weaving

Chapter 1480 Luo Rucai, fickle and capricious!

On August 23, the banquet at Qingbinlou Restaurant in Zhuxian Town lasted from noon until early afternoon before ending.

However, Zhang Cheng, the Earl of Yongning, did not join in the toasting. After offering three toasts, he excused himself due to his busy military affairs, leaving Zhang Chaoxu, the head manager of the Henan branch of the Xuanda Merchants Association, to stay and enjoy the meal with everyone.

Besides Zhang Chaoxu, the head of the Henan General Office, there was also Qi Bo, the newly appointed deputy commander of the Zhuxian Town Customs Inspection Office, as well as Chen Yongfu, the Henan General, Li Fuming, the Shanxi General, Chen Zhong, the guerrilla commander of Yanhe Camp, and others, who all stayed to drink with them.

…………

That evening, starting at 5 PM, managers from various local businesses began to visit the headquarters of the Yongning Earl, the commander in charge of suppressing bandits.

The Earl of Yongning naturally did not have time to meet with all these people, but he still ordered his men to accurately register the identities, names, and gifts of the visitors for future reference.

Only the heads or managers of major chambers of commerce, as well as the owners or managers of large and prestigious businesses, were personally summoned by the Earl of Yongning.

There were no more than twenty people in total, but even so, it took until early 9 PM to finish.

…………

"Commander, today the trading company received congratulatory gifts, and the managers from various businesses came to pay their respects with monetary gifts..."

Zhang Cheng waved to stop Liu Chengzhu, saying, "I'm tired. Just remember these things; there's no need to report them in detail."

"To be included in the public register or the private register?"

Without hesitation, Zhang Cheng replied, "Let's keep He Yi's money in the company's account as their operating capital."

Liu Chengzhu understood and asked again, "Are we going to Kaifeng tomorrow?"

Zhang Cheng did not answer the question, but instead asked him, "Erhu, how have you been lately?"

"The news came from the madam's side that Liu Tichun is drinking heavily all day long and keeps saying that he wants to go find the rebel king and ask him for an explanation."

How is Huimei?

“Huimei is becoming more and more sensible. When she heard that although the rebel leader had been defeated, he was not in any danger, she stopped talking and just stayed by the lady’s side to rest quietly.”

"Hmm," said the Earl of Yongning casually, "That's good."

He came to the table, picked up the teacup and took a big gulp of cold tea before asking, "Is there any news from Li Banghua's side?"

"The news from Kaifeng says that Censor-in-Chief Li first paid a visit to Prince Zhou, and then met with Governor Gao and others in the government hall, where they talked for a long time. However, he only attended the first banquet after that, and then he did not go to any more banquets. Only his entourage went to the banquets."

"Hmm. There's another deputy envoy?"

"The deputy envoy is Ling Yiqu, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review."

"How is this person?"

"It is said that this Mr. Ling was also an honest and upright man who did not flatter the powerful and wealthy."

"Yes. Upright and honest people are easy to get along with!"

The Earl of Yongning took another sip of his cool tea and said calmly, "Let's rest early tonight."

"Yes," Liu Chengzhu answered softly, then casually asked, "What are your plans for tomorrow?"

Zhang Cheng glanced at him and asked, "Has Mingyuan returned?"

“Young man, you returned at the beginning of the hour of Xu (7-9 PM). Since the commander-in-chief has been receiving visitors, he was told to rest first.”

"Alright. We'll set off for Guide Prefecture tomorrow."

"Guide Prefecture?" Liu Chengzhu was taken aback upon hearing this, then asked, "Commander, how many men should we bring?" Zhang Cheng understood his meaning perfectly. He turned around, smiled at him, and said, "How many men do you think is appropriate?"

"Bring..." Liu Chengzhu thought for a moment, unsure of what to say. He replied with concern, "The traitor Cao has only recently surrendered, and his troops have not yet been fully reorganized. We cannot be completely at ease with him. Naturally, the more the better."

