A Clash of Gods - Chapter 75

Chapter 75 Jiangling
Jiangling was in the north of Jingnan, to the east of Chuanshu and to the south of Xianghan. There were a great river and a lake in the area, which were connected to Wuyue. It was an important transport hub between the central area and Lingnan and a place of strategic importance in the southeast. Its local government was in Jingzhou City which was famous throughout the world.

At noon, there were sounds of a carriage on the official road in the east of Jingzhou City. A carriage stuttered along the road, and five or six fast horses followed around it.

At the moment, the passengers could see Jingzhou City in the distance. Under the blue sky, the city was lying on the vast ground, like a huge ancient beast.

After travelling for several days and nights without a stop, Yang Ning and the others finally reached Jiangling.

Gu Qinghan was determined to personally come to Jiangling and check the tax revenue, so Yang Ning was naturally worried about her. He instinctively knew that there was a big accident in Jiangling and Gu Qinghan might not have a smooth trip, so he offered to come with her. She had no objection and thought Yang Ning would soon inherit the marquis’ title, so it was fine that he took this chance to visit the former residence of their family in Jiangling.

Duan Canghai wanted to protect them on this trip, but there were many things to deal with in the capital city. Gu Qinghan was worried that Steward Qiu couldn’t handle them alone, so she told Duan Canghai to stay and help Steward Qiu. Then she just let Qi Feng and several guards come with them.

The fire in the capital made the marquis’ family in debts, and the family’s main income currently was the tax revenue in Jiangling. If there was something wrong here, the family would be in a hopeless position. Gu Qinghan wanted to find out earlier why the tax revenue from Jiangling wasn’t sent to the capital after a long time, so they just stopped to have a short break occasionally on the way and almost travelled continuously.

Gu Qinghan hoped to meet the group sending the silver of the tax revenue on the way, but she was disappointed all the way, while there was nothing unusual on the journey, and they got to the outside of Jingzhou City without a hitch.

“Your Excellency, it’s Jingzhou City in front of us.” Qi Feng knew that the marquis’ heir had never been back to his hometown Jiangling since he was born.

The ancestors of the Marquis of Honor lived in Jiangling. Since one hundred years ago, they were a family holding high official positions for generations in this area, so they had great prestige here. After the old Marquis of Honor settled in the capital city, his family and direct descendants also moved to the capital. But their land and tenants were here, so they had a deep foundation.

When the old Marquis of Honor was alive, he would often come back to spend some time in Jiangling if he was free, but Qi Jing’s family seldom returned and just came to visit the ancestors’ tombs occasionally.

After this heir of the Marquis of Honor was born, he had never been to the hometown.

Qi Feng’s ancestors were also from Jiangling, and he had returned here with Qi Jing those years, so he was much more familiar with this place than Yang Ning. Looking into the distance as Jingzhou City was in front of them, Qi Feng felt it familiar.

“Is the former residence of our family in the city?” Yang Ning asked.

Qi Feng shook his head with a smile. “The old marquis’ former residence is not far from Jingzhou City, only thirty or forty miles away to the south. There’s a village called Qi Village, and the old house is in that village. The late emperor wanted to issue a decree to build a large mansion in Jingzhou City for the old marquis, but he liked the old house and didn’t agree. When he came back, he still stayed in the old house in Qi Village.” He looked proud and smiled. “When General returned, he stayed in that house, too. Then all the officials in every city of Jiangling, including the governor of Jingzhou would go to the old house.”

“I see.” Yang Ning smiled. “So all our fiefdoms and land are in Qi Village?”

Qi Feng explained, “The late emperor gave your family the land rented to three thousand families, and most of them are around Qi Village. But the land is scattered. The late emperor told the governor of Jiangling to choose the best paddy fields in the area as the rewarded land, so it is everywhere. Your Excellency, you don’t know that the Qi family was a noble family in Jiangling those years and it is not exaggerated to say that it was the wealthiest in this area…”

“Qi Feng, you just talk nonsense.” Gu Qinghan lifted the curtain of the carriage and rebuked with a smile, “The wealthiest in this area? You can talk about it in private, but don’t brag in front of others. General told you that it’s the hometown here and everybody is a fellow countryman. When you are here, you have to be cautious. You can never talk big in front of them.”

Qi Feng answered in a hurry, “My Lady, I don’t dare.”

“Aunt, just let him finish his words.” Yang Ning rode his horse next to the carriage window and smiled at Gu Qinghan. “If you tell him to hold back now, he would be uncomfortable.” Then he asked Qi Feng, “Go on. What happened later?”

Qi Fang raised his hand to scratch his head and responded in embarrassment, “I want to say that the old marquis followed the late emperor to suppress the bandits and gave him all the family property to support the battle. After defeating the bandits, the late emperor rewarded the old marquis twice as much.”

Yang Ning thought the old marquis was far-sighted. The late emperor valued the Qi family because the Marquis of Honor was capable of fighting as the pillar, and it had something to do with the old marquis giving out the family property.

“Aunt, shall we enter the city or go to the old house?” Yang Ning shouted at the carriage.

Gu Qinghan answered, “It’s still early. If we enter the city, we will waste one day. Let’s just go to the old house. We came urgently and don’t need to enter the city to disturb the local officials.”

