Chapter 344

Wang Xiujin had no desire to dwell on the topic of his teacher. He had already made up his mind and was not about to abandon his goal simply because of a few words from Li Linshan. Education was the bedrock of the nation; he only hoped to shift some people’s thinking, thereby influencing more to follow. He did not want to reach the end of his life only to regret that, despite having the chance to change things, he had allowed decayed ideologies to persist simply because he feared the trouble. Wang Xiujin knew he could not change everyone’s mind, but if even a few were transformed, it would be a success.

Ever since the incident at the shipyard, Wang Xiujin had been conflicted. He wondered if his pace of change had been too fast, causing the heavens to take offense and send someone to torch his shipyard. Otherwise, why would they burn the shipyard and nothing else? To claim the shipyard was the root cause was nonsense; even without large ships, if the Emperor of Great Liang wanted to annihilate the Kou Kingdom, his generals would find a way to get it done.

If the displaced refugees were truly seeking revenge against Great Liang, and had the support of court officials, they would have targeted the gunpowder workshops instead. That would have caused far greater chaos and damage—perhaps even reaching the imperial palace. That would have been true vengeance; burning a mere shipyard was useless. The attack was targeted at him because the civil officials found him eyesores. First a ritual official, then other bureaucrats—what had he done to make these men view him as a thorn in their side, unwilling to rest until he was dead? How much hatred had he accrued? Had he killed their fathers or burned their ancestral graves?

Summing it all up, Wang Xiujin could only conclude: "Things were going too smoothly, and the heavens couldn't stand it." Once this thought took root, he wondered if he was developing things too quickly. Perhaps he had pushed Great Liang’s progress too far ahead, deviating from its destined path and disrupting the world’s balance, thus drawing the ire of certain individuals who wanted to kill him through repeated "accidents," or force the Emperor to despise him through a series of incidents.

"What are you thinking about?" Seeing Wang Xiujin’s dark expression and silence, Li Linshan reflected on whether he had been too harsh. He had only opposed the academy to keep Wang Xiujin out of danger; this was the first time he had ever disagreed with one of his proposals. "I am not afraid of trouble, but I worry about the wicked intentions of those people. After the shipyard incident, I have a new perspective on civil officials. These people are not only silver-tongued but also particularly insidious. I used to think the saying 'women and petty men are difficult to deal with' held weight, but now I see that so-called 'gentlemen' are not necessarily easy to handle either."

Wang Xiujin chuckled. "Nothing much. I was just wondering if I’m moving too fast, if things are too smooth, and if I’m getting in too many people’s way, which is why good things are meeting with setbacks." He sighed and gathered his thoughts. A phrase suddenly came to mind: "Battling with the heavens, the earth, and men—the joys are infinite." Even if the heavens were unhappy with him, so be it. Since he had been brought here, he would turn this world upside down. He would reshape this land and make the world respect it, even if wars remained inevitable centuries later.

"What does it matter if you block the path of many? Whether it is the one above, or the Li or Wang families, they all support you. Anyone who dares harbor ill intentions will find only a dead end awaiting them," Li Linshan said calmly.

"It doesn't matter? They have already developed the intent to kill and sent assassins. Are these really civil officials? Their hearts are so dark. If it is me now, what if the Emperor does something contrary to their wishes? Will they smear the Emperor’s name in the shadows? Will they secretly send assassins after him, too?" Wang Xiujin rolled his eyes. He regretted the words immediately, unsure if anyone was lurking in the rafters. He blinked and glanced at Li Linshan. Li Linshan shook his head, and Wang Xiujin breathed a sigh of relief. Some things could be said; others could not be uttered carelessly.

What Wang Xiujin did not know was that Li Linshan’s shake of the head was not a response to his silent inquiry, but a gesture of helplessness. On the beams above, the crouching figure was inwardly shocked. How had he never considered such a possibility? The palace had to be thoroughly purged, and the Emperor’s protection had to be doubled.

"Did the Imperial Merchant really say that?" When the Emperor heard the report from his attendant, his expression was complex, and worry stirred in his heart. The Emperor knew the merchant was right; if they could strike at a merchant under his protection, it meant the officials held him in total contempt. If they were displeased with him, the outcome would be...

Hah, there was no need to wonder. Was there not someone even now conspiring to rebel, only to be burned to death first? Those people still dared to call it slander, claiming the official Liu was loyal. Loyal? Using private minting to show loyalty? Did they take him for a fool?

"Someone, summon Lord Wang to the palace." Regardless of the hour, the Emperor ordered an investigation. Every official who claimed the traitor was loyal was to be scrutinized. If they had even the slightest blemish, they were to be arrested, leaving none behind. If he left these people alive, he would never sleep, worrying daily about assassins infiltrating the palace. The palace staff, too, had to be investigated. He ordered his attendant to see to it.

