Chapter 187: Two Elders Chat
“This is simple. I’ll send someone to retrieve their indenture contracts,” Yang Zhengshan promised.
Buying the contracts of servants from convicted households wasn’t a challenging task, especially since these contracts were currently under the control of the Secret Martial Guards and the Assistant General's Residence.
This trivial matter didn’t require Yang Zhengshan to act personally. He could simply send Han Fei to Jiacheng to handle it.
“Have mercy, Master!”
However, as soon as Yang Zhengshan finished speaking, four servant women and maids behind Yulu fell to their knees, crying and pleading.
“Please have mercy, Master!” Yulu also knelt down, touching her forehead to the ground, and softly called out.
Yang Zhengshan frowned slightly. “What else?”
“We beg Master to purchase their families as well,” Yulu requested.
Yang Zhengshan looked at Yu Qingyi, who gave a faint nod.
“Very well. However, once you step through the Yang family gates, you are Yang family people. Go and learn the rules of the Yang household!” Yang Zhengshan said sternly.
The so-called Yang family rules primarily applied to servants. Without rules, there would be chaos. Now that the Yang family employed nearly a hundred servants, these rules were necessary.
The rules were set by Yu Qingyi. Yang Zhengshan had merely reviewed them and, finding no issues, approved them.
“Thank you for Master’s generosity!”
Yulu and the servant women bowed in unison to express their gratitude.
Yang Zhengshan nodded, saying no more.
In truth, bringing their families over was beneficial; with their families close, the servants would be more loyal.
As for whether the Yang family had use for so many servants, that wasn’t a concern. If the household didn’t need them, they could be sent to the horse farm. If the farm didn’t need them, a piece of land could be purchased for them to cultivate.
The following morning, Yang Zhengshan dispatched Han Fei to Jiacheng.
No sooner had Han Fei left than a clerk from the administrative office came to report, “Master, a man named Lord Zheng requests an audience outside!”
“Lord Zheng?” Yang Zhengshan muttered in confusion.
He had just seen off a certain Young Master Wang two days prior. Now another Lord Zheng had appeared. He couldn’t recall knowing anyone by that name.
Could this be trouble again?
“Invite him in,” Yang Zhengshan said, somewhat resigned.
He had been planning to visit Chengguan Fort but would now have to postpone.
Shortly afterward, the clerk escorted in a man in his early thirties.
“Zheng Xiao of the Censorate greets Master Yang!” Zheng Xiao greeted with a cupped fist salute upon seeing Yang Zhengshan.
Yang Zhengshan noted his friendly smile and felt he might not be here to cause trouble. Then again, appearances could be deceiving. When Wang Zheng had arrived, he had also seemed amicable at first but ultimately revealed his true intentions.
“So, it is Lord Zheng! Please, come in!” Yang Zhengshan invited.
As the host, Yang Zhengshan led Zheng Xiao into the main hall.
Since Han Fei wasn’t around, Yang Zhengshan had a clerk from the administrative office prepare tea. Zhou Ren, the steward of the administrative office, was far too busy to be running such errands.
With tea served, Yang Zhengshan remained silent, waiting for Zheng Xiao to speak first.
“I am here on my teacher’s orders to pay my respects to Master Yang,” Zheng Xiao began.
Yang Zhengshan’s eyes narrowed slightly. “And who is Lord Zheng’s teacher?”
Zheng Xiao chuckled. “My teacher is Liu Yuanfu. When he was stationed at Yinghe Fort, he spoke often of your kindness.”
Understanding dawned on Yang Zhengshan. So, this was a student of Liu Yuanfu.
That made sense. Liu Yuanfu, a veteran statesman who had weathered three rises and falls in the court, surely had numerous protégés.
Three rises and falls signified that, even in retirement, Liu Yuanfu still commanded respect and influence in the court.
“So, Lord Zheng is a distinguished student of Elder Liu! Haha, have you seen Elder Liu recently?” Yang Zhengshan asked, smiling.