Yang Ning hesitated for a while and finally stated, “Aunt, I have something to tell you.”

Gu Qinghan lifted the curtain and looked at Yang Ning, asking, “I notice that you are thinking since yesterday. What is in your little head again?” While speaking, she thought that Yang Ning had grown up and it was better not to say “little head” in the future.

Yang Ning jumped off the horse’s back and threw the rein to Qi Feng. Then he jogged and jumped to the head of the carriage before lifting the curtain and then coming in. Gu Qinghan looked surprised and couldn’t help but move aside when she saw Yang Ning enter the carriage. This carriage was smaller than the commonly used carriage of the marquis’ family as they wanted to go faster.

In addition, Gu Qinghan had other thoughts.

She was a smart woman. Since she found the weird expression in Yang Ning’s eyes last time, she realized that he had grown up and didn’t talk or behave like an ignorant child as before, which made her aware that he was not that little boy she had looked after carefully.

Women were most sensitive to affection. She used to take care of the heir all the time and they loved each other deeply. In fact, she was clear that the little boy had grown a special feeling for her because he came of age, and it was understandable, but she couldn’t let it continue to develop.

Although she still cared about the heir as before, she paid attention to her words and behavior. From then on, she wouldn’t get close to Yang Ning easily or hold his hand but tried to draw a line to prevent unnecessary trouble. Fortunately, Yang Ning was careful after that, and they lived in peace.

This time they came to Jiangling from the capital and it was quite a long distance. If it was in the past, Gu Qinghan would let Yang Ning sit in the carriage with her in case that he was tired on horseback on the bumpy journey.

But she had chosen a small carriage. First, they could speed up, and second, she could sit in it alone. She just told Yang Ning to ride a horse.

At the moment, Yang Ning suddenly entered the carriage, and Gu Qinghan was panicked. Then she thought that she was too sensitive. Although she had to keep a distance from him, when she was alert all the time, it was too much. Perhaps Yang Ning didn’t have other intentions, but she was always careful, and it would ruin their justifiable relationship.

“Ning, what do you want to say?” Gu Qinghan calmed down and gestured for Yang Ning to sit next to her. She spoke gently with a smile, trying to show that she was an elder.

Yang Ning lifted the curtain and said to Qi Feng, “Don’t go to the old house in a hurry. We haven’t had lunch. Find a place and eat something first.”

Qi Feng agreed and Yang Ning had closed the curtain.

Seeing that Yang Ning looked mysterious, Gu Qinghan was surprised. Then he moved closer to her and asked in a low voice, “Aunt, are we going to the old house directly?”

Although Yang Ning was close to her, Gu Qinghan didn’t think too much as he looked serious. She answered gently, “We need to investigate why the tax revenue hasn’t been sent to the capital, so we naturally have to go to the old house. Ning, what are you thinking about?”

“Aunt, we didn’t meet the group sending the silver on the way, nor did we hear that somebody robbed the carriage with silver,” Yang Ning whispered, as if lost in thought. “I am wondering all the time if there is something wrong in the old house since the silver hasn’t been sent to the capital.” Before Gu Qinghan spoke, he asked, “Does our tax revenue have nothing to do with the local government? Is it that the people in the old house are responsible for it?”

Gu Qinghan nodded. “There is a chief steward in the old house, who is a member of the Qi family. These years, he deals with the fiefdoms and land in Jiangling and sends the tax revenue and crop income to the capital twice a year.”

“Doesn’t the chief steward collect the tax in person?” Yang Ning asked.

Gu Qinghan explained, “Three thousand families of tenants are in dozens of villages, and there is a village head in every village. At a certain time every year, each village head would send the payable tax to the old house. It’s suitable to plant grain in Jiangling, and there are two harvests one year, in spring and autumn. After the village head sends the payable grain crops to the old house, the chief steward would sell them and send the silver to the capital.”

“So you mean that the tax silver from Jiangling is in the hands of the chief steward.” Yang Ning looked solemn. “He would take the responsibility if there is something wrong, right?”

Gu Qinghan replied, “Exactly. Ning, what are you going to say?”

Yang Ning expressed slowly, “Aunt, I am pondering all the time. The tax silver is delayed, and it’s not that the villagers didn’t pay the tax. If the tax has been sent to the old house, why didn’t they send it to the capital after so long? Did the chief steward do something behind it?”

“The chief steward?” Gu Qinghan frowned. “How can he be so bold? We came back this time in order to find out what difficulty he faces.”

“Have you seen the chief steward?” Yang Ning stared at Gu Qinghan’s attractive eyes like water. “Do you know well about him?”

Gu Qinghan responded, “The chief steward has been to the capital several times, but I seldom talked to him. General always stayed outside, and the Dowager prays to Buddha all the time, so Steward Qiu and I handle many things in the mansion. Every time the chief steward went to the capital, Steward Qiu entertained him.” She thought for a while before shaking her head. “The chief steward hardly delayed these years, and he definitely doesn’t dare to keep the silver and refuse to send it.”

Yang Ning sighed slightly. “Aunt, I don’t worry that the chief steward would keep the silver and refuse to send it, but I fear that somebody forced him to keep the silver.”