Chapter 241: Honeymoon (1)
Translator: Iris
The old man said slowly:“... Really? That Gu’s boy truly is more competent than before.”
“Father, I have inquired about every detail. It’s exactly what has happened there.” A middle-aged man who seemed a bit fat stood by the chair while replying to his dad in a low voice, “General Gu burnt a whole box of evidence of debt. The applause in that manor could even be heard from miles away. What’s more, General Gu even gave those bastards a large sum of money as their dismissal wages.”
Inside the ten zhang(unit of length,=3 1/3 meters) wide square room, there were all kinds of weapons such as the spears, the sabres, the swords, and the axes hung up on the tall beech shelf on three of the walls. The bright sunlight shined onto those weapons, which made their blades look quite dazzling.
Bo Tianzhou was sixty-seven years old this year, but he was still very strong-built and sturdy. Ever since his childhood, he had to touch the weapons every day, otherwise he would feel very comfortable. Right now, he was sitting on a chair by the window while wiping a two-feet long sword which had been forged from the fine steel with oil and a cotton cloth. A middle-aged plump man was standing beside him.
“He has stayed calm and collected during all the three days of the review. He really is good at keeping his equanimity.” Bo Tianzhou put down the cloth and stroked his beard, sighing, “No wonder he could turn into a big achiever from nobody! In this case, I’m glad that you have let your second son serve in his troops. I am an old man who isn’t longing for so many things anymore. I only want all my children and grandchildren to be safe. If I can get a noble title for our family, I can rest in piece when I die.”
“Father, please don’t say that!” Bo Jun went down on his knees right away with tears in his eyes, “I am so useless. I am not good at literature or military affairs. Father, sorry for letting you worry for us at an old age! Now our country is at peace, and you should have an easy and comfortable life at home. I don’t want you to get tired anymore! Father, I don’t deserve this! I, I, I...” He lowered his head with tears pouring down his face.
“All right, all right, stand up!” Seeing his middle-aged son crying piteously, Bo Tianzhou couldn’t help but glare at Bo Jun, “Although you couldn’t become a scholar, I see you as sentimental as them! Everyone in this world will die. You father is also a human who will die eventually! What’s wrong about getting benefits for my own descents before I die? You are a man, don’t cry so easily! Shut up! Stand up! Wipe your face!”
Bo Jun, having held back his tears, steadied his breath and then said in a low voice, “... Father, you have fought battles for fifty years. My second brother and third brother both died on the frontier before they got married. Considering our family merits, we should be entitled long ago...”
Bo Tianzhou felt grieved when thinking of his two sons who had died at a young age. Then he ignored his eldest son and started to wipe the sword with the cloth again, murmuring, “Our former emperor is a kind man. Under his command, the officials weren’t granted generous rewards but could live safely. Even when they made mistakes sometimes, they could still muddle through. But His Majesty is different...”
Bo Jun stared at his father in a daze and said tentatively in a low voice, “Is that why you have retired at the height of your official career and given your commander’s seal back to His Majesty?”
“What the hell are you talking about! If I retire, how can I fight for a noble title for our family?! Prime Minister Shen retired a few days ago because his children and sons-in-law are all very capable. What do I have? Only a dumb son!”
Bo Tingzhou glowered at his son. However, his dull-witted son couldn’t even explain for himself and only stood there in a trance while listening to those abuses. Seeing that, Bo Tianzhou only sighed helplessly and said, “Remember this, some retreats are not real. People would retreat in order to advance. What that Gu’s boy has done this time is a good example.”
Bo Jun was an honest man who never pretended to know when he didn’t know. Seeing the confused look on his face, Bo Tianzhou sighed deeply and explained patiently, “That boy seems to have suffered a great loss and behaved cowardly this time. Is that what you think?”
“Yes.” Bo Jun nodded and dragged a small chair over to sit beside his father. Then he started to massage his father’s legs plagued by old illness while saying, “Our former emperor has been so kind to give the order ‘Never add taxes’ to every imperial estate. How dare those landlords commit so many crimes! The annual tax of the estate is only around three to five thousand ounces of silver. It has only been around ten years. Not only do those tenants live in misery, they were also in debts of thirty to forty thousand ounces of silver. That’s so absurd! That is so intolerable!”
“Of course!” Bo Tianzhou was glad that his untalented son was not muddleheaded. Then he said bluntly, “You think that Gu’s boy couldn’t realize the thing you have realized? Don’t you know how sharp-sighted he is?!”
The old man got thirsty. Then he raised his head and picked up a ceramic tea pot which seemed glossy. After he had drunk a mouthful of tea through the tea spout, he continued, “The affairs in that estate couldn’t stand up to closer inspection indeed. It’s hard to fool anyone. Of course the Gu’s boy could expose those people’s crimes and let Ya Men(T/N: Chinese Authorities Government) or the State Inspection Department hear the case. He could also call the eunuch who is in charge of the estate for interrogation. However, in this way, he will leave His Majesty a huge problem. There are lots of imperial estates in our country. Because of the kindness of our former emperor, there are so many people seeking their personal gains in those estates. What if the people in other estates create a disturbance? What can His Majesty do? Make a thorough inspection? Punish them severely? How many people are going to be involved in this? It’s still too soon to deal with them.”
Bo Jun took over the tea pot from his father and put it aside gently. Then the old man continued, “His Majesty can not deal with those evil guys aboveboard. The only thing he could do is slowly replacing those guys. Every new emperor brings his own courtiers. His Majesty needs to place his own people in the imperial court, the royal palace and then other places.”
“That Gu’s boy told those insensible stewards to submit the account on the spot. After that, he asked someone to carry out thirty or forty thousand ounces of silver. The people from the Shun Tian Mansion, the State Inspection Department and the Royal Palace were all the witnesses.” Bo Tianzhou touched the long sword, the blade of which gave off green light. Suddenly, there was a strange smile on his wrinkled face. “First, after this thing is spread out, everyone would know about the account in that estate. They will also learn about how many profits those stewards have obtained. How’s it possible for a steward to be that bold? He must have some powerful guys backing him up. Second, this thing has already come to an end, so those powerful guys are not offended either. Third, he has also won a reputation as a kind master. That’s triple benefits!”