Zheng Xiao shook his head gently. “I haven’t. When my teacher returned to the capital, I was leaving the city. Though we traveled the same road, we missed each other.”
“I wonder how my teacher’s health is holding up,” he said with a sigh.
Zheng Xiao’s connection to Liu Yuanfu wasn’t merely that of teacher and student. His father had been a close friend of Liu Yuanfu, and after his father’s passing, Zheng Xiao had lived with the Liu family for ten years. Only after achieving scholarly success did he leave.
To Zheng Xiao, Liu Yuanfu was not only a mentor but also a father figure, making their bond particularly deep.
Before leaving the capital, Zheng Xiao had received a letter from Liu Yuanfu. He had hoped to meet him en route but was disappointed when their paths failed to cross.
In fact, Zheng Xiao had long been aware of Yang Zhengshan. When Liu Yuanfu was first assigned to Yinghe Fort, Zheng Xiao had discreetly sent people to check on him. Only after confirming that Liu Yuanfu was well did Zheng Xiao feel at ease.
It was precisely for this reason that, when he learned of Li Chunhui’s attempts to target Yang Zhengshan, Zheng Xiao had firmly opposed him without hesitation.
Zheng Xiao didn’t stay long. His purpose was simply to express his gratitude to Yang Zhengshan for his care of Liu Yuanfu and to make his acquaintance.
After a brief chat of about two quarters of an hour, Zheng Xiao rose to leave.
Before departing, he left a small token of appreciation—a modest set of writing tools, including ink, brushes, and paper.
As Yang Zhengshan saw him off, he found Zheng Xiao to be quite an interesting individual.
Who would gift a set of writing tools to a military officer like him?
Had it been someone else, they might have suspected Zheng Xiao of mocking them for being uneducated.
Not long after Zheng Xiao left, Yang Zhengshan prepared to head to Chengguan Fort. However, another clerk arrived hurriedly to report, “Master, Lord Tan has arrived!”
“…”
Yang Zhengshan was at a loss for words.
Lord Tan? Naturally, this referred to Tan Jingtai.
This elder had just been promoted to Commander of Songzhou Guard the day before, and now he had already arrived in Anyuan City.
What could Yang Zhengshan do? This man was now his immediate superior, so he couldn’t afford to show any negligence.
“Haha, this subordinate pays his respects to Lord Tan! Congratulations on your promotion, Lord Tan!”
Yang Zhengshan stepped out to greet him at the gate, clasping his hands in a respectful salute to Tan Jingtai.
There’s a saying: “A superior by one rank can crush you.” Although it was Yang Zhengshan’s assistance that had facilitated Tan Jingtai’s promotion, now that the matter was settled, he couldn’t use it as leverage against him.
Another saying goes: “Once the bride enters the house, the matchmaker is tossed over the wall.”
Now that the favor had been done, it was uncertain whether Tan Jingtai would acknowledge Yang Zhengshan’s efforts.
However, Tan Jingtai wasn’t some inexperienced official. Having navigated the bureaucratic system for decades, he understood the principle of mutual benefit and harmony.
“Master Yang, hehe, forgive me for this unannounced visit!” Tan Jingtai said with a hearty laugh.
“Not at all, not at all! Lord Tan, your words humble me. Please, come in, come in!” Yang Zhengshan said, all smiles as he warmly ushered Tan Jingtai into the administrative office.
His demeanor and expression exuded enthusiasm and familiarity.
An outsider might have mistaken them for old friends. In truth, this was their first meeting.
Once inside the main hall, the two men took their seats.
This time, Yang Zhengshan refrained from sitting in the principal position. Of course, Tan Jingtai didn’t take the main seat either. Instead, Yang Zhengshan invited him to sit in the seat of honor.
Such were the unspoken rules of bureaucracy.
While Tan Jingtai was technically Yang Zhengshan’s superior, as the Commander of Songzhou Guard, he had no direct authority over the Administrative Office, which reported to the Assistant General’s Headquarters.
