Dugong

Chapter 113 Going home to visit relatives
The Imperial Hunting Ground collapsed, leading to the downfall of Eunuch Deng.

Li Ping'an later carefully reflected on the matter and realized that he had been too eager to make a contribution and demonstrate his usefulness to the Emperor, and his methods were somewhat crude.

The collapse of the imperial tombs was different; the Ministry of Works colluded with the Directorate of Ceremonial to embezzle 80-90% of the silver.

The timber and stone purchased with the remaining silver were bound to be substandard in terms of construction, and it was only natural that they would collapse over time.

“Our family is not like it was when we first came out of the cold palace. We have official positions and powerful relatives now. We need to think long-term when it comes to scheming and plotting!”

Li Ping'an instructed the young servant to bring a late-night snack: a pot of wine, four kinds of vegetarian dishes, and several steamed buns.

"Please don't complain about our poor food, Eunuch Meng."

Eunuch Meng picked up a steamed bun and took a big bite, praising, "Eunuch An is diligent and frugal, truly a model eunuch in the palace."

Li Ping'an bowed towards the Imperial Study and said, "Your Majesty eats no more than fifty taels of silver at a time. We servants should be diligent and frugal and share Your Majesty's burdens."

Eunuch Meng was impressed by Eunuch An's loyalty; no wonder the Emperor trusted him despite his humble origins. He picked up a piece of green vegetable with his chopsticks.

It melts in your mouth and tastes somewhat similar to the tribute fish lips.

Li Ping'an asked with a smile, "How does it taste?"

"delicious."

Eunuch Meng tasted several other vegetarian dishes, each with its own unique and subtle flavor: "Eunuch An, what are the names of these dishes?"

"Our family calls it 'Eat it and you'll understand'!"

"Wonderful, wonderful!"

Eunuch Meng understood immediately and instructed the cooks in the construction department's kitchen to learn how to make vegetarian dishes that were "easy to understand".

Eating in front of the conscripted laborers shows that our family is honest and upright.

……

One hundred and eight squares in Dayong Kyoto.

The most prestigious markets were those located to the north, adjacent to the imperial city; the markets near the eastern market were the wealthiest; the western market was dominated by lowly occupations; and the southern market was a slum.

Hengchang Trading Company was located in Pingkangfang in the East City, while its owner, Li Mancang, lived in Yongxingfang in the North City.

The residence, consisting of five courtyards, occupies more than ten acres. It is adjacent to the residence of Lu, the Minister of Revenue, on the left and the residence of the Marquis of Jingzhong on the right, making it a place frequented by only the most distinguished people.

It was noon that day.

A simple sedan chair arrived at the Li family's door.

Xiao Yu said in a low voice, "Godfather, we're at the door."

Li Pingan lifted the curtain and glanced inside. There was no plaque above the gate, and the walls of the house were several feet lower than the surrounding walls, making it look much less imposing.

"Not bad, nothing's over the limit, let's go in."

Xiao Yuzi stepped forward to inform the guards at the gate, who immediately opened the main gate and knelt down to welcome the legendary Eunuch An.

The sedan chair passed through the main hall and the house, until it stopped in the central hall of the third courtyard.

Li Mancang, along with his wife Zhang Guihua, son Li Pingyun, the dozen or so concubines he had taken in recent years, and his capable relatives, craned their necks and eagerly awaited their arrival.

Li Ping'an rubbed his face, recalling his parents for a long time before shedding a few tears. He lifted the sedan curtain, took a few quick steps, and knelt down in front of his parents.

"Your son greets his father and mother."

"Hey."

Li Mancang's hair was gray. Looking at his son, who only resembled him 30-40% of his memory, his old eyes reddened and he sadly shed tears.

"Xiao Anzi has suffered a lot outside."

"For my parents' sake, I don't feel bitter."

After kowtowing to his parents, Li Ping'an looked at the two children beside his elder brother and asked, "Are these our nephews?"

“The next generation is the Dun generation, the eldest is Dunmin and the youngest is Dunyi.”

Having spent two years working at the municipal government office, Li Pingyun appeared mature and steady, and nudged his two sons forward.

"Hurry up and pay your respects to your second uncle."

