Triumph in Her Rise and Love-Chapter 213 - 211

Shao Qing didn’t even spare Squint Eye a glance, and continued to discuss the matter of the tripling of the tax with Lord Xu.

The farcical ruckus raged on tumultuously for most of an hour, eventually concluding with the Inspection Division publicly admitting to their error; Squint Eye was dismissed and barred from ever being rehired; and the Inspection Division compensated Song Jiyun and others with 200 taels of silver to draw the curtain on the event.

Onlookers who had come for the spectacle all clapped and cheered.

Lord Xu even enthusiastically offered to personally arrange for boat trackers to escort them into the city, "The cost will be on me. Don’t worry, Young Master Shao, I won’t take a penny from public funds for this."

Of course, Shao Qing would not accept, "Our Great Master is very strict. Are you trying to get me killed by letting him learn of this? However," his eyes gleaming mischievously, "If you truly wish to help me transport the goods home, didn’t the Inspection Division hire quite a few temp workers? Let them do it."

This... upon careful consideration, isn’t it still taking advantage of public resources?

Zhou Zheng didn’t understand.

But Song Jiyun just pursed her lips and smiled.

Thinking about it, no wonder Yuan Yunzhong had Shao Qing escort them to Nanjing. Putting aside the name cards he carried, there was the way he handled affairs—silently and effectively. One couldn’t understand these nuances without having been immersed in the system for many years. And this wasn’t something that could be grasped simply by being worldly and knowledgeable, let alone by the others in her company.

She whispered an explanation to Zhou Zheng, "With someone like Lord Xu, whose character is questionable, you fear that what he says is one thing and what he does is another. Since Shao Qing’s elderly master controls things strictly, it’s clear that he doesn’t allow them to engage in any spoiled acts using the government’s name. He says he won’t let the government pay for the boat trackers, but we can’t see their ledgers, so who knows how they’ll account for it?

"Having those loafers work as boat trackers is different. They are just temporary hires anyway. Spending a day checking the travel permits and goods or helping us carry our merchandise still counts as a day’s work for them. Lord Xu doesn’t need to pay them extra, let alone use this as an excuse to claim additional government funds."

Zhou Zheng, who managed a Kiln Factory himself, immediately grasped the trick and nodded repeatedly, looking at Song Jiyun with a new level of respect.

But Shao Qing had another plan in mind.

He whispered to Song Jiyun, "This Xu probably still harbors suspicions about us. If he wants to escort us into the city, let him. We can save the money we would’ve spent on boat trackers." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Throughout the journey, Song Jiyun had relied much on Shao Qing’s arrangements, and she nodded repeatedly, "I’ll leave everything up to Young Master Shao!"

Only then did Shao Qing relax, and with a cheeky grin, he slung an arm around Zhou Zheng, boasting, "How about that? I wasn’t bragging, was I? Now that we are in Nanjing, my face alone is as good as a name card."

Zhou Zheng had already reassessed his opinion of Shao Qing, guessing that not only he but also Young Master Yuan came from extraordinary origins. Yet Shao Qing was cheerful, lively, and sincerely genuine, and so he felt Shao Qing was a rare and true friend, without any reservations on account of his background. With a chuckle, he gave Shao Qing a thumbs-up, saying, "Indeed, you are worthy of the title ’Young Master Shao’!"

Shao Qing laughed heartily.

Everyone began to refer to him half-jokingly and half-seriously as "Young Master Shao."

He accepted it with ease.

The Inspection Division dared not neglect them, and Lord Xu personally instructed the boat trackers to shift their ship so they could quickly dock and unload their cargo.

The occupants of the Auspicious Ship that had occupied their spot kept peering curiously toward them. When their ship docked and they started to unload, the same steward who had scoffed at Shao Qing the day before now approached him with bows and scraping, saying, "We are from the Taicang Wang Family, and our elderly master was of the same family as yours five hundred years ago."

All eyes turned to Shao Qing.

Shao Qing spat, "Why are you making up relations? Our elderly master’s ancestors are from Xiangtan, and Taicang is thousands of miles away. Even five hundred years ago, we couldn’t possibly have been one family!"

