Chapter 179: Wealthy but Not Martial

General Ke truly fleeced them this time.

Yet, everyone had no choice but to go along; who knew if this was the palace’s intention?

Ke Jihai’s worried expression instantly vanished. He cupped his hands and bowed to the guests, saying, “On behalf of the frontline soldiers, I, Ke, thank all of you esteemed sirs for your generous contributions!”

Once these hundreds of thousands of *shi* of grain and military supplies were in place, the government army could hold out for a good while longer.

Naturally, everyone politely demurred, but Ke Jihai immediately turned to his aide behind him and instructed, “Record all the military provisions donated by these sirs! If there’s a single mistake, you’ll be held accountable.”

The He family brothers exchanged glances, both seeing amusement in the other’s eyes. Ke Jihai was clearly afraid the nobles present would make empty promises and later renege, showing his firm resolve to secure the grain.

He Chunhua also spoke up, “Since the occasion presents itself, my He family will also donate…”

His words were cut short by Ke Jihai, “What are you donating for? When you go to Xiazhou, you’ll need to recruit soldiers and buy horses. Will the money in your pocket be enough? Don’t forget your old adversary, Nian Zanli, is still in the north! In my opinion, the fighting there won’t be any easier than in Wuzhou.” He absolutely refused to accept He Chunhua’s offered grain.

He Chunhua had no choice but to give up and returned to his seat with his two sons.

Next, the host smoothly diffused the unexpected incident. The sounds of silk and bamboo music filled the air, and geishas took the stage, quickly drawing everyone’s attention.

As expected of the capital, these geishas were far more graceful than those in Blackwater City, their singing more melodious, and even their eyes full of emotion.

He Lingchuan watched intently, but He Yue nudged him with his elbow. “Hey, look at General Ke over there.”

Just after Ke Jihai had a few cups of wine, a young man approached from behind to greet him, and the two started chatting.

Though it was called ‘chatting,’ it was more like the young man speaking voluminously while Ke Jihai listened, holding his wine cup, occasionally frowning and asking a few questions.

After a short while, Ke Jihai ordered someone to get the young man a cup of wine.

The young man choked on his first sip and coughed for a long time.

Since women were present at the banquet, the wine served was mild and slightly sweet, suitable for everyone. However, Ke Jihai, accustomed to strong liquor, had long since had his changed by the attendant.

Seeing the young man choke, Ke Jihai smiled and uttered a few words. He Lingchuan could make out the lip movements: “wet behind the ears.”

The young man was in his early twenties, with slightly dark skin, a square face, and a sturdy appearance, but his eyes were very round and bright. Unlike the guests in their silk and brocade, his robe, though made of good fabric, was faded from washing. He Lingchuan even noticed an inconspicuous patch on its hem.

This fellow simply didn’t fit in at Deer Cry Garden.

Afterward, the young man handed a booklet to Ke Jihai, bowed, stood up, and departed.

Ke Jihai didn’t even open it, simply handing it to his aide behind him.

After another short while, he stood up, raised a toast to Zhu Xiyan, and then began to leave.

It seemed he was preparing to depart.

He Lingchuan was once again convinced that General Ke’s main reason for attending the banquet at Deer Cry Garden tonight was to secure funds and provisions for the frontline army. Now that his objective was achieved, he was ready to slip away.

Just then, Madam Ying quietly told her husband, clutching her stomach, “I have a stomachache.”

“Do you need to use the restroom?”

“No, it’s just a dull ache, and it’s been going on for a while,” Madam Ying said, embarrassed. “Perhaps I’m not used to these rare delicacies.” This banquet was quite ostentatious, with flying, swimming, and land-roaming creatures all served on plates. But Ying Hongchan, accustomed to simple fare in the frontier, felt she couldn’t handle the rich and varied flavors.

“Oh, you,” He Chunhua said helplessly. He had no choice but to stand up as well, bid farewell to the Zhu family, and leave first with his wife and children.

Upon reaching the outer area, Assistant Liu was leisurely drinking wine, accompanied by two small dishes.

Such a minor figure naturally had no right to enter the banquet hall.

Seeing the He family emerge, he greeted them and quickly went out to arrange their carriage.

The night was deep. Most of the lights in the myriad homes below the mountain had already extinguished, and snow was softly falling from the sky.

The carriage wheels crunched on the fresh snow.

When He Lingchuan saw the scene below the mountain again, he no longer marveled at it. Instead, he recalled that while the night view of Shihuan City had been beautiful earlier, the area surrounding the city was pitch black, with lights becoming scarcer further out, utterly unlike the immediate vicinity of the Son of Heaven.

He asked Assistant Liu, “Are there not many residents around Shihuan?”

“Many? Of course there are many!” Assistant Liu replied. “Five counties and thirteen townships; they either farm or rely on Shihuan City for their livelihood.”

Shihuan City was such a prosperous place that most residents in the surrounding counties and townships depended on diligently serving it to earn a living.

“Then why are the lights so sparse?”

“They’re busy all day, and when they go home at night, there’s nothing to do, so why not just go to sleep?” Assistant Liu chuckled. “Besides, candles are expensive now, so why light them?”

He Lingchuan immediately remembered what Zhu Xiyan had said earlier.

He Yue whispered, “Compared to what we’ve seen on our journey, the villagers around Shihuan are much better off. At least they have food to eat and can survive.” From Blackwater City to here, they had truly witnessed the hardships of the people’s lives. He Yue’s years of reading countless books couldn’t compare to the shocking and unbelievable things he’d seen in the past twenty or thirty days.