Zhang Cheng, however, casually remarked, "If you employ someone, don't doubt them; if you don't trust them, don't employ them. Now that we've taken him in, it's not good to be constantly on guard against him. How can we win his heart if we do that?"

"But... I always felt that Luo Rucai was fickle and untrustworthy!"

"Yes, let Lin Fangping lead the Imperial Guard and Tiger Guard cavalry units to accompany and protect you."

"After accounting for combat losses, the Imperial Guards and Tiger Guards now have less than a thousand riders combined. Isn't that a bit weak?"

Zhang Cheng was taken aback, but didn't pay it any mind. He simply said, "That's it. Go to sleep."

…………

That night, the Earl of Yongning tossed and turned, unable to sleep soundly, and even had a dream.

In his dream, Marquis Yongning Zhang Cheng was sometimes drinking, sometimes observing the battle formation, and sometimes feeling as if he was bound by something. Whenever this scene came up, he would wake up in fright.

At first, he didn't pay much attention to it, but the dream repeated itself three times in his mind. Each time, he felt bound and tied up, but he couldn't see who was binding him.

When he was jolted awake for the third time, Zhang Cheng, the Earl of Yongning, was wide awake. He sat on the bed, wearing a robe, and suddenly remembered Liu Chengzhu's words: "Luo Rucai is fickle and untrustworthy."

He slowly got up from the bed, slipped on his cloth shoes, went to the outer room, sat in his armchair, and closed his eyes in deep thought...

With a soft creak, a figure appeared silently in front of Zhang Cheng.

"Mingda, it's your shift today."

Zhang Mingda, the adopted son, came to the Earl of Yongning and said softly, "Father, it's still early. Why don't you rest a little longer?"

"No more rest. What time is it now?"

It's almost dawn.

"Come on, let's go for a walk outside with Father."

Without saying a word, Zhang Mingda immediately helped his father, Commander Zhang Cheng, to put on his clothes and hat. Before leaving the house, he picked up a large red cloak and draped it over the Earl of Yongning, saying, "It's getting cold, Commander Zhang, please take care of yourself."

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The Zhuxian Town Governor's Residence is a four-courtyard compound, originally the residence of a wealthy local merchant. Because it is located near the north gate of Zhuxian Town and has the tallest wooden building in Zhuxian Town, it was chosen by the Earl of Yongning at first sight.

This wealthy merchant was He Zhendong, the owner of Huibinlou Restaurant. His family originally worked in the brokerage business in Zhuxian Town. Due to the advantages of their profession, they gradually gained a foothold in the trade. Their family business mainly consisted of operating warehouses and storage yards, and they were very prestigious in Zhuxian Town.

He Zhendong considered it an honor for his family to have his residence coveted by the Earl of Yongning, and also a way for him to curry favor with the Earl. Therefore, he once said that he would give it to the Earl of Yongning and not accept a penny from him.

Yongning Earl did not make any excuses, but made it clear to him that he was only temporarily using this place to set up the governor's headquarters, and that he would return the house to its original owner after the rebellion in Henan was quelled.

The first courtyard was used by the various offices of the military headquarters. The second courtyard was the office of the headquarters' staff, advisors, and other important personnel. The third courtyard was the office of Zhang Cheng, the Earl of Yongning. The fourth courtyard was where the Earl of Yongning rested and where his family lived.

Marquis Yongning, Zhang Cheng, lived in the fourth courtyard, which was originally a courtyard for the women to rest in, so it was built with great charm and was more private.

The 24th day of the eighth lunar month corresponds to mid-October in the Gregorian calendar. According to the current system, heating will begin in six days.

So, after leaving the house, Marquis Yongning Zhang Cheng immediately tightened the bright red cloak he was wearing and walked to a pavilion on the right side of the courtyard. Just as Marquis Yongning was about to sit down, Zhang Mingda promptly placed a round blanket on the stone bench.

"Mingda, what do you think of Luo Rucai?"