Chapter Twenty-Eight: Crisis at Anyuan Hall

Zheng Weishan sat in the bamboo house’s living room, dressed in a simple blue robe, speaking leisurely with Xu Shiji.

Why was Xu Shiji here to keep him company? The reason was simple: Xue Wanche had returned to Hedong, and Pei Xingyan was confined at home by the old master’s orders. Fang Yanqian was rigorously reforming the security of Luoyang; all the privileged sons of noble families had to behave themselves and avoid attracting attention. Fang Yanqian was known for his iron will and impartiality, the kind who wouldn’t hesitate to sever familial ties if needed. Just a few days ago, the Crown Prince of Qi had recklessly ridden his horse through Luoyang’s streets, injuring people, and Fang Yanqian ordered him to be captured and publicly flogged ten times before being released home.

The Crown Prince of Qi was none other than the grandson of Yang Guang!

Fang Yanqian’s unwavering enforcement had instilled fear in many.

Since Pei Xingyan and Xue Wanche were absent from the Bamboo Garden and Zheng Yanqing was busy studying daily, only Wang Zheng and Xu Shiji remained at home.

Wang Zheng, being of low birth, naturally did not have the status to receive guests.

Thus, the duty of hosting visitors fell to Xu Shiji. Though also of humble origins, Xu Shiji was born from a middling branch of the family. Although his background was slightly inferior to Zheng Weishan’s, in terms of family standing, he was not far behind.

Still, he was just a child, often needing Zheng Weishan to lead the conversation to avoid awkward silences.

When Zheng Yanqing entered the living room, Zheng Weishan immediately rose.

He could afford to be arrogant in front of Xu Shiji, and even a few months ago, he could be haughty toward Zheng Yanqing, but now he had to show deference. For Yanqing was not only the student of Zhang Zongsheng but also carried the title of Cloud Cavalry Captain.

With such a title, Zheng Weishan dared not be presumptuous.

“Welcome back, young master!” Zheng Weishan cupped his hands in greeting. He appeared calm, without the anxiety that Ma Sanbao had described. Yet, Yanqing detected a hint of worry in his eyes. Smiling, he waved him down and invited him to sit. Regardless, Zheng Weishan had always treated his grandfather and him kindly and maintained goodwill from the start.

For this reason, Yanqing held a good impression of Zheng Weishan.

“Sanbao, please serve the Wuling tea that Brother Zhang sent me a few days ago.”

Being young, Zheng Yanqing rarely drank alcohol and usually served tea to guests. But this time, instead of the time-consuming boiling method, they used a simpler brewing technique for convenience.

“Yanqing, it seems you’ve been doing well lately,” Zheng Weishan said thoughtfully. Once a mere servant boy, Yanqing had now grown into someone even he, a pure-born family member, dared not underestimate. At only ten years old, Yanqing had already earned the title of Cloud Cavalry Captain.

Among the descendants of the seventh branch of the Zheng family, none could compare to Zheng Yanqing.

He felt fortunate for having maintained a friendly relationship with the elder Zheng Shian and his grandson. The calligraphy Yanqing produced was now priceless. The head of the second branch, Zheng Weishan’s uncle, had once tried to buy the poem “Qingming” from him for eight thousand strings of cash, but Zheng Weishan refused. As a distant branch member, Zheng Weishan was beginning to gain influence in the second branch’s affairs, partly thanks to Yanqing’s poetic talent.

Zheng Yanqing smiled and replied, “Uncle, you flatter me. I’m just getting by; how can it be about right or wrong?”

“Yanqing, even the Grand General has sent you a personal attendant, which shows how much they value you. The eldest son recently sent a letter praising you, saying you greatly enhanced anyuan hall’s reputation, and his words were full of joy.”

Ma Sanbao brought the tea, and each of the three received a cup.

Afterward, Ma Sanbao stepped out, standing with Shen Guang in the porch.

“Uncle Zheng, is there some trouble at home?” Yanqing asked.

“Well...” Zheng Weishan hesitated, then sighed. “Yanqing, as a member of Anyuan Hall, I don’t want to hide things from you. After the old master passed away, although the eldest son took over Anyuan Hall, things have not been peaceful. The family branches have been restless, with the seventh branch head, Zheng Shiji, being the most active. However, since you obtained the Cloud Cavalry Captain title on the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Zheng Shiji has kept a low profile for a while. But just ten days ago, Zheng Shiji suddenly made a move at the clan meeting, attempting to expel the eldest son from Anyuan Hall and replace him. The clan leader seems to have sided with him, agreeing to discuss the matter at the ancestral temple.”

“The eldest son sensed this too late and was powerless to stop it. Now, the seventh branch frequently contacts other elders, likely plotting...”