Saying so, he waved grandly, "Let’s head into the city!"

The group couldn’t help but laugh.

Yet Song Jiyun was aware of something called "Family Genealogy."

She asked Shao Qing in a low voice, "Are you sure it’s not related?"

Shao Qing scornfully curled his lip and said, "It’s just that a Third-Grade official has emerged from their family, and with the Emperor’s favor at its peak, they dare to come to Nanjing and act wildly. No need to pay attention to them!"

This was not an area that Song Jiyun excelled in, so she could only follow Shao Qing’s lead.

By the time she disembarked from the ship and set foot on land, a house steward had already brought a carriage to pick her up.

The carriage was of a very common style, the same as what ordinary people used with its flat top and level canopy, but the carvings on its body were extremely exquisite, and all four corners were edged with brass that gleamed brightly. The surrounding curtain was a green color, with silver Chi embroidered ribbons on both sides that also contained seams woven with golden thread.

The green curtain and silver Chi embroidered ribbons were items that only officials of Third-Grade or above were allowed to use.

Song Jiyun was extremely shocked!

She knew that Yuan Yunzhong came from an extraordinary background, but had not expected it to be this extraordinary!

Looking again at the house steward, who appeared to be in his forties, with fair skin, a neat appearance, and donned in a parrot green cotton robe, anyone would have thought him a Great Master of considerable family wealth and prestige had they not encountered him in this context.

Who exactly is Yuan Yunzhong?

What is he doing in Jingde Town?

After he was free to move as he pleased, he clearly could have left, so why insist on staying with her?

Could it be that he is involved with Prince Ning’s smuggling case?

Song Jiyun’s mind was a tangled mess, yet at this moment she could only suppress these confusions at the bottom of her heart.

Shao Qing introduced the house steward as Mr. Wang with the single given name ’Sheng’: "Just call him Steward Wang. He served the Great Master when he was younger, and now he manages the various affairs here in Nanjing. If you have any needs, you can directly give your orders to him."

Having served the Great Master and seemingly sharing the Great Master’s surname, Song Jiyun, with whatever common sense she had, wouldn’t possibly consider him just a typical steward.

She approached Steward Wang with composure and proceeded to pay her respects.

Steward Wang hastily stepped aside, politely and humbly saying, "As a distinguished guest of Fourth Young Master, I dare not receive such courtesy from you."

He spoke with a Beijing dialect.

In her past life, Song Jiyun had traveled far and wide, mastering several languages and dialects, and could speak whatever was required for the people she met; the Beijing dialect came out fluently: "I appreciate the trouble, Steward Wang!"

Steward Wang could not hide his surprise but did not ask any further questions; however, his attitude towards Song Jiyun had notably warmed up considerably.

Zhou Zheng and the others needed to escort the goods into the city, and Steward Wang left a person to assist while hinting, "Having someone to guide you makes entering the city more convenient."

Song Jiyun had already gotten a taste of Xiaguan Dock, so naturally, she would not decline Steward Wang’s kind offer, thanked him, and was escorted by Shao Qing and Xiang Ye into the city.

In her previous life, transportation was so convenient that it was rare to see so many people gathered in one place.

Now, as she traveled along, it went without saying that she brushed shoulders with crowds everywhere, with thousands of shops standing in rows, striking shop-signs fluttering, and the cries of hawkers rising and falling—a spectacle that made Song Jiyun look around with great interest, her eyes feasting on the scene.

After passing the Imperial College and turning a corner, the carriage entered a green stone path that, despite it being winter, was still shaded by trees. The noise of the bustling market was instantly blocked out; the atmosphere became serene and tranquil.

The carriage stopped directly outside a weeping flower gate with pink walls and black tiles and a Ruyi gate with a three-tiered water eave and mahogany roof featuring seven or eight volumetric carvings depicting motifs such as continuous promotions, good fortune throughout the seasons, and swift success. The workmanship was so intricate it could only be described as supernaturally remarkable rather than simply delicate.

Without showing any emotion, Song Jiyun asked Shao Qing, "Will I be staying in the inner courtyard?"