Chapter 46: Returning to Luoyang

Zheng Yanqing had finally longed for the arrival of Zheng Shi'an!

At this moment, Zheng Shi'an's mindset had undergone another transformation compared to when he had first assumed the position of clan elder. When he first became a clan elder, although his status was lofty, his foundation remained insufficiently deep. This foundation was no longer a matter of personal connections or background, but rather arable land.

The attachment ancient people held for land was something later generations could hardly imagine. Even with a fortune of ten thousand strings of cash, if one did not own land of one's own, one would feel like a rootless duckweed, unsettled at heart.

Ever since his cooperation with the Zhang clan, Zheng Shi'an had not lacked money. The dividends he received annually from the Xiongji Shop were already enough to provide Zheng Shi'an with a life of carefree abundance, free from the worries of food and clothing. And yet, Zheng Shi'an still felt unsettled. Within the clan, he only possessed those two or three hundred qing of land, which truly could not be considered much.

Having wealth without land was equivalent to having nothing.

However, the buying and selling of land were strictly controlled by the official government; private transactions were impossible. Around Xingyang, apart from the public land belonging to the government, the remaining land had either already been distributed or was controlled by powerful aristocratic clans. To these noble families, land was equally important. They needed sufficient land to absorb more dependents and thus strengthen their own lineages.

Every plot of land was an estate fiercely contested by each branch of the family.

The reason why the Anyuan Hall was so attractive was not only because it controlled the Zheng family's iron-smelting workshops, but also because of the thousands of qing of land situated outside the city of Luoyang and near the Dahai Temple in Xingyang. With these lands, one could sustain a sufficient number of people; with sufficient personnel, one could establish a much more secure footing in Xingyang. This was also an interest that the Seventh Branch desperately wanted to contend for.

Zheng Shi'an had attained the status of clan elder, but the Anyuan Hall could not provide him with enough land. This inevitably made Zheng Shi'an's position within the Zheng family appear somewhat awkward.

Yet at this very moment, Zheng Shize staged the farce of a highway ambush. Zheng Yanqing immediately associated this with the Seventh Branch of the Zheng family, particularly the lands under Zheng Shize's name. Was this not a gift delivered right to his doorstep? Of course, Zheng Yanqing would not let go of such a wonderful opportunity.

Taking advantage of the White-Robed Maitreya incident, he prompted the government to begin sweeping through the Maitreya Cult. In truth, was this not exerting pressure on the Seventh Branch of the Zheng family? While he was feigning unconsciousness in Yanshi, Zheng Shi'an did not rest for a single moment either. He visited the elders of various branches one after another, earnestly petitioning for a thorough investigation into the ambush at the Baique Temple.

If Zheng Shiji could not honestly slice off a piece of flesh, then sooner or later, this matter would escalate to an uncontrollable degree.

Noble families had their own rules! They could vie for power and profit internally, and they could scheme against one another, but everything had to take place within the boundaries of a certain set of rules. Zheng Shize's collusion with the Maitreya Cult and his ambush on Zheng Yanqing had violated those very rules. Therefore, even if Zheng Shiji wanted to protect Zheng Shize, it was utterly impossible. The only difference would be whether Zheng Shize died with dignity or not. Even if Zheng Shize's family members harbored resentment, they had no choice but to bow their heads before the interests of the clan.

Consequently, Zheng Shi'an acquired three thousand qing of fertile farmland, and at the same time firmly established his footing in the Council of Elders.

However, correspondingly, Zheng Shi'an would no longer be permitted to pursue the matter of the Baique Temple. The incident was to be treated as though it had never happened at all.

If Zheng Yanqing had truly been in danger, Zheng Shi'an might have disregarded those three thousand qing of fertile land and pursued the matter to the very end. The problem, however, was that Zheng Shi'an had already received word that Zheng Yanqing was alive and well, suffering no serious harm.

The so-called unconsciousness was merely a means to provide stronger bargaining chips while securing benefits for Zheng Shi'an. Therefore, after accepting the mediation of the Council of Elders, Zheng Shi'an could no longer care about the luxurious mansion currently under construction, nor did he go to inspect his new three thousand qing of land; he hurried in a rush toward Yanshi to check on Zheng Yanqing's condition...

