With the thick barrel of the hand cannon shoved into his mouth, no matter how cunning and crafty Wang Sheng was, he was scared so badly that he wet and soiled himself.
He had not feared pitting wits against Shao Shuyi, nor did he fear comparing backgrounds, invoking seniority, or arguing over ledger entries—those were all things he excelled at. What he feared most was precisely this brand of brutish, reckless violence. And with Zhang Neng's corpse lying stiff and straight on the floor right before him, he could summon scarcely a thought of resistance.
When Shao Shuyi told him to dictate every illicit dealing within the celadon shop, Wang Sheng complied. After Yu Yuan finished writing it all down, Wang Sheng even pressed his thumbprint onto the paper without hesitation. But the moment hiring assassins to kill was mentioned, he refused to admit to it no matter what. Even when Wang Huadu gave him another fierce beating that nearly shattered his old bones to pieces, he still clenched his teeth and refused to concede a single word.
Could it be that Wang Sheng truly had no hand in it? Shao Shuyi wondered. Unfortunately, Zhang Neng was dead, and Wu Youcai had not come to the shop today, making it impossible to verify for the moment. After his expression shifted between dark suspicion and calculation, Shao Shuyi finally spared Wang Sheng further blows, placing him under restraint instead to escort him to the Zheng family's old residence on Salt and Iron Creek.
Indeed, he still intended to go to the Zheng family to hand over Wang Sheng's written confession, cementing both Wang Sheng's embezzlement and Zhang Neng's hiring of killers.
Wang Huadu was none too keen on this course of action, fearing the Zheng family might be unreasonable and arrest them as well.
Shao Shuyi urged him to keep calm and at least take a chance with the Zheng family. If they fled now, they would likely meet a grim end; even if the authorities failed to catch them, dying violently somewhere along the road was an all too probable fate.
Wang Huadu reluctantly agreed. He went to the rear courtyard to fetch a carriage, hauled Wang Sheng aboard under guard, and headed due west the moment they left the celadon shop.
After their departure, the shop's shishu looked among themselves, at a complete loss for what to do. In the end, it was Cao Tong who suggested boarding up and closing the shop to await further word, a proposal none opposed.
As for reporting the matter to the authorities, that was entirely beside the point. They were the Zheng family's men, not government servants; even with human lives on the line, nothing could be done until the old residence on Salt and Iron Creek gave the word.
The carriage rumbled westward until the early hour of the Sheep, just past midday, when it finally arrived at the Zheng family boatyard.
Inside the boatyard, bustling activity was in full swing. Over the past few months, river craft had been launched one after another, awaiting "court purchase" (he mai) by the imperial authorities—a practice wherein the imperial court offered a pittance to take your goods off your hands. It was not technically requisition, yet in practice it was no different. "Compulsory hiring" (he gu) operated on the same principle; both were merely tools to exploit the common folk.
When Li Zhuang heard the news, he casually wiped his hands and came out to the boatyard entrance.
Shao Shuyi hopped down from the carriage, bowed deeply, and said, "Brother Li, has Young Master Zheng returned yet?"
"No, I fear it will be several more days," Li Zhuang replied, shaking his head. "These past few days, it's mostly Third Young Master presiding over the yard."
"Oh? Third Young Master is here?" Shao Shuyi's expression grew solemn as he asked.
"The court is in a rush for court purchases of river craft, so Third Young Master hasn't even been going to the Transport Office. He's been staying right here in the yard overseeing the shipbuilding."
"Third Young Master labors hard to relieve the court's burdens. It is truly grueling work."
"Indeed."
The two exchanged a few tepid pleasantries before lapsing into silence.
Shao Shuyi did not wish to beat around the bush any longer. Glancing inside the boatyard, he said, "Brother Li, I wish to see Third Young Master. Could you make an exception for me?"
"What exception is there to make?" Li Zhuang chuckled wryly. "I couldn't stop you even if I wanted to, and there are no enclosure walls here. Go in whenever you like. As for whether Third Young Master will see you, I can make no promises. He hasn't arrived yet."
