Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Eight: Tribute

Chapter 128: Imperial Tribute

Lady Tai'an looked somewhat awkward. She nodded, knowing she was in the wrong, and said little else before quickly leaving with Young Master Qi.

Lin Qiuran planned to take Tang Yuan to get his wounds treated, have a meal, and then bring him back. Since they were already out, they definitely wouldn't be eating at the academy.

She lowered her head and asked, "Does it hurt?"

Tang Yuan: "Not really. Actually, I don't need medicine. Dad says scars on the body are like badges of honor."

Lin Qiuran felt both helpless and a little angry. She said, "Your dad's scars are from battles. Yours are from getting hurt in a fight."

She didn't know how to explain it to Tang Yuan—whether he shouldn't fight or whether he shouldn't face such situations alone. Fortunately, Young Master Qi wasn't seriously injured; otherwise, even if they were in the right, Lady Tai'an wouldn't have let it go so easily today.

Moreover, this time it was three people, and he managed to fight them off. But what if next time it was five and he couldn't win? If he could handle kids his own age, what if older students targeted him?

When children are spoiled and parents enable them, things become difficult to resolve.

Lin Qiuran was grateful Xiao Xun had taught Tang Yuan martial arts. Though it hadn't been long, what he taught was effective and kept Tang Yuan from getting hurt. But in the future, he couldn't rely on his fists alone. He shouldn't go anywhere alone, and if he got beaten up, he should call for help instead of trying to handle it alone. She'd let Xiao Xun talk to Tang Yuan about these things when he returned that evening.

Tang Yuan, knowing he was somewhat at fault, stubbornly said, "It doesn't really hurt..."

Lin Qiuran glared at him, and Tang Yuan added, "I know, when the child is hurt, the mother's heart aches. I'll be more careful next time."

Lin Qiuran felt he really wasn't in much pain, since he could still make light of it at a time like this. She informed the teacher they were leaving and took Tang Yuan out of the academy.

In the carriage, she asked what class he had next. Tang Yuan said, "Arithmetic, but Shopkeeper Shi has already taught me that. I've learned it."

She frowned slightly and couldn't help reminding him, "When you return this afternoon, ask the teacher and your classmates what they've covered and make sure you do the homework."

Lin Qiuran looked at her child with a hint of helplessness. "Even if you already know it, you shouldn't be too proud to pay attention in class. The teacher might cover things Shopkeeper Shi hasn't taught you. Listen carefully and treat it as review. As they say, 'Reviewing the old helps understand the new.'"

After listening, Tang Yuan nodded seriously. "Mom, I understand. I need to study hard. Today, Qi Song'an hit me probably because he couldn't stand me scoring first rank. But so what? Not only did I score first rank, but he couldn't even beat me in a fight. He should be the one feeling ashamed."

Lin Qiuran watched him, spirited and indignant, like a little rooster that had just won a fight, and couldn't help feeling that raising a child was a long and challenging journey.

She gently patted Tang Yuan's head and sighed inwardly.

Once they entered the city, they first went to a clinic to have his wounds treated. Tang Yuan was quite brave and didn't cry out in pain at all. After applying the medicine, they also got some medication to take home, as he would need to use it for a few more days to fully recover.

Lin Qiuran also had the doctor check for bone injuries to make sure nothing was broken. Fortunately, everything was fine.

After leaving the clinic, Lin Qiuran asked Tang Yuan where he wanted to eat for lunch.

Tang Yuan said happily, "Mom, let's go to Golden Tripod Restaurant. Since we're out, let's eat out for lunch. And when we get back, don't tell Grandmother I got into a fight. She's getting old and shouldn't be worried with such matters. After we eat, I'll go back early. I still have class in the afternoon."

Lin Qiuran nodded and ordered a few of Tang Yuan's favorite dishes: braised pork, spicy diced chicken, stir-fried greens, and steamed egg custard with scallops. He was starving, probably because the food at the academy wasn't great. Lin Qiuran ate some of it, and he finished the rest.

After eating, Tang Yuan wiped his mouth and confidently asked for sixteen steamed dumplings to take away. This season, there were chive-filled and bok choy-filled options. The chive dumplings were fresh, filled with eggs, meat, and shrimp, and of course, they were more expensive than those sold in Yu'an.

After all, this was the capital, where everything was a bit pricier.

