Volume 3: The Richest Man in the World Chapter 17 Steps
Wu Chengjian and Ye Youyu stayed for another day, and were sent to Wujiayuan the next day - Wu Guoying insisted that Wu Chengjian live in Wujiayuan, not only because it was the Wu family's new house, but also because in his heart, Wu Chengjian's living in Wujiayuan was a symbol that the Wu family would compete with the Pan family.
At Wujiayuan, Wu Chengjian was worried about Wu Guoying's health. At the same time, Wu Guoying's explanation forced him to consider some things that he had been avoiding. He was in a bad mood for a while. As soon as he arrived at Wujiayuan, he settled Ye Youyu and her son, and then went to Manqian Penglai by himself.
Before leaving, Ye Youyu hesitated to speak. Ever since she met Lao Gu, she had always wanted to talk to Wu Chengjian again. But when she saw the annoyance in Wu Chengjian's eyes, she knew that he would not speak after all, so she held back and did not say a word.
Wu Chengjian wanted to talk to Zhou Yijin - he and Youyu hadn't talked for a long time. At this moment, the only one who could help him vent, or ridicule him, or give him a warning was Zhou Yijin.
Because the Kunqu Opera troupe was given to Heshen and taken to Beijing by Liu Quan, although Wu Chengjian was planning to set up a new troupe for Zhou Yijin, things like this could not be accomplished quickly just by having money, so Manqian Penglai was currently deserted.
After reaching the island, he heard a few sporadic string sounds. Wu Chengjian felt a little calmer and followed the sound of the piano to the stage.
The Kunqu opera troupe was gone, the stage was empty, and a banana leaf harp was placed on the stone table. Zhou Yijin was playing "Yangguan Sandie" facing the empty stage.
Wu Chengjian didn't know much about the guqin, which was too elegant for him, but when he heard the sound of the guqin, he felt sad. He couldn't help asking, "Are you still thinking about the Kunqu Opera troupe? If I had known you were so concerned, we wouldn't have sent it away that day."
Zhou Yijin stopped playing and took a long sigh. He looked sad for a while before turning back to Wu Chengjian and saying, "Didn't you say you don't know how to play the zither? I played the first fold to express the sad scene of farewell, and you actually heard it."
Wu Chengjian said: "Your piano playing is so slow and your face looks like fallen leaves. I don't need to know piano to know that you are upset."
Zhou Yijin shook his head when he heard this: "So that's how it is. I was wondering how a vulgar person like you could tell my mood from the sound of my zither. Just now I almost thought you had the hearing ability of Ziqi."
"I think Ziqi may not have good hearing, but good eyesight. When Yu Boya played the zither, his expression must have been very rich, so Ziqi guessed it when he saw it."
When Zhou Yijin heard this, he burst out laughing.
Wu Chengjian looked at the way he laughed. It didn't seem like he was forced to laugh because he was sad. It seemed like he was switching from one mood to another. "You don't seem to be that sad either."
"I wasn't sad in the first place." Zhou Yijin said: "For the Kunqu Opera troupe, there was no difference between them performing for us and performing for Heshen. For us, since it was given to us by someone, it is just a possession, and it is normal for someone to take it away again."
"Then why did you look so lonely just now?" Wu Chengjian asked.
"I am trying to get into the situation," Zhou Yijin said. "Just like when reading The Story of the Stone, you have to get into the situation where all the beauties are crying and mourning together, to experience the desolate feeling of the white earth being so clean. It's the same when facing this empty stage."
Wu Chengjian was speechless for a moment: "So you looked so lonely , but you were actually enjoying it?"
"That's right." Zhou Yijin said, "If it's not my old age and death, I can use it to express my sorrow for the passing of years. If it's not my real relative, but they've passed away, I can use it to feel the ancients' feelings of parting. All writers are like this. If I were really sick to death, I would be unable to speak, let alone write poetry. If it's really someone important to me, how can I have the mood to play the piano if I can't see them again."
"What a freak of truth." Wu Chengjian said angrily, "I'm in a bad mood and was thinking of coming to you to relieve my bad mood, but why do I end up meeting you when you're upset?"
Zhou Yijin smiled, put down the zither, and said, "I heard that the old man swept the road for you yesterday. Isn't that a good thing? Why are you so upset?"
Wu Chengjian sat on the stone chair at the edge of the pavilion, scratching his head.
Zhou Yijin asked, "Are you worried about your sister-in-law's mood?"