"Thank you." Shao Shuyi bowed once more and motioned for Wang Huadu to drive the carriage inside.
Stepping aside to let the carriage pass, Li Zhuang caught hold of Shao Shuyi and whispered, "Xiaohu, has something happened?"
Shao Shuyi hesitated briefly, then nodded. "I've tied up Shopkeeper Wang Sheng and brought him here."
Li Zhuang recoiled in shock, staring blankly at Shao Shuyi.
Shao Shuyi offered no further explanation and walked straight inside.
******
By the time Zheng Guozhen arrived at the boatyard, evening had already fallen.
He was accompanied by three or four attendants, clad in fiery-red hunting attire and mounted upon a magnificent steed. He cut a formidable figure—looking nothing like an official of the Transport Office, and still less like a scholar. If anything, the image of a rough-and-ready warrior suited him far better.
Upon hearing the reports from the boatyard workers, his interest was piqued. Turning his horse's head, he rode straight over to where Shao Shuyi and the others were waiting.
"Third Young Master." Restraining Wang Huadu and the others from acting rashly, Shao Shuyi stepped forward several paces and bowed low.
Reining in his mount, Zheng Guozhen pointed his riding crop toward the carriage from afar and asked, "Is someone in the carriage?"
"Indeed," Shao Shuyi said, turning to wave his hand.
Frowning and sighing, Cheng Ji hauled out Wang Sheng, who was bound tightly with thick ropes.
"Wang Chunhe?" Zheng Guozhen exclaimed in surprise. He dismounted at once, leaned in close to inspect him, and pulled the rag from Wang Sheng's mouth. "It really is you?"
"Third Young Master, save me..." Wang Sheng dropped to his knees with a thud, tears streaming down his aged face.
Zheng Guozhen made no move to help him up, merely looking down at him in silence.
A steel saber hanging at his waist, Zheng Fan took several paces forward, interposing himself between Cheng Ji and the Third Young Master.
"Please inspect this, Third Young Master." Yu Yuan produced Wang Sheng's written confession, bending at the waist and bowing his head as he presented it.
Zheng Guozhen took it casually and began reading. When he finished, he handed it to Zheng Fan.
Zheng Fan finished reading it quickly, casting a pitying glance at Wang Sheng before turning a look of astonishment and suspicion toward Shao Shuyi.
"You old dog!" Zheng Guozhen flared up without warning, delivering a merciless kick straight to Wang Sheng's chest.
Wang Sheng was sent flying backward, tumbling twice across the ground and nearly blacking out from the impact.
"I suspected you long ago, but Father valued past loyalty and was always reluctant to move against you," Zheng Guozhen sneered. "I thought once the rumors spread you would show some restraint, but you remained just as greedy. Greedy and stupid!"
"Third Young Master..." Wang Sheng struggled to his knees, weeping piteously as he pleaded, "For the sake of two generations of my family serving faithfully, I beg Third Young Master to spare me!"
"The realm has its laws, and the family has its rules," Zheng Guozhen replied, shaking his head. "Spit back the money, and then go see my father to await your punishment."
Wang Sheng's face was ashen, yet a glimmer of hope rekindled deep in his eyes.
Ignoring him from then on, Zheng Guozhen shifted his gaze to Shao Shuyi. After sizing him up carefully, he said with bemusement, "You don't look the part."
Shao Shuyi blinked in surprise.
"A youth of fifteen or sixteen, yet so ruthless as to tie up Wang Chunhe and drag him all the way here—how did you manage it? Come, come, tell me all about it," Zheng Guozhen said, stepping up beside Shao Shuyi with a hollow smile.
"It began when Zhang Neng hired assassins to kill me..." Shao Shuyi held nothing back, laying out the entire sequence of events from beginning to end.
Zheng Guozhen listened quietly, chiming in with occasional exclamations like a partner in a comedic duo.
