Chapter 115: One Arrow, Multiple Targets
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Seeing that Zhang Zhiji’s expression showed no sign of anything amiss and did not seem feigned, Li Yuanjing felt slightly relieved as well.
He lowered his voice and said, “Young Lord, the assassins set such a huge fire last night just to make their escape. Our men were all busy putting it out to save the common people from further losses, so it was only natural that we failed to catch the assassins at once. Our finest steel simply wasn’t used where it mattered.”
“That’s true enough.”
Zhang Zhiji had already been led off course by Li Yuanjing and hurriedly said, somewhat excitedly, “Sir, as for putting out the fire last night…”
Though he did not say it outright, how could Li Yuanjing fail to understand what he meant?
He was naturally asking about his reputation.
Li Yuanjing had long since made all the necessary preparations. Lowering his voice, he said, “Young Lord, I have already dealt with matters properly for last night. As for what comes afterward, however, we still need to make further arrangements.”
He lowered his voice even more.
“Young Lord, I intend to use the silver Zhao Bingchun gave me last night, in your name, to repair these people’s houses. However…”
“I have one small request. I would like to acquire this tract of land at a somewhat lower price…”
“Hm?”
Zhang Zhiji froze for a moment, then began to chuckle.
As the future heir of the Duke of Ying’s household, Zhang Zhiji was certainly no expert when it came to personally handling complicated, tedious affairs—or the subtleties of human nature among the lower classes.
And yet—
The excellent remedy Li Yuanjing had just proposed, this “common prosperity,” was something Zhang Zhiji had already mastered by the age of eleven or twelve.
More importantly, Li Yuanjing had now revealed a touch of personal interest and was allowing Zhang Zhiji to take charge of the matter himself. This made Zhang Zhiji feel that Li Yuanjing truly regarded him sincerely, while also making him easier to control.
He was killing several birds with one stone.
Zhang Zhiji hurriedly laughed. “Sir, leave this matter to me. The owner of this inn seems to be from the Qiu family of the western district. I shall charge them with colluding with the assassins at once!”
“The Qiu family of the western district?”
Li Yuanjing gave a start.
Wasn’t the Qiu family the family of the Great Philanthropist Xue’s mother-in-law—and also one of Zhao Bingchun’s connections?
Another stroke that would accomplish several ends at once.
Seeing that Zhang Zhiji was about to put his plan into action, Li Yuanjing quickly stopped him.
“Young Lord, wait a moment. Let me finish arranging matters here first.”
With that, Li Yuanjing leaned close to Zhang Zhiji’s ear and whispered a few words.
“Brilliant.”
“Brilliant.”
“Absolutely brilliant.”
“Go ahead and handle it, Sir. With Zhang Wuwei here to protect me, my safety is no concern!”
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Zhang Zhiji clapped his hands repeatedly, overjoyed.
…
Before long, Li Yuanjing returned to the weary common people, who were celebrating nearby, and began speaking to them in an animated manner.
“Ah!”
“The Young Lord is so benevolent! The Young Lord is so benevolent!”
“Young Lord, this old man kowtows to you!”
“Young Lord…”
Before long, the crowd’s emotions had been set ablaze. Countless commoners fell to their knees and began kowtowing frantically in Zhang Zhiji’s direction.
Not far away, Pillar, Kui, and the others—who had long since received Li Yuanjing’s orders—had gone to the Liu Trading House and brought back rice, grain, a great deal of pork, and cabbage. They immediately began preparing huge pots of pork stewed with cabbage on the spot, while seven or eight women started kneading dough and steaming large white buns.
This instantly drove the crowd’s excitement to yet another height, and they began kowtowing even more fervently toward Zhang Zhiji.
“Friends, you really mustn’t do this. You really mustn’t. Please, rise—quickly, rise…”
Zhang Zhiji was grinning so broadly that his mouth seemed ready to split his face in two. Never in his life had anyone shown him such gratitude or made him feel so thoroughly cherished.
When he returned to the capital and bragged to his father, Zhang Wen, he would surely be able to stand undefeated in any argument.
