Accompanying the courtly ritual music came the steady, rhythmic thrumming of drums.
Several dozen burly men who looked like sailors carried sacrificial offerings—pigs, sheep, and the like—up to the altar table.
The elderly temple priest held a slow-match, lighting the candles and the heavenly incense sticks one by one.
His apprentice trailed behind, silently handing over the ritual items.
A hush fell over the grounds, and everyone took on a solemn expression. Even a rough brute like Wang Huadu felt out of place and stood there honestly and quietly.
"Present the Five Fruits," the priest called out in a raspy voice as he turned around.
The Five Fruits originally referred to jujubes, plums, apricots, chestnuts, and peaches, but they were not always easy to gather in full, so other fruits—or even painted wooden facsimiles—were often substituted in their stead.
Shao Shuyi stole a glance and noticed they appeared to be artificial wooden fruits.
"The first libation for a reign of peace and prosperity..." The priest received a bowl of wine from his apprentice and presented it upon the altar table.
Turning back, the priest intoned again, "Let the community leader recite the sacrificial address."
A middle-aged man in a white robe stepped forward, chanting the prayer in rhythmic cadences. Beyond the cantons and townships, every fifty households formed a community under one leader, whose chief duty was to encourage farming and sericulture; normally, they had little presence.
Shao Shuyi waited patiently through the lengthy ceremony.
After the reading of the sacrificial address, they offered incense a second time, lit the candles once more, presented the three bowls of tea and two of grain, and then the dignitaries—officials, brokerage merchants, and wealthy squires—stepped forward to pay their respects.
Shao Shuyi felt a slight stir of wind as Zheng Fan, standing near the front among a group of notables, stepped up to burn incense and bow in prayer.
To his surprise, two women were among this first cohort of worshipers.
He glanced aside at Wang Huadu, wondering why.
Wang Huadu looked back at him blankly, as if to say, *How should I know?*
Shao Shuyi pondered the matter and recalled something Zheng Fan had mentioned during their idle chats: after many merchants in Zhejiang set sail for the open seas, years would pass without a word, and over time, quite a few wealthy widows emerged.
Zheng Fan had once noted that in Qingyuan alone, there were roughly a dozen well-to-do widows from seafaring merchant families.
When he first heard this, Shao Shuyi had been thoroughly astonished, gaining a clearer sense of just how widespread maritime commerce had become in the Yuan dynasty. Even the great calligrapher Zhao Mengfu had once mortgaged his own residence to buy shares in overseas trading vessels; when even literati and scholar-officials went to such lengths, it was obvious how fiercely the trend burned.
The two women before him were likely of that sort—left to shoulder the family businesses after their husbands met with unforeseen disasters.
Shao Shuyi felt the few hundred copper coins remaining in his pouch and sighed inwardly at the old truth that poverty stifles ambition. He had actually found himself thinking those wealthy widows looked quite attractive.
"The second libation for the Heavenly Consort's protection..." the priest called out again.
A large contingent of shipmasters and shopkeepers stepped forward to pay homage in unison.
"Is that the Lu Zhonghe you mentioned? Looks decent enough on the outside, at least," Wang Huadu whispered. "The Shen family must have lost their minds. They made their fortune in trade, yet they insist on putting on scholarly airs and marrying their daughter off to a 'literary talent.' What good is that? Hey, he's looking at you."
Shao Shuyi looked up slightly and saw Lu Zhonghe turn back to glance at him with an inscrutable expression, before stepping forward at an unhurried pace to burn incense and offer his prayers.
Lady Shen walked alongside her husband, eyes fixed straight ahead, her posture dignified.
Shao Shuyi felt a flicker of annoyance.
Why did this Lu Zhonghe keep trying to measure himself against him? *Brother, you're a literatus and I'm a merchant; we aren't even on the same path. Not to mention we've already done business together once. Isn't your competitive streak a bit much? You lose one little contest and hold a grudge? What kind of giant baby are you?*
*Whatever. Doesn't matter to me.*
As the call for "the third libation for safety and an abundant harvest" rang out, Shao Shuyi followed the crowd forward to pay his respects to the Heavenly Consort.
Behind them waited a fourth group. When the priest called out, "Let the pious men and faithful women repent and bow," the sailors about to embark on the distant voyage and their families swarmed forward in an immense, bustling throng.
"Burn the sacrificial address," the priest proclaimed, delivering his seventh instruction of the day.
Shao Shuyi had already returned to his original spot. Chatting with Wang Huadu, he kept an eye on his surroundings.
The shipmasters were conversing with their employers and dignitaries, while the sailors bid tearful farewells to their families. Some women and children were weeping aloud as if parting forever—and in truth, it was hardly any different. In this day and age, anyone with money would never willingly take to the sea.
The impoverished common sailors did not lack courage; they dared to gamble with their lives, but that was also the only asset they had to offer.
Once aboard, their families would receive at least some degree of care and support. Each sailor was also permitted to carry a chest filled with local Central Plains goods to sell abroad, and on the return journey, they could purchase foreign goods to sell back home, not to mention the year's wages at sea were quite generous.
To their understanding, this was the sole chance they had to alter their fate.
"Xiaohu, come here," Shao Shuyi heard Zheng Fan's voice call out while he was looking around.
Following the sound, he found Zheng Fan, Shen Rong, Lu Zhonghe, Lady Shen, and several others standing together, conversing and laughing cordially.
Shao Shuyi offered greetings to each in turn.
Shen Rong held the highest standing yet was the first to return the courtesy. Smiling faintly, he looked Shao Shuyi up and down. "The young master has grown quite tall."
"He's been fattened up on fish and meat," Zheng Fan chuckled, punching Shao Shuyi lightly on the shoulder. "In just half a year, he's filled out nicely, too."