Zheng Fan noiselessly stepped up beside the Third Young Master, his hand resting upon his saber hilt as his eyes scanned Shao Shuyi from head to toe, seemingly searching for where that bronze hand cannon—the one that had slain two men in succession—might be concealed.
"Over the years, Wang Sheng's embezzlement amounted to no less than fifteen hundred ding. Such a greedy rat ought to be bound and delivered to the magistrate's yamen for public trial and punishment," Shao Shuyi concluded.
Zheng Guozhen shook his head.
Shao Shuyi looked at him in confusion.
"Wang Sheng's affair will naturally be dealt with by my family. Why bother the authorities?" Zheng Guozhen said, locking eyes with Shao Shuyi. "As for you, such ruthless methods at such a tender age truly caught me off guard. Back then, Thirteenth Brother said you were meek, timid, and afraid of trouble, worrying that putting you in the celadon shop would leave you outmatched by Wang Sheng. Now it seems he worried for nothing. But with you being so ruthless, I worry as well."
"Third Young Master, I am useful to you," Shao Shuyi said after a moment of silence.
The corner of Zheng Guozhen's mouth curled upward in a faint smirk. "Useful? Useful in what way?"
Shao Shuyi did not reply immediately. Instead, he drew a stack of papers from his breast and presented them with both hands. "Please take a look, Third Young Master."
Zheng Fan stepped forward to take them. Glancing over the pages with a slight furrow of his brows, he passed them on to Zheng Guozhen.
It was an "Audit Summary of Celadon Shop Receipts and Disbursements for the Past Three Months," written in neat, clear script and organized with meticulous logic. The first page clearly listed:
1. Twenty-eight errors and omissions in the original ledgers;
2. Embezzlement of public funds amounting to 136 guan;
3. Private sale of forty-two celadon pieces without entry into the official accounts;
4. A discrepancy between physical inventory and book records totaling 13 ding, 32 guan, and 50 wen.
Even more astonishingly, appended behind it was a set of "Proposals for Optimizing Celadon Shop Operations":
"First, establish three separate ledgers for 'Procurement,' 'Storage,' and 'Shipment.' By separating responsibilities and having each serve as a mutual audit, this eliminates the risk of arbitrary monopolization by a single individual;
Second, establish 'Client Records' to track visiting merchants' preferences, creditworthiness, and payment cycles, facilitating price negotiations and collection;
Third, establish 'Design Models' recording the celadon styles favored by foreign merchants. Commission different kilns to fire them, record the materials used, and estimate costs. Once verified, invite the kilns to submit price quotes before producing in bulk—ensuring swift sales while reducing expenses;
Fourth, institute fixed routines: inventory counts on the fifth of each month, reconciliation of accounts on the fifteenth, and final settlement on the twenty-fifth;
Fifth..."
Zheng Guozhen read through it once, and then read it a second time. Finally, he could not help looking up to study Shao Shuyi anew. "All this... you came up with it?"
"Yes," Shao Shuyi nodded. "I have served as accountant at the celadon shop for over two months. Checking the figures daily and working out projections every night, I managed to produce these results."
Zheng Guozhen folded away the summary. The playful banter had vanished from his eyes, replaced by sharp scrutiny. "Do you know that my Zheng family possesses three storefronts, a boatyard, and two manors in Taicang? The complexity of our ledgers exceeds that of the celadon shop tenfold. This little skill of yours might suffice for a small shop, but put on a larger stage, I fear it won't measure up."
"It is precisely for that reason that I wish to dedicate my service to Third Young Master," Shao Shuyi said, neither humble nor haughty. Meeting Zheng Guozhen's gaze with composed confidence, he continued, "If Third Young Master permits me to keep serving, I will manage the celadon shop's books down to the last penny without the slightest discrepancy. In my spare time, I can also come to the boatyard to sort out the inflow and outflow of materials—copper, iron, tung oil, hemp fibers, lime, and the like can all be cataloged under 'Standard Consumption Tables' to calculate costs by ship type. That way, even when the court suppresses prices through court purchases, we can accurately balance profits and losses to prevent bleeding too heavily."