However, the fortresses and military households under the jurisdiction of the Administrative Office were also governed by Songzhou Guard. Simply put, the Administrative Office and the garrison fell under the Assistant General’s purview, while the external fortresses and military households fell under Songzhou Guard’s oversight.
Thus, within the Administrative Office, Yang Zhengshan was the presiding official.
But since Tan Jingtai’s rank was higher, Yang Zhengshan naturally deferred to him.
The atmosphere between the two was cordial and pleasant.
Tan Jingtai was a very chatty man, though his talkativeness mostly revolved around casual topics.
Since they had no past connections and little intersection in official matters, Tan Jingtai shifted the conversation to personal topics.
Both being grandfathers with many descendants, they found plenty to talk about regarding family matters.
“You know,” Tan Jingtai said, “after arriving in Anyuan City, I had my eldest hire a governess to discipline my eldest grandson. It’s made him much more well-behaved!”
“But I always feel children should be a bit lively. Too many rules make them seem too mature!” he added.
This opened up the conversation, and Yang Zhengshan began sharing about the education of his own grandchildren, including Yang Chengye and the others.
“The eldest grandson should indeed carry himself with the decorum befitting his position. If you prefer livelier children, you can always dote on the younger ones,” Yang Zhengshan said with a chuckle.
“Brother Yang, when it comes to raising children, this old man has plenty of experience!” Tan Jingtai declared proudly.
He was genuinely proud, believing he had done an excellent job raising his sons and grandsons.
In truth, Tan Jingtai’s parenting efforts were commendable.
The Tan family wasn’t from a prestigious lineage. Tan Jingtai’s rise to the position of Commander of Songzhou Guard was already a blessing for his ancestors.
Previously, the Tan family had few established rules. It wasn’t until Tan Jingtai came to Songzhou Guard that he instituted numerous family regulations.
His sons weren’t particularly exceptional, but neither were they failures. Some were inclined toward scholarly pursuits, while others excelled in martial endeavors, though none achieved great heights.
As for his grandsons, they were well-mannered children. Even his most pampered youngest grandson wasn’t spoiled into arrogance—just a tad delicate.
The two men discussed the topic of educating grandchildren for more than half an hour. In the end, Yang Zhengshan hosted a banquet for Tan Jingtai at his residence. After a satisfying meal, Tan Jingtai took a nap in one of the office’s side rooms, departing only in the late afternoon.
Seeing Tan Jingtai off, Yang Zhengshan returned to his study with a flushed face.
“Damn, this Lord Tan is quite the drinker. He nearly overwhelmed me,” Yang Zhengshan muttered.
Given his superior constitution as a martial artist, his alcohol tolerance was far above that of ordinary people. He could easily handle three or four jin of low-proof wine without much effect. Yet today, Lord Tan had nearly drunk him under the table.
“This man seems skilled at everything except handling official duties!” Yang Zhengshan couldn’t help but complain.
He was a master of conversation and socializing.
Most people couldn’t keep up.
However...
A faint smile tugged at Yang Zhengshan’s lips.
The drinking session hadn’t been in vain. Tan Jingtai had promised to allocate resources and supplies upon his return.
“Master, shall we move those items in the courtyard to the back?”
At that moment, Zhou Ren entered the study to ask.
Naturally, Tan Jingtai hadn’t come empty-handed. His visit was intended as a gesture of gratitude to Yang Zhengshan, so he had brought gifts.
Compared to Zheng Xiao’s earlier modest offering, Tan Jingtai was far more generous, presenting more than a dozen items.
Of course, none of these were particularly valuable. If they had been, Tan Jingtai wouldn’t have been able to deliver them so openly to the Administrative Office.
“Have Wu Hai take care of it,” Yang Zhengshan said, reclining on the luohan bed and rubbing his temples.
There was no way he’d make it to Chengguan Fort today. That would have to wait until tomorrow.