Yanqing was currently living through deep waters and scorching fires.

Pei Shuying was a woman of exceptional cleverness. Upon arriving in Yanshi and seeing Zheng Yanqing sitting there safe and sound, eating a chicken leg, how could she fail to guess the mystery behind it all? In an instant, the aunt flew into a towering rage, grabbed Zheng Yanqing by the ear, and lectured him for a good long while.

One could only say that Yanqing was out of luck.

Had it been anyone else calling at the door, Pei Zi would have found a way to buy some time, even if he couldn't stop them, allowing Zheng Yanqing to prepare. But Pei Shuying happened to be Pei Zi's master; even though Pei Shuying had allowed Pei Zi to stay and help Yanqing, she was still ultimately his master. How could a retainer block his master's path?

And so Pei Shuying barged unobstructed all the way into the bedchamber, instantly exposing Zheng Yanqing's scheme and plots. Faced with this aunt who was actually much younger than him in physical age, yet felt much older in seniority, Zheng Yanqing felt utterly awkward and could only lower his head in submission to Pei Shuying.

Actually, how could Pei Shuying truly blame Yanqing? It was just that the moment she heard the news that Zheng Yanqing had been injured and fallen unconscious, she had been panicked beyond measure, not even telling her old man as she brought over a hundred Pei family retainers rushing to Yanshi to check on him. As for Yanqing, Shuying could not quite articulate what kind of emotion she felt for him.

This young gentleman was very considerate, possessing a maturity and steadiness beyond his years. He could compose verses like, *"Once you have seen the sea, all other waters are hard to water; except for the clouds of Mount Wu, no clouds are clouds,"* and he could also wield the brush to capture the spirit of, *"Brows bright as the clear moon, a single smile brings down a city."* Even though she had only known Zheng Yanqing for a single evening, during that night, the image of Yanqing holding her while intoxicated had been firmly engraved in Pei Shuying's mind.

Could you call this romantic affection between a man and a woman? Pei Shuying would never admit to that; thus, she preferred to think of it as a form of maternal love! Yes, maternal love...

"You little rascal! You don't learn anything proper at such a tender age, and instead you learn to fake unconsciousness!" Every time Pei Shuying thought of this matter, anger would inevitably well up in her heart. Taking a sip of the fragrant tea brewed by Zheng Yanqing, she could not help reaching out with her slender hand once again to pinch Zheng Yanqing's ear, scolding him, "Do you have any idea that because of your stunt, your teacher almost mobilized the entire Right Xiaowei garrison to pacify Heluo? You child, why must you always be so worrying?"

Zheng Yanqing cowered and dared not utter a word.

Mao Xiaonian, standing to the side, could only giggle continuously in secret. It was rare to see the young master being lectured just like a little child; this feeling was truly wondrous, proving that the young master was, after all, still a child.

Yet Zheng Yanqing had grievances he could not voice. Playing the role of an adorable little boy was truly not his forte, but he had no choice; otherwise, he would have to face Pei Shuying's endless nagging. He knew very well himself that what he had done was not entirely honorable. Someone had come all this way, only to discover they had been duped and scammed; naturally, they would feel uncomfortable inside.

Ah, women! They were truly troublesome...

Of course, these thoughts could only be muttered silently in Yanqing's heart. If he were to voice them, it would inevitably provoke even more ferocious nagging from Pei Shuying.

Fortunately, Pei Xingyan arrived the following day. Pei Cuiyun had originally intended to come as well, but unexepctedly, a friend had arrived at their estate, forcing her to stay behind in Luoyang to keep her company.

"Who on earth has come to make Cuiyun disregard even her own young gentleman?"

No one other than Pei Shuying would dare speak in such a manner. This left Pei Xingyan feeling quite conflicted. On the one hand, he and Zheng Yanqing shared a good bond, and he hoped his elder sister could marry a fine gentleman like Zheng Yanqing; on the other hand, he did not want Pei Cuiyun to marry Zheng Yanqing, because if that happened, Zheng Yanqing would change from being his sworn brother to his brother-in-law... This made Pei Xingyan feel extremely troubled.

