Chapter 742

Chapter 749: Surprise (Part 2)

Xu Sijin chuckled mischievously. "I want to ask you for Lin Bo!"

"Lin Bo?" Lord Xu was taken aback. "Why did you think of him?"

Lin Bo and Zhao Ying had once been Lord Xu's personal attendants—both shrewd, capable, and fiercely loyal. After being sent out to manage affairs, one took charge of the Xu family's overseas trade in Guangzhou, while the other handled operations in Ningbo, both excelling in their roles. Zhao Ying, in particular, was bold yet meticulous, now a prominent figure in Ningbo whom even the Ningbo prefect treated with deference.

"His Majesty initially disapproved of me joining Ouyang Ming in pursuing Duoyan. It was only after the Empress Dowager personally intervened that he reluctantly agreed. This shows that in the Emperor’s eyes, I’m still too young and inexperienced for such responsibilities," Xu Sijin explained, his smile fading. "By a stroke of luck, I captured Duoyan. When the Emperor saw me, he laughed and called me 'lucky,' referring to me as his 'lucky general.'"

The Emperor had made these remarks in the throne room, with Lord Xu present. It had elicited laughter from the officials. Lord Xu nodded slightly.

"Whether the Emperor meant it sincerely or was trying to prevent 'tall trees catching much wind,' logically, he shouldn’t have appointed me as the Guizhou Commander. There are only twenty-one Regional Commanders in the entire Da Zhou dynasty, including the Canal Commander. Even if I keep my head down, people will still notice me," Xu Sijin said seriously. "After seeing off Lord Gong, I went to Prince Yong’s residence. From what Prince Yong implied, my appointment as Regional Commander was largely due to a single remark from Princess Jiangdu…"

Lord Xu knew more about the situation than his son did, but he was curious to hear Xu Sijin’s perspective.

"Isn’t that an exaggeration?" Lord Xu said dismissively. "This is a matter of state affairs!"

"The grand secretaries were competing with the Ministry of War for the Regional Commander position, something the Emperor was aware of," Xu Sijin explained. "When the Ministry of War gained the upper hand, the Emperor became displeased. Coincidentally, Princess Jiangdu felt I had been wronged and complained to the Empress. The Emperor, on a whim, decided to appoint me as the Gansu Commander and assigned the Fujian Deputy Commander recommended by the grand secretaries as the Sichuan Commander. In essence, it was the Emperor’s way of maintaining balance and control."

Lord Xu looked at his son in astonishment. His son had truly grown up—no longer the child he constantly worried about and dared not let out of his sight. He felt both unfamiliar and intrigued by Xu Sijin speaking to him as an equal.

"How dare you speculate about the Emperor’s intentions?" he chided lightly, his tone lacking anger and instead carrying a hint of pride.

Xu Sijin could tell. He grinned and changed the subject. "A good advisor is hard to come by, so I won’t force it. For now, I’ll make do with a few clerks who can handle documents. The priority is to find someone to manage the silver mine. Given my youth, noble status, and imperial connections, those seasoned, cunning soldiers in Guizhou won’t easily respect me. To secure my position as Guizhou Commander, I’ll need to make an example of a few troublemakers. If I focus too much on the silver mine, they might trace it back to Prince Yong, which would be troublesome. Lin Bo has done well in Guangzhou over the years and is more cautious than Zhao Ying. He’d be the perfect choice to manage the silver mine for me." Whether it was Lin Bo or Zhao Ying, assigning them to manage the Guangzhou and Ningbo trade operations or leaving them idle on the estates was entirely up to Lord Xu. What interested him more was Xu Sijin’s mention of "making an example of a few troublemakers."

"Oh?" he raised an eyebrow. "So, you already have a plan for how to handle things in Guizhou?"

"Not yet," Xu Sijin said, cracking his knuckles eagerly as if ready for a fight. "But no one is going to walk all over me. This is my first official assignment. If I mess it up, my reputation will suffer, and it’ll be hard to accomplish anything in the future."

Seeing that his son had a clear sense of direction, Lord Xu nodded inwardly and didn’t press further. He smiled and said, "Your fourth brother is currently managing the family’s affairs. Lin Bo is in charge of the Guangzhou trade operations, which account for one-tenth of the family’s income these years. If you want to take Lin Bo with you, discuss it with your fourth brother first."

Xu Sizhun was the eldest brother and the heir, so it was important to show him respect in such matters.

Xu Sijin laughed. "I went to see Fourth Brother before coming here. He said that whoever I want, as long as you agree, I can take them. He also gave me four thousand taels of silver, telling me not to extort money from my subordinates once I take office, as it would look unseemly and invite contempt." He nudged Lord Xu playfully with his elbow. "Dad, you’ve led troops before. Four thousand taels is like a drop in the bucket to those seasoned deputies and commanders who’ve seen battle. Fourth Brother only has so much income yearly, yet he gave me four thousand taels. You’re the Yongping Marquis—surely you can spare some private funds for me! Otherwise, Mom will scold me for overspending. You know how she is—if she sets her mind to something, she’ll make it happen. She might even send Wan Daxian to Guizhou to audit my accounts. I’m supposed to be a provincial official. If my subordinates see my mother auditing my accounts like I’m some unweaned child, where would I put my face? How would I command respect?"

