Chapter 110 Court Gazette

Chapter 110: The Gazette

Meng Wan holed up at home every day, knowing little about what was happening in the capital city of Shengjing, so how could he know about the Four Great Clans?

“Never heard of them.”

“You really…” Nie Zhiyao didn’t know what to say. “Aren’t you pretty bold? How come you haven’t even set foot on the streets since arriving in Shengjing?”

Meng Wan shook his head honestly. “So what are the Four Great Clans?”

Nie Zhiyao had to fill him in. “If you took a stroll in the streets, you’d know there’s a nursery rhyme in Shengjing: ‘Better to marry a woman from a great clan than to enter the imperial family.’”

Meng Wan gasped. “That bold? Is that something you can say out loud?”

“What are you so afraid of? Our King is very good-tempered. The most severe punishment in this dynasty was just confiscating someone’s property; I’ve never heard of anyone being beheaded for running their mouth.”

Nie Zhiyao said, “The Four Great Clans are the Wu clan of Heqi, the Luo clan of Xian’ge, the Xiang clan of Yunxiu, and the Yuezheng clan of Qiluo. Among them, the Yuezheng clan of Qiluo is the most ancient, going back to the Zhou dynasty to the present. The other three great clans have also endured several dynasties, each with a ton of wealth, deep roots, high status, and steady power. That nursery rhyme didn’t start in this dynasty; it has been passed down from some unknown dynasty.”

Meng Wan listened as if hearing a story. “So your marriage is related to these four great clans?”

Nie Zhiyao looked like it’d be a long story. “The man I brought into the family is from the Yuezheng clan of Qiluo, but only a branch of it.”

That is, Meng Wan had just arrived in the capital and was completely clueless. Anyone who knew about the Four Great Clans would know that they had always observed the rule of not intermarrying with the royal family.

They only intermarried within the great clans. Although this rule was gradually broken later, the most historically ancient Yuezheng clan of Qiluo still maintained this family rule.

The Yuezheng family wouldn’t even look at the imperial house, so even a branch shouldn’t be a match for a nobody like Nie Zhiyao, the son of a mere imperial merchant, could marry into—let alone recruit a son-in-law.

Nie Zhiyao gave Meng Wan a general idea. “His branch is not favored by the main family and has gradually been marginalized. The circumstances when I met him were not good at all—it was just mutual need. It’s okay for now; at least I successfully separated from the Nie family and live independently.”

For a gē’er to both recruit a son-in-law and separate from his family must have been a difficult experience for Nie Zhiyao, but fortunately the outcome is good now.

Meng Wan thought of something, got off the low kang, ran to the inner room, took out a box, and extracted several banknotes and three account books to hand to Nie Zhiyao. “Here are the dividends and account books from the past three years for the shop. Take a look yourself.”

Except for the first year when Qingxiao Pavilion was in a loss, it basically started making a profit from the second year. But when divided among the three masters, each person only got a few hundred taels, not too much.

But in the third year, after its reputation spread, Huang Zheng began counting cash until his hands ached. Not to mention the two big bosses, Meng Wan and Nie Zhiyao, even Huang Zheng himself had saved over a thousand taels of silver—seven or eight times the annual profit of his father’s small bookshop in the town.

Nie Zhiyao received several thousand taels in banknotes. Now that he lived independently, this money really helped him out of an urgent need.

He roughly flipped through the account books in his hands and said without looking up, “Then I won’t be polite about it. It’s a pity that we’re still small-time; otherwise, we could open another Qingxiao Pavilion in the capital and surely make a profit.”

Over the years, Meng Wan had earned over a thousand taels from writing early storybooks. Later, he spent eight hundred taels buying a house in the prefectural city. Afterwards, from the second and third volumes, he split profits with several bookstores and earned about four thousand taels in total.

Books are not consumables; they only earn money from the popularity of new books. Later, as storybooks flourished in Changping, Human-Demon Romance faded into the background.

Although the dividends from fried dough were small money, since there were fifteen shops, he could get about fifty to sixty taels each month. Over twelve months a year, that’s over seven hundred taels. In three years, Meng Wan earned two thousand taels just from fried dough dividends.

These two sources plus his cut from Qingxiao Pavilion, Meng Wan had saved about ten thousand taels in total. His household expenses were not large, with few servants. Apart from some extra spending on Song Tingzhou’s studies, it was just buying some fabrics—really no major expenses.

Before leaving, aside from giving Chang Jinhua two hundred taels as pocket money for returning home, Meng Wan changed the rest into banknotes and carried them on him. The major money banks had branches all over the Yu Kingdom, making exchange convenient.

So now, as long as Meng Wan didn’t blow the money, this silver was enough for decades of family expenses. At this moment, he no longer felt the urgency to earn money that he had when he first arrived at Sanquan Village.

Therefore, hearing Nie Zhiyao’s money-grubbing words, Meng Wan’s expression stayed flat instead. “I have just arrived in Shengjing and don’t yet know how deep the waters are. I dare not act rashly. Earning money is a small matter; offending someone I shouldn’t because of profit would be disastrous.”