The two children bowed and clasped their hands, calling out in their clear voices, "Nephews greet Second Uncle."

Li Ping'an took out two jade pendants from his sleeve: "These are peace pendants that my family sent someone to obtain from Baiyun Temple. They are quite effective. You should carry them with you from now on." The two children accepted them with both hands and bowed again.

"Thank you for the reward, Uncle."

"Not bad, not bad, you know your manners."

Li Ping'an patted the two children's heads and put his arm around their shoulders: "Dad, Mom, let's go inside and talk."

Li Mancang instructed the steward: "Tell the kitchen to prepare a banquet tonight."

The butler was a thin, hunched old man who walked with a swaying gait, as if he might collapse and never get up again at any moment.

She glanced at Eunuch An and saw him nod slightly before quickly ordering the servants to prepare the banquet.

Enter the main hall.

Li Mancang and Zhang Guihua sat at the head of the table, while Li Ping'an and his elder brother sat to the left and right. The two children leaned against their father and second uncle respectively.

"Xiao Anzi, this is your third uncle's son. He works as the manager in the shop..."

"This is your uncle's eldest son..."

"These are all your aunts..."

Li Mancang introduced them one by one. When his name was called, each person stepped forward to bow to Li Ping'an. Everyone was well-behaved and respectful, and no one dared to act like an elder.

"We're all family, no need for formalities."

Li Ping'an responded with a smile, but in his heart he made a note of the relatives who did not perform the proper etiquette and would send them back to the countryside when he had time.

Our family doesn't care about relatives getting any benefits, but they must behave well and learn the rules properly, otherwise they deserve to be farmers for the rest of their lives.

Li Ping'an asked, "How is business this year?"

"Okay, very good."

Li Mancang nodded repeatedly. He felt that the past few decades had been wasted, and he had only truly become a human being after entering the capital.

"Father, it's good if you don't mind having too little money. We can certainly arrange more business, but if there's too much money, I'm afraid you won't be able to manage it."

Li Ping'an said, "When my nephews grow up, study hard, and pass the imperial examinations, we will hand over more business to them."

He added in his mind, "provided that their property had not yet been confiscated and their families exterminated at that time."

Fear flashed in Li Mancang's eyes, and he said timidly, "Ping An, I dare not complain about the amount."

Zhang Guihua stomped hard on her husband's foot. This fellow was always busy fooling around with his concubines and didn't learn to speak properly. He had only said a few words before he let slip his secret.

Li Mancang suddenly realized his mistake, straightened his chest, and tried to show the authority of a father: "Don't worry, Xiao Anzi, I have my own ideas."

"So good."

Li Ping'an chatted with his parents for a few minutes, then stood up and said, "Where is my elder sister's memorial tablet? Let's go and pay our respects."

Li Mancang quickly stood up: "I'll take you there."

The father and son arrived at the ancestral hall in the second courtyard, where the memorial tablets of the Li family's ancestors and clansmen were enshrined, and incense smoke rose day and night.

Li Ping'an didn't have much affection for his grandfather or his ancestors of higher generations, but due to the rules of the dynasty, he kowtowed and offered incense first.

Then I looked at the last row of memorial tablets, which listed my elder sister's name, birthday, and death date.

The woman who died young was not supposed to be enshrined in the ancestral hall to receive offerings, but since Li Ping'an had spoken, Li Mancang dared not use ancestral rules to stop her.

In his first year in the capital, Li Mancang easily made a large sum of money, and suddenly developed the air of a father and head of the family.

Li Ping'an instructed people to teach him manners, but Li Mancang never studied them properly.

Within a few days, first the government officials came to the businesses to investigate taxes, then the Imperial Horse Administration returned the fodder, and finally the merchants demanded compensation.

In the blink of an eye, the once-thriving business was now burdened with a mountain of debt.

According to the law, the Beijing government sealed off Li Mancang's residence, and he was driven out of his home. He begged on the streets with his wife and concubine, suffering for more than half a month.

From then on, Li Mancang was terrified of Eunuch An and obeyed him in everything.

Li Ping'an didn't know what his father was thinking, and even if he did, he didn't care. He lit incense and knelt down to worship the memorial tablet.

"May my elder sister be reborn into a good family in her next life..."

(End of this chapter)