Green Mountain

February 2nd, the dragon raises its head.

Suitable for accepting wealth, raising beams, repairing, and laying foundations.

Avoid funerals, taking up appointments, marriages, and lawsuits.

At night during the Hour of the Pig, the night patrol knocked on the copper gong and shouted, "Close doors and windows, guard against thieves and robbery!"

Zhang Zhuo hurriedly stepped out of the Eastern Hua Gate, draped in a red official robe, only then did the lights of the Wenhua Palace extinguish behind him.

Changxiu led four little eunuchs following Zhang Zhuo, each carrying a tall stack of memorials, placing them on the Zhang Family carriage outside the Eastern Hua Gate.

Zhang Zhuo cupped his hands to Changxiu: "Thank you."

Changxiu kept his hands inside his sleeves and looked at the plain carriage of the Zhang Family, speaking softly: "No need to be polite, Mr. Zhang. You devote yourself tirelessly to state affairs every day. Being able to help carry some things is an honor for us... Besides, I also admire the spirit of the Marquis Wu Xiang. In this Forbidden City, I dare not speak for others, but if you want a pot of hot charcoal or a bowl of plain noodles, I can still manage."

Zhang Zhuo followed his gaze and looked back, a piece of white linen hung on the carriage window of the Zhang Family, with a small piece of white cloth hanging beside the saddle, and a small strand of white linen tied to the horse’s ear, in honor of the deceased in the family.

Recently, everyone in the Imperial Capital knew that the Zhang Family had just married off a daughter, only for the groom to die.

Some say that Third Miss Qi had a fortunate fate, inadvertently spared from widowhood, and Second Miss Qi was also granted marriage to Prince Fu. The Qi Family might rise by leveraging Prince Fu.

Others say that Second Miss Zhang had a strong character, with a fatal destiny that could overbear even the tenacious fate of the Marquis Wu Xiang. Zhang Family might find it difficult to marry off Second Miss Zhang again.

But some had ideas, as Minister Li Jie from the Ministry of Industry courted Zhang Zhuo daily, subtly suggesting his family didn’t fear Second Miss Zhang’s fate nor mind her being a widow, willing to become in-laws with the Zhang Family.

Zhang Zhuo then had the Ministry of Personnel draft a transfer order, assigning Li Jie to collect taxes in Lingnan. Li Jie pleaded with many influential people to intercede for him, but in the end, he could only pack his things regretfully and head to his appointment.

Chen Ji died.

Everyone in the Ning Dynasty believed Chen Ji died.

Zhang Zhuo retracted his gaze, let out a long sigh, cupped his hands again to Changxiu, and turned to board the carriage: "Return home."

...

...

The carriage swayed along Xuanwu Gate Street, eventually stopping before the Zhang Mansion.

Under the plaque of "Zhang Mansion" hung a three-foot white linen soul-calling flag, lasting a hundred days without being taken down, intended to guide the soul of the deceased.

A few young servants had been waiting at the door early on. When the carriage stopped, they picked up the memorials and walked towards the main hall.

Mrs. Zhang greeted them from the mansion, holding a white cloth to dust off Zhang Zhuo’s clothes: "Why were you busy until the Hour of the Pig again today? The Wenhua Palace doesn’t only have you as a cabinet minister, why do you work so relentlessly?"

Zhang Zhuo looked weary: "In the past, the Wenhua Palace had five or six cabinet ministers each with their own responsibilities. Now, with Official Hu gone to Chongli Pass, it’s just me, Official Chen, and Mr. Qi, so the burden is naturally heavier. The two elders also left only at the Hour of the Dog... Where is Axia? Don’t mention the urgent border report to her to avoid causing her worry."

Mrs. Zhang whispered: "Axia is still in the main hall helping you with the accumulated paperwork from these days."

Zhang Zhuo walked towards the main hall: "It has indeed been hard on her."

The main hall was brightly lit.

Zhang Xia sat straight at the desk, writing vigorously, muttering the Cloud Covering Scripture while working diligently.

She wore a mourning attire of white linen, her waist straightened, with her long hair tied in a hemp strand behind her, losing some sharpness but gaining some steadiness.

In front of Zhang Xia were five accounting scholars. Every time she filled a sheet of paper, she handed it out, and the five accounting scholars passed it along, with abacus beads making a crackling sound.

They wrote their calculations on the back of the paper, and after a round, it returned to Zhang Xia.

From a distance, Zhang Zhuo couldn’t help but feel his daughter had more demeanor than the officials in the Ministry of Personnel, more like a cabinet minister in the Wenhua Palace.

At this time, Xiao Man and the little monk sat on the left, dozing off, while Zhang Zheng and Xu Shu sat on the right, eating a late-night meal.

Zhang Zheng ate rice dumplings, eagerly questioning, "Why did you only take nine years of life from that person? You should have taken ninety years of life!"

Xu Shu replied indifferently: "A Seeking Dao Realm Official can only take nine years; only upon reaching the Divine Realm can one take a full lifespan."

Zhang Zheng lamented, "Your Path is indeed powerful, the most rogue under the Divine Realm, anyone who comes would get slapped and sent away. It’s a pity your official Path can only take one person at a time; it would be problematic if you’re besieged."

Xu Shu put down his porcelain bowl, speaking meaningfully: "Who do you look down upon? Have you ever heard of a technique called Heaven and Earth Same Life?"

Zhang Zheng’s eyes widened: "You know it?"

Xu Shu laughed heartily: "Not yet."

Zhang Zheng mused, "I wonder if Chen Ji managed to save the person and where he is now."

Xu Shu said carelessly, "Don’t worry, that kid has a tough life."

