Chapter Seventy-Seven: Still Have to Ask Him

Residence of the Chief Eunuch, main hall.

Zhang Zi’an asked in a cold, sinister tone, “Where’s the silver? Where is it now?”

Zhao Santai, wearing a bitter expression, replied, “Eunuch, the silver has all been used to purchase land. Even if I wanted to sell it off now, it couldn’t be turned into silver in such a short time. But the mutinous troops at the North Camp won’t wait. Many of the men in the army were originally rebels who defected. If things break out, the consequences will be dire.”

Zhang Zi’an retorted icily, “So now you realize the gravity of the situation? Where were your wits before?”

Zhao Santai lowered his voice. “I fear things will escalate. If these mutineers don’t get their silver, they might even lay siege to Datong City. If they break in, neither you nor I will escape blame.”

“Enough!” Zhang Zi’an snapped, his tone sharp and chilling. “Zhao Santai, what are you implying? Are you trying to shift the blame onto me now that things have come to a head? You’re the Deputy Commander of Datong in charge of all military affairs, and it was you who embezzled the pay. If anyone is implicated, it’s you. Don’t think you can drag me down with you.”

Zhao Santai seethed inwardly. It was true he’d pocketed fifty thousand taels, but Zhang Zi’an knew all about it—they’d planned it together, with thirty thousand of those taels going to curry favor with Zhang himself. Now, when trouble was at hand, this wretched eunuch tried to push all the responsibility onto him alone.

“I wouldn’t dare,” Zhao Santai replied, not daring to argue. He could only plead, “Eunuch, please tell me what to do. Should we try to raise silver to appease them, or call in troops to suppress the unrest? Please give me clear instruction.”

“Call in troops to suppress them?” Zhang Zi’an’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Has your brain gone soft, Zhao Santai? Where would you find troops? Don’t tell me you want to call in reinforcements from Shaanxi—or are you hoping to alert His Majesty so he’ll send the Imperial Guards from the capital to Datong?”

At this, Zhao Santai shuddered and fell silent.

If this reached the capital and His Majesty found out, his career as Deputy Commander would be finished—he might even lose his head. Clearly, force wasn’t an option; only silver could pacify the troops. But Zhao Santai couldn’t possibly raise enough silver in time.

With a miserable look, Zhao Santai asked, “But where am I supposed to find that much silver?”

Zhang Zi’an said coldly, “Let me give you a way out. You’ll have to beg Lord Wang for help.”

“Wang Pu?” Zhao Santai’s face twisted. “You want me to ask him?”

“What, is it beneath you to ask Lord Wang?” Zhang Zi’an sneered. “Does it offend your dignity or shame you?”

Zhao Santai fell silent.

Zhang Zi’an continued, “To tell you the truth, even Prince Dai can’t come up with that much silver now. Only Lord Wang and the Wang family have enough cash on hand. Besides, Lord Wang just stepped down as Commander of Datong. He still commands respect among the mutinous soldiers. If you want to pacify them, you have to go to him.”

Zhao Santai said, “But earlier today at the Red Joy Pavilion, I had an unpleasant run-in with Lord Wang. Do you really think he’ll see me now?”

“You have a point,” Zhang Zi’an admitted with a scowl. “Looks like I’ll have to go myself.”

Zhao Santai breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Eunuch.”

Zhang Zi’an shot him a frosty glare. “Look at the mess you’ve made, and now I have to clean up after you.”

■■■

Wang Family Estate, Wang Pu’s warm chamber.

Zhen Youcai said with confidence, “If my guess is correct, Zhang Zi’an should be arriving about now.”

No sooner had Zhen finished speaking than Zhuzi’s voice came from outside the chamber. “Master, Eunuch Zhang is here requesting an audience.”

Wang Pu and Zhen Youcai exchanged a knowing smile. Wang Pu called out, “Zhuzi, please invite Eunuch Zhang in.”

Zhang Zi’an wasn’t left waiting long in the hall before Wang Pu arrived. Zhang stood and saluted. “Lord Wang, I apologize for disturbing you in the dead of night on such a cold evening.”

