MLMD -Chapter 98 Inspection

Wei Tonghe, who had been paying close attention to Xu Dingchen, immediately noticed something unusual about him.

“Master Xu, judging by your expression, could it be that this letter brings good news?”

Xu Dingchen exhaled deeply. Even with his years of navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom, he could not hide the joy on his face. Smiling, he handed the letter to Wei Tonghe and said, “With your auspicious words, Wei Gonggong, there’s finally some good news!”

But when Wei Tonghe saw the letter, he didn’t take it. Having spent over twenty years maneuvering in the inner court, he knew very well that this was just Xu Dingchen’s courtesy. A private letter shown to you is out of politeness; if you boldly take it, it only shows your ignorance and arrogance.

Wei Tonghe waved his hand. “Master Xu, we won’t look at the letter. It’s better if you just tell us what the good news is.”

“That’s fine too!” Xu Dingchen thought approvingly to himself. Wei Tonghe seemed to understand proper decorum—unlike some newly arrived eunuchs in the capital who strutted as if they were second only to the emperor himself.

Clearing his throat, Xu Dingchen smiled. “This letter was written by one of my aides. A while ago, he went to Yingzhou Prefecture on my orders to collect the salt tax. I didn’t expect much, but what happened exceeded my expectations. This Yue Zhenghong actually agreed quite readily to pay the remaining 100,000 taels of salt tax in one go. That really surprised me!”

“Oh… is that so?” Wei Tonghe’s hand, which had been holding a teacup, froze midair. His eyes widened in disbelief. “That Yue Zhenghong is… a salt merchant?”

“Hahaha… Wei Gonggong, you didn’t expect that, did you?” Xu Dingchen chuckled at Wei Tonghe’s astonishment. “Yue Zhenghong isn’t just a talent in training and leading troops; he’s skilled in business as well. Half a year ago, he somehow acquired a large supply of fine salt, not only of high quality but also cheap. In less than six months, he drove out the sea salt from Shandong and Jiangsu-Zhejiang areas that had dominated most of Shanxi. Now, most of the fine salt in Shanxi comes from him.”

“Wow…” Wei Tonghe drew in a sharp breath. Though the term “monopoly” hadn’t yet been coined, he could understand its meaning perfectly. Controlling most of a province’s salt business implied enormous profits, which made the dim light in his eyes glint with greed.

Seeing Wei Tonghe’s gaze, Xu Dingchen immediately knew what he was thinking. Frowning slightly, he casually said, “Wei Gonggong, although Yue Zhenghong has money, he’s been in the salt business for only a short time. Paying 100,000 taels of silver is probably his limit. As officials, we should also show consideration for our subordinates and not overreach. Don’t you agree?”

Wei Tonghe paused, then laughed and said, “Of course, of course. How could I not know that?”

Though he said it, Wei Tonghe secretly cursed Xu Dingchen in his mind: This old fellow must have received some benefit from Yue Yang. He actually speaks up for him. Hmph! Once I find out Yue Zhenghong’s background, it won’t be too late to deal with him.

What Wei Tonghe didn’t know was that he had spoken correctly. Tang Xueying naturally did not dare to hide in the letter that Yue Yang had given him 20,000 taels of silver. Just for those 20,000 taels, Xu Dingchen had to defend Yue Yang. In the bureaucracy, there are rules: some money can be accepted, some cannot. If you take someone’s money, you must speak on their behalf. Otherwise, word spreads that you take money but do nothing, and in the future, who would dare give you money?

Although slightly displeased, Wei Tonghe forced a faint smile and said nonchalantly, “Since Yue Zhenghong is so upright, we shall report this to the court and request the emperor to commend him.”

Xu Dingchen, knowing Wei Tonghe’s intent to trap Yue Yang, inwardly scowled. This eunuch is so petty, always looking for an advantage. No wonder he’s a small-minded villain who harms others without benefiting himself.

Originally, Xu Dingchen didn’t want to bother with this petty man, but he worried that Wei Tonghe would really report Yue Yang’s “great achievements” to the court and bring him trouble. Helpless, Xu Dingchen said, “Wei Gonggong, no need to rush. The letter also mentions that Yue Yang will marry soon. Why don’t we go to celebrate with them? What do you think?”