A month later, Shopkeeper Wang returned from the shipyard, bringing the accountants to find Wang Xiujin. After the tallied figures were reported, Wang Xiujin told him to go rest for two days. Flipping through the ledger, the final sum was quite substantial; he wondered if the Fourth Prince would agree to it.

With Shopkeeper Wang back, Wang Xiujin felt a bit more at ease, arriving at the shop later than usual with more smiles on his face. The shop manager asked if there was good news, and Wang Xiujin thought about it—it really was good news. "The manor is hosting a celebration in two days. Send more fruit over these next few days. Send word to the manor estate: have them slaughter a sheep, a cow, and a pig every day to send over, and don't forget the chickens and ducks."

Mentioning the estate reminded him of the land acquisition, so he asked how that was going. The manager was stumped; he had heard the head shopkeeper mention it, but he hadn't been the one to handle it, so he stood there speechless. Wang Xiujin looked up and realized he had asked the wrong person. He waved his hand, intending to have the head shopkeeper summoned, but remembered he had given him two days off. "Send someone to tell Shopkeeper Wang to find me at the General’s Manor tomorrow after midday."

The manager agreed repeatedly, then hesitated before speaking. "Boss, a distant relative of my wife’s family worked in the palace and left recently. I remember you mentioned wanting to open a clothing store in the small town, and I thought..."

"Want to open a store? Under the name of a clothing boutique?" Wang Xiujin raised an eyebrow. He asked, but his mind was racing. This wasn't a standard palace recruitment or selection, nor a holiday; why were they releasing people from the palace? He had heard many people mentioning palace staff being released lately—what was the Emperor planning? Surely he didn't think the palace was too crowded to feed them?

The manager nodded repeatedly, his heart in his throat. He didn't want to bring this up, but his wife had been nagging him so incessantly that he had no choice.

"Wait until after the celebration at the manor. I will meet the person first, then we shall see." Wang Xiujin didn't give a definitive answer. Using the celebration as an excuse was a courtesy, given the manager’s loyalty. Of course, he also intended to find out the reason for the palace releases; he felt it was far from simple, and anyone released would have to be viewed with suspicion. If the manager was sensible, he wouldn't bring it up again. If he wasn't, well, even if he was a trusted employee, that didn't mean he couldn't be replaced.

The manager was no fool; he understood Wang Xiujin’s meaning and wiped the sweat from his brow. He had been truly sabotaged by his wife at home. If he couldn't talk sense into her, he would send her back to her parents’ house.

Carrying the ledger from the shipyard, Wang Xiujin pushed open the door to the tea house room where he was to meet the Fourth Prince. Seeing the prince holding his teacup, Wang Xiujin raised an eyebrow. After paying his respects, he stated the compensation amount directly. The Fourth Prince’s brows knitted together immediately; he knew the losses would be significant, but the sum far exceeded his expectations. Given Wang Xiujin’s character, he would never make an exorbitant demand. If he wanted to profit from the royal family, why would he donate so much money to them every year? His donations were always more than this sum, never less.

"Very well. Once the matter is settled, I will have the Ministry of Revenue send the funds to you. I will bring someone along to count the money on the spot," the Fourth Prince promised.

Hearing the Fourth Prince agree, Wang Xiujin was slightly surprised; he had expected hesitation over such a large sum and had even prepared to offer a discount. But the prince’s directness gave him reassurance. Firstly, the Emperor valued the Fourth Prince; secondly, the royal family was not short on cash. "I have an impertinent request."

"My worthy brother, just say it. Why such formalities? Are you inviting me to the wedding feast? General Li has already sent an invitation." The Fourth Prince teased with a smile.

"It is not about that. Recently, many people have come to my shop inquiring about opening a branch in the small town. Some of these individuals came from the palace." Wang Xiujin stopped, watching the Fourth Prince. The prince’s smile vanished in an instant, replaced by a cold sneer.

"A word of advice, brother: some people are manageable, but others... they only look pitiful, while their ambitions are vast." The Fourth Prince didn't elaborate, but Wang Xiujin understood his meaning perfectly.

"I understand. Thank you for the warning, Your Highness." Wang Xiujin bowed in gratitude, and the matter was dropped. Wang Xiujin then asked about the security arrangements. The Fourth Prince began to complain, saying he had recruited a bunch of blockheads who couldn't learn no matter how the head constable taught them. He had been so angry he nearly fired them all, but then, as if they had suddenly been enlightened, they understood everything at once.

"They were just a bunch of shirkers; there is no need to be angry. If you think they aren't up to the task, you can always replace them. However, when recruiting again, make them leave thumbprints. If anyone is caught just trying to slack off and collect pay during their training, not only should they be fired, they must pay double in compensation. If they are truly dull, don't just lecture them; let them listen to the lessons repeatedly. If they still don't learn after a certain number of times, there is no need to send them home; you can arrange other tasks for them."