothing son had only enjoyed a few days of peace before his gambling addiction kicked in again, thus exposing his father's good intentions.

Kang Lian entrusted his son to Li Ji, but kept his hidden scheme a secret, which was frankly quite unethical. Li Ji hesitated, unwilling to take away Kang Lian's wealth, but Cui Cuo felt that Old Hu had acted unjustly first, and besides, he had only promised to take care of Kang Lian's son, not to protect his hidden assets and wealth until they were handed over to Kang Lian. "This money is mine!" he thought.

Because the money is in Kang Lian's name, but isn't Kang Lian my servant? Then the servant's wealth should rightfully belong to the master.

Li Ji, in particular, was used to spending lavishly and would often treat his colleagues to drinks. In the past, some taverns in the West Market would give him money under the guise of giving him wine. However, this income stopped after Li Yu ascended the throne—because he no longer needed to win over the Shence Army generals—but Li Ji did not change his ways. Even Cui Cuo felt that although the young master had been promoted to the fifth rank, his salary was still not enough to cover his income and expenses, so he could only rely on his dowry and live off his savings.

No, either you get a job outside tomorrow, or you find a way to make money as soon as possible.

That's why she called on Yuan Jing'an for help, to catch the thief red-handed, so that Kang Lian would have no excuse and would obediently hand over what his father had left behind.

It now appears that at least a significant portion of the wealth Kang Lian left to his son was in this "Ya Xuan" teahouse. According to investigations, the teahouse's backer was Cui Gan, the governor of Lizhou—it's estimated that Cui Gan held a certain share—which makes sense, since he was dealing in fine tea from Sichuan, he should have a protective umbrella in the place of origin.

When Kang Qian was appointed as the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, he was in charge of the Shannan East Circuit. His family's trade routes mostly went in this direction, so it couldn't be kept secret. Unexpectedly, he also secretly opened up a route to transport tea from Sichuan to the capital for sale, keeping it a closely guarded secret, which was just what his son could use to revive the family business.

Cui Cuo pondered the reasons carefully and was overjoyed. Regardless of whether Kang Lian was willing to confess or not—given that the fellow's trembling appearance while lying on the ground, he would speak up sooner or later—he immediately stood up and called to his men, "Let's go to the teahouse."

The group turned two street corners, exchanging glances with Chang Heng, who was telling fortunes on the street, before stepping into the teahouse. The waiter, seeing that Cui Cuo, though short, was neatly dressed and surrounded by maids, quickly came over to greet him. However, he immediately noticed Kang Lian being dragged in by Yuan Jing'an with one hand, and his expression changed.

Observing the man's expression, Cui Cuo knew that this waiter had probably seen Kang Lian before and probably knew his identity. So he said directly, "Where is your master? Cui, the wife of Li Erlang, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, has come to visit."

The waiter hurried inside to report, and returned shortly after, bowing and saying, "Please come in, Madam, for a chat." He was then led to the back courtyard and invited to sit in the main hall. Immediately, an old man named Jia rushed in, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Greetings, Madam. I am the owner of this teahouse..."

“Peng Zhudong”.

"I wouldn't dare, what are your orders, Madam?" Old Jia replied, while glancing sideways at Kang Lian, who had already slumped into a puddle of mud.

Cui Cuo said directly, "Bring me the shop deed."

Upon hearing this, Old Jia was greatly surprised: "What do you mean by this, Madam?"

"Let's get the deed done so we can transfer ownership. From now on, this teahouse will be the property of the Li family."

He then glared at the bewildered Old Jia and said sternly, "Let's not beat around the bush. Kang Qian has committed the crime of treason, his entire family will be executed, and his property will be confiscated. If I send Kang Lian to the Dali Temple or the Prefect of Jingzhao, his relationship with this teahouse will surely be exposed under the three-woods. At that time, everything will be handed over to the government, and even the Prefect of Bianzhou will not be able to wait!"

"Madam..."

"The mere Prefect of Lizhou is a distant relative of my maternal family. He can wield power in Shu, but his influence doesn't extend to Chang'an. Kang Lian is a slave of the Li family, and his property rightfully belongs to the Li family. Let's transfer it here, and the Emperor won't pursue the matter. Peng Zhudong, haven't you ever heard of my young master's reputation?"

"This...no, I wouldn't dare, Li Erlang...Li Langzhong's name is renowned throughout the land, even if I am ignorant and uninformed, I wouldn't..."

Cui Cuo interrupted the other person: "Ze Kanglian is safe and sound in my house, with no worries about food or clothing. My young master, having received this fortune, will surely take good care of him, and might even give him an official position in the future. If he is unwilling to part with the fortune, then he will have no choice but to go to the authorities, and the end result will surely be the loss of both his wealth and his man..."

At this point, his eyebrows relaxed, his tone softening as he spoke more gently: "And Peng Zhudong, did you know that he took money from you and squandered it all in gambling dens?"

"This... I've heard a little about it, and I've tried to advise him, but Sanlang wouldn't listen..."