The bok choy dumplings were crisp and juicy, with savory meat inside. Both types were delicious, so Tang Yuan ordered eight of each.

He had eaten a lot for lunch, and Lin Qiuran guessed the dumplings were for his classmates, since Tang Yuan used his own allowance to buy them.

He specifically explained to Lin Qiuran, "I thought scoring first rank was enough, and I shouldn't be proud or complacent because next time might be different. But that's not enough. Not all my classmates like me, and that's fine, but I can't let everyone dislike me. Mom, friendship can't rely solely on playing Cuju."

Getting first place once already made someone jealous. Even if he thought first place wasn't a big deal after getting it multiple times, he couldn't intentionally do poorly on exams. Tang Yuan felt the exams were quite simple.

This was the lesson Tang Yuan learned from the fight: having more people on your side was useful.

Lin Qiuran nodded, feeling this couldn't be considered strategic. No matter how old you were, relationships should involve reciprocity.

Moreover, since everyone ate at the academy, she had seen the food there. Compared to other academies, it was decent, but these children were mostly spoiled and often complained about the food. Probably many had meals brought from home at noon, but some didn't.

Tang Yuan bringing food back would be more useful than giving money. After all, money wasn't an issue for anyone.

So Lin Qiuran didn't stop him.

After packing the food, an attendant took Tang Yuan back to the academy. Lin Qiuran didn't go and returned home instead.

Sun Shi was waiting and asked what had happened. Naturally, Lin Qiuran kept it to herself. Even if Tang Yuan hadn't reminded her, she wouldn't have said anything.

Lin Qiuran: "It was nothing. He just needed some things, so I brought them over."

Sun Shi was very protective of her grandson. If she knew he had been beaten, she would have been heartbroken—she had never hit him herself, so how could she accept someone else doing it? She would also have said the academy was no good and that it would be better to hire a tutor at home, bringing up the same old arguments over and over. It was better not to say anything to avoid trouble.

Sun Shi said, "What could be so important that you had to go there yourself?"

Lin Qiuran smiled. "He's just used to certain things. Mom, you haven't eaten yet, right? Next time I go out, you don't need to wait for me. You should eat when it's time."

Lin Qiuran quickly changed the subject.

Sun Shi: "I ate a lot this morning, and there are snacks in the room. I also just had a bowl of donkey-hide gelatin porridge, so I'm not very hungry now."

Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "Even if you're not very hungry, you should still eat something. I'll join you."

Sun Shi happily agreed. She preferred having more people around and lively meals.

However, Lin Qiuran only ate a few bites, mostly keeping Sun Shi company. In the afternoon, she busied herself with trivial matters. When Xiao Xun returned that evening, Lin Qiuran told him what had happened.

Lin Qiuran said worriedly, "I don't know how to explain it to Tang Yuan. I don't want him to suffer or be bullied, but I'm also afraid that if I say something, he'll think I don't want him to cause trouble or bring trouble to the family."

Lin Qiuran added, "Also, he's still young. I don't know what kind of friends he's making."

Since Xiao Xun returned, invitations to the residence had been endless. Lin Qiuran had been attending banquets lately. Since Xiao Xun was favored by the emperor, she was quite comfortable at these events. Tang Yuan was probably in a similar situation.

Would there be parents specifically instructing their children to befriend certain people?

But if even friendships were being arranged, that would be going too far.

Lin Qiuran didn't want to raise a child who had to ask her about everything, lacked independence, and had a submissive nature.

Xiao Xun listened silently for a while before patting Lin Qiuran's shoulder. "Qiu Ran, we shouldn't be afraid of him making mistakes. Sometimes setbacks aren't always beneficial, but they can certainly serve as learning experiences."

Lin Qiuran's beautiful eyes lingered on Xiao Xun for a moment, and she instinctively asked, "Have you suffered before?"

Xiao Xun smiled. "Of course. Some things parents don't teach you, so you have to learn through experience. There's no way to avoid stumbling. For example, when he makes friends in the future, if someone approaches him with hidden agendas, those intentions will eventually come to light. After going through this, he'll learn to be more discerning. Another example is shopping—if he buys something expensive or of poor quality, he'll learn to be more careful next time after suffering a loss."

