Chapter 56: Only We Are the True Heroes
Chapter 56: Only We Are the True Heroes
Zhu Houzhao and Fang Jifan were chatting vigorously, while Deng Jian and Liu Jin, standing respectfully to the side, began rolling their eyes.
Everyone in the world knew that coal could be burned.
So why did everyone use firewood and charcoal for heating instead of coal? Did they think only the two of you were clever?
It was because when coal burned, it produced thick smoke that kept people away, let alone providing warmth. Worse, the smoke was toxic and could kill people.
The Crown Prince actually wanted to get rich by selling coal with Fang Jifan. What… a tragedy…
Liu Jin rolled his dead-fish eyes but dared not correct them because… he was afraid of getting beaten.
Deng Jian also looked as if his mother had died. He could already picture the tragic scene of the young lord digging up coal and losing everything. But… wait… wasn’t that just the young lord’s usual way?
Zhu Houzhao seemed extremely happy, feeling he had found a kindred spirit. He appeared very enthusiastic about making money, though his motives were somewhat questionable.
For Fang Jifan, dragging the Crown Prince into this seemed like a decent choice. At least… if luck turned bad, he would have someone to drag down with him before death.
But Zhu Houzhao genuinely admired Fang Jifan. He suddenly felt a sense of heroes recognizing heroes and thought everyone else in the world was foolish. See, even this palace knew coal could be burned, so why didn’t anyone use it for heating? Fang Jifan was truly clever, and of course, this palace was also very smart.
Only Liu Jin and Deng Jian were dejected. They seemed to be weighing the risks of telling the truth. A beating might be the least of it; more importantly, both their masters were the type who wouldn’t turn back until they hit a wall. Would they fly into a rage out of humiliation?
Having settled on the grand plan to get rich, Fang Jifan naturally became busy. Some major landowners near the Western Hills were now acting as if they had found gold ingots, because Fang Jifan, the son of Nanhe Bo, had sent out invitations to buy land.
If others came to buy land, people would hesitate—land was ancestral property, how could it be sold? But that spendthrift Fang Jifan was said to spend money like water. It was like gold ingots falling from the sky!
Sure enough, the spendthrift was straightforward and didn’t like bargaining.
Many people’s eyes gleamed. It wasn’t that Fang Jifan was seeking people to buy land anymore; instead, people were rushing to beg Fang Jifan to buy from them.
The Nanhe Bo Mansion was now bustling. Not only landowners from around the Western Hills, but even those with no connection at all came eagerly with their property deeds. “Young lord, want to buy land? My land is excellent, fertile fields, not like the vast wasteland near the Western Hills.”
But the response they often got was: “Get lost! This young lord specifically wants wasteland!”
Wang Jinyuan obediently delivered two hundred thousand taels of silver to the House of the Crown Prince. Fang Jifan waved this money around and squandered nearly a hundred thousand taels in just two or three days.
The Capital was in an uproar. Countless people wept, thinking if only they had owned a piece of wasteland in the Western Hills, they would have struck it rich.
Fang Jinglong’s face turned dark. Every day when he went on duty at the Military Governor’s Office, a few old comrades would sneak up to him: “Your son is buying land? Elder Brother Fang, I have land too. Shouldn’t we keep the benefits within the family?”
Fang Jinglong suddenly felt as if the whole world saw his son, and by extension himself, as the biggest fool in the world.
He nearly vomited blood in anger, frightening everyone in the Military Governor’s Office.
Fang Jinglong cursed loudly: “Anyone who mentions land to me again, I’ll chop them up!”
Everyone looked at each other, then gazed at the poor Nanhe Bo with both sympathy and odd expressions.
Through all these maneuvers, Fang Jifan became known throughout the land. Even foreign envoys coming to the Capital to pay tribute were astounded upon hearing about it. A monk who had come from the Kingdom of Wa couldn’t help but sigh: “The wealth of China can be glimpsed just from this matter of Fang Jifan buying land.”
Fang Jifan, once disliked by all, suddenly became popular. Relatives who hadn’t contacted him before now visited to chat about family matters. Neighbors no longer scattered like birds and beasts when he stepped out; instead, they greeted him eagerly, their attitudes completely changed from before: “Young Lord Fang, how are you? Young Lord Fang, buying land again? Young Lord Fang… my second uncle’s cousin’s elder brother also has a plot he wants to sell…”
“Get lost!” Fang Jifan didn’t even lift his eyelids, spitting out the word bluntly through his teeth.