"Stop with the alarmist talk! I don’t believe that with your cleverness, you’d return empty-handed when others come back from war buying land and houses. Don’t worry, your mother and I won’t take a single coin from you. Keep it to show filial respect to your grandmother! Stop pretending to be poor around me." Before Xu Sijin could finish, Lord Xu couldn’t help but laugh. "As for your mother, she’s always prudent. Why would she send Wan Daxian to audit your accounts? Even if she did, people would only say you’re filial and respectful toward your mother. Who would dare laugh at you? If you play your cards right, you might even earn a reputation for filial piety…"

His mother had always been strict with him about money. He had managed to save some private funds and didn’t want her to find out, so he couldn’t admit it in front of his father. While his father wouldn’t voluntarily tell his mother, if she asked, he certainly wouldn’t hide it either. Given his mother’s shrewdness, that would be as good as telling her directly.

"Dad! How can you say that?" Xu Sijin pretended to be wronged, hopping on one foot. He had indeed considered that if his mother sent Wan Daxian to audit his accounts, he would find a way to have censors criticize him, which could actually earn him a reputation for filial piety. "If I have money, besides showing filial respect to Grandmother, of course I’ll also show it to you and Mom." His father had seen right through his little scheme. It was better to leave for Guizhou soon—life might be tough there, but it was far from the emperor’s reach…

"Alright, alright!" Lord Xu knew exactly what his son was thinking. Eleven Niang was strict with him about money because she feared he might end up like those dissolute nobles who kept actors and frequented gambling dens. "Since Lin Bo is going to Guizhou with you, it’s settled. From now on, the Guangzhou trade operations will allocate ten thousand taels of silver annually for your use."

"Dad," Xu Sijin was overjoyed and showered his father with praise. "You’re so good to me!" Noticing his father’s calm and composed demeanor, he had a sudden idea and asked with a smile, "Did you plan this all along?"

Lord Xu didn’t respond. Instead, his expression turned serious and stern as he fixed his eyes on his son. "The family doesn’t expect you to bring back money, but you must strive to make something of yourself. Never exploit the people for personal gain. You must govern with integrity, benefit the community, and ensure that when the people speak of you, they do so with praise, not curse the ancestors of the Xu family behind your back!"

Xu Sijin immediately dropped his playful demeanor and responded respectfully and solemnly, "Yes, Dad. Don’t worry, I will never bring disgrace to the Xu family, nor will I harm the people." After a pause, he added, "And I won’t let anyone curse you behind my back either!" By the end, a hint of mischief had returned to his expression.

"Everything you say turns into a joke!" Lord Xu said with a helpless smile. "Your mother and I are both serious people. How did we end up with a son like you?"

"Because you and Mother are both so serious, that's exactly why Guanyin sent me to you!" Xu Sijin laughed heartily with his father and stood up to leave. "I'm going to ask my eldest brother for Lin Bo!"

Lord Xu smiled and nodded. Just then, Lady Eleven lifted the curtain and entered.

Xu Sijin quickly gave his father a meaningful look and subtly touched the pouch holding his private savings, signaling him not to reveal his secret stash to Lady Eleven.

Lord Xu responded with a slight, understanding nod.

Lady Ten glanced suspiciously between father and son. "What are you two whispering about?"

Before Xu Sijin could speak, Lord Xu cut in: "He’s just returned with great achievements, now titled Earl of Wujin and appointed as Guizhou Commander. He needs to visit relatives and friends, and he wants to prepare generous gifts. He asked me to cover the difference. I agreed and told him to discuss it with Zhun'er."

Such social visits followed established family protocols. Lady Eleven, knowing Xu Sijin had extravagant habits, didn’t suspect anything and smiled. "Just make a list of what you want to give, and I’ll cover the cost."

Impressed, Xu Sijin shot his father an admiring glance, then quickly hugged his mother’s shoulders. "Mother, keep your private savings for yourself—buy flowers or jewelry. This time, I’m going to make Dad pay big time!" He then added eagerly, "I need to go find Fourth Brother now." Suddenly, his expression dimmed, and his voice softened. "I won’t be back for lunch—I want to visit Huang Xiaomao and Liu Erwu’s graves to pay my respects." Lady Eleven, pleased, replied, "Please burn some spirit money for me as well." She instructed Amber to weigh out ten taels of silver. For such rituals, it was customary for each person to contribute their own silver to maintain propriety.

Xu Sijin quietly accepted the silver, bowed to his parents, and left for Xu Sizhun’s quarters.

Lady Eleven then turned to Lord Xu. "Mother just called me over and specifically asked about Jin Geer’s marriage. She insisted that I request an audience today—she wants to personally enter the palace and appeal to Empress Dowager for a special decree. I and the Second Madam tried to dissuade her, but she wouldn’t listen. My Lord, perhaps you should talk to her?"

Due to her health, the Elder Madam had been exempted from New Year’s court ceremonies since the previous emperor's time and hadn’t entered the palace in years. On several occasions, Empress Dowager, missing her, had paid quiet visits to the estate.

The two then went to see the Elder Madam.