Chapter 527: Success Depends on Oneself, Not Fate

As this was a street filled with restaurants and eateries, Ba Zhen Street became bustling early in the morning. Each shop was busy lowering their shutters; some workers were wiping tables, sweeping the floors, and clearing the ice formed from standing water in front of the shops. Those in the kitchen, responsible for procurement, set out early to buy fresh vegetables and other valuable items to satisfy the picky officers at the general’s residence. Even before they woke up, the morning drums at the general’s residence had already sounded, and their resonant echoes could be heard from afar.

The last courtyard at the end of Ba Zhen Street also had its doors open now. Workers at a restaurant across the way could even see the servants cleaning the outer courtyard just by stretching their necks. When Meng Jun first moved here, they had been puzzled. But when they discovered that the young marquis was easy-going and loved good food, they were glad to have such a generous patron visiting frequently. Since Lord Zhang, the imperial envoy to Xuanfu, also moved in, they were even happier, as the merchants who came to see him brought a surge in popularity and business.

Since Meng Jun and Zhang Yue were surely not at home, few people chose to visit at such a time. So when a group of riders approached slowly with a carriage, some workers from the shops curiously glanced over. Soon, those who knew their way recognized the markings on the black carriage.

“It’s the Wang family from Taiyuan!”

After bidding the highest price last time and narrowly winning at an extremely low bid, Wang Yan finally became satisfied after purchasing 3,000 dan of salt for two stones and eight dou. If not for the matter revealed by Fang Qing, which stuck in his throat like a bone and caused him great distress, he would have left for Taiyuan right away. Now, assisted by his servant, he got out of the carriage, slowly straightening the wrinkled hem of his robe, determined in his heart.

Yet, thinking he would take first place today, he stepped up the steps without even announcing his arrival when suddenly, he heard extremely harsh horse hooves and wheel noises. He quickly turned to look and saw a carriage speeding toward him at full speed, seemingly about to crash into the wall at the end of the alley.

Fortunately, the coachman who came was highly skilled. As they neared their destination, he quickly turned and grabbed the reins with one hand, uttering a series of commands. At those words, the horse pulling the carriage miraculously slowed down rapidly and stopped right behind the Wang family’s carriage. As soon as the carriage came to a halt, a hearty laugh came from inside.
“The big hustle of yesterday is over now. With such a large business under his control, how does Lord Wang still find time to come here amidst all his duties? I thought everyone knew that Lord Zhang isn’t here at the moment and would be the first to arrive. Who would have thought Lord Wang would beat me to it? I’m truly ashamed!”
Upon recognizing the person who leaped down from the carriage with ease, Wang Yan’s heart skipped a beat. The business world was already very small, and everyone relied on their own skills to make a living. At most, they might use the power of their connections to pressure others, but they would never dare to try to crush their rivals completely, as the chaos caused by one ship sinking could drag others down as well. So, keeping his composure, he turned and stepped down the stairs, saying calmly, “Is Lord Zhao here to say goodbye and express his gratitude as well?”
“Expressing gratitude is obvious. Without these favorable policies, I wouldn’t have been able to buy seven thousand strings of salt at once. Although the capital investment is higher, it’s still worth it.”
Lord Zhao, in his early forties, was plump and round, and his eyes disappeared when he smiled. But right after that, he said something indifferent, “I don’t plan to say goodbye. If possible, I intend to spend the New Year in Xuanfu before leaving. Lord Wang is so well-informed—hasn’t he heard that envoys from the Tartars have arrived? As long as Arutai steps down, the Tartars and the Ming Dynasty can resume trade. Once regular markets open, we won’t have to take such great risks!”
Wang Yan, who was already on high alert, felt his heart pound even more upon hearing this, let alone the frustration from holding back his anger. Knowing that outright denial would only make him look contemptible, he was about to give a vague reply when more noise came from the end of the alley. Seeing two more carriages of different designs, his heart tightened even further. If Fang Qing were here, he would have scolded him half to death.

You should know that this unofficial market has unwritten rules—how much goods to transport each year, how much to bribe those in power, which routes to take… Since it’s a dangerous enterprise, everything must be handled with extreme caution. The border guards usually turn a blind eye, given the large number of horses that can be brought back and as a form of tribute. Only someone as greedy as Wang Guan would send more merchant caravans, loading even more goods, only to lose his life in the end. How could such things become known throughout the city!

At three o’clock in the morning, Zhang Yue returned from the general’s residence. Passing by the entrance of Bajin Street, he saw the bustling scene. Of course, he didn’t think these people were there because of yesterday’s incident. In fact, since everything regarding the grain allocation had already been decided, the next step should be to quickly store the grain, not come here to argue with him. Thinking of the plan he and Zheng Heng had made to release the grain gradually, he glanced at the row of carriages parked along the wall.

“Xiang Long, go home and help Old Peng. This is the most crucial moment—whether we can catch the fish depends on this attempt!”

