Thirty: The Gift of the Pearl

Interpersonal relationships are sometimes a curious thing.

One day, people might be filled with rage, resentment, and a vow to never see each other again, only to greet one another with a casual "good morning" as if nothing happened the very next day.

A new day brings a new atmosphere, and a new junior sister...

Today was the day of the fundraising banquet at Yuanming Tower. The sun had risen early, promising a clear and bright day. Ouyang Rong left home early, munching on a few flatbreads he had brought along as he made his way to the government office. Once there, he sat in his study, flipping through the account books for the Penglang Ferry trade tax. After a while, he met with Assistant Magistrate Diao, who arrived right on time but looked visibly sleep-deprived, to handle the handover.

After getting an update on the preparations for the noon banquet and confirming that there were no major issues, the two discussed a few minor details, set the time, and went about their business.

Yan Liulang had not been in Longcheng lately; Ouyang Rong had sent him to Jiangzhou a few days prior to supervise a team of constables overseeing the transport of the three thousand shi of grain from the Jimin Granary. Although it was not a massive amount of grain, Ouyang Rong was currently unwilling to tolerate any unexpected hitches. He felt he had to keep an eye on everything to feel even slightly at ease.

Therefore, the responsibility of Ouyang Rong's security over the past few days had naturally fallen to Xie Lingjiang.

Today was no exception.

The two met again in the same "stifling" office from the day before. Ouyang Rong found his junior sister’s expression as calm as ever. They exchanged morning greetings, and their interaction felt no different from usual.

Ouyang Rong breathed a silent sigh of relief.

However, Xie Lingjiang was wearing men's attire today. It was no longer the tight, round-necked barbarian robe popular in the Great Zhou Dynasty that she had worn the day before, but rather an elegant scholar's gown with wide sleeves, which did little to accentuate her figure.

Yet, with her ethereal beauty and grace, she looked stunning in anything. It was hard not to marvel at the superior genetics of the Chenjun Xie clan, a long-standing noble family that valued refinement; she stood like a jade tree in the wind and smiled like the bright moon—though the junior sister rarely smiled.

Ouyang Rong, however, paid little attention to such things, his focus entirely on the business of the day. As noon approached, he put down his documents and left with Xie Lingjiang, heading toward Yuanming Tower.

Sitting together in the swaying carriage, neither of them mentioned the events of the previous day, as if they had never occurred.

Inside the carriage, Ouyang Rong sat upright, eyes fixed on the curtain ahead. Xie Lingjiang sat to the side, also perfectly upright.

Both were composed and honorable.

Yet, someone broke the silence first.

"Here."

A fair hand extended straight toward Ouyang Rong, holding a crumpled silk pouch.

"This is?"

"Is this not a public fundraiser? Am I not allowed to donate?"

"Uh, you are, but you are under no obligation."

"Then consider it a favor. Take it and donate it. I didn't bring much on this long journey; after buying my sword and bow, I only had six gold coins and a few pieces of broken silver left. I sent a letter home yesterday, and some private funds will arrive in a few days. I can donate more then."

"Gold is rarely circulated now. Six gold coins are enough to exchange for sixty or seventy strings of cash—nearly seven thousand wen. That is a very large donation."

"Then how much does Senior Brother expect to raise this time?"

"At least three thousand strings of cash."

"Then my donation is not much," Xie Lingjiang shook her head.

"The three thousand strings are to be pooled by these wealthy local squires," Ouyang Rong said softly. "Most of the wealth in Longcheng County is in their hands. They are all filthy rich. Seventy strings of cash isn't much to them, but for you, Junior Sister, as an individual, donating this much is equivalent to three years of my salary..."

As he spoke, Ouyang Rong suddenly realized that the Chenjun Xie clan were also "filthy rich," and even more formidable than the Longcheng Liu family that dominated Jiangzhou. They were simply more elegant and understated about it. Furthermore, noble clans like theirs did not seek the massive, ostentatious wealth of local tycoons, but rather fame, connections, influence, and certain hidden depths.

For instance, the reputation for being a "noble gentleman" that Ouyang Rong had cultivated was something they found valuable. Moreover, his mentor and his junior sister represented only one branch of the Chenjun Xie clan; the family was vast and spread out.