The person being scolded didn’t get angry but smiled apologetically: “Young Lord Fang’s ‘get lost’ is so soul-stirring… haha… haha… about that land… actually, Young Lord could still…”
Fang Jifan naturally couldn’t be bothered with this person anymore. Whistling, he walked away briskly.
The purpose of buying land was to secure all the areas near the Western Hills mineral vein, preventing others from mining nearby once the coal was discovered. Besides, these lands would be developed sooner or later. The reason for not bargaining was simple: to create the image of a spendthrift squandering family fortune, making people feel they couldn’t lose out or be fooled. In reality, the actual premium wasn’t very high.
With the Western Hills mineral vein spanning over ten miles and thousands of acres of wasteland acquired, the next step promised great prospects.
…
The Capital was in an uproar, and the news inevitably reached the palace.
Mou Bin, Commander of the Imperial Guards, entered the palace with trepidation. He waited a long time in the Warm Pavilion until the Son of Heaven arrived. Mou Bin knelt and said: “Your humble servant greets His Majesty.”
Although Mou Bin was the feared Commander of the Imperial Guards, he was very dutiful. Under his governance, many people’s impression of the Imperial Guards had improved.
As the saying goes, new rulers bring new officials. Meeting an emperor like Emperor Hongzhi who disliked major prosecutions, the Imperial Guards became almost harmless.
Emperor Hongzhi clenched his fist and tapped the desk: “Speak, what happened?”
Mou Bin was an honest man. He looked torn between crying and laughing as he said: “Your humble servant investigated. The Crown Prince took Your Majesty’s paintings and cultural artifacts and sold… sold them…”
Emperor Hongzhi appeared calm, but his old face twitched involuntarily.
What a way to cheat your father! Was there any Crown Prince in the world who stole the emperor’s belongings to sell?
Mou Bin cautiously glanced at Emperor Hongzhi, probably afraid the emperor couldn’t handle the shock. He racked his brains to use less stimulating language to make it easier for the emperor to accept: “He sold them for two… five hundred thousand taels of silver. The buyer was named Wang Jinyuan. Rumor has it… when he bought them, a blade was held against Wang Jinyuan’s neck.”
Emperor Hongzhi remained silent, but his face flushed red.
Mou Bin continued: “What your humble servant found out is that His Highness used the money to go into business with Fang Jifan.”
Emperor Hongzhi almost spat blood like Fang Jinglong.
Mou Bin cautiously looked up again, seemingly thinking Emperor Hongzhi could still handle it, and added: “They are buying land everywhere around the Western Hills. It’s said they spent over a hundred thousand taels in just a few days. All the nearby land was bought up, amounting to thousands of acres.”
“A hundred thousand taels of silver… wasteland… gone in just a few days?” Emperor Hongzhi finally couldn’t take it anymore and shouted sharply.
Emperor Hongzhi also felt torn between crying and laughing. After a long silence, he sighed: “What sin have I committed?”
“Your Majesty, should the Imperial Guards step in…”
Emperor Hongzhi shook his head: “Do nothing, say nothing. Pretend we know nothing. If we intervene now, wouldn’t it just add to the ridicule? Fang Jifan… I’ll watch him a bit longer. Let’s see what exactly he’s up to.”
Regarding Fang Jifan, Emperor Hongzhi’s feelings were actually very complex. Sometimes he quite appreciated him, other times he was so angry he could die. He had originally felt fortunate not to be his father, otherwise he’d die of anger—poor his actual father. But now…
Emperor Hongzhi actually felt he and Fang Jinglong shared the same hardship…
Yet Emperor Hongzhi couldn’t help feeling curious. What trick was Fang Jifan playing?
He thought that someone who could devise the Bureaucratization of Native Chieftains and produce three provincial graduates shouldn’t be just fooling around.
“Let’s watch a bit longer, just watch a bit longer. Cough, cough…” Emperor Hongzhi couldn’t help coughing. “The weather is getting colder. I wonder how the refugees entering the city are faring. Shuntian Prefecture must arrange proper accommodations.”