Chapter 75

"Brother Li, there’s no need to be so formal. We are of the same clan, and it wouldn’t be good to be distant."

Li Shenming, who didn’t remember this local landowner from Lingqiu, saw that Li Dayong was dressed in the attire of a scholar, with very fine clothing. This matter was related to setting up an ironworks and building blast furnaces, and he assumed that the people Zhang Xuezeng had brought were all related to this. He immediately acknowledged their kinship and stepped forward to shake Li Dayong’s hand, feigning great warmth.

Li Dayong’s smile couldn’t be wider. He was indeed a scholar, but his family had been iron merchants for generations. The last time he went to Datong, he sold some refined iron to the garrison, having paved the way beforehand. Otherwise, with the quality of Shanxi iron, the garrison would never have accepted his family’s iron. Li Shenming was in charge of these matters at the General’s residence, and Li Dayong’s status wasn’t high enough to meet him directly. After a distant bow, he considered it a meeting. Now, as he chatted warmly with Li Shenming, he was extremely pleased.

"This is Master Han Tong," Zhang Xuezeng pointed to a lean middle-aged man and introduced him: "In the Eastern Mountains, the Han family has six blast furnaces, making them the largest iron merchants in Lingqiu."

Han Tong was very arrogant, his triangular eyes flashing with suspicion. He was a typical local bully, with excellent connections throughout the county. His family owned much land, many tenant farmers, and a large workforce in the mines, with thousands of people under his command. This undoubtedly fostered a domineering and arbitrary nature. In Lingqiu, almost no one dared to oppose the Han family. This time, Zhang Xuezeng had brought several letters, and had smoothed things over with the officials in the state and county. Many local gentry also had connections with him. When Zhang Xuezeng mentioned that the Zhang family from Puzhou was coming to set up an ironworks and build blast furnaces, Han Tong found it difficult to oppose, though he couldn’t say outright that he was against it. His attitude, however, spoke volumes. When Zhang Xuezeng introduced him, he merely gave Zhang Han a cold look, not even bothering to nod in greeting. In Han Tong’s view, Zhang Han was just an uncrowned youth, and he was only here to assess the situation, not to have any real dealings with Zhang Han.

When Li Shenming came over to greet him, Han Tong reluctantly returned the gesture.

Li Shenming’s name was well-known in Datong, as he managed the General’s external businesses, adept at navigating relationships in various regions. The local magistrate, due to protocol, would have welcomed him if he could. Although Han Tong was proud, he had to maintain a certain level of respect on the surface.

"Please join us for a drink at the Flying Swallow Tower in the eastern part of the city," Li Dayong said with a broad smile after everyone had greeted each other. "Master Zhang and Master Li are honored guests from afar, but Lingqiu is a small place with little to offer. The Flying Swallow Tower is decent, and I hope it will not be too much of an inconvenience for you all."

Zhang Han, maintaining his composure, smiled and said, "Master Li is too kind. We have been traveling for many days and are content with simple fare. To have a banquet waiting for us upon arrival in Lingqiu is truly heartwarming."

Li Dayong’s smile was so wide that only his teeth showed. He extended his hand from his sleeve and gestured for everyone to follow. "Please, everyone, come along."

Lingqiu was a very ordinary county town, with four gates, and the names of the gates were mostly the same as those in other towns. As they entered through the east gate, there were no soldiers guarding it. The gate was wide open, and only a few brokers were sitting on long benches by the roadside, chatting idly, with notebooks and pens in hand, ready to handle taxes on large shipments of goods. However, Lingqiu was not a major thoroughfare or a commercially developed area, so these brokers were not very busy. When they saw Zhang Han and his group approaching, they first sized them up, then, upon recognizing Han Tong, quickly jumped up and bowed deeply.

Everyone ignored them and continued on horseback. Zhang Han observed the surroundings, noting that the city had only one main east-west road, with a drum tower in the center. The other alleys were crooked and unimpressive, and there were many thatched houses. The road conditions were poor, and the open ditches on both sides were filled with garbage, emitting a foul odor. He couldn’t help but shake his head inwardly.

The southeastern regions were undoubtedly much more prosperous. Zhang Han had read some records by Western missionaries, describing the southeastern towns as bustling and wealthy, with people dressed in fine clothing and clean environments. If those missionaries had come to the northwest, their impressions would likely have been different.

The pedestrians on the road were mostly relaxed and casual, many of them commoners with headscarves, selling vegetables, carrying firewood, or fetching water. There were also some idlers wandering around, and occasionally women or scholars passing by, all in a hurry and unwilling to linger.

