Chapter Seven: Yang Xiu and the Yuezhou Naval Force

Upon returning home, Qin Song immediately sought out his mother, Madam Wu.

"Song, how did it go?"

"General Di has agreed to intercede with the Emperor on behalf of our Qin family."

"Oh..." Madam Wu let out a long, relieved sigh.

"Mother, how much ready silver do we have left?" Qin Song asked after some hesitation. Seeing his mother frozen in place, he added, "I want to draw a sum to thank the Yuezhou Naval Force."

"The Yuezhou Naval Force?"

"Yes," Qin Song continued. "When my father's merchant fleet was attacked by pirates on the river, though my father was killed and the cargo stolen, the naval soldiers arrived just in time. Otherwise, the losses to our family would have been even greater."

While expressing gratitude was one reason, gathering intelligence from the naval force was Qin Song's primary motive.

"We have about a hundred thousand taels of silver in ready cash..."

"That much?" Qin Song was genuinely shocked. He knew this was the remainder after paying out the breach-of-contract penalties to their clients; had they not paid those, the sum would have been several times higher.

"This is the foundation your father and grandfather spent decades building," Madam Wu explained, noting his shock.

Qin Song realized in an instant that while over a hundred thousand taels of pure silver was an astronomical figure to commoners, to the great clans—especially those with centuries of history—it was merely a drop in the ocean. In his previous life, he had seen a film where a merchant family, after a century of trade, generated annual revenues of over twenty-six million taels, equivalent to ten percent of the imperial court's annual income. A manager with a seven-percent stake could walk away with over a hundred thousand taels at the end of the year. Compared to such clans, the Qin family was indeed insignificant.

"Don't worry, Mother. With me here, the family's wealth will only grow from now on."

"Song, I no longer ask for great wealth or status. I only pray that the remaining members of our family can live in peace, and that you might soon marry and have children..."

"I know, Mother." Qin Song comforted her as her eyes began to redden again. Despite his words, he knew well that the Qin family was already trapped in a whirlpool. They could not escape; they could only push forward. The road ahead would inevitably be a series of brutal, life-or-death struggles.

The next morning, as Qin Song contemplated how to thank the naval force, a guest arrived.

"Brother Qin, I am so sorry about what happened to your father..."

A tall, burly youth with a gruff voice appeared before him, looking filled with guilt.

"Yang Xiu?" Qin Song stared at the youth's bruised and swollen face, taking a long moment to recognize him. "Your face?"

"It's nothing. My old man beat me up again. I'm used to it." Yang Xiu's father was Yang Xun, the Yuezhou Garrison Commander, who held authority over the region's military defenses. "It's truly a relief that you're okay. If my father hadn't locked me in my room, I would have come out sooner!"

"It's fine, it's all in the past."

"Brother Qin, I’ve investigated everything. The person who clashed with us and knocked you unconscious was Cao Ruixuan, the grandson of the Right Chancellor, Cao Renjie, from the capital."

"That bastard! If I run into him again, I’ll settle the score for that day!"

"So it was him!" Qin Song understood. A few days prior, when Lin Wanqing was out in the city, she had been harassed by Cao Ruixuan, though she did not know who he was at the time. When Qin Song found out, he had led a group to teach Cao a lesson, only to be beaten himself, suffering a heavy blow to the head that knocked him unconscious on the spot. Yang Xiu had been there during that clash, along with a crowd of Qin Song's fair-weather friends. However, after the series of disasters that befell the Qin family, those so-called friends had all vanished; Yang Xiu was the first to come and see him.

"Didn't you say your father locked you up? How did you get out?" Qin Song asked. "Did he tell you to stop associating with me?" He guessed that Yang Xun, upon learning his son had offended the Cao family and hearing of the Qin family's fall, had locked him up to distance himself from them.

"My father left the city early this morning for official business. Besides, he can't keep me locked up! As for the rest, my father is my father, and I am me."

Hearing Yang Xiu’s nonchalant tone and seeing his battered face, Qin Song felt a surge of gratitude. "Brother, do you know anyone in the Yuezhou Naval Force?"

"I know one person," Yang Xiu replied. Although the naval force was independent of the garrison, they had daily dealings.

"Who is it?"

"A naval lieutenant named Zhang Pengyuan. He's a few years older than us, and his grandfather is the Admiral of the Naval Force."

"I've met him a few times."

"Could you arrange a meeting with him?" Qin Song was immediately interested upon hearing the man was the Admiral's grandson.

"What's the point of meeting him? He only knows how to drill troops; he's incredibly dull!"

"There's something you don't know..." Qin Song recounted the full story, calculating his next steps.

"Then we certainly must thank the naval force," Yang Xiu agreed.

"Could you also help me find out which of their men were the ones who helped that day?"

"Don't worry, leave it to me!" Yang Xiu promised, patting his chest before turning to set off. Qin Song retreated into his courtyard to continue researching his weaving machines.

That afternoon, a frantic Yang Xiu returned.

"Brother Qin, what have you been doing these past few days!" He rushed up to Qin Song with a look of intense excitement, his voice echoing through the courtyard. "The whole of Yuezhou is buzzing! On the day of your father's funeral, Yuezhou Governor Lin You came to stir up trouble, and not only did you easily handle them, but you also annulled your marriage to the Lin family!"

"And that’s the eldest daughter of the Lin family, the greatest beauty and talent in Yuezhou! You clashed with that bastard from the Cao family over her just days ago and got injured, and you just called off the engagement like that?"

"Well, it makes sense. Who in Yuezhou doesn't know that Lin You's position as Governor was bought and paid for by the Qin family? Now that the Qin family is in trouble, he’s kicking us while we're down... that cur Lin You is nothing but an ingrate!"

"Alright, alright," Qin Song said, stopping Yang Xiu's rambling. "What about the matter I asked you to look into?"

"I found out! You won't believe it—it was Zhang Pengyuan himself who led the men to save your fleet that night! And as it happens, he has leave tomorrow!"

"Oh?" Qin Song's eyes lit up. "Brother, whether or not we can meet him tomorrow depends on you!"

"Leave it to me!" Yang Xiu grinned, thumping his chest confidently.