“Gambling is a bottomless pit, and you can’t control him. Even if you have a fortune, it will eventually be gone. Even if it isn’t, do you think Kang Lian can survive without my family’s protection? If he were a child with a thousand pieces of gold in his arms, how about handing him over to my family? You can still be the owner of this teahouse, and my young master will support you. Think carefully about what to do.”

Old Jia was still hesitating when Cui Cuo turned around and glared fiercely at Kang Lian: "Do you want to stay in my house as a slave, or do you want to go to jail? What are you trembling about? Make a decision quickly!"

Kang Lian stammered and couldn't speak, so Cui Cuo waved his hand and said, "Yuan Jing'an, take him to Wannian County."

Just as Yuan Jing'an grabbed Kang Lian's arm, Kang Lian finally couldn't hold on any longer, rolled over and fell to the ground, bowing to Cui Cuo: "Madam, spare my life! I... I still want to stay in the manor, please protect me, Erlang!"

Seeing that Kang Lian had already admitted it, Old Jia had no choice but to sigh and order his men to bring out all sorts of contracts. Cui Cuo then ordered the account books to be brought out, though of course she couldn't understand them, so she handed them to her subordinates—in the world of spies, there were always people who could do the math.

After only a cursory glance, he immediately reported: "Judging from its past income and expenditure, it can make a profit of forty to fifty thousand coins a year."

Cui Cuo frowned: "How could there be so little?"

Drinking tea is a custom of the upper class. Sichuan tea transported to Chang'an can yield huge profits. Even if this shop isn't large, it shouldn't only make this little profit. Besides, with an annual income of only forty or fifty thousand coins, how dare that Peng give Kang Lian a thousand coins at once? In recent months, that kid has been using shopping as an excuse to go to the gambling den every few days; this isn't enough to cover his losses!

Cui Cuo didn't ask Lao Jia, but stared at Kang Lian: "Is this all your father left you?"

Once Kang Lian confessed, his defenses crumbled, and he dared not hide anything any longer. He answered with tears streaming down his face, "My late father left me only this one shop, but there was some gold buried inside..."

Old Jia looked at Kang Lian with a disappointed expression and said, "Forget it, forget it. If this boy stays in Li Erlang's mansion, he can still live. If he is still greedy for wealth, he will surely die and will also implicate me..." He ordered his men to dig up the buried gold, which was a whole large jar. A rough estimate showed that it was worth more than 10,000 strings of cash!

That evening, Li Ji returned from the palace, and Cui Cuo greeted him, unfolding the transfer deed for him to see. Smiling, he said, “From now on, you also have property—this teahouse also has a branch in Lizhou. Cui Gan owned 40%, and now my family owns 60%. All the profits from Chang'an will go to my family, bringing in 40 to 50,000 taels a year. If we sell it, including the land, the storefront, and the goods in the shop, we could get a million at once…”

Li Ji was rather displeased and said, "Isn't what you're doing a bit excessive...?"

Cui Cuo raised his eyebrows: "You protected Old Hu's offspring, so it's only reasonable for you to ask for some money. How is that excessive?! Let alone sitting idly in Chang'an, even if you were to be sent out to command troops, wouldn't you need money? If you don't use the wealth of merchants, you'll have to exploit the wealth of the common people. Otherwise, the generals will become suspicious and the soldiers will become lazy and disobedient. Even if you have the courage of ten thousand men, you won't be able to win a battle—you can choose for yourself!"

Li Ji sighed and said, "It's all over... It's all the property left by Lao Hu, so don't sell it off. Let's continue to run it. As for Kang Lian... release him from his slavery and treat him as my brother. Empty a quiet room for him, find a teacher, and let him study! I don't expect him to pass the imperial examinations, but I hope that he can still wear the clothes of a scholar in the future and have a skill. That way, I can be considered to have done right by Lao Hu Kang."

Cui Cuo curled his lip: "You recognize this kind of person as your brother? You'll definitely suffer the consequences in the future!"

Li Ji casually took the contract, flipped through it, and then frowned: "Good location, good shop, how come the annual profit is only forty or fifty thousand coins?" If the profit is really only this much, it is impossible to ask for a million coins and sell it, right?

Cui Cuo said, "I have also inquired in detail. It was Kang Laohu's dying wish. Because he had little foundation, he was afraid that others would covet his business, so he dared not go all out and could only barely maintain it. It is said that the shops that collect goods in Lizhou are thriving, but 70% of the goods are resold to other teahouses at low prices in order to avoid attracting attention. Now that it is under my control, I can operate with peace of mind and will surely make a lot of profit."

Li Ji said, "Fine, I don't care anymore, you figure it out..."

“I can also write a letter to Cui Gan, and he will surely be willing to welcome my lord.”

However, Li Ji's mind wasn't on this matter. He felt guilty towards Kang Qian and thought that freeing Kang's son from slavery and ordering him to study and be well-educated would make up for his past wrongdoing. So, once his guilt subsided, another thought suddenly occurred to him—