Chapter 32: Favour

In the innermost of Honghailou's private rooms, Qin Anhe was minding herself, drinking tea. Her shifu had always had a good relationship with Honghailou, and as a result, she and Chen Xun were incredibly well-acquainted. It was such that even in the private room which wasn't open to any outsiders, she was as at ease as if she were in her own home.

"So, you're here bringing disaster to my tea again." Chen Xun pushed the door open, entering, her voice approaching from a distance. Although her words were such, there wasn't the slightest trace of rebuke in her tone.

Qin Anhe, though, wasn't lacking in confidence, but was actually bold and confident in her convictions. "Don't be so stingy; you let anyone else drink this tea, so what if I drink it?"

"It's precisely that you drink it; other people all sample it." As she spoke, Chen Xun sat across from Qin Anhe, pouring herself a cup along the way.

"I'm young, and I don't know how to sample yet; when I've tried a bit more, once I've tried more, I'll be able to," Qin Anhe said with a giggle.

"Let's not talk about this," Chen Xun said, pausing, and a degree of praise was added to her tone. "I heard that our young Qin-daozhang, on arriving at Boyang, was able to alleviate the drought that had the court's hands bound and helpless for months, waving a hand to call the wind and summon the rain, which can be said to be a miracle."

Qin Anhe could be counted as having grown up under Chen Xun. Then, Chen Xun had only been as old as Qin Anhe was now, taking on the role of leader in a time of crisis to take over the unstable Honghailou, barely making ends meet and elbows showing when pulling at the lapels. Luckily, Feng Puzhi had said that two had a fated relation, and would take a look at the fengshui for her. But the only remuneration Feng Puzhi had asked for was, in the future, that she look after her young disciple, who at the time had only been two years old. At the time, no matter if Chen Xun had had even greater ambitions, she hadn't dared to have extravagant hopes that Honghailou could come to the place that it was at now. After, with the passing of the days and the deepening of emotions, Chen Xun had also gradually taken to looking upon Qin Anhe as her own younger sister. Now, hearing that she'd performed such a great feat, how could she not be happy for her?

But hearing Chen Xun say this, the corners of Qin Anhe's lips suddenly turned down.

"What, where did I say something wrong?" Chen Xun saw her peculiarity, and hurried to ask.

"Where did this rumour float out from," Qin Anhe said, curling her lips and not replying to the question.

Chen Xun was somewhat astonished, but she still said, "It's spread through the entire capital; it's said that a young Qin-daozhang, early in her youth, has supreme abilities. That she's incredibly outstanding."

"What sort of outstanding," Qin Anhe's lips twitched. "If not for her, I might not even have been able to make it back."

"Her, which her? In this world, besides your shifu, how could there be anyone more outstanding than you?"

"The current Regent, Song Juguang." Qin Anhe seemed to bite out Song Juguang's name character by character. At the time, her body had been amidst the roaring flames, and even exhausting her talents, she hadn't been able to escape, and she'd truly assumed that she was between life and death. Song Juguang had saved her, and in terms of emotion and reason, Qin Anhe ought to be grateful. But Song Juguang had still had to say that her skills were insignificant, and Qin Anhe couldn't listen to this. Though she regarded her abilities as, for the time being, not matching Feng Puzhi's, she'd studied for eight or nine years. As a result, her feelings towards Song Juguang, atop the gratitude, an additional layer of some resentment had emerged.

But truthfully, Qin Anhe herself was clear as well, that Song Juguang's skills were far above hers.

Chen Xun, hearing this, was also greatly shocked. In the past, she'd only heard that that State Preceptor beside the late emperor's side was the foremost at managing state affairs in the Great Li, but what this State Preceptor's surname or name were, or where she came from, no one knew. Only once the current Emperor had ascended the throne did people learn her name, and learn that she not only could manage state affairs, but she was near perfect at leading troops and going to war. But now, hearing these words of Qin Anhe's, she learnt as well that she was also a great talent on the path of cultivation. Truthfully, that there was someone this all-capable, Chen Xun didn't believe. As a result, she said, "On this, I've heard your shifu say before, that in the art of calling rain, your sect is the only one."

"That's true," Qin Anhe nodded, somewhat frustrated, and slanted her lips, saying, "who knows where she learnt it."

