The Zhu family resided in the rear courtyard of the county office, with a separate corner gate for their use and a small door for servants to come and go.
Unlike the capital city, the houses in Yunbei were not as orderly. The wealthy families had pavilions, towers, waterside retreats, and corridors where one could compose a quatrain at any spot. Even the humble dwellings showed ingenuity. Even in this dilapidated government compound's back garden, there were two areas with peach and bamboo groves complementing each other. A study was placed within the bamboo grove, and buildings of two or three connected rooms were scattered about, linked by long corridors to form a cohesive whole. Though seemingly haphazard, every detail was carefully considered.
Zhu Changwang preferred tranquility, so he chose to reside near the peach grove. Apart from the servants responsible for cleaning, only Zuo Qing and Xu Zheng were allowed to attend to him closely.
"Miss Lan left at dawn. From what she said, it seems she'll come over once she's finished her tasks."
As Zhu Changwang listened to Zuo Qing's report on the night's and morning's events, he slowly sipped the dark, bitter medicine. He seemed unaffected by its bitterness; if not for the strong medicinal aroma, one might have mistaken it for a tonic based on his expression.
"Where's Ziming?"
"Young Master Tong went out early, but he likely hasn't left town."
Zhu Changwang took another sip, letting the bitterness spread in his mouth. Every time he woke from unconsciousness, he was grateful to still be able to drink this life-sustaining concoction.
"Have them compile and bring me all the information. No need to filter anything."
"Yes, sir."
"Big brother, you should rest," Zhu Changle said, nudging the door open with her head. "You've just woken up. Isn't that why I'm here?"
Zhu Changwang drained the last of his medicine and beckoned his youngest sister to come over.
Zuo Qing tidied up and excused himself. As he passed by the fourth young miss, he was about to bow, but Zhu Changle waved him off, saying, "Go on with your work."
"Yes, miss."
After he left, Zhu Changle peeked outside, closed the door, and ran to the bedside to whisper to her brother.
"Big brother, the wine in Yunbei is exceptionally good. It's better than many famous wines I've tasted elsewhere."
"You've tasted many wines, hmm?"
Zhu Changle feigned innocence. "It's Master's fault. She's a drunkard."
Zhu Changwang chuckled and poked her forehead. He didn't dwell on the subject. He never interfered with her life outside, just as Zhong Ningmei never meddled in how Changle lived when she returned home. Over the years, they had raised Changle into this lovable character through their mutual non-interference.
"I can't drink, so I don't know much about wine. If you say it's good, it must be. Do you think this could be a viable business?"
"Absolutely!" Zhu Changle asked curiously, "Big brother, what did you see in this place back then? It wasn't the wine, was it? I've been racking my brains but couldn't figure it out."
"I only considered the wine as a potential resource after you mentioned it was good." Patting his little sister's head, Zhu Changwang didn't hide their family's situation from her. "Father has been targeted too severely in recent years. He can't do anything in the capital anymore. If we leave, the pro-emperor faction without Father will be greatly weakened and will have to lie low for a while."
Zhu Changle understood. "Without a common enemy to fight against, those two factions will start battling each other."
"Exactly." Zhu Changwang smiled. Changle didn't care for those twists and turns, but it didn't mean she truly understood nothing. Growing up in a family like theirs, one naturally picked up on some things without deliberate effort.
"Yunbei is almost isolated. It's indeed very poor, but the advantage of a place no one wants is that no one has established any power here. Father can do whatever he wants here without being hindered."
"Does Father want to do something that will be remembered for generations?" Zhu Changle scratched her head, still unable to imagine what could be done in this place.
Zhu Changwang looked at his slender fingers for a moment. "Some people have rebellious thoughts."
Rebellious thoughts...
Zhu Changle's eyes widened. "The Great Wan Kingdom is far from the point where people would rise up in rebellion at a single call, right? It doesn't seem like its fate is sealed yet!"
"The imperial power has been weak for years, and the high officials wield too much power. It's not impossible for them to harbor ambitions."
"But what can we do in Yunbei? Even if there comes a time when we need to rush to the capital to support the emperor, we have nothing here, do we?"
"You understand quite a bit." Zhu Changwang smiled, pointing to the cabinet beside the bed. "Bring me the map."
Zhu Changle opened the drawer and took out an uncut sheet of xuan paper, spreading it on the bed. "Big brother, you're more familiar with the Great Wan Kingdom than those of us who travel frequently."
"The less I can go out, the more I want to know what the outside world is like. When it comes to understanding this country's geography, I'm confident I'm second to none." Zhu Changwang pointed at the characters for Yunbei. "The Great Wan Kingdom has an extensive network of inland waterways. With the advancement of shipbuilding technology, water transportation has become increasingly developed. In some places, the use of waterways has even surpassed that of land routes. However, this has been limited to inland waters."
Zhu Changwang traced his finger from the sea near Yunbei outwards. "Despite the high utilization of water transport, the navy's combat power is practically non-existent. They can't even deal with pirates. All coastal areas suffer greatly from piracy. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that pirates survive by sucking the blood of these regions."
"Are all those places abandoned like Yunbei?"
"Not quite. Those places still have some defensive fortifications, and the central government provides some support. They're not completely abandoned like Yunbei, which is why Yunbei has always been plundered the worst."
Zhu Changle understood. "So Father and you want to change this situation. It truly is something that will be remembered for generations."
Zhu Changwang smiled. "Father was previously a civil official, and a high-ranking one at that. He absolutely couldn't interfere in military affairs. Now that he's the local governor, no one can say anything if he trains local people to deal with pirates. As for how big this can become later and whether it will be remembered for generations, that depends on what we ultimately achieve. Yunbei has been facing pirates alone for years and has accumulated some experience. From what I know, they've organized several confrontations with pirates in recent years."
"So that's why you and Father chose Yunbei." Zhu Changle understood a bit, but there was still much she didn't understand. First of all, "Won't there be changes in the capital? This isn't something that can be accomplished in a short time. If those people succeed in rebelling, no matter how much Father does, he'll end up dead. They absolutely won't tolerate Father having military power."
"We dare to leave because we're certain that the capital won't descend into chaos in the short term. I've left some contingencies in the capital. Before long, the balance between those two factions will surely break. Their strengths are equal, so it won't be a quick fight to determine the victor."
Zhu Changle nodded, looking at the map and muttering, "I feel like you're planning to do more than just this, big brother."
"Of course." Zhu Changwang smiled. "They're focused on the immediate benefits of that small plot of land, but what I want is this."
The sea? Looking at the line her brother had drawn, Zhu Changle thought for a moment. "There are a lot of fish in the sea..."
Zhu Changwang smiled meaningfully. "The Great Wan Kingdom's shipbuilding technology has been improving over the years."