This young man finally understood the meaning of ‘whether rising or falling, it is the common people who suffer.’

At these words, even the smile on Assistant Liu’s face faltered. He swallowed. “The Royal Court issued an order ten days ago, increasing taxes again. This is the second time this year, so everything is expensive now.”

Lacking money, grain, and provisions, they had to demand it from the people.

If they demanded too much from the people, others would rise in rebellion, and there would be a second, then a third, Hong Xiangqian.

The conversation about this topic ended there.

After the carriage wheels began to roll, He Lingchuan lifted the curtain and looked ahead. “That’s General Ke’s carriage up front, not far from us.” It was only about five or six *zhang* away, separated by the swirling snowflakes.

The snow seemed to be falling heavier and heavier.

He Yue said, “General Ke came this time to demand provisions from Shihuan City’s influential families. Did Master Zhu know beforehand, or was he just cooperating on the spot?”

He Lingchuan scoffed, “These nobles in Shihuan City are so rich they’re practically dripping oil. They can donate tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of *shi* of grain without batting an eye, just as a token gesture.”

He Chunhua nodded. “General Ke didn’t get much grain or provisions from the Royal Court. I suspect someone advised him to seek funds from Shihuan City.”

He Yue murmured, “It’s a wonder of the world when a general leading troops on the front lines is forced to rush back to the capital to demand provisions.” There was an undeniable hint of indignation in his voice.

He had long known the country was in decline, but seeing it with his own eyes still left a bitter taste in his mouth.

He Lingchuan patted his head. “You’re still too young, kid.”

He Chunhua, however, shook his head. “Demanding provisions is just an excuse. I believe General Ke returned to the capital for another reason.”

He Yue’s expression changed. “You... you mean he also has disloy—"

Before he could utter the last word, He Chunhua interrupted sharply, “Nonsense!”

“I suspect he rushed back to plead on behalf of Master Fu Ju.”

“Fu Ju…” He Lingchuan feigned ignorance. “Who is that?”

He Yue knew. “That’s Master Fu, the Cavalier-in-Ordinary Attendant. He once served as a Roaming Cavalry General. I remember him fighting several battles in the south and west. Later, due to injuries and illness, and advanced age, he retired. His sons also hold official positions, but haven’t achieved much.”

He Lingchuan asked, “He’s retired? What major offense did this old man commit that General Ke had to rush back to plead for him?”

He Yue was also puzzled.

“I only heard about this after arriving in Shihuan,” He Chunhua said. “Someone secretly reported that Fu Ju was close friends with the former Grand Marshal Dong Haoming and had private financial dealings with Wuzhou.” He Chunhua had gathered a lot of information and gossip from interacting with various officials over the past few days.

The He family brothers exchanged glances, a chill running down their spines.

At a time like this, being accused of colluding with Dong Haoming meant certain death.

“The King believed it?”

“If he didn’t believe it, why would General Ke rush back in such a hurry? Fu Ju fought alongside him on the battlefield before, saving his life more than once; their relationship is extremely good.” He Chunhua sighed, looking at his two sons. “Do you know that although the Fu family’s official positions aren’t high, their family fortune is exceptionally abundant, ranking among the top six in the entire capital?”

“The Fu family produced famous generals who achieved great merit alongside Emperor Yuan Gaozu, receiving numerous rewards. Although their descendants are not skilled in martial arts and aren’t prominent officials, they are excellent at business. They’ve built up over a dozen different trades, and their family wealth has grown immensely. When Fu Ju was a Roaming Cavalry General, his official status prevented him from engaging in commerce, but he put all his businesses under the names of close relatives. I heard that nearly thirty percent of the pharmacies in the capital belong to his family, and six entire streets in the western part of the city are also Fu family property. In such a valuable area, just imagine how rich the Fu family must be!”

He Lingchuan propped his head up. “Could they be richer than the King?”

He Chunhua smiled without speaking.

If you’re richer than someone, they’ll become envious; if you’re richer than the monarch, then...

He Yue’s eyes flickered. Why did his father suddenly bring up the Fu family’s money?

He Chunhua continued, “The previous emperor once confiscated a large sum of the Fu family’s wealth because some of its members used their riches to act cruelly and oppress commoners. Everyone thought their vitality was severely damaged, but they recovered within a few years, and from then on, they acted discreetly.”

He Yue tilted his head. “Given the astounding wealth of the Fu family, could they support a war until we defeat Dong Haoming?”

He Chunhua said softly, “It’s hard to say.”

This was his catchphrase, and both brothers knew the next sentence would be, “Why not give it a try?”

Assistant Liu was still in the carriage, so the words couldn’t be spoken plainly, but both brothers understood.

The Fu family was too wealthy, yet hadn’t produced a powerful official in the current court. However, the state was desperately short of funds for the war, so...

Therefore, whether Fu Ju actually conspired to rebel was not particularly important. The Fu family thought acting discreetly could avert disaster, but unfortunately, ‘wealth invites trouble’ is an undeniable truth for all ages.

He Lingchuan chuckled, “Don’t we have an old saying in Thousand Pines County: Rich but not martial, penned like a fat pig?”

What if they were immensely wealthy? When power sharpens its blade, wouldn’t they still have to obediently offer their necks for slaughter?

He Chunhua said in a low voice, “The Grand Marshal failed to assassinate the King and fled back to Wuzhou. He may be free, but countless officials and merchants in the court were implicated. The guillotine at the market entrance was reportedly blunted from use, and the confiscated properties had nowhere to be stored temporarily, so they were piled up in several large warehouses behind the Temple of Peace, taking over two months to process.”