The atmosphere in the room grew heavy in an instant, such that even the fragrance of the tea grew a bit weaker. Qin Anhe wasn't wiling to delve any deeper into this topic, and so switched the subject. "Xun-jiejie, if you truly want to become an official, wouldn't it be better to go prepare for the preliminary examinations, or perhaps spend money to gain an official position? The current Emperor herself is a woman, and there are many people in the court who also are; circumstances are a lot better than they were before. And, I think that she's a good emperor; even if you're a merchant, you probably won't face too many obstacles."

Chen Xun raised her head, looking at her, and said with a smile, "You think that I want to be an official?"

"Of course," Qin Anhe said, shrugging, "otherwise, why would you repeatedly get involved in politics, and want me to go help?"

"I don't want to be an official," Chen Xun said, still smiling as she shook her head.

Qin Anhe was somewhat astonished, but before she could open her mouth to ask, Chen Xun explained. "Of the four classes, although merchants are the lowest class, no one can do without the word 'money'. Take a look at my Honghailou; which one of those coming and going aren't high-ranking officials or nobility? Altough merchants are said to be lowly, are we truly?

"People live a single lifetime, merely for food, clothing, residence, and work. How many people see officials as impressive, but they're busy and rushing about the entire year, and the official's salary they earn in a year can't even be exchanged for a couple liang of the tea you just gulped down. Even speaking of the Minister of Appointments, Xie Qianbing, who was prosperous before entering the court, last time she came to Honghailou, she nearly had to take out credit. Is being an official truly that good?

"It's merely that everything is correlated; a lone tree struggles to stand; if I only earnestly worked as a merchant, I fear I'd run into a matter that I wouldn't have the ability to reason with, and I can't always rely on your shifu for help. The appearance of before was forced, but now, even if I could exchange the heavens and the earth, I would only want to add a few signboards for myself.

"What I've been doing lately isn't to look for a guarantee. There are those in the court, whose actions are naturally a bit easier. But more than that, a tall tree attracts the wind; right now, Honghailou's business is prosperous; who knows how many eyes are watching, how many people are paying attention; even if, in the future, something were to happen, I would be able to know early on, and make preparations early."

"Only because of this?"

"Of course," Chen Xun said, spreading her hands, her fox's eyes curving upwards. "A singular Honghailou is busy enough for me; what energy would I have to manage government affairs?"

Qin Anhe blinked, and felt that Chen Xun's words actually had reason. It was just that some things couldn't be said; the two had mentioned bureaucracy, and the maid waiting outside brought news in. "Zhangguide, Shen-daren, Shen Yanyi, is seeking your audience."

Hearing this, the two exchanged a glance and laughed. Chen Xun nodded, and the maid deferentially brought Shen Yanyi in. But when Shen Yanyi pushed the door open, she first looked around, and seeing Qin Anhe, her expression grew happy, and she said to Chen Xun, "I knew that Qin-daozhang was here."

"Oh? So Shen-daren didn't come looking for me; my fault for making assumptions about reciprocal attention," Chen Xun joked, yet Shen Yanyi said grimly, "Bixia has ordered me to bring Qin-daozhang into the Palace, but I didn't know where Qin-daozhang lives, and so could only think of looking here with you. Yet I truly was able to find her."

"Then since it's Bixia who's looking for her, I won't delay you two any further." Chen Xun raised a brow, and once she finished speaking, she drank her tea, minding herself, an expression as if she were seeing a visitor out. The two of them, Qin and Shen, naturally didn't have any reason to continuing to remain to remain here, and so they rose, heading out.

But when they made it to the outside of the imperial study, they saw, from a distance, Song Juguang sitting in the hall. "I'll trouble gugu to announce us," Shen Yanyi said towards Qing Huai, waiting outside the door.

Actually, Qing Huai oughtn't be here on guard, but these past few days, she didn't know how she'd provoked Jiang Changbai to unhappiness, but she'd been penalised with guarding the door. Of course, this aggrievment, she had nowhere to tell, and even if she felt even more wronged in her heart, she could only properly announce them."

"This trip to Boyang, you did great merit. Is there anything you want?" Jiang Changbai, seeing Qin Anhe following along behind Shen Yanyi, asked, only looking at her.

Qin Anhe's mind had some misgivings. Just then, when in a distant place, she'd distantly seen Jiang Changbai and Song Juguang talking and laughing, so how was it that, now that she'd come close, this Emperor's expression only retained an imposing dignity? But she didn't have the place to ask. Chen Xun's words from just then in Honghailou flashed through her ears, and it was as if she'd settled on some determination; she kowtowed, and said, "This lowly one wouldn't dare."