Nie Zhiyao nodded in agreement. “Alright, you’re right. In the capital, if you throw a stone at random, you might hit a seventh-rank official. There are plenty of people you can’t afford to offend.”

The two hadn’t seen each other for a long time and chatted together for half a day. Since there were too many strangers in the household, it wasn’t convenient to keep Nie Zhiyao for a meal. Nie Zhiyao said he had come just to get acquainted with the place.

Meng Wan told him that Song Tingzhou didn’t want to go out before the metropolitan exam for fear of causing trouble. Nie Zhiyao said he had nothing to do recently and would often come to visit Meng Wan.

Having a close friend in a foreign land comforted Meng Wan’s heart a great deal. If he didn’t go out, he wouldn’t know what was happening outside. Fortunately, purchasing the capital’s gazettes was quite convenient. Meng Wan often asked Song Tingzhou to bring him several gazettes when he went out to buy books—not only recent ones but also from previous years.

Song Tingzhou had a tight schedule for studying, so Meng Wan cut out useful information from the gazettes and compiled them into a booklet for him.

“I’ve looked at the three spring imperial examinations in the past nine years. The policy essays were all on aspects like people’s livelihood, disasters, taxation, etc. The general direction is quite pragmatic. I know very little about the imperial examinations, and I don’t know if I’m right.”

Meng Wan stood behind a screen, painting. He hadn’t been able to send a housewarming gift when Nie Zhiyao moved after marriage, so he decided to paint a screen picture to decorate his new home.

He wanted to paint in a realistic style. After having someone bring a blank screen, he painted and colored it himself. He had been painting for five days and still hadn’t finished.

Song Tingzhou stood behind him, carefully admiring the painting that in his eyes was already flawless. His eyes showed appreciation. “You’re right. Looking at the successful candidates from previous years, His Majesty indeed favors the pragmatic school. But the examiners change frequently—over the years, there has never been a repeating chief examiner. Their styles are hard to predict.”

Meng Wan added a stroke to the little orange in front of him to give it a glossy look, and said with a sigh, “It’s really not easy for you to take the imperial exams. Just memorizing books is one thing, but you also have to apply what you’ve learned. One word can be explained in eight hundred ways. If it were me, I really couldn’t handle it. I prefer to simplify.”

Song Tingzhou seemed thoughtful. “Applying what you’ve learned is not just about essays; it must be applied to the people’s livelihood. Truly using what’s in books for the people is the real application. Wan’er, although you don’t like writing essays, you are far better than me at doing practical things. I should learn from you.”

Meng Wan turned around and smiled at Song Tingzhou. “Setting everything else aside, Zhou Lang’s mouth is getting sweeter and sweeter. Not bad, not bad.”

He held a brush in his right hand, with a few stray patches of paint accidentally stained on his clothes. His eyes were lively and spirited, but his usually beautiful and soft lips were a bit parched—he must have been sitting in front of the screen for a while without drinking water.

Song Tingzhou slightly bent down and gently pecked his lips. “It’s all because Wan’er taught me well. I’ll get you a cup of tea.”

The tea in the teapot on the table was cold. Song Tingzhou lifted the kettle sitting on the stove and brewed a fresh pot of tea. After letting it cool a bit, he poured it into a teacup and fed Meng Wan a cup of warm tea.

Today Song Tingzhou didn’t go out. Xue Sheng went out and bought the gazette back.

Meng Wan was still focusing on his painting. Song Tingzhou sat on the low couch, put down his book, and picked up the gazette to read.

Meng Wan took a moment to ask, “It’s from yesterday, right? What does it say?”

After a long while, Song Tingzhou said, “Wu Yong has been dismissed from office.”

Meng Wan murmured with a shocked and enlightened expression, “Finally.”

He hadn’t expected it so soon, and yet he regretted it was too slow.

The gazette only publishes edicts issued by His Majesty, court decisions, major ceremonies, and appointments and dismissals of officials. It does not go into too much detail.

It only stated that Wu Yong had been temporarily dismissed and that the Prince Qin and the Governor of Guandong would later be sent to Changping for a thorough investigation.

But Meng Wan and Song Tingzhou both knew that the evidence against Wu Yong had been presented before His Majesty. This investigation was the precursor to the confiscation of his property and the extermination of his clan.

“Juren Wu won’t be implicated, will he?” Meng Wan asked Song Tingzhou.

Song Tingzhou slowly tightened his grip on a corner of the gazette. “He shouldn’t be. The court arrests people based on household registration and genealogy. The name Zhao Yuan is not in the Wu family genealogy, and his household registration is independent.”

“That’s good. If he were implicated by such a nominal father, that would be really unfortunate.” Meng Wan felt sorry for Wu Zhaoyuan.

Song Tingzhou said worriedly, “I wonder what kind of person this Prince Qin is… whether he might shelter Wu Yong.” But then he thought again: the first thing His Majesty did was to dismiss Wu Yong from his post, so there should be no room for turning back.

They had just entered Shengjing, like frogs at the bottom of a well. Only after leaving the well did they realize how vast the outside world was. In a state of knowing nothing, they were too passive.