At the sight of this, the corners of Li Yuanjing’s mouth rose as well.
If your superior is dissatisfied with your work, how could you possibly profit from it?
After Li Yuanjing spoke a few words with Zhang Wuwei and then a few with Zhang Zhiji, the latter became so excited that his heart seemed ready to burst. He turned to Li Yuanjing with overwhelming enthusiasm.
“Sir, this… this is really possible?”
Li Yuanjing smiled. “Possible, yes. But, Young Lord, on this point you must follow General Zhang Wuwei’s arrangements. Put on your armor first, then your helmet.”
“No problem, no problem. Sir, as long as you let me mingle with the common people, I’ll do whatever you and the general say.”
Zhang Zhiji nodded repeatedly like a chick pecking at grain.
…
Before long, after putting on his armor and helmet, Zhang Zhiji finally made his way into the midst of the common people as he had wished.
The crowd erupted. One after another, they threw themselves to the ground and kowtowed to Zhang Zhiji, calling out that the Young Lord was benevolent.
“Friends, you really mustn’t do this. You really mustn’t…”
Zhang Zhiji was so delighted that he never once closed his mouth. He chatted with this person and exchanged a few words with that one, momentarily seeming to have transformed into a great sage who loved the people as his own children.
Just then, Zhao Bingchun happened to come looking for Li Yuanjing and Zhang Zhiji. When he suddenly saw the scene, his old eyes narrowed sharply, and he hurriedly questioned the men he had stationed there.
After hearing the whole story—that Zhang Zhiji intended to repair the people’s houses and was even providing them with food that day—Zhao Bingchun could not help sneering.
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Given what he knew of Zhang Zhiji, how could such a thing possibly have come from him?
And yet—
When he looked at Li Yuanjing standing beside Zhang Zhiji, always as gentle as jade and accompanying Zhang Zhiji without haste or impatience, Zhao Bingchun’s brows drew together with great force.
This boy…
Could it be that even Murong Mubai at the same age had not possessed such schemes and ingenuity?
He was practically a monster.
Zhao Bingchun shuddered involuntarily, and his estimation of Li Yuanjing rose yet again.
…
Only after Zhang Zhiji had nearly laughed himself into a cramp—and after Li Yuanjing had urged him several times that Zhao Bingchun had come to request an audience—did Zhang Zhiji finally leave the crowd with visible reluctance.
Even so, the people responded with another deafening wave of gratitude.
Zhang Zhiji repeatedly turned back to wave at those lovable commoners.
At last, when he had managed to turn around fully, his expression suddenly became much more solemn. He hurriedly lowered his voice and said to Li Yuanjing, “Sir, no. I’ve made up my mind! I must contribute the silver for this. Let me start with five thousand taels! Sir, you absolutely cannot fight me for this. If you do, I’ll truly be angry with you.”
“Ah…”
This time, Li Yuanjing was completely at a loss.
But—
He quickly understood.
If this operation could, through such deft maneuvering, slightly reshape the values of the still-young Zhang Zhiji, then it would plainly be a deed of immeasurable merit for Li Yuanjing as well.
He hurriedly smiled. “Young Lord, that is not how charity is done. This is not merely a matter of silver. It is like this…”
Li Yuanjing quickly explained in a low voice the principles that people fear scarcity less than unfairness, and that too much generosity can breed resentment.
Then he added, “Young Lord, how about this? Once I have finished handling everything, I will prepare an account for you, and we shall split the cost evenly.”
“Excellent!”
“Absolutely excellent!”
Zhang Zhiji clapped his hands excitedly, his face flushed.
“My parents gave me life, but you, Sir, truly understand me!”
…
However, after Zhang Zhiji finished speaking with Li Yuanjing and went to the government office to meet Zhao Bingchun, his expression changed faster than an actor in a Sichuan opera.
He instantly put on the face of a snarling dog, as though he had ascended to the moral high ground, and shouted furiously at Zhao Bingchun:
“Zhao Bingchun, you insolent cur! Do you know your crime?!”
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