Behind Zheng Fan stood two men—one tall, one short; one stout, one lean—both sizing Shao Shuyi up with somewhat unfriendly gazes.
"I forgot to introduce them," Zheng Fan said, gesturing toward the pair. "The tall one is my seventh cousin from my fourth uncle's branch, named Guozhang. The other is Fang Anyang, an in-law relative of the Old Minister."
Zheng Guozhang bowed first, then glared at Zheng Fan, seemingly displeased with how he had been introduced.
Fang Anyang appeared to be around twenty years of age. His return bow was exceedingly courteous, but the look in his eyes was cold.
Shao Shuyi took care not to be remiss, bowing politely to each.
Zheng Guozhang was a member of the Zheng clan, which went without saying.
Fang Anyang's background was likewise significant. After all, the principal wife of the Old Minister, Zheng Yonghe, was surnamed Fang, and the goat-bearded elder who had accompanied Zheng Song previously was also named Fang.
It was only natural that the two harbored resentment toward Shao Shuyi, for they were about to set sail.
As part of the joint venture with the Shen and Ye families, Zheng Guozhang and Fang Anyang were to board the *Chongjia* and sail south to the kingdom of Srivijaya near Java for trade.
This was by no means an easy journey; they might well lose their lives, so their resentment was understandable.
Having introduced these two, Zheng Fan stepped before another man. "This is Shipmaster Ye Qiao of the *Chongjia*."
Shao Shuyi immediately bowed in greeting.
Ye Qiao returned the gesture without a word, his sunburnt, ruddy face devoid of expression.
"As for these two, do they need any introduction? Xiaohu, you've met them already, haven't you?" Zheng Fan winked, smiling at Lu Zhonghe and Lady Shen before adding, "Well, let me present them formally. This is Lu Mingshen, Lord Wansan's precious son-in-law, gifted in prose and poetry, who often matches verses with the talents of Wu and holds the graceful moniker of one of the 'Four Friends of the Pine and Bamboo Garden.'
"And his wife, Lady Shen, Lord Wansan's beloved daughter. Don't look down on her; she has studied the classics since childhood and is equally adept in the ways of commerce. Eight or nine times out of ten, she makes the final call in household affairs. Truly formidable."
Zheng Fan might have intended it in jest, but Lu Zhonghe's face tightened with annoyance.
Sensing her husband's displeasure, Lady Shen spoke up at once. "Yifang is teasing us. I am merely a merchant's daughter. I may manage to turn a modest profit in the marketplace, but that is trivial work. Harmonizing the household and bringing honor to the family name still rests upon my husband's shoulders."
Zheng Fan chuckled and said no more.
Lu Zhonghe's expression softened slightly.
Shen Rong seemed not to notice the undercurrents. Smiling at Shao Shuyi, he said, "I just heard quite a bit about you from Squire Sun. You are no ordinary young fellow—modest and yielding when appropriate, yet decisive and ruthless when the time comes, with considerable insight into commerce. Truly remarkable."
*Sun Chuan?* Shao Shuyi's heart skipped a beat. *Why is that fellow everywhere?* Things had been quiet lately, and he had assumed Sun Chuan had settled down, but it seemed that was not the case.
Cupping his hands toward Shen Rong, he said, "I was merely forced by circumstance. I've made a fool of myself before the squire."
Shen Rong shook his head. "You have plenty of ruthlessness, but you are still young. In the days ahead, you should learn to hide your sharp edge and blend your light with the dust. Otherwise, your path forward may prove increasingly difficult."
"Thank you for the guidance, Squire," Shao Shuyi said, bowing.
Shen Rong nodded, bid farewell to Zheng Fan, and took his leave first.
Lu Zhonghe glanced thoughtfully at Sun Chuan, who was laughing and chatting with others in the distance. Hearing a quiet reminder from Lady Shen, he took his leave as well.
"What are you staring at? It's over," Zheng Fan said, tapping Shao Shuyi on the shoulder. "The fleet departs today. First to Wenzhou and Taizhou, then to Quanzhou, after which they won't make port again, heading straight for Srivijaya. If all goes well, they'll return next summer. Third Young Master said that since you bargained an extra ten percent profit, he won't take it for nothing. He'll give you thirty percent of it, but you have to do your job properly—no slacking or underhanded tricks."
"Understood, understood," Shao Shuyi replied repeatedly.
"Good that you know." Zheng Fan looked toward the distant river. "The spring transport fleet has already passed Wanli Changtan and will be returning one after another over the next couple of days. Third Young Master's promotion to registrar of the Transport Office is set in stone. With a new post comes endless business, so he probably won't have much energy to look after other matters. Well, enough said. Just remember one thing: Third Young Master is generous and often rewards those beneath him, but you must produce achievements that satisfy his eye; otherwise, don't even dream of getting a single copper. Didn't you want a ship of your own before? You can have one—just bring the merit to earn it."
With that, Zheng Fan waved his hand. "I'm off. Do as you please."
Shao Shuyi bowed in farewell.
After Zheng Fan's figure vanished into the distance, Shao Shuyi fell into thought. It seemed he truly needed to show some tangible results.
The credit for helping clean out the rats at the celadon shop was already in the past; he couldn't live off it forever. He needed new accomplishments.
*Zheng the Third Young Master is a thorough meritocrat!*
Still musing, Shao Shuyi scanned the crowd aimlessly for Wang Huadu, intending to call him back.
Just then, he caught sight of a group of people standing by the perimeter wall not far away. They had high-bridged noses and deep-set eyes, pointing and gesturing toward the Tianfei Palace as though watching a spectacle.
Having seen their fill, they were chatting and laughing, preparing to turn and leave.
In a flash of inspiration, Shao Shuyi raised his right hand and called out toward the foreign merchants, "Salam!"
Chapter 42