“No need for such words,” Wang Pu replied with a courteous smile. “Please, sit.”

Once Zhang was seated, Wang Pu turned to Zhuzi. “Zhuzi, fetch the best tea for Eunuch Zhang.”

“Yes, sir,” Zhuzi replied, hurrying off to prepare the tea.

Only then did Zhang Zi’an say, “Lord Wang, there’s been a major incident.”

“Oh?” Wang Pu inquired. “What’s happened?”

Zhang Zi’an briefly recounted the mutiny among the border troops, omitting any mention of Zhao Santai’s embezzlement. When he finished, he put on an expression of deep concern and stamped his foot. “That useless Zhao Santai always thinks so highly of himself, but when the moment comes, he’s nothing but mud that won’t stick to the wall. Lord Wang, you were Commander here for three years—those troops are all your old subordinates. Only you can bring them to heel.”

At that moment, Zhuzi brought in the tea. Wang Pu pretended not to have heard Zhang’s words and said instead, “Eunuch Zhang, please enjoy some tea. This is the finest pre-rain Dragon Well tea, brought all the way from Hangzhou.”

Zhang Zi’an, agitated, said, “My dear Lord Wang, we may not have until dawn—the mutinous troops could besiege Datong City at any moment. How could I have the heart to enjoy tea right now?”

“Eunuch Zhang,” Wang Pu set down his cup, his expression solemn. “Though I am still within my hundred days of mourning, and by law should not interfere in military affairs, since you have come to me, I cannot shirk the responsibility of pacifying the mutinous troops. But their uprising is due to unpaid salaries. If the court or the local treasury can’t make up the arrears, I fear this matter cannot be resolved.”

Zhang Zi’an sighed, “That is exactly the other reason I came to see you.”

Wang Pu feigned surprise. “You’re not about to ask me for a loan, are you?”

“Precisely,” Zhang Zi’an replied. “Right now, only you have enough ready silver in Datong.”

Wang Pu couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. Only someone as shameless as Zhang Zi’an could make such a brazen request!

He was not the only one in Datong with silver—Prince Dai was rolling in wealth, not to mention the greedy Zhao Santai. And as for Zhang Zi’an himself, Wang Pu had just sent him a full fifty thousand taels of snowflake silver the previous morning. Did it all vanish into thin air?

In this era, the Shanxi draft banks that would later allow remittances throughout the empire didn’t exist—local money houses were just emerging, and they only handled small-scale currency exchanges. There weren’t even silver notes yet. Large sums had to be carried in actual silver. Zhang Zi’an, hoarding his silver, clearly intended to invest in land and property. The Wang family, selling off their assets, would soon see that silver return to their coffers.

As for any land Zhang Zi’an had bought, once the rebel army arrived, it would be lost in an instant.

Wang Pu’s thoughts raced, but he said aloud, “Eunuch Zhang, I won’t hide it from you. I did bring back a trove of wealth from Liaodong, and exchanged it all for silver in the capital. His Majesty, showing kindness, did not confiscate it into the treasury. The total amounted to one million two hundred and fifty thousand taels.”

Upon hearing such a sum, Zhang Zi’an’s eyes gleamed.

Wang Pu continued, “However, just to smooth things over with officials in the capital cost half a million taels. The remaining seven hundred and fifty thousand taels were all shipped here to Datong—six hundred thousand went to pay and compensate the Liaodong troops, and fifty thousand were spent on my father’s funeral and household expenses. There’s now only a little over ten thousand taels left in the vault.”

The whereabouts of another nearly eighty thousand taels Wang Pu did not mention—nor did he need to, as it had gone to bribe Zhang Zi’an and the managers at the three weapons workshops.

Wang Pu said, “Eunuch Zhang, it’s not that I won’t help you, but I simply can’t produce any more silver.”

Zhang Zi’an’s face fell, his voice turning cold. “Is there really no other way, Lord Wang?”

Wang Pu did not reply, but from behind the screen came Zhen Youcai’s voice: “Of course there’s a way, and there’s silver to be had! The question is, does Eunuch Zhang dare to go and fetch it?”

And now, it was Zhen Youcai’s turn to step onto the stage.