Wu Chengjian said, "On the day Yao'er was born, my father-in-law said those nonsense in the yard, which made my sister-in-law not come in. I'm afraid she has a knot in her heart, but I can't do anything. The old man did this again. People who understand it all say it's for my own good, but I think he is getting old and confused. There was no rift between my sister-in-law and me, but after the old man did this, I'm afraid my sister-in-law will think too much. Even if she doesn't think too much, there are people around her who will help her think more. The most troublesome thing is that if I don't explain this matter, it won't work. If I explain it, it will seem that I have intentions - trouble, trouble!"
Zhou Yijin said, "This is indeed a troublesome matter, but since Yao'er has been born, there will naturally be a conflict between him and Guang'er. Regardless of whether the old man said that or not, the conflict is there. You may avoid it today, but one day you will not be able to avoid it."
Wu Chengjian remained silent and said nothing.
"You came to me, don't you want me to give you some advice?"
Wu Chengjian still didn't say anything - although Zhou Yijin was his strategist, this was a family matter after all, and he didn't know whether it was appropriate to involve him.
Zhou Yijin was like a worm in his stomach. Although Wu Chengjian didn't say anything, he actually guessed it. He put away the banana leaf zither first, and then said: "The emperor has no private affairs. As a guarantor, your family affairs are actually business affairs."
Wu Chengjian asked: "Do you have a solution?"
Zhou Yijin said: "In the long run, there is no solution to completely solve it. But we will have a big change in the near future. So my point of view is similar to that of the old man. This period of time is not a good time for family changes to break out. The industry of Yihehang cannot be divided, and the hearts of the Wu family cannot be divided. As long as this is ensured, other things can be done slowly."
Wu Chengjian's heart trembled.
He knew very well what Zhou Yijin was talking about.
"It seems that you are still a mortal after all." Zhou Yijin seemed to be able to see through Wu Chengjian at a glance. "When your heart was entangled with love affairs and family affairs, you actually forgot the most important thing. Although Heshen has not made any moves recently, you don't really think that he has not made any moves? Even if he really intends to let you go, we are almost done with him. If we don't, your Wu family will be finished.
"Standing at a higher position and looking down to solve the problem in front of you, isn't this the key to your success along the way? If you can put this matter at the top, then the things below will be easy to solve."
Wu Chengjian murmured: "Time is really running out..."
Zhou Yijin said: "The first step is to sort out your mood. Go and have a good talk with your wife. Your wife is from Ye Dalin's family. From her temperament, I can see that she is good at fighting but not at making peace. So she can help you solve external affairs but not internal affairs. But at least don't let her and Sanniang's affairs disturb your mood. Right?
"Then the second step is to force Qi Guan to reconcile with us. Then the third step is to deal with He Shen's offensive."
"Although Liu Quan said he would let you go, that is absolutely unbelievable! I guess that when Baietan is almost rebuilt, the Lord Zhongtang in Beijing will probably take action against you."
In Beijing, the sound of Kunqu opera fills the entire back garden of the He Mansion.
The entire troupe was performing the singing and playing the music, but there was only one person watching the show . He squinted his eyes, but all the actors on the stage dared not to do less.
Liu Quan came back from outside and stood beside Heshen for a while, not daring to disturb him.
He Shen seemed to know that Liu Quan was coming. He opened his eyes and smiled: "The guarantors of the Thirteen Hongs are really good at playing. This team is well trained."
Liu Quan smiled and replied, "Thirteen people, the emperor's southern treasury, their money is actually the emperor's money, they know this very well. Since it is the emperor's money, it would be a waste if not spent, so these merchants, their family food, clothing, and various entertainments are as extravagant as they can be."
He Shen's thoughts were jumping: "Has the money from the foreigners arrived?"
Liu Quan said: "Everyone has signed the contract, and the money has arrived one after another."
He Shen laughed and said, "This Hao Guan is really capable. He can even get the money of the barbarians. It's really rare. It's just a pity that he doesn't share the same mind as me."
"Master," Liu Quan said, "He is so capable. He is indeed a powerful general when he is in our hands. But if he turns against us one day, he will be a great enemy. When the White Goose Pond is almost rebuilt, we should start to deal with him."
"No, we can't wait until the work is done before we touch him, but we can't touch him before the work is done either." He Shen said, "If we touch him before the work is done, once the Thirteen Hongs are in chaos, the money supply of the Qing Dynasty will also be in trouble. But if we wait until the work is done before we touch him, he will have already made preparations, and I'm afraid we won't be able to touch him."
Even though Liu Quan grew up watching He Shen, he still couldn't keep up with He Shen's thinking: "Then...what should we do?"
He Shen smiled and said, "Don't touch his people, but disturb his mind. Take away his confidants who plot against others, and leave his hands and feet that can do things. Do you understand?"