Jiang Changbai said, "We said you are meritorious, so you're meritorious; there's no need to be overly courteous."

Qin Anhe's eyes brightened, and she kowtowed once more. "This lowly one wants to ask for a favour."

"Oh?"

"This lowly one's older sister is a merchant in the capital, and suffers from a lack of a backer, and so is cautious and careful. This lowly one requests a piece from Bixia, to be made into a signboard."

Jiang Changbai suddenly smiled. "You're truly close family; you won't ask for anything for yourself?"

"Answeing Bixia, this lowly one doesn't lack anything at all," Qin Anhe said, her head still lowered to the ground. But Shen Yanyi, standing by her side, stood as stiff as a board, shaking with fear, and felt like cold sweat was about to soak through her back.

Jiang Changbai's gaze swept over her, and she saw something peculiar yet didn't take any notice, only gazing at Qin Anhe. "To write an inscription is no matter; having made such a great contribution, even if you wanted Us to confer a ready-made board, it wouldn't be much. But We still have a matter We want to ask you; raise your head." Having finished speaking, she called out, "Xun Zhu, grant the seat."

Xun Zhu hurriedly brought a seat, setting it down by Qin Anhe. Song Juguang had originally been sitting, and in this come and go, only the two of Shen Yanyi and Xun Zhu remained standing. Shen Yanyi bit her lip, silently sighing.

"This lowly one will not hold back answers," Qin Anhe, now, was only immersed in the joy of having obtained a backing sign for Chen Xun, and was no longer as cautious as she had been just then.

"This trip to Boyang, besides calling rain, did you see anything else?"

Qin Anhe blinked, somewhat hesitant. She'd seen a lot, but she didn't know whether the Emperor who sat on the xumi seat before her would listen or not. Even if she listened, would she believe it or not?

"Only pay attention to speaking; We will not renege on our promise to you, let alone punish you as guilty."

"The dead," Qin Anhe sighed; she didn't know whether or not Jiang Changbai knew that Song Juguang had gone to Boyang as well, and so she merely didn't raise the matter of calling rain, only speaking of what she'd seen and heard on the streets. "This lowly one saw a great many dead people. Those who died of heat, who died of thirst, and those who died of illness. The common people had nowhere to seek water, nowhere to seek physicians to treat illness, yet the prefectural magistrate used clean water over and over to rinse the ground. This lowly one doesn't understand; are these my Great Li's paternal officials?"

The little girl, wrapped in the grass mats by the side of the road, had clearly left a deep impression on Qin Anhe, even if a great many days had passed, even if at this moment, she was before the Emperor. She wasn't very old, and it was precisely that she allowed her emotions to affect her decisions at times; when talking about passionate matters, she actually still shed tears.

Jiang Changbai's expression grew heavy, and she indicated to Xun Zhu to give her a towel, and continued to shift her gaze towards Song Juguang. "When you went to Boyang, did you see these things she speaks of?"

"This minister truly didn't pass through the centre of Zichang, and only saw Boyang's prefectural magistrate from a distance at the altar. So, the matters that Qin Anhe speaks of, this minister doesn't know," Song Juguang replied, hands cupped in obeisance, what was revealed in her eyes actually entirely clear.

Jiang Changbai merely felt helpless, and asked Qin Anhe again, "What you speak of, is there evidence?"

"Replying to Bixia, there isn't," Qin Anhe, now, had calmed down, and thinking it over, she added, "but as long as you send people to go ask, to go investigate, you'll be able to hear about the matters this lowly one spoke of."

Jiang Changbai smiled in anger. The origin wasn't it; in the memorial she'd received, it had only had the matter of the common peoples' misery, and the rest of the matters, she hadn't known at all. If the prefectural magistrate were like this, then what were the officials in the capital like? But even if the people handling these matters were all her trusted aides, even so, she had been decieved like this; everyone had their temper.

The prestige and dignity of the Emperor captured her, and drew back the anger; remembering what she'd said just then, she ordered Xun Zhu to go get a brush and ink. Once the brush, ink, paper, and ink-stone were entirely laid out, she amiably asked Qin Anhe, "What's the name of your older sister's business?"

"Honghailou," Qin Anhe said, pausing and starting. "The 'hong' in 'swan goose', and the 'hai' in 'peace and tranquility through the nation'."

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