Days spent idle at home without going out passed very slowly. Meng Wan counted the days until the end of the year.

Huang Zheng, far away in Changping, sent a letter saying that after Meng Wan and the others left, he safely sent Chang Jinhua and Bi Yun back to their hometown.

The people of Sanquan Village were grateful for Song Tingzhou’s help to the village last time and were especially kind to Chang Jinhua. The clan members also promised to take good care of Chang Jinhua, telling them not to worry. Song Tingzhou and Meng Wan only felt at ease after reading this letter. Wu Yong was now unable to protect himself, and many people would probably start to panic.

Meng Wan suddenly thought of a deadly serious problem. "The Zhu family's affair will definitely not be hidden either. This is a crime that gets your entire family executed—nine generations. What about Third Master Zhu and Zhu Zening?" One Wu Yong could implicate who knows how many people, and perhaps what they knew was just the tip of the iceberg.

Even though they had long heard that the current emperor was benevolent, a serious crime like smuggling salt—even the most good-tempered emperor wouldn't tolerate that, right?

"I've already privately informed Third Master Zhu, but he seems to have another plan." Song Tingzhou seemed puzzled. After the evidence was taken away, he had long found an opportunity to subtly inform Third Master Zhu of the pros and cons, but the other party appeared confident and not anxious, which set Song Tingzhou's mind at ease as well.

"Another plan? That reliable?" Meng Wan increasingly felt that everyone had something behind them, only he and Song Tingzhou had no real backing.

Third Master Zhu eventually bought a house and moved out before the new year. After all, it wasn't convenient for so many people to stay at someone else's place, and Third Master Zhu was not short of money. But before leaving, he left his son to stay temporarily in Shichun Lane, and only went back to Third Master Zhu's place just before the new year.

On the eve of New Year's Eve, the house needed to buy supplies from the street. Meng Wan and Song Tingzhou did not plan to go out, so they left everything to Xue Sheng and Mother Geng.

Chang Jinhua was not there, so only Song Tingzhou and Meng Wan spent the new year, which was indeed rather lonely.

In Shengjing, red lanterns were hung on New Year's Eve. The house in Shichun Lane was slightly larger, not like the earthen houses in Sanquan Village back then.

Song Tingzhou personally wrote the couplets. The servants hung red lanterns at the main gate and other places in the courtyard and pasted red couplets. Meng Wan and Song Tingzhou hung the lanterns on the main house door themselves.

The evening feast was very sumptuous, but Meng Wan felt it was not as delicious as Chang Jinhua's cooking. Even the feast they had back in the village last summer was tastier.

They spent their first new year in Shengjing without any excitement. With things weighing on their minds and the metropolitan exam approaching, it was utterly dull.

Fortunately, on the third day of the new year, they could visit Nie Zhiyao's home. He had the screen he painted for Nie Zhiyao loaded onto a separate cart, bought some usual new year gifts like wine and pastries, and went with Song Tingzhou to the Nie residence.

The Nie residence.

In Shengjing, houses spread out in all directions from the imperial palace as the center. Ordinary people could not even think about the two rings closest to the imperial city; those were basically for people with noble titles. Even the third ring was reserved for imperial officials, high-ranking ones at that.

Shichun Lane was within the fourth ring; even those without official rank could not live there. Nie Zhiyao's home was in the sixth ring, four streets away from Meng Wan's house, and it took half an hour by carriage. But the courtyard was about the same size as theirs, also a two-courtyard compound.

Meng Wan had long told Nie Zhiyao that he would come on the third day, so when the gatekeeper's servant heard that it was the Song family from Shichun Lane, he immediately welcomed them in and went to report to Nie Zhiyao.

"Why are you so late? I've been waiting since early morning."

Nie Zhiyao took Meng Wan's hand and led him into the main house at the back, leaving behind a man with deep-set eyes and strikingly gorgeous features.

He was tall, with a slender and lean figure, and his eye color was much lighter than ordinary people. Nie Zhiyao, without even acknowledging him or complaining, instead politely entertained Song Tingzhou, saying, "I've long heard of Brother Song. Please come to the hall for a chat."

Although he was speaking politely, Song Tingzhou had a strange feeling that this guy already knew him, but this was his first time seeing this person. After all, such outstanding features, whether in a man or a ge'er, would be unforgettable, like Meng Wan.

Meng Wan followed Nie Zhiyao into the main hall, which was much more magnificently decorated than his own home. The shelves and cabinets were filled with fine porcelain and decorations, calligraphy and paintings hung on the walls, and the tables, chairs, and furniture were made of fine materials.

Meng Wan took off his heavy cloak, and Nie Zhiyao personally hung it on the screen rack. Meng Wan did not stand on ceremony, sitting on the low kang in the outer room and said to him, "I painted a screen for you. See if you like it."

Nie Zhiyao had barely sat down on the low kang when he shot up upon hearing this. "Why didn't you say so earlier!"

He quickly told the young servant, "Go quickly and see where the things sent by Meng Fulang have been placed. Tell those guys to be careful with them and not to break anything."