Chapter 87: The Wealthy and Arrogant Lu Clan
Zhou Lan was still her usual self—busy and bustling around. Yang Zhengshan and Second Master Lu had been waiting in the tea room of the adjutant general's office for half an hour before she finally showed up.
"Why are you here?"
Zhou Lan was surprised to see Yang Zhengshan.
She was well aware of what he had been busy with lately.
Renovating the stockade forts, training soldiers, and making charcoal—none of these activities could escape her watchful eyes.
She also noticed Second Master Lu but paid him no mind.
As the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Ning's household and the adjutant general of Jianning Guard, there were only a handful of people in Chongshan Town who could catch her attention.
Yang Zhengshan smiled and said, "General, this is Second Master Lu from the Lu Clan of Anning County!"
"An old man pays his respects to General Zhou!" Second Master Lu bowed quickly.
When speaking with Yang Zhengshan, he referred to himself as "this old man," but in front of Zhou Lan, he switched to "this humble elder." Clearly, Second Master Lu was adept at reading the room and adjusting his tone accordingly.
"The Lu Clan from Anning County!" Zhou Lan thought for a moment but couldn’t recall any notable impressions related to the name.
Although the Lu Clan was a prominent family in Anning County and even in Jing’an Prefecture, in the grand scheme of the Dazhong Dynasty, they were insignificant.
And compared to the Duke of Ning's household, the Lu Clan was even less noteworthy.
Nonetheless, Zhou Lan showed some courtesy. "So, it’s Second Master Lu. Please, have a seat!"
Only after Zhou Lan had taken her seat did Second Master Lu dare to sit down.
Yang Zhengshan then spoke again, "General, the Lu Clan has grain."
He understood Zhou Lan’s straightforward nature. She was not one for beating around the bush.
Sure enough, Zhou Lan’s eyes lit up at the mention of grain. "Is Second Master Lu here to sell grain to me?"
"Ten thousand dan. If General Zhou needs it, it can be delivered to Jianning Guard within a month!" Second Master Lu made no effort to hide the Lu Clan's wealth and confidence.
"The price?"
"Four taels and three qian per dan," replied Second Master Lu.
Zhou Lan broke into a delighted smile.
"I’ll take it all!"
The price of four taels and three qian was, of course, discounted, but not excessively so.
The Lu Clan had clearly done their calculations. They weren’t offering the grain for free, which would seem like an attempt to trap Zhou Lan into a favor.
Instead, they offered a modest discount—not too high, not too low—allowing them to build goodwill while maintaining their dignity.
What Yang Zhengshan could understand, Zhou Lan naturally could as well.
"This time, I owe the Lu Clan a favor. As long as it’s something that doesn’t put me in a difficult position, feel free to come to me in the future," Zhou Lan said, her eyes narrowing with satisfaction.
Listening to their conversation, Yang Zhengshan couldn’t help but feel like a pauper in comparison.
While these two were discussing deals involving tens of thousands of taels of silver, he didn’t even have a hundred taels to his name.
The thought left Yang Zhengshan feeling a bit despondent.
Money. I need money!
Before this, he hadn’t truly felt the sting of poverty, but now it hit him hard.
Fortunately, that was about to change.
As the intermediary, Second Master Lu didn’t overlook Yang Zhengshan.
When Second Master Lu left Jianning Guard, he discreetly slipped Yang Zhengshan a stack of silver notes.
Each note was worth one hundred taels, and there were twenty of them in total—a full two thousand taels!
The windfall left Yang Zhengshan feeling a bit embarrassed.
All he had done was make an introduction, yet he had earned two thousand taels so easily.
Still, Yang Zhengshan accepted the money with a broad grin.
This wasn’t corruption or bribery, so he took it with a clear conscience.
While the matter seemed simple on the surface, not just anyone could gain an audience with Zhou Lan.
Without someone to make the introduction, it would have been difficult for Second Master Lu to even meet her.
However, the benefits for Yang Zhengshan didn’t stop at the silver.
After sending off Second Master Lu, Yang Zhengshan went to see Zhou Lan again.
"This time, you’ve done well!" Zhou Lan generously praised him.
The Lu Clan’s grain had solved her urgent need, so Yang Zhengshan’s role in facilitating the deal was significant.
Though she had spent silver and owed a favor, she was still highly satisfied with Yang Zhengshan.
"You’re too kind, General. I merely happened to be in the right place at the right time," Yang Zhengshan replied with a smile.
Indeed, it had been a matter of timing.
The Lu Clan had wanted to curry favor with Zhou Lan and win her goodwill.
He could accept the Lu Clan’s silver, but he couldn’t take undue credit in front of Zhou Lan.
"When the grain arrives, I’ll give you five hundred dan," Zhou Lan said.
"Thank you for your generosity, General!" Yang Zhengshan’s smile grew even brighter.
He had already purchased a good amount of grain from Yangjia Village, but who would complain about having too much?
"Additionally, I have a group of people for you to take back with you," Zhou Lan added.
Yang Zhengshan paused. "What kind of people?"
"Convicts sentenced to exile," Zhou Lan explained.
Yang Zhengshan understood immediately. Chongshan Town, located in the northeastern part of the Dazhong Dynasty, was a major destination for exiles.
"Are there any individuals I should pay special attention to?" Yang Zhengshan asked softly.
Zhou Lan cast him a glance. "The Liu Clan. There’s no need for special care, but make sure they aren’t bullied."
Yang Zhengshan nodded slightly. He had anticipated there was more to this, or Zhou Lan wouldn’t have brought it up personally.
Still, he couldn’t resist asking, "What’s the story behind the Liu Clan?"
"Lord Liu was the Right Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate," Zhou Lan said, offering only a brief explanation.
Yang Zhengshan stroked his beard, his heart pounding.
The Right Censor-in-Chief?
That was a first-rank official!
What crime could have warranted such punishment?
Or was this the result of political strife?
"That old man is as stubborn as he is tough. Don’t let him get under your skin," Zhou Lan advised.
Yang Zhengshan quickly nodded. "I will ensure the Liu Clan is well cared for."
Zhou Lan gave him a satisfied look.
...
When Zhou Lan said it was a group of people, she wasn’t exaggerating.
There were over five hundred convicts, all sentenced to exile and military service.
Among them, more than thirty were from the Liu Clan. Truly, they lived up to the reputation of an official family—such a large household!
The patriarch, Liu Yuanfu, the former Right Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, was around sixty years old. He had six sons, three daughters, and eight grandchildren. Including their spouses, it was a veritable clan.
And to top it off, the shameless old man even had a young concubine.