Zheng Guozhen fell silent for a few moments, then abruptly asked, "Today you can tie up Wang Sheng. Tomorrow, will you tie up me?"
"I will not," Shao Shuyi said, meeting his gaze without flinching. "Wang Sheng is a parasite, whereas Third Young Master is the backbone. If I want to survive, I must rely on the shelter of a great tree like the Zheng family. To betray Third Young Master would be nothing less than severing my own lifeline."
Zheng Guozhen stared intently at him for several breaths. "Wang Sheng and Sun Chuan have colluded for years. Now that this has happened, what if Sun Chuan suppresses the shop?"
"Are there no other brokers?" Shao Shuyi asked.
"The celadon brokerage has three brokers who control well over eighty percent of all transactions," Zheng Guozhen countered. "The biggest is Sun Chuan. The next is Gao Zhihe, who happens to be the younger brother of Sun Chuan's late wife. The third is Qian Hui, Sun Chuan's apprentice. What do you think?"
*Then why did you move against Wang Sheng in the first place?* Shao Shuyi grumbled inwardly.
"Third Young Master, perhaps we don't have to sell exclusively to foreign merchants and seafaring traders," Shao Shuyi suggested, his thoughts turning rapidly.
"How so?"
"Are there no Great Yuan merchants who venture overseas?" Shao Shuyi said. "We need only partner with them."
"Partner with whom?"
Shao Shuyi was momentarily tongue-tied, but he reacted quickly, adopting the casual tone of a blind cat chancing upon a dead mouse. "I have heard that Shen Wansan is the wealthiest man in Jiangnan and conducts trade abroad from time to time. He is bound to have connections. Why not approach his people?"
Zheng Guozhen pondered in silence.
He did not doubt that Shao Shuyi would know of Shen Wansan, for the man's fame was so vast that hearing of him was hardly surprising.
After a moment, he shifted his gaze to Zheng Fan.
Zheng Fan nodded slightly. "It is indeed worth a try. In terms of official ties, the Shen family—"
"Enough," Zheng Guozhen cut him off, turning back to Shao Shuyi. "You may not know this, but Wang Sheng wasn't originally the shopkeeper of the celadon shop. His specific role was running between the porcelain kilns of Chuzhou, and he possesses quite a few connections there..."
*Why does he keep throwing bonus questions at me?* Shao Shuyi thought helplessly.
After a brief pause, he gritted his teeth and said, "Third Young Master, in truth, I have never understood why our shop must buy celadon solely from this province."
"What do you mean?" Zheng Guozhen's eyes narrowed as he asked.
"I have heard porcelain from Jingdezhen is also renowned. Why not try procuring from there?" Shao Shuyi said.
Of course, he had never seen Jingdezhen porcelain firsthand, but its fame in later centuries was thunderous, and its rise seemed to have begun precisely during the Yuan dynasty.
Supply sources had to be diversified; tying oneself entirely to a single supplier was an invitation to trouble—a plain and obvious truth.
This time, Zheng Guozhen did not look at Zheng Fan. After reflecting for a moment, he smiled at Shao Shuyi and said, "You shall remain accountant at the celadon shop. Your allowances of grain, paper money, salt, and vegetables will be doubled; we won't treat you unfairly. As for any manpower the shop lacks, hire as you see fit and simply report it up."
With that, he turned and walked away. Once mounted, he cast a final glance at Wang Sheng and barked, "Take him away, the worthless wretch."
Wang Sheng lay slumped upon the ground, his expression already resigned and calm.
Zheng Guozhen squeezed his horse's flanks and rode off into the distance, flanked by his retinue.
Sharp-eyed, Shao Shuyi noticed short spears, blades, and bow tips strapped beside Third Young Master's saddle, deepening his understanding of the man.
*A truly confident warrior.*
The setting sun sank into Salt and Iron Creek, its ripples shimmering with gold.
Gripping Wang Sheng by the collar with one hand, Zheng Fan slowly walked away into the distance.
Chapter 31