Lin Qiuran sighed softly. Xiao Xun continued, "Even if we tell him, he might not listen. Some lessons must be learned firsthand to understand their depth. Don't worry too much. If the sky falls, we'll be here to hold it up. He just needs to know right from wrong."

For example, don't skip class, and don't bully others.

Otherwise, Lin Qiuran would worry endlessly and constantly fret.

After listening to Xiao Xun, Lin Qiuran felt somewhat relieved. She said, "What you say makes sense. I'll follow your advice."

Xiao Xun smiled and asked, "So, will he still practice martial arts today?"

Lin Qiuran replied, "See if he's well enough to practice. It's just a couple of bruises. If he can, then let him practice."

A few bumps and knocks are unavoidable.

Lin Qiuran felt much more at ease. During dinner that evening, Tangyuan said excitedly, "Mom, my classmates really liked the steamed dumplings I brought."

He was happy both that his classmates enjoyed his family’s cooking and that Qí Sòng'ān was absent from class that afternoon, allowing him to become closer with several classmates. They even promised to help him out if anything came up in the future.

Though it was just a verbal promise, it was better than nothing.

Xiao Xun glanced at Lin Qiuran as if to say, "See? He can handle things well without your interference."

Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "Then I’ll bring more next time."

Tangyuan grinned. "I even had one myself—they're delicious."

That night, Xiao Xun teased, "See, I told you so."

Lin Qiuran retorted, "What did you tell me? I knew by noon that Tangyuan wanted to bring food to the academy."

Seeing her act stubborn, Xiao Xun picked her up in his arms. Lin Qiuran gasped and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. "What are you doing?"

Xiao Xun laughed and asked, "What did I do?"

The night was long, and it wasn’t just about taking care of the child.

The next day, Lin Qiuran woke up late. After washing up, the gatehouse servant informed her that Steward Xu had arrived.

Lin Qiuran said, "Please invite him to the front hall first. Have tea and refreshments prepared, and tell him I’ll be there shortly."

After dressing up and having a light breakfast, Lin Qiuran headed to the main hall. From a distance, she could see Steward Xu smiling. He stood up promptly when she arrived, and she guessed it was likely good news.

Steward Xu had come to deliver the profits. "Madam Lin, I’ve brought this month’s profits. Here are two account books—one for you and one for the young master. Please take a look."

Profits were now delivered mid-month, as it took time to consolidate accounts from all our business locations.

Lin Qiuran said, "Starting this month, just give Tangyuan’s share directly to him."

Steward Xu replied, "Madam, you’re making this hard for me. I’m just here to deliver things. Major decisions are up to the young master. This was his idea—I wouldn't dare comment."

Lin Qiuran smiled slightly and gave her maid a look. Lin Xia took the account books, though she didn’t look through them.

Steward Xu continued, "There’s another matter. Recently, the young master received a letter from the magistrate of Yu’an. It mentioned that Prefect Lord Li of Xuzhou is preparing tribute offerings for the Mid-Autumn Festival and brought up Thirteen Spices."

Spices are considered valuable in daily life, and offering them as tribute would be prestigious. It would also benefit future business, making it a situation of all gains, no losses.

However, since it’s for the Emperor, they can’t just rebottle what they sell to the public.

Preparing tribute would require changing the formula. If they agree, there will be much more work ahead. The formula belongs to Lin Qiuran, so Xu Yuanhang couldn’t make the decision without her.

Delivering the profits was secondary; asking about this was the main purpose of Steward Xu’s visit.

Steward Xu added, "After this, we’ll need to adjust the formula, select containers… Today is the fourteenth of May. To ensure the tribute reaches the capital before Mid-Autumn Festival, accounting for travel time, everything must be ready by late June. That doesn’t leave much time. The young master asked me to ask your thoughts. It’s fine if we decline, since we’re far away and don't return to Yu’an often."

We have about a month and a half. The journey from the capital to Yu’an took around twenty days, plus return time.

Lin Qiuran asked, "Are there other alternate options? I’m worried that if we agree but the result isn’t satisfactory, it might delay the main task."

Steward Xu replied, "Yes, there are alternate options, Madam. Don’t worry. In previous years, tribute included tea from the county next to ours."

Submitting tribute isn’t done by just small counties—it’s a collective effort where the whole prefecture pools resources to select a few items.

Lin Qiuran nodded. "Then we should do it. Being chosen is a good opportunity."

Such a good opportunity should be seized.