Seeing Xiang Long nod and head into the alley, Zhang Yue turned his horse around and rode off. He had finally managed to steal some time for himself, but Meng Jun had just asked him to go see a house. These days, because of him, Meng Jun had been running around in a frenzy, so he naturally couldn’t refuse. When he met Meng Jun at the agreed place, he learned that the house was in the East City—a quiet three-section courtyard, which surprised him.

“The East City? That’s far from the general’s residence. Will you be able to make it on time for daily reports?”

“How dare you say that? If it weren’t for you taking my house and drawing a crowd of people like flies buzzing around it, would I need to change houses? If I still stayed in a busy area, what if they didn’t bother you but came after me? That would be pointless. Besides, your sister is coming—we’ve finally gotten a chance to spend the Spring Festival together, and we can’t let anyone ruin it!”

Seeing Zhang Yue look embarrassed, Meng Jun thought of his son Meng Ang and sighed again. “I can still bring my sister over for the New Year, but my brother Ang and I haven’t seen each other in almost a year. But I’m luckier than you—your son is only a few months old, and your wife… well, anyway, I don’t care. I just want to avoid trouble, but you need to earn more merits! By the way, my third and fifth brothers plan to go to Jiaozhi as soon as they’ve prepared their mourning clothes… After all, that place is where their father died. If they can earn merits there, maybe they can bring their family back together. They say they don’t want to drag my father into it.”

Military achievements could indeed be a way to restore a family’s reputation, but only if the conservative Emperor Yongle, Zhu Di, was still alive. If it were the crown prince who ruled, it would be fortunate if he didn’t target the Marquis of Baoding… But in any case, to achieve one’s desires in this world, it depends not on fate but on oneself. How can luck alone succeed?

Zhang Yue glanced at Meng Jun, seeing him sniffing and taking deep breaths uncontrollably, so he turned away. The two, lost in silence, didn’t know how long they had walked until a retainer behind them reminded them. Only then did Meng Jun look around and sheepishly say, “I was so lost in thought that I walked too far.”

After finally finding their three-story house, Zhang Yue showed Meng Jun around. All the furniture in each room was complete, ready for immediate occupancy, and the layout was fairly good. However, Zhang Yue wasn’t good at arranging things like this, so no matter what Meng Jun asked, his answer was always “fine.” Eventually, his brother-in-law chased him out.

“Alright, alright. I knew I shouldn’t have asked you, a busy man, to deal with me. Go back and handle your important tasks! I’ll stay here tonight. Leave two attendants there to help, and have the rest move over too… Also, if your elder sister happens to end up on Bazhen Street, have someone send her over!”

After parting with Meng Jun, Zhang Yue didn’t head straight back to Bazhen Street but sent someone there to give instructions. After all, with the drama at home at its peak, his return would disrupt things, and he already had plans for that afternoon. After inspecting the four granaries in Xuanfu, he went to the commander’s office to draft a memorial, carefully reviewing it word by word. After having lunch early at the commander’s office, he set off immediately to inspect the defenses at Zhangjiakou Fort. By the time he returned, the sky was full of stars and the city gates were locked. He had to struggle quite a bit to get in.

By then, a curfew had been imposed in the city, and the bustling shops on Bazhen Street had all closed. Only the small courtyard at the end still had lights on. After riding fast back and forth, Zhang Yue felt sore and numb all over when he dismounted at the door. As soon as it opened, he bent down to rub his shoulders and went inside, ordering, “Hurry up and prepare hot water. I want to soak my feet. If Lao Peng isn’t asleep yet, have him come to my room first. I have something to ask him…”

Suddenly, as he walked with his head down, he sensed something amiss ahead. When he looked up, he saw a face filled with joy. For a moment, he thought his vision must have been affected by the bumpy journey, so he blinked several times. Realizing it was indeed the girl who had been by his side since childhood, he was stunned.

“Qiuhen?”

“Young master!”

Qiuhen had thought she would rush over happily the moment she saw Zhang Yue, but now that she actually saw him, she stood there unable to move, not even realizing tears had already rolled down her cheeks. It wasn’t until Zhang Yue stepped forward another two times that she snapped out of it and quickly bowed.

“I came here with the young lady. She has already gone to her husband’s place. The old lady originally planned for the young mistress to stay in Xuanfu for a few days, but since the lady just arrived in the capital and caught a cold, the young mistress said she would stay to take care of her for a while. I heard that the emperor has pardoned many people these days, and Lord Du should be released soon. The lady said that since her illness isn’t serious, if Lord Du is released before the New Year, she will definitely urge the young mistress to come to Xuanfu to reunite with the young master…”

Although the young master had never truly belonged to her alone, and this time was no different, Qiuhen still felt satisfied. At least she hadn’t expected that since the young mistress couldn’t come for now, the old lady would choose her instead of Lingxi or Hupo.