Miss and farmhand

Huang Yuguang naturally had no connections; he had no idea what the world was like. From his family to the academy, although he wasn't extremely wealthy, he was raised like a young master.

Asking him to inquire with his family would seem like a form of submission, and was absolutely out of the question. So he could only inquire within the academy.

Zhu Xiaoxu then learned of this.

In fact, it wasn't just Huang Yuguang who was concerned. All the young masters in their academy who had passed the preliminary examinations were naturally concerned when they gathered together. They discussed how long the war would last, how bad the pirates were, how many people they had killed, and how much gold and silver they had hoarded at sea. They also discussed how the imperial court was in debt and wanted their money, which was why they had sent troops to attack them for no reason.

"So how long do you think this fight will last?"

"Since it's something the imperial court initiated, the longer the better, because the longer it goes on, the more money they'll demand. There will also be losses along the way, which can be balanced out. I think those people in the garrison have been waiting for this day for a long time, just waiting to make some money."

"Drink up, that's like watching them make a fortune while we can only stand by and watch."

"What's wrong with that? If you're envious, go ahead and go. Merchant ships are still setting sail. Go ahead and go."

"Pah, I'm not stupid, I'm not looking for death. To tell you the truth, my great-grandfather is in Lushan. He overheard my father and mother discussing that it's not safe. They're afraid the court will lose the war, but they're also afraid the court won't lose. The longer it drags on, the less likely they are to conscript soldiers or people, but they'll conscript money and grain later. Aren't they just waiting to eat us? They said we should hurry back to our hometown while the roads are still open and take refuge."

"That's true. My elders have been saying the same thing. They all say that if you're going to run away, you can't take your belongings with you, and you don't trust others with your money. It's better to keep it with you."

"Now everyone's exchanging their money for silver. What's the point of silver notes? Unless they're large denominations, they'll probably be worthless soon. They've all exchanged their money for cash, and they're even saying the price is going to rise."

"Is it true or not? My parents told me not to ask, saying it's not my business and that I should focus on my studies."

"I don't know either. My family won't let me ask. Our academy is in such a state, what's the point of studying?"

These were all young masters who had to borrow money from their servants when they were short of cash; they weren't free to manage their finances. However, compared to their family background, they had at least a few dozen taels of silver, but it wasn't enough for their extravagant lifestyle.

Ji Jun, who had always been a semi-central figure among them, then revealed that Zhu Xiaoxu, the senior brother, had a way to speculate on silver. Everyone was attracted to this and, having nothing better to do, the students had the most free time and the most energy. One person would take the lead, and everyone would eagerly want to get involved.

After realizing that Shen Jingzong was beyond redemption, Zhu Xiaoxu completely severed ties with him, taking leave to go home for several months before occasionally returning after the New Year. This year was the year of the provincial examinations, and his own spring examinations wouldn't be held until next year, so it wouldn't really matter if he didn't come. However, there were several young masters in the academy, including him, with whom he needed to maintain relationships, so he would occasionally show up.

They all knew about the affair between Zhu Xiaoxu, the two headmasters, and the county magistrate. Rumors spread as quickly among scholars of their age as they did among Han Mama and the others in the inner quarters; in fact, they were quite willing to create and spread rumors themselves.

They didn't think there was anything wrong with Zhu Xiaoxu's actions, and they certainly wouldn't think he was morally corrupt. They admired Zhu Xiaoxu for his ability to "stir up trouble" and for being a capable person.

In their early teens, lacking experience, they were forced by their families to read dull and boring ancient books from the time they could speak, with little entertainment. Their needs were merely suppressed, not disappeared, and the appearance of Zhu Xiaoxu perfectly satisfied their delusion that "I can live like this too, causing trouble for everyone, with everything revolving around me."

A distorted and pathetic unity.

Moreover, Zhu Xiaoxu was exceptionally good at handling things. He was always wise and self-protective, never putting himself in danger. He always used others to do what he wanted, or made sure that others had no evidence against him, thus avoiding any responsibility.

This extreme selfishness actually left a positive impression on his fellow disciples, making him appear shrewd and calculating.

Just as he advised everyone that if they really wanted to play, they shouldn't stick together, but rather split up and exchange the items separately. They shouldn't go by themselves, and they shouldn't show their faces. They should remove the insignia from their carriages and have their servants do the job, so that it would be easier to shirk responsibility if something went wrong.

He spotted Huang Yuguang, who was looking hesitant, on the outskirts of the crowd.

Why not? Dragging someone down doesn't harm them at all. It's like playing a prank, not even to see someone suffer, but just to throw a pebble into the still water and see the ripples again.

Huang Yuguang was thus eliminated.

Huang Chu initially didn't intend to get involved; she was still focused on the wedding. After all, she had completely shirked her responsibilities, and all her knowledge and worries had been transferred to Zhao Yuze.

If she hadn't listened to Ah-zhu and returned from the treasure ship, but had stayed on it instead, things might have been different. She could have remained on the scene and stirred up even bigger storms, and she might have gained greater freedom.

Not everyone in the world knows when to stop.

From the beginning, Zhao Dong couldn't stop, Huang Xingyu couldn't stop, the Zhou family couldn't stop, Shen Jingzong couldn't stop, Xiao Lin couldn't stop, and Ji Zhengming, who had already stopped, wanted to gamble again.

Even when Huang Muyun was on the boat, he wouldn't have been able to stop himself if it weren't for her.

The temptation is too great. People aren't that stupid. People understand fear. It's just that the trembling and excitement that fear brings are too similar. If you can't control yourself and let your impulses make the decision for you, there's no turning back. You can only take a gamble.

Many seemingly 50/50 bets are merely opportunities worth taking a gamble on in the eyes of the gamblers themselves; in the eyes of those with more information, the outcome is already decided before the game even begins.

For those who have long seen through the game, there are two choices: to stand by and watch, or even encourage others to join in, just to make the scene as big as possible so that they can watch a grand farce for their own amusement, or to do something they can't bear to see things get any more chaotic, even if it's thankless and difficult, to stop as many people as they can.

For some, it's difficult to define right and wrong. Some believe that seeking change amidst chaos is true skill, and they certainly have their reasons; otherwise, there wouldn't be people like Ji Zheng, who is the biggest winner on the path of seeking change amidst chaos.

But for Huang Chu, while she could become the one who "changed," she was always worried about what to do with those who became the backdrop of "chaos."

She could never forget not only the tragedy of her family in her previous life, but also the difficult time she and her mother spent in the city during the last month of lockdown.

She summoned Huang Xingtong and told him about speculating in silver. Huang Xingtong knew the stakes involved, especially the kind of speculative money that could make ordinary people and the poor a fortune. He knew that no one would listen to him just by talking about it; he couldn't even stop the servants in his household from speculating in silver.

He went to see Shen Jingzong again. Shen Jingzong was truly afraid of him.