Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 22: The Secret Revealed
As he spoke, Chen Siyuan sat down on the other side of the Eight Immortals Table.

Sun Guangcheng asked, "Tell me, how did you get so unlucky?"

Chen Siyuan then told her about Liu Yan'er's bad luck. She had just entered the house and ran into the fool Xue, and was forced into an affair.

After Chen Siyuan finished speaking, Hu Mang frowned and snorted coldly, "That's easy to say, but who knows if you're behind this?"

Sun Guangcheng scolded: "Huh?"

The rude man immediately stopped talking. Sun Guangcheng then said, "Brother Chen is new here, how can he have the time to plan his tactics? We in this line of work are afraid of such scoundrels. It's like a scholar meeting a soldier. Even if you have a point, it's hard to explain it. No matter how eloquent you are, it's useless."

Chen Siyuan said, "Perhaps this could be a blessing in disguise—the Xue family is from a royal merchant family, and Xue Pan is a bit of a shrewd person. If Yan Jie uses some tricks, she might be able to get tens of thousands of taels of silver. Divide the profits then, and it'll be enough for a lifetime." He paused, glanced at the furious Hu Mang, and said, "Even if there is no hope, it would be good for Yan Jie to become Xue Pan's concubine. At least she has hope for the rest of her life."

"You——" Hu Mang was furious!

Chen Siyuan looked at Hu Mang with a smile and said, "What's the matter? Brother Hu, are you reluctant to part with Sister Yan? Tsk, I'm not saying this, Brother Hu, you're just being unreasonable. Sister Yan isn't from a good family, so with the money, Brother Hu, what beautiful girl can't he buy?"

Hu Mang slammed the table and shouted, "If you keep saying that, I'll chop you into pieces!"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "Okay, let's see if you, a pill seller, can chop me up. Come on!"

By the end of this statement, his voice was stern.

Hu Mang couldn't stand the provocation and was about to step forward, but was stopped by the pipe.

Sun Guangcheng said, "Tit for tat. That day in Yangzhou, I asked you to invite nephew Chen here in a respectful manner, but you resorted to violence. You deserve the humiliation you are experiencing today."

He then looked at Chen Siyuan and sighed, saying, "Nephew Chen, I've already apologized. Brother Hu was just joking that day. I think we can just let this matter go. Remember, the important thing is more important."

Chen Siyuan followed suit, saying, "Since Master Uncle has said so, I naturally have no objection. But as for how to proceed with that important matter, shouldn't Master Uncle reveal a few words by now? In August, the Salt Commissioner Lin fell seriously ill, and I think his time is running out. If Jia Lian returns, I'm afraid all the important matters will be in vain."

Sun Guangcheng smiled as he smoked his pipe, "No rush. Lin Ruhai has passed away, and Jia Lian will have to start his funeral before he can return. Calculating the time, even if Lin Ruhai dies when we leave, Jia Lian won't return until the beginning of winter, which means at least two months. That's plenty of time."

After a pause, Sun Guangcheng pushed the official report on the table over and said, "Master Chen, please take a look. My plan is here."

Chen Siyuan took the official report and read it carefully. Most of the reports were about promotions and demotions. There was also an imperial decree from the emperor to reprimand Guangxi and order it to quell the border rebellion as soon as possible.

Chen Siyuan read through the documents one by one, his gaze suddenly fixed on one item: it stated that the request of Zhejiang Governor Yan Gengyao to open a port in Songjiang was approved.

"Opening a port?"

Sun Guangcheng laughed heartily and said, "Martial Brother Chen, you have a good eye. You're right. This major event should be the opening of the port." He paused and added, "In a few days, I will be able to live in the Zhejiang Guild Hall."

Chen Siyuan frowned in thought, perhaps understanding Sun Guangcheng's plan. The methods of the Pingzi Sect were probably similar to those of stock analysts in his previous life.

He used fake screenshots to hype himself up, then offered stock recommendations and diagnostics to lure retail investors into a trap, while he cashed out at a high price. But judging by Sun Guangcheng's current scheme, it looked more like the tactics of the Que Clan.

Because Chen Siyuan asked, "Master, do you also understand the Quezi Sect?"

Sun Guangcheng said modestly: "It's a matter of analogy."