A few monks with alms books were begging from house to house. Seeing that Zhang Han and his group were on horseback, one of the monks tried to approach, but a servant of Han Tong spurred his horse forward, brandishing a whip, and the monks quickly retreated.

As they moved further east, the buildings along the road became more impressive. After passing the drum tower, Li Dayong pointed ahead and said, "The county office and the school are up ahead, and Master Han’s residence is also there. This is the heart of Lingqiu."

He then pointed to a three-story building on the left and smiled, "Master Zhang is from Xinping Fort, where there are ten times as many taverns as in Lingqiu. I hope you won’t be disappointed today."

Zhang Han naturally humbly responded, and everyone dismounted in front of the tavern. The innkeeper quickly came out, addressing Li Dayong as Master, and personally guided everyone to the third floor, where the windows were opened to overlook the street. Zhang Han, sitting on the west side, saw a rather ordinary street scene, with the drum tower and bell tower, a Guandi Temple and a City God Temple nearby, and then the official offices and large residences. One residence had over thirty courtyards and a large garden, which he assumed was Han Tong’s home.

Everyone then took their seats, chatting casually. Zhang Han whispered to Zhang Xuezeng, "Uncle, I’m grateful for your efforts this time."

"This was decided by the clan," Zhang Xuezeng said with a bitter smile. "The silver you provided last year wasn’t fake, and the clan elders, hearing that they will receive more this year, are eager to take on this matter. Our Zhang family in Puzhou still has some connections left, and we must use them quickly. Otherwise, if we don’t use the silver to form new connections, we might really decline."

Zhang Xuezeng was clearly a man who prioritized the family. Zhang Han had also received his full support to resolve the crisis with the shop. Now, Zhang Xuezeng’s expression wasn’t too good, understandable given that a group of elderly men, nearing sixty, were powerless to help the family and only knew how to take money from a younger relative to help the family’s people. This must have been a source of frustration for Zhang Xuezeng.

"Nephew, it’s only right to contribute to the family," Zhang Han smiled. "A little wealth is nothing to worry about."

Zhang Xuezeng hesitated, as there were indeed a few ungrateful people in the clan. They argued that since Zhang Han had returned to the clan, the Yuxing business should also be considered clan property. At most, the Zhang family from Xinping Fort could get a larger share, but the Puzhou side couldn’t just support Xinping without getting more benefits. This sentiment was likely supported by the Second Elder, who had never liked the Xinping branch. The last time, he was forced by Zhang Han to help, and he still harbored resentment. While the Second Elder couldn’t openly oppose a younger relative, he might secretly hinder Zhang Han or indulge the greedy and foolish people in the clan. However, Zhang Xuezeng couldn’t discuss these matters in detail with Zhang Han, hoping that Zhang Han would handle them as they came.

At this point, the food and drinks were served, and everyone began toasting each other. After a few rounds, the atmosphere at the table improved, and even Han Tong’s arrogance diminished.

At this moment, thick black smoke began to rise outside the window, blowing towards the city. Large plumes of smoke drifted from a distant mountain outside the city, continuously blowing into Lingqiu. A gentle breeze brought not coolness but choking smoke.

"This smoke is quite unpleasant," Li Dayong’s face turned sour, and he said helplessly, "This is one of the drawbacks of Lingqiu, but there’s nothing we can do about it."

A waiter then came to close the windows, reducing the smoke, and everyone felt more comfortable.

Li Dayong continued, "Lingqiu has dozens of large and small iron furnaces. When each furnace is fired, it produces a lot of smoke. Although the smoke is uncomfortable, the molten iron brings in a lot of money. Master Han’s furnaces produce the most smoke and make the most money. Master Zhang, if you are coming to do this business, I assume you won’t mind the smoke too much."

Everyone smiled at this. Li Dayong, who only had a small furnace, still had a say in the iron industry in Lingqiu, showing that he was indeed a smooth operator.

Han Tong’s face showed a hint of pride, but he was naturally a reserved person, and his smile was rather unpleasant, almost better off not smiling.

At this moment, they heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs, and a large head appeared from below, followed by a massively built man climbing up. His size was unmatched by anyone on the third floor, standing at the stairwell like a brick wall.

This man had a heroic demeanor, a square face, and large, bright eyes. Despite the attention he drew, he remained composed and unperturbed.

Another person then climbed up the stairs, a handsome young man with a square, flat-topped cap, neatly combed hair, a clean-shaven face, and a moderate height. He held a sword in his right hand, exuding both elegance and heroism.

"It’s Master Sun and Nephew Jingting. We’ve saved seats for you, please come and sit down."