Chapter 59.3
Chapter 59 part 3
Huangfu Wu Shuang let out a cold harrumph, “Isn’t he just someone using his reputation to buy people off, why mention him?”
“Your Highness, this servant has heard a comrade mention that this person is a very well-known individual in the jianghu, heard that he’s extremely wealthy.” Hearing Hua Zhu Yu mention Rong Lou, Jixiang chimed in, “This servant also heard he has a residence : Xijiang Yue. That’s right, Xijiang Yue is not far from here, Yuan Bao is right, Your Highness can seek him for help. ”
“Xijiang Yue, is that a brothel, gambling house or restaurant?” Huangfu Wu Shuang asked with suspicion.
“No, it’s a pavilion located beside Songjiang River, heard that during the first six days of the month, many people in need of help would bring a missive to Xijiang Yue. Every day, he would instruct his subordinates to receive the missive, no matter who brings the missive, as long as they’ve met with injustice or in need of a.s.sistance, they only needed to record it on the missive. If it’s something within his ability, he will accept the missive,” Jixiang slowly said.
Hua Zhu Yu had also heard such things from Dan Hong before. When Dan Hong first mentioned the four great men of the kingdom, she remembered giving a lazy smile and asking, “Nan Bai Feng, based on what is he ranked first, though this general is not talented, but I, for the country and people, defended the borders and heroically fought against the enemy. Why am I ranked below him? Truly not fair!”
Dan Hong laughingly said,” Though Nan Bai Feng does not guard the border, he has done quite a lot to help the people.”
At the time, Dan Hong also mentioned that anyone met with misfortune or injustice could come seek Nan Bai Feng Rong Luo at Jixiang Yue for help, as long as it’s something he can do, he would accept the missive and help them till the end. To help one family is to help hundreds of people, to help hundreds of people was more practical than governing the border like her.
“Your Highness, this servant feels we should give it a try. This Nan Bai Feng is extremely wealthy so 300,000 taels of silver to him is just a small matter,” said Hua Zhu Yu.
“If this prince borrows money how is this prince going to repay it? At that time if this prince can’t repay, then won’t Imperial Father find out anyways, is it not better to just write to Imperial Father and ask him to open up the treasury again and send the funds?” Huangfu Wu Shuang asked with a frown.
Huangfu Wu Shuang was not wrong, though they needed to borrow money to provide relief for the disaster, they stilled needed money from the treasury to repay the debt. In the end, the emperor would still find out that Huangfu Wu Shuang lost thousands of relief funds.
The outcome would still be the same.
But, if money from the treasury was not used, this matter could still be concealed.
“Your Highness, we should go borrow first, if we can really borrow, we can solve the important issues first. Then, we can think of way to repay the debt, perhaps we can even find the stolen funds.” Hua Zhu Yu vaguely felt that the matter of stolen funds was not so simple, it definitely did not look like the job of common bandits.
This matter evoked her interest, she must definitely get to the bottom of this.
Huangfu Wu Shuang felt that what Jixiang and Hua Zhu Yu said was also reasonable and agreed to go to Jixiang Yue to borrow money. After two days pa.s.sed it was the 6th day of the month, they inquired the locals about Jixiang Yue and set out towards that direction.
Jixiang Yue was located in the outskirts of a small town
not far from Songjiang River which had long been dried up due to the drought.
When the group and Hua Zhu Yu had arrived at Jixiang Yue, it was already evening.
The sun setting in the west was like a scorching flame illuminating a three story building that appeared calm and serene.
Seeing that they came to send a missive, the gatekeeper did not say much and led them inside. Hua Zhu Yu walked in and saw that they were not the only ones there sending missives as there were more than a dozen people present.
Among these people, there were elders, youngsters, males, females, people adorned in silk brocades, and people dressed on commoner’s clothings. It could be said that all kinds of people were present.
These people were silently standing in line waiting to give their missive. The workers inside would take a glance at the missive and if it’s something they believe their master could do, they would receive the missive, if not they would directly decline.
When it was Hua Zuh Yu’s turn, the evening sun had already set in the horizon and the afterglow had turned into a dark black curtain.
A servant came over and led them to a room on the second floor of Jixiang Yue.
The room was s.p.a.cious with a marble table placed in the middle. On the table was a dimly lit candle whose flickering flame was illuminating an individual sitting behind the table.
Adorned in a grey robe with a bent back, he appeared very old. In front of him was a large bag and he was currently placing the missive in his hand inside the bag.
“Someone, bring over the missive!” He raised his head and directed a smile at them, his wrinkled face blossoming like an autumn chrysanthemum.
Illuminated by the candle light, his appearance could be clearly seen, startling Hua Zhu Yu as she recognized his face. He was the one that helped her that day outside of the city of Liangzhou. She remembered clearly because that mysterious master inside the carriage had called him E Gui.
Regardless, she did not imagine it was E Gui who was in charge of receiving the missives.
Then is his master Rong Luo?
Hua Zhu Yu was full of doubts, but she could not go greet him. Her current ident.i.ty was not as before and she could not reveal her previous ident.i.ty as it would only bring trouble.
Therefore, she could only bury her gratefulness and appreciation deep in her heart.