"It's the Duke of Tang's third daughter, Li Yunxiu."

"Oh, so it's her... No wonder Cuiyun couldn't come over. Little goblin, don't be upset; Li Yunxiu is Cuiyun's intimate bosom friend, and they were often together back in Chang'an. Since they haven't seen each other in so long, she couldn't break away."

Zheng Yanqing was left not knowing whether to laugh or cry, having no idea where to even begin. He was not yet eleven years old; why was everyone so enthusiastic about matchmaking him and Pei Cuiyun? He had originally thought that the more such matters were explained, the darker they became, and had decided to let nature take its course. But now it appeared that with the 'aunt' around, this matter was probably inescapable. Explain? Zheng Yanqing did not know how to explain it either, so he could only cower and fall silent by the side.

"By the way, what is Li Yunxiu doing in Luoyang?"

"Oh, before I set out, I heard that the Li clan has returned to their ancestral lineage, been incorporated into the Longxi Li clan, and assigned to the Pingliang branch."

"The Li clan has been incorporated into the Longxi lineage?"

"Precisely!"

"When did this happen?"

"Um, probably around the Qingming Festival... Li Yunxiu has come this time precisely to announce this matter."

Pei Shuying softly murmured, "Li Yuan truly is a man of courage and capability. Integrating his entire clan into the Longxi lineage will be of immense benefit to his reputation."

Zheng Yanqing was also quite astonished. He vaguely remembered from the legends of his past life that Li Yuan's family seemed to be a branch of the Longxi lineage. Which branch was it... Jingning, it seemed to be around there. Jingning appeared to be under Pingliang, which matched the background of the Li family recorded in historical texts.

The problem, however, was: did Li Yuan not originally belong to the Longxi lineage?

Zheng Yanqing was truly not very clear about these divisions and mergers among aristocratic families. He only felt that Li Yuan's move was a massive one; it seemed Li Ji's diplomatic mission to the Longxi lineage had been a success. In this way, no matter how much misgiving Emperor Yang of Sui held toward Li Yuan, he would still have to factor in the reaction of the Longxi Li family.

The thirteen branches of the Longxi Li clan commanded tens of thousands of dependents, which also included countless Li clansmen residing in Xiliang. The elite troops of the realm emerged from a few select regions. Xiliang was undoubtedly one of them, and it also controlled a massive horse-trading business. This group could not be easily moved against, or else the resulting impact would be simply colossal.

Li Yuan sending Li Yunxiu to Luoyang carried a profound intent indeed!

Just as Zheng Yanqing and the others were still pondering Li Yuan's intentions, Zheng Shi'an arrived outside the city of Yanshi with a retinue in a great hurry. Seeing that Yanqing was safe and sound, Zheng Shi'an finally set his mind at ease.

"Yanqing, let's prepare to return to Luoyang."

Upon hearing this, Pei Shuying hurriedly said, "Uncle Zheng, returning to Luoyang at this time is of little consequence. However, we ought to spread the news of his awakening first, and furthermore, he must maintain the posture of a patient all the way back. Once in Luoyang, it would be best to keep him shut away for a period of time. Otherwise, it will be easy for others to see through the ruse and cause complications for the little goblin."

"The niece's consideration is indeed thoughtful; I almost overlooked this matter."

Zheng Yanqing noticed a trace of cunning and mischievous smiles lingering on Pei Shuying's face. He instantly understood that this 'aunt' was deliberately tormenting him. This was tantamount to house arrest; it would be difficult for him to even move around freely.

"Uncle Zheng, since you are going to take charge of the Luoyang properties upon your return, you might as well let the little goblin live in the city."

"Ah, I was thinking along the same lines," Zheng Shi'an nodded repeatedly. "Although the scenery of the bamboo garden is fine, it is ultimately somewhat remote. Yanqing has provoked the White-Robed Maitreya this time, so I fear trouble will follow him. Living in the city is better; living in the city is safe."

Yet, I do not want to live in the city!

Zheng Yanqing wanted to object, but seeing Pei Shuying's almond-shaped eyes wide open, glaring fiercely at him, his heart trembled. The words that had reached his lips were forcefully swallowed back down... Ah, that was to say, one must never offend a woman!