“Oh? That’s a fine idea!” Wei Tonghe’s eyes lit up. If he could meet this wealthy landowner who could also lead troops, it would bring him countless benefits with no harm at all.

“Then it’s settled. We’ll go tomorrow. Shall we join you to celebrate?”

Stroking his beard, Xu Dingchen said with a smile, “With your presence, Wei Gonggong, Yue Zhenghong will surely be overjoyed!”

“Gak gak gak…” Wei Tonghe laughed, though it sounded as harsh as a duck’s quack.

Watching Wei Tonghe’s smug face, Xu Dingchen sighed inwardly. Yue Zhenghong, all I can do for you is this. From here on, your fate is in your own hands…

Hundreds of miles away, Yue Yang had no way of knowing these events. At the moment, he had a more pressing matter: inspecting the rice paddies under Yuejiazhuang’s jurisdiction.

Yue Yang led Hai Lou, Yue Laifu, and a few other officials responsible for the fields along a small path in the paddies. In the distance, they saw a line of weeping willows. Beyond them stretched waves of golden wheat that seemed endless. The wind made the golden stalks sway like a rolling sea, enveloping the entire field in a breathtaking view.

Normally, given Shanxi’s geography, most areas were unsuitable for rice cultivation—only places with abundant water could grow it. Yet, thanks to hundreds of wells drilled with modern machinery and water diverted from the Sanggan River, over ten thousand acres of paddies had sufficient irrigation, a true miracle.

Standing before Yue Yang, Yue Laifu stared at the endless golden wheat, tears of excitement nearly streaming down his face.

“Master, we’ve succeeded! Our rice is finally going to bear fruit. Look at these ears of wheat—so dense, so plump. If I estimate correctly, the yield per acre will be over eight hundred jin! Eight hundred jin! In all my life farming, I’ve never seen such a sight!”

Yue Yang only smiled faintly. For modern hybrid rice, especially with today’s understanding, the yield could have been over 1,500 jin per acre if not for the lack of fertilizers and modern management techniques.

Turning to Hai Lou, who was equally excited, Yue Yang asked, “Hai Dianli, how much harvest can we expect this year?”

Since joining Yue Yang, this self-proclaimed descendant of Hai Rui had changed drastically. His unkempt beard was neatly shaved, his robe clean, and he looked far more spirited.

Hai Lou thought for a moment and said, “Master, harvest begins next month. If the average yield reaches nine hundred jin per acre, Yuejiazhuang’s twelve thousand acres of good farmland could produce around ten million jin of rice. With our fifty-fifty rent arrangement, that means we could harvest about five million jin. Master, this year will indeed be a bumper crop!” Hai Lou became increasingly excited, his face flushed.

“I see.” Yue Yang calculated in his mind. Five million jin of rice would yield roughly seventy percent as milled rice, giving him around 3.5 million jin—enough for many purposes.

The excitement made everyone, including Yue Yang, Hai Lou, Yue Laifu, and the tenant farmers, breathe faster. Normally, even in Jiangnan, famed for its fertile lands, rice yields were around 400 jin per acre; in Shanxi, only about 300 jin. Now, Yuejiazhuang had a yield of 900 jin—something unheard of. News of this would surely shock the region.

Yue Laifu suddenly raised a concern: “Master, at this rate, news of our bumper harvest can’t be hidden. People from neighboring villages will surely come. What if someone wants to buy our seeds?”

“Yes… if someone wants our seeds, what do we do?” others around him echoed the concern.

Everyone knew the high yield was due to Yue Yang’s introduced seeds. This could cause a flood of requests.

“Master, what Yue Guanji said is correct. ‘A man bearing treasure attracts trouble.’ If word spreads that you have such high-yield seeds, many will come asking for them. May I boldly ask, will you give them or not? If you refuse, they may try to buy the seeds from our tenants, risking the loss of these high-yield seeds.”

Yue Yang smiled. “I’ve thought of this long ago. Don’t worry. Even if they steal our seeds, they won’t succeed. In the end, they’ll have to come to me properly!”

A rare confidence shone across Yue Yang’s face.