In Ouyang Rong's impression, his mentor, Xie Xun, lived a frugal and simple life, and his junior sister seemed much the same. Neither had any interest in the family's business or wealth-gathering, viewing scholarly pursuits as the only thing that mattered. It stood to reason that within the Xie clan, money was likely considered a secondary matter, left to be managed by distant relatives and not given much importance.

"Very well."

Ouyang Rong nodded and tucked the little heiress's pouch away.

"Wait." He hesitated, his hand reaching into his sleeve, and finally, he produced a glistening, round pearl, handing it to Xie Lingjiang.

Under her puzzled gaze, he joked: "In light of Lady Xie's contribution as the first donor to this banquet, I, as an official, hereby bestow upon you this pearl as a reward. May your heart remain as clear and transparent as this jewel."

Xie Lingjiang suddenly remembered: the pearl in his hand seemed to be the very one she had mistakenly accused him of stealing back at Sanhui Temple. It was, in a way, the catalyst for their first meeting.

The junior sister watched her senior brother, who was spouting nonsense with a perfectly straight face, and suppressed the urge to smile. She nodded and took it.

She felt that the pearl had not changed since that day, and neither had the person. This senior brother was still somewhat incorrigible...

Xie Lingjiang pursed her lips, while Ouyang Rong added, sounding quite reluctant:

"This pearl should be quite valuable; it glows in the moonlight at night. I went to a few pawnshops yesterday to ask, and the quotes were not low, but I always felt they were trying to fleece me, so I didn't sell it. You take it, Junior Sister; perhaps you can have an expert look at it later."

"Very well."

Xie Lingjiang nodded, though she did not pay it much mind. She was currently impatient to ask:

"How much grain can my donation buy?"

"Seventy strings of cash will barely buy five hundred shi of rice right now."

Xie Lingjiang lowered her eyes, calculating in her mind, and frowned: "Why is the price of rice so high? Isn't the price in our Jiangnan Circuit ten wen per dou? With ten dou to a shi... one string of cash should at least buy ten shi, shouldn't it?"

"That was before the disaster. Now, the price of rice in Longcheng rises every day. Although I have issued a price-cap ordinance, many heartless merchants are still secretly adding clauses to sell grain at higher rates. Right now, it is at least fourteen wen per dou, and even at that price, few merchants are willing to sell." His tone was calm.

Xie Lingjiang took a deep breath and slowly exhaled two words: "Unscrupulous merchants."

Ouyang Rong did not speak. He lifted the carriage curtain and looked at the luxurious restaurant by the river, which was drawing ever closer.

He had no desire to play games with those unscrupulous merchants, fearing it would dirty his hands. But the Great Zhou imperial court could not be relied upon, and behind him were tens of thousands of disaster victims and the imminent threat of floods. He could not protect himself at the expense of others.

He had to get his hands dirty.

...

Before the noon banquet at Yuanming Tower began, Ouyang Rong stood at the entrance of the grand hall, greeting the arriving landlords, squires, wealthy merchants, and scholars with genuine sincerity.

Assistant Magistrate Diao stood by his side, making introductions.

"This is the head of the Cheng family, who operates nearly half of the water transport vessels in Longcheng; this is the head of the Li family from the south of the city, whose family has members holding fifth-rank official positions in the capital; and this is a truly remarkable man, Elder Guan, a former governor of a northern province who has returned home to retire and owns a vast tract of fertile land on the outskirts of the city..."

Ouyang Rong switched into his "social butterfly" mode, bestowing the warmth and care of a shepherd-official upon these "good citizens" of Longcheng... until Assistant Magistrate Diao introduced a stranger to him.

"Mingtang, this is the head of the Liu family from the west of the city, Liu Ziwen."

Ouyang Rong, who had been standing with his back turned, raised an eyebrow, his smile deepening.

However, when he turned to look, he felt quite surprised.

The renowned young head of the Liu family, Liu Ziwen—a name Ouyang Rong had heard so often he was tired of it—did not possess the imposing dominance or cold, arrogant manner he had imagined.

Instead, he appeared somewhat mild-mannered, perhaps even ordinary.