Xiao Man looked at Xu Shu expectantly, "Can you go over there again, find out where the young master is, and ask when he’s coming back?"

Xu Shu shook his head, "I only gave him one Medicine Master Glaze Talisman, so I can only go once."

Xiao Man lamented, "Why didn’t you give more back then?"

Xu Shu rolled his eyes, "Do you think the Medicine Master Glaze Talisman is like a cabbage? If you can make one in three years, that’s already good."

Xiao Man was incredulous, "You’ve been in the world for nineteen years, you should have five or six in hand, but why didn’t you give them all to my young master?"

Xu Shu also widened his eyes, "Might as well sell me to him?"

From beginning to end, Zhang Xia never raised her head to look, even when the crowd discussed Chen Ji, she remained indifferent.

Xiao Man carefully observed her expression and whispered to the little monk, "The young master left without saying goodbye this time, Sister Axia is really angry with him."

The little monk thought for a moment and said, "What should we do then?"

Xiao Man shrugged, "He’ll have to count on his own luck."

...

...

At this moment, Zhang Zhuo and Mrs. Zhang stepped over the threshold together.

Zhang Xia raised her head to look at Zhang Zhuo, "The taxes in Jiangnan can’t be collected anymore. Last year, Shan State collected three hundred thousand taels of silver on land taxes, while the prosperous Suzhou only brought in two hundred ninety thousand taels. During the late Emperor’s time, taxes from just one provincial area like Suzhou accounted for ten percent of the entire country, but now even that meager amount isn’t met."

Zhang Zhuo seemed to have expected it, only furrowing his brows without speaking.

Zhang Xia continued, "I calculated with five masters and estimated that Jiangnan has about two million mu of ’donated land’ and about three million and three hundred thousand mu of ’Flying Sprinkling’ and ’Deceitful Deposit’ land. With so much land not yielding taxes, it certainly results in a deficit."

Xiao Man curiously asked beside, "With so much land not paying tax silver, doesn’t the court intervene?"

"They did, but needles can’t penetrate, and water can’t flood it," Zhang Xia pointed to the corner piled high with memorials and said, "Local governors and inspectors introducing reforms and investigating hidden land fields and tax arrears result in impeachment letters from Jiangnan-based officials and Science and Technology Officials flying in like snowflakes. Two governors were pressured to resign."

"Jiangnan gentry incited merchants to strike, weavers to stop working, and peasants to carry corpses to attack government offices... Additionally, a gentry member first pretended to cozy up to an Imperial Censor; after getting the Censor drunk, they sent their daughter to his bed, then accused him of forcibly taking a commoner’s daughter. This matter stirred up the Three Judicial Departments Office last year, with the Imperial Censor claiming to be framed by the local gentry, but the gentry argued in front of hundreds of people ’What parent would sacrifice their daughter’s purity to entrap another?’ In the end, that Imperial Censor had his home confiscated and was exiled."

Xu Shu clicked his tongue in amazement, "The Three Judicial Departments Office is the jurisdiction of the Imperial Censor, yet they messed up so badly."

Zhang Zhuo waved his sleeve wearily, "They are all of the same ilk, merely with dirty hands themselves. The pity is that, throughout the court, it’s hard to find someone with clean hands... even Mr. Zhang included."

Zhang Zheng chimed in, "I say it’s high time to send the Imperial Three Camps southwards, make heads roll in Jiangnan so they’ll behave. Killing just two percent can scare the gentry into submission, prying seven or eight million taels of silver from their hands."

Zhang Zhuo found a chair to sit down, "If the Imperial Three Camps head south, what about Chongli Pass?"

Zhang Zheng considered, "The Jing Dynasty just suffered losses from the Heavenly Strategy Army, they probably won’t send forces southward."

Mrs. Zhang brought hot tea to Zhang Zhuo.

Zhang Zhuo accepted it but didn’t drink, turning to Zhang Zheng, "There were Jiangnan scholars and students gathering at the Confucius Temple, ’crying the temple’, lamenting the court’s exorbitant taxes, stirring public sentiment. Originally, His Majesty wanted to behead them to make an example, but Official Xu’s one remark led His Majesty to spare their lives."

"What was said?"

Zhang Zhuo looked at the beam overhead, "Your Majesty, how can there be a prosperous era in the history books that kills scholars and gifted talents?"

"History is but history," Zhang Zheng chuckled, "just some hollow reputation after all."

Zhang Xia turned to Zhang Zhuo, "Father, now that Jiangnan’s tax issues remain unresolved, the position of Grand Secretary is also vacant, His Majesty’s intentions are clear."

Zhang Zheng pondered, "His Majesty wishes to throw out the position of Grand Secretary as bait, forcing the Hu family, Qi family, Chen family, and our Zhang family to head to Jiangnan to clean up the Xu family’s mess."

Zhang Xia shook her head, "The problem with Jiangnan gentry is far from merely the Xu family’s mess. The Qi family, Hu family, and Chen family can treat Ji State, Shan Province, and Lu State as their private lands, but the Xu family and Yang family cannot treat Jiangnan as such. If the Jiangnan gentry starts trouble, even the Xu and Yang families can’t hold them down, they are merely pushed to the forefront by the gentry."

Zhang Zheng sighed, "Indeed, some must be killed."

Zhang Xia ignored him, turning to Zhang Zhuo, "Currently, the Chen family has Chen Liqin and Chen Yu in Jinling, already having taken the advantage. But if Official Chen becomes the Grand Secretary, the new policies will come to a halt."

Zhang Zhuo sighed, "Let them fight then, I’m stretched too thin to concern myself with Jinling."

Zhang Xia resolutely replied, "I’ll go."

...

There’s another Chapter tonight, everyone can read it in the morning.

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