Seeing that he was unwilling to say more, Chen Siyuan did not ask any more questions and said, "Then my nephew will obey your uncle's orders from now on." Sun Guangcheng smiled and said, "After doing this, your uncle will guarantee that my nephew Chen will have no worries about food and clothing in the future." As he spoke, he took out a piece of letter from his pocket and handed it to him, "Take a look."

Chen Siyuan took it, carefully took out the letter inside, unfolded it and took a look at it, and was immediately stunned.

"This...Uncle Master..."

Sun Guangcheng said with a smile, "Wealth and honor are sought in danger. Just show this thing to Jia She. This man will surely become greedy. Then we can use this to taunt him and use him to our advantage."

Jia She was a man of great greed, extravagance, and debauchery; he and Lady Xing were a match made in heaven. If this thing fell into Jia She's hands, there was no telling what Sun Guangcheng had imagined.

Chen Siyuan was hesitant and said, "Uncle, if this matter is exposed, I'm afraid my life will be over."

Sun Guangcheng said calmly, "What are you afraid of? Letters from the capital to Yangzhou take at least a month to travel back and forth. With that much time, anything can be accomplished. By then, if you hide anywhere, no matter how powerful the Jia family is, they won't be able to find you."

Chen Siyuan thought to himself, "I can't refuse now. If I refuse today, this old dog will probably sell me out tomorrow. If I pretend to be a relative of the Jia family, I'm afraid I'll die without knowing how I died."

The only solution for now is to take one step at a time and slowly find a way out.

Seeing that he was silent, Sun Guangcheng said, "Are you scared, nephew? Don't worry, my technique is so powerful that even that person wouldn't be able to see the flaws in it."

Chen Siyuan made up his mind and said with a bright smile, "Since my uncle has said so, what should I be afraid of? When I have time in a few days, I will show this thing to Jia She."

Sun Guangcheng laughed heartily and said, "No wonder my senior brother chose you to inherit his mantle. To be a disciple of the Que Sect requires courage and caution. As the saying goes, you can't get a tiger cub without risking it. Since you've agreed, this matter is now halfway settled."

When the hall became lively, Sun Guangcheng sent Hu Mang to pour tea and called him "Jiu Nie" affectionately. Chen Siyuan asked questions in a half-warm and half-defensive way, but every time he asked about the key points, Sun Guangcheng would always avoid the question.

Chen Siyuan cursed this old fox countless times in his heart, but he could do nothing about it.

As the tea was poured, Chen Siyuan recounted what had happened the previous night. Finally, he said, "Master, even the First Madam wouldn't dare employ Qin Shi. Could there be some hidden agenda? And considering her background, she married Jia Rong... Could Qin Shi be the illegitimate daughter of some noble?"

"Ahem—" Sun Guangcheng choked on his cigarette and coughed repeatedly. He pointed his pipe at Chen Siyuan from a distance and said with a smile, "Junior Brother Chen is really good at joking."

Chen Siyuan saw the old fox's expression and knew that he had made some assumptions. He hurriedly bowed and asked, "I wonder what your opinion is, uncle?"

Sun Guangcheng said, "Let's not talk about the Qin family for now. Let me ask you, what official position did her father, Qin Ye, hold?"

"Ministry of Works and Construction Officer."

Sun Guangcheng said, "That's it, the sergeant in charge of the imperial court... Oh, my senior brother passed away long ago, so I'm afraid he didn't teach you the ins and outs of the officialdom. Well, today I'll teach you a lesson—what do you think is the most lucrative job in the world?"

Without hesitation, Chen Siyuan blurted out, "Of course it's the Salt Commissioner." After a pause, he came to his senses and said, "No? Could it be that useless Construction Officer?"

"That's right! The Salt Bureau's profits are lucrative, and everyone knows it, because the Imperial Inspectors deal with the salt merchants." He pointed his pipe at the imperial city. "The Construction Officers deal with the royal family. The officials are eager to snatch food from the royal family, so why would they point it out?"

Seeing that Chen Siyuan was still puzzled, Sun Guangcheng continued, "The Construction Department is responsible for the maintenance of the imperial city, mausoleums, altars and temples, palaces, city walls, warehouses, government offices, and barracks. Hundreds or even tens of millions of silver coins pass through their hands every year. How much is the salt tax?"

(End of this chapter)