Zheng Shiji?

Yanqing had some impression of him.

But Zheng Shiji did not live in Xingyang; he was settled in Pengcheng.

The descendants of the seventh branch’s founder, Zheng Xi, split into two lines: one remained in Xingyang, the other settled in Pengcheng. During the Northern Wei period, the Pengcheng branch prospered. Zheng Ju became the governor of Pengcheng, Zheng Yi served as the East Wei Taiyuan Duke Gao Yang’s East Pavilion Sacrificial Official, establishing the Northern Qi court as a Palace Regular Attendant, holding high rank and great power.

There was also Zheng Zhongli, whose sister married Emperor Qi Shenwu, and he later became the camp commander.

In short, over the past century, the seventh branch produced many talents, both military and cultural elites. Yet, the seventh branch’s heyday was also a time of great turmoil. After Zheng Zhongli’s assassination, the branch gradually declined, shifting from valor and martial prowess to literary refinement before fading away by the Northern Zhou era.

Yanqing found this puzzling.

The Pengcheng Zhengs were just a branch of the seventh.

After Northern Qi’s fall, they turned to commerce. How could they now challenge Anyuan Hall’s position?

More curiously, Zheng Shanyuan of the Zhujing Hall never involved himself in inter-branch conflicts. Why, then, was he now openly supporting the seventh branch’s ambitions?

“Uncle Zheng, what does the eldest son mean by this?” Yanqing asked.

“He hasn’t said much. I actually came at the younger son’s request.”

“Hongyi?”

Yanqing and Xu Shiji exchanged a glance, then Yanqing asked, “What does Hongyi want?”

“He sent a letter for me to deliver to you,” Zheng Weishan said, pulling a letter from his pocket and handing it to Yanqing.

Yanqing skimmed the letter.

When Zheng Hongyi was in Luoyang, he began imitating Yanqing’s goose-call style of writing. The letter, penned in Yan Script regular script, was unmistakably Hongyi’s handwriting—slightly awkward, with a youthful vigor.

The gist was this: Zheng Renji had been restless lately, sometimes sleepless through the night.

As Renji’s son, Hongyi felt helpless to ease his father’s worries. Hence, he wrote to Yanqing, hoping for advice.

It was a plea for help, clearly Hongyi’s own initiative. If Zheng Renji had instructed it, the letter would have been carefully worded rather than such a raw appeal.

Yanqing handed the letter to Xu Shiji, closed his eyes, and pondered silently.

Perhaps Hongyi believed that Yanqing, who could weave stories as brilliant as the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, could surely devise a good solution. Indeed, Yanqing’s reputation was nearly omnipotent.

So when Hongyi was troubled, Yanqing was the first person he thought of.

Zheng Weishan sat quietly nearby.

After reading the letter, Xu Shiji looked to Yanqing.

“Yanqing, do you have any good ideas?”

Yanqing smiled wryly inwardly—what good solution could he offer?

He opened his eyes. “Uncle Zheng, is the situation very serious?”

“According to the messenger from Xingyang and letters from my elders, it seems quite serious. The seventh branch appears to have absorbed the southern Zheng clan, greatly boosting their strength. You know, after the eldest son resigned from his post as Luoyang’s Cao official, Anyuan Hall lost all its influence at court. The southern Zhengs have been established in Jiangnan for many years, with strong financial resources. Though they lack court ties, their wealth is vast. With the seventh branch’s backing, they will not be content to lag behind.”

Southern Zheng clan?

Yanqing frowned, understanding dawning.

During the Two Jin dynasties, the Zheng family split into northern and southern branches. One stayed in Xingyang; the other migrated south with the Eastern Jin.

The southern branch’s progenitor was the third brother of the northern ancestor Zheng Ye.

But after moving south, the southern lineage lasted only five generations. The fifth generation produced Zheng Jingbin, a general and high official among the Chu people with considerable power. Yet during the Northern Qi and Northern Zhou confrontation, the southern branch declined completely.

However, having operated in Jiangnan for over a century, their financial strength was enormous.

Now that the Sui dynasty had unified the land, especially after the Grand Canal opening, north-south trade increased, stirring the southern Zhengs’ desire to reunite with their ancestral northern roots. After all, backing from the Xingyang Zhengs was a tremendous advantage.

The southern branch’s rejoining efforts began during the lifetime of Zheng Dashi, who actively planned to bring the southern branch under Anyuan Hall’s banner.

But various reasons caused the plan to halt.

Unexpectedly, this entire affair fell into the seventh branch’s hands. No wonder Zheng Shanyuan of Zhujing Hall changed his usual stance and actively helped the seventh branch take over Anyuan Hall. Essentially, he sought to create favorable conditions for the southern Zhengs.

“How’s my grandfather?” Yanqing abruptly shifted the topic, smiling at Zheng Weishan.

“Oh, Elder Shi’an is well in Xingyang. The eldest son relies on him greatly and even allocated three hundred acres of farmland in Baihua Valley under his name.”

“Oh?” Yanqing’s eyes twinkled as he chuckled, “The eldest son truly cares for my grandfather!”

“Yes, he respects him very much.”

“How’s the Xingyang workshop?”

Yanqing’s question, seemingly out of thin air, left Zheng Weishan a bit puzzled. He didn’t understand the connection between the Xingyang iron workshop and Zheng Shi’an.

But since Yanqing asked, he answered.

“The situation isn’t good. Since His Majesty began ordering weapons and supplies from the south, Xingyang’s condition has worsened. Southern-made weapons are of excellent quality and low cost. It’s said that the new elite troops’ arms and armor come entirely from southern workshops. The eldest son recently audited the accounts and found that since last year, the Xingyang workshop has lost over seventy thousand strings of cash. Without support from other businesses, this single workshop would be enough to drain Anyuan Hall’s treasury.”

“That bad?”

Yanqing pondered deeply, then suddenly stood.

“Ma Sanbao, go to my room and bring the wooden box from the third shelf from the top on the northern bookcase.”

Ma Sanbao responded and hurried off.

Yanqing smiled faintly. “Aside from the southern Zhengs, are there other causes?”

“There must be...” Zheng Weishan thought a moment, then smiled bitterly. “You’ve probably heard that Duke Guichang and the old master never saw eye to eye politically. In the twentieth year of the Kaihuang era, during the crown prince struggle, Guichang supported one contender, while the old master backed the emperor. The emperor won, and the eldest son’s career flourished afterward.

When the late emperor died, Guichang tried to ally with the Han prince, but the plan failed, and Guichang was stripped of his title.

So Guichang has long harbored hostility toward our branch. In the past, he lacked a good excuse to act. Now, with the old master gone and the eldest son assuming control of Anyuan Hall without prior experience, Guichang feels the time is ripe. Coupled with the southern Zheng factor, I suspect Guichang is stirring the pot behind the scenes.”

Duke Guichang was none other than Zheng Shanyuan, the clan leader of Zhujing Hall in Xingyang.

Yanqing knew little about him, but from his two past failed political gambits, he probably wouldn’t cause too much upheaval. However, this time, leveraging the seventh branch’s absorption of the southern Zhengs, he aimed to expel the sixth branch—Zheng Renji’s line—from Anyuan Hall. His timing was shrewd.

If Zheng Renji couldn’t respond properly, the danger would be real.

Other branches likely also contemplated the stakes in this targeted move by Zhujing Hall.

At that moment, Ma Sanbao returned with the wooden box, placing it before Yanqing.

Yanqing opened it and pulled out a stack of blueprints but didn’t focus on them, instead lost in thought.

“Uncle Zheng, what does Uncle Dao Xuan think of this matter?”

Yanqing referred to Zheng Dao Xuan, Zheng Weishan’s uncle and head of the second branch.

Zheng Weishan shook his head. “My uncle hasn’t said much. In his letter, he only instructed me to do my work well.”

Zheng Dao Xuan was a crafty old fox!

Saying “do your work well” was clearly an exhortation to watch the situation carefully and strike at the right moment to reap the biggest gains. Ideally, using Zheng Weishan as a pawn to seize control of Luoyang’s assets. Whether Zheng Renji ultimately held Anyuan Hall or not, the second branch already controlled Luoyang’s interests. This old fox intended to carve out a large piece of Luoyang’s domain.

Yanqing looked up at Zheng Weishan.

“Uncle Zheng, I need to think carefully about this. You know I’m young and have little say in these matters. But I feel that since the old master’s passing, our voice in the clan assembly has diminished. If we can’t be heard there, the future will be difficult.”

Zheng Weishan glanced at Yanqing, puzzled by his meaning.

But since Yanqing spoke this way, it was clearly time to take his leave. Even if Zheng Weishan didn’t fully understand, he knew enough to take the hint.

So he rose and bowed. “I will take my leave now.”

“Please convey my words to the eldest son, especially the part where I urge him to think twice.”

“I will.”

Zheng Weishan departed, leaving only Xu Shiji and Zheng Yanqing in the living room.

“Yanqing, was that your way of saying... you want Grandpa to join the clan elders’ council?” Xu Shiji asked quietly, grabbing Yanqing’s hand.

Yanqing chuckled, wrapping an arm around Xu Shiji’s neck. “Not only do I want Grandpa in the elders’ council, I also want to plan